UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

SCHEDULE 14A

Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of the Securities

Exchange Act of 1934

Filed by the Registrantx

Filed by a Party other than the Registrant¨

Check the appropriate box:

¨Preliminary Proxy Statement
¨Confidential, for Use of the Commission Only (as permitted by Rule 14a-6(e)(2))
xDefinitive Proxy Statement
¨Definitive Additional Materials
¨Soliciting Material Pursuant to §240.14a-12

SECOND SIGHT

VIVANI MEDICAL, PRODUCTS, INC.

(Name of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter)

(Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if other than the Registrant)

Payment of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box):

xNo fee required.
¨Fee computed on table below per Exchange Act Rules 14a-6(i)(1) and 0-11.
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Vivani Medical, Inc.

5858 Horton Street, Suite 280

Emeryville, California 94608

April 28, 2023

Dear Stockholder:

It is my pleasure to invite you to attend Vivani Medical, Inc.’s 2023 Annual Meeting of Stockholders (the “Annual Meeting”), to be held on June 15, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time. The Annual Meeting will be held entirely online live via audio webcast. You will be able to attend and participate in the Annual Meeting online by first registering at www.proxydocs.com/VANI, where you will be able to listen to the Annual Meeting live, submit questions and vote.

Details regarding the business to be conducted at the Annual Meeting are more fully described in the accompanying Notice of Annual Meeting of Stockholders and proxy statement.

Your vote is important. Whether or not you expect to attend the Annual Meeting online, please date, sign and return your proxy card in the enclosed envelope or vote by using the Internet or by telephone according to the instructions in the proxy statement to assure that your shares will be represented and voted at the Annual Meeting. If you attend the Annual Meeting and follow the instructions in the proxy statement, you may vote your shares electronically during the Annual Meeting even though you have previously voted by proxy. If you hold your shares through an account with a brokerage firm, bank or other nominee, please follow the instructions you receive from your broker, bank, trustee or other nominee to vote your shares. Details about how to attend the Annual Meeting online and how to submit questions and cast your votes are posted at www.proxydocs.com/VANI and can be found in the proxy statement in the section entitled “About the Annual Meeting: Questions and Answers about this Proxy Material and Voting — How can I participate in the Annual Meeting?and How do I vote and what are the voting deadlines?”

 

Second Sight

On behalf of your Board of Directors, thank you for your continued support and interest.

Sincerely,
/s/ Adam Mendelsohn 
Adam Mendelsohn
Chief Executive Officer

VIVANI MEDICAL, INC.

5858 Horton Street, Suite 280

Emeryville, California 94608

(818) 833-5000

NOTICE OF 2023 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS

To Be Held on June 15, 2023

To the Stockholders of Vivani Medical, Products, Inc.:

12744 San Fernando Road, Suite 400

Sylmar, California 91342

April 15, 2016

Dear Stockholder:

You are cordially invited to attend the Annual Meeting of Stockholders (the “Annual Meeting”) of Second SightVivani Medical, Products, Inc. to, a California corporation (the “Company”), on June 15, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time. The Annual Meeting will be held at 9:00 a.m., local time, on Tuesday, May 10, 2016, at the Hyatt Regency Valencia, 24500 Town Center Drive, Valencia, California, USA, 91355.

We look forwardentirely online live via audio webcast. You will be able to your attending either in person or by proxy. Further details regarding the matters to be acted upon at this meeting appearattend and participate in the accompanying Notice of 2016 Annual Meeting online by visiting www.proxydocs.com/VANI, where you will be able to listen to the Annual Meeting live, submit questions, and Proxy Statement. Please give this material your careful attention.vote. There will not be a physical location for the Annual Meeting. The Annual Meeting will be held for the following purposes:

1.Proposal No. 1: To elect the five directors from the nominees named in the accompanying proxy statement to hold office for the ensuing year and until their successors are duly elected and qualified;

 

 Sincerely,2.Proposal No. 2: To ratify the selection by the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors the appointment of BPM LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2023;

3.Proposal No. 3: To approve a proposed reincorporation pursuant to which the Company will change the state of its incorporation from California to Delaware;

4.Proposal No. 4A: To approve a provision of the Delaware Charter disallowing cumulative voting;

5.Proposal No. 4B: To approve a provision of the Delaware Charter limiting the Company’s stockholders’ right to remove directors without cause;

6.

Proposal No. 4C: To approve a provision of the Delaware Bylaws permitting only the Board to call special meetings;

  
 /s/ Jonathan Will McGuire 
7.Jonathan Will McGuire
PresidentProposal No. 4D: To approve provisions of the Delaware Charter andChief Executive Officer Bylaws disallowing action by written consent of stockholders; 

 

8.Proposal No. 4E: To approve a provision of the Delaware Charter providing that, unless Vivani Delaware consents in writing to the selection of an alternate forum, certain intra-corporate claims may be brought exclusively in the Delaware Court of Chancery (or, if such court lacks subject matter jurisdiction, the other state or federal courts in the State of Delaware);

9.Proposal No. 4F: To approve a provision of the Delaware Charter requiring any complaint asserting a cause of action under the Securities Act to be brought exclusively in the federal district courts of the United States, unless the Company consents in writing to the selection of an alternative forum;

10.Proposal No. 5: To approve, on a non-binding advisory basis, the compensation of the Company’s named executive officers; and

 

SECOND SIGHT MEDICAL PRODUCTS, INC.

12744 San Fernando Road, Suite 400
Sylmar, California 91342

NOTICE OF 2016 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS

To Be Held on May 10, 2016

To the Stockholders of Second Sight Medical Products, Inc.:

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the 2016 Annual Meeting of Stockholders of Second Sight Medical Products, Inc., a California corporation, will be held on Tuesday, May 10, 2016 at 9:00 a.m., local time, at the Hyatt Regency Valencia, 24500 Town Center Drive, Valencia, California, USA, 91355, for the following purposes:

1.    To elect six directors to serve until the 2017 Annual Meeting of Stockholders.

2.    To approve an amended Second Sight 2011 Equity Incentive Plan that will (i) increase the maximum number of shares of common stock that may be issued under the Plan from 6 million shares to 7.5 million shares of common stock, (ii)allow issuance of Restricted Stock Units, and (iii) permit repricing and exchanges of options.

3.    To ratify the appointment of Gumbiner Savett Inc. as our independent registered public accounting firm for 2016.

4.    To transact such other business as may properly come before the Annual Meeting and any adjournments or postponements thereof.

Only

This year, we have elected to use the Internet as our primary means of providing our proxy materials to stockholders. Consequently, most stockholders will not receive paper copies of recordour proxy materials. We will instead send to our stockholders a Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials, which contains instructions on how to access our proxy statement and our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022. The Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials also includes instructions on how you can vote using the Internet, by telephone or at the virtual Annual Meeting via live webcast, and how you can request and receive, free of charge, a printed copy of our proxy materials. All stockholders who do not receive a Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials will receive a paper copy of the proxy materials by mail. The Proxy Statement accompanying this Notice describes each of these items of business in detail. Our Board of Directors has fixed the close of business on April 7, 2016,18, 2023 as the record date fixed by(the “Record Date”) for the BoardAnnual Meeting. Only stockholders of Directors,record as of that date are entitled to notice of and to vote at the Annual MeetingMeeting. Please use this opportunity to take part in the affairs of the Company by voting on the business to come before this meeting. It is important that your shares are represented and any adjournment or postponement thereof. If you plan to attendvoted at the Annual Meeting andMeeting. We urge you require directions, please call us at (818) 833-5000.

Whether or not you plan to attend the meeting, please complete, sign, date and return the enclosedauthorize your proxy in advance by following the envelope provided as soon as possible.instructions printed on it.

By Order of the Board of Directors
/s/ Jonathan Will McGuireAdam Mendelsohn
Jonathan Will McGuireAdam Mendelsohn
President andChief Executive Officer

Dated: April 15, 201628, 2023

 

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TABLETABLE OF CONTENTS

Page
No.
The Proxy ProcedureTHE PROXY PROCEDURE31
ABOUT THE ANNUAL MEETING: QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 3
About the Meeting: Questions and AnswersGOVERNANCE OF THE COMPANY49
PROPOSAL No. 1 — ELECTION OF DIRECTORS13
Governance ofPROPOSAL No. 2 — RATIFy ON ADVISORY BASIS the CompanyAPPOINTMENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM1016
PROPOSAL NO. 3 — REINCORPORATION FROM CALIFORNIA TO DELAWARE18
Proposal 1 — Election of DirectorsGOVERNANCE PROVISIONS OF THE COMPANY’S CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION AND BYLAWS RELATING TO THE REINCORPORATION1325
PROPOSAL NO. 4A: PROVISION OF THE DELAWARE CHARTER DISALLOWING CUMULATIVE VOTING.26
Proposal 2 — Approval of  the amended Second Sight 2011 Equity Incentive Plan that will (i)  increase the maximum number of shares of common stock that may be issued under Second Sight’s 2011 Equity Incentive Plan from 6 million shares to 7.5 million shares of common stock, (ii) allow issuance of Restricted Stock Units under the Plan, and (iii) permit repricing and exchanges of options under the Plan.PROPOSAL NO. 4B: PROVISION OF THE DELAWARE CHARTER LIMITING THE COMPANY’S STOCKHOLDERS’ RIGHT TO REMOVE DIRECTORS WITHOUT CAUSE.1626
PROPOSAL NO. 4C: PROVISION OF THE DELAWARE BYLAWS PERMITTING ONLY THE BOARD TO CALL SPECIAL MEETINGS.27
Proposal 3 — Ratification of Appointment of Independent Registered Public Accounting FirmPROPOSAL NO. 4D: PROVISIONS OF THE DELAWARE CHARTER AND BYLAWS DISALLOWING ACTION BY WRITTEN CONSENT OF STOCKHOLDERS.1927
PROPOSAL NO. 4E: PROVISION OF THE DELAWARE CHARTER PROVIDING THAT, UNLESS VIVANI DELAWARE CONSENTS IN WRITING TO THE SELECTION OF AN ALTERNATE FORUM, CERTAIN INTRA-CORPORATE CLAIMS MAY BE BROUGHT EXCLUSIVELY IN THE DELAWARE COURT OF CHANCERY (OR, IF SUCH COURT LACKS SUBJECT MATTER JURISDICTION, THE OTHER STATE OR FEDERAL COURTS IN THE STATE OF DELAWARE).28
Executive Compensation and Related InformationPROPOSAL NO. 4F: PROVISION OF THE DELAWARE CHARTER REQUIRING ANY COMPLAINT ASSERTING A CAUSE OF ACTION UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT TO BE BROUGHT EXCLUSIVELY IN THE FEDERAL DISTRICT COURTS OF THE UNITED STATES, UNLESS THE COMPANY CONSENTS IN WRITING TO THE SELECTION OF AN ALTERNATIVE FORUM.2029
PROPOSAL NO. 5 — NON-BINDING ADVISORY VOTE ON EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION35
Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and ManagementEXECUTIVE OFFICERS2536
SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT44
Certain Relationships and Related TransactionsCERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS2646
STOCKHOLDER PROPOSALS48
Requirements for Advance Notification of Nominations and Stockholder ProposalsSTOCKHOLDER MATTERS2649
DELINQUENT SECTION 16(a) REPORTS50
Other MattersREPORT OF the AUDIT COMMITTEE2651
APPENDIX A – PLAN OF CONVERSION52
Appendix A — Amended Second Sight Medical Products, Inc. 2011 Equity Incentive PlanAPPENDIX B – DELAWARE CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATIONA-155
APPENDIX C – DELAWARE BYLAWS61

 

THE PROXY PROCEDURE

Our board of directors solicits your proxy for the 2023 Annual Meeting of Stockholders (the “Annual Meeting”), and for any postponement or adjournment of the Annual Meeting, for the purposes described in the “Notice of Annual Meeting of Stockholders.” The table below shows some important details about the Annual Meeting and voting. Additional information is available in the “About the Annual Meeting: Questions and Answers” section of the proxy statement immediately below the table. We use the terms “Vivani,” “the Company,” “we,” “our” and “us” in this Proxy Statement to refer to Vivani Medical, Inc., a California corporation.

This Proxy Statement and the accompanying proxy card are first being mailed,delivered, on or about April 18, 2016,28, 2023, to owners of shares of common stock of Second SightVivani Medical, Products, Inc. (which may be referred to in this Proxy Statement as “we,” “us,” “Second Sight” or the “Company”) in connection with the solicitation of proxies by our board of directors (“Board”) for our Annual Meeting of stockholders to be held on May 10, 2016June 15, 2023 at 9:10:00 a.m. PDTPacific Time online at the Hyatt Regency Valencia, 24500 Town Center Drive, Valencia, California, USA, 91355 (referred to as the “Annual Meeting”).www.proxydocs.com/VANI. The Annual Meeting will be a completely virtual meeting, which will be conducted via live audio webcast. This proxy procedure permits all stockholders many of whom are unable to attend the Annual Meeting, to vote their shares at the Annual Meeting. Our Board encourages you to read this document thoroughly and to take this opportunity to vote on the matters to be decided at the Annual Meeting.

IMPORTANT NOTICE

WHETHER OR NOT YOU PLAN TO ATTEND THE ANNUAL MEETING, YOU ARE REQUESTED TO MARK, DATE AND SIGN THE ENCLOSED PROXY CARD AND RETURN IT AS PROMPTLY AS POSSIBLE IN THE ENCLOSED ENVELOPE. SIGNING AND RETURNING A PROXY WILL NOT PREVENT YOU FROM VOTING IN PERSON AT THE MEETING.

THANK YOU FOR ACTING PROMPTLY.

IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING THE AVAILABILITY OF PROXY MATERIALS FOR THE ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS TO BE HELD ON MAY 10, 2016:

TheImportant Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materials for the 2023 Annual Meeting Proxy Statement

This proxy statement and 2015the 2022 Annual Report are available for viewing, printing and downloading at www.proxydocs.com/VANI and on Form 10-Kthe “Investors” section of our website at www.vivani.com. Certain documents referenced in the proxy statement are available on our website. However, we are not including the information contained on our website, or any information that may also be accessed viaby links on our website, atwww.secondsight.com.as part of, or incorporating it by reference into, this Proxy Statement.

Meeting DetailsJune 15, 2023, 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time
Virtual MeetingTo participate in the Annual Meeting virtually via the Internet, please visit: www.proxydocs.com/VANI. To access the Annual Meeting, you will need the 12-digit control number included on your Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials, included on your proxy card, or provided through your broker. Stockholders will be able to vote and submit questions during the Annual Meeting.
Record DateApril 18, 2023
Shares OutstandingThere were 50,788,699 shares of common stock outstanding and entitled to vote as of the Record Date.
Eligibility to VoteHolders of our common stock at the close of business on the Record Date are entitled to notice of, and to vote at, the Annual Meeting. Each stockholder is entitled to one vote for each share held as of the Record Date.
QuorumA majority of the shares of common stock outstanding and entitled to vote, by proxy or via live webcast, as of the Record Date constitutes a quorum. A quorum is required to transact business at the Annual Meeting.
Voting MethodsStockholders whose shares are registered in their names with Vstock Transfer, LLC, our transfer agent (referred to as “Stockholders of Record”) may vote by proxy via the Internet, phone, or mail by following the instructions on the accompanying proxy card. Stockholders of Record may also vote at the virtual Annual Meeting. Stockholders whose shares are held in “street name” by a broker, bank or other nominee (referred to as “Beneficial Owners”) must follow the voting instructions provided by their brokers or other nominees. See “What is the difference between holding shares as a Stockholder of Record and as a Beneficial Owner?” and “How do I vote and what are the voting deadlines?” below for additional information.

 

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Inspector of ElectionsWe will appoint an independent Inspector of Elections to determine whether a quorum is present, and to tabulate the votes cast by proxy or at the Annual Meeting via live webcast.
Voting ResultsWe will announce preliminary results at the Annual Meeting. We will report final results on a Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) and post results at www.vivani.com as soon as practicable after the Annual Meeting.
Proxy Solicitation CostsWe will bear the costs of soliciting proxies from our stockholders. These costs include preparing, assembling, printing, mailing and distributing notices, proxy statements, proxy cards and Annual Reports. Our directors, officers and other employees may solicit proxies personally or by telephone, e-mail or other means of communication, and we will reimburse them for any related expenses. We will also reimburse brokers and other nominees for their reasonable out-of-pocket expenses for forwarding proxy materials to the Beneficial Owners of the shares that the nominees hold in their names.

Second Sight Medical Products, Inc.

ABOUT THE ANNUAL MEETING: QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

12744 San Fernando Road, Suite 400

Sylmar, California 91342What matters am I voting on?

(818) 833-5000

You will be voting on:

A proposal to elect five directors to hold office until the 2024 annual meeting of stockholders (the “2024 Annual Meeting”) or until their successors are duly elected and qualified;

A proposal to ratify the appointment of BPM LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2023;

A proposal to approve the reincorporation pursuant to which the Company will change the state of its incorporation from California to Delaware;

A proposal to approve a provision of the Delaware Charter disallowing cumulative voting;

A proposal to approve a provision of the Delaware Charter limiting the Company’s stockholders’ right to remove directors without cause;

A proposal to approve a provision of the Delaware Bylaws permitting only the Board to call special meetings;

A proposal to approve provisions of the Delaware Charter and Bylaws disallowing action by written consent of stockholders;

A proposal to approve a provision of the Delaware Charter providing that, unless Vivani Delaware consents in writing to the selection of an alternate forum, certain intracorporate claims may be brought exclusively in the Delaware Court of Chancery (or, if such court lacks subject matter jurisdiction, the other state or federal courts in the State of Delaware);

A proposal to approve a provision of the Delaware Charter requiring any complaint asserting a cause of action under the Securities Act to be brought exclusively in the federal district courts of the United States, unless the Company consents in writing to the selection of an alternative forum;

A proposal to approve, on a non-binding advisory basis, the compensation of the Company’s named executive officers; and

Any other business that may properly come before the Annual Meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof.

How does our board of directors recommend that I vote?

Our board of directors recommends that you vote:

FOR the election of the five directors nominated by our board of directors and named in this Proxy Statement as directors to serve for one-year terms;
FOR the ratification of the appointment of BPM LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2023;
FOR the approval of reincorporation pursuant to which the Company will change the state of its incorporation from California to Delaware;
FOR the approval of a provision of the Delaware Charter disallowing cumulative voting;
FOR the approval of a provision of the Delaware Charter limiting the Company’s stockholders’ right to remove directors without cause;
FOR the approval of a provision of the Delaware Bylaws permitting only the Board to call special meetings;
FOR the approval of provisions of the Delaware Charter and Bylaws disallowing action by written consent of stockholders;
FOR the approval of a provision of the Delaware Charter providing that, unless Vivani Delaware consents in writing to the selection of an alternate forum, certain intracorporate claims may be brought exclusively in the Delaware Court of Chancery (or, if such court lacks subject matter jurisdiction, the other state or federal courts in the State of Delaware);
FOR the approval of a provision of the Delaware Charter requiring any complaint asserting a cause of action under the Securities Act to be brought exclusively in the federal district courts of the United States, unless the Company consents in writing to the selection of an alternative forum; and
FOR, on a non-binding advisory basis, the approval of the compensation of our named executive officers.

 

PROXY STATEMENT

Why did I receive a notice in the mail regarding the Internet availability of proxy materials?

ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS

TO BE HELD AT 9:00 A.M. ON MAY 10, 2016

INTRODUCTION

This Proxy StatementInstead of mailing printed copies to each of our stockholders, we have elected to provide access to our proxy materials over the Internet under the SEC’s “notice and access” rules. These rules allow us to make our stockholders aware of the Annual Meeting and the accompanyingavailability of our proxy materials by sending the Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Card is first being mailedMaterials, or the Notice, which provides instructions for how to access the full set of proxy materials through the Internet or make a request to have printed proxy materials delivered by mail. Accordingly, on or about April 18, 2016. We are sending it28, 2023, we mailed the Notice to you to solicit proxies for voting at the Annual Meetingeach of our stockholders.

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT THE ANNUAL MEETING AND VOTING

Proxy Materials

Q:   Why am I being asked The Notice contains instructions on how to review these materials?

A:   Second Sight Medical Products, Inc., also referred to herein as “Second Sight”, the “Company” or “we”, is providing theseaccess our proxy materials, to you in connection with the solicitation of proxies by the Company’s Board of Directors for use at an Annual Meeting of Stockholders (the “Annual Meeting”). The Annual Meeting will be held at the Hyatt Regency Valencia, 24500 Town Center Drive, Valencia, California, USA, 91355, at 9:00 a.m., Pacific Standard Time on May 10, 2016. If necessary the meeting may be continued at a later time. Stockholders are invited to attend the Annual Meetingincluding our Proxy Statement and are requested to vote on the proposals described in this proxy statement.

Q:   What information is contained in these materials?

A:    The proxy materials include:

•      our proxy statement for the Annual Meeting of Stockholders;

•      our 2015 Annual Report, which includes our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015;2022, each of which is available at www.proxydocs.com/VANI. The Notice also provides instructions on how to vote your shares through the Internet, by telephone, by mail or virtually at the Annual Meeting.

What is the purpose of complying with the SEC’s “notice and access” rules?

•      aWe believe compliance with the SEC’s “notice and access” rules allows us to provide our stockholders with the materials they need to make informed decisions, while lowering the costs of printing and delivering those materials and reducing the environmental impact of our Annual Meeting. However, if you would prefer to receive printed proxy materials, please follow the instructions included in the Notice. If you have previously elected to receive our proxy materials electronically, you will continue to receive these materials electronically unless you elect otherwise.

Will there be any other items of business on the agenda?

If any other items of business or other matters are properly brought before the Annual Meeting, your proxy gives discretionary authority to the persons named on the proxy card with respect to those items of business or a voting instructionother matters. The persons named on the proxy card forintend to vote the Annual Meeting.

Q:   What information is containedproxy in this proxy statement?

A:   The information in this proxy statement relatesaccordance with their best judgment. Our Board does not intend to the proposalsbring any other matters to be voted on at the Annual Meeting, and we are not currently aware of any matters that may be properly presented by others for action at the voting process, the Board and Board committees, the compensation of our directors and certain executive officers for fiscal 2015 and other required information.Annual Meeting.

 

Q:   How may I obtain a paper copy of the proxy materials?

A:    You may request paper copies of the proxy materials for the Annual Meeting by telephoning (818) 833-5000, or by sending an e-mail to investors@secondsight.com.

Q:   I share an address with another stockholder, and we received more than one paper copy of the proxy materials. How do we obtain a single copy in the future?

A:    Stockholders of record sharing an address who are receiving multiple copies of the proxy materials and who wish to receive a single copy of such materials in the future may contact our transfer agent whose contact information is provided below. Beneficial owners of shares held through a broker, trustee or other nominee sharing an address who are receiving multiple copies of the proxy materials and who wish to receive a single copy of such materials in the future may contact Tom Miller at:

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Second Sight Medical Products, Inc.
12744 San Fernando Road, Suite 400
Sylmar, California 91342

Q:   What does it mean if I received more than one proxy or voting instruction form?

A:    You may receive more than one notice, or more than one paper copy of the proxy materials, including multiple paper copies of this proxy statement and multiple proxy cards or voting instruction cards. For example, if you hold your shares in more than one brokerage account, you may receive a separate notice or a separate voting instruction card for each brokerage account in which you hold shares. If you are a stockholder of record and your shares are registered in more than one name, you may receive more than one notice, or more than one proxy card. To vote all of your shares by proxy, you must complete, sign, date and return each proxy card and voting instruction card that you receive to vote the shares represented by each notice that you receive (unless you have requested and received a proxy card or voting instruction card for the shares represented by one or more of those notices).

Q:   How may I obtain a copy of the Company’s 2015 Form 10-K and other financial information?

A:    Stockholders may request a free copy of our 2015 Annual Report, which includes our 2015 Form 10-K, from:

Second Sight Medical Products, Inc.

12744 San Fernando Road, Suite 400

Sylmar, California 91342

Alternatively, a copy of our Form 10-K is available at the Investor Relations section of our website:http://investors.secondsight.com/sec.cfm

We also will furnish any exhibit to our Form 10-K for 2015 if specifically requested.

Voting Information

Q:   What matters will the Company stockholders vote on at the Annual Meeting?

A:    There are four proposals to be considered and voted on at the meeting. The proposals to be voted on are:

Proposal 1 — To elect six directors to serve until the 2017 Annual Meeting of Stockholders or until the election and qualification of their successors;

Proposal 2 — To approve an amended Second Sight 2011 Equity Incentive Plan that will (i) increase the maximum number of shares of common stock that may be issued under the Plan from 6 million shares to 7.5 million shares of common stock, (ii)allow issuance of Restricted Stock Units , and (iii) permit repricing and exchanges of options;

Proposal 3 — To ratify the appointment of Gumbiner Savett Inc. as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2016; and

Proposal 4 — To transact such other business as may properly come before the Annual Meeting and any adjournments or postponements thereof.

For a more detailed discussion of each of these proposals, please see the information included elsewhere in the proxy statement relating to these proposals.

Q:   What are the Board’s voting recommendations?

A:    The Board of Directors recommends that you vote your shares as follows:

•      “FOR” the election of the nominated directors (see Proposal 1);

•      “FOR” ratification of an amended 2011 Equity Incentive Planthat will (i) increase the maximum number of shares of common stock that may be issued under the Plan from 6 million shares to 7.5 million shares of common stock, (ii)allow issuance of Restricted Stock Units , and (iii) permit repricing and exchanges of options (Proposal 2); and

•      “FOR” the ratification of Gumbiner Savett Inc. as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2016 (Proposal 3).

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With respect to any other matter that properly comes before the meeting, the proxy holders will vote as recommended by the Board or, if no recommendation is given, in their own discretion.

If you sign and return your proxy card but do not specify how you want to vote your shares, the persons named as proxy holders on the proxy card will vote in accordance with the recommendations of the Board.

Q:   Who is entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting?

A:    Each holder of sharesHolders of our common stock issued and outstanding as ofat the close of business on April 7, 2016, the record date for the Annual Meeting, isRecord Date are entitled to cast onenotice of, and to vote per share on all items being voted upon at, the Annual Meeting. Each stockholder is entitled to one vote for each share of our common stock held as of the Record Date. You may also cumulate your votes in favorwith respect to the election of one or more director nominees. Please seedirectors. See “Is cumulative voting permitted forwith respect to the election of directors” below on page 7. You may vote all shares owned by you as of this time, including shares held for you as the beneficial owner through a broker, trustee or other nominee.below.

On the record date, the Company had approximately36,019,086 shares of common stock issued and outstanding.

Q:   What is the difference between a stockholder of record and a stockholder who holds stock in street name?

A:    Most of our stockholders hold their shares through a broker, trustee or other nominee rather than directly in their own name. As summarized below, there are some distinctions between shares held of record and those owned beneficially.

•      Stockholder of Record—If your shares are registered directly in your name with our transfer agent, you are considered, with respect to those shares, the “stockholder of record.” As the stockholder of record, you have the right to grant your voting proxy directly to the Company or to a third party, or to vote your shares during the meeting.

•     Beneficial Owner—If your shares are held in a brokerage account, by a trustee or by another nominee (that is, in “street name”), you are considered the “beneficial owner” of those shares. As the beneficial owner of those shares, you have the right to direct your broker, trustee or nominee how to vote, or to vote your shares during the Annual Meeting (which must be voted prior to the Annual Meeting).

Q:   If I hold my shares in street name through my broker, will my broker vote these shares for me?

A:    If you provide instructions on how to vote by following the instructions provided to you by your broker, your broker will vote your shares as you have instructed. If you do not provide your broker with voting instructions, your broker will vote your shares only if the proposal is a “routine” management proposal on which your broker has discretion to vote. Under Nasdaq Stock Market Business Conduct Rules, to which your broker is subject, your broker may refrain from voting uninstructed shares for elections of directors and other matters such as those involving the proposals in this proxy statement without instruction from you, in which case a broker non-vote will occur and your shares will not be voted on these matters.

Q:   How do I vote?

A:    You may vote over the Internet, by mail or in person at the Annual Meeting. Please be aware that if you vote over the Internet, you may incur costs such as Internet access charges for which you will be responsible.

Vote by Internet.  You can vote via the Internet by following the instructions on your proxy card. You will need to use the control number appearing on your proxy card to vote via the Internet. You can use the Internet to transmit your votinginstructions up until 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on Monday, May 9, 2016. Internet voting is available 24 hours a day. If you vote via the Internet, you do not need to vote in person or return a proxy card.

Vote by Mail.  If you received a printed proxy card, you can vote by marking, dating and signing it, and returning it in the postage-paid envelope that is provided. Please mail your proxy card promptly to ensure that it is received before closingA complete list of the polls at the Annual Meeting.

Vote in Person at the Meeting.  If you attend the Annual Meeting and plan to vote in person, we will provide you with a ballot at the Annual Meeting. If your shares are registered directly in your name, you are considered the stockholder of record and you have the right to vote in person at the Annual Meeting. If your shares are held in the name of your broker or other nominee, you are considered the beneficial owner of shares held in street name. As a beneficial owner, if you wishstockholders entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting you will need to bringbe available at our headquarters, located at 5858 Horton Street, Suite 280, Emeryville, CA 94608, during regular business hours for the ten days prior to the Annual Meeting a legal proxy from your broker or other nominee authorizing you to vote those shares.

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If you vote by Internet or by mail, youMeeting. This list will also be designating Will McGuire, our President and Chief Executive Officer, and/or Tom Miller, our Chief Financial Officer and Corporate Secretary, as your proxy(ies). They may act together or individually on your behalf, and will have the authority to appoint a substitute to act as proxy.

Submitting a proxy will not affect your right to attendavailable during the Annual Meeting and vote in person. If your shares are held inat this location. Stockholders may examine the name of a bank, broker or other nominee, you will receive separate voting instructions from your bank, broker or other nominee describing howlist for any legally valid purpose related to vote your shares. The availability of Internet voting will depend on the voting process of your bank, broker or other nominee. Please check with your bank, broker or other nominee and follow the voting instructions it provides.

Q:What is a proxy?

A:   A proxy is a person you appoint to vote on your behalf. By using the methods discussed above, you will be appointing Will McGuire, our President and Chief Executive Officer, and/or Tom Miller, our Chief Financial Officer and Corporate Secretary, as your proxies. They may act together or individually to vote on your behalf, and will have the authority to appoint a substitute to act as proxy. If you are unable to attend the Annual Meeting, please vote by proxy so that your shares of common stock may be voted.Meeting.

Q:   Is my vote confidential?

A:    Proxy instructions, ballots and voting tabulations that identify individual stockholders are handled in a manner that protects your voting privacy. Your vote will not be disclosed, either within the Company or to third parties, except: (1) as necessary to meet applicable legal requirements; (2) to allow for the tabulation of votes and certification of the vote; and (3) to facilitate a successful proxy solicitation. Occasionally, stockholders provide on their proxy card written comments, which are then forwarded to management.

Q:   How are votes counted, and what effect do abstentions and broker non-votes have on the proposals?

A:    In the election of directors, you may vote “FOR,” “AGAINST” or “ABSTAIN” with respect to each of the nominees. If you elect to abstain in the election of directors, the abstention will not impact the election of directors. In tabulating the voting results for the election of directors, only “FOR” and “AGAINST” votes are counted. You also may cumulate your votes as described below.

For the other items of business, you may vote “FOR,” “AGAINST” or “ABSTAIN.”

If you are the beneficial owner of shares held in the name of a broker, trustee or other nominee and do not provide that broker, trustee or other nominee with voting instructions, your shares may constitute “broker non-votes.” Generally, broker non-votes occur on a matter when a broker is not permitted to vote on that matter without instructions from the beneficial owner and instructions are not given. Under the rules of the New York Stock Exchange, brokers, trustees or other nominees may generally vote on routine matters but cannot vote on non-routine matters. Only Proposal No. 3 (ratifying the appointment of the independent registered public accounting firm) is considered a routine matter. The other proposals are not considered routine matters, and without your instructions, your broker cannot vote your shares. In tabulating the voting results for any particular proposal, shares that constitute broker non-votes are not considered entitled to vote on that proposal. Thus, broker non-votes will not affect the outcome of any matter being voted on at the meeting. If you provide specific instructions with regard to certain items, your shares will be voted as you instruct on such items. If you vote by proxy card or voting instruction card and sign the card without giving specific instructions, your shares will be voted in accordance with the recommendations of the Board (FOR all of our nominees to the Board, FOR the approval of an amended 2011 Equity Incentive Plan thatwill (i) increase the maximum number of shares of common stock that may be issued under the Plan from 6 million shares to 7.5 million shares of common stock, (ii)allow issuance of Restricted Stock Units, and (iii) permit repricing and exchanges of options,and FOR ratification of the appointment of our independent registered public accounting firm).

Q:   What is the voting requirement to approve each of the proposals?

A:   In the election of directors, each director will be elected by the vote of the majority of votes cast with respect to that director nominee. A majority of votes cast means that the number of votes cast for a nominee’s election must exceed the number of votes cast against such nominee’s election. Each nominee receiving more votes “for” his or her election than votes “against” his or her election will be elected. Approval of each of the other proposals requires the affirmative vote of a majority of the shares present, in person or represented by proxy, and entitled to vote on that proposal at the Annual Meeting.

Q:   Is cumulative voting permitted forwith respect to the election of directors?

A:    Yes, youYes. You may choose to cumulate your vote in the election of directors. Cumulative voting applies only to the election of directors and allows you to allocate among the director nominees, as you see fit, the total number of votes equal to the number of director positions to be filled multiplied by the number of shares you hold. For example, if you own 100 shares of stock and there are 6five directors to be elected at the Annual Meeting, you may allocate 600500 “FOR” votes (6(5 times 100) among as few or as many of the 6five nominees to be voted on at the Annual Meeting as you choose. You may not cumulate your votes withheld against a nominee.

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If you are a stockholder of record and choose to cumulate your votes, you will need to submit a proxy card and make an explicit statement of your intent to cumulate your votes by so indicating in writing on the proxy card. If you hold shares beneficially through a broker, trustee or other nominee and wish to cumulate votes, you should contact your broker, trustee or nominee.

If you vote by proxy card or voting instruction card and sign your card with no further instructions, Will McGuireAdam Mendelsohn or Tom Miller,Brigid Makes, as proxy holders, may cumulate and cast your votes in favor of the election of some or all of the applicable nominees in their sole discretion, except that none of your votes will be cast for any nominee as to whom you vote against or abstain from voting.withheld a vote.

 

Q:  

What percentageis the difference between holding shares as a Stockholder of Record and as a Beneficial Owner?

Stockholders of Record. If, at the close of business on the Record Date, your shares are registered directly in your name with Vstock Transfer, LLC, our transfer agent, you are considered the Stockholder of Record with respect to those shares. As the Stockholder of Record, you have the right to grant your voting proxy directly to the individuals listed on the proxy card or to vote at the Annual Meeting via live webcast.

Beneficial Owners. If your shares are held in a stock brokerage account or by a bank or other nominee on your behalf, you are considered the Beneficial Owner of shares held in “street name.” As the Beneficial Owner, you have the right to direct your broker or nominee how to vote your shares by following the voting instructions your broker or other nominee provides. In general, if you do not provide your broker or nominee with instructions on how to vote your shares, your broker or nominee may, in its discretion, vote your shares with respect to routine matters (e.g., the ratification of the appointment of our common stock do our directors and officers own?

A:   Asindependent auditor), but may not vote your shares with respect to any non-routine matters (e.g., the election of March 31, 2016, our current directors and executive officers beneficially owned approximately 34.7% of our common stock outstanding. See the discussion under the heading “Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management” on pages 25-26 for more details.

Q:   directors). Please see What if I do not specify how my shares are to be voted?” for additional information.

How can I participate in the Annual Meeting?

Our stockholders may participate in the Annual Meeting by visiting the following website: www.proxydocs.com/VANI. You will need the 12-digit control number included on your proxy card to attend and vote at the Annual Meeting. If you are the Beneficial Owner of your shares, your 12-digit control number may be included in the voting instructions form that accompanied your proxy materials. If your nominee did not provide you with a 12-digit control number in the voting instructions form that accompanied your proxy materials, you may be able to log onto the website of your nominee prior to the start of the Annual Meeting, which will automatically populate your 12-digit control number in the virtual Annual Meeting interface. Stockholders who have obtained a 12-digit control number as described above may vote or submit questions for our transfer agent?while participating in the live webcast of the Annual Meeting. However, even if you plan to attend the Annual Meeting virtually, we recommend that you vote your shares in advance, so that your vote will be counted if you later decide not to attend the Annual Meeting via live webcast.

How do I vote and what are the voting deadlines?

Stockholders of Record. Stockholders of Record can vote by proxy or by attending the Annual Meeting virtually by visiting www.proxydocs.com/VANI, where votes can be submitted via live webcast. If you vote by proxy, you can vote by Internet, telephone or by mail as described below.

 

A:    Please contact our information agent,

You may vote via the Internet or by telephone. To vote via the Internet or by telephone, follow the instructions provided in the Notice or in the proxy card that accompanies this proxy statement. If you vote via the Internet or by telephone, you do not need to return a proxy card by mail. Internet and telephone voting are available 24 hours a day. Votes submitted through the Internet or by telephone must be received by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on June 14, 2023. Alternatively, you may request a printed proxy card by following the instructions provided in the Notice.
You may vote by mail. If you would like to vote by mail, you need to complete, date and sign the proxy card that accompanies this Proxy Statement and promptly mail it in the enclosed postage-paid envelope so that it is received no later than June 14, 2023. You do not need to put a stamp on the enclosed envelope if you mail it from within the United States. The persons named on the proxy card will vote the shares you own in accordance with your instructions on the proxy card you mail. If you return the proxy card, but do not give any instructions on a particular matter to be voted on at the Annual Meeting, the persons named on the proxy card will vote the shares you own in accordance with the recommendations of our board of directors. Our board of directors recommends that you vote FOR each of Proposal Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D, 4E, 4F, and 5.
You may vote at the Annual Meeting. If you choose to vote at the Annual Meeting virtually, you will need the 12-digit control number included on your Notice or on your proxy card. If you are the beneficial owner of your shares, your 12-digit control number may be included in the voting instructions form that accompanied your proxy materials. If your nominee did not provide you with a 12-digit control number in the voting instructions form that accompanied your proxy materials, you may be able to log onto the website of your nominee prior to the start of the Annual Meeting, on which you will need to select the stockholder communications mailbox link through to the Annual Meeting, which will automatically populate your 12-digit control number in the virtual Annual Meeting interface. The method you use to vote will not limit your right to vote at the virtual Annual Meeting. All shares that have been properly voted and not revoked will be voted at the Annual Meeting.

Beneficial Owners. If you are the Beneficial Owner of shares held of record by a broker or other nominee, you will receive voting instructions from your broker or other nominee. You must follow the voting instructions provided by your broker or other nominee in order to instruct your broker or other nominee how to vote your shares. The availability of telephone and Internet voting options will depend on the voting process of your broker or other nominee. As discussed above, if you received your 12-digit control number in the voting instructions form that accompanied your Notice or your proxy materials, or if you are able to link through to the Annual Meeting from the website of your nominee and populate your 12-digit control number in the virtual Annual Meeting interface, you will be able to vote virtually at the phone number or address listed below, with questions concerning stock certificates, dividend checks, transfer of ownership or other matters pertaining to your stock account.Annual Meeting.

VStock Transfer, LLC

18 Lafayette Place

Woodmere, New York 11598

Phone: (212) 828-8436

Q:   What happens if I abstain?

A:    Abstentions are counted as present at the meeting for purposes of determining whether there is a quorum but are not counted as votes cast.

Q:   May I change my vote or revoke my proxy?

Stockholders of Record. If you are a Stockholder of Record, you may revoke your proxy or change your proxy instructions at any time before your proxy is voted at the Annual Meeting by:

entering a new vote by Internet or telephone;
signing and returning a new proxy card with a later date;
delivering a written revocation to our Secretary at the address listed on the front page of this proxy statement; or

attending the Annual Meeting and voting via live webcast.

 

A:    You mayBeneficial Owners. If you are the beneficial owner of your shares, you must contact the broker or other nominee holding your shares and follow their instructions to change your vote or revoke your proxy.

What is the effect of giving a proxy?

Proxies are solicited by and on behalf of our board of directors. The persons named on the proxy at any time prior tocard have been designated as proxy holders by our board of directors. When a proxy is properly dated, executed and returned, the vote duringshares represented by the proxy will be voted at the Annual Meeting.Meeting in accordance with the instruction of the stockholder. If no specific instructions are given, however, the shares will be voted in accordance with the recommendations of our board of directors (as shown on the first page of the proxy statement). If any matters not described in the proxy statement are properly presented at the Annual Meeting, the proxy holders will use their own judgment to determine how to vote your shares. If the Annual Meeting is postponed or adjourned, the proxy holders can vote your shares on the new meeting date, unless you have properly revoked your proxy, as described above.

