SCHEDULE 14A INFORMATION
Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Filed by the Registrant [ x ]|X|
Filed by a party other than the Registrant [ ]|_|
Check the appropriate box:
[X]|X| Preliminary Proxy Statement
[ ]|_| Confidential, for Use of the Commission Only (as permitted by Rule
14a-6(e)(2))
[ ]|_| Definitive Proxy Statement
[ ]|_| Definitive Additional Materials
[ ]|_| Soliciting Material Pursuant to ss.240.14a-11(c) or ss.240.14a-12
[ITECH LOGO]
IMAGING TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
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(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):
[x]|X| No fee required
[ ]|_| Fee computed on table below per Exchange Act Rules 14a-6(i)(1) and 0-11
1)1. Title of each class of securities to which transaction
applies:
2)2. Aggregate number of securities to which transaction applies:
3)3. Per unit price or other underlying value of transaction
computed pursuant to Exchange Act Rule 0-11 (Set forth the
amount on which the filing fee is calculated and state how it
was determined):
4)4. Proposed maximum aggregate value of transaction:
5)5. Total fee paid:
[ ]|_| Fee paid previously with preliminary materials.
[ ]|_| Check box if any part of the fee is offset as provided by Exchange Act
Rule 0-11(a)(2) and identify the filing for which the offsetting fee
was paid previously. Identify the previous filing by registration
statement number, or the Form or Schedule and the date of its filing.
1)1. Amount Previously Paid:
2)2. Form, Schedule or Registration Statement No.:
3)3. Filing Party:
4)4. Date Filed:
[ITEC LETTERHEAD][ITECH LOGO]
IMAGING TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
15175 Innovation Drive o San Diego, California 92128
Telephone: (858) 613-1300 o Fax: (858) 207-6505
March __, 1999[__], 2000
Dear Stockholder of Imaging Technologies Corporation:Stockholder:
It is a pleasure to send to you the attached notice and proxy materials with
regard to the Annual Meeting of Stockholders (the "Meeting") of Imaging
Technologies Corporation (the "Company"). scheduled to be held on May 11, 2000.
The matters to be considered at the Meeting include the following: election of
directors,
approval of an amendment to the Company's certificate of incorporation,directors; approval of a stock option plan,plan; approval of an employee stock
purchase plan; approval of an increase in the number of authorized shares of the
Company's common stock (the "Common Stock"); approval of a reverse split of the
Common Stock; and approval of the issuance of all shares of Company Common
Stock which the Company would be entitled to issue upon conversion of the
Company's Series D Convertible Preferred Stock and the Company's Series E
Convertible Preferred Stock and ratification of the selection of the Company's
independent auditors.accountants.
The Company's board of directors unanimously recommends that you vote FOR all of
the above-mentioned proposals.
I hope you will be able to attend the Meeting. WhetherHowever, whether or not you plan
to attend the Meeting, however, we request that you sign, date and return the enclosed
Proxy card as soon as possible.
If you should have any questions in regard to any of the above-mentioned
proposals, please do not hesitate to call eitherour Stockholder Relations Department
or me or Bruce Ahern of Customer
Relations at (619)(858) 613-1300.
We are grateful for the confidence you have shown in us.
Sincerely yours,
Brian Bonar
Chairman of the Board, President and
Chief Executive Officer
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IMAGING TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
11031 Via Frontera15175 Innovation Drive o San Diego, California 9212792128
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NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS
To be held March 29, 1999TO BE HELD MAY 11, 2000
---------------
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the 19981999 Annual Meeting of Stockholders
(the "Meeting") of IMAGING TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION, a Delaware corporation (the
"Company"), will be held at the Radisson Suites - Rancho Bernardo, 11520 W.