What if I do not specify how my shares are to be voted?

Stockholders of Record. If you are the stockholdera Stockholder of record,Record and you may change your vote by: (1) grantingsubmit a new proxy, bearing a later date (which automatically revokes the earlier proxy); (2) providing a written notice of revocation to the Corporate Secretary at the address below prior tobut you do not provide voting instructions, your shares being voted; or (3) participating in the Annual Meetingwill be voted:

FOR the election of the five directors nominated by our board of directors and named in this Proxy Statement as directors to serve for one-year terms (Proposal No. 1);
FOR the ratification of the appointment of BPM LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2023(Proposal No. 2);
FOR the approval of the reincorporation pursuant to which the Company will change the state of its incorporation from California to Delaware (Proposal No. 3);
FOR the approval of a provision of the Delaware Charter disallowing cumulative voting (Proposal No. 4A);
FOR the approval of a provision of the Delaware Charter limiting the Company’s stockholders’ right to remove directors without cause (Proposal No. 4B);
FOR the approval of a provision of the Delaware Bylaws permitting only the Board to call special meetings (Proposal No. 4C);
FOR the approval of provisions of the Delaware Charter and Bylaws disallowing action by written consent of stockholders (Proposal No. 4D);
FOR the approval of a provision of the Delaware Charter providing that, unless Vivani Delaware consents in writing to the selection of an alternate forum, certain intracorporate claims may be brought exclusively in the Delaware Court of Chancery (or, if such court lacks subject matter jurisdiction, the other state or federal courts in the State of Delaware) (Proposal No. 4E);
FOR the approval of a provision of the Delaware Charter requiring any complaint asserting a cause of action under the Securities Act to be brought exclusively in the federal district courts of the United States, unless the Company consents in writing to the selection of an alternative forum (Proposal No. 4F);
FOR, on a non-binding advisory basis, the approval of the compensation of our named executive officers (Proposal No. 5); and
In the discretion of the named proxy holders regarding any other matters properly presented for a vote at the Annual Meeting.

Beneficial Owners. If you are a Beneficial Owner and votingyou do not provide your shares electronically during the Annual Meeting. Participation in the Annual Meeting will not cause your previously granted proxy to be revoked unless you specifically make that request. For shares you hold beneficially in the name of a broker trustee or other nominee that holds your shares with voting instructions, your broker or other nominee will determine if it has discretion to vote on each matter. In general, brokers and other nominees do not have discretion to vote on non-routine matters. Each of Proposal No. 1 (election of directors), Proposal No. 3 (reincorporation to change the Company’s state of incorporation from California to Delaware), Proposal No. 4A (provision of the Delaware Charter disallowing cumulative voting), Proposal No. 4B (provision of the Delaware Charter limiting the Company’s stockholders’ right to remove directors without cause), Proposal No. 4C (provision of the Delaware Bylaws permitting only the Board to call special meetings), Proposal No. 4D (provisions of the Delaware Charter and Bylaws disallowing action by written consent of stockholders), Proposal No. 4E (provision of the Delaware Charter providing that, unless Vivani Delaware consents in writing to the selection of an alternate forum, certain intra-corporate claims may be brought exclusively in the Delaware Court of Chancery (or, if such court lacks subject matter jurisdiction, the other state or federal courts in the State of Delaware)), Proposal No. 4F (provision of the Delaware Charter requiring any complaint asserting a cause of action under the Securities Act to be brought exclusively in the federal district courts of the United States, unless the Company consents in writing to the selection of an alternative forum) and Proposal No. 5 (endorsement of executive compensation) is a non-routine matter, while Proposal No. 2 (ratification of appointment of independent registered public accounting firm) is a routine matter. As a result, if you may change your vote by submitting newdo not provide voting instructions to your broker trustee or other nominee, your broker or by participating in the meeting and electronically votingother nominee cannot vote your shares duringwith respect to Proposal Nos. 1, 3, 4A to 4F and 5, which would result in a “broker non-vote,” but may, in its discretion, vote your shares with respect to Proposal No. 2. For additional information regarding broker non-votes, see “What are the Annual Meeting.effects of abstentions and broker non-votes?” below.

 

Corporate Secretary

Second Sight Medical Products, Inc.What is a quorum?

12744 San Fernando Road, Suite 400

Sylmar, California 91342

Annual Meeting Information

Q:   How can I attendA quorum is the Annual Meeting?

A:    You are invitedminimum number of shares required to attend this year’s Annual Meeting that will be heldpresent at Hyatt Regency Valencia, 24500 Town Center Drive, Valencia, California, USA, 91355. You are entitled to participate in the Annual Meeting only if you werefor the Company’s stockholdermeeting to be properly held under our bylaws and Delaware law. A majority of the shares of common stock outstanding and entitled to vote, by proxy or joint holderat the Annual Meeting via live webcast, constitutes a quorum for the transaction of business at the Annual Meeting. As noted above, as of the closeRecord Date, there were at total of business on April 7, 201650,788,699 shares of common stock outstanding, which means that at least 25,394,351 shares of common stock must be represented by proxy or if you hold a valid proxy forvirtually via live webcast at the Annual Meeting.Meeting to have a quorum. If there is no quorum, a majority of the shares present at the Annual Meeting may adjourn the meeting to a later date.

Abstentions and broker non-votes will be counted towards the quorum requirement.

 

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Q:   What are the quorum requirements for the meeting?effects of abstentions and broker non-votes?

 

A:

An abstention represents a stockholder’s affirmative choice to decline to vote on a proposal. Abstentions will be counted for purposes of determining the presence or absence of a quorum.

The quorum requirement for holdingoutcome of Proposal No. 1 (election of directors) will be determined by a plurality of the voting power of the shares represented and voting at the Annual Meeting, thus abstentions will have no impact on the outcome of the proposal as long as a quorum exists. The outcome of Proposal Nos. 2 and transacting business is that holders5 will be determined by the affirmative vote of a majority of the shares of common stock represented and voting at the CompanyAnnual Meeting if the quorum is present, thus abstentions will have no effect, unless there are insufficient votes in favor of the proposal, such that the affirmative votes constitute less than a majority of the required quorum. In such cases, abstentions will have the same effect as a vote against such proposals. The outcome of Proposal Nos. 3, 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D, 4E, and 4F will be determined by the affirmative vote of a majority of the outstanding shares of common stock entitled to vote, mustthus abstentions will have the same effect as a vote against such proposals.

A broker non-vote occurs when a broker or other nominee holding shares for a Beneficial Owner does not vote on a particular proposal because the broker or other nominee does not have discretionary voting power with respect to such proposal and has not received voting instructions from the Beneficial Owner of the shares. Broker non-votes will be present in person or represented by proxy. Both abstentions and broker non-votes are counted for the purposepurposes of determining the presence of a quorum.

Q:   What ifcalculating whether a quorum is not present at the Annual Meeting?Meeting but will not be counted for purposes of determining the number of votes cast. Therefore, a broker non-vote will make a quorum more readily attainable but will not affect the outcome of the vote on Proposal Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4A to 4F or 5.

How many votes are needed for approval of each proposal?

ProposalVote RequiredEffect of
Abstentions

Routine or non-routine

Broker Non-Votes

Proposal No. 1—Election of directorsPlurality of votes castNo effectThis is not a routine matter. Broker non-votes will have no effect.
Proposal No. 2—Ratification of the appointment of the independent registered public accounting firmAffirmative vote of a majority of the shares of common stock represented and voting at the annual meeting if the quorum is present (which shares voting affirmatively also constitute at least a majority of the required quorum)Will have no effect, unless there are insufficient votes in favor of the proposal, such that the affirmative votes constitute less than a majority of the required quorum. In such cases, abstentions will have the same effect as a vote against such proposals.This is a routine matter. Broker non-votes are not expected.
Proposal No. 3—Reincorporation from California to DelawareAffirmative vote of a majority of the outstanding shares of common stock entitled to voteSame effect as an “Against” vote

This is not a routine matter. Broker non-votes will have the same effect as an “Against” vote.

Proposal No. 4A— Provision of the Delaware Charter disallowing cumulative voting Affirmative vote of a majority of the outstanding shares of common stock entitled to voteSame effect as an “Against” voteThis is not a routine matter. Broker non-votes will have the same effect as an “Against” vote.
Proposal No. 4B—Provision of the Delaware Charter limiting the Company’s stockholders’ right to remove directors without causeAffirmative vote of a majority of the outstanding shares of common stock entitled to voteSame effect as an “Against” voteThis is not a routine matter. Broker non-votes will have the same effect as an “Against” vote.
Proposal No. 4C—Provision of the Delaware Bylaws permitting only the Board to call special meetingsAffirmative vote of a majority of the outstanding shares of common stock entitled to voteSame effect as an “Against” voteThis is not a routine matter. Broker non-votes will have the same effect as an “Against” vote.
Proposal No. 4D— Provisions of the Delaware Charter and Bylaws disallowing action by written consent of stockholdersAffirmative vote of a majority of the outstanding shares of common stock entitled to voteSame effect as an “Against” voteThis is not a routine matter. Broker non-votes will have the same effect as an “Against” vote.
Proposal No. 4E—Provision of the Delaware Charter providing that, unless Vivani Delaware consents in writing to the selection of an alternate forum, certain intracorporate claims may be brought exclusively in the Delaware Court of Chancery (or, if such court lacks subject matter jurisdiction, the other state or federal courts in the State of Delaware)Affirmative vote of a majority of the outstanding shares of common stock entitled to voteSame effect as an “Against” voteThis is not a routine matter. Broker non-votes will have the same effect as an “Against” vote.
Proposal No. 4F—Provision of the Delaware Charter requiring any complaint asserting a cause of action under the Securities Act to be brought exclusively in the federal district courts of the United States, unless the Company consents in writing to the selection of an alternative forumAffirmative vote of a majority of the outstanding shares of common stock entitled to voteSame effect as an “Against” voteThis is not a routine matter. Broker non-votes will have the same effect as an “Against” vote.
Proposal No. 5—Endorsement of the compensation of executive officersAffirmative vote of a majority of the shares of common stock represented and voting at the annual meeting if the quorum is present (which shares voting affirmatively also constitute at least a majority of the required quorum)No effect, unless there are insufficient votes in favor of the proposal, such that the affirmative votes constitute less than a majority of the required quorum. In such cases, abstentions will have the same effect as a vote against such proposals.This is not a routine matter. Broker non-votes will have no effect.

With respect to Proposal No. 1, you may vote (i) FOR any or all of the nominees, or (ii) WITHHOLD your vote as to any or all nominees. The five nominees receiving the most FOR votes will be elected. Cumulative voting is permitted with respect to the election of directors. See “Is cumulative voting permitted with respect to the election of directors?” above. If you WITHHOLD your vote as to all nominees, your vote will have no effect on the outcome of the vote of Proposal No. 1.

 

A:

If a quorum is not present atyou ABSTAIN from voting on Proposal Nos. 2 or 5, the scheduled timeabstention will have no effect, unless there are insufficient votes in favor of the Annual Meeting, then eitherproposal, such that the chairman of the Annual Meeting or the stockholders by vote of the holders ofaffirmative votes constitute less than a majority of the stock present in personrequired quorum. In such cases, abstentions will have the same effect as a vote against such proposals.

If you ABSTAIN from voting on Proposals Nos. 3, 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D, 4E, or represented by proxy4F, the abstention will have the same effect as a vote AGAINST the proposal. 

How are proxies solicited for the Annual Meeting and who is paying for the solicitation?

The board of directors is soliciting proxies for use at the Annual Meeting are authorizedby means of this proxy statement. We will bear the entire cost of the proxy solicitation, including the preparation, assembly, printing, mailing and distribution of the proxy materials. Copies of solicitation materials will also be made available upon request to brokers and other nominees to forward to the Beneficial Owners of the shares held of record by the brokers or other nominees. We will reimburse brokers or other nominees for reasonable expenses that they incur in sending these proxy materials to Beneficial Owners.

This solicitation of proxies may be supplemented by solicitation by telephone, electronic communication, or other means by our Bylawsdirectors, officers, employees or agents. No additional compensation will be paid to adjournthese individuals for any such services, although we may reimburse such individuals for their reasonable out-of-pocket expenses in connection with such solicitation. We do not plan to retain a proxy solicitor to assist in the solicitation of proxies.

Is my vote confidential?

Proxy instructions, ballots, and voting tabulations that identify individual stockholders are handled in a manner that protects your voting privacy. Your vote will not be disclosed either within Vivani or to third parties, except as necessary to meet applicable legal requirements, to allow for the tabulation of votes and certification of the vote, or to facilitate a successful proxy solicitation.

Will members of the board of directors attend the Annual Meeting until a quorum is present or represented.Meeting?

Q:   What happens if additional matters are presented at the Annual Meeting?

A:    Other than the four items of business described in this proxy statement, we are not aware of any other businessWe encourage our board members to be acted upon atattend the Annual Meeting. If you grant a proxy, the persons named as proxy holders, Will McGuire and Tom Miller, will have the discretion to vote your shares on any additional matters properly presented for a vote at the meeting. If for any reason any of the nominees named inBecause this proxy statement is not available as a candidate for director, the persons named as proxy holders will vote your proxy for such other candidate or candidates as may be nominated by the Board.

Q:   Who will count the votes?

A:    Our Chief Financial Officer and Corporate Secretary, Tom Miller, will act as the inspector of election and tabulate all votes, affirmative and negative, as well as abstentions and broker non-votes.

Q:   Where can I find the voting results of the Annual Meeting?

A:    We intend to announce preliminary voting results at the Annual Meeting and publish final results in a Current Report on Form 8-K to be filed with the SEC within four business days of the Annual Meeting.

Stockholder Proposals, Director Nominations and Related Bylaw Provisions

Q:   What is the deadline to propose actions (other than director nominations) for consideration at next year’s Annual Meeting of stockholders?will be completely virtual, those board members who do attend will not be available to answer questions from stockholders.

A:    You may submit proposals for consideration at futureI share an address with another stockholder, meetings. For a stockholder proposal to be considered for inclusion in our proxy statement for the Annual Meeting next year, the Corporate Secretary must receive the written proposal at our principal executive offices no later than December 19, 2016. Such proposals also must comply with SEC regulations under Rule 14a-8 regarding the inclusion of stockholder proposals in company-sponsored proxy materials. Proposals should be addressed to:

Corporate Secretary

Second Sight Medical Products, Inc.

12744 San Fernando Road, Suite 400

Sylmar, California 91342

Deadlines for the nomination of director candidates are discussed below.

Q:   How may I recommend individuals to serve as directors and what is the deadline for a director recommendation?

A:   You may recommend director candidates for consideration by the Nominating and Governance Committee of the Board. Any such recommendations should include verification of the stockholder status of the person submitting the recommendation and the nominee’s name and qualifications for Board membership and should be directed to the Corporate Secretary at the address of our principal executive offices set forth above. See “Proposal No. 1—Election of Directors—Director Nominee Experience and Qualifications” for more information regarding our Board membership criteria.

A stockholder may send a recommended director candidate’s name and information to the Board at any time. Generally, such proposed candidates are considered at the first or second Board meeting prior to the issuancewe received only one paper copy of the proxy statement for our Annual Meeting.

Q:materials. How may I obtain aan additional copy of the provisions of our Bylaws regarding stockholder proposals and director nominations?proxy materials?

A:    You may contact the Corporate Secretary at our principal executive offices forWe have adopted an SEC-approved procedure called “householding,” under which we can deliver a single copy of the relevant Bylaws provisions regardingNotice and, if applicable, the requirements for makingproxy materials to multiple stockholders who share the same address unless we received contrary instructions from one or more of the stockholders. This procedure reduces our printing and mailing costs. Stockholders of Record who participate in householding will be able to access and receive separate proxy cards. Upon written or oral request, we will promptly deliver a separate copy of the Notice and, if applicable, the proxy materials to any stockholder proposalsat a shared address to which we delivered a single copy of these documents. To receive a separate copy, or, if you are receiving multiple copies, to request that Vivani only send a single copy of the next year’s Notice and, nominating director candidates.if applicable, the proxy materials, you may contact us as follows:

Our Bylaws also are available on the SEC website as Exhibit 3.2Vivani Medical, Inc.
5858 Horton Street, Suite 280

Emeryville, CA 94608
(818) 833-5000

Stockholders who hold shares in street name may contact their brokerage firm, bank, broker-dealer or other nominee to our Registration Statement on Form S-1 filed on August 12, 2014.request information about householding.

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Further Questions

Q:   Who can help answer my questions?

A:If you have any questions about the Annual Meeting or how to vote or revoke your proxy, you should contact Adam Mendelsohn, our Corporate Secretary and Chief FinancialExecutive Officer Tom Miller.at adam.mendelsohn@vivani.com.

  

GOVERNANCE OF THE COMPANY

Our business, property and affairs are managed by, or under the direction of, our Board, in accordance with the California Corporations Code and our Bylaws. Members of the Board are kept informed of our business through discussions with the Chief Executive Officer and other key members of management, by reviewing materials provided to them by management, and by participating in regular and special meetings of the Board and its Committees.

Stockholders may communicate with the members of the Board, either individually or collectively, or with any independent directors as a group by writing to the Board at 12744 San Fernando Road,5858 Horton Street, Suite 400, Sylmar, California 91342.280, Emeryville, CA 94608. These communications will be reviewed by the office of the Corporate Secretary who, depending on the subject matter, will (a) forward the communication to the director or directors to whom it is addressed or who is responsible for the topic matter, (b) attempt to address the inquiry directly (for example, where it is a request for publicly available information or a stock related matter that does not require the attention of a director), or (c) not forward the communication if it is primarily commercial in nature or if it relates to an improper or irrelevant topic. At each meeting of the Nominating and Governance Committee, the Corporate Secretary presents a summary of communications received and will make those communications available to any director upon request.

Independence of Directors

The Nasdaq Marketplace Rules require a majority of a listed company’s Board of Directors to be comprised of independent directors. In determiningaddition, the Nasdaq Marketplace Rules require that, subject to specified exceptions, each member of a listed company’s audit, compensation and nominating and corporate governance committees be independent and that audit committee members also satisfy independence criteria set forth in Rule 10A-3 under the Exchange Act.

Under Rule 5605(a)(2) of the Nasdaq Marketplace Rules, a director will only qualify as an “independent director” if, in the opinion of our Board of Directors, that person does not have a relationship that would interfere with the exercise of independent judgment in carrying out the responsibilities of a director. In order to be considered independent for purposes of Rule 10A-3 of the Exchange Act, a member of an audit committee of a listed company may not, other than in his or her capacity as a member of the audit committee, the Board of Directors, or any other Board committee, accept, directly or indirectly, any consulting, advisory, or other compensatory fee from the listed company or any of its subsidiaries or otherwise be an affiliated person of the listed company or any of its subsidiaries.

Our Board of Directors has reviewed the composition of our Board of Directors and the independence of each director. Based upon information requested from and provided by each director concerning his or her background, employment and affiliations, including family relationships, our directors, we apply the definition of “independent director” provided under the listing rules of The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC (“NASDAQ”). After considering all relevant facts and circumstances, the Board affirmativelyhas determined that alleach of the directors currently serving on the Board including those nominated for election at the Annual Meeting with the exception of Will McGuire,Adam Mendelsohn who is employed as our Chief Executive Officer of the Company, and President, and Robert J. Greenberg,Aaron Mendelsohn, who is employed as our Chairman of the Board,Adam Mendelsohn’s father, are independent directors under NASDAQ’s rules.

Our Board of Directors also determined that the directors who serve on our audit committee, our compensation committee, and our nominating and corporate governance committee satisfy the independence standards for such committees established by the SEC and the Nasdaq Marketplace Rules, as applicable. In making such determinations, our Board of Directors considered the relationships that each such non-employee director has with our company and all other facts and circumstances our Board of Directors deemed relevant in determining independence, including the beneficial ownership of our capital stock by each non-employee director.

 

Board Diversity

Our Nominating and Governance Committee believes that backgrounds and qualifications of the directors considered as a group should provide a significant breadth of experience, knowledge and abilities that shall assist the Board in fulfilling its responsibilities. Although the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee does not have a formal diversity policy and does not follow any ratio or formula with respect to diversity in order to determine the appropriate composition of the Board, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee is committed to creating a Board that promotes our strategic objectives and fulfills its responsibilities to our stockholders, and considers diversity (including diversity of gender, race, ethnicity, age, sexual orientation and gender identity) education, professional experience, and differences in viewpoints and skills when evaluating proposed director candidates.

We comply with Nasdaq Rule 5605 by having one diverse director who self-identifies as female. As required by Nasdaq Rule 5606, we are providing additional information about the gender and demographic diversity of our directors in the format required by such rule. The information in the matrix below is based solely on information provided by our directors about their gender and demographic self-identification.

Board Diversity Matrix (As of April 14, 2023)
Total Number of Directors5
 FemaleMaleNon-BinaryDid Not Disclose Gender
Part I: Gender Identity
Directors14  
Part II: Demographic Background
African American or Black    
Alaskan Native or Native American    
Asian    
Hispanic or Latinx    
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander    
White14  
Two or More Races or Ethnicities    
LGBTQ+ 
Did Not Disclose Demographic Background 

Board Meetings and Committees of our Board

The Board has three standing committeeseach of which has the composition described below and responsibilitiesthat satisfy the independence standards of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and NASDAQ’s rules: the Audit Committee, the Compensation Committee, and the Nominating and Governance Committee. Mr. Pfeffer is Chairman of the Audit Committee, Mr. Link is Chairman of the Compensation Committee, and Mr. Link is Chairman of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. During the year ended December 31, 2015,2022, the Board held five7 meetings, the Audit Committee held four4 meetings, the Compensation Committee held one meeting,4 meetings, and the NominationNominating and Governance Committee held no meetings.1 meeting that was conducted through unanimous written consent. Each of our directors attended at least 75% of the aggregatecombined Board meetings and meetings of the Board committee(s) of which he is a member, with exception of Matthew Pfeffer and Will McGuire who were appointed to our Board May 28, 2015 and August 18, 2015 respectively. Mr. Pfeffer and Mr. McGuire attended 100% of the Board meetings and the meetings of the committee(s)committees of which they are members.a member. We do not have a policy with regard to Board attendance at the Annual Meeting.

Committees of the Company’s Board of Directors

Our Board of Directors has an Audit Committee, a Compensation Committee and a Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee, each of which has the composition and the responsibilities described below.

Audit Committee

The Audit Committee consistsis comprised of Matthew Pfeffer, William Link,Dean Baker, as chair, Gregg Williams and Aaron Mendelsohn, since his appointment on September 3, 2015, four non-employee directors, allAlexandra Larson, each of whom areis “independent” as defined under section 5605 (a)5605(a)(2) of the NASDAQNasdaq Listing Rules. Mr. Pfeffer is a chair of the Audit Committee. Alfred E. Mann served as chair of the audit committee until he was replaced by Matthew Pfeffer upon Mr.Mann's resignation as the chair, tendered on May 28, 2015. Mr. Mann tendered his resignation as director on February 9, 2016. In addition, the Boardboard of directors has determined that Mr. Pfeffer, qualifies asBaker is an “audit committee financial expert” as defined in the rulesItem 407(d)(5)(ii) of Regulation S-K promulgated under the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The Audit Committee operates pursuant to a charter, which can be viewed on our website at www.secondsight.com (under “Investors”). The Audit Committee met four times during 2015 with all members in attendance at the meeting.Act. The role of the Audit Committee is to:

oversee management’s preparation of our
oversee management’s preparation of Vivani’s financial statements and management’s conduct of the accounting and financial reporting processes;

oversee management’s maintenance of internal controls and procedures for financial reporting;

oversee Vivani’s compliance with applicable legal and regulatory requirements, including without limitation, those requirements relating to financial controls and reporting;

select a firm to serve as the independent registered public accounting firm to audit Vivani’s financial statements;

oversee the independent auditor’s qualifications and independence;

oversee the performance of the independent auditors, including the annual independent audit of Vivani’s financial statements;

prepare the report required by the rules of the SEC to be included in Vivani’s Proxy Statement; and

discharge such duties and responsibilities as may be required of the Committee by the provisions of applicable law, rule or regulation.

A copy of the accounting and financial reporting processes;

oversee management’s maintenance of internal controls and procedures for financial reporting;

oversee our compliance with applicable legal and regulatory requirements, including without limitation, those requirements relating to financial controls and reporting;

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oversee the independent auditor’s qualifications and independence;

oversee the performancecharter of the independent auditors, including the annual independent audit ofAudit Committee is available on our financial statements;

prepare the report required by the rules of the SEC to be included in our Proxy Statement; and

discharge such duties and responsibilities as may be required of the Committee by the provisions of applicable law, rule or regulation.

website at www.vivani.com (under “Investors – Governance”).

Compensation Committee

The Compensation Committee consistsis comprised of William Link,Dean Baker, as chair, Alexandra Larson and Gregg Williams, and Matthew Pfeffer, three non-employee directors, alleach of whom arewe deem to be “independent” as defined in section 5605(a)(2) of the NASDAQNasdaq Listing Rules. The Compensation Committee met once during 2015.

The role of the Compensation Committee is to:

develop and recommend to the Board the annual compensation (base salary, bonus, stock options and other benefits) for our President/Chief Executive Officer;
review annually Vivani’s overall compensation strategy, including base salary, incentive compensation and equity-based grants, to assure that it promotes stockholder interests and supports Vivani’s strategic and tactical objectives;

review, approve and recommend to the Board the annual compensation (base salary, bonus and other benefits) for all of our executives;
review annually and approve the factors to be considered in determining the compensation of the Chief Executive Officer of Vivani and Vivani’s other executive officers;

review, approve and recommend to the Board the aggregate number of equity awards to be granted to employees below the executive level;
review, approve and recommend to the Board the annual compensation (base salary, bonus, equity compensation and other benefits) for Vivani’s Chief Executive Officer and other executive officers;

ensure that a significant portion of executive compensation is reasonably related to the long-term interest of our stockholders; and
review, approve and recommend to the Board the annual compensation (base salary, bonus, equity compensation and other benefits) for all of Vivani’s executive officers;

prepare certain portions of our annual Proxy Statement, including an annual report on executive compensation.
review, annually, and, if necessary, approve or recommend to the Board the aggregate number of equity awards to be granted to employees below the executive level;

oversee Vivani’s compliance with regulatory requirements associated with compensation matters; and

prepare certain portions of Vivani’s annual Proxy Statement, including an annual report on executive compensation.

 

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A copy of the charter of the Compensation Committee is available on ourVivani’s website at www.secondsight.comwww.vivani.com (under “About Us – Corporate “Investors—Governance”).

The Compensation Committee may form and delegate a subcommittee consisting of one or more members to perform the functions of the Compensation Committee. The Compensation Committee may engage outside advisers, including outside auditors, attorneys and consultants, as it deems necessary to discharge its responsibilities. The Compensation Committee has sole authority to retain and terminate any compensation expert or consultant to be used to provide advice on compensation levels or assist in the evaluation of director, President/Chief Executive Officer or senior executive compensation, including sole authority to approve the fees of any expert or consultant and other retention terms. In addition, the Compensation Committee considers, but is not bound by, the recommendations of ourVivani’s Chief Executive Officer with respect to the compensation packages of our other executive officers.

Nominating and Governance Committee

The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee consistsis comprised of William Link and Gregg Williams, two non-employee directors, bothas chair, Dean Baker and Alexandra Larson, each of whom arewe deemed to be “independent” as defined in section 5605(a)(2) of the NASDAQNasdaq Listing Rules. The Nominating and Governance Committee did not meet during 2015.

The role of the Nominating and Governance Committee is to:

evaluate from time to time the appropriate size (number of members) of the Board and recommend any increase or decrease;

determine the desired skills and attributes of members of the Board, taking into account the needs of the business and listing standards;

establish criteria for prospective members, conduct candidate searches, interview prospective candidates, and oversee programs to introduce the candidate to us, our management, and operations;

review planning for succession to the position of Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer and other senior management positions;

annually recommend to the Board persons to be nominated for election as directors;

recommend to the Board the members of all standing Committees;

adopt or develop for Board consideration corporate governance principles and policies; and

periodically review and report to the Board on the effectiveness of corporate governance procedures and the Board as a governing body, including conducting an annual self-assessment of the Board and its standing committees.

11evaluate from time to time the appropriate size (number of members) of the Board and recommend any increase or decrease;

determine the desired skills and attributes of members of the Board, considering the needs of the business and listing standards;

establish criteria for prospective members, conduct candidate searches, interview prospective candidates, and oversee programs to introduce the candidate to Vivani, Vivani’s management, and operations;

review planning for succession to the position of Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer and other senior management positions;

annually recommend to the Board persons to be nominated for election as directors;

recommend to the Board the members of all standing Committees;

adopt or develop for Board consideration corporate governance principles and policies; and

periodically review and report to the Board on the effectiveness of corporate governance procedures and the Board as a governing body.

A copy of the charter of the Nominating and Governance Committee is available on ourVivani’s websitewww.secondsight.com www.vivani.com (under “About Us – Corporate“Investors —  Governance”).

Policy with Regard to Security Holder Recommendations

The Nominating and Governance Committee does not presently havehas a policy with regardregards to consideration of any director candidates recommended by security holders. Nostockholders. For the recommendation of a security holder (other than membersto be considered under this policy, the recommending stockholder or group of stockholders must have held at least three percent of Vivani’s voting common stock for at least one year as of the date the recommendation was made. For each annual meeting of stockholder, the Nominating and Governance Committee) has recommended a candidate to date.Committee will accept for consideration only one recommendation from any stockholder or affiliated group of stockholders. The Nominating and Governance Committee planswill also consider the extent to adopt a policy priorwhich the stockholder making the nominating recommendation intends to maintain its ownership interest in Vivani. Any director nominated must represent the interests of all stockholders and not serve for the purpose of favoring or advancing the interests of any particular stockholder group or other constituency. All recommendations submitted by stockholders will be considered in the same manner and under the same process as any other recommendations submitted from other sources.

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All stockholder nominating recommendations must be in writing. Submissions must be made by mail, courier or personal delivery, addressed to the nextNominating and Governance Committee care of Vivani’s corporate secretary at Vivani’s principal offices. Recommendations must include certain information regarding the recommending stockholder(s) and the proposed nominee(s). The recommending stockholder(s) must state whether, in the view of the stockholder(s), the nominee(s), if elected, would represent all stockholders and not serve for the purpose of advancing or favoring any particular stockholder(s) or other constituency of Vivani. The nominating recommendation must be accompanied by the written consent of the proposed nominee(s) to: (a) be considered by the Nominating and Governance Committee and interviewed, and (b) if nominated and elected, to serve as a director.

If the Reincorporation proposal (Proposal No. 3) is approved by stockholders at the 2023 Annual Meeting, the Company’s Delaware Bylaws will provide further requirements for advance notice of stockholder nominations.

Policy on Trading, Pledging and Hedging of Company Stock

Our board of directors have adopted an Insider Trading Policy that applies to our board of directors, our officers and employees, the officers and employees of our security holders.subsidiaries, as well as to family members, other members of a person’s household, and entities controlled by a persons covered under the Insider Trading Policy. Certain transactions in our securities (such as purchases and sales of publicly traded put and call options, and short sales) create a heightened compliance risk or could create the appearance of misalignment between management and stockholders. In addition, securities held in a margin account or pledged as collateral may be sold without consent if the owner fails to meet a margin call or defaults on the loan, thus creating the risk that a sale may occur at a time when an officer or director is aware of material, non-public information or otherwise is not permitted to trade in Company securities. Therefore, as part of our Insider Trading Policy, we expressly prohibit the above-mentioned persons from engaging in certain prohibited transactions, including short sales, purchases or sales of derivative securities or hedging transactions, the use of our securities as collateral in a margin account, and pledging of our securities. 

Director Qualifications and Diversity

The Board seeks independent directors who represent a diversity of backgrounds and experiences that will enhance the quality of the Board’s deliberations and decisions.decisions who each will represent the best interests of Vivani and its stockholders. Candidates should have substantial experience with one or more publicly traded companies or should have achieved a highprominent level of distinction in their chosen fields. The Board is particularly interested in maintaining a mix that includes individuals who are active or retired executive officers and senior executives, particularly those with experience in medical devices, bio-technology,biotechnology, intellectual property, early stage highearly-stage technology companies, research and development, strategic planning, business development, compensation, finance, accounting or banking.

The Board believes that the directors nominated collectively have the experience and banking.skills effectively to oversee the management of Vivani, including a high level of personal and professional integrity, an ability to exercise sound business judgement on a broad range of issues, sufficient experience and background to have an appreciation of the issues facing Vivani, and a willingness to devote the necessary time to Board duties.

In evaluating nominationsRole of Board in Risk Oversight

Enterprise risks are identified and prioritized by management and each prioritized risk is assigned to a board committee or the full board for oversight as follows:

Full Board of Directors, the — Risks and exposures associated with strategic, financial and execution risks and other current matters that may present material risk to Vivani’s operations, plans, prospects or reputation.

Audit Committee — Risks and exposures associated with financial matters, particularly financial reporting, tax, accounting, disclosure, internal control over financial reporting, financial policies, investment guidelines and credit and liquidity matters.

Nominating and Governance Committee also looks for certain personal attributes, such as integrity, ability — Risks and willingnessexposures relating to apply sound and independent business judgment, comprehensive understanding of a director’s role in corporate governance availability for meetings and consultation on Company matters,management and the willingness to assume and carry out fiduciary responsibilities. The Nominating and Governance Committee took these specifications into account in formulating and re-nominating its present Board members.director succession planning.

Compensation Committee Interlocks — Risks and Insider Participationexposures associated with leadership assessment and compensation programs and arrangements, including incentive plans that compare to market and target employee retention.

During 2015, Alfred E. Mann, William Link, Gregg Williams and Matthew Pfeffer, since his appointment on September 3, 2015, served on the Compensation Committee. Mr. Mann tendered his resignation as director on February 9, 2016. None of these individuals has ever been an executive officer or employee of ours. In addition, none of our executive officers serves as a member of the board of directors or compensation committee of any entity that has one or more executive officers serving as a member of our Board or the Compensation Committee.

Code of Business Conduct and Ethics

WeThe Company adopted a Code of Business Conduct and Ethics (“Code of Ethics”) applicable to ourits principal executive officer and principal financial and accounting officer and any persons performing similar functions.officer. In addition, the Code of Ethics applies to ourVivani’s employees, officers, directors, agents and representatives. The Code of Ethics requires, among other things, that ourVivani’s employees avoid conflicts of interest, comply with all laws and other legal requirements, conduct business in an honest and ethical manner, and otherwise act with integrity and in our best interest. The Code of Ethics is available on our website at www.secondsight.comwww.vivani.com (under “About Us –“Investors — Governance — Governance Documents — Code of Business Conduct and Ethics”).

Risk Oversight

Enterprise risks are identified and prioritized by management and each prioritized risk is assigned to a Board committee or the full Board for oversight as follows:

Full Board — Risks and exposures associated with strategic, financial and execution risks and other current matters that may present material risk to our operations, plans, prospects or reputation.

Audit Committee — Risks and exposures associated with financial matters, particularly financial reporting, tax, accounting, disclosure, internal control over financial reporting, financial policies, investment guidelines and credit and liquidity matters.

Governance Committee — Risks and exposures relating to corporate governance and management and director succession planning.

Compensation Committee — Risks and exposures associated with leadership assessment, and compensation programs and arrangements, including incentive plans.

Board Leadership Structure

The Chairman of the Board presides at all meetings of the Board.

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Review, Approval or Ratification of Transactions with Related PersonsPROPOSALS

The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee reviews issues involving potential conflicts of interest, other than Related Party transactions, which are reviewed by the Audit Committee.

Compliance with Section 16 of the Exchange Act

Based solely upon a review of Forms 3 and 4 furnished to the Company, the Company believes that all of its directors, officers and applicable stockholders timely filed these reports.

PROPOSALS

THE BOARD UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS THAT YOU VOTE FOR EACH OF

PROPOSALS Nos. 1, THROUGH 42, 3, 4A to 4F and 5 BELOW.

PROPOSAL No. 1 — ELECTION OF DIRECTORS

Nominees for Election

The Company’s Board of Directors currently has sixfive members. Our Board has nominated each of our five incumbent directors for re-electionelection at the Annual Meeting. Each nominee has agreed, ifMeeting to terms expiring at the 2024 annual meeting of stockholders and until their successors are duly elected and qualified, subject to serve a one-year termearlier resignation or until the election and qualification of his successor.removal. If any nominee is unable or declines to stand for election, which circumstance we do not anticipate, the Board may designate a substitute. In the latterthat event, shares represented by proxies may be voted for a substitute nominee.

Our Director Qualifications and Diversity guidelines contain the current Board membership criteria that apply to nominees recommended for a position on the Board. Under those criteria, members of the Board should have the highest professional and personal ethics and values, consistent with our longstanding values and standards. They should have broad experience at the policy-making level in business, government, education, technology or public service. They should be committed to enhancing stockholder value and should have sufficient time to carry outperform their duties and to provide insight and practical wisdom based on experience. In addition, the Nominating and Governance Committee takes into accountconsiders a potential director’s ability to contribute to the diversity of background and experience represented on the Board, and it reviews its effectiveness in balancing these considerations when assessing the composition of the Board. Directors’ service on other boards of public companies should be limited to a number that permits them, given their individual circumstances, to perform responsibly all director duties. Each director must represent the interests of all of our stockholders. Although the Board uses these and other criteria as appropriate to evaluate potential nominees, it has no stated minimum criteria for nominees.

The Board believes that all the nominees named below are highly qualified and have the skills integrity,and experience and sound judgment required for effective service on the Board. The nominees’ individual biographies below contain information about their experience, qualifications and skills that led the Board to nominate them:

Nominee’s or 
Director’s Name
Year First
Became
Director
Position with the Company
Will McGuire2015President, Chief Executive Officer and Director
Robert J. Greenberg, M.D., Ph.D.1998Chairman of the Board and Director
William J. Link2003Director
Aaron Mendelsohn1998Director
Gregg Williams2009Director
Matthew Pfeffer2015Director

Will McGuire, 53, Chief Executive Officer, President and Director

 

Biographical information for Mr. McGuire is set forth under “Executive Compensation and Related Information”. Our board believes that Mr. McGuire’s executive and managerial experience together with his leadership skills make him well qualified to continue serving as one of our directors.

Nominee’s or 

Director’s Name

 Age Year First
Became
Director
 Position with the Company
Gregg Williams (1)(2)(3*) 64 2009 Independent Director, Chairman of the Board
Aaron Mendelsohn   71 1998 Director
Dean Baker(1*)(2*)(3) 80 2021 Independent Director
Alexandra Larson(1)(2)(3) 43 2021 Independent Director
Adam Mendelsohn 41 2022 Director, Chief Executive Officer

 

Robert J. Greenberg, 48, Chairman

(1) Member of the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors

Biographical information for Dr. Greenberg is set forth under “Executive Compensation and Related Information”. Our board believes that Dr. Greenberg’s extensive scientific and technical expertise, his executive and managerial experience together with his leadership skills and familiarity with our business as one of our founders, make him well qualified to continue serving as one of our directors.

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William J. Link, 70, Director and Chairman(2) Member of the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors

(3) Member of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee of the Board of Directors 

* Chair of the respective committee.

Gregg Williams:Mr. LinkWilliams has beenserved as a member of our Board of Directors since 2003. Mr. Linkis a co-founder and managing directorthe Merger of Versant Ventures, a venture capital firm specializingour predecessor Second Sight Medical Products, Inc. (“Second Sight”) with Nano Precision Medical, Inc. (“NPM”) (the “Merger”) in early-stage investing in healthcare companies, since its inception in 1999.2022. Prior to co-founding Versant Ventures,that Mr. Link was a general partner at Brentwood Venture Capital from 1998 to present. Mr. Link also founded and served as chairman and CEO of Chiron Vision, a subsidiary of Chiron Corporation specializing in ophthalmic surgical products, from 1986 to 1997 which was sold to Bausch and Lomb in 1997. Prior to Chiron Vision, Mr. Link founded in 1978 and served as President of American Medical Optics (AMO), a division of American Hospital Supply Corporation, which was sold to Allergan in 1986. Mr. Link alsoWilliams served on the Boardboard of AMO’s successor company, Advanced Medical Optics (AMO) whichSecond Sight since June 2009 and was acquired by Abbottappointed Chairman of the Second Sight board in 2009, from 2002 to 2009.March 2018. Mr. LinkWilliams was an Assistant Professoralso a member of the board of directors of NPM until the Merger in 2022. Mr. Williams is the Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer at Williams International Co., LLC (“Williams International”) (www.williams-int.com), a leading developer and manufacturer of gas turbine engines and one of the largest privately owned companies in the Departmentaviation industry, positions he has held since July 1999. Previously, Mr. Williams held several key managerial positions within Williams International including serving as its President and Chief Operating Officer, Vice President, Advanced Technology, Director, Program Management and Director, Engineering. In addition, Mr. Williams is Chairman and majority owner of Surgery atRamos Arizpe Manufacturing (www.ram-mx.com), a high-volume automotive engine parts manufacturing company located in Mexico. Mr. Williams received a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the Indiana University School of Medicine from 1973Utah and holds numerous patents related to 1976.gas turbine engines, turbo machinery, rocket engines and control systems. He is a board member of General Aviation Manufacturers Association and former member of the Henry Ford Hospital Board. We believe Mr. Link receivedWilliams is qualified to serve on our Board due to his BSc, MScbusiness and Ph.D. from Purdue University. Our boardsenior management experience, extensive knowledge of our operations and deep background in technology-focused manufacturing companies which is highly relevant to us.

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Aaron Mendelsohn: Mr. Mendelsohn has concluded that Mr. Link’s senior executive history withserved as a focus on medical products as well as his extensive financial and other experience with technology companies in general, including his experience of serving on other boards of directors make him a qualified and valued member of our board.

Aaron Mendelsohn, 64, Director

Mr. Mendelsohn isBoard of Directors since the Merger in 2022. He was a founder and has beenpreviously served as a director of Second Sight since inception.its inception in 2003 till the Merger in 2022. He was also a founder and director of NPM from 2011 till the Merger in 2022. Mr. Mendelsohn served on the board of Advanced Bionics, a global leader in developing advanced cochlear implant systems, since shortly after its founding in 1993 until its sale in 2004.2004 to Boston Scientific Corp. Mr. Mendelsohn was also a founder and director of MRGMedical Research Group, Inc., a company that designed and manufactured implantable technologies primarily for the treatment of diabetes, from its inception in 1998 until its sale in 2001 to Medtronic, Inc. Mr. Mendelsohn servespreviously served on the board of directors for the Alfred E. Mann Institute for Biomedical Engineering at the University of Southern California since its inception in 1998 and is a member of its Executive Committee.until 2016. Mr. Mendelsohn is a founder and since 2007 a director of Nanoprecision Holding Company, Inc., a world leader in manipulating materials at nanometer scale. He is also a founder and director of Nanoprecision Medical, Inc, a drug delivery company working in nanotechnology, since its inception in 2011. Mr. Mendelsohn is a founder and serveshas served as Chairman of the Maestro Foundation since it was organized in 1983. The Maestro Foundation is a leading non-profit musical philanthropic organization which hosts a premier chamber music series and lends professional-level instruments and bows to young, career-bound classical musicians. Mr. Mendelsohn received his B.A. from UCLA and J.D. from The Loyola University School of Law School Los Angeles at Loyola Marymount University. Our board believesAngeles. We believe that Mr. Mendelsohn’s business experience, including his experience as a founder, board member and executive officer of medical device companies, combined with his financial experience, business acumen, and judgment provide our Board with valuable managerial and operational expertise and leadership skills making him wellprofessionally qualified to continue serving as one of our directors.

Gregg Williams, 57, Director

Mr. WilliamsDean Baker:  Dr. Baker has beenserved as a member of our Board of Directors since June 2009.the Merger in 2022. Dr. Baker has served on the Board of Directors of NPM from 2013 till the Merger in 2022 and currently serves on the Board of Directors of Transonic Imaging, a medical imaging startup, since 2018. Mr. WilliamsBaker served on the Board of Directors of Advanced Bionics, a global leader in developing advanced cochlear implant systems, prior to its sale to Boston Scientific, a manufacturer of medical devices. In addition, he was the founding director of the Alfred E. Mann Institute for Biomedical Engineering at USC and served for nine years on the Board of Directors (including serving on compensation, audit, and governance committees) for Semtech, a publicly traded semiconductor company. Dr. Baker was also a vice president of Northrop Grumman, a multinational aerospace and defense technology company, for 16 years from 1983 to 1999 including overseeing a division with $1 billion in annual sales. We believe Dr. Baker is qualified to serve on our Board because of his experience as a director on multiple boards and his scientific background.

Alexandra L.P. Larson: Ms. Larson has beenserved as a member of our Board of Directors since the Merger in 2022. She was previously a director at Second Sight from 2021 until the Merger in 2022. She serves as Senior Vice President and General Counsel of Williams International, a privately held designer and manufacturer in the aerospace and defense industry, since January 2019. Prior to Williams International, from 2013 to January 2019, Ms. Larson was Legal Director and Associate General Counsel at Amcor, a global packaging company. Ms. Larson also served as Corporate Counsel at Compuware Corporation, a software company with products aimed at the information technology departments of large businesses, from 2012 to 2013, and Associate in the mergers & acquisitions practice of the global law firm Baker and McKenzie, in its New York office, from 2008 to 2012. Ms. Larson has also held roles at the New York Stock Exchange, and the United States Department of Justice, Antitrust Division. Ms. Larson is a graduate of the University of Michigan Law School (Ann Arbor), Hamilton College in Clinton, New York, and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville Haslam College of Business’s Aerospace & Defense MBA Program. We believe Ms. Larson is qualified to serve on our Board due to her legal and business experience, and leadership skills. 

Adam Mendelsohn, Ph.D.:  Dr. Mendelsohn has served as our Chief Executive Officer and as a member of our Board of Directors since the Merger in 2022. Prior to this, Dr. Mendelsohn served as the Chief Executive Officer of NPM between from 2009 till 2022. Dr. Mendelsohn received his Ph.D. in bioengineering at Williams International Corporation, a leading developerthe UC San Francisco/UC Berkeley Joint Graduate Group in Bioengineering, Class of 2011, during which he was awarded an NSF fellowship to perform research at Kyoto University and manufacturerpublished multiple peer-reviewed articles describing new treatment options for Type 1 diabetes through the immuno-isolated transplantation of small gas turbine engines, since April 2005. Mr. Williams serves asinsulin-producing cells under the Chairman and Presidentdirection of Williams International Corporation and served as its Chief Operating Officer. Mr. Williams received a Bachelor of ScienceProfessor Tejal A. Desai. While in Engineering from the University of Utah in 1982. Our board believes that Mr. William’s executive and managerial experience together with his leadership skills make him well qualified to continue serving as one of our directors.

Matthew Pfeffer, 57, Director and Chairman of Audit Committee

Mr. Pfeffer serves as Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer of MannKind Corporation since January 2016. Previously, hegraduate school, Dr. Mendelsohn served as the Corporate Vice Presidentdirector for the Venture Innovation Program in Life Sciences and Chief Financial Officercompleted his certificate in Management of MannKind Corporation from April 2008 until January 2016. Mr. PfefferTechnology with the Haas School of Business. Dr. Mendelsohn has served as Chief Financial Officer and Senior Vicea Technical Advisor to the Alfred E. Mann Institute for Biomedical Engineering at USC, a fellow of the Startup Leadership Program, the President of Finance and Administration of VaxGen, Inc. from March 2006 until April 2008, with responsibility for finance, tax, treasury, human resources, IT, purchasing and facilities functions. Prior to VaxGen, Mr. Pfeffer served as Chief Financial Officer of Cell Genesys, Inc. During his nine year tenure at Cell Genesys, Mr. Pfeffer served as Director of Finance before being named Chief Financial Officer in 1998. Prior to that, Mr. Pfeffer served in a variety of financial management positions at other companies, including roles as Corporate Controller, Manager of Internal Audit and Manager of Financial Reporting. Mr. Pfeffer began his career at Price Waterhouse. Mr. Pfeffer graduated from the University of California, BerkeleyUCSF’s Graduate Division Alumni Association and is currently a Certified Public Accountant.Our board believes that Mr. Pfeffer’smember of the Maestro Foundation. We believe Dr. Mendelsohn is qualified to serve on the combined company’s board of directors because of his scientific background and his senior management experience as a chief executive officer, chief financial officerin the biotechnology industry.

14 

Vote Required and Recommendation

Each of the director nominees in this Proposal No. 1 is elected by the affirmative vote of a publicly traded company as well as his other managerial, operational, financial and accounting expertise make him well qualified to continue serving as oneplurality of our directors.

Vote Required

the voting power represented at the annual meeting. Each director nominee who receives more “FOR” votes than “AGAINST” votes representing shares of our common stock present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to be voted at the Annual Meeting will be elected.Abstentions from voting on the proposal and broker non-votes will not be counted as votes cast and accordingly will have no effect upon the outcome of this proposal. It is anticipated that Proposal No. 1 will be a non-discretionary proposal considered non-routine under the rules of NYSE.

All of the nominees have indicated to us that they will be available to serve as directors. In the event that any nominee should become unavailable, the proxy holders, Will McGuireAdam Mendelsohn or Tom Miller,Brigid Makes will vote for a nominee or nominees designated by the Board.

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ThereApart from Aaron Mendelsohn and Adam Mendelsohn who are family members, there are no family relationships among our executive officers and directors. Aaron Mendelsohn is the father of Adam Mendelsohn.

 

If you sign your proxy or voting instruction card but do not give instructions with respect to voting for directors, your shares will be voted by Will McGuireAdam Mendelsohn or Tom Miller,Brigid Makes, as proxy holders. If you wish to give specific instructions with respect to voting for directors, you may do so by indicating your instructions on your proxy or voting instruction card.

You may cumulate your votes in favor of one or more of the director nominees. If you wish to cumulate your votes, you will need to indicate explicitly your intent to cumulate your votes among the five persons who will be voted upon at the Annual Meeting. See “QuestionsQuestions and Answers—Voting Information—Is cumulative voting permitted for the election of directors?” for further information about how to cumulate your votes. Will McGuireAdam Mendelsohn or Tom MillerBrigid Makes as proxy holders, reserve the right to cumulate votes and cast such votes in favor of the election of some or all of the applicable nominees in their sole discretion, except that a stockholder’s votes will not be cast for a nominee as to whom such stockholder instructs that such votes be cast “AGAINST” or “ABSTAIN.”

Our Board recommends a vote “FOR” each of the nominees.

Director Compensation for 2015

Non-Employee Director Compensation Program

During 20152022, we adopted a non-employee director compensation policy, which is designed to enable us to attract and retain on a long-term basis, highly qualified non-employee directors. Under the policy, our non-employee directors were paid an annual retainerare eligible to receive cash retainers (which will be prorated for partial years of $50,000service) and our Chairmanequity awards as follows:

  Annual
Retainer
 
Board of Directors:   
All nonemployee members $35,000 
Additional retainer for Non-Executive Chairman of the Board $55,000 
Audit Committee:    
Chairman $20,000 
Non-Chairman members $10,000 
Compensation Committee:    
Chairman $12,000 
Non-Chairman members $6,000 
Nominating Committee:    
Chairman $8,000 
Non-Chairman members $4,000 

Our policy provides that a non-employee director may choose to receive the equivalent of the Board an annual cash retainer of $75,000. Each of our(not including any committee retainers) for that non-employee directors who serves asdirector in a committee chair also will receive, $6,000 per year for his or her service as committee chair and non-chair committee members will receive $4,000 per year for each committee on which he serves; provided, however, the Audit Committee chair’s additional retainer is $16,000 per year and each non-chair Audit Committee member’s additional retainer is $8,000 per year. All fees will be paid in shares of our stock on June 1 of each year and the stock price per share value shall be determined by an average closing price of our stock for the preceding twenty trading days of ouroption to buy common stock on its principal exchange. Mr. Mann resigned as Chairman and was appointed Chairman Emeritus of our Board on August 18, 2015. As Chairman Emeritus, Mr. Mann continued being paid an annual retainer of $75,000.

The following Director Compensation Table sets forth information concerning compensation for services rendered by our non-employee directors for fiscal year 2015. The amounts represented in the “Fees Earned or PaidCompany instead of in Cash” column reflectscash, provided such election must be made in accordance with the stock compensation expense recorded by the Company and does not necessarily equate to the income that will ultimately be realized by the directors for such awards in lieu of actual cash fees, as noted above.

Name Fees Earned or
Paid in Cash ($)
  Stock
Award
($)
  Total
($)
 
          
Alfred E. Mann  96,333      96,333 
William J. Link, Ph.D.  67,083      67,083 
Aaron Mendelsohn  52,000      52,000 
Gregg Williams  67,583      67,583 
Matthew Pfeffer  39,500      39,500 

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PROPOSAL 2 — APPROVAL OF AN AMENDed 2011 EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN

We are asking our stockholders to consider and vote upon a proposal to approve an amended Second Sight Medical Products, Inc. 2011 Equity Incentive Plan (which, as amended from time to time, we refer to as the “Plan”).

On July 15, 2011 our Board adopted the Plan, and our stockholders approved the adoption of the Plan on July 21, 2011. The Plan was further amended in 2012 and 2015 to increase the maximum number of shares of common stock that may be issued under the Plan. On April 4, 2016, the Board adopted amendments to the Plan that, contingent on and subject to approval of our stockholders at the Annual Meeting, would among other things:

(i)Increase the maximum number of shares of common stock that may be issued under the Plan by 1,500,000 shares – from 6,000,000 shares to 7,500,000 shares;

(ii)Add the ability for the Company to grant restricted stock units (“RSUs”) under the Plan; and

(iii)Permit the Company, at any time in its discretion, to reprice or exchange outstanding options under the Plan.

If the stockholders approve the amended Plan, it will become effective on the date of Annual Meeting, which is scheduled for May 10, 2016. If the stockholders fail to approve the amended Plan, the Plan will continue and remain as is without any changes thereto, and compensatory option grants will continue to be granted thereunder to the extent of shares of common stock available for issuance. As of March 31, 2016, approximately 1,149,000 shares of common stock remained available for issuance under the Plan (without giving effect to additional shares that may become available upon the future expiration, forfeiture, or cancellation of outstanding awards).Our Board believes that if the amended Plan is not approved, our ability to align the interests of key service providers with stockholders through equity-based compensation would be compromised, disrupting our compensation program and impairing our ability to recruit and retain key employees or requiring us to shift our compensation plan to include more cash compensation.

Summary of the Material Terms of the Plan, As Amended

A summary of the material terms of the amended Plan is set forth below. This summary is qualified in its entiretypolicy, and must be made (i) by the detailed provisionsDecember 31st of the Plan, as amended, a copy of which is attached asAppendix A to this Proxy Statement and which is incorporated by reference into this proposal. We encourage our stockholders to read and refer tocalendar year preceding the complete plan document in Appendix A for a more complete description of the Plan, as amended. 

Purpose

The Plan is intended to encourage the key service providers of the Company to have a proprietary and vested interest in the growth and performance of the Company and to generate an increased incentive to contribute to the Company’s future success and prosperity, thus enhancing the value of the Company for the benefit of its equity owners.

Administration

The Plan is administered by the Compensation Committee, which consists of William J. Link, Gregg Williams and Matthew Pfeffer appointed by our Board. The Compensation Committee has the authority to determine the terms and conditions of awards and to interpret and administer the Plan.

Share Reserve and Limitations

The maximum number of shares of common stock reserved for issuance under the Plan is 6,000,000 shares or, if the amendment to the Plan is approved, will be increased by 1,500,000 shares to 7,500,000 shares of common stock.As of April 14, 2016 the fair market value of a share of common stock was$5.37.

No employee of the Company may be eligible to be granted options covering more than 1,000,000 shares of common stock during any calendar year.

Types of Awards; Eligibility

The Plan permits the Company to grant options and, if the amended Plan is approved as presented in this Proposal 2, RSUs (“awards”) to our employees and to employees of our controlled subsidiaries. From time to time, the Company may also elect to grant awards to non-employees who are natural persons where it is determined that such grant is in the best interests of the Company.As of the date of this Proxy Statement, approximately 115 employees of the Company and our controlled subsidiaries and approximately six non-employees are eligible to participate in the Plan.

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Options

The Compensation Committee may grant options under the Plan. The term of an option may not exceed 10 years. The Compensation Committee determines the exercise price of an option. Payment of the exercise price may be made in cash, shares, or other property acceptable to the Compensation Committee, as well as other types of consideration permitted by applicable law. After the termination of service of a participant, he or she (or, if applicable, his or her estate or beneficiary) may exercise his or her option for the period of time stated in his or her award agreement. Generally, if termination is due to death or disability, the option will remain exercisable for at least six months. In all other cases, the option will generally remain exercisable for at least 30 days following the termination of service. However, in no event may an option be exercised later than the expiration of its term. Subject to the provisions of the Plan, the Compensation Committee determines the other terms of options. Unless the Compensation Committee provides otherwise, the Plan generally does not allow for the transfer of options, and only the participant may exercise an option during his or her lifetime.

RSUs

If the amended Plan is approved, the Compensation Committee may grant RSUs under the Plan. Subject to the provisions of the Plan, the Compensation Committee will determine the terms and conditions of RSUs, including the restricted period for all or a portion of the award and the restrictions and/or forfeiture events applicable to the award. RSUs may vest solely by the passage of time and/or pursuant to achievement of performance goals, and the restrictions and/or the restricted period may differ with respect to each award of RSUs. During the period, if any, when RSUs are non-transferable or forfeitable or prior to the satisfaction of any other restrictions prescribed by the Compensation Committee, a participant is prohibited from selling, transferring, assigning, pledging, or otherwise encumbering or disposing of his or her RSUs. Participants holding RSUs will have no voting or dividend rights or other rights associated with share ownership.

Adjustments to Awards

In the event of certain changes in our capitalization, to prevent diminution or enlargement of the benefits or potential benefits available under the Plan, the Compensation Committee will adjust (i) the aggregate number, class, and kind of shares that may be delivered under the Plan, in the aggregate or to any one participant, and/or (ii) the number, class, and kind of shares subject to outstanding awards and the option price of options.

Change in Control

Unless the Compensation Committee provides otherwise in an applicable award agreement, upon the occurrence of a “change in control” (as defined in the Plan): (i) the vesting of all outstanding awards shall accelerate automatically immediately prior to the consummation of the change in control and (ii) awards may either be assumed or substituted for or be cancelled in exchange for consideration. If options will be not assumed or substituted for, the Compensation Committee must provide written notice not less than 15 days prior to the effective date of the proposed change in control.

Term; Amendment and Termination

Our stockholders adopted the Plan on July 21, 2011 and no options under the Plan may be granted after May 31, 2021. Our Board has the authority to amend or terminate the Plan or an award agreement, provided such action does not impair the existing rights of any participant.

Repricing

If the amended Plan is approved, as presented in this Proposal 2, the Company may, at any time in its discretion, (i) amend the terms of outstanding options to reduce the exercise price; (ii) cancel outstanding options in exchange for or substitution of options with an exercise price that is less than the exercise price of the original options; or (iii) cancel outstanding options with an exercise price above the current fair market value in exchange for cash or other securities.

Summary of Certain Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences

The U.S. federal income tax consequences of awards under the Plan for participants and the Company will depend on the type of award granted. The following summary description of certain material U.S. federal income tax consequences is intended only for the general information of our stockholders. This summary is not intended to be exhaustive, and the exact tax consequences to any participant depend upon his or her particular circumstances and other facts.  Plan participants should consult their tax advisoryear with respect to any state, localcash compensation is earned, for any continuing non-employee director, and non-U.S. tax considerations(ii) within 30 days of election or relevant federal tax implications of awards granted under the Plan.

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Non-qualified Stock Options.  An option holder generally recognizes no U.S. federal taxable income as a result of the grant of the option.  On the exercise of a non-qualified stock option, the option holder normally recognizes ordinary income in the amount equalappointment to the difference between the exercise price and the fair market value of the shares of common stock on the exercise date.  Where the option holder is an employee, such ordinary income generally is subject to withholding of income and employment taxes.  On the sale of shares of common stock acquired by the exercise of a non-qualified stock option,board, for any gain or loss (based on the difference between the sale price and the fair market value on the exercise date), is taxed as a capital gain or loss. If we comply with applicable reporting requirements and with the restrictions of Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, we will be entitled to a business expense deductionnew non-employee director. Any options received in the same amount and generally at the same time as the option holder recognizes ordinary income.

RSUs.A holder of RSUs generally recognizes no U.S. federal taxable income as a result of the grant of the RSUs. A holder of RSUs will be required to recognize ordinary income in an amount equal to the fair market value of shares issued, or in the case of a cash-settled award, the amountlieu of the cash paymentretainer will vest one-fourth at the end of each calendar quarter following the grant date, subject to continued service through such date; provided, that for such grant made to such holdera new non-employee director after January 1, the number of option shares that will vest at the end of the restrictionfirst calendar quarter following such grant shall be pro-rated based on the number of actual days served by the non-employee director during such quarter.

In addition to the cash retainers, our non-employee director compensation policy provides that, upon initial or appointment to our Board, each new non-employee director who initially joins the Board will receive a one-time grant of an option to purchase shares of our common stock with a targeted grant date fair value equal to the annual retainer fee (not including any committee retainers), or the Director Initial Grant. The Director Initial Grant will vest in monthly installments over the three-year period or, if later,following the paymentgrant date, subject to continued service through such date. If we comply with applicable reporting requirements and with the restrictions ofSection 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, we will be entitled to a business expense deduction in the same amount and generally at the same time as the holder recognizes ordinary income.

New Plan Benefits

The benefits or amounts that are to be allocated to any participant or group of participants are indeterminable as ofOn the date of this Proxy Statement because participationeach annual meeting of stockholders, each non-employee director then in office and the types of awards (including options) available under the Plan are subjectwho will continue to the discretion of the Compensation Committee. Therefore, no new plan benefits table can be provided at this time.

Vote Required and Recommendation

The affirmative vote of the holders of shares of common stock entitled to vote must exceed the votes cast against the proposal for the proposal to be approved.

Our Board unanimously recommends that stockholders vote “FOR” the approval of the proposed amended Planserve as described in this Proposal 2.

REPORT OF THE AUDIT COMMITTEE

The following Report of the Audit Committee shall not be deemed incorporated by reference into any of our filings under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Exchange Act, except to the extent we specifically incorporate it by reference therein.

The Audit Committeea member of the Board has:will receive a grant of an option to purchase shares of our common stock with a targeted grant date fair value equal to the annual retainer fee (not including any Committee retainers), or the Director Annual Grant. The Director Annual Grant will vest in total on the earlier of (i) the first anniversary of the grant and (ii) the next annual meeting of stockholders, subject to continued service through such date.

In the event of a Sale Event (as defined in the 2022 Omnibus Incentive Plan, or the 2022 Plan,), the equity awards granted to the non-employee directors pursuant to this policy shall become 100% vested and exercisable.

For purposes of this policy, “Value” means the grant date fair value of the stock option (i.e., Black-Scholes value) determined in accordance with the reasonable assumptions and methodologies employed by us for calculating the fair value of options under Financial Accounting Standard Board, or FASB, Accounting Standards Codification Topic 718, or ASC 718.

2022 Non-Employee Director Compensation Table

 

reviewed and discussed the Company’s audited financial statements for

The table below sets forth information concerning total compensation that was earned by or paid to our non-employee directors the year ended December 31, 2015 with management;

discussed with the Company’s independent auditors the matters required to be discussed2022. The table excludes Mr. Adam Mendelsohn, who is a named executive officer and did not receive any additional compensation for his service as a director in 2022. The compensation received by Auditing Standard No 16, communications with Audit Committee, issued by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board

received the written disclosures and letter from the independent auditors required by the applicable requirements of the Public Accounting Oversight Board regarding the independent auditors communications with the Audit Committee concerning independence, and has discussed with Gumbiner Savett Inc. matters relating to its independence.

In reliance on the review and discussions referred to above, the Audit Committee recommended to the Board that the financial statements audited by Gumbiner Savett Inc. for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015 be includedMr. Adam Mendelsohn is set forth in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for such fiscal year.section of this Proxy Statement captioned “Executive Compensation— 2022 Summary Compensation Table” and the accompanying footnotes and narrative.

Name Fees Earned
or Paid in
Cash
  Option
 Awards(1)(2)
  Total 
Gregg Williams $35,910  $19,750  $55,660 
Aaron Mendelsohn $47,985     $47,985 
Alexandra Larson $106,100  $8,750  $114,850 
W. Dean Baker $62,902     $62,902 
Matthew Pfeffer $69,825     $69,825 
Will McGuire $56,525     $56,525 

Audit Committee of the Board

(1)The amounts reported represent the aggregate grant date fair value of the stock options granted to our directors during the 2022 fiscal year, calculated in accordance with ASC Topic 718. Such grant date fair values do not take into account any estimated forfeitures. The assumptions used in calculating the grant date fair value of the stock options reported in this column are set forth in Note 2 of our Consolidated Financial Statements included in our annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022. The amounts reported in this column reflect the accounting cost for these stock options and do not correspond to the actual economic value that may be received by our directors upon the exercise of the stock options or any sale of the underlying common shares.

Matthew Pfeffer

Gregg Williams

William J. Link, Ph.D.

(2)Amounts reported in this column reflect stock options awards that Mr. Williams and Ms. Larson elected to receive in lieu of a portion of their respective pursuant to our non-employee director compensation policy (see discussion above in this Director Compensation section). As of December 31, 2022, Mr. Williams, Mr. Aaron Mendelsohn, Ms. Larson and Mr. Baker held outstanding options to purchase 733,046, 94,005, 17,387, and 90,561 shares of our common stock, respectively.

 

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15 

 

 

PROPOSAL 3No. 2RATIFICATION OFRATIFy ON ADVISORY BASIS the APPOINTMENT OF INDEPENDENT

REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

The Audit Committee of the Board has reappointed Gumbiner Savett Inc.appointed BPM LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm to audit our consolidated financial statements for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2016. Gumbiner Savett Inc.2023. BPM LLP has served as our independent registered public accounting firm since 2014.

Stockholder ratification of the selection of Gumbiner Savett Inc.BPM LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm is on an advisory basis and is not required by our Bylaws or the California Corporations Code.otherwise. The Board seeks such ratification as a matter of good corporate practice. Should the stockholders fail to ratify the selection of Gumbiner Savett Inc.BPM LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm, the Board will reconsider whether to retain that firm for fiscal year 2016.2023. Even if the selection is ratified, the Audit Committee of the Board in its discretion may direct the appointment of a different independent registered public accounting firm at any time during the year if it determines that such a change would be in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders.

Principal Accounting Feesaccounting fees and Servicesservices

The following table represents aggregate fees billed to the Company for fiscal yearsyear ended December 31, 2015 and 20142022, by Gumbiner Savett Inc.:BPM LLP:

 December 31, 
 2015  2014 
      December 31, 2022 
Audit Fees(1) $97,500  $165,000  $217,228 
Audit Related Fees(2)       $230,917 
Tax Fees(3)       $ 
All Other Fees(4)  5,400   94,356  $13,910 
        
Total Fees $102,900  $259,356  $462,055 

 

1.1.Audit Feesare the aggregate fees of Gumbiner Savett Inc.BPM LLP attributable to professional services rendered to us for the audit of our annual consolidated financial statements and review of quarterly financial information, including our registration statement on Form S-1 in 2014.information.
2.2.Audit-Related Feesconsist of fees billed for assurance and related services that are reasonably related to the performance of the audit or review of our consolidated financial statements and are not reported above under “Audit Fees.” Gumbiner Savett Inc. has not billed us for any Audit-Related Fees for each of the last two fiscal years.
3.3.Tax Feesconsist of fees billed for services related torendered for tax compliance, tax advice, and tax planning. Gumbiner Savett Inc. did not bill us for any Tax Fees for each of the last two fiscal years.
4.4.“All Other Fees”consist of fees billed for services other than the services reported in Audit Fees, Audit-Related Fees, and Tax Fees. In 2015, Gumbiner Savett Inc. provided services in connection with our registration statement on Form S-8 related to employee benefit plans. In 2014, Gumbiner Savett Inc. provided customary services in connection with our initial public offering.

 

Pre-Approval Policies and Procedures

The Audit Committee is required to reviewreviews and approvepre-approves all audit and permissible non-audit services provided by the independent registered public accounting firm. These services may include audit services, audit-related services and tax services, as well as specifically designated non-audit services which, in advance the retentionopinion of the Audit Committee, will not impair the independence of the independent auditorsregistered public accounting firm. Pre-approval generally is provided for up to one year, and any pre-approval is detailed as to the performanceparticular service or category of all audit and lawfully permitted non-audit services and generally is subject to a specific budget.  The independent registered public accounting firm and the Company’s management are required to periodically report to the Audit Committee regarding the extent of services provided by the independent registered public accounting firm in accordance with this pre-approval, including the fees for such services. Thethe services performed to date.  In addition, the Audit Committee also may delegate to onepre-approve particular services on a case-by-case basis, as necessary or more of its members the authority to grant pre-approvals for the performance of non-audit services, and any such Audit Committee member who pre-approves a non-audit service must report the pre-approval to the full Audit Committee at its next scheduled meeting. To date no such non-audit services have been requested of or performed by Gumbiner Savett, Inc.appropriate.

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Gumbiner Savett Inc.BPM LLP Representatives at Annual Meeting

We expect that representatives of Gumbiner Savett Inc.BPM LLP will not be present at the Annual Meeting.

Vote Required and Recommendation

The

Assuming a quorum is present, approval of this Proposal No. 2 requires the affirmative vote of a majority of the shares represented and voting at the annual meeting. Abstentions from voting on the proposal will have no effect, unless there are insufficient votes cast on this matter is required for the ratificationin favor of the appointmentproposal, such that the affirmative votes constitute less than a majority of Gumbiner Savett Inc.the required quorum. In such a case, abstentions will have the same effect as our independent registered public accounting firm. Abstentions and brokera vote against Proposal No. 2. It is anticipated that Proposal No. 2 will be a discretionary proposal considered routine under the rules of the NYSE. Broker non-votes if any,are not expected.

Unless otherwise directed by the stockholders, proxies will not be counted as votes cast.voted FOR approval of Proposal No. 2.

 

The Board recommends that stockholders vote “FOR” ratification of the appointment of Gumbiner Savett Inc.BPM LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 20162023, as described in this Proposal 3.No. 2.

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PROPOSAL NO. 3 – REINCORPORATION FROM CALIFORNIA TO DELAWARE

Overview of the Proposed Reincorporation

 

Our Board has approved a proposal to change our state of incorporation from California to Delaware (the “Reincorporation”), subject to the approval of our stockholders. In this Reincorporation proposal, our stockholders are being asked to approve the Reincorporation and the principal terms of the Plan of Conversion (as defined below). If approved by our stockholders, the Reincorporation will be effected pursuant to the terms of a conversion as provided under the California Corporations Code and the Delaware General Corporation Law. The name of Vivani after the Reincorporation will remain Vivani Medical, Inc. For purposes of the discussion below, Vivani as it currently exists as a corporation organized under the laws of the State of California is also referred to as “Vivani California,” and Vivani after Reincorporation as a corporation organized under the laws of the State of Delaware is referred to as “Vivani Delaware.”

The Board considered several factors in reaching this decision, including corporate governance, attracting and retaining board members, the differences between California and Delaware state corporate laws, and other advantages and disadvantages of Reincorporation.

The Board believes that the choice of state domicile is important because state corporate law governs the internal affairs of a corporation. Management and boards of directors of corporations look to state corporate law and judicial interpretations of state law to guide their decision-making on many key issues, including appropriate governance policies and procedures, satisfaction of fiduciary obligations to stockholders, compliance with financial and legal requirements in the corporation’s business operations, and consideration of key strategic transactions for the corporation, including financings, mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures.

The Board further believes that it is essential for Vivani to be able to draw upon the well-established principles of corporate governance of Delaware law in making legal and business decisions while helping to preserve the stockholder rights that our stockholders are accustomed to, in the interest of maximizing long-term stockholder value. The prominence, breadth, depth and predictability of Delaware corporate law, including its extensive body of case law, provide a reliable foundation on which Vivani’s governance decisions can be based, and the Board believes that Vivani’s stockholders will benefit from the responsiveness of Delaware corporate law to their needs.

In addition to the benefits of being a Delaware corporation, the Board has proposed as part of the Reincorporation to preserve certain rights that are currently held by its stockholders as a matter of California law and under the California Incorporation Documents. Accordingly, the Board determined, in connection with approval of the Reincorporation, to maintain the following stockholder-friendly provisions of our governance structure even though they would not be required under Delaware law:

 19Election of Directors: Vivani would continue to have annual election of all members of its Board of Directors rather than have a classified or staggered board.
 Amendment of Bylaws: Include the ability of stockholders to amend Vivani’s bylaws by simple majority.

The Stockholders are urged to read this proposal carefully, including all of the related appendices attached to this Proxy Statement, before voting on the Reincorporation and the principal terms of the Plan of Conversion (as defined below). The following discussion summarizes material provisions of the Reincorporation and is subject to and qualified in its entirety by the Plan of Conversion in substantially the form attached hereto as Appendix A (the “Plan of Conversion”), the Delaware Certificate of Incorporation in substantially the form attached hereto as Appendix B (the “Delaware Charter”); and the Delaware Bylaws in substantially the form attached hereto as Appendix C (the “Delaware Bylaws,” and together with the “Delaware Charter,” the “Delaware Incorporation Documents”). Copies of the California Restated Articles of Incorporation (the “California Articles”) and the California Amended and Restated Bylaws (the “California Bylaws,” and together with the California Articles, the “California Incorporation Documents”) have been filed with the SEC as exhibits to Vivani’s periodic or current reports and will be sent to stockholders free of charge upon written request to Vivani Medical, Inc., Attention: Investor Relations, 5858 Horton Street, Suite 280, Emeryville, CA 94608.

After careful consideration of these factors, the Board believes that it is in the best interests of Vivani and its stockholders to effectuate the Reincorporation.

Mechanics and Consequences of Reincorporation

The Reincorporation will be effected pursuant to the plan of conversion to be adopted by Vivani California (the “Plan of Conversion”). The Plan of Conversion provides that the Company will convert into a Delaware corporation and become subject to Delaware law. By virtue of the conversion, all the rights, privileges and powers of Vivani California, all property owned by Vivani California, all debts due to Vivani California and all causes of action belonging to Vivani California immediately prior to the conversion will remain vested in Vivani Delaware following the conversion. In addition, by virtue of the conversion, all debts, liabilities and duties of Vivani California immediately prior to the conversion will remain attached to Vivani Delaware following the conversion. Each director and officer of Vivani California will continue to hold his or her respective office with Vivani Delaware. If the Reincorporation is approved, at the Effective Date, Vivani will be governed by the Delaware Incorporation Documents which will replace the California Incorporation Documents.

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EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION AND RELATED INFORMATIONEffectiveness of Reincorporation

 

Compensation DiscussionIf this proposal is approved by our stockholders, the Reincorporation would become effective upon the filing and effectiveness of a certificate of conversion with the California Secretary of State (the “California Certificate of Conversion”), a certificate of conversion with the Delaware Secretary of State (the “Delaware Certificate of Conversion”) and the Delaware Charter. If this proposal is approved, it is anticipated that the Board will cause the Reincorporation to be effected as reasonably practicable after the Annual Meeting (the “Effective Date”) subject to the completion of certain legal formalities, including providing certain notices to regulatory authorities. However, the Reincorporation may be delayed by our Board or the Plan of Conversion may be terminated and abandoned by our Board at any time prior to the Effective Time, including after approval of this proposal, if our Board determines for any reason that doing so would be in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders. Furthermore, the Plan of Conversion may be amended at any time prior to the Effective Date, either before or after the stockholders have voted to adopt this proposal, subject to applicable law. Vivani will re-solicit stockholder approval of the Reincorporation if the terms of the Plan of Conversion are changed in any material respect that requires stockholder approval.

At the Effective Time, each outstanding share of common stock of Vivani California will automatically convert into one share of common stock of Vivani Delaware and each outstanding option or other right to purchase shares of Vivani California common stock will constitute an option or other right to purchase an equal number of shares of Vivani Delaware common stock. Company stockholders and holders of Company stock options will not be required to exchange their Vivani California stock certificates or stock options, respectively, and should not destroy any stock certificate or stock option or submit any stock certificate or stock option to the Company unless they are requested to do so by the Company. Any Vivani California stock certificates submitted to the Company for transfer after the Effective Time, whether pursuant to a sale or otherwise, will be exchanged automatically for Vivani Delaware stock certificates.

SHARE CERTIFICATES CURRENTLY ISSUED FOR VIVANI CALIFORNIA’S SHARES WILL AUTOMATICALLY REPRESENT SHARES IN VIVANI DELAWARE UPON COMPLETION OF THE REINCORPORATION, AND SHAREHOLDERS WILL NOT BE REQUIRED TO SURRENDER OR EXCHANGE SHARE CERTIFICATES AS A RESULT OF THE REINCORPORATION.

Continuation of Vivani’s Operations and Management After the Reincorporation

Other than the change in corporate domicile, the Reincorporation will not result in any change in Vivani California’s business operations, Board composition or term, or physical location, nor will it result in any change of our current employees, including management, or in their title, responsibilities or compensation. Upon consummation of the Reincorporation, our daily business operations will continue as they are presently conducted at Vivani California’s current principal executive offices located at 5858 Horton Street, Suite 280, Emeryville, CA 94608, and our telephone number will remain (818) 833-5000. The consolidated financial condition and results of operations of Vivani Delaware immediately after consummation of the Reincorporation will be substantially similar as those of Vivani immediately prior to the consummation of the Reincorporation. Vivani believes that there will be no material accounting impact as a result of the Reincorporation. If the Reincorporation is approved, at the Effective Date, the stockholders of Vivani will remain the stockholders of Vivani.

Trading of Vivani common stock after the Reincorporation

Vivani’s common stock is currently listed for trading on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol “VANI”. If the Reincorporation is approved, at the Effective Date, Vivani’s registration statements on file with the SEC immediately prior to the Reincorporation will continue to belong to Vivani, and the shares of common stock of Vivani Delaware would continue to be traded on Nasdaq without interruption, under the same symbol.

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Principal Reasons for Reincorporation

The State of Delaware has been a leader in adopting a comprehensive and coherent set of corporate laws that are responsive to the evolving legal and business needs of corporations organized under Delaware law. Management and boards of directors of corporations look to state corporate law, and judicial interpretations of state law, to guide their decision-making on many key issues, including determining appropriate governance policies and procedures, understanding their fiduciary obligations to stockholders and evaluating key strategic alternatives for a corporation, including mergers, acquisitions and divestitures. Our Board and management believe that it is important for us to be able to draw upon well-established principles of corporate governance in making legal and business decisions. The primary purpose for effecting the Reincorporation would be the prominence and predictability of Delaware corporate law, which provides a reliable foundation on which our governance decisions can be based. We believe that our stockholders will benefit from the responsiveness of Delaware corporate law and the Delaware judiciary to their needs and to the needs of the corporation they own.

The principal factors the Board considered in deciding to pursue and recommending that our stockholders approve the proposed Reincorporation are summarized below:

greater predictability, flexibility and responsiveness of Delaware law to corporate needs;
access to specialized courts;
enhanced ability of Delaware corporations to attract and retain directors and officers; and
more certainty with respect to indemnification and limitation of liability for directors.

Predictability, Flexibility and Responsiveness of Delaware Law

Delaware courts have, over many years, established a jurisprudence that is significantly more thorough, predictable, and broadly applied with respect to principles of corporate governance than most, if not all, other jurisdictions. The Delaware General Corporations Law (the “DGCL”) is generally acknowledged to be the most advanced and flexible statutory corporation code in the United States. The Delaware legislature is particularly responsive to developments in modern corporate law and Delaware has proven sensitive to changing needs of corporations and their stockholders. The Delaware General Assembly each year considers and adopts statutory amendments in an effort to ensure that the DGCL continues to be responsive to the changing legal and business needs of corporations and their stockholders. The office of the Delaware Secretary of State is viewed as particularly user-friendly, flexible and responsive (as compared to other states) in its administration of the filings and interactions required for mergers, acquisitions and other corporate transactions, thereby reducing complications and delays that can arise in time-sensitive transactions.

Consequently, Delaware has become the preferred state of incorporation for most publicly-traded companies in the United States and, as a result of the large number of major corporations being domiciled in Delaware, Delaware courts have developed a broad and deep body of relevant case law, and are often the first and most influential to address important new issues relating to corporate governance and rights and obligations of stockholders and corporations. As a result, courts of and corporations organized under the laws of other states, including California, have often looked to Delaware law for guidance for such issues, and the DGCL and Delaware administrative practices have become comparatively well-known and widely understood. Corporations domiciled in Delaware are often at an advantage over their peers that are organized under the laws of other states, including many California corporations, in that Delaware corporations can draw upon these well-developed, firmly established and consistently interpreted principles of corporate law when making business and legal decisions. The Board therefore anticipates that the DGCL will provide greater efficiency, clarity, predictability and flexibility in Vivani’s legal affairs and corporate governance decisions than is presently available under California law. In addition, Delaware case law provides a body of law defining the proper duties and decision-making processes expected of boards of directors in evaluating potential or proposed corporate transactions, which will further benefit Vivani’s stockholders.

Access to Specialized Courts

Delaware’s court system also provides swift and efficient resolutions in corporate litigation involving complex corporate issues. Delaware has a specialized court of equity called the Court of Chancery that hears and decides corporate law cases. The Delaware Court of Chancery operates under rules that are intended to ensure litigation of disputes in a timely and effective way, keeping in mind the timelines and constraints of business decision-making and market dynamics, and routinely handles cases involving complex corporate issues with a level of experience and a degree of sophistication and understanding unmatched by other courts in the country. The appellate process on decisions emanating from the Court of Chancery is similarly streamlined and highly responsive in cases involving complex corporate issues, and the justices of Delaware appellate courts tend to have substantial experience with corporate cases because of the relatively higher volume of these cases in the Delaware court system. The fact that issues of corporate governance are frequently addressed first in Delaware contributes to an efficient and expert court system and bar. In contrast, California does not have a similar specialized court established to hear only corporate law cases. Rather, disputes involving questions of California corporate law are either heard by the California Superior Court, the general trial court in California that hears all manner of cases, or, if federal jurisdiction exists, a federal district court. These courts hear many different types of cases, and the cases may be heard before judges or juries with limited corporate law experience. As a result, corporate law cases brought in California may not proceed as expeditiously as cases brought in Delaware and the outcomes in such courts may be less consistent or predictable. The highly specialized nature of the Delaware court system is therefore widely believed to result in more consistent and timely rulings.

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To ensure that we get the full benefits of Delaware’s corporate legal framework, the Board has provided in the proposed Delaware Bylaws that the Delaware courts are the exclusive forum for the adjudication of certain legal actions as described further below.

Enhanced Ability to Attract and Retain Qualified Candidates for Board of Directors and Management

We experience competition in recruiting and retaining talented individuals to serve on our management team and Board. The Board believes that the comparatively stable and predictable corporate environment afforded by Delaware would enable Vivani to compete more effectively with other public companies, most of whom are domiciled in Delaware, in the recruitment and retention of talented and experienced directors and officers. Delaware law is more familiar to investors and advisors, and offers greater certainty and stability from the perspective of those who serve as corporate officers and directors in part because the parameters of director and officer liability, including protection for stockholders from possible abuses by directors and officers, are more extensively addressed in Delaware court decisions and are therefore better defined and better understood than under California law. It should also be noted that directors’ personal liability is not, and cannot be, eliminated under Delaware law for intentional misconduct, bad faith conduct, unlawful dividend payments or unlawful stock purchases or redemptions, or any transaction from which the director derives an improper personal benefit. The Board therefore believes that the comparatively stable and predictable corporate environment afforded by Delaware would not only enhance its ability to recruit and retain directors and officers in the future, but also provide appropriate protection for stockholders from possible abuses by directors and officers, encouraging directors and officers to continue to make independent decisions in good faith on behalf of Vivani.

More Certainty Regarding Indemnification and Limitation of Liability for Directors

In general, both California and Delaware permit a corporation to include a provision in its charter that reduces or limits the monetary liability of directors for breaches of fiduciary duties, subject to certain exceptions further discussed below. The increasing frequency of claims and litigation directed against directors and officers has greatly expanded the risks facing directors and officers of corporations in exercising their respective duties. The amount of time and money required to respond to such claims and to defend such litigation can be substantial and distracting to the directors and officers and also results in higher liability insurance premiums for companies. It is our desire to reduce these risks to our directors and officers by providing indemnification and advancement of litigation expenses to directors and officers and to limit situations in which monetary damages can be recovered against directors, in each case to the fullest extent permitted by Delaware law, so that we may continue to attract and retain qualified directors and officers who otherwise might be unwilling to serve because of the risks involved. In addition, enhanced protection of directors is expected to reduce the extent to which directors, due to the threat of personal liability, are inhibited from making business decisions which, though entailing some degree of risks, are in the best interests of Vivani and its stockholders. We believe that, in general, Delaware law provides greater protection to directors than California law, and that Delaware case law regarding a corporation’s ability to limit director liability and to indemnify and advance litigation expenses to directors and officers is more developed and provides more guidance than California law. Stockholders should note that a director’s personal liability is not, and cannot be, eliminated under Delaware law for intentional misconduct, bad faith conduct, or any transaction from which the director derives an improper personal benefit, and the Board believes that Delaware law will provide appropriate protection for stockholders from possible abuses by directors and officers, while enhancing our ability to recruit and retain directors and officers. However, the stockholders should be aware that such protection and limitation of liability inure to the benefit of directors, and the interest of the Board in recommending the approval of this Reincorporation may therefore not be fully aligned with the interests of the stockholders.

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Possible Negative Consequences of Reincorporation

Notwithstanding the belief of the Board in the benefits to Vivani’s stockholders of the Reincorporation, it should be noted that Delaware law has been criticized by some commentators on the grounds that it does not afford minority stockholders the same substantive rights and protections as are available in a number of other states, including California. In addition, franchise taxes payable by Vivani in Delaware may be greater than the equivalent or other similar taxes currently payable by Vivani in California. The Board has considered the possible disadvantages of the Reincorporation and has concluded that the potential benefits outweigh the possible disadvantages.

It should also be noted that the interests of our directors and executive officers in voting on the Reincorporation proposal may be different from, or in addition to, those of stockholders generally because, for example, some substantive provisions of California and Delaware law apply only to directors and officers. See “Interest of Vivani’s Directors and Executive Officers in the Reincorporation” below. For a comparison of stockholders’ rights and the material substantive provisions that apply to the Board and executive officers under Delaware and California law, see “Significant Differences Between the Charters and Bylaws of Vivani California and Vivani Delaware and Between the Corporate Laws of California and Delaware” below. The Board has considered these interests, among other matters, in reaching its decision to approve the Reincorporation and to recommend that our stockholders vote in favor of this proposal.

Interest of Vivani’s Directors and Executive Officers in the Reincorporation

The stockholders should be aware that Vivani’s directors and executive officers in voting on the Reincorporation proposal may have interests in the transaction that are different from, or in addition to, the interests of the stockholders generally. For example, the Reincorporation may provide officers and directors of Vivani with more clarity and certainty in the reduction of their potential personal liability and strengthen the ability of directors to resist takeover bids. The Board has considered these interests, among other matters, in reaching its decision to approve the Reincorporation and to recommend that our stockholders vote in favor of this proposal.

U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences

The following discussion summarizes certain U.S. federal income tax consequences of the Reincorporation to holders of our common stock. The discussion is based on the Code, regulations promulgated under the Code by the U.S. Treasury Department (including proposed and temporary regulations), rulings, current administrative interpretations and official pronouncements of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), and judicial decisions, all as currently in effect and all of which are subject to differing interpretations or to change, possibly with retroactive effect. Such change could materially and adversely affect the tax consequences described below. No assurance can be given that the IRS would not assert, or that a court would not sustain, a position contrary to any of the tax consequences described herein.

This discussion is for general information only, and does not purport to discuss all aspects of U.S. federal income taxation that may be important to a particular holder in light of its investment or tax circumstances or to holders subject to special tax rules, such as partnerships, subchapter S corporations or other pass-through entities, banks, financial institutions, tax-exempt entities, insurance companies, regulated investment companies, real estate investment trusts, trusts and estates, dealers in stocks, securities or currencies, traders in securities that have elected to use the mark-to-market method of accounting for their securities, persons holding our common stock as part of an integrated transaction, including a “straddle,” “hedge,” “constructive sale,” or “conversion transaction,” persons whose functional currency for tax purposes is not the U.S. dollar and persons subject to the alternative minimum tax provisions of the Code. This discussion does not include any description of the tax laws of any state or local governments, or of any foreign government, which may be applicable to a particular holder.

This discussion is directed solely to holders that hold our common stock as capital assets within the meaning of Section 1221 of the Code, which generally means as property held for investment. In addition, the following discussion only addresses “U.S. persons” for U.S. federal income tax purposes, generally defined as beneficial owners of our common stock who are:

Individuals who are citizens or residents of the United States;

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Corporations (including an entity treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes) created or organized in or under the laws of the United States or of any state of the United States or the District of Columbia;
Estates, the income of which is subject to U.S. federal income taxation regardless of its source;
Trusts, if a court within the United States is able to exercise primary supervision over the administration of any such trust and one or more U.S. persons have the authority to control all substantial decisions of such trust; or
Trusts in existence on August 20, 1996, that have valid elections in effect under applicable Treasury regulations to be treated as U.S. persons.

If an entity or arrangement treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes holds our common stock, the U.S. federal income tax treatment of a partner generally will depend on the status of the partner and the activities of the partnership. A partner of a partnership holding our common stock should consult its own tax adviser regarding the U.S. federal income tax consequences to the partner of the Reincorporation.

This discussion does not purport to be a complete analysis of all of the tax consequences of the Reincorporation that may be relevant to holders. We urge you to consult your own tax adviser regarding your particular circumstances and the U.S. federal income and other federal tax consequences to you of the Reincorporation, as well as any tax consequences arising under the laws of any state, local, foreign or other tax jurisdiction and the possible effects of changes in U.S. federal or other tax laws.

We have not requested a ruling from the IRS or an opinion of counsel regarding the U.S. federal income tax consequences of the Reincorporation. However, we believe:

The Reincorporation will constitute a tax-free reorganization under Section 368(a) of the Code;
No gain or loss will be recognized by holders of Vivani California common stock on receipt of Vivani Delaware common stock pursuant to the Reincorporation;
The aggregate tax basis of Vivani Delaware common stock received by each holder will equal the aggregate tax basis of the Vivani California common stock surrendered by such holder in exchange therefor; and
The holding period of the Vivani Delaware common stock received by each holder will include the period during which such holder held the Vivani California common stock surrendered in exchange therefor.

Appraisal Rights

Holders of Vivani’s common stock are not entitled to appraisal rights under California law in connection with the Reincorporation.

Vote Required and Recommendation

Approval of this Proposal No. 3 requires the affirmative vote of a majority of the issued and outstanding shares of common stock entitled to vote on the record date of the annual meeting. Abstentions from voting on the proposal and broker non-votes will have the same effect as an “Against” vote. It is anticipated that Proposal No. 3 will be a non-discretionary proposal considered non-routine under the rules of the NYSE.

Unless otherwise directed by the stockholders, proxies will be voted FOR approval of the Proposal No. 3.

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The Board recommends that the stockholders vote FOR approval of the Reincorporation, as described in this Proposal No. 3.

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PROPOSAL NOS. 4A – 4F – GOVERNANCE PROVISIONS OF THE COMPANY’S CERTIFICATE OF
INCORPORATION AND BYLAWS RELATING TO THE REINCORPORATION

(Proposals No. 4A - 4F)

Summary

If approved by the requisite vote of the Company’s stockholders, the Company will change the state of its incorporation from California to Delaware through a Reincorporation. Upon completion of the Reincorporation, the Company will be governed by the DGCL and the Company’s new certificate of incorporation (the “Delaware Charter”) and bylaws (the “Delaware Bylaws”). The Delaware Charter and Delaware Bylaws that will govern the Company following the completion of the Reincorporation differ in some material respects from the Company’s existing articles of incorporation and bylaws. At the meeting, you will be asked to consider and vote on certain of the governance-related provisions in the Company’s organizational documents to be in effect after the Reincorporation described below.

The following is a summary of selected governance-related provisions of the organizational documents of the Company to be in effect after the Reincorporation. While the Company believes that this description, in addition to the section of this proxy statement titled “Significant Differences Between the Charters and Bylaws of Vivani California and Vivani Delaware and Between the Corporate Laws of California and Delaware” covers the material governance-related provisions of the organizational documents of the Company to be in effect after the Reincorporation, which differ materially from the Company’s existing organizational documents, it may not contain all of the information that is important to you and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the form of Delaware Charter or Delaware Bylaws that are attached to this proxy statement as Exhibits B and C, respectively. We urge you to read each of these documents carefully. See also the section of this proxy statement titled “Significant Differences Between the Charters and Bylaws of Vivani California and Vivani Delaware and Between the Corporate Laws of California and Delaware” beginning on page 34 for a comparison of rights of equity holders and matters of corporate governance before and after the Reincorporation.

Proposal No. 4A: A proposal to approve a provision of the Delaware Charter disallowing cumulative voting.

Proposal No. 4B: A proposal to approve a provision of the Delaware Charter limiting the Company’s stockholders’ right to remove directors without cause.

Proposal No. 4C: A proposal to approve a provision of the Delaware Bylaws permitting only the Board to call special meetings.

Proposal No. 4D: A proposal to approve provisions of the Delaware Charter and Bylaws disallowing action by written consent of stockholders.

Proposal No. 4E: A proposal to approve a provision of the Delaware Charter providing that, unless Vivani Delaware consents in writing to the selection of an alternate forum, certain intracorporate claims may be brought exclusively in the Delaware Court of Chancery (or, if such court lacks subject matter jurisdiction, the other state or federal courts in the State of Delaware).

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Proposal No. 4F: A proposal to approve a provision of the Delaware Charter requiring any complaint asserting a cause of action under the Securities Act to be brought exclusively in the federal district courts of the United States, unless the Company consents in writing to the selection of an alternative forum.

Proposal No. 4A: A proposal to approve a provision of the Delaware Charter disallowing cumulative voting.

The California Bylaws provide for cumulative voting for the election of directors at meetings of stockholders. Every stockholder entitled to vote at any election of directors may cumulate such stockholder’s votes and (i) give one candidate a number of votes equal to the number of directors to be elected multiplied by the number of votes to which the stockholder’s shares are entitled or (ii) distribute the stockholder’s votes on the same principle among as many candidates as the stockholder thinks fit. However, no stockholder shall be entitled to cumulate votes for a candidate unless the candidate’s name has been placed in nomination prior to the voting and the stockholder, or any other stockholder, has given notice at the meeting prior to the voting of the intention to cumulate votes.

The Delaware Charter will not provide for cumulative voting in connection with the election of directors. Under Delaware law, unless otherwise specified in the certificate of incorporation or bylaws, directors are elected by a plurality of the votes of the shares present in person or represented by proxy at the meeting and entitled to vote on the election of directors. The Delaware Bylaws provide that any election of directors by stockholders shall be determined by a plurality of the votes properly cast on the election of directors.

Our Board believes cumulative voting is overly complicated to implement and is no longer in the best interests of our Company and our stockholders. In addition, a stockholder or group of stockholders holding a relatively small number of shares that cumulatively votes its shares in an election of directors could elect one or more directors whose loyalty may primarily be to the minority group responsible for their election rather than to our Company and all of our stockholders. Our Board believes that each director is responsible to, and should represent the interests of all stockholders as opposed to a minority stockholder group that may have special interests and goals inconsistent with those of the majority of stockholders. The election of directors who view themselves as representing a particular minority stockholder group could result in partisanship and discord on our Board and may impair the ability of our directors to act in the best interests of our Company and all of our stockholders.

Accordingly, our Board is proposing to eliminate cumulative voting. If this Proposal No. 4A is accepted by the stockholders, our directors will then be elected at the 2024 Annual Meeting of Stockholders by plurality vote as provided in our Delaware Bylaws, without the right to cumulate votes.

Proposal No. 4B: A proposal to approve a provision of the Delaware Charter limiting the Company’s stockholders’ right to remove directors without cause.

Under California law, directors may be removed by the board of directors if they are of unsound mind or convicted of a felony. The Superior Court of a proper California county, upon lawsuit of the stockholders of a corporation who have at least 10 percent of the outstanding shares, may remove a director in case of fraudulent or dishonest acts or gross abuse of authority or discretion. The California Charter and Bylaws do not address removal of directors.

The Delaware Charter will provide that any director may be removed from office (i) only for cause and (ii) only by the affirmative vote of the holders not less than two-thirds (2/3) of the outstanding shares of capital stock then entitled to vote at an election of Directors.

Pursuant to both Delaware law and the Delaware Bylaws, at each annual meeting of stockholders, each stockholder will continue to have the opportunity to cast “withhold” votes with respect to the election of any Board member nominee. In addition, in accordance with applicable laws, in order to enable stockholders to appropriately evaluate individual Board members, as well as the overall composition of the Board, the Company distributes information in the proxy statement for each annual meeting about the background, experience, independence, and other qualifications of each Board member nominee. The proxy statement also informs stockholders of the role of the Board and its committees in overseeing the performance of the Company’s management. This information enables stockholders to annually submit an educated vote on the merits of individual Board members.

The Board believes the stability and continuity enabled by a requirement that Board members may only be removed “for cause,” as described in this Proposal No. 4B, is in the best interests of stockholders. Stockholders’ ability to remove members of the Board only “for cause” provides and promotes stability and continuity of the Board, which in turn allows the Company and its stockholders holders to realize the benefits associated with a group of Board members whose collective experience with the Company and in-depth knowledge of the Company’s business and strategies contribute to the Board’s ability to effectively exercise its fiduciary duties. The Board believes experienced Board members are well positioned to focus on the long-term interests of the Company, particularly if their time and attention are not diverted by the threat of unfounded appeals for their removal. The Board believes stockholders’ ability to remove any or all Board members without merit has the potential to create Board and management instability and uncertainty and distract the Company and its Board members from advancing the interests of the Company’s stockholders.

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Proposal No. 4C: A proposal to approve a provision of the Delaware Bylaws permitting only the Board to call special meetings.

Under California law, a special meeting of stockholders may be called by the board of directors, the board chair, the president, or the holders of shares entitled to cast not less than 10% of the votes at such meeting and any additional persons as are authorized by the articles of incorporation or bylaws. The California Bylaws allow a special meeting to be called by the Board Chairman, the President, or a majority of the members of the Board.

Under Delaware law, a special meeting of stockholders may be called by the board of directors or by any person authorized in the certificate of incorporation or the bylaws.

The Delaware Bylaws will permit a special meeting to be called only by the Board of Directors.

Like most public companies, Vivani holds an annual stockholder meeting to elect directors and to address various other corporate matters. Preparing for and holding stockholder meetings consumes substantial management, legal and administrative time and resources, and temporarily diverts the focus of the Board and senior management away from managing the Company. Stockholder meetings also impose significant financial costs on the Company, such as third-party expenditures associated with preparing, printing, filing and mailing required proxy materials and holding the meeting. As a result, the Board believes that a special meeting should be held only on the rare occasion when fiduciary, strategic, transactional or similar considerations dictate that a matter is so critical or time sensitive that it must be addressed immediately, rather than at the next annual meeting.

The Board believes that annual stockholder meetings are the most appropriate forum for stockholders to submit proposals and raise issues stockholders believe should be voted upon. Because Vivani’s annual meetings are regularly held and scheduled well in advance, stockholders are able to plan to air their concerns and are afforded ample opportunity to do so within this setting. Stockholders can use the Company’s annual meeting to communicate their concerns to other shareholders, the Board and management, including through the submission of stockholder proposals to be included in the Company’s proxy statement and by raising issues from the floor of the meeting or informally before and after the meeting. Because the Board will have the power under the Delaware Bylaws to fill vacancies on the Board until the next annual meeting, the need to hold a special meeting to fill a vacancy on the Board would be rare. In the unlikely event that an extraordinary matter arises requiring immediate formal stockholder action before the next annual meeting, the Delaware Bylaws provide that the Board, whose members are bound by fiduciary duties to act in the best interest of all shareholders, may call a special meeting of stockholders.

Stockholders can be assured that their right to be apprised of and vote on significant matters is also protected by state law and stock exchange rules. If the Reincorporation proposal is approved, the Company will be incorporated in Delaware whose laws require that major corporate actions, such as a merger or a sale of substantially all of our assets, be approved by stockholders holding at least a majority of our outstanding stock. Also, because the Company is listed on Nasdaq, the Company must obtain stockholder approval for equity compensation plans, significant issuances of securities to related parties, and private issuances of shares at a discount that represent more than 20% of the Company’s voting power.

Proposal No. 4D: A proposal to approve provisions of the Delaware Charter and Bylaws disallowing stockholders’ right to act by written consent.

California law provides that stockholder action by written consent is available unless otherwise provided in a company’s articles of incorporation. The California Bylaws permit stockholders to act by written consent without a meeting. In addition, pursuant to the California Bylaws and California law, the election of directors through written consent must be by unanimous stockholder consent; provided that the stockholders may elect a director to fill a vacancy, other than a vacancy created by removal, by the consent of a majority of the outstanding shares entitled to vote.

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The Delaware Charter will provide that any action that may be taken at any meeting of the stockholders may not be taken or effected by a written consent of stockholders in lieu of a meeting. In addition, the Delaware Charter and Delaware Bylaws will provide that vacancies occurring on the Board from the death, resignation or removal of a director or other cause, and newly created directorships resulting from an increase in the total number of directors, may be filled solely by a majority of the remaining members of the Board of, although such majority is less than a quorum, or by a sole remaining director.

Our Board believes that the approval of this Proposal No. 4D is in the Company’s best interests should a person or group holding a majority of our stock seek to call a special meeting of stockholders or seek stockholder action by written consent without a meeting. By permitting action to be taken only at a duly called annual or special meeting of stockholders and eliminating action by written consent of stockholders, Proposal No. 4D would give all of our stockholders entitled to vote on a particular matter advance notice of and the opportunity to participate in the determination of any proposed action and the ability to take judicial or other action to protect their interests. In addition, our Board believes that this proposal is desirable to avoid untimely notice of an action in a context that might not permit stockholders to have the full benefit of the knowledge, advice and participation of our management and Board.

Proposal No. 4E: A proposal to approve a provision of the Delaware Charter requiring any complaint asserting a cause of action under the Securities Act to be brought exclusively in the federal district courts of the United States, unless the Company consents in writing to the selection of an alternative forum.

The California Articles and California Bylaws do not currently have a forum selection provision.

Under the exclusive forum provisions contained in the Delaware Bylaws, the federal district courts of the United States will serve as the sole and exclusive forum for resolving any complaint asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), or the respective rules and regulations promulgated thereunder unless we consent in writing to an alternative forum (the “Federal Forum Provision”).

The Board believes that the Federal Forum Provision is in the best interests of the Company. Our Board considered a number of factors prior to recommending the Federal Forum Provision as a prudent and proactive means for managing this type of potential litigation and to promote efficient and consistent resolutions in the event this type of litigation arises, including: (i) the potential for costly, duplicative litigation involving multiple lawsuits in multiple jurisdictions regarding essentially the same claims under the Securities Act, which could result in increased litigation expenses and greater uncertainty regarding outcomes that may be inconsistent when two or more similar cases proceed in different courts; (ii) the experience and expertise of the U.S. federal district courts in addressing issues and claims under the Securities Act and federal case law regarding the same; (iii) the risk that a state court may not interpret or apply federal law, specifically the Securities Act, in the same manner as the U.S. federal district courts would be expected to do, or may handle procedural aspects differently than the U.S. federal district courts would be expected to do; (iv) the benefits of adopting the Federal Forum Provision when the Company is not facing any actual or threatened stockholder lawsuits under the Securities Act; and (v) the views of proxy advisors and certain institutional investors with respect to federal forum provisions. Moreover, the Federal Forum Provision would not specify any particular U.S. federal district court as the exclusive forum for claims under the Securities Act, so a plaintiff could select, on the basis of convenience or for other reasons, the U.S. federal district courts in any state as the forum for any such claim.

Although the Board believes that the designation of the federal district courts of the United States for Securities Act claims serves the best interests of the Company and our stockholders as a whole, the Board also believes that we should retain the ability to consent to an alternative forum on a case-by-case basis. Specifically, where the Board determines that our interests and those of our stockholders are best served by permitting a dispute to proceed in a forum other than the federal district courts of the United States, the exclusive forum provision in the Delaware Bylaws permits us to consent to the selection of such alternative forum.

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Proposal No. 4F: A proposal to approve a provision of the Delaware Charter providing that, unless Vivani Delaware consents in writing to the selection of an alternate forum, certain intracorporate claims may be brought exclusively in the Delaware Court of Chancery (or, if such court lacks subject matter jurisdiction, the other state or federal courts in the State of Delaware).

The California Articles and California Bylaws do not currently have a forum selection provision.

Under the exclusive forum provisions contained in the Delaware Bylaws the Court of Chancery of the state of Delaware will be the sole and exclusive forum for certain actions involving Vivani unless we consent to an alternative forum (the “Delaware Forum Provision”). Based on the proposed language in the Delaware Bylaws, the Court of Chancery will be the exclusive forum for (a) any derivative action or proceeding brought on behalf of the Company, (b) any action asserting a claim of, or a claim based on, a breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any current or former director, officer or other employee or stockholder of the Company to the Company or the Company’s stockholders, (c) any action asserting a claim arising pursuant to any provision of the DGCL or the Charter or these Bylaws (including the interpretation, validity or enforceability thereof) or as to which the DGCL confers jurisdiction on the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware, or (d) any action asserting a claim governed by the internal affairs doctrine; provided, however, that this will not apply to any causes of action arising under the Securities Act, or the Exchange Act, or to any claim for which the federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction.

The Board believes that the Delaware Forum Provision is in the best interests of the Company and will help maximize stockholder value by allowing us to be able to draw upon Delaware’s well-established principles of corporate governance in making business and legal decisions. The Delaware legislature is sensitive to issues of corporate law and responsive to developments in modern corporate law. Delaware’s specialized Chancery Court deals almost exclusively with corporate law and has streamlined procedures and processes to provide relatively quick decisions. In addition, the Delaware Supreme Court, the only Delaware appeals court, is highly regarded. These courts have considerable expertise in dealing with corporate issues and have developed a substantial and influential body of corporate case law. Further, we believe that stockholders and the Company will benefit from the responsiveness of the Delaware courts. Therefore, the prominence, predictability and proactivity of the Delaware courts provides a reliable forum where our governance decisions can be based and litigated. We believe that the Delaware Forum Provision in the Delaware Bylaws will reduce the risk that we could become subject to duplicative litigation in multiple forums, as well as the risk that the outcome of cases in multiple forums could be inconsistent, even though each forum purports to follow Delaware law or federal securities law. Any of these could expose the Company to increased expenses or losses.

Although the Board believes that the designation of the Delaware Court of Chancery as the exclusive forum for intra-corporate disputes serves the best interests of the Company and our stockholders as a whole, the Board also believes that we should retain the ability to consent to an alternative forum on a case-by-case basis. Specifically, where the Board determines that our interests and those of our stockholders are best served by permitting a dispute to proceed in a forum other than the Delaware Court of Chancery, the exclusive forum provision in the Delaware Bylaws permits us to consent to the selection of such alternative forum. The Delaware Forum Provision would not affect suits brought to enforce any other claim for which the federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction.

Anti-Takeover Effects

The elimination of cumulative voting (Proposal No. 4A), limiting stockholders’ right to remove directors without cause (Proposal No. 4B), permitting only the Board to call special meetings (Proposal No. 4C), and eliminating stockholders’ right to act by written consent (Proposal No. 4D) might under certain circumstances render more difficult or discourage a merger, tender offer or proxy contest, the assumption of control by a holder of a large block of our common stock or the removal of incumbent management. The Board’s recommendations on Proposals Nos. 4A through 4D are not part of a plan by the Company’s management to adopt anti-takeover governance measures and it is not a response by the Company to any specific effort by a stockholder to accumulate larger holdings of the Company’s common stock. Neither management nor our Board is aware of any attempt by any stockholder to accumulate sufficient shares to obtain control of our Company.

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Vote Required and Recommendation

Under applicable state law, stockholder approval of the Reincorporation is sufficient to implement the proposed governance-related provisions in the Delaware Charter and Delaware Bylaws. Under rules promulgated by the Securities and Exchange Commission, however, we are required to present material proposed governance-related provisions as a separate proposal for stockholder approval. Accordingly, we have determined that we will not implement a proposed governance-related provision unless such provision is approved by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of the Company’s stock entitled to vote on each such proposed governance-related provision at the meeting. For the avoidance of doubt, in the event that certain governance provisions receive sufficient votes but others do not, then such provisions receiving approval would still be implemented, but for the provisions that do not receive approval, the Company would implement governance provisions most similar to the Company’s existing corresponding governance provisions, subject to complying with Delaware law.

Approval of each of Proposal Nos. 4A – 4F requires the affirmative vote of a majority of the issued and outstanding shares of common stock entitled to vote on the record date of the annual meeting. Abstentions from voting and broker non-votes on each of Proposal Nos. 4A – 4F will have the same effect as an “Against” vote. It is anticipated that Proposal Nos. 4A – 4F will be non-discretionary proposals considered non-routine under the rules of the NYSE.

Unless otherwise directed by the stockholders, proxies will be voted FOR approval of Proposal Nos. 4A – 4F.

The Board recommends that stockholders for “FOR” Proposals Nos. 4A through 4F, as described in these Proposals Nos. 4A through 4F.

OverviewSignificant Differences Between the Charters and Bylaws of Vivani California and Vivani Delaware and Between the Corporate Laws of California and Delaware

 

The following summarizes a comparison of certain key provisions between the California Incorporation Documents and Delaware Incorporation Documents, as well as certain provisions of California and Delaware corporate laws. The comparison highlights important differences, but is not intended to list all differences, and is qualified in its entirety by reference to such documents and to the respective General Corporation Laws of the States of California and Delaware. Stockholders are encouraged to read the Delaware Charter, the Delaware Bylaws, the California Articles and the California Bylaws in their entirety. The Delaware Charter and Delaware Bylaws are attached to this Proxy Statement, and the California Bylaws and California Articles are filed publicly as exhibits to our periodic reports with the SEC.

ProvisionCurrent California ProvisionProposed Change for Reincorporation
Authorized Shares300 million shares of common stock, no par value; 10 million shares of Preferred Stock, no par value.300 million shares of common stock, par value $0.0001; 10 million shares of Preferred Stock, par value $0.0001, none of which are designated.

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ProvisionCurrent California ProvisionProposed Change for Reincorporation
Annual Election of Directors

Under California law, at each annual meeting of stockholders, directors shall be elected to hold office until the next annual meeting and until a successor has been elected and qualified, unless the corporation permits staggered terms in the articles of incorporation or bylaws.

Vivani has not opted for staggered director terms, so its directors are subject to election at each annual meeting of directors.

No change. Although Delaware law permits the staggered election of directors, the default rule is that directors are elected annually at each meeting of its stockholders. The Delaware Charter and Delaware Bylaws provide for the election of directors at each annual meeting of stockholders.
Number of Directors

California law requires that board size be specified in the bylaws and that the maximum number of directors may be no more than two times minus one the stated minimum number of directors.

The California Bylaws provide that the number of directors shall be not less than five (5) and not more than nine (9) until changed by Amendment of the Articles or by a Bylaw duly adopted by the stockholders amending such Bylaw provision.

Under Delaware law, the number of directors is fixed by or in the manner provided in the bylaws, unless the certificate of incorporation fixes the number of directors.

The Delaware Charter does not fix a number of directors and the Delaware Bylaws provide that there must be at least one (1) director, with the exact number of directors to be fixed by the Board.

Vote Required to Elect Directors

Under California law, cumulative voting for election of directors is permitted if the stockholder provides advance notice of the intent to exercise cumulative voting. California law also permits public companies to eliminate cumulative voting by the approval of stockholders.

The California Bylaws provide for cumulative voting for election of directors in a meeting of the stockholders. In any election of directors, the candidates receiving the highest numbers of votes of the shares entitled to be voted for them up to the number of directors to be elected by such shares are elected.

Under Delaware law, cumulative voting is not permitted unless the corporation provides for cumulative voting rights in its certificate of incorporation. The default voting standard for the election of directors under Delaware law is a plurality vote; however, the certificate of incorporation or bylaws may specify a different standard for the election of directors, such as a majority of the votes cast.

The Delaware Charter does not provide for cumulative voting. The Delaware Bylaws provide that any election of directors will be determined by a plurality of the votes properly cast on the election of directors.

Removal of Directors

Under California law, directors may be removed by the board of directors if they are of unsound mind or convicted of a felony. The Superior Court of a proper county, upon lawsuit of the stockholders of a corporation who have at least 10 percent of the outstanding shares, may remove a director in case of fraudulent or dishonest acts or gross abuse of authority or discretion.

The California Charter and Bylaws are silent on removal of directors.

Under Delaware law, any director, or the entire board, may be removed, with or without cause, with the approval of a majority of the outstanding shares entitled to vote at an election of directors.

The Delaware Charter provides that any director may be removed from office (i) only for cause and (ii) only by the affirmative vote of the holders not less than two-thirds (2/3) of the outstanding shares of capital stock then entitled to vote at an election of Directors.

Filling a Vacancy on the Board of Directors

Consistent with California law, the California Bylaws provide that Board of Directors’ vacancies may be filled by a vote of the Board, or, if the number of directors then in office is less than a quorum, by (1) the unanimous written consent of the directors then in office, (2) the affirmative vote of a majority of the directors then in office at a meeting, or (3) a sole remaining director. A director may be elected at any time to fill a vacancy not filled by the directors by the written consent of persons holding a majority of the outstanding shares entitled to vote for the election of directors.

Under Delaware law, vacancies and newly created directorships may be filled by a majority of the directors then in office (even though less than a quorum) or by a sole remaining director, unless otherwise provided in the certificate of incorporation or bylaws.

The Delaware Bylaws provide that a vacancy will be filled solely and exclusively by the affirmative vote of a majority of the remaining Directors then in office, even if less than a quorum of the Board of Directors, and not by the stockholders.

Advance Notice of Stockholder Proposals and Director Nominations

Under California law, corporations may set the time period required for stockholders to provide advance notice to the corporation of director nominees and business to be put to vote at the annual meeting of stockholders.

The California Bylaws do not specify an advance notice period for stockholder notification of nominations or other business.

Delaware also permits corporations to set the advance notice time period in the corporation’s bylaws for stockholder director nominations and proposals of business at the annual meeting.

The Delaware Bylaws set the advance notice period for stockholder notification to Vivani for nominations or other business to be between 90 and 120 days prior to the one-year anniversary of the preceding year’s annual meeting of stockholders.

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ProvisionCurrent California ProvisionProposed Change for Reincorporation
Ability of Stockholders to Call Special Meetings

Under California law, a special meeting of stockholders may be called by the board of directors, the board chair, the president, or the holders of shares entitled to cast not less than 10% of the votes at such meeting and any additional persons as are authorized by the articles of incorporation or bylaws.

The California Bylaws allow a special meeting to be called by the Board Chairman, the President, or a majority of the members of the Board.

Under Delaware law, a special meeting of stockholders may be called by the board of directors or by any person authorized in the certificate of incorporation or the bylaws.

The Delaware Bylaws allow a special meeting to be called only by the Board of Directors.

Stockholder Action by Consent

California law provides that stockholder action by written consent is available unless otherwise provided in a company’s articles of incorporation.

Vivani has not opted out of this default rule, and therefore the California Bylaws permit stockholders to act by written consent without a meeting. Pursuant to the California Bylaws and California law, the election of directors must be by unanimous stockholder consent; provided that the stockholders may elect a director to fill a vacancy, other than a vacancy created by removal, by the consent of a majority of the outstanding shares entitled to vote.

Under Delaware law the right of stockholders to take action by consent without a meeting must be contained in the certificate of incorporation.

The Delaware Charter provides that any action that may be taken at any meeting of the stockholders may not be taken or effected by a written consent of stockholders in lieu of a meeting.

Dividends, Repurchases and RedemptionUnder California law, a corporation may not pay dividends or otherwise make other distributions to its stockholders unless either: (i) the corporation’s retained earnings immediately prior to the proposed distribution equal or exceed the amount of the proposed distribution plus the preferential dividends arrears amount; or (ii) immediately after the distribution, the value of its assets equals or exceeds the sum of (a) its total liabilities plus (b) the liquidation preference of any shares which have a preference upon dissolution over the rights of stockholders receiving the distribution. These tests are applied to California corporations on a consolidated basis.Delaware law is generally more flexible than California law with respect to payment of dividends and implementing share repurchase programs. Delaware law generally provides that a corporation may redeem or repurchase its shares out of its surplus. In addition, Delaware law generally provides that a corporation may declare and pay dividends out of surplus, or if there is no surplus, out of net profits for the fiscal year in which the dividend is declared and/or for the preceding fiscal year. Surplus is defined as the excess of a corporation’s net assets (i.e., its total assets minus its total liabilities) over its statutory capital. Moreover, Delaware permits a board of directors to reduce its capital (but not below than the aggregate par value of its outstanding shares of stock) and transfer such amount to its surplus.
Amendment of CharterUnder California law, amendments to the California Articles may be adopted if approved by the Board and approved by the affirmative vote of a majority of the outstanding shares entitled to vote.

The Delaware Charter provides that, except as otherwise required by the Charter or by law, whenever any vote of the stockholders is required to amend or repeal any provision of the Charter, such amendment or repeal shall require the affirmative vote of the majority of the outstanding shares of capital stock entitled to vote on such amendment or repeal voting together as a single class, at a duly constituted meeting of stockholders called expressly for such purpose.

Amendment of Bylaws

Under California law, the board of directors may amend the California Bylaws by default.

The California Bylaws specify that they may be adopted, amended, or repealed by majority stockholder vote, or by majority vote of the Board.

Under Delaware law, the power of the board of directors to amend the Delaware Bylaws must be expressly contained in the Certificate of Incorporation.

The Delaware Charter and Bylaws provides that the Board of Directors may amend the Delaware Bylaws by a majority vote, and the Delaware Bylaws provide that the right of the Board of Directors to amend the Delaware Bylaws is concurrent with the stockholders’ right. The Delaware Bylaws maintain that they may be amended or repealed by a majority stockholder vote.

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ProvisionCurrent California ProvisionProposed Change for Reincorporation
Restrictions on Transactions with Interested StockholdersSection 1203 of the California Corporations Code, which applies to mergers or corporate acquisition transactions with interested stockholders or their affiliates, makes it a condition to the consummation of a merger or other acquisition transaction with an interested stockholder that an affirmative opinion be obtained in writing as to the fairness of the consideration be received by the stockholders of the corporation being acquired.Under DGCL Section 203, a Delaware corporation is prohibited from engaging in a “business combination” with an “interested stockholder” (generally as a person with 15% or more of the corporation’s outstanding voting stock) for three years following such time as the stockholder became an interested stockholder, unless certain conditions are met. Delaware corporations may opt out of DGCL Section 203 only by express provision in a certificate of incorporation. The Delaware Charter does not include a provision opting out from DGCL Section 203.
Restrictions on Cash MergersUnder California law, a merger may not be consummated for cash if the purchaser owns more than 50% but less than 90% of the then outstanding shares unless either: (i) all of the stockholders’ consent, or (ii) the California Commissioner of Corporations approves the merger.Delaware law does not have a provision similar to this California rule.
Exclusive Forum Provisions

Under California law, a corporation may designate certain jurisdictions as the exclusive forum for certain claims.

The California Incorporation Documents do not make any exclusive forum designation.

Under Delaware law, a corporation may designate certain jurisdictions as the exclusive forum for certain claims.

Under the Delaware Bylaws, (i) the federal district courts of the United States shall serve as the sole and exclusive forum for resolving any complaint asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the Exchange Act of 1934, or the respective rules and regulations promulgated thereunder unless we consent in writing to an alternative forum and (ii) the Court of Chancery of the state of Delaware will be the sole and exclusive forum for certain actions involving Vivani unless we consent to an alternative forum. The Court of Chancery would be the exclusive forum for (a) any derivative action or proceeding brought on behalf of the Company, (b) any action asserting a claim of, or a claim based on, a breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any current or former director, officer or other employee or stockholder of the Company to the Company or the Company’s stockholders, (c) any action asserting a claim arising pursuant to any provision of the DGCL or the Charter or Bylaws (including the interpretation, validity or enforceability thereof) or as to which the DGCL confers jurisdiction on the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware, or (d) any action asserting a claim governed by the internal affairs doctrine; provided, however, that this will not apply to any causes of action arising under the Securities Act, or the Exchange Act, or to any claim for which the federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction.

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ProvisionCurrent California ProvisionProposed Change for Reincorporation
Indemnification and Advancement of Expenses

Indemnification of corporate officers and directors is permitted by California law, provided the requisite standard of conduct is met. California law requires indemnification when the indemnitee has defended the action successfully on the merits. Indemnification is permitted under California law only for acts taken in good faith and believed to be in the best interests of the company and its stockholders.

The California Articles and California Bylaws authorize indemnification to the fullest extent permissible under California law. The California Bylaws also specify that any expenses reasonably incurred by an officer or director (acting in such capacity) defending a claim resulting from such person serving at Vivani’s request as an officer or director of another corporation shall be paid by Vivani.

Delaware law permits corporations to indemnify its directors, officers, employees and agents from expenses and losses arising out of litigation arising by reason of the person’s service to the corporation or to another entity at its request, including, in certain circumstances, litigation by or in the right of the corporation so long as the person acted in good faith and in a manner reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation and, in the case of criminal proceedings, had no reasonable cause to believe that his or her conduct was unlawful. Unless judicially authorized, corporations may not indemnify a person in connection with a proceeding by or in the right of the corporation in which the person was adjudged liable to the corporation.

The Delaware Bylaws mandate indemnification for directors and officers, as well as employees or agents of Vivani, that are acting at the request of Vivani, to the fullest extent permissible under Delaware law. The Delaware Bylaws specify that Vivani will advance any expenses incurred by a director defending a claim resulting from such person serving at Vivani’s request as a director. The Delaware Bylaws also specify that Vivani may, at the discretion of the Board, advance any expenses incurred by any officer, employee or agent of Vivani defending a claim resulting from such person serving at Vivani’s request in such capacity.

Elimination of Director and Officer Personal Liability for Monetary Damages

California law permits a corporation to eliminate the personal liability of directors and officers for monetary damages, except where such liability is based on:

(i) Intentional misconduct or knowing and culpable violation of law;

(ii)  Acts or omissions that a director believes to be contrary to the best interests of the corporation or its stockholders or that involve the absence of good faith on the part of the director;

(iii) Any transaction from which a director derived an improper personal benefit;

(iv) Acts or omissions that show reckless disregard for the director’s duty to the corporation or its stockholders, where the director in the ordinary course of performing a director’s duties is, or should be, aware of a risk of serious injury to the corporation or its stockholders;

(v)   Acts or omissions that constitute an unexcused pattern of inattention that amounts to an abdication of the director’s duty to the corporation and its stockholders;

(vi) Transactions between the corporation and a director who has a material financial interest in such transaction; or

(vii) Liability for improper distributions, loans or guarantees.

The California Articles eliminate the liability of directors and officers for monetary damages to the fullest extent permissible under California law.

Substantially similar. Delaware law permits a corporation to eliminate the personal liability of directors for monetary damages, except where such liability is based on:

(i) Breaches of the director’s or officer’s duty of loyalty to the corporation or its stockholders;

(ii)  Acts or omissions not in good faith or involving intentional misconduct or knowing violations of law;

(iii) The payment of unlawful dividends or unlawful stock repurchases or redemption; or

(iv) Transactions in which the director or officer received an improper personal benefit.

Such a limitation of liability provision also may not limit a director’s or officer’s liability for violation of, or otherwise relieve the company or directors or officers from the necessity of complying with, federal or state securities laws, or affect the availability of non-monetary remedies such as injunctive relief or rescission.

To the fullest extent permitted by Delaware statutory or decisional law, the Delaware Charter eliminates the liability of directors and officers to Vivani or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of duty as a director or officer; except for breaches of the duty of loyalty, acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or knowing violation of the law, payment of unlawful dividends or unlawful stock repurchases or redemption, or for any transaction from which a director or officer derived an improper personal benefit.

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PROPOSAL NO. 5 - NON-BINDING ADVISORY VOTE ON EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

Introduction

Under Section 14A of the Exchange Act, the Company’s stockholders are entitled to vote to approve, on a non-binding advisory basis, the compensation of the Company’s named executive officers as disclosed in this proxy statement in accordance with SEC rules, commonly referred to as a “say-on-pay vote.”

This vote is not intended to address any specific item of compensation, but rather the overall compensation of the Company’s named executive officers disclosed in the “Executive Compensation” section of this Proxy Statement. The Company believes that its compensation policies and decisions are aligned with our stockholders’ interests, and that the compensation of the Company’s named executive officers is designed to enable the Company to attract and retain talented and experienced executives to lead the Company successfully in a competitive environment.

Accordingly, our Board is asking the stockholders to indicate their support for the compensation of the Company’s named executive officers as described in this Proxy Statement by casting a non-binding advisory vote “FOR” the following resolution:

“RESOLVED, that the compensation paid to the Company’s named executive officers, as disclosed pursuant to Item 402 of Regulation S-K, including the compensation tables and narrative discussion, is hereby APPROVED.”

Because the vote is advisory, it is not binding on our Board, the Compensation Committee, or the Company. Nevertheless, the views expressed by the stockholders, whether through this vote or otherwise, are important to management and the Board and, accordingly, the Board and the Compensation Committee intend to consider the results of this vote in making determinations in the future regarding executive compensation arrangements.

Vote Required and Recommendation

Assuming a quorum is present, approval of this Proposal No. 5 requires the affirmative vote of a majority of the Boardshares represented and voting at the annual meeting. Abstentions from voting on the proposal will have no effect, unless there are insufficient votes in favor of Directors administers our executive compensation and benefit programs. The Compensation Committeethe proposal, such that the affirmative votes constitute less than a majority of the required quorum. In such a case, abstentions will have the same effect as a vote against Proposal No. 5. It is comprised exclusivelyanticipated that Proposal No. 5 will be a non-discretionary proposal considered non-routine under the rules of independent directors and oversees all compensation and benefit programs and actions that affect our executive officers.the NYSE. Broker non-votes will have no effect.

Compensation Process and RoleUnless otherwise directed by the stockholders, proxies will be voted FOR approval of ManagementProposal No. 5.

 

The Compensation Committee is responsible for determining and approving all compensation for our executive officers. Pursuant to its charter, the Compensation Committee recommends to the full Board the salary, annual incentive compensation or bonus, long-term incentive compensation in the form of stock options or stock grants, and all other employment, severance and change-in-control agreements applicable to executive officers. Our Chief Executive Officer assists the Compensation Committee in its deliberations with respect to the compensation payable to our other executive officers, and typically recommends specific compensation packages for our executive officers based upon his assessment and evaluation of their performance.

Following the end of each fiscal year, our Chief Executive Officer evaluates executive officer performance for the prior fiscal year, other than his own performance, and discusses the results of such evaluations with the Compensation Committee. The Chief Executive Officer assesses each executive officer’s performance for the prior fiscal year based upon subjective factors concerning such officer’s individual business goals and objectives, and the contributions made by the executive officer to our overall results. The Chief Executive Officer then makes specific recommendations to the Compensation Committee for adjustments to base salary and the grant of a target bonus and/or equity award, if appropriate, as part of the compensation packages for each executive officer, other than himself, for the next fiscal year.

The Compensation Committee reviews the performance of the Chief Executive Officer and determines all compensation for the Chief Executive Officer. The Chief Executive Officer is not present at the time the Compensation Committee reviews his performance and discusses his compensation.

Executive Officers

Robert J. Greenberg, 48, Chairman of the Board

Dr. Greenberg has been Chairman of our Board from August 2015. Prior to that, Dr. Greenberg was a founder and served as the President, Chief Executive Officer and Directorstockholders of Second Sight Medical Products, Inc., our predecessor company, have previously indicated, on a non-binding advisory basis, that the stockholder advisory vote on executive compensation be conducted every year. As a result, we expect that the next say-on-pay vote will be at the 2024 Annual Meeting of Stockholders.

TheBoardrecommends a vote “FORthe approval, on a non-binding advisory basis, of the compensation of the companys named executive officers as disclosed in this Proposal No. 5.

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EXECUTIVE OFFICERS

Adam Mendelsohn, Ph.D.:  Dr. Mendelsohn has served as our Chief Executive Officer and as a member of our Board of Directors since its inception until August 2015.the Merger in 2022. Prior to this, Dr. Mendelsohn served as the formationChief Executive Officer of Second Sight,NPM between from 2009 till 2022. Dr. Greenberg worked co-managingMendelsohn received his Ph.D. in bioengineering at the UC San Francisco/UC Berkeley Joint Graduate Group in Bioengineering, Class of 2011, during which he was awarded an NSF fellowship to perform research at Kyoto University and published multiple peer-reviewed articles describing new treatment options for Type 1 diabetes through the immuno-isolated transplantation of insulin-producing cells under the direction of Professor Tejal A. Desai. While in graduate school, Dr. Mendelsohn served as the director for the Venture Innovation Program in Life Sciences and completed his certificate in Management of Technology with the Haas School of Business. Dr. Mendelsohn has served as a Technical Advisor to the Alfred E. Mann FoundationInstitute for Biomedical Engineering at USC, a fellow of the Startup Leadership Program, the President of UCSF’s Graduate Division Alumni Association and is currently a board member of the Maestro Foundation. We believe Dr. Mendelsohn is qualified to serve on the combined company’s board of directors because of his scientific background and his senior management experience in the biotechnology industry.

Truc Le, M.B.A.: Mr. Le brings over 35 years of manufacturing, quality, and overall operations experience with devices and complex drug-device combination products. Mr. Le has served as our Chief Operating Officer since Februarythe Merger in 2022. From 2020 until the Merger in 2022, Mr. Le was the Chief Operating Officer of NPM. From 2011 to March 2020, Mr. Le was the Chief Technical Operations Officer for Dance Biopharm — a leader in aqueous respiratory therapy delivery with Drug and Device combination products. As the Chief Technical Operations Officer, he built operations, R&D, quality systems, manufacturing, supply chain, product development, formulation, and IT. From 2009 to 2011, Mr. Le was the Chief Operating Officer for Avid Bio Services, Inc., a leading contract development, manufacturing organization (CDMO) that specializes in clinical trials and commercial distribution of monoclonal antibodies and recombinant proteins. From 2007 to 2009, Mr. Le served as the EVP Manufacturing and Quality for PrimaBiomed, a cell therapy company, and as a consultant for several drug/device companies. From 2001 to 2007, Mr. Le was Senior Vice President of Operations, Product Development, Quality, and Regulatory Affairs for Nektar Therapeutics, a biopharmaceutical company, where he led the commercial formulation and device manufacturing for Exubera®. From 1999 to 2001, he consulted for multiple large pharmaceutical and medical device companies, including Abbott, Medtronic, Baxter, and Dow Chemical, where he specialized in due-diligence, operation effectiveness, and PAI readiness. From 1981 to 1999, Mr. Le was employed for a division of Johnson & Johnson, a multinational company that develops medical devices, pharmaceutical products, and consumer packaged goods, as the Worldwide Vice-President of Regulatory Compliance and Quality Systems. His work at Johnson & Johnson included more than ten years in operations, regulatory affairs, product development, manufacturing, and quality for ophthalmic products such as cataract devices and implants and drug products for ophthalmic surgery procedures. Mr. Le has been chairmana B.S. in mechanical engineering and a M.B.A. in Management. He completed numerous executive leaderships training programs, including World Class Manufacturing at Duke University, Executive Management at Harvard University, and a QSR trainer at AAMI/FDA. 

36 

Lisa Porter, M.D.: Dr. Porter has over 25 years of that foundation.experience in developing medicines for metabolic diseases with a focus on bringing innovative therapies to patients with high unmet need. She serves as our Chief Medical Officer since 2022. From 2020 until the Merger in 2022, Dr. Porter was the Chief Medical Officer of NPM. Before 2020, she served as CMO, Metabolic Diseases for Eiger Biopharmaceuticals, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, where she led clinical development for the orphan diseases post bariatric hypoglycemia and Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome resulting in FDA breakthrough therapy designation for both programs. Dr. Porter worked at Eiger Biopharmaceuticals from 2017 – 2018. She served as CMO for Dance BioPharma (now Aerami Therapeutics), a company developing inhaled therapies for the treatment of severe respiratory and chronic diseases, from 2014 to 2017 and Vice President, Medical Development for Amylin Pharmaceuticals, a biopharmaceutical company, from 2009 to 2013 where she led the R&D efforts for the Amylin-Lilly Alliance, culminating in the approval of the GLP-1 agonist Bydureon, the first once weekly treatment for Type 2 diabetes. Prior to joining Amylin, Dr. Porter held progressively increasing leadership positions at GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals, a multinational pharmaceutical company, from 1999 to 2004 with responsibilities for the clinical strategy for Avandia and early obesity compounds. She was Associate Medical Director for Zeneca Pharmaceuticals, a multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnology company, from 1997 to 1998, he1999. Dr. Porter was a board member of Viacyte, Inc. from January 2022 until its acquisition by Vertex was completed in September 2022. Dr. Porter earned a B.S. in Biology from the College of William & Mary, an M.D. from Duke University and completed fellowship training in Endocrinology and Hypertension at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

Brigid A. Makes, M.B.A.: Ms. Makes joined our Company as Chief Financial Officer in 2022. From 2017 to 2022, she served as lead revieweran independent consultant for IDEsprimarily private medical device companies. Prior to that, Ms. Makes served as Senior Vice President and 510(k)s atChief Financial Officer of Miramar Labs from 2011 to 2017, a global medical device company dedicated to bringing innovative applications to the Office of Device Evaluation at the US Food and Drug Administrationaesthetic marketplace, which was acquired by Sientra in July 2017. From 2006 to 2011, Ms. Makes served in the Neurological Devices Division. Insame roles for AGA Medical, a medical device company specializing in the treatment of structural heart defects, which was acquired by St. Jude Medical, in November 2010. Prior to AGA Medical, from 1999 to 2006, Ms. Makes served in a variety of executive positions, including as Chief Financial Officer, for Nektar Therapeutics (formerly Inhale Therapeutics), a biopharmaceutical company. Ms. Makes also served as Chief Financial Officer for Oravax, a biopharmaceutical company, from 1998 he received his medical degreeto 1999 and for Haemonetics Corp, a company specializing in the management of blood supplies, from The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. From 19911995 to 1997, Dr. Greenberg conducted pre-clinical trials demonstrating the feasibility of retinal electrical stimulation in patients with retinitis pigmentosa. This work was done at the Wilmer Eye Institute at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore and led to the granting of his Ph.D. from the Johns Hopkins Department of Biomedical Engineering. His undergraduate degree was in Electrical Engineering and Biomedical Engineering from Duke University. Dr. Greenberg currently is1998.Since December 2019, Ms. Makes has also the chairman of the Board of Directors of the Southern California Biomedical Council and the Alfred Mann Foundations. In addition he isbeen a member of the board of directors of Pulse Biosciences,Mind Medicine (MindMed) Inc., a development stage medical devicepublicly traded neuro-pharmaceutical company, .

Will McGuire, 53, President, Chief Executive Officerwhere Ms. Makes serves on the Audit Committee as chair. On April 15, 2023, Ms. Makes provided notice to the board of directors of Mind Medicine of her decision not to stand for re-election at the 2023 annual general meeting of shareholders of Mind Medicine.  Since 2020, Ms. Makes also serves as a director of Aziyo Biologics (“Aziyo”), a commercial-stage regenerative medicine company. Ms. Makes chairs both the Audit and Director

Mr. McGuireCompensation Committees and is on the Corporate Governance & Nominating Committee for Aziyo. Since June 2021, Ms. Makes has been our President and Chief Executive Officer since August 2015.Prior to that, Mr. McGuire worked at Volcano Corporation, where he was President of Americas Commercial since 2014 and prior to that, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Coronary Imaging, Systems and Program Management since 2013. Volcano, a global leader in intravascular imaging for coronary and peripheral applications and physiology, was acquired by Royal Philips in February 2015. Prior to joining Volcano, Mr. McGuire served as Vice Presidenta director and General Managerchair of Patient Monitoring at Covidien. He previously served as President and Chief Executive Officer of AtheroMed,the Audit Committee for Quantum-Si, Inc., a venture capital-backed peripheral atherectomylife science tools company prior to which he was Chief Operating Officer at Spectranetics Corporation,focused on commercializing a publicly-traded medical device company. In addition, Mr. McGuire held various positions at Guidant Corporation from 1998 to 2005 including General Managerunique protein sequencing platform. Ms. Makes also serves on the Compensation Committee. Ms. Makes holds a Bachelor of Guidant Latin America; Director of U.S. Marketing for Vascular Intervention (VI); Director of Global Marketing for VI; and, Production Manager for Coronary Stents. Prior to 1998, Mr. McGuire held positionsCommerce degree in Finance and ProductionInternational Business from McGill University and an M.B.A. from Bentley University.

37 

Donald Dwyer, M.B.A.: Mr. Dwyer has served as the Chief Business Officer since the Merger in 2022. Prior to this, Mr. Dwyer was at IVAC Medical Systems. ANPM and served as Chief Business Officer from 2021 to 2022, as consultant from 2019 to 2020 and as an observer to NPM board of directors from 1996 to 2019 (while employed at AstraZeneca). He is a science-based business leader with over 40 years of experience in the biopharmaceutical industry and a broad background in leadership across a wide range of technologies and disease areas. Mr. Dwyer has held director level positions in quality assurance/control and regulatory affairs at Rhone-Poulenc Rorer (now part of Sanofi), from 1986 to 1993 and Cephalon (now part of Teva Pharmaceuticals), from 1993 to 1995); and drug development, sales, commercial and business development at AstraZeneca, from 1995 to 2019. He also served as AstraZeneca’s observer on the Board of Directors for PhaseBio, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company until a successful IPO, (2014 – 2018) and NPM (2015 – 2019). At AstraZeneca, , he was Executive Director Business Development and Early Asset (pre-Phase 3) Commercial lead for Cardiovascular, Renal and Metabolic Disease where he co-led the $2.7B acquisition of LOKELMA (hyperkalemia) from ZS Pharma and the $1.2B licensing and co-commercialization deal for TC-5214 (major depressive disorder) with Targacept. On the divestment side, Don was also co-lead on multiple projects including the ZOLADEX implant (cancer), Earlier in his career, he was the US commercial head for key brands including TOPROL-XL (heart failure, hypertension, angina); ATACAND (hypertension); ONGLYZA (diabetes); FARXIGA (diabetes); SEROQUEL (bipolar disorder) and ABRAXANE (cancer). Mr. Dwyer is a graduate of the Georgia Institute of Technology, Mr. McGuire received his M.B.A. from the Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

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Tom Miller, 60, Chief Financial Officer

Mr. Miller has been our Chief Financial Officer since May 2014. From 2000 to 2014 he was Chief Financial Officer of Ixia, a public company engaged in the designCentral Connecticut (chemistry/biology) and manufacture of network test and monitoring products for the telecommunications industry. From 1997 to 1999 he was the Director of Finance and Controller of CoCensys, a public biotechnology company engaged in the discovery and development of new drugs to treat neurological and psychiatric disorders. Mr. Miller received a MastersTemple University Fox School of Business Administration from the University of Southern California and a Bachelor of Arts, Economics from the University of California, Berkeley.(M.B.A.).

Gregoire Cosendai, 44, Vice President of European Operations

EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

Mr. Cosendai was our Director of European Operations from 2008 to 2010 and has since 2010 been our Vice President of European Operations. Between 2005 and 2008 he acted as a consultant for Second Sight. From 2001 to 2008 he was director of business development for the Alfred E. Mann Foundation. From 1995 to 2001 he was clinical engineer at the ENT clinic at the Geneva Hospital. Mr. Cosendai received a Ph.D. from EPFL Lausanne on developing new speech coding strategies for cochlear implants and a Master of Electrical Engineering (Ing. dipl. EPFL elec.) from EPFL Lausanne.

Edward Randolph, 58, Vice President of Manufacturing

Mr. Randolph has been our Vice President of Manufacturing since 2007. From 2003 to 2007, Mr. Randolph was Director of Manufacturing Engineering at Boston Scientific Corp., a worldwide manufacturer of medical devices and products. From 2001 to 2003, Mr. Randolph was a Director of Manufacturing Engineering at Cygnus, Inc., manufacturer of non-invasive transdermal drug delivery systems. Mr. Randolph received his Master of Science in Engineering from Stanford University and his Bachelor of Science in Architecture from Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Stephen Okland, 52, Commercial Vice President, U.S. and Canada

Mr. Okland has been our Commercial Vice President, U.S. and Canada since March 2016. Prior to that Mr. Okland was withSanford Rose Associates – Okland Group, Inc., where he served as President and specialized in commercial executive talent acquisition for early stage to mid-cap size companies in the medical device space. Previously, he served as Vice President, Worldwide Marketing and Sales, at Miramar Labs, Inc., a company that develops, manufactures, and distributes medical devices to treat dermatologic medical conditions, where he led all commercialization activities. At Medivance, Inc., Mr. Okland served as Vice President, Worldwide Marketing and U.S. Sales and directed the turnaround of all commercialization activities resulting in a $250 million acquisition by Bard Medical. At Spectranetics, Inc., as Vice President, U.S. Sales and Marketing, he directed all U.S. sales and marketing operations during a period when the company was named to Fortune’s 100 Fastest Growing Companies three years in a row. Mr. Okland also served as Chief Operating Officer of a medical device start-up company, directing and managing sales, marketing, R&D and manufacturing operations. He held positions of increasing responsibility during 12 years at Boston Scientific Corporation and at Johnson & Johnson Medical, Inc., where he began his career. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Wisconsin and a Masters of Business Administration from Texas Christian University.

2022 Summary Compensation Table for 2015

The following table provides information regarding the total compensation ofawarded to, earned by, or paid to our named executive officers, or “NEOs,” during 2015. As an emerging growth company, we have elected to comply with the executive compensation disclosure rules applicable to “smaller reporting companies,” as such term is defined in the rules promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act, which require compensation disclosure for our principal executive officerfiscal years ended 2021 and the two most highly compensated executive officers other than our principal executive officer. The amounts represented in the “Option Awards” column reflect the stock compensation expense recorded by the Company pursuant to ASC Topic 718 and does not necessarily equate to the income that will ultimately be realized by the named executive officers for such awards. Individuals listed in the table below are sometimes referred to in this report as the “Named Executive Officers” or “NEOs”.2022.

21

Name and Principal Position Year  Salary ($)  Bonus ($)  Option 
Awards ($)
  Other ($)  Total ($) 
     (1)  (2)  (3)  (4)    
                   
Will McGuire,  2015   128,523   66,426   4,936,300   644   5,131,893 
Chief Executive Officer (5)                        
                         
Robert J. Greenberg, M.D., Ph.D.  2015   338,821   62,411   210,000   8,572   619,804 
Chairman (5)  2014   343,647   33,882   2,795,320   437,058   3,609,907 
   2013   336,953   49,343      12,309   398,605 
                         
Tom Miller,  2015   225,000   41,445   86,735   4,705   357,885 
Chief Financial Officer  2014   130,398   13,993   728,858   1,549   874,798 
                         
Brian Mech, former Vice President  2015   91,340         1,809   93,149 
Business Development (6)  2014   192,114   15,440   389,902   4,554   602,010 
   2013   190,757   28,249      3,767   222,773 
                         
Anthony Moses, former  2015   150,804      978,000   51,109   1,179,913 
Commercial Vice President the Americas (7)                        
                         
Anne-Marie Ripley, former Vice  2015   216,604   28,618   42,000   1,880   289,102 
President of Clinical and  2014   203,983   15,536   403,052   3,514   626,085 
Regulatory (8)  2013   178,645   26,397      3,527   208,569 
                         
Edward Randolph, Vice President  2015   192,775   26,632   42,000   3,690   265,097 
of Manufacturing  2014   189,734   14,458   369,728   3,860   577,780 
   2013   187,160   15,655      3,706   206,521 
                         
Gregoire Cosendai, Ph.D., Vice  2015   234,150      42,000   13,657   289,807 
President of European Operations  2014   205,491   15,129   319,552   13,925   554,097 
   2013   204,272   19,261      13,633   237,166 

Name and
Principal Position
 Year  

Salary 

($)(1) 

  

Bonus 

($)(2) 

  

Option 

Awards ($)(3) 

  All Other
Compensation ($)
(4)
  Total ($) 
                   
Adam Mendelsohn, 2022   300,000         12,014   312,014 
Chief Executive Officer 2021   300,000         8,300   308,300 
                        
Brigid Makes,
Chief Financial Officer
 2022   196,644      101,383   7,982   306,009 
                        
Truc Le, 2022   300,000   25,000      12,200   337,200 
Chief Operating Officer 2021   300,000      241,674   11,000   552,674 
                        
Scott Dunbar, Former 2022   295,938   79,433   3,575   3,207   382,153 
Chief Executive Officer 2021   234,544   66,845      4,296   305,685 

 

(1)(1)Represents the base salary amount for each of the named executive officers for the applicable year.
(2)For 2015, this column includes commissions earned and payable of $32,000 for Mr. Moses and $33,175 for Mr. Cosendai.
(2)Represents the amounts earned and payable as discretionary cash bonuses for the indicatedapplicable year.
(3)(3)Represents the aggregate grant date fair value of stock option awards granted during the years shownapplicable year prorated for respective start dates as measured pursuant to ASC Topic 718 as stock-based compensation in our consolidated financial statements. This calculation does not give effect to any estimate of forfeitures related to service-based vesting butand assumes that the executive will perform the requisite service for the award to vest in full. The assumptions we used in valuing equity awards are described in Note 10 to our audited consolidated financial statements included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015.
(4)(4)Includes employer matching contributions to the officer's retirement plan, and payments for supplemental life and health insurance plans. In addition, in 2013, 2014 and 2015, Dr. Greenberg received an $8,000 per year car allowance, and in 2014 Dr. Greenberg was granted debt forgiveness related to stock option exercises of $422,643. In 2015, Mr. Moses received a $50,000 relocation payment.
(5)Effective August 18, 2016, Dr. Greenberg was appointed Chairman of the Board and resigned as President and Chief Executive Officer, and Will McGuire joinednamed executive officers under the Company as Director, President and Chief Executive Officer.
(6)Mr. Mech resigned as Vice President of Business Development effective April 30, 2015.
(7)Mr. Moses become the Company's Commerical Vice President, the Americas in May 2015. Mr. Moses resigned as an executive officer effective March 28, 2016.
(8)Ms Ripley resigned as Vice President of Clinical and Regulatory effective January 4, 2016.401(k) plan.

  

OUTSTANDING EQUITY AWARDS AT 2015 FISCAL YEAR-END

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Narrative Disclosure to Summary Compensation Table

Employment Agreements

None of our named executive officers have employment agreements at this time.

Executive Compensation Elements

Executive compensation of Vivani’s officers is primarily comprised of base salary. Vivani provides stock option grants that generally vest over four years, but some grants may be granted with special terms at the Board’s discretion.  The Company offers a comprehensive benefits package.

Base Salaries

Our named executive officers each receive a base salary to compensate them for services rendered to our company. The base salary payable to each named executive officer is intended to provide a fixed component of compensation reflecting the executive’s skill set, experience, role and responsibilities. Base salaries are reviewed annually, typically in connection with our annual performance review process, approved by our board of directors or the compensation committee, and may be adjusted from time to time to realign salaries with market levels after taking into account individual responsibilities, performance, and experience.

For fiscal year 2022, the annual base salary for each of Mr. Adam Mendelsohn, Ms. Makes, Mr. Le, and Mr. Dunbar was $300,000, $196,644, $300,000, and $295,938, respectively.

Bonuses

The Company does not sponsor a formal bonus plan. Mr. Dunbar received a discretionary cash bonus in 2022 based on achievement of individual performance with Second Sight prior to the Merger.

Equity Compensation

The Company adopted the 2022 Plan, which became effective August 30, 2022. The purpose of the 2022 Plan is to encourage and enable the officers, employees, non-employee directors and consultants of the Company and its Affiliates upon whose judgment, initiative and efforts the Company largely depends for the successful conduct of its business to acquire a proprietary interest in the Company. It is anticipated that providing such persons with a direct stake in the Company’s welfare will assure a closer identification of their interests with those of the Company and its stockholders, thereby stimulating their efforts on the Company’s behalf and strengthening their desire to remain with the Company. For details on equity awards granted during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022, please see “Outstanding Equity Awards at 2022 Fiscal Year-End” below.

Employee Benefits Program

Executive officers, including the named executive officers, are eligible to participate in all of Vivani’s employee benefit plans, including medical insurance, on the same basis as other employees, subject to applicable law. Vivani offers a choice of multiple medical, dental, and vision plans, as well as disability and life insurance. The Company also offers a 401(k) plan with a Company matching contribution.

Change in Control Benefits

There are no contracts, agreements, plans, or arrangements that provide executives any benefits if there is a change in control. 

 

39 

Outstanding Equity Awards at 2022 Fiscal Year-End

The following table sets forth certain information concerning outstanding unexercised, unvested, and/or unearned equity awards that were held as of December 31, 20152022 by our named executive officers. In February 2022, we announced the signing of a definitive merger agreement between Nano Precision Medical, Inc. (“NPM”) and Second Sight Medical Products, Inc. (“Second Sight”), pursuant to which NPM would become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Second Sight. On August 30, 2022, the two companies completed the merger, concurrent with which Second Sight changed its name to Vivani Medical, Inc. and now conducts the present business of our company. In connection with this transaction, we completed a one for three reverse split of our common stock in August 2022. The share amounts and prices in the table below give effect to such reverse split. Unless otherwise noted, all awards expire 10 years after the grant date.

  OPTION AWARDS 
Name Option 
Grant 
Date
  Number of 
Securities 
Underlying 
Unexercised 
Options 
Exercisable
   Number of 
Securities 
Underlying 
Unexercised 
Options 
Unexercisable
   Option 
Exercise 
Price ($)
 
               
Adam Mendelsohn 11/14/2018  60,373(1)     3.15 
               
Brigid Makes 9/14/2022  13,583(1)     2.80 
  11/7/2022  1,041   48,959(2)  1.77 
               
Truc Le 7/23/2020  526,080   77,652(3)  3.15 
  3/8/2021  66,033   84,900(2)  3.15 
               
Scott Dunbar 4/1/2014  312(1)      120.00 
  9/26/2014  1,768(1)      216.00 
  3/25/2015  208(1)      314.16 
  1/21/2016  384(1)      98.40 
  1/18/2017  833(1)      41.52 
  1/2/2018  833(1)      48.24 
  1/23/2018  1,367(1)      19.56 
  2/12/2020  1,375(1)      17.94 
  11/7/2022     2,500(4)  1.77 

  Option Awards Stock Awards 
Executive Officer Option
Grant
Date
 Number of
Securities
Underlying
Unexercised
Options
Exercisable
  Number of
Securities
Underlying
Unexercised
Options
Unexercisable
  Option
Exercise
Price ($)
  Stock
Award
Grant
Date
  Number of
Shares or
Units of
Stock That
Have Not
Vested
  Market
Value of
Shares or
Units of
Stock That
Have Not
Vested($)
 
                     
Will McGuire  08/17/15     420,000(2)  12.43    12/1/15     190,000(4)  1,119,100
                           
Robert J. Greenberg, M.D., Ph.D.  05/01/06  8,223      5.00             
   01/01/07  30,625      5.00             
   02/01/08  23,750     5.00             
   11/01/08  150,000     5.00             
   02/01/09  33,750     5.00             
   02/01/10  103,750     5.00             
   03/01/11  41,563     5.00             
   03/01/12  29,063   9,687 (1)  5.00             
   01/01/14  125,000    (3)  4.25             
   04/01/14  11,719   35,156 (1)  5.00             
   09/26/14  103,665   310,994 (1)  9.00             
   03/25/15     31,250 (1)  13.09             
                           
Tom Miller  08/01/14  43,750   131,250(1)  7.00          
  03/25/15     12,907(1)  13.09             

22(1)This option was fully vested as of December 31, 2022.

(2)This option vests in equal monthly tranches over the first four years following the grant date.

(3)This option vests 50% on the grant date, 25% at six-month anniversary of the grant date and the remainder vests monthly over the following two and one half years.

(4)This option vests 25% on the one-year anniversary of the grant date, and the remainder vests in equal monthly tranches over the next three years following two- and one-half years.

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  Option Awards    Stock Awards 
Executive Officer Option
Grant
Date
 Number of
Securities
Underlying
Unexercised
Options
Exercisable
  Number of
Securities
Underlying
Unexercised
Options
Unexercisable
  Option
Exercise
Price ($)
  Stock
Award
Grant
Date
  Number of
Shares or
Units of
Stock That
Have Not
Vested
  Market
Value of
Shares or
Units of
Stock That
Have Not
Vested($)
 
                     
Gregoire Cosendai  11/01/08  20,000      5.00             
   02/01/09  5,081      5.00             
   05/01/09  10,000      5.00             
   02/01/10  14,475      5.00             
   06/01/10  2,125      5.00             
  12/01/10  25,000      5.00             
  03/01/11  6,650      5.00             
  03/01/12  5,813   1,937 (1)  5.00             
  04/01/14  2,735   8,202(1)  5.00             
  09/26/14  12,753   38,256(1)  9.00             
  03/25/15     6,250(1)  13.09             
                           
Edward Randolph  08/01/07  50,000      5.00             
   02/01/08  2,290      5.00             
   11/01/08  25,000     5.00             
   02/01/09  6,750     5.00             
   02/01/10  20,750     5.00             
   03/01/11  8,313     5.00             
   03/01/12  5,813   1,937(1)  5.00             
   04/01/14  2,735   8,202(1)  5.00             
   09/26/14  16,474   49,421(1)  9.00             
   03/25/15     6,250(1)  13.09             
                           
Anthony Moses 05/25/15     150,000(2)  12.73             
                           
Anne-Marie Ripley  01/01/07  6,125      5.00             
   04/01/08  4,750      5.00             
   11/01/08  25,000     5.00             
   02/01/09  6,750     5.00             
   02/01/10  20,750     5.00             
   03/01/11  8,313     5.00             
   03/01/12  5,813   1,937(1)  5.00             
   04/01/14  3,125   9,375(1)  5.00             
   09/26/14  18,055   54,164(1)  9.00             
   03/25/15     6,250(1)  13.09             

(1)Vests in equal annual tranches on the first four anniversary dates of the grant.

(2) Vests over a 4 year term, with 25% vesting on the one year anniversary date of the grant and thereafter vesting in 12 equal quarterly installments of 6.25%.

(3) Vested 100% on grant.

(4) Vests over a 4 year term, with 25% vesting on the one year anniversary of Mr. McGuire’s employment start date and thereafter vesting in 12 equal installments of 6.25% on the quarterly anniversaries of Mr. McGuire’s start date.

23

Equity Compensation Plan Information

We currently maintain equity compensation plans that provide for the issuance of our Common Stock to our officers, employees, and certain consultants upon the exercise or vesting of stock options and upon the vesting of restricted stock units. These plans are our:

·The 2003 Equity Incentive Plan, as restated in June 2011 (the “2003 Plan”).

·The 2011 Equity Incentive Plan (the “2011 Plan”).

·2015 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (the “2015 ESPP”).

·Equity Incentive Plan – Restricted Stock Units (the “RSU Plan”).

The 2003 Plan, the 2011 Plan and the 2015 ESPP have been approved by our shareholders. The RSU Plan was adopted by our Board on December 1, 2015, in connection with a grant of 190,000 inducement restricted stock units granted to the Will McGuire, the Company’s President and Chief Executive Officer, upon joining the Company. In January 2014, the Company granted a stock option to its current Chairman, who at that time was the Chief Executive Officer, to purchase 125,000 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $4.25 per share, exercisable for a period of three years from the date of grant. The stock option grant was fully vested on the date of issuance and was intended to replace an earlier stock option grant with the same exercise price that had expired in January 2014. The stock option was not granted pursuant to a plan approved by shareholders.

The following table summarizesprovides information about outstanding stock options, restricted stock units, and shares reserved for future issuance as of December 31, 20152022 with respect to the shares of our common stock that may be issued under the Company’sour existing equity incentive plans described above:compensation plans.

Plan Category Number of securities
to be issued upon
exercise of
outstanding options,
warrants and rights
  Weighted-average
exercise price of
outstanding options,
warrants and rights(1)
  Number of securities
remaining available
for future issuance
under equity
compensation plans
(excluding securities
reflected in column
(a))
 
  (a)  (b)  (c) 
Equity compensation plans approved by security holders:            
2003 Plan (2)  8,223  $5.00   0 
2011 Plan(2)  3,338,923  $8.15   1,429,064 
2015 ESPP (3)  0   -   197,531 
   3,347,146  $8.14   1,626,595 
Equity compensation plans not approved by security holders:            
RSU Plan  190,000  $-   0 
Other(2)  125,000  $4.25   0 
   315,000  $4.25   0 
Total  3,662,146  $8.00   1,626,595 
  Equity Compensation Plan Information 
Plan Category Number of
securities
to be issued
upon exercise
of outstanding
options, warrants
and rights (#)
  Weighted
average
exercise
price of
outstanding
options,
warrants
and rights ($)
  Number of
securities
remaining
available
for future
issuance
under equity
compensation
plans (#)
 
Equity compensation plans approved by security holders(1)  5,272,014  $3.07   4,875,140
Equity compensation plans not approved by security holders         
Total  5,272,014  $3.07   4,875,140 

(1)The weighted-average exercise priceConsists of outstanding options does not take into account outstanding RSUs since they do not have an exercise price.the 2022 Plan.

(2)All such shares are issuable upon the exercise of outstanding stock options.

(3)On January 1 of each year, the number of shares authorized and reserved for issuance under the 2015 ESPP automatically increases by the lesser of (i) 100,000 shares; or (ii) a number of shares equal to 1.0% of the Company’s outstanding shares on the last day of our prior fiscal year. On January 1, 2016, the number of shares authorized and reserved for issuance under the 2015 ESPP was increased by 100,000 shares.

Employment Contracts and Termination of Employment and Change-of-Control Arrangements

We entered into an at-will Executive Employment Agreement as of June 19, 2015 with Will McGuire, our Chief Executive Officer, by which principally we agreed to:

·pay him an annual salary of $390,000,
·issue him upon Board approval 190,000 RSUs,
·grant him upon Board approval an option under our equity incentive plan to purchase 420,000 shares of our common stock,
·make him eligible for annual bonuses at Board discretion,
·provide him with various benefits including vacation and sick leave,
·provide life insurance in the amount of $300,000,
·reimburse reasonable commuting and relocation costs,
·provide him his annual base salary and targeted bonus if we terminate his employment without cause, or if such employment is terminated as a result of a change of control, for a period of 12 months .

A copy of our Executive Employment Agreement with Will McGuire is attached as an exhibit to our Form 8-K filed with the Commission on June 25, 2015 and the description above is qualified in its entirety by reference to that agreement.

41 

All of our executive officers are at will employees. All of the option awards and stock awards granted to the Company’s executives include change-in-control arrangements whereby any unvested stock options would vest as a result of change in control.

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Pay Versus Performance

As required by Section 953(a) of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and Item 402(v) of Regulation S-K, we are providing information about the relationship between executive compensation actually paid (as calculated in accordance with Item 402(v) of Regulation S-K) to our PEO 1 (Adam Mendelsohn), PEO 2 (Scott Dunbar), and on an average basis, our other non-PEO NEOs in each case, as determined under SEC rules and certain financial performance measures.

The following table shows the total compensation for our PEOs and NEOs for the fiscal year 2022 as set forth in the Summary Compensation Table, the “compensation actually paid” to our PEO 1 (Adam Mendelsohn), PEO 2 (Scott Dunbar), and on an average basis, our other non-PEO NEOs (in each case, as determined under SEC rules), our TSR and our net income.

         
 Summary Summary Average SummaryAverage  
 CompensationCompensationCompensationCompensationCompensationCompensationTotal 
FiscalTable TotalActually PaidTable TotalActually PaidTable TotalActually PaidShareholder 
Yearfor PEO1to PEO2for PEO 21to PEO 22for non-PEO NEOs3to non-PEO NEOs2Return4Net Income
(a)(b) (c)(d) (e)(f)(g)(h)(i)
2022 $312,014$292,957$382,153$379,269$321,605($70,376)$20.52($13,889,000)

1 The dollar amount reported in columns (b) and (d) is the amount of total compensation reported for the PEO and PEO2 in the “Total” column of the Summary Compensation Table. Refer to the Summary Compensation Table as set forth on page 42 of this proxy statement. 

42 

2 The dollar amounts reported in column (c), (e), and (g) represent the amount of “compensation actually paid” (otherwise known as CAP), as computed in accordance with SEC rules. “Compensation actually paid” does not necessarily represent cash and/or equity value transferred to the applicable NEO without restriction, but rather is a value calculated under applicable SEC rules. We do not have a defined benefit plan so no adjustment for pension benefits is included in the table below. Similarly, no adjustment is made for dividends we do not pay dividends. The following table details these adjustments:

   

Grant Date

Value of

Year End

Value of

Change in

Value of

Change in

Value of

TOTAL

Fiscal

Year

 

SCT

(a)

New Awards

(b)

New Awards

(i)

Prior Awards

(ii)

Vested Awards

(iii)

Equity CAP

(c)=(i)+(ii)+(iii)

CAP

(d) =(a)-(b)+(c)

2022PEO$312,014$0$0$0($19,057)($19,057)$292,957
 PEO 2$382,153($3,575)$1,519$0($829)$691$379,269
 NEOs$321,605($50,692)$14,826($312,905)($43,210)($341,289)($70,376)

(a)The dollar amounts reported in the Summary Compensation Table for the applicable year. 

(b)The grant date fair value of equity awards represents the total of the amounts reported in the “Stock Awards” column in the Summary Compensation Table for the applicable year. 

(c)The recalculated value of equity awards for each applicable year includes the addition (or subtraction, as applicable) of the following: 

(i) the year-end fair value of any equity awards granted in the applicable year that are outstanding and unvested as of the end of the year; 

(ii) the amount of change as of the end of the applicable year (from the end of the prior fiscal year) in fair value of any awards granted in prior years that are outstanding and unvested as of the end of the applicable year; 

(iii) for awards that vest in applicable year, the change in the fair value as of the vesting date from the beginning of the applicable year. 

The valuation assumptions and processes used to recalculate fair values did not materially differ from those disclosed at the time of grant. 

(d)“Compensation actually paid” does not necessarily represent cash and/or equity value transferred to the applicable NEO without restriction, but rather is a value calculated under applicable SEC rules

3 The dollar amounts reported in column (d) are the average amounts of total compensation reported for the other Named Executive Officers for each corresponding year in the “Total” column of the Summary Compensation Table. Refer to the Summary Compensation Table as set forth on page 42 of this proxy statement. For 2022, the other NEOs were:

2022Truc Le, Brigid Makes

4 TSR determined in Column (h) is based on the value of an initial fixed investment of $100 as of IPO on August 30, 2021.

Relationship Between “Compensation Actually Paid” and Performance Measures

The Summary Compensation Table Total for each executive consists of items that flow directly into Compensation Actually Paid (Salary, Bonus, and Other Compensation) and equity awards whose change in value from the year of grant through the vest date is reflected in the Compensation Actually Paid value. Vivani’s stock price decreased over fiscal year 2022, which drives down the fair value of these equity awards and causes the Compensation Actually Paid value to be lower than the Summary Compensation Table total value. Because we are not a commercial-stage company, we did not have any revenue during the periods presented. Consequently, our company has not historically looked to net income (loss) as a performance measure for our executive compensation program. Currently, there is no direct link between Net Income and Compensation Actually Paid.

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SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT

The following table shows information known to us about beneficial ownership of our common stock by:

each of our directors;
each of our current directors;
each of our current named executive officers;
all of our directors and executive officers as a group; and
each person known by us to beneficially own 5% or more of our common stock.

each of our current named executive officers as well as any additional individuals identified as named executive officers in the section of this report titled “Executive Compensation”;

all of our directors and executive officers as a group; and

each person known by us to beneficially own 5% or more of our common stock.

The column entitled “Percentage Beneficially Owned” is based on a total of36,019,086 50,735,770 shares of our common stock outstanding as of March 31, 2016.

2023. Beneficial ownership and percentage ownership are determined in accordance with the rules of the SEC. Under these rules, beneficial ownership generally includes any shares as to which the individual or entity has sole or shared voting power or investment power and includes any shares that an individual or entity has the right to acquire beneficial ownership of within 60 days of March 31, 20162023 through the exercise of any option, warrant, conversion privilege or similar right. In computing the number of shares beneficially owned by a person and the percentage ownership of that person, shares of our common stock that could be issued upon the exercise of outstanding options and warrants that are exercisable within 60 days of March 31, 20162023 are considered to be outstanding. These shares, however, are not considered outstanding asand beneficially owned by the person holding those options or warrants for the purpose of March 31, 2016 when computing the percentage ownership of eachthat person, but they are not treated as outstanding for the purpose of computing the percentage ownership of any other person.

Name of Beneficial Owner 

Number of Shares
Beneficially

Owned

  

Percentage
Beneficially
Owned

 
       
Greater than 5% Stockholders        
Alfred E. Mann Living Trust(1)
12744 San Fernando Road
Sylmar, California 91432
  11,310,258   31.1%
         
Directors and Executive Officers:        
Gregg Williams(2)  6,270,540   17.2%
William J. Link(3)  4,498,414   12.5%
Aaron Mendelsohn(4)  978,725   2.7%
Robert J. Greenberg, M.D., Ph.D.(5)  855,015   2.3%
Edward Randolph(6)  144,359   * 
Gregoire Cosendai, Ph.D.(7)  112,620   * 
Anne-Marie Ripley(8)  98,681   * 
Brian Mech, Ph.D.(9)  64,426   * 
Tom Miller(10)  46,977   * 
Will McGuire     * 
         
All current directors and executive officers as a group (10 persons)(11)  13,069,757   34.7%
Name and address of Beneficial Owners 

Number of 

Shares Beneficially Owned  

  

Percentage of Shares Beneficially 

Owned 

 
10% Stockholders      
Joachim & Yaeko Bolck(1)  5,597,123   11.03 
Directors and Executive Officers        
Gregg Williams(2)  21,556,636   35.5 
Adam Mendelsohn(3)  3,809,305   7.5 
Aaron Mendelsohn(4)  1,196,419   2.4 
Truc Le(5)  629,405   1.2 
Dean Baker(6)  288,043   * 
Brigid A. Makes(7)  19,833   * 
Scott Dunbar(8)  10,398   * 
Alexandra Larson(9)  4,030   * 
All current directors and executive officers as a group (10 persons)  28,220,372     

*         Represents beneficial ownership of less than one percent.

*Represents less than one percent.

1.Includes 5,243,974Based on the Schedule 13D filed on April 25, 2023. Shares beneficially owned by Joachim and Yaeko Bolck include (i) 2,524,229 shares of common stock heldowned by Alfred E. Mann Living TrustJoachim & Yaeko Bolck Conservators for Hideo Saito Bolck, (ii) 2,524,229 shares of common stock owned by Joachim & Yaeko Bolck Conservators for Yasuo Saito Bolck and 360,000(iii) 548,665 shares of common stock owned by Joachim & Yaeko Bolck. The business address for Joachim Bolck is 33 Club View Lane, Rolling Hills Estates, CA 90274.

44 

2.Includes (i) 11,636,814 shares of common stock, 9,247,170 shares of common stock issuable to the Alfred E. Mann Living Trust upon exercise of warrants, and 5,706,284 shares of common stock held by Incumed LLC, of which the Alfred E. Mann Living Trust is the sole member.
  2.Includes (i) 4,358,082 shares held by the Sam Williams Family Investments LLC and 214,921672,651 shares of common stock issuable to the Sam Williams Family Investments LLC upon exercise of warrants, (ii) 1,452,098options by entities controlled by Gregg Williams.
3.Includes 3,712,573 shares ownedof common stock controlled by Williams International Co., LLCDr. Mendelsohn and 240,000his spouse, 36,359 shares of common stock issuable to Williams International Co., LLC upon exercise of warrants and (iii) 5,439 shares owned by the Gregg G. Williams 2006 Trust. Greg Williams has voting and dispositive power over all these shares.
  3.Includes 4,370,964 shares held by Versant Venture Capital II, L.P.(“VVC”); 82,949 shares held by Versant Affiliates Fund II-A, L.P. (“VAF”); 39,062 shares held by Versant Side Fund II, L.P. and 5,439 shares owned by Mr. Link individually; Mr. Link is managing director of Versant Ventures II, LLC, the general partner of VVC, VAF and VSF and may be deemed a beneficial owner of those shares.

25

  4.Includes 56,785 shares owned by Mendelsohn Investment Services, LLC, 809,002 shares owned by Mendelsohn Family Enterprises LLC, 72,23260,373 shares of common stock issuable toupon exercise of options owned by Dr. Adam Mendelsohn. Does not include Dr. Adam Mendelsohn’s 10% pecuniary interest in MFE, LLC. See note 4 below.
4.Includes (i) 1,076,487 shares of common stock controlled by Mr. Aaron Mendelsohn Family Enterprisesincluding those owned by MFE, LLC over which Mr. Mendelsohn has sole voting and dispositive authority and 25,927 shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of warrants and 40,70694,005 shares held by Mr. Mendelsohn individually. Mr. Mendelsohn has voting and dispositive power over the shares held by Mendelsohn Investment Services, LLC and by Mendelsohn Family Enterprises LLC.of common stock issuable upon exercise of options.
5.Includes 682,104629,405 shares subject toof common stock issuable upon exercise of options held by Dr. Greenberg which are exercisable or become exercisable within 60 days of March 31, 2016.Mr. Le.
6.Includes 144,359197,482 shares subject to options heldof common stock owned by Mr. Randolph which are exercisable or become exercisable within 60 daysBaker and 90,561 shares of March 31, 2016.common stock issuable upon exercise of options.
7.Includes 110,86619,833 shares subject toof common stock issuable upon the exercise of options held by Mr. Cosendai which are exercisable or become exercisable within 60 days of March 31, 2016.Ms. Makes.
8.Includes 98,6812,383 shares subject toof common stock owned by Mr. Dunbar and 935 shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of warrants and 7,080 share of common stock issuable upon exercise of options held by Ms. Ripley which are exercisable.Mr. Dunbar.
9.Includes 64,426167 shares subject toof common stock owned by Ms. Larsen and 3,863 shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of options held by Mr. Mech which are exercisable.
10.Includes 46,977 shares subject to options held by Mr. Miller which are exercisable or become exercisable within 60 days of March 31, 2016.
11.Includes the shares described in notes 2 through 10 above.Ms. Larsen.

45 

CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS

Office LeaseIn addition to the compensation arrangements, including employment, termination of employment and change in control arrangements discussed above in the sections titled “Director Compensation” and “Executive Compensation,” Vivani describes below transactions and series of similar transactions, since the beginning of Vivani’s last fiscal year, to which Vivani was a party or will be a party, in which:

the amounts involved exceeded or will exceed $120,000; and

any of our directors, nominees for director, executive officers or holders of more than 5% of our outstanding capital stock, or any immediate family member of, or person sharing the household with, any of these individuals or entities, had or will have a direct or indirect material interest.

We lease our officeAgreement and laboratory spacePlan of Merger with Nano Precision Medical, Inc.

As disclosed in Sylmar, California under an operating lease originally entered intoCurrent Report on Form 8-K filed with Mann Biomedical Park, LLC, an entity affiliated with Alfred Mann, one of our co-founders and former member of our Board. Wethe SEC on February 8, 2022, on February 4, 2022, Second Sight entered into the leaseagreement and plan of our Sylmar facility effective February 2012, formerger (the “Merger Agreement”) with NPM, and, upon and subject to the execution of a termjoinder, NPM Acquisition Corp., a California corporation and a wholly-owned subsidiary of five years thatSecond Sight (“Merger Sub”). Pursuant to the Merger Agreement and subject to the terms and conditions set forth therein, NPM merged with and into Merger Sub (the “Merger”), and upon consummation of the Merger, Merger Sub ceased to exist and NPM became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Second Sight. Upon completion of the Merger and subject to stockholder approval, Second Sight changed its name to Vivani and its trading symbol to “VANI”.

Subject to the terms and conditions of the Merger Agreement, after the Merger was completed, the securities of NPM were converted into the right to expire on February 28, 2017. This lease included rentalreceive an aggregate of additional space commencing January 1, 2013 and we obtained a five year option to renew. approximately 134,349,464 of shares of Second Sight’s common stock (the “Merger Shares”) representing approximately 77.32% of the base amount common stock of Second Sight.

The lease required us to pay real estate taxes, insurance and common area maintenance each year,Merger involved change of control and was subjectconsummated following the approval of Second Sight’s stockholders. Second Sight filed a Registration Statement on Form S-4 in connection with the Merger to periodic cost of living adjustments. In April 2014, weregister the Merger Shares.

SAFE Agreement

On February 4, 2022, in connection with the Merger, Second Sight and NPM also entered into an agreement (“SAFE”) whereby Second Sight provided to NPM, pending closing of the Merger, an investment advance of $8.0 million which, effective upon the termination date of the Merger Agreement without completion of the Merger, will result in NPM’s issuing to Second Sight that number of shares of NPM common stock which following that issuance will equal not less than 2.133% of the issued and outstanding shares of NPM common stock assuming exercise or conversion of all outstanding vested and unvested options, warrants, and convertible securities. In the event NPM completes an equity financing at a new leaselower valuation, Second Sight may be eligible to receive additional shares of NPM common stock as set forth in the SAFE. Following the completion of the Merger, the SAFE was terminated.

Related Parties in Connection with the term ending on February 28, 2022. The new lease provides usMerger and SAFE

Certain of Second Sight’s directors had interests in the Merger that are different from, or in addition to, the interests of Second Sight’s stockholders generally. These interests could have presented them with actual or potential conflicts of interest.

Common Directorship

Three of Vivani’s directors, Gregg Williams, Aaron Mendelsohn, and Dean Baker were also directors of NPM.

Securities Ownership

Three of Vivani’s directors, Gregg Williams, Aaron Mendelsohn, and Dean Baker had investments and financial interests in NPM as follows (on an as converted basis):

Name of DirectorOwnership of NPM Common Stock
Gregg Williams31.84%
Dean Baker0.58%
Aaron Mendelsohn1.79%

46 

Family Relationships

Vivani’s director, Aaron Mendelsohn, is the father of Adam Mendelsohn. Adam Mendelsohn, who was a five year option to renew, requires us to pay real estate taxes, insuranceco-founder, chief executive officer, director and common area maintenance each yearprincipal stockholder of NPM, is the chief executive officer, a director and includes automatic increases each year. In November 2014,principal stockholder of Vivani following the propertyconsummation of which are premises arethe Merger.

Special Committee

As a partresult of the aforementioned actual or potential conflicts of interests, the Special Committee, consisting of members having no affiliation with NPM, was sold to non-affiliated third party. See Note 13 of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in our Annual Report on Form 10-Kcreated for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015. Inpurpose of evaluating the proposed Merger and determining whether the Merger Agreement and the proposed Merger are in the best interests of Second Sight and its stockholders. The Special Committee consisted of Will McGuire, Matthew Pfeffer, and Alexandra Larson.

The Special Committee was empowered to investigate the proposed transaction with NPM, negotiate the terms of the proposed transaction with NPM or elect not to pursue the proposed transaction with NPM and, in the Special Committee’s discretion, explore and evaluate potential alternative transactions. Following multiple consultations with financial and legal advisers, the Special Committee issued its recommendation for the Second Sight Board to approve the proposed merger on the terms of the Merger Agreement and the concurrently entered SAFE agreement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, there can be no assurance that the efforts of the Special Committee in connection with the proposed merger were sufficient, nor can there be an assurance that the Special Committee was aware of and considered all the relevant facts and circumstances surrounding the proposed merger. The opinion of the Special Committee was based on then-available information, as of the date of each such opinion and does not reflect any subsequent events. Therefore, there can be no assurance that the terms of the proposed merger are fair and in the best interest of Second Sight despite the opinion of management the terms of this lease are no less favorable than those that might be obtained from an unaffiliated third party.Special Committee.

47 

 

REQUIREMENTS FOR ADVANCE NOTIFICATION OF NOMINATIONS
AND STOCKHOLDER PROPOSALS

Stockholder proposals submitted

A stockholder who would like to us pursuant tohave a proposal considered for inclusion in our 2024 proxy statement must submit in accordance with procedures outlined Rule 14a-8 promulgated under the Exchange Act for inclusion in our Proxy Statement and form of proxy for our 2017 Annual Meeting of stockholders must beso that it is received by us no later than December 19, 2016, which is 120 calendar days before30, 2023. However, if the one-year anniversarydate of the 2024 annual meeting is changed by more than 30 days from the date on whichof the Company first mailed this Proxy Statement,previous year’s meeting, then the deadline is reasonable time before we begin to print and send proxy materials for the 2024 Annual Meeting of Stockholders. If that happens, we will publicly announce the deadline for submitting a proposal in a press release or in a document filed with the SEC. A proposal submitted outside the requirements of Rule 14a-8 under the Exchange Act will be considered untimely if received after March 14, 2024. Stockholder proposals and the required notice should be addressed to Vivani Medical, Inc., 5858 Horton Street Suite 280, Emeryville, CA 94608, Attention: Corporate Secretary.

If the Reincorporation Proposal (Proposal No. 3) is approved by stockholders at the 2023 Annual Meeting, then our Delaware Bylaws will provide for separate notice procedures to recommend a person for nomination as a director or to propose business to be considered by stockholders at a meeting. To be considered timely, the required notice must be in writing and received by our corporate secretary at our principal executive offices no earlier than February 16, 2024, and no later than March 17, 2024.

In addition to satisfying the foregoing requirements, to comply with the universal proxy rules, stockholders who intend to solicit proxies in support of director nominees other than the Company’s nominees must provide notice that sets forth the information required by Rule 14a-19 under the Exchange Act no later than April 16, 2024. Such notice must comply with the additional requirements of the proxy rules promulgated by the SEC.Rule 14a-19(b). Stockholder proposals and the required notice should be addressed to ourVivani Medical, Inc., 5858 Horton Street Suite 280, Emeryville, CA 94608, Attention: Corporate Secretary at 12744 San Fernando Road, Suite 400, Sylmar, California 91342.Secretary.

48 

 

Recommendations from stockholders which are received after the deadline likely will not be considered timely for consideration by the Committee for next year’s Annual Meeting.STOCKHOLDER MATTERS

OTHER MATTERS

TheOur Board does not intend to bringknow of any other matters beforeto be presented at the Annual Meeting and has no reason to believeMeeting. If any other matters will be presented. If otheradditional matters properly do come before the Annual Meeting, however, it is the intention of the persons named as proxy agents in the enclosed proxy card to vote on such matters as recommended by the Board, ofor if no recommendation is given, in their own discretion.

The Company’sOur consolidated financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022, are included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015 is being mailed with10-K. Our Annual Report and this Proxy Statement are posted on our website at www.vivani.com and are available from the SEC at its website at www.sec.gov. You may also obtain a copy of our Annual Report without charge by sending a written request to stockholders entitled to notice of the Annual Meeting.Investor Relations, Vivani Medical, Inc., 5858 Horton Street #280, Emeryville, CA 94608. The Annual Report includes the financial statements and management’s discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations. The costs of preparing, assembling, mailing and soliciting the proxies will be borne by us. Proxies may be solicited, without extra compensation, by our officers and employees by mail, telephone, facsimile, personal interviews and other methods of communication.

26

If you and other residents at your mailing address own shares in street name, your broker or bank may have sent you a notice that your household will receive only one copy of proxy materials for each company in which you hold shares through that broker or bank. This practice of sending only one copy of proxy materials is known as householding. If you did not respond that you did not want to participate in householding, you were deemed to have consented to the process. If the foregoing procedures apply to you, your broker has sent one copy of our Proxy Statement to your address. If you want to receive separate copies of the proxy materials in the future, or you are receiving multiple copies and would like to receive only one copy per household, you should contact your stockbroker, bank or other nominee record holder, or you may contact us at the address or telephone number below. In any event, if you did not receive an individual copy of this Proxy Statement,proxy statement, we will send a copy to you if you address your written request to Vivani Medical, Inc., 5858 Horton Street, Suite 280, Emeryville, CA 94608, or call Tom Miller, Chief Financial Officer and Corporate Secretary of Second Sight Medical Products, Inc, 12744 San Fernando Road, Suite 400, Sylmar, California 91342, telephone number (818) 833-5000.

It is important that your shares of our common stock be represented at the Annual Meeting, regardless of the number of shares that you hold.  You are, therefore, requested to vote by telephone or by using the Internet as instructed on the enclosed proxy card or execute and return, at your earliest convenience, the enclosed proxy card in the envelope that has also been provided.

THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Emeryville, California 

April 28, 2023

Copies of the documents referred to above that appear on our website are also available upon request by any stockholder addressed to our Corporate Secretary, Second SightVivani Medical, Products, Inc, 12744 San Fernando Road,Inc., 5858 Horton Street Suite 400, Sylmar, California 91342.280, Emeryville, CA 94608.

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49 

 

DELINQUENT SECTION 16(a) REPORTS

  Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act requires our directors and executive officers, and persons who beneficially own more than 10% of our common stock, to file with the SEC reports about their ownership of common stock and other equity securities of the Company. Such directors, officers and 10% stockholders are required by SEC regulations to furnish us with copies of all Section 16(a) forms they file.

Based solely on our review of the reports provided to us and on representations received from our directors and executive officers, we believe that all of our executive officers, directors and persons who beneficially own more than 10% of our common stock complied with all Section 16(a) filing requirements except for Joachim and Yaeko Bolck who were late in making Form 3 filings upon becoming a 10% owner of a registered class of common stock, which was reported on an Initial Statement of Beneficial Ownership of Securities on Form 3 filed on April 25, 2023 and in making additional Form 4 filings with respect to their transactions in such common stock on each of September 12, 2022, October 14, 2022, October 21, 2022, November 15, 2022, December 19, 2022, December 20, 2022, December 21, 2022, December 22, 2022, December 27, 2022, and January 3, 2023, which were reported on respective Statement of Changes in Beneficial Ownership of Securities on Forms 4 filed on April 25, 2023.

 

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REPORT OF THE AUDIT COMMITTEE

 

The Audit Committee of the Board of Directors (the “Audit Committee”) has furnished this report concerning the independent audit of the Company’s consolidated financial statements. Each member of the Audit Committee meets the enhanced independence standards established by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and rulemaking of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) and the NASDAQ Stock Market regulations. A copy of the Audit Committee Charter is available on the Company’s website at http://www.vivani.com.

The Audit Committee’s responsibilities include assisting the Board of Directors regarding the oversight of the integrity of the Company’s consolidated financial statements, the Company’s compliance with legal and regulatory requirements, the independent registered public accounting firm’s qualifications and independence, and the performance of the independent registered public accounting firm.

In fulfilling its responsibilities, the Audit Committee of the Board has:

29reviewed and discussed the Company’s audited consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2022, with management and with the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm, BPM LLP;
discussed with the Company’s independent auditors the matters required to be discussed by Statement on Auditing Standards No. 1301, “Communications with Audit Committees”, as adopted by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (“PCAOB”); and
received and reviewed the written disclosures and letter from the independent auditors required by the PCAOB regarding the independent auditors’ communications with the Audit Committee concerning independence and has discussed with BPM LLP matters relating to its independence from the Company and its management.

In addition, the Audit Committee has regularly met separately with management and with BPM LLP.

Based upon the reviews and discussions described above, the Audit Committee recommended to the Board that the audited consolidated financial statements be included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022.

AUDIT COMMITTEE OF THE BOARD
Gregg Williams
Alexandra Larson
Dean Baker (Chairman)

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APPENDIXAppendix A

SECOND SIGHTVIVANI MEDICAL, PRODUCTS, INC.

2011 EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN OF CONVERSION

Originally Effective June 1, 2011, and as Amended through [May 10, 2016]

1.          PURPOSE. The BoardThis Plan of DirectorsConversion (this “Plan”) sets forth certain terms of the Company has established and approved theconversion of Vivani Medical, Inc. (f/k/a Second Sight Medical Products, Inc. 2011 Equity Incentive Plan), a California corporation (the “Plan”“California Corporation”). The purposes, to a Delaware corporation (the “Delaware Corporation”), pursuant to the terms of the Plan are to encourageCalifornia Corporations Code (as amended, “CCC”) and the officers and employeesGeneral Corporation Law of the Company to have a proprietaryState of Delaware (as amended, the “DGCL”).

WITNESSETH:

WHEREAS, the California Corporation was incorporated on May 22, 2003;

WHEREAS, upon the terms and vested interest in the growth and performance of the Company and to generate an increased incentive to contributesubject to the Company's future success and prosperity, thus enhancing the value of the Company for the benefit of its equity owners.

2.          DEFINITIONS. As usedconditions set forth in this Plan, the following terms shall have the meanings set forth below:

a.           “Award” shall mean a grant of an Option or a RSU under the Plan.

b.           “Award Agreement” shall mean a written agreement evidencing any Award granted by the Company hereunder and signed by both the Company and the Participant.

c.           “Change in Control” shall mean, subject toaccordance with Section 6(k), the occurrence of any1152 of the following:

i.            The acquisition, directly or indirectly, in one transaction or a series of related transactions, by any person or group (within the meaning ofCCC and Section 13(d)(3)265 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended) ofDGCL, the beneficial ownership of securities of the Company possessing more than fifty percent (50%) of the total combined voting power of all outstanding securities of the Company; provided, however, thatCalifornia Corporation will be converted to a Change in Control shall not result upon such acquisition of beneficial ownership if such acquisition occurs as a result of a public offering of the Company’s securities or any financing transaction or series of financing transactions;Delaware Corporation;

ii.         The consummation of a merger or consolidation in which the Company is not the surviving entity, except for a transaction in which the holders of the outstanding voting securities of the Company immediately prior to such merger or consolidation hold as a result of holding Company securities prior to such transaction, in the aggregate, securities possessing at least fifty percent (50%) of the total combined voting power of all outstanding voting securities of the surviving entity immediately after such merger or consolidation;

iii.         A reverse merger in which the Company is the surviving entity but in which the holders of the outstanding voting securities of the Company immediately prior to such merger hold, in the aggregate, securities possessing less than fifty percent (50%) of the total combined voting power of all outstanding voting securities of the Company or of the acquiring entity immediately after such merger; or

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iv.         The sale, transfer or other disposition (in one transaction or a series of related transactions) of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company, except for a transaction in which the holders of the outstanding voting securities of the Company immediately prior to such transaction(s) receive as a distribution with respect to securities of the Company, in the aggregate, securities possessing at least fifty percent (50%) of the total combined voting power of all outstanding voting securities of the acquiring entity immediately after such transaction(s).

d.           “Committee” shall mean the Directors.

e.           “Company” shall mean Second Sight Medical Products, Inc., a California corporation.

f.            “Directors” shall meanWHEREAS, the board of directors of the Company asCalifornia Corporation (the “Board”) has unanimously (i) determined that the same may be constituted from time to time.

g.           “Eligible Person” shall mean any employeeConversion (as defined below) is advisable and in the best interests of the Company, any employee of anyCalifornia Corporation and its stockholders and (ii) approved and adopted this Plan, the Conversion, and the other entity that is a controlled subsidiary of the Company,documents and any manager or officer thereof. An entity shall be considered a controlled subsidiary of the Company if the Company owns more than fifty percent (50%) of its outstanding equity securities and has more than a fifty percent (50%) voting interest.

h.           “Executive Employees” shall mean the President, each head of a functional portion of the Company, including each Vice President of the Company.

i.            “Fair Market Value” shall mean the amount determined under Section 5(h) hereof.

j.            “Option” shall mean any right granted to a Participant hereunder to purchase Shares of the Company.

k.          “Participant” shall mean an Eligible Person who is selectedtransactions contemplated by the Committee to receive an Award under the Plan.

l.            “RSU” shall mean a bookkeeping entry representing the equivalent of one Share granted to a Participant hereunder that may be settled, subject to the terms and conditions of the applicable Award Agreement, in Shares, cash, or a combination thereof.

m.           “Share” shall mean a share of the common stock of the Company.

3.           ADMINISTRATION.

 The Plan shall be administered by the Committee. The Committee shall have full power and authority to do all things necessary or desirable in connection with the administration of this Plan, including without limitation, the following:

a.           select those Eligible Persons to whom Awards may from time to time be granted hereunder;

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b.           determineArticles of Incorporation and the option price of each Option to be granted to a Participant hereunder;

c.           determine the number of SharesBylaws of the Company to be covered byDelaware Corporation, the California Certificate of Conversion and the Delaware Certificate of Conversion (as each Award granted hereunder;is defined below);

d.           determineWHEREAS, the terms and conditions, not inconsistent with the provisionsstockholders of the Plan, of any Award granted hereunder;

e.           interpret and administerCalifornia Corporation have approved the Plan and any instrument or agreement entered into under the Plan;

f.            establish such rules and regulations and appoint such agents as it shall deem appropriate for the proper administration of the Plan; and

g.           make any other determination and take any other action that the Committee deems necessary or desirable for administration of the Plan.

All decisions and determinations of the Committee shall be by majority vote of its members and shall be set forth in writing. Each such writing shall hereinafter be referred to as a “Committee Action.” All such Committee Actions shall promptly be submitted to the Secretary of the Company who, upon receipt, shall place a copy of same in a record book maintained by the Secretary for that purpose and which shall be available for examination by the Directors at any time and from time to time. All Committee Actions that are within the scope of the Committee’s authority hereunder shall be deemed final, conclusive, and binding upon all persons including the Company, any Participant, and any Eligible Person of the Company or of any affiliate of the Company. A majority of the members of the Committee may determine its actions and fix the time and place of its meetings.

4.          LIABILITY. No members of the Committee shall be liable for any action or determination made in good faith with respect to the Plan or any Award granted under it. No member of the Committee shall be liable for any act or omission of any other member of the Committee or for any act or omission on such member’s part, including but not limited to the exercise of any power or discretion given to such member under the Plan, except those resulting from such member’s willful misconduct.

5.          DURATION OF, AND SHARES SUBJECT TO, THE PLAN.

a.           TERM. No Awards shall be granted under this Plan after May 31, 2021; provided, however, that Awards may be exercised or may vest in accordance with theirprincipal terms after May 31, 2021 with respect to Awards granted prior to such date.

b.           SHARES SUBJECT TO THE PLAN. The maximum number of Shares with respect to which Awards may be granted under the Plan, subject to adjustment as provided in Section 5(d) of this Plan, is 7,500,000 Shares (which takes into account 3,500,000 Shares reserved as of the original effective date, 500,000 Shares added in 2012, 2,000,000 Shares added in 2015, and 1,500,000 Shares added as of [May 10, 2016]). Said maximum shall be inclusive of, and offset and reduced by, any Awards granted under any other employee stock incentive plan maintained by the Company; provided, however, that to the extent that any awards granted under any prior plan are converted into Awards granted under this Plan, the awards that are so terminated under the prior plan and converted to new Awards granted under this Plan shall, in determining the maximum number of Awards that may be issued under this Plan, be disregarded.

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c.           SECTION 162(m) LIMITATION. No employee of the Company or an affiliate of the Company shall be eligible to be granted Options covering more than 1,000,000 Shares during any calendar year.

d.           ADJUSTMENTS. In the event of any merger, reorganization, consolidation, recapitalization, Share split, reverse Share split, or similar transaction or other change in legal structure affecting the Shares, such adjustments and other substitutions shall be made to the Plan and to outstanding Awards as the Committee in its sole discretion deems equitable or appropriate, including without limitation such adjustments in (i) the aggregate number, class, and kind of Shares which may be delivered under the Plan, in the aggregate or to any one Participant and (ii) the number, class, and kind of Shares subject to outstanding Awards and option price of Options granted under the Plan.

e.           ELIGIBILITY. Any Eligible Person shall be eligible to be selected as a Participant, except that no member of the Committee shall participate in his or her own selection as a Participant or in the grant of any Awards to him or her.

f.            GRANT OF OPTIONS. From time to time the Committee may grant Options to Participants based on such criteria as may be established from time to time by the Committee. The Options shall be evidenced by an Award Agreement in such form as the Committee may from time to time approve. Any such Award Agreement shall be subject to all of the terms and conditions set forth herein and to such additional terms and conditions, not inconsistent with the provisions of this Plan, as the Committee shall deem desirable and approve from time to time.

i.            OPTION PRICE. The purchase price per Share purchasable pursuant to an Award Agreement shall be determined by the Committee in its sole discretion; provided, however, that such option price shall not be less than the Fair Market Value of the Shares on the date of the grant of the Option.

ii.         OPTION PERIOD. The term of each Option shall be fixed by the Committee in its sole discretion but shall in no event exceed ten (10) years.

iii.         EXERCISABILITY. Options shall be exercisable at such time or times, and based upon such vesting and other conditions, as determined by the Committee from time to time on a case by case basis. The Committee shall have the right at any time, and from time to time, to accelerate the rate of vesting set forth in any issued and outstanding Option or Options.

iv.         METHOD OF EXERCISE. Subject to the other provisions of this Plan and the applicable Award Agreement, any Option may be exercised byConversion; and

WHEREAS, in connection with the Participant in whole or in partConversion, at such time or times, and the Participant may make paymentEffective Time (as hereinafter defined), each share of Common stock, no par value per share (the “California Common Stock”), of the option price in such form or forms, including, without limitation, payment by delivery of cash, a promissory note or other consideration acceptableCalifornia Corporation issued and outstanding immediately prior to the Committee having a Fair Market Value onEffective Time shall be cancelled and converted into one share of Common stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Delaware Common Stock”), of the exercise date equalDelaware Corporation.

The mode of carrying out the Conversion into effect shall be as described in this Plan.

ARTICLE I

THE CONVERSION

1.1   Conversion.   At the Effective Time (as hereinafter defined), the California Corporation will be converted to the total option price, or by any combinationDelaware Corporation, pursuant to, and in accordance with, Section 1152 of cashthe CCC and other consideration, asSection 265 of the Committee may specifyDGCL (the “Conversion”), whereupon the California Corporation will continue its existence in the applicable Award Agreement.

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g.           GRANT OF RSUS. From time to timeorganizational form of the Committee may grant RSUs to Participants based on such criteria as may be established from time to time by the Committee. The RSUs shall be evidenced by an Award Agreement in such form as the Committee may from time to time approve. Any such Award Agreement shallDelaware Corporation, which will be subject to allthe laws of the termsState of Delaware. The Board and conditions set forth hereinthe stockholders of the California Corporation have approved and to such additional termsadopted this Plan, the Conversion, and conditions, not inconsistentthe other documents and transactions contemplated by this Plan, including the Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws of the Delaware Corporation, the California Certificate of Conversion and the Delaware Certificate of Conversion.

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1.2   Certificate of Conversion.   The California Corporation shall file a certificate of conversion in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A (the “California Certificate of Conversion”) with the provisionsSecretary of this Plan,State of the State of California (the “California Secretary of State”) and shall file certificate of conversion in the form attached hereto as Exhibit B (the “Delaware Certificate of Conversion”) with the CommitteeSecretary of State of the State of Delaware, and the California Corporation or the Delaware Corporation, as applicable, shall deem desirablemake all other filings or recordings required by the CCC or DGCL in connection with the Conversion.

1.3   Effective Time.   The Conversion will become effective upon the filing of the California Certificate of Conversion with the California Secretary of State and approve fromthe Delaware Certificate of Conversion filed with the Delaware Secretary of State or at such later time to time.as specified in the California Certificate of Conversion and the Delaware Certificate of Conversion (the “Effective Time”).

i.            RESTRICTIONS.ARTICLE II

ORGANIZATION

2.1   Delaware Governing Documents.   At the time a grantEffective Time, the Certificate of RSUs is made, the Committee may, in its sole discretion, (1) establish a restricted period applicable to such RSUsIncorporation and (2) prescribe restrictions in addition to or other than the expirationBylaws of the restricted period, includingDelaware Corporation, in the achievementform attached hereto as Exhibits C and D (the “Delaware Governing Documents”), shall govern the Delaware Corporation until amended and/or restated in accordance with the Delaware Governing Documents and applicable law.

2.2   Directors and Officers.   From and after the Effective Time, by virtue of corporatethe Conversion and without any further action on the part of the California Corporation or individual performance goals, which may be applicable to all or any portionits stockholders, the members of such RSUs. RSUs may not be sold, transferred, assigned, pledged, or otherwise encumbered or disposedthe Board and the officers of during the restricted period orCalifornia Corporation holding their respective offices in the California Corporation existing immediately prior to the satisfactionEffective Time shall continue in their respective offices as members of any other restrictions prescribedthe Board and officers of the Delaware Corporation.

ARTICLE III

EFFECT OF THE CONVERSION

3.1   Effect of Conversion.   At the Effective Time, the effect of the Conversion will be as provided by this Plan and by the Committee with respect to such RSUs.

ii.         VOTING AND DIVIDEND RIGHTS. A Participant who holds RSUs shall have no rights as a stockholderapplicable provisions of the Company (for example, the right to receive dividend payments or distributions attributable to the Shares underlying such RSUs, to direct the voting of the Shares underlying such RSUs, or to receive notice of any meeting of the Company’s stockholders).

iii.         CREDITOR’S RIGHTS. A Participant who holds RSUs shall have no rights other than those of a general unsecured creditor of the Company. RSUs represent unfunded and unsecured obligations of the Company, subject to the terms and conditions of the applicable Award Agreement.

iv.         SETTLEMENT. Upon the expiration or termination of any restricted periodCCC and the satisfaction of any other conditions prescribed by the Committee, the restrictions applicable to RSUs shall lapse, and, unless otherwise provided in the applicable Award Agreement, the RSU shall be settled by (1) the delivery of cash, (2) issuance of a book-entry or direct registration or a certificate evidencing ownership of Shares, free of all such restrictions, or (3) a combinationDGCL. Without limitation of the foregoing, to the Participant or such Participant’s beneficiary or estate, as the case may be. Neither the Participant, nor the Participant’s beneficiary or estate, shall have any further rights with regard to a RSU once the cash, Shares, or combination thereof represented by such RSU have been delivered.

h.           FAIR MARKET VALUE. Forfor all purposes of the Planlaws of the State of California, all of the rights, privileges and any Award Agreement, Fair Market Valuepowers of the California Corporation, and all property, real, personal and mixed, and all debts due to the California Corporation, as well as all other things and causes of action belonging to the California Corporation, shall mean that amount determinedremain vested in the Delaware Corporation and shall be the property of the Delaware Corporation, and all debts, liabilities and duties of the California Corporation shall remain attached to the Delaware Corporation, and may be enforced against the Delaware Corporation to the same extent as if said debts, liabilities and duties had originally been incurred or contracted by the Committee from timeDelaware Corporation.

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3.2   Conversion of Shares.   At the Effective Time, by virtue of the Conversion and without any further action on the part of the California Corporation or the stockholders, each share of California Common Stock issued and outstanding immediately prior to time. Such determinationthe Effective Time shall be based uponcancelled and converted into one share of Delaware Common Stock.

ARTICLE IV

MISCELLANEOUS

4.1   Abandonment or Amendment.   At any time prior to the most recent trades in any public marketfiling of the Certificate of Conversion with the California Secretary of State, the Board may abandon the proposed Conversion and terminate this Plan to the extent permitted by law or if there is no public market for the Shares, then as determined by the Committee, based on such criteria as it deems in its sole discretion to reflect the Fair Market Value, including reliance on a formal appraisal prepared by a qualified and experienced independent third party appraiser.

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i.            AMENDMENTS AND TERMINATION. The Committee may amend alter, or discontinuethis Plan.

4.2   Captions.   The captions in this Plan but no amendment, alteration,are for convenience only and shall not be considered a part, or discontinuation shallto affect the construction or interpretation, of any provision of this Plan.

4.3   Tax Reporting.   The Conversion is intended to be made that would impaira “reorganization” for purposes of Section 368(a) of the rightsInternal Revenue Code of a Participant under an Award theretofore granted, without the Participant’s consent. The Committee may, from time to time amend, modify, or alter the Plan where such amendment, modification or alteration is required to assure that the Plan remains in compliance with the Securities Act of 1933 (the “Act”), the California Corporations Code1986, as amended (the “Code”), and any other then applicable federal or state securities laws. The Committee may amend the termsthis Plan of any Award Agreement theretofore executed, prospectively or retroactively, but no such amendment shall impair the rightsConversion is hereby adopted as a “plan of any Participant without such Participant's written consent.

j.            COMPLIANCE WITH SECURITIES LAWS. It is the intentionreorganization” for purposes of Section 368(a)(1)(F) of the Company that the Awards and the Shares thereunder being granted, offered, and sold be exempt from registration under the Act by satisfying the requirements of Rule 504, 506 and/or Rule 701, as promulgated under such Act, and be exempt from qualification under the Code by satisfying the requirements of Section 25102(o) of the Code including all rules and regulations promulgated thereunder. Unless the Company shall register the Shares under the Act, qualify the Shares under the Code, or satisfy the requirements for exemption from qualification and exemption under some other provision of the Code or Act, the aggregate option price of all Options granted within any twelve (12)-month period shall not exceed the greater of $1,000,000 or, alternatively, the amount of Shares that may be issued pursuant to Awards granted within any twelve (12)-month period shall not exceed fifteen percent (15%) of the then issued and outstanding Shares of the Company.Code.

6.          GENERAL PROVISIONS.

a.           Unless the Committee determines otherwise at the time the Award is granted, no Award, and no Shares subject to Awards which have not been issued or as to which any applicable restriction, performance, or deferral period has not lapsed, may be sold, assigned, transferred, gifted, pledged, hypothecated, or otherwise encumbered, except by will or by the laws of descent and distribution or, for Options, to a revocable living trust of which the Participant is a primary beneficiary; provided that, if so determined by the Committee, a Participant may, in the manner established by the Committee, designate a beneficiary to exercise the rights of the Participant with respect to any Option or to receive settlement of RSUs, if applicable, upon the death of the Participant. Each Option shall be exercisable during the Participant’s lifetime only by the Participant or, if permissible under applicable law, by the Participant’s guardian or legal representative. Each Option shall provide that to the extent the Option is exercisable upon the date of a Participant’s termination of employment, it shall continue to be exercisable following the employment termination date for a period of at least six (6) months in the case of termination of employment on account of death or disability and at least thirty (30) days on account of termination of employment for any other reason. Unless the Award Agreement provides otherwise, upon a Participant’s termination of employment, any RSUs held by such Participant that have not vested, or with respect to which all applicable restrictions and conditions have not lapsed, shall immediately be deemed forfeited.

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b.           The term of each Option shall be for such period of months or years from the date of its grant as may be determined by the Committee, but in no event longer than as provided herein.

c.           No Eligible Person shall have any claim to be granted any Award under the Plan, and there shall be no requirement for uniformity of treatment of Eligible Persons under the Plan.

d.           The prospective recipient of any Award under this Plan shall not, with respect to such Award, be deemed to have become a Participant, or to have any rights with respect to such Award, until and unless such recipient shall have executed an Award Agreement in such form as the Committee has approved and delivered a fully executed copy thereof to the Company, and otherwise complied with the then applicable terms and conditions.

e.           In the case of any involuntary transfer of an Option including, but not limited to, transfers arising from bankruptcy, other insolvency or creditor proceedings, and dissolution of marriage, all rights in and to the Option or portion of the Option so transferred shall, as determined by the Committee on a case by case basis, immediately terminate, become null and void, and of no further force or effect.

f.            Except as otherwise required in any applicable Award Agreement or by the terms of this Plan, recipients of Awards under the Plan shall not be required to make any payment or provide consideration for the grant of the Award other than the rendering of services.

g.           The Company shall be authorized to withhold the amount of tax withholding required by applicable law on account of, or arising out of, any exercise of the Options and vesting of the RSUs and to take such other action as may be necessary in the opinion of the Company to satisfy all obligations for the payment of such taxes. Such withholding may take the form of the Participant tendering to the Company, or the Company withholding, Shares with a value equal to the withholding taxes then due (a “Tender Payment”) or, alternatively, giving up Option rights which are then vested and that have a value (based upon the difference between the then Fair Market Value and the option price of the Shares purchasable under the Option) equal to the withholding taxes then due (an “Option Redemption Payment”). In the case of either a Tender Payment or an Option Redemption Payment, the Company shall be responsible for making payment to the relevant governmental taxing agencies of the cash amount of such withholding.

h.           The validity, construction, and effect of this Plan and any rules and regulations relating to the4.4   Governing Law.   This Plan shall be determinedgoverned by, and construed and interpreted in accordance with, the laws of the State of CaliforniaCalifornia.

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Appendix B

CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION

OF

VIVANI MEDICAL, INC.

ARTICLE I

The name of the Corporation is Vivani Medical, Inc.

ARTICLE II

The address of the Corporation’s registered office in the State of Delaware is c/o Registered Agent Solutions, Inc., 838 Walker Road, Suite 21-2, Dover, County of Kent, DE 19904. The name of its registered agent at such address is Registered Agent Solutions, Inc.

ARTICLE III

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

ARTICLE IV

CAPITAL STOCK

The total number of shares of capital stock which the Corporation shall have authority to issue is three hundred ten million shares (310,000,000), of which (i) three hundred million (300,000,000) shares shall be a class designated as common stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Common Stock”), and applicable federal law.(ii) ten million (10,000,000) shares shall be a class designated as undesignated preferred stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Undesignated Preferred Stock”).

Except as otherwise provided in any certificate of designations of any series of Undesignated Preferred Stock, the number of authorized shares of the class of Common Stock or Undesignated Preferred Stock may be increased or decreased (but not below the number of shares of such class then outstanding) by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the stock of the Corporation entitled to vote thereon irrespective of the provisions of Section 242(b)(2) of the DGCL.

The powers, preferences and rights of, and the qualifications, limitations and restrictions upon, each class or series of stock shall be determined in accordance with, or as set forth below in, this Article IV.

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i.

A. COMMON STOCK

Subject to all the rights, powers and preferences of the Undesignated Preferred Stock and except as provided by law or in this Certificate (or in any certificate of designations of any series of Undesignated Preferred Stock):

(a)          the holders of the Common Stock shall have the exclusive right to vote for the election of directors of the Corporation (the “Directors”) and on all other matters requiring stockholder action, each outstanding share entitling the holder thereof to one vote on each matter properly submitted to the stockholders of the Corporation for their vote; provided, however, that, except as otherwise required by law, holders of Common Stock, as such, shall not be entitled to vote on any amendment to this Certificate (or on any amendment to a certificate of designations of any series of Undesignated Preferred Stock) that alters or changes the powers, preferences, rights or other terms of one or more outstanding series of Undesignated Preferred Stock if the holders of such affected series of Undesignated Preferred Stock are entitled to vote, either separately or together with the holders of one or more other such series, on such amendment pursuant to this Certificate (or pursuant to a certificate of designations of any series of Undesignated Preferred Stock) or pursuant to the DGCL;

(b)          dividends may be declared and paid or set apart for payment upon the Common Stock out of any assets or funds of the Corporation legally available for the payment of dividends, but only when and as declared by the Board of Directors or any authorized committee thereof; and

(c)          upon the voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation, the net assets of the Corporation shall be distributed pro rata to the holders of the Common Stock.

B. UNDESIGNATED PREFERRED STOCK

The Board of Directors or any authorized committee thereof is expressly authorized, to the fullest extent permitted by law, to provide by resolution or resolutions for, out of the unissued shares of Undesignated Preferred Stock, the issuance of the shares of Undesignated Preferred Stock in one or more series of such stock, and by filing a certificate of designations pursuant to applicable law of the State of Delaware, to establish or change from time to time the number of shares of each such series, and to fix the designations, powers, including voting powers, full or limited, or no voting powers, preferences and the relative, participating, optional or other special rights of the shares of each series and any qualifications, limitations and restrictions thereof.

ARTICLE V

STOCKHOLDER ACTION

1.           Action without Meeting. Any action required or permitted to be taken by the stockholders of the Corporation at any annual or special meeting of stockholders of the Corporation must be effected at a duly called annual or special meeting of stockholders and may not be taken or effected by a written consent of stockholders in lieu thereof.

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2.           Special Meetings. Except as otherwise required by statute and subject to the rights, if any, of the holders of any series of Undesignated Preferred Stock, special meetings of the stockholders of the Corporation may be called only by the Board of Directors acting pursuant to a resolution approved by the affirmative vote of a majority of the Directors then in office, and special meetings of stockholders may not be called by any other person or persons. Only those matters set forth in the notice of the special meeting may be considered or acted upon at a special meeting of stockholders of the Corporation.

ARTICLE VI

DIRECTORS

1.General. The business and affairs of the Corporation shall be managed by or under the direction of the Board of Directors except as otherwise provided herein or required by law.

2.Number of Directors; Term of Office. The number of Directors of the Corporation shall be fixed solely and exclusively by resolution duly adopted from time to time by the Board of Directors. Directors shall be elected for a term of office to expire at the first succeeding annual meeting of stockholders after their election. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Directors elected shall hold office until their successors are duly elected and qualified or until their earlier resignation, death or removal.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, whenever, pursuant to the provisions of Article IV of this Certificate, the holders of any one or more series of Undesignated Preferred Stock shall have the right, voting separately as a series or together with holders of other such series, to elect Directors at an annual or special meeting of stockholders, the election, term of office, filling of vacancies and other features of such directorships shall be governed by the terms of this Certificate and any certificate of designations applicable to such series.

3.Vacancies. Subject to the rights, if any, of the holders of any series of Undesignated Preferred Stock to elect Directors and to fill vacancies in the Board of Directors relating thereto, any and all vacancies in the Board of Directors, however occurring, including, without limitation, by reason of an increase in the size of the Board of Directors, or the death, resignation, disqualification or removal of a Director, shall be filled solely and exclusively by the affirmative vote of a majority of the remaining Directors then in office, even if less than a quorum of the Board of Directors, and not by the stockholders. Any Director appointed in accordance with the preceding sentence shall hold office for the remainder of the full term for which the new directorship was created or the vacancy occurred and until such Director’s successor shall have been duly elected and qualified or until his or her earlier resignation, death or removal. Subject to the rights, if any, of the holders of any series of Undesignated Preferred Stock to elect Directors, when the number of Directors is increased or decreased, the Board of Directors shall, subject to Article VI.3 hereof, determine the class or classes to which the increased or decreased number of Directors shall be apportioned; provided, however, that no decrease in the number of Directors shall shorten the term of any incumbent Director. In the event of a vacancy in the Board of Directors, the remaining Directors, except as otherwise provided by law, shall exercise the powers of the full Board of Directors until the vacancy is filled.

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4.Removal. Subject to the rights, if any, of any series of Undesignated Preferred Stock to elect Directors and to remove any Director whom the holders of any such series have the right to elect, any Director (including persons elected by Directors to fill vacancies in the Board of Directors) may be removed from office (i) only for cause and (ii) only by the affirmative vote of the holders not less than two-thirds (2/3) of the outstanding shares of capital stock then entitled to vote at an election of Directors. At least forty-five (45) days prior to any annual or special meeting of stockholders at which it is proposed that any Director be removed from office, written notice of such proposed removal and the alleged grounds thereof shall be sent to the Director whose removal will be considered at the meeting.

ARTICLE VII

LIMITATION OF LIABILITY

1.           Directors. To the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL, a Director of the Corporation shall not be personally liable to the Corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of his or her fiduciary duty as a Director, except for liability (a) for any breach of the Director’s duty of loyalty to the Corporation or its stockholders, (b) for acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law, (c) under Section 174 of the DGCL or (d) for any transaction from which the Director derived an improper personal benefit. If the DGCL is amended after the effective date of this Certificate to authorize corporate action further eliminating or limiting the personal liability of Directors, then the liability of a Director of the Corporation shall be eliminated or limited to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL, as so amended.

2.           Officers. To the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL, an Officer (as defined below) of the Corporation shall not be personally liable to the Corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of his or her fiduciary duty as an officer of the Corporation, except for liability (a) for any breach of the Officer’s duty of loyalty to the Corporation or its stockholders, (b) for acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law, (c) for any transaction from which the Officer derived an improper personal benefit, or (d) arising from any claim brought by or in the right of the Corporation. If the DGCL is amended after the effective date of this Certificate to authorize corporate action further eliminating or limiting the personal liability of Officers, then the liability of an Officer of the Corporation shall be eliminated or limited to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL, as so amended. For purposes of this Article VII, “Officer” shall mean an individual who has been duly appointed as an officer of the Corporation and who, at the time of an act or omission as to which liability is asserted, is deemed to have consented to service of process to the registered agent of the Corporation as contemplated by 10 Del. C. § 3114(b).

3.           Amendment or Modification. Any amendment, repeal or modification of this Article VII by either of (i) the stockholders of the Corporation or (ii) an amendment to the DGCL, shall not adversely affect any right or protection existing at the time of such amendment, repeal or modification with respect to any acts or omissions occurring before such amendment, repeal or modification of a person serving as a Director or Officer, as applicable, at the time of such amendment, repeal or modification.

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ARTICLE VIII

AMENDMENT OF BYLAWS

1.Amendment by Directors. Except as otherwise provided by law, the Bylaws of the Corporation may be amended or repealed by the Board of Directors by the affirmative vote of a majority of the Directors then in office.

2.Amendment by Stockholders. Except as otherwise provided therein, the Bylaws of the Corporation may be amended or repealed at any annual meeting of stockholders, or special meeting of stockholders called for such purpose, by the affirmative vote of the majority of the outstanding shares of capital stock entitled to vote on such amendment or repeal, voting together as a single class.

ARTICLE IX

AMENDMENT OF CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION

The Corporation reserves the right to amend or repeal this Certificate in the manner now or hereafter prescribed by statute and this Certificate, and all rights conferred upon stockholders herein are granted subject to this reservation. Except as otherwise required by this Certificate or by law, whenever any vote of the holders of capital stock of the Corporation is required to amend or repeal any provision of this Plan isCertificate, such amendment or becomes or is deemed invalid, illegal, or unenforceable in any jurisdiction to which it is subject, would disqualifyrepeal shall require the Plan or any Award under any law deemed applicable by the Committee or disqualify the Plan from exemption under Rule 701affirmative vote of the Actmajority of the outstanding shares of capital stock entitled to vote on such amendment or Code section 25102(o),repeal voting together as a single class, at a duly constituted meeting of stockholders called expressly for such provisionpurpose.

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THIS CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION is executed as of this ____ day of __________, 2023.

Vivani Medical, Inc.
By:
Name:Adam Mendelsohn
Title:Chief Executive Officer

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Appendix C

BYLAWS

OF

VIVANI MEDICAL, INC.

(the “Corporation”)

ARTICLE I

Stockholders

SECTION 1.Annual Meeting. The annual meeting of stockholders (any such meeting being referred to in these Bylaws as an “Annual Meeting”) shall be construedheld at the hour, date and place within or deemed amended to conform to applicable laws or if it cannot be construed or deemed amended without in the sole and absolute determination of the Committee, materially altering the intent of the Plan, it shall be stricken, and the remainder of the Plan shall remain in full force and effect.

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j.            Awards may be granted to Eligible Persons who are foreign nationals or employed outside the United States that is fixed by the Board of Directors, which time, date and place may subsequently be changed at any time, before or both, onafter the notice for such termsmeeting has been sent to the stockholders, by vote of the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors may, in its sole discretion, determine that a meeting of stockholders shall not be held at any place, but may instead be held solely by means of remote communication as authorized by Section 211(a)(2) of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the “DGCL”). In the absence of any such designation or determination, stockholders’ meetings shall be held at the Corporation’s principal executive office. If no Annual Meeting has been held for a period of thirteen (13) months after the Corporation’s last Annual Meeting, a special meeting in lieu thereof may be held, and conditions different from those specifiedsuch special meeting shall have, for the purposes of these Bylaws or otherwise, all the force and effect of an Annual Meeting. Any and all references hereafter in these Bylaws to an Annual Meeting or Annual Meetings also shall be deemed to refer to any special meeting(s) in lieu thereof.

SECTION 2.Notice of Stockholder Business and Nominations.

(a)Annual Meetings of Stockholders.

(1)Nominations of persons for election to the Board of Directors of the Corporation (the “Board of Directors”) and the proposal of other business to be considered by the stockholders may be brought before an Annual Meeting (i) by or at the direction of the Board of Directors or (ii) by any stockholder of the Corporation who was a stockholder of record at the time of giving of notice of the Annual Meeting provided for in this Bylaw, who is entitled to vote at the meeting, who is present (in person or by proxy) at the meeting and who complies with the notice procedures set forth in this Bylaw as to such nomination or business. For the avoidance of doubt, the foregoing clause (ii) shall be the exclusive means for a stockholder to bring nominations or business properly before an Annual Meeting (other than matters properly brought under Rule 14a-8 (or any successor rule) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”)), and such stockholder must comply with the notice and other procedures set forth in Article I, Section 2(a)(2), (3) and (4) of this Bylaw to bring such nominations or business properly before an Annual Meeting. In addition to the other requirements set forth in this Bylaw, for any proposal of business to be considered at an Annual Meeting, it must be a proper subject for action by stockholders of the Corporation under Delaware law.

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(2)For nominations or other business to be properly brought before an Annual Meeting by a stockholder pursuant to clause (ii) of Article I, Section 2(a)(1) of this Bylaw, the stockholder must (i) have given Timely Notice (as defined below) thereof in writing to the Secretary of the Corporation, (ii) have provided any updates or supplements to such notice at the times and in the Plan as may,forms required by this Bylaw and (iii) together with the beneficial owner(s), if any, on whose behalf the nomination or business proposal is made, have acted in accordance with the representations set forth in the judgmentSolicitation Statement (as defined below) required by this Bylaw. To be timely, a stockholder’s written notice must be received by the Secretary at the principal executive offices of the Committee, be necessary or desirable in order to recognize differences in local law or tax policy. The Committee also may impose conditionsCorporation not later than the close of business on the exerciseninetieth (90th) day nor earlier than the close of business on the one hundred twentieth (120th) day prior to the one-year anniversary of the preceding year’s Annual Meeting; provided, however, that in the event the Annual Meeting is first convened more than thirty (30) days before or vestingmore than sixty (60) days after such anniversary date, or if no Annual Meeting were held in the preceding year, notice by the stockholder to be timely must be received by the Secretary of Awards in orderthe Corporation not later than the close of business on the later of the ninetieth (90th) day prior to minimize the Company’s obligationscheduled date of such Annual Meeting or the tenth (10th) day following the day on which public announcement of the date of such meeting is first made (such notice within such time periods shall be referred to as “Timely Notice”). Such stockholder’s Timely Notice shall set forth or include:

(A)as to each person whom the stockholder proposes to nominate for election or reelection as a director, (i) the name, age, business address and residence address of the nominee, (ii) the principal occupation or employment of the nominee, (iii) the class and number of shares of capital stock of the Corporation that are held of record or are beneficially owned by the nominee or their affiliates or associates and any Synthetic Equity Interest (as defined below) held or beneficially owned by the nominee or their affiliates or associates, (iv) a description of all arrangements or understandings between or among the stockholder and each nominee and any other person or persons (naming such person or persons) pursuant to which the nominations are to be made by the stockholder or concerning the nominee’s potential service on the Board of Directors, (v) a questionnaire with respect to tax equalization for Eligible Personsthe background and qualifications of the nominee completed by the nominee in the form provided by the Corporation (which questionnaire shall be provided by the Secretary upon written request), (vi) a representation and agreement in the form provided by the Corporation (which form shall be provided by the Secretary upon written request) that: (a) such proposed nominee is not and will not become party to any agreement, arrangement or understanding with any person or entity as to how such proposed nominee, if elected as a director of the Corporation, will act or vote on assignments outside their home country.

k.          Notwithstanding anything in this Planany issue or question (a “Voting Commitment”) that has not been disclosed to the contrary,Corporation; (b) such proposed nominee is not and will not become a party to any agreement, arrangement, or understanding with any person or entity other than the Plan and Awards granted hereunder are intendedCorporation with respect to any direct or indirect compensation, reimbursement, or indemnification in connection with service or action as a director that has not been disclosed to the Corporation; (c) such proposed nominee would, if elected as a director, comply with Section 409Aall applicable rules and regulations of the Internal Revenue Codeexchanges upon which shares of 1986, as amended,the Corporation’s capital stock trade, each of the Corporation’s corporate governance, ethics, conflict of interest, confidentiality, stock ownership and the guidance thereunder (“Section 409A”)trading policies and guidelines applicable generally to the extent subject thereto,Corporation’s directors and, accordingly, toif elected as a director of the maximum extent permitted, the Plan and Awards granted hereunder will be interpreted and administered toCorporation, such person currently would be in compliance with Section 409A. Any adjustmentsany such policies and guidelines that have been publicly disclosed; (d) such proposed nominee intends to serve as a director for the full term for which he or she is to stand for election; and (e) such proposed nominee will promptly provide to the Corporation such other information as it may reasonably request; and (vii) any other information relating to such proposed nominee that is required to be disclosed in solicitations of proxies for election of directors in an election contest, or is otherwise required, in each case pursuant to Regulation 14A under the Exchange Act (including without limitation such person’s written consent to being named in the proxy statement as a nominee and to serving as a director if elected);

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(B)as to any other business that the stockholder proposes to bring before the meeting: a brief description of the business desired to be brought before the meeting, the reasons for conducting such business at the meeting, the text, if any, of any resolutions or Bylaw amendment proposed for adoption, and any material interest in such business of each Proposing Person (as defined below);

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(C)(i) the name and address of the stockholder giving the notice, as they appear on the Corporation’s books, and the names and addresses of the other Proposing Persons (if any) and (ii), as to each Proposing Person, the following information: (a) the class or series and number of all shares of capital stock of the Corporation that are, directly or indirectly, owned beneficially or of record by such Proposing Person or any of their affiliates or associates (as such terms are defined in Rule 12b-2 promulgated under the Exchange Act), including any shares of any class or series of capital stock of the Corporation as to which such Proposing Person or any of their affiliates or associates has a right to acquire beneficial ownership at any time in the future (whether or not such right is exercisable immediately or only after the passage of time or upon the satisfaction of any conditions or both) pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or understanding (whether or not in writing), (b) all Synthetic Equity Interests (as defined below) in which such Proposing Person or any of their affiliates or associates, directly or indirectly, holds an interest including a description of the material terms of each such Synthetic Equity Interest, including without limitation, identification of the counterparty to each such Synthetic Equity Interest and disclosure, for each such Synthetic Equity Interest, as to (1) whether or not such Synthetic Equity Interest conveys any voting rights, directly or indirectly, in such shares to such Proposing Person or any of their affiliates or associates, (2) whether or not such Synthetic Equity Interest is required to be, or is capable of being, settled through delivery of such shares and (3) whether or not such Proposing Person, any of their affiliates or associates and/or, to the extent known, the counterparty to such Synthetic Equity Interest has entered into other transactions that hedge or mitigate the economic effect of such Synthetic Equity Interest, (c) any proxy (other than a revocable proxy given in response to a public proxy solicitation made pursuant to, Article 5and in accordance with, the Exchange Act), agreement, arrangement, understanding or relationship pursuant to Awardswhich such Proposing Person or any of their affiliates or associates has or shares a right to, directly or indirectly, vote any shares of any class or series of capital stock of the Corporation, (d) any rights to dividends or other distributions on the shares of any class or series of capital stock of the Corporation, directly or indirectly, owned beneficially by such Proposing Person or any of their affiliates or associates that are separated or separable from the underlying shares of the Corporation, (e) any performance-related fees (other than an asset-based fee) to which such Proposing Person or any of their affiliates or associates, directly or indirectly, is entitled to receive based on any increase or decrease in the value of shares of any class or series of capital stock of the Corporation, or any Synthetic Equity Interests, (f)(1) if such Proposing Person is not a natural person, the identity of the natural person or persons associated with such Proposing Person responsible for (i) the formulation of and decision to propose the director nomination or business to be brought before the meeting and (ii) making voting and investment decisions on behalf of the Proposing Person (irrespective of whether such person or persons have “beneficial ownership” for purposes of Rule 13d-3 of the Exchange Act of any securities owned of record or beneficially by the Proposing Person) (such person or persons, the “Responsible Person”), the manner in which such Responsible Person was selected, any fiduciary duties owed by such Responsible Person to the equity holders or other beneficiaries of such Proposing Person and, the qualifications and background of such Responsible Person or (2) if such Proposing Person is a natural person, the qualifications and background of such natural person, (g) any equity interests or any Synthetic Equity Interests in any principal competitor of the Corporation beneficially owned by such Proposing Person or any of their affiliates or associates, (h) any direct or indirect interest of such Proposing Person or any of their affiliates or associates in any contract with the Corporation, any affiliate of the Corporation or any principal competitor of the Corporation (including, without limitation, in any such case, any employment agreement, collective bargaining agreement or consulting agreement), (i) any pending or threatened litigation in which such Proposing Person or any of their affiliates or associates is a party or material participant involving the Corporation or any of its officers or directors, or any affiliate of the Corporation, (j) any material transaction occurring during the prior twelve months between such Proposing Person or any of their affiliates or associates, on the one hand, and the Corporation, any affiliate of the Corporation or any principal competitor of the Corporation, on the other hand, and (k) any other information relating to such Proposing Person or any of their affiliates or associates that would be required to be disclosed in a proxy statement or other filing required to be made in connection with solicitations of proxies or consents by such Proposing Person in support of the business proposed to be brought before the meeting pursuant to Section 14(a) of the Exchange Act (the disclosures to be made pursuant to the foregoing clauses (a) through (k) are referred to, collectively, as “Material Ownership Interests”); provided, however, that the Material Ownership Interests shall not include any such disclosures with respect to the ordinary course business activities of any broker, dealer, commercial bank, trust company or other nominee who is a Proposing Person solely as a result of being the stockholder of record directed to prepare and submit the notice required by these Bylaws on behalf of a beneficial owner;

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(D)(i) a description of all agreements, arrangements or understandings to which any Proposing Person or any of their affiliates or associates is a party (whether the counterparty or counterparties are a Proposing Person or any affiliate or associate thereof, on the one hand, or one or more other third parties, on the other hand, (including any proposed nominee(s)) (a) pertaining to the nomination(s) or other business proposed to be brought before the meeting of stockholders or (b) entered into for the purpose of acquiring, holding, disposing or voting of any shares of any class or series of capital stock of the Corporation (which description shall identify the name of each other person who is party to such an agreement, arrangement or understanding), and (ii) identification of the names and addresses of other stockholders (including beneficial owners) known by any of the Proposing Persons to support such nominations or other business proposal(s) and, to the extent known, the class and number of all shares of the Corporation’s capital stock owned beneficially or of record by such other stockholder(s) or other beneficial owner(s); and

(E)a statement (i) that are considered “deferred compensation” (within the meaningstockholder is a holder of record of capital stock of the Corporation entitled to vote at such meeting, a representation that such stockholder intends to appear in person or by proxy at the meeting to propose such business or nominees and an acknowledgement that, if such stockholder (or a qualified representative of such stockholder) does not appear to present such business or proposed nominees, as applicable, at such meeting, the Corporation need not present such business or proposed nominees for a vote at such meeting, notwithstanding that proxies in respect of such vote may have been received by the Corporation, (ii) whether or not the stockholder giving the notice and/or the other Proposing Person(s), if any, (a) will deliver a proxy statement and form of proxy to holders of, in the case of a business proposal, at least the percentage of voting power of all of the shares of capital stock of the Corporation required under applicable law to approve the proposal or, in the case of a nomination or nominations, at least 67 percent of the voting power of all of the shares of capital stock of the Corporation entitled to vote on the election of directors or (b) otherwise solicit proxies or votes from stockholders in support of such proposal or nomination, as applicable, (iii) providing a representation as to whether or not such Proposing Person intends to solicit proxies in support of director nominees other than the Corporation’s director nominees in accordance with Rule 14a-19 promulgated under the Exchange Act, and (iv) that the stockholder will provide any other information relating to such item of business that would be required to be disclosed in a proxy statement or other filing required to be made in connection with solicitations of proxies in support of the business proposed to be brought before the meeting pursuant to Section 409A)14(a) of the Exchange Act (such statement, the “Solicitation Statement”).

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For purposes of this Article I, the term “Proposing Person” shall mean the following persons: (i) the stockholder of record providing the notice of nominations or business proposed to be brought before a stockholders’ meeting and (ii) the beneficial owner(s), if different, on whose behalf the nominations or business proposed to be brought before a stockholders’ meeting is made. For purposes of this Section 2, the term “Synthetic Equity Interest” shall mean any transaction, agreement or arrangement (or series of transactions, agreements or arrangements), including, without limitation, any derivative, swap, hedge, repurchase or so-called “stock borrowing” or securities lending agreement or arrangement, the purpose or effect of which is to, directly or indirectly: (a) give a person or entity economic benefit and/or risk similar to ownership of shares of any class or series of capital stock of the Corporation, in whole or in part, including due to the fact that such transaction, agreement or arrangement provides, directly or indirectly, the opportunity to profit, or share in any profit, or avoid a loss from any increase or decrease in the value of any shares of any class or series of capital stock of the Corporation, (b) mitigate loss to, reduce the economic risk of, or manage the risk of share price changes for, any person or entity with respect to any shares of any class or series of capital stock of the Corporation, (c) otherwise provide in any manner the opportunity to profit, or share in any profit, or avoid a loss from any decrease in the value of any shares of any class or series of capital stock of the Corporation, or (d) increase or decrease the voting power of any person or entity with respect to any shares of any class or series of capital stock of the Corporation.

(3)A stockholder providing Timely Notice of nominations or business proposed to be brought before an Annual Meeting shall further update and supplement such notice, if necessary, so that the information (including, without limitation, the Material Ownership Interests information) provided or required to be provided in such notice pursuant to this Bylaw shall be true and correct as of the record date for the meeting and as of the date that is ten (10) business days prior to such Annual Meeting, and such update and supplement shall be received by the Secretary at the principal executive offices of the Corporation not later than the close of business on the fifth (5th) business day after the record date for the Annual Meeting (in the case of the update and supplement required to be made as of the record date), and not later than the close of business on the eighth (8th) business day prior to the date of the Annual Meeting (in the case of the update and supplement required to be made as of ten (10) business days prior to the meeting). For the avoidance of doubt, the obligation to update as set forth in this Section 2(a)(3) shall not limit the Corporation’s rights with respect to any deficiencies in any notice provided by a stockholder, extend any applicable deadlines hereunder, or enable or be deemed to permit a stockholder who has previously submitted notice hereunder to amend or update any proposal or nomination or to submit any new proposal, including by changing or adding nominees, matters, business and/or resolutions proposed to be brought before a meeting of the stockholders. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if a Proposing Person no longer plans to solicit proxies in accordance with its representation pursuant to Article I, Section 2(a)(2)(E), such Proposing Person shall inform the Corporation of this change by delivering a written notice to the Secretary at the principal executive offices of the Corporation no later than two (2) business days after making the determination not to proceed with a solicitation of proxies. A Proposing Person shall also update its notice so that the information required by Article I, Section 2(a)(2)(C) is current through the date of the meeting or any adjournment, postponement, or rescheduling thereof, and such update shall be delivered in writing to the secretary at the principal executive offices of the Corporation no later than two (2) business days after the occurrence of any material change to the information previously disclosed pursuant to Article I, Section 2(a)(2)(C).

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(4)Notwithstanding anything in the second sentence of Article I, Section 2(a)(2) of this Bylaw to the contrary, in the event that the number of directors to be elected to the Board of Directors is increased and there is no public announcement naming all of the nominees for director or specifying the size of the increased Board of Directors made by the Corporation at least ten (10) days before the last day a stockholder may deliver a notice of nomination in accordance with the second sentence of Article I, Section 2(a)(2), a stockholder’s notice required by this Bylaw shall also be considered timely, but only with respect to nominees for any new positions created by such increase, if it shall be received by the Secretary of the Corporation not later than the close of business on the tenth (10th) day following the day on which such public announcement is first made by the Corporation.

(b)General.

(1)Only such persons who are nominated in accordance with the provisions of this Bylaw shall be eligible for election and to serve as directors, and only such business shall be conducted at an Annual Meeting as shall have been brought before the meeting in accordance with the provisions of this Bylaw or in accordance with Rule 14a-8 under the Exchange Act. The Board of Directors or a designated committee thereof shall have the power to determine whether a nomination or any business proposed to be brought before the meeting was made in accordance with the provisions of this Bylaw. If neither the Board of Directors nor such designated committee makes a determination as to whether any stockholder proposal or nomination was made in accordance with the provisions of this Bylaw, the presiding officer of the Annual Meeting shall have the power and duty to determine whether the stockholder proposal or nomination was made in accordance with the provisions of this Bylaw. If the Board of Directors or a designated committee thereof or the presiding officer, as applicable, determines that any stockholder proposal or nomination was not made in accordance with the provisions of this Bylaw, such proposal or nomination shall be disregarded and shall not be presented for action at the Annual Meeting.

(2)Except as otherwise required by law, nothing in this Article I, Section 2 shall obligate the Corporation or the Board of Directors to include in any proxy statement or other stockholder communication distributed on behalf of the Corporation or the Board of Directors information with respect to any nominee for director or any other matter of business submitted by a stockholder.

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(3)Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Article I, Section 2, if the nominating or proposing stockholder (or a qualified representative of the stockholder) does not appear at the Annual Meeting to present a nomination or any business, such nomination or business shall be disregarded, notwithstanding that proxies in respect of such vote may have been received by the Corporation. For purposes of this Article I, Section 2, to be considered a qualified representative of the proposing stockholder, a person must be authorized by a written instrument executed by such stockholder or an electronic transmission delivered by such stockholder to act for such stockholder as proxy at the meeting of stockholders, and such person must produce such written instrument or electronic transmission, or a reliable reproduction of the written instrument or electronic transmission, to the presiding officer at the meeting of stockholders.

(4)For purposes of this Bylaw, “public announcement” shall mean disclosure in a press release reported by the Dow Jones News Service, Associated Press or comparable national news service or in a document publicly filed by the Corporation with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Section 13, 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act.

(5)           Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Bylaw, a stockholder shall also comply with all applicable requirements of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations thereunder, including, but not limited to, Rule 14a-19 of the Exchange Act, with respect to the matters set forth in this Bylaw. If a stockholder fails to comply with any applicable requirements of the Exchange Act, including, but not limited to, Rule 14a-19 promulgated thereunder, such stockholder’s proposed nomination or proposed business shall be deemed to have not been made in compliance with this Bylaw and shall be disregarded.

(6)           Further notwithstanding the requirementsforegoing provisions of Section 409Athis Bylaw, unless otherwise required by law, (i) no Proposing Person shall solicit proxies in support of director nominees other than the Corporation’s nominees unless such Proposing Person has complied with Rule 14a-19 promulgated under the Exchange Act in connection with the solicitation of such proxies, including the provision to the Corporation of notices required thereunder with timely notice, and (ii) that are not considered “deferred compensation” subjectif any Proposing Person (A) provides notice pursuant to Section 409A shall be made in such a manner asRule 14a-19(b) promulgated under the Exchange Act, (B) subsequently fails to ensure that after such adjustment the Awards either (1) continue not to be subject to Section 409A or (2) comply with the requirements of Section 409A,Rule 14a-19(a)(2) or Rule 14a-19(a)(3) promulgated under the Exchange Act, including the provision to the Corporation of notices required thereunder with timely notice, and (C) no other Proposing Person has provided notice pursuant to, and in compliance with, Rule 14a-19 under the Exchange Act that it intends to solicit proxies in support of the election of such proposed nominee in accordance with Rule 14a-19(b) under the Exchange Act, then such proposed nominee shall be disqualified from nomination, the Corporation shall disregard the nomination of such proposed nominee and no vote on the election of such proposed nominee shall occur. Upon request by the Corporation, if any Proposing Person provides notice pursuant to Rule 14a-19(b) promulgated under the Exchange Act, such Proposing Person shall deliver to the Corporation, no later than five (5) business days prior to the applicable meeting date, reasonable evidence that it has met the requirements of Rule 14a-19(a)(3) promulgated under the Exchange Act.

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(7)           The number of nominees a stockholder may nominate for election at the Annual Meeting (or in the case of a stockholder giving the notice on behalf of a beneficial owner, the number of nominees a stockholder may nominate for election at the Annual Meeting on behalf of such beneficial owner) shall not exceed the number of directors to be elected at such Annual Meeting.

SECTION 3.Special Meetings. Except as otherwise required by statute and subject to the rights, if any, of the holders of any series of Undesignated Preferred Stock, special meetings of the stockholders of the Corporation may be called only by or at the direction of the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors may postpone or reschedule any previously scheduled special meeting of stockholders. Only those matters set forth in the notice of the special meeting may be considered or acted upon at a special meeting of stockholders of the Corporation. Nominations of persons for election to the Board of Directors and stockholder proposals of other business shall not be brought before a special meeting of stockholders to be considered by the stockholders unless such special meeting is held in lieu of an annual meeting of stockholders in accordance with Article I, Section 1 of these Bylaws, in which case such special meeting in lieu thereof shall be deemed an Annual Meeting for purposes of these Bylaws and the provisions of Article I, Section 2 of these Bylaws shall govern such special meeting.

SECTION 4.Notice of Meetings; Adjournments.

(a)A notice of each Annual Meeting stating the hour, date and place, if any, of such Annual Meeting and the means of remote communication, if any, by which stockholders and proxyholders may be deemed to be present in person and vote at such meeting, shall be given not less than ten (10) days nor more than sixty (60) days before the Annual Meeting, to each stockholder entitled to vote thereat by delivering such notice to such stockholder or by mailing it, postage prepaid, addressed to such stockholder at the address of such stockholder as it appears on the Corporation’s stock transfer books. Without limiting the manner by which notice may otherwise be given to stockholders, any notice to stockholders may be given by electronic transmission in the manner provided in Section 232 of the DGCL.

(b)Notice of all special meetings of stockholders shall be given in the same manner as provided for Annual Meetings, except that the notice of all special meetings shall state the purpose or purposes for which the meeting has been called.

(c)Notice of an Annual Meeting or special meeting of stockholders need not be given to a stockholder if a waiver of notice is executed, or waiver of notice by electronic transmission is provided, before or after such meeting by such stockholder or if such stockholder attends such meeting, unless such attendance is for the express purpose of objecting at the beginning of the meeting to the transaction of any business because the meeting was not lawfully called or convened.

(d)The Board of Directors may postpone and reschedule or cancel any previously scheduled Annual Meeting or special meeting of stockholders and any record date with respect thereto, regardless of whether any notice or public disclosure with respect to any such meeting has been sent or made pursuant to Section 2 of this Article I or otherwise. In no event shall the public announcement of an adjournment, postponement or rescheduling of any previously scheduled meeting of stockholders commence a new time period for the giving of a stockholder’s notice under this Article I.

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(e)When any meeting is convened, the presiding officer or the stockholders present or represented by proxy at such meeting may adjourn the meeting from time to time for any reason, regardless of whether a quorum is present, to reconvene at any other time and at any place at which a meeting of stockholders may be held under these Bylaws. When any Annual Meeting or special meeting of stockholders is adjourned to another hour, date or place (including an adjournment taken to address a technical failure to convene or continue a meeting using remote communication), notice need not be given of the adjourned meeting if the time, place, if any, thereof, and the means of remote communications, if any, by which stockholders and proxy holders may be deemed to be present in person and vote at such adjourned meeting are (i) announced at the meeting at which the adjournment is taken, (ii) displayed, during the time scheduled for the meeting, on the same electronic network used to enable stockholders and proxy holders to participate in the meeting by means of remote communication or (iii) set forth in the notice of meeting given in accordance with this Section 4; provided, however, that if the adjournment is for more than thirty (30) days from the meeting date, or if after the adjournment a new record date is fixed for the adjourned meeting, notice of the adjourned meeting and the means of remote communications, if any, by which stockholders and proxyholders may be deemed to be present in person and vote at such adjourned meeting shall be given to each stockholder of record entitled to vote thereat and each stockholder who, by law or under the Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation (as the same may hereafter be amended and/or restated, the “Certificate”) or these Bylaws, is entitled to such notice.

SECTION 5.Quorum. Except as otherwise provided by law, the certificate of incorporation or these Bylaws, at each meeting of stockholders, the presence in person or by remote communication, if applicable, or represented by proxy, of the holders of a majority in voting power of the outstanding shares of stock entitled to vote at the meeting shall be necessary and sufficient to constitute a quorum. If less than a quorum is present at a meeting, the holders of voting stock representing a majority of the voting power present at the meeting or the presiding officer may adjourn the meeting from time to time, and the meeting may be held as adjourned without further notice, except as provided in Section 4 of this Article I. At such adjourned meeting at which a quorum is present, any business may be transacted which might have been transacted at the meeting as originally noticed. The stockholders present at a duly constituted meeting may continue to transact business until adjournment, notwithstanding the withdrawal of enough stockholders to leave less than a quorum.

SECTION 6.Voting and Proxies.

(a)The stockholders entitled to vote at any meeting of stockholders shall be determined in accordance with the provisions of Section Article IV, Section 5 of these Bylaws, subject to Section 217 (relating to voting rights of fiduciaries, pledgors and joint owners of stock) and Section 218 (relating to voting trusts and other voting agreements) of the DGCL. Stockholders shall have one vote for each share of stock entitled to vote owned by them of record according to the stock ledger of the Corporation as of the record date, unless otherwise provided by law or by the Certificate. Stockholders may vote either (i) in person, (ii) by written proxy or (iii) by a transmission permitted by Section 212(c) of the DGCL. Any copy, facsimile telecommunication or other reliable reproduction of the writing or transmission permitted by Section 212(c) of the DGCL may be substituted for or used in lieu of the original writing or transmission for any and all purposes for which the original writing or transmission could be used, provided that such copy, facsimile telecommunication or other reproduction shall be a complete reproduction of the entire original writing or transmission. Proxies shall be filed in accordance with the procedures established for the meeting of stockholders. Except as otherwise limited therein or as otherwise provided by law, proxies authorizing a person to vote at a specific meeting shall entitle the persons authorized thereby to vote at any adjournment of such meeting, but they shall not be valid after final adjournment of such meeting. A proxy with respect to stock held in the name of two or more persons shall be valid if executed by or on behalf of any one of them unless at or prior to the exercise of the proxy the Corporation receives a specific written notice to the contrary from any one of them. In the event the CommitteeCorporation receives proxies for disqualified or withdrawn nominees for the Board of Directors, such votes for such disqualified or withdrawn nominees in the proxies will be treated as abstentions.

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(b)Any stockholder directly or indirectly soliciting proxies from other stockholders must use a proxy card color other than white, which shall not havebe reserved for the authorityexclusive use by the Board of Directors.

SECTION 7.Action at Meeting. When a quorum is present at any meeting of stockholders, any matter before any such meeting (other than an election of a director or directors) shall be decided by a majority of the votes properly cast for and against such matter, except where a larger vote is required by law, by the Certificate or by these Bylaws. Any election of directors by stockholders shall be determined by a plurality of the votes properly cast on the election of directors.

SECTION 8.Stockholder Lists. The Corporation shall prepare, no later than the tenth (10th) day before each Annual Meeting or special meeting of stockholders, a complete list of the stockholders entitled to makevote at the meeting, arranged in alphabetical order, and showing the address of each stockholder and the number of shares registered in the name of each stockholder. Such list shall be open to the examination of any adjustments pursuantstockholder for any purpose germane to Article 5the meeting for a period of ten (10) days ending on the day before the meeting date in the manner provided by law.

SECTION 9.Conduct of Meeting. The Board of Directors may adopt by resolution such rules, regulations, and procedures for the conduct of any meeting of stockholders as it shall deem appropriate. Except to the extent inconsistent with rules, regulations, and procedures adopted by the existenceBoard of Directors, the chair of the meeting shall have the right to prescribe such rules, regulations, and procedures and to do all such acts, as, in the judgment of such authority would causechair, are necessary, appropriate, or convenient for the proper conduct of the meeting. Such rules, regulations, or procedures, whether adopted by the Board of Directors or the chair of the meeting, may include, without limitation, the following: (a) the establishment of an Award thatagenda for the meeting; (b) rules and procedures for maintaining order at the meeting and the safety of those present at the meeting; (c) limitations on attendance at or participation in the meeting to stockholders of record of the Corporation, their duly authorized and constituted proxies, or such other persons as the chair of the meeting shall determine; (d) restrictions on entry to the meeting after the time fixed for the commencement thereof; (e) the determination of the circumstances in which any person may make a statement or ask questions and limitations on the time allotted to questions or comments; (f) the determination of when the polls shall open and close for any given matter to be voted on at the meeting; (g) the exclusion or removal of any stockholders or any other individual who refuses to comply with meeting rules, regulations, or procedures; (h) restrictions on the use of audio and video recording devices, cell phones, and other electronic devices; (i) rules, regulations, and procedures for compliance with any federal, state, or local laws or regulations (including those concerning safety, health, or security); (j) procedures (if any) requiring attendees to provide the Corporation advance notice of their intent to attend the meeting; and (k) rules, regulations, or procedures regarding the participation by means of remote communication of stockholders and proxy holders not physically present at a meeting, whether such meeting is to be held at a designated place or solely by means of remote communication. Unless and to the extent determined by the Board of Directors or the chair of the meeting, the chair of the meeting shall not intendedbe obligated to adopt or follow any technical, formal, or parliamentary rules or principles of procedure.

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SECTION 10.Inspectors of Elections. The Corporation shall, in advance of any meeting of stockholders, appoint one or three inspectors to act at the meeting and make a written report thereof. The Corporation may designate one or more persons as alternate inspectors to replace any inspector who fails to act. If no inspector or alternate is able to act at a meeting of stockholders, the presiding officer shall appoint one or more inspectors to act at the meeting. Any inspector may, but need not, be an officer, employee or agent of the Corporation. Each inspector, before entering upon the discharge of his or her duties, shall take and sign an oath faithfully to execute the duties of inspector with strict impartiality and according to the best of his or her ability. The inspectors shall perform such duties as are required by the DGCL, including the counting of all votes and ballots. The inspectors may appoint or retain other persons or entities to assist the inspectors in the performance of the duties of the inspectors. The presiding officer may review all determinations made by the inspectors, and in so doing the presiding officer shall be entitled to exercise his or her sole judgment and discretion and he or she shall not be bound by any determinations made by the inspectors. All determinations by the inspectors and, if applicable, the presiding officer, shall be subject to further review by any court of competent jurisdiction.

ARTICLE II

Directors

SECTION 1.Powers. The business and affairs of the Corporation shall be managed by or under the direction of the Board of Directors except as otherwise provided by the Certificate or required by law.

SECTION 2.Number and Terms. The number of directors of the Corporation shall be fixed solely and exclusively by resolution duly adopted from time to time by the Board of Directors, provided the Board of Directors shall consist of at least one (1) member. The directors shall hold office in the manner provided in the Certificate.

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SECTION 3.Qualification. No director need be a stockholder of the Corporation.

SECTION 4.Vacancies. Vacancies in the Board of Directors shall be filled in the manner provided in the Certificate.

SECTION 5.Removal. Directors may be removed from office only in the manner provided in the Certificate and applicable law.

SECTION 6.Resignation. A director may resign at any time by electronic transmission or by giving written notice to the Chairperson of the Board, if one is elected, the President or the Secretary. A resignation shall be effective upon receipt, unless the resignation otherwise provides.

SECTION 7.Regular Meetings. Regular meetings of the Board of Directors may be held at such hour, date and place as the Board of Directors may by resolution from time to time determine and publicize by means of reasonable notice given to any director who is not present at the meeting at which such resolution is adopted.

SECTION 8.Special Meetings. Special meetings of the Board of Directors may be called, orally or in writing, by or at the request of a majority of the directors, the Chairperson of the Board, if one is elected, or the President. The person calling any such special meeting of the Board of Directors may fix the hour, date and place thereof.

SECTION 9.Notice of Meetings. Notice of the hour, date and place of all special meetings of the Board of Directors shall be given to each director by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary, or in case of the death, absence, incapacity or refusal of such persons, by the Chairperson of the Board, if one is elected, or the President or such other officer designated by the Chairperson of the Board, if one is elected, or the President. Notice of any special meeting of the Board of Directors shall be given to each director in person, by telephone, or by facsimile, electronic mail or other form of electronic communication, sent to his or her business or home address, at least twenty-four (24) hours in advance of the meeting, or by written notice mailed to his or her business or home address, at least forty-eight (48) hours in advance of the meeting provided, however, that if the Chairperson of the Board or the President determines that it is otherwise necessary or advisable to hold the meeting sooner, then the Chairperson of the Board or the President, as the case may be, may prescribe a shorter time period for notice to be given personally or by telephone, facsimile, electronic mail or other similar means of communication. Such notice shall be deemed to be delivered when hand-delivered to such address; read to such director by telephone; deposited in the mail so addressed, with postage thereon prepaid, if mailed; or dispatched or transmitted if sent by facsimile transmission or by electronic mail or other form of electronic communications. A written waiver of notice signed or electronically transmitted before or after a meeting by a director and filed with the records of the meeting shall be deemed to be equivalent to notice of the meeting. The attendance of a director at a meeting shall constitute a waiver of notice of such meeting, except where a director attends a meeting for the express purpose of objecting at the beginning of the meeting to the transaction of any business because such meeting is not lawfully called or convened. Except as otherwise required by law, by the Certificate or by these Bylaws, neither the business to be transacted at, nor the purpose of, any meeting of the Board of Directors need be specified in the notice or waiver of notice of such meeting.

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SECTION 10.Quorum. At any meeting of the Board of Directors, a majority of the total number of directors shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business, but if less than a quorum is present at a meeting, a majority of the directors present may adjourn the meeting from time to time, and the meeting may be held as adjourned without further notice. Any business that might have been transacted at the meeting as originally noticed may be transacted at such adjourned meeting at which a quorum is present. For purposes of this Section 409A10, the total number of directors includes any unfilled vacancies on the Board of Directors.

SECTION 11.Action at Meeting. At any meeting of the Board of Directors at which a quorum is present, the vote of a majority of the directors present shall constitute action by the Board of Directors, unless otherwise required by law, by the Certificate or by these Bylaws.

SECTION 12.Action by Consent. Any action required or permitted to be taken at any meeting of the Board of Directors may be taken without a meeting if all members of the Board of Directors consent thereto in writing or by electronic transmission and the writing or writings or electronic transmission or transmissions are filed with the records of the meetings of the Board of Directors. Such filing shall be in paper form if the minutes are maintained in paper form and shall be in electronic form if the minutes are maintained in electronic form. Such consent shall be treated as a resolution of the Board of Directors for all purposes.

SECTION 13.Manner of Participation. Directors may participate in meetings of the Board of Directors by means of video conference, conference telephone or other communications equipment by means of which all directors participating in the meeting can hear each other, and participation in a meeting in accordance herewith shall constitute presence in person at such meeting for purposes of these Bylaws.

SECTION 14.Presiding Director. The Board of Directors shall designate a representative to preside over all meetings of the Board of Directors, provided that if the Board of Directors does not so designate such a presiding director or such designated presiding director is unable to so preside or is absent, then the Chairperson of the Board, if one is elected, shall preside over all meetings of the Board of Directors. If both the designated presiding director, if one is so designated, and the Chairperson of the Board, if one is elected, are unable to preside or are absent, the Board of Directors shall designate an alternate representative to preside over a meeting of the Board of Directors.

SECTION 15.Committees. The Board of Directors, by vote of a majority of the directors then in office, may elect one or more committees, including, without limitation, a Compensation Committee, a Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee and an Audit Committee, and may delegate thereto some or all of its powers to such committee(s) except those which by law, by the Certificate or by these Bylaws may not be delegated. Except as the Board of Directors may otherwise determine, any such committee may make rules for the conduct of its business, but unless otherwise provided by the Board of Directors or in such rules, its business shall be conducted so far as possible in the same manner as is provided by these Bylaws for the Board of Directors. All members of such committees shall hold such offices at the pleasure of the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors may abolish any such committee at any time. Any committee to which the Board of Directors delegates any of its powers or duties shall keep records of its meetings and shall report its action to the Board of Directors. The Corporation elects to be governed by the provisions of Section 141(c)(2) of the DGCL.

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SECTION 16.Compensation of Directors. Directors shall receive such compensation for their services as shall be determined by a majority of the Board of Directors, or a designated committee thereof, provided that directors who are serving the Corporation as employees shall not receive any salary or other compensation for their services as directors of the Corporation.

ARTICLE III

Officers

SECTION 1.Enumeration. The officers of the Corporation shall consist of a President, a Treasurer, a Secretary and such other officers, including, without limitation, a Chairperson of the Board, a Chief Executive Officer and one or more Vice Presidents (including Executive Vice Presidents or Senior Vice Presidents), Assistant Vice Presidents, Assistant Treasurers and Assistant Secretaries, as the Board of Directors may determine. Any number of offices may be held by the same person. The salaries and other compensation of the officers of the Corporation will be fixed by or in the manner designated by the Board of Directors or a committee thereof to which the Board of Directors has delegated such responsibility.

SECTION 2.Election. The Board of Directors shall elect the President, the Treasurer and the Secretary. Other officers may be elected by the Board of Directors at such regular annual meeting of the Board of Directors or at any other regular or special meeting.

SECTION 3.Qualification. No officer need be a stockholder or a director.

SECTION 4.Tenure. Except as otherwise provided by the Certificate or by these Bylaws, each of the officers of the Corporation shall hold office until the regular annual meeting of the Board of Directors following the next Annual Meeting and until his or her successor is elected and qualified or until his or her earlier resignation or removal.

SECTION 5.Resignation and Removal. Any officer may resign by delivering his or her written or electronically transmitted resignation to the Corporation addressed to the President or the Secretary, and such resignation shall be effective upon receipt, unless the resignation otherwise provides. Any resignation is without prejudice to the rights, if any, of the Corporation under any contract to which the officer is a party. Except as otherwise provided by law or by resolution of the Board of Directors, the Board of Directors may remove any officer with or without cause by the affirmative vote of a majority of the directors then in office. Except as the Board of Directors may otherwise determine, no officer who resigns or is removed shall have any right to any compensation as an officer for any period following his or her resignation or removal, or any right to damages on account of such removal, whether his or her compensation be by the month or by the year or otherwise, unless such compensation is expressly provided in a duly authorized written agreement with the Corporation.

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SECTION 6.Absence or Disability. In the event of the absence or disability of any officer, the Board of Directors may designate another officer to act temporarily in place of such absent or disabled officer.

SECTION 7.Vacancies. Any vacancy in any office may be filled for the unexpired portion of the term by the Board of Directors.

SECTION 8.President. The President shall, subject to the direction of the Board of Directors, have such powers and shall perform such duties as the Board of Directors may from time to time designate.

SECTION 9.Chairperson of the Board. The Chairperson of the Board, if one is elected, shall have such powers and shall perform such duties as the Board of Directors may from time to time designate.

SECTION 10.Chief Executive Officer. The Chief Executive Officer, if one is elected, shall have such powers and shall perform such duties as the Board of Directors may from time to time designate. The Chief Executive Officer shall preside as the chair of the meeting at all meetings of the stockholders; provided that if there is no Chief Executive Officer or the Chief Executive Officer is unable to so preside or is absent, then a director or officer chosen by resolution of the Board of Directors shall act as Chairperson at all meetings of stockholders.

SECTION 11.Vice Presidents and Assistant Vice Presidents. Any Vice President (including any Executive Vice President or Senior Vice President) and any Assistant Vice President shall have such powers and shall perform such duties as the Board of Directors or the Chief Executive Officer may from time to time designate.

SECTION 12.Treasurer and Assistant Treasurers. The Treasurer shall, subject to the direction of the Board of Directors and except as the Board of Directors or the Chief Executive Officer may otherwise provide, have general charge of the financial affairs of the Corporation and shall cause to be kept accurate books of account. The Treasurer shall have custody of all funds, securities, and valuable documents of the Corporation. He or she shall have such other duties and powers as may be designated from time to time by the Board of Directors or the Chief Executive Officer. Any Assistant Treasurer shall have such powers and perform such duties as the Board of Directors or the Chief Executive Officer may from time to time designate.

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SECTION 13.Secretary and Assistant Secretaries. The Secretary shall record all the proceedings of the meetings of the stockholders and the Board of Directors (including committees of the Board of Directors) in books kept for that purpose. In his or her absence from any such meeting, a temporary secretary chosen at the meeting shall record the proceedings thereof. The Secretary shall have charge of the stock ledger (which may, however, be kept by any transfer or other agent of the Corporation). The Secretary shall have custody of the seal of the Corporation, and the Secretary, or an Assistant Secretary shall have authority to affix it to any instrument requiring it, and, when so affixed, the seal may be attested by his or her signature or that of an Assistant Secretary. The Secretary shall have such other duties and powers as may be designated from time to time by the Board of Directors or the Chief Executive Officer. In the absence of the Secretary, any Assistant Secretary may perform his or her duties and responsibilities. Any Assistant Secretary shall have such powers and perform such duties as the Board of Directors or the Chief Executive Officer may from time to time designate.

SECTION 14.Other Powers and Duties. Subject to these Bylaws and to such limitations as the Board of Directors may from time to time prescribe, the officers of the Corporation shall each have such powers and duties as generally pertain to their respective offices, as well as such powers and duties as from time to time may be conferred by the Board of Directors or the Chief Executive Officer.

SECTION 15.Representation of Shares of Other Corporations. The Chairperson of the Board, the President, any Vice President, the Treasurer, the Secretary or Assistant Secretary of this Corporation, or any other person authorized by the Board of Directors or the President or a Vice President, is authorized to vote, represent and exercise on behalf of this Corporation all rights incident to any and all securities of any other entity or entities standing in the name of this Corporation. The authority granted herein may be exercised either by such person directly or by any other person authorized to do so by proxy or power of attorney duly executed by such person having the authority.

ARTICLE IV

Capital Stock

SECTION 1.Certificates of Stock. Each stockholder shall be entitled to a certificate of the capital stock of the Corporation in such form as may from time to time be prescribed by the Board of Directors. Such certificate shall be signed by any two authorized officers of the Corporation. The Corporation seal and the signatures by the Corporation’s officers, the transfer agent or the registrar may be facsimiles. In case any officer, transfer agent or registrar who has signed or whose facsimile signature has been placed on such certificate shall have ceased to be such officer, transfer agent or registrar before such certificate is issued, it may be issued by the Corporation with the same effect as if he or she were such officer, transfer agent or registrar at the time of grantits issue. Every certificate for shares of stock which are subject to be subject thereto.

Any payments described inany restriction on transfer and every certificate issued when the Plan that are due within the short-term deferral period (within the meaningCorporation is authorized to issue more than one class or series of Section 409A) will not be treatedstock shall contain such legend with respect thereto as “deferred compensation” (within the meaning of Section 409A) unless applicable law requires otherwise.is required by law. Notwithstanding any provision of the Plananything to the contrary provided in these Bylaws, the Board of Directors may provide by resolution or resolutions that some or all of any or all classes or series of its stock shall be uncertificated shares (except that the foregoing shall not apply to shares represented by a certificate until such certificate is surrendered to the extent requiredCorporation), and by the approval and adoption of these Bylaws the Board of Directors has determined that all classes or series of the Corporation’s stock may be uncertificated, whether upon original issuance, re-issuance, or subsequent transfer.

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SECTION 2.Transfers. Subject to avoid accelerated taxationany restrictions on transfer and tax penalties under Section 409A, amountsunless otherwise provided by the Board of Directors, shares of stock that wouldare represented by a certificate may be transferred on the books of the Corporation by the surrender to the Corporation or its transfer agent of the certificate theretofore properly endorsed or accompanied by a written assignment or power of attorney properly executed, with transfer stamps (if necessary) affixed, and with such proof of the authenticity of signature as the Corporation or its transfer agent may reasonably require. Shares of stock that are not represented by a certificate may be transferred on the books of the Corporation by submitting to the Corporation or its transfer agent such evidence of transfer and following such other procedures as the Corporation or its transfer agent may require.

SECTION 3.Stock Transfer Agreements. The Corporation shall have power to enter into and perform any agreement with any number of stockholders of any one or more classes of stock of the Corporation to restrict the transfer of shares of stock of the corporation of any one or more classes owned by such stockholders in any manner not prohibited by the DGCL.

SECTION 4.Record Holders. Except as may otherwise be payablerequired by law, by the Certificate or by these Bylaws, the Corporation shall be entitled to treat the record holder of stock as shown on its books as the owner of such stock for all purposes, including the payment of dividends and benefits that would otherwise be provided pursuantthe right to vote with respect thereto, regardless of any transfer, pledge or other disposition of such stock, until the Plan during the six (6)-month period immediately following the Participant’s separation from service (within the meaning of Section 409A) will instead be paidshares have been transferred on the first payroll date after the six (6)-month anniversarybooks of the Participant’s separation from service (orCorporation in accordance with the Participant’s death, if earlier).requirements of these Bylaws.

Furthermore, notwithstanding anythingSECTION 5.Record Date. In order that the Corporation may determine the stockholders entitled to notice of or to vote at any meeting of stockholders or any adjournment thereof or entitled to receive payment of any dividend or other distribution or allotment of any rights, or entitled to exercise any rights in respect of any change, conversion or exchange of stock or for the Plan topurpose of any other lawful action, the contrary,Board of Directors may fix a record date, which record date shall not precede the date upon which the resolution fixing the record date is adopted by the Board of Directors, and which record date: (a) in the case of an Award thatdetermination of stockholders entitled to vote at any meeting of stockholders, shall, unless otherwise required by law, not be more than sixty (60) nor less than ten (10) days before the date of such meeting and (b) in the case of any other action, shall not be more than sixty (60) days prior to such other action. If no record date is characterized as “deferred compensation” (withinfixed: (i) the meaningrecord date for determining stockholders entitled to notice of Section 409A),or to vote at a meeting of stockholders shall be at the close of business on the day next preceding the day on which notice is given, or, if notice is waived, at the close of business on the day next preceding the day on which the meeting is held; and pursuant to(ii) the record date for determining stockholders for any other purpose shall be at the close of business on the day on which settlement and deliverythe Board of Directors adopts the resolution relating thereto.

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SECTION 6.Replacement of Certificates. In case of the cashalleged loss, destruction or Shares subject tomutilation of a certificate of stock of the AwardCorporation, a duplicate certificate may be issued in place thereof, upon such terms as the Board of Directors may prescribe.

ARTICLE V

Indemnification

SECTION 1.Definitions. For purposes of this Article V:

(a)“Corporate Status” describes the status of a person who is triggered based onserving or has served (i) as a Change in Control, in no event willDirector of the Corporation, (ii) as an Officer of the Corporation, (iii) as a Change in ControlNon-Officer Employee of the Corporation, or (iv) as a director, partner, trustee, officer, employee or agent of any other corporation, partnership, limited liability company, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan, foundation, association, organization or other legal entity which such person is or was serving at the request of the Corporation. For purposes of this Section 1(a), a Director, Officer or Non-Officer Employee of the Corporation who is serving or has served as a director, partner, trustee, officer, employee or agent of a Subsidiary shall be deemed to have occurred for purposesbe serving at the request of the Corporation. Notwithstanding the foregoing, “Corporate Status” shall not include the status of a person who is serving or has served as a director, officer, employee or agent of a constituent corporation absorbed in a merger or consolidation transaction with the Corporation with respect to such person’s activities prior to said transaction, unless specifically authorized by the Board of Directors or the stockholders of the Corporation;

(b)“Director” means any person who serves or has served the Corporation as a director on the Board of Directors of the Corporation;

(c)“Disinterested Director” means, with respect to each Proceeding in respect of which indemnification is sought hereunder, a Director of the Corporation who is not and was not a party to such Proceeding;

(d)“Expenses” means all attorneys’ fees, retainers, court costs, transcript costs, fees of expert witnesses, private investigators and professional advisors (including, without limitation, accountants and investment bankers), travel expenses, duplicating costs, printing and binding costs, costs of preparation of demonstrative evidence and other courtroom presentation aids and devices, costs incurred in connection with document review, organization, imaging and computerization, telephone charges, postage, delivery service fees, and all other disbursements, costs or expenses of the type customarily incurred in connection with prosecuting, defending, preparing to prosecute or defend, investigating, being or preparing to be a witness in, settling or otherwise participating in, a Proceeding;

(e)“Liabilities” means judgments, damages, liabilities, losses, penalties, excise taxes, fines and amounts paid in settlement;

(f)“Non-Officer Employee” means any person who serves or has served as an employee or agent of the Corporation, but who is not or was not a Director or Officer;

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(g)“Officer” means any person who serves or has served the Corporation as an officer of the Corporation appointed by the Board of Directors of the Corporation;

(h)“Proceeding” means any threatened, pending or completed action, suit, arbitration, alternate dispute resolution mechanism, inquiry, investigation, administrative hearing or other proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative, arbitrative or investigative; and

(i)“Subsidiary” means any corporation, partnership, limited liability company, joint venture, trust or other entity of which the Corporation owns (either directly or through or together with another Subsidiary of the Corporation) either (i) a general partner, managing member or other similar interest or (ii) (A) fifty percent (50%) or more of the voting power of the voting capital equity interests of such settlementcorporation, partnership, limited liability company, joint venture or other entity, or (B) fifty percent (50%) or more of the outstanding voting capital stock or other voting equity interests of such corporation, partnership, limited liability company, joint venture or other entity.

SECTION 2.Indemnification of Directors and deliveryOfficers.

(a)Subject to the operation of cashSection 4 of this Article V, each Director and Officer shall be indemnified and held harmless by the Corporation to the fullest extent authorized by the DGCL, as the same exists or Shares if the transaction is not also a “changemay hereafter be amended (but, in the ownershipcase of any such amendment, only to the extent that such amendment permits the Corporation to provide broader indemnification rights than such law permitted the Corporation to provide prior to such amendment), and to the extent authorized in this Section 2.

(1)Actions, Suits and Proceedings Other than By or effective control of”In the CompanyRight of the Corporation. Each Director and Officer shall be indemnified and held harmless by the Corporation against any and all Expenses and Liabilities that are incurred or “a changepaid by such Director or Officer or on such Director’s or Officer’s behalf in connection with any Proceeding or any claim, issue or matter therein (other than an action by or in the ownership of a substantial portionright of the assets of”Corporation), which such Director or Officer is, or is threatened to be made, a party to or participant in by reason of such Director’s or Officer’s Corporate Status, if such Director or Officer acted in good faith and in a manner such Director or Officer reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the Company as determined under Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-3(i)(5) (without regardbest interests of the Corporation and, with respect to any alternative definition thereunder)criminal proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe his or her conduct was unlawful.

(2)Actions, Suits and Proceedings By or In the Right of the Corporation. No provisionEach Director and Officer shall be indemnified and held harmless by the Corporation against any and all Expenses that are incurred by such Director or Officer or on such Director’s or Officer’s behalf in connection with any Proceeding or any claim, issue or matter therein by or in the right of the Corporation, which such Director or Officer is, or is threatened to be made, a party to or participant in by reason of such Director’s or Officer’s Corporate Status, if such Director or Officer acted in good faith and in a manner such Director or Officer reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Corporation; provided, however, that no indemnification shall be made under this Section 2(a)(2) in respect of any claim, issue or matter as to which such Director or Officer shall have been finally adjudged by a court of competent jurisdiction to be liable to the Corporation, unless, and only to the extent that, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware or another court in which such Proceeding was brought shall determine upon application that, despite adjudication of liability, but in view of all the circumstances of the case, such Director or Officer is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnification for such Expenses that such court deems proper.

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(3)Survival of Rights. The rights of indemnification provided by this Section 2 shall continue as to a Director or Officer after he or she has ceased to be a Director or Officer and shall inure to the benefit of his or her heirs, executors, administrators and personal representatives.

(4)Actions by Directors or Officers. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Corporation shall indemnify any Director or Officer seeking indemnification in connection with a Proceeding initiated by such Director or Officer only if such Proceeding (including any parts of such Proceeding not initiated by such Director or Officer) was authorized in advance by the Board of Directors, unless such Proceeding was brought to enforce such Officer’s or Director’s rights to indemnification or, in the case of Directors, advancement of Expenses under these Bylaws in accordance with the provisions set forth herein.

SECTION 3.Indemnification of Non-Officer Employees. Subject to the operation of Section 4 of this paragraph shall in any way affect the determination of a Change in Control for purposes of vesting in an Award that is characterized as “deferred compensation” within the meaning of Section 409A.

7.          EFFECTIVE DATE OF PLAN. The Plan was originally effective June 1, 2011.

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8.          ISSUANCE OF AWARDS TO NON-EMPLOYEES. The Plan covers the grant of Awards to employees of the Company and other service providers of the Company only. From time to time, the CompanyArticle V, each Non-Officer Employee may, elect to grant Awards to non-employees, including, but not limited to, vendors, suppliers, independent contractors, and lenders, but in each such case only to natural persons, where, in the discretion of the Company, itBoard of Directors, be indemnified by the Corporation to the fullest extent authorized by the DGCL, as the same exists or may hereafter be amended, against any or all Expenses and Liabilities that are incurred by such Non-Officer Employee or on such Non-Officer Employee’s behalf in connection with any threatened, pending or completed Proceeding, or any claim, issue or matter therein, which such Non-Officer Employee is, determined thator is threatened to be made, a party to or participant in by reason of such grant isNon-Officer Employee’s Corporate Status, if such Non-Officer Employee acted in good faith and in a manner such Non-Officer Employee reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Company. Any such Awards that shall be granted to non-employees of the Company shall be on such termsCorporation and, conditions as mutually agreed upon between the Company and the grantee and shall not be covered by, or subject to, the Plan except to the extent that such Award shall make specific reference to the Plan or any specific provision herein.

9.          CHANGE IN CONTROL. In order to preserve a Participant’s rights with respect to any outstanding Award in the eventcriminal proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe his or her conduct was unlawful. The rights of indemnification provided by this Section 3 shall exist as to a Change in Control of the Company:

a.           Vesting of all outstanding AwardsNon-Officer Employee after he or she has ceased to be a Non-Officer Employee and shall accelerate automatically effective as of immediately priorinure to the consummationbenefit of his or her heirs, personal representatives, executors and administrators. Notwithstanding the Change in Control whether or notforegoing, the Awards are to be assumed by the acquiring or successor entity (or parent or subsidiary thereof) or new awards under a new stock incentive program (“New Incentives”) of comparable value are to be issued in exchange therefore, as provided in Section 9(b) below.

b.           If vesting of outstanding Awards will accelerate pursuant to Section 9(a) above, the Committee in its discretionCorporation may provide,indemnify any Non-Officer Employee seeking indemnification in connection with a Proceeding initiated by such Non-Officer Employee only if such Proceeding was authorized in advance by the ChangeBoard of Directors.

SECTION 4.Determination. Unless ordered by a court, no indemnification shall be provided pursuant to this Article V to a Director, to an Officer or to a Non-Officer Employee unless a determination shall have been made that such person acted in Control transaction,good faith and in a manner such person reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Corporation and, with respect to any criminal Proceeding, such person had no reasonable cause to believe his or her conduct was unlawful. Such determination shall be made by (a) a majority vote of the Disinterested Directors, even though less than a quorum of the Board of Directors, (b) a committee comprised of Disinterested Directors, such committee having been designated by a majority vote of the Disinterested Directors (even though less than a quorum), (c) if there are no such Disinterested Directors, or if a majority of Disinterested Directors so directs, by independent legal counsel in a written opinion, or (d) by the stockholders of the Corporation.

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SECTION 5.Advancement of Expenses to Directors Prior to Final Disposition.

(a)The Corporation shall advance all Expenses incurred by or on behalf of any Director in connection with any Proceeding in which such Director is involved by reason of such Director’s Corporate Status within thirty (30) days after the receipt by the Corporation of a written statement from such Director requesting such advance or advances from time to time, whether prior to or after final disposition of such Proceeding. Such statement or statements shall reasonably evidence the Expenses incurred by such Director and shall be preceded or accompanied by an undertaking by or on behalf of such Director to repay any Expenses so advanced if it shall ultimately be determined that such Director is not entitled to be indemnified against such Expenses. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Corporation shall advance all Expenses incurred by or on behalf of any Director seeking advancement of expenses hereunder in connection with a Proceeding initiated by such Director only if such Proceeding (including any parts of such Proceeding not initiated by such Director) was (i) authorized by the Board of Directors, or (ii) brought to enforce such Director’s rights to indemnification or advancement of Expenses under these Bylaws.

(b)If a claim for advancement of Expenses hereunder by a Director is not paid in full by the purchase or exchangeCorporation within thirty (30) days after receipt by the Corporation of eachdocumentation of Expenses and the required undertaking, such Award for anDirector may at any time thereafter bring suit against the Corporation to recover the unpaid amount of cashthe claim and, if successful in whole or other property having a value, for Options, equalin part, such Director shall also be entitled to be paid the difference (or “spread”) between (i) the valueexpenses of prosecuting such claim. The failure of the cashCorporation (including its Board of Directors or other property thatany committee thereof, independent legal counsel, or stockholders) to make a determination concerning the Participant would have received pursuantpermissibility of such advancement of Expenses under this Article V shall not be a defense to the Change in Control transaction in exchangean action brought by a Director for the Shares issuable upon exerciserecovery of the Option hadunpaid amount of an advancement claim and shall not create a presumption that such Option been exercised immediately prioradvancement is not permissible. The burden of proving that a Director is not entitled to an advancement of expenses shall be on the Change in Control, and (ii) the option price of the Option, or having a value, for RSUs, equal to the value of the cash or other property that the Participant would have received pursuant to the Change in Control transaction in exchange for the Shares issuable upon vesting of the RSUs had such RSU been vested immediately prior to the Change in Control.Corporation.

c.           Notwithstanding Section 9(a)-(b) above, the Committee shall have the discretion to provide in each Award Agreement other terms and conditions that relate to (i) vesting of the Award in the event of a Change in Control and (ii) assumption of such Award or issuance of comparable securities or New Incentives in the event of a Change in Control. The aforementioned terms and conditions may vary in each Award Agreement and may be different from and have precedence over the provisions set forth in Section 9(a)-(b) above.

d.           Outstanding Awards shall terminate and cease to be exercisable upon consummation of a Change in Control except to the extent that the Awards are assumed(c)In any suit brought by the successor entity (or parent or subsidiary thereof)Corporation to recover an advancement of expenses pursuant to the terms of an undertaking, the ChangeCorporation shall be entitled to recover such expenses upon a final adjudication that the Director has not met any applicable standard for indemnification set forth in Control transaction.the DGCL.

SECTION 6.Advancement of Expenses to Officers and Non-Officer Employees Prior to Final Disposition.

(a)The Corporation may, at the discretion of the Board of Directors, advance any or all Expenses incurred by or on behalf of any Officer or any Non-Officer Employee in connection with any Proceeding in which such person is involved by reason of his or her Corporate Status as an Officer or Non-Officer Employee upon the receipt by the Corporation of a statement or statements from such Officer or Non-Officer Employee requesting such advance or advances from time to time, whether prior to or after final disposition of such Proceeding. Such statement or statements shall reasonably evidence the Expenses incurred by such Officer or Non-Officer Employee and shall be preceded or accompanied by an undertaking by or on behalf of such person to repay any Expenses so advanced if it shall ultimately be determined that such Officer or Non-Officer Employee is not entitled to be indemnified against such Expenses.

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e.           

(b)In any suit brought by the Corporation to recover an advancement of expenses pursuant to the terms of an undertaking, the Corporation shall be entitled to recover such expenses upon a final adjudication that the Officer or Non-Officer Employee has not met any applicable standard for indemnification set forth in the DGCL.

SECTION 7.Contractual Nature of Rights.

(a)The provisions of this Article V shall be deemed to be a contract between the Corporation and each Director and Officer entitled to the benefits hereof at any time while this Article V is in effect, in consideration of such person’s past or current and any future performance of services for the Corporation. Neither amendment, repeal or modification of any provision of this Article V nor the adoption of any provision of the Certificate inconsistent with this Article V shall eliminate or reduce any right conferred by this Article V in respect of any act or omission occurring, or any cause of action or claim that accrues or arises or any state of facts existing, at the time of or before such amendment, repeal, modification or adoption of an inconsistent provision (even in the case of a proceeding based on such a state of facts that is commenced after such time), and all rights to indemnification and advancement of Expenses granted herein or arising out of any act or omission shall vest at the time of the act or omission in question, regardless of when or if any proceeding with respect to such act or omission is commenced. The rights to indemnification and to advancement of expenses provided by, or granted pursuant to, this Article V shall continue notwithstanding that the person has ceased to be a director or officer of the Corporation and shall inure to the benefit of the estate, heirs, executors, administrators, legatees and distributes of such person.

(b)If outstanding Optionsa claim for indemnification hereunder by a Director or Officer is not paid in full by the Corporation within sixty (60) days after receipt by the Corporation of a written claim for indemnification, such Director or Officer may at any time thereafter bring suit against the Corporation to recover the unpaid amount of the claim, and if successful in whole or in part, such Director or Officer shall also be entitled to be paid the expenses of prosecuting such claim. The failure of the Corporation (including its Board of Directors or any committee thereof, independent legal counsel, or stockholders) to make a determination concerning the permissibility of such indemnification under this Article V shall not be a defense to an action brought by a Director or Officer for recovery of the unpaid amount of an indemnification claim and shall not create a presumption that such indemnification is not permissible. The burden of proving that a Director or Officer is not entitled to indemnification shall be on the Corporation.

(c)In any suit brought by a Director or Officer to enforce a right to indemnification hereunder, it shall be a defense that such Director or Officer has not met any applicable standard for indemnification set forth in the DGCL.

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SECTION 8.Non-Exclusivity of Rights. The rights to indemnification and to advancement of Expenses set forth in this Article V shall not be exclusive of any other right that any Director, Officer, or Non-Officer Employee may have or hereafter acquire under any statute, provision of the Certificate or these Bylaws, agreement, vote of stockholders or Disinterested Directors or otherwise.

SECTION 9.Insurance. The Corporation may maintain insurance, at its expense, to protect itself and any Director, Officer or Non-Officer Employee against any liability of any character asserted against or incurred by the Corporation or any such Director, Officer or Non-Officer Employee, or arising out of any such person’s Corporate Status, whether or not the Corporation would have the power to indemnify such person against such liability under the DGCL or the provisions of this Article V.

SECTION 10.Other Indemnification. The Corporation’s obligation, if any, to indemnify or provide advancement of Expenses to any person under this Article V as a result of such person serving, at the request of the Corporation, as a director, partner, trustee, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise shall be reduced by any amount such person may collect as indemnification or advancement of Expenses from such other corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or enterprise (the “Primary Indemnitor”). Any indemnification or advancement of Expenses under this Article V owed by the Corporation as a result of a person serving, at the request of the Corporation, as a director, partner, trustee, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise shall only be in excess of, and shall be secondary to, the indemnification or advancement of Expenses available from the applicable Primary Indemnitor(s) and any applicable insurance policies.

SECTION 11.Savings Clause. If this Article V or any portion hereof shall be invalidated on any ground by any court of competent jurisdiction, then the Corporation shall nevertheless indemnify each Indemnitee as to any expenses (including, without limitation, attorneys’ fees), liabilities, losses, judgments, fines (including, without limitation, excise taxes and penalties arising under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended) and amounts paid in settlement in connection with any action, suit, proceeding or investigation, whether civil, criminal or administrative, including, without limitation, an action by or in the right of the Corporation, to the fullest extent permitted by any applicable portion of this Article V that shall not have been invalidated and to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law.

ARTICLE VI

Miscellaneous Provisions

SECTION 1.Fiscal Year. The fiscal year of the Corporation shall be determined by the Board of Directors.

SECTION 2.Seal. The Board of Directors shall have power to adopt and alter the seal of the Corporation.

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SECTION 3.Execution of Instruments. All deeds, leases, transfers, contracts, bonds, notes and other obligations to be entered into by the Corporation in the ordinary course of its business without director action may be executed on behalf of the Corporation by the Chairperson of the Board, if one is elected, the President or the Treasurer or any other officer, employee or agent of the Corporation as the Board of Directors or the executive committee of the Board of Directors may authorize.

SECTION 4.Voting of Securities. Unless the Board of Directors otherwise provides, the Chairperson of the Board, if one is elected, the President or the Treasurer may waive notice of, and act on behalf of the Corporation, or appoint another person or persons to act as proxy or attorney in fact for the Corporation with or without discretionary power and/or power of substitution, at any meeting of stockholders or stockholders of any other corporation or organization, any of whose securities are held by the Corporation.

SECTION 5.Resident Agent. The Board of Directors may appoint a resident agent upon whom legal process may be served in any action or proceeding against the Corporation.

SECTION 6.Corporate Records. The original or attested copies of the Certificate, Bylaws and records of all meetings of the incorporators, stockholders and the Board of Directors and the stock transfer books, which shall contain the names of all stockholders, their record addresses and the amount of stock held by each, may be kept outside the State of Delaware and shall be kept at the principal office of the Corporation, at an office of its counsel, at an office of its transfer agent or at such other place or places as may be designated from time to time by the Board of Directors.

SECTION 7.Certificate. All references in these Bylaws to the Certificate shall be deemed to refer to the Certificate, as amended and/or restated and in effect from time to time.

SECTION 8.Exclusive Jurisdiction of Delaware Courts or the United States Federal District Courts. Unless the Corporation consents in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware shall be the sole and exclusive forum for (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on behalf of the Corporation, (ii) any action asserting a claim of, or a claim based on, a breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any current or former director, officer or other employee or stockholder of the Corporation to the Corporation or the Corporation’s stockholders, (iii) any action asserting a claim arising pursuant to any provision of the DGCL or the Certificate or these Bylaws (including the interpretation, validity or enforceability thereof) or as to which the DGCL confers jurisdiction on the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware, or (iv) any action asserting a claim governed by the internal affairs doctrine; provided, however, that this sentence will not apply to any causes of action arising under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Exchange Act, or to any claim for which the federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction. Unless the Corporation consents in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the federal district courts of the United States of America shall be assumedthe sole and exclusive forum for resolving any complaint asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the Exchange Act, or the respective rules and regulations promulgated thereunder. To the fullest extent permitted by law, any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in shares of capital stock of the Corporation shall be deemed to have notice of and consented to the provisions of this Section 8.

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SECTION 9.Amendment of Bylaws.

(a)Amendment by Directors. Except as provided otherwise by law, these Bylaws may be amended or repealed by the acquiring or successor entity (or parent or subsidiary thereof),Board of Directors by the Committee shall cause written noticeaffirmative vote of a proposed Changemajority of the directors then in Control transactionoffice.

(b)Amendment by Stockholders. Except as otherwise provided herein, the Bylaws of the Corporation may be amended or repealed at any annual meeting of stockholders, or special meeting of stockholders called for such purpose, by the affirmative vote of the majority of the outstanding shares of capital stock entitled to vote on such amendment or repeal, voting together as a single class.

SECTION 10.Notices. If mailed, notice to stockholders shall be deemed given when deposited in the mail, postage prepaid, directed to the stockholder at such stockholder’s address as it appears on the records of the Corporation. Without limiting the manner by which notice otherwise may be given to stockholders, any notice to stockholders may be given by electronic transmission in the manner provided in Section 232 of the DGCL.

SECTION 11.Waivers. A written waiver of any notice, signed by a stockholder or director, or waiver by electronic transmission by such person, whether given before or after the time of the event for which notice is to be given, shall be deemed equivalent to the notice required to be given to Participants not less than fifteen (15) days priorsuch person. Neither the business to be transacted at, nor the anticipatedpurpose of, any meeting need be specified in such a waiver.

Adopted ___________, ____ and effective dateas of the proposed transaction.___________, ____.

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10.         REPRICING. The Company may, at any time in its discretion, (i) amend the terms of outstanding Options to reduce the option price; (ii) cancel outstanding Options in exchange for or substitution of Options with an option price that is less than the option price of the original Options; or (iii) cancel outstanding Options with an option price above the current Fair Market Value in exchange for cash or other securities.

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has duly executed this Plan, as amended, on this _____ day of April, 2016.

SECOND SIGHT MEDICAL PRODUCTS, INC., a
California corporation
By:
  Jonathan Will McGuire, President and
  Chief Executive Officer
By:
  Thomas B. Miller, Secretary

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