Bernardo Court,Company's principal executive offices at 15175
Innovation Drive, San Diego, California 92128, on Monday, March 29, 1999,Thursday, May 11, 2000, at 10
a.m., local time, to consider and act upon the following:
1. The election of five persons named in the accompanying Proxy Statement
to serve as directors on the Company's board of the Companydirectors (the "Board")
and until their successors are duly elected and qualified;
2. To amend the Company's Certificate of Incorporation to
increase the number of the Company's preferred stock
authorized to be issued from 10,000 shares to 100,000 shares;
3. To approve the Company's 19982000 Stock Option Plan (the "1998"2000 Stock Option
Plan"), pursuant to which 1,500,000up to 3,500,000 shares of the Company's
common stock, par value $.005 per share (the "Common Stock") will be
reserved or may be reserved for issuance over the term of the 19982000
Stock Option Plan;
3. To approve the Company's Employee Stock Purchase Plan (the "Stock
Purchase Plan"), pursuant to which up to 1,250,000 shares of Common
Stock will be reserved or may be reserved for issuance over the term of
the Stock Purchase Plan;
4. To approve an amendment to the issuanceCompany's certificate of all sharesincorporation
(the "Certificate of CompanyIncorporation") to increase the number of the
Common Stock, which the Company wouldauthorized to be entitledissued from 100,000,000 shares to
issue upon conversion
of the Company's Series D Convertible Preferred Stock;200,000,000 shares;
5. To approve an amendment to the issuanceCertificate of allIncorporation in order to
effect a stock combination (reverse split) of the Common Stock in an
exchange ratio to be approved by the Board, ranging from one newly
issued share for each two outstanding shares of Company Common Stock which the Company would be entitled to issue upon conversionone
newly issued share for each six outstanding shares of the Company's Series E Convertible PreferredCommon Stock;
6. To ratify the appointment of Boros & Farrington APC as the Company's
independent auditors for the 1998 fiscal year ending June 30, 1999;2000; and
7. To consider and transact such other business as may properly come
before the Meeting or any adjournment(s) thereof.
A Proxy Statement, form of Proxy and the Annual Report to Stockholders
of the Company for the fiscal year ended June 30, 19981999 are enclosed herewith.
Only holders of record of common stock, $0.005 par value,Common Stock at the close of business on February 15, 1999March 27,
2000 are entitled to receive notice of and to attend the Meeting and any
adjournment(s) thereof. The stock transfer books of the Company will remain open
between the record date and the date of the Meeting. At least 10 days prior to
the Meeting, a complete list of the stockholders entitled to vote will be
available for inspection by any stockholder, for any purpose germane to the
Meeting, during ordinary business hours, at the executive offices of the
Company. Should you receive
more than one Proxy because your shares are registered in different names and
addresses, each Proxy should be signed and returned to assure that
-3-
all your
shares will be voted. You may revoke your Proxy at any time prior to the
Meeting. If you attend the Meeting and vote by ballot, your Proxy will be
revoked automatically and only your vote at the Meeting will be counted. If you
do not expect to be present at the Meeting, you are requested to fill in, date
and sign the enclosed Proxy, which is solicited by the Board of Directors of the Company, and
to mail it promptly in the enclosed envelope.
In the event there are not sufficient votes for a quorum or to approve
or ratify any of the foregoing proposals at the time of the Meeting, the Meeting
may be adjourned by a vote of the majority of the votes cast by the stockholders
entitled to vote thereon. Whether or not you expect to attend the Meeting, to
assure that a quorum is present at the Meeting or an adjournment thereof, and
there are sufficient votes to vote on all of the foregoing proposals, please
sign, date and return promptly your Proxy (even after March 29, 1999,May 11, 2000, the original
Meeting date) in the stamp-addressed envelope provided .provided.
By Order of the Board of Directors
Brian Bonar
Chairman of the Board, President and
Chief Executive Officer
Dated: March __, 1999[__], 2000
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IMPORTANT
The return of your signed Proxy as promptly as possible will greatly facilitate
arrangements for the Meeting. No postage is required if the Proxy is returned in
the envelope enclosed for your convenience and mailed in the United States.
-4-THE RETURN OF YOUR SIGNED PROXY AS PROMPTLY AS POSSIBLE WILL GREATLY FACILITATE
ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE MEETING. NO POSTAGE IS REQUIRED IF THE PROXY IS RETURNED
IN THE ENVELOPE ENCLOSED FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE AND MAILED IN THE
UNITED STATES.
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
IMAGING TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
11301 Via Frontera15175 Innovation Drive
San Diego, California 9212792128-3401
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Proxy Statement
Annual Meeting of Stockholders
March 29, 1999PROXY STATEMENT
ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS
MAY 11, 2000
----------------------------------------
This Proxy Statement is furnished in connection with the solicitation
of proxies by the Boardboard of Directorsdirectors (the "Board") of Imaging Technologies
Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), to be voted at the Annual
Meeting of Stockholders of the Company (the "Meeting") which will be held at the
Radisson
Suites - Rancho Bernardo, 11520 W. Bernardo Court,Company's principal executive offices at 15175 Innovation Drive, San Diego,
California on Monday, March 29, 1999May 11, 2000 at 1110 a.m., local time, and any
adjournment(s) thereof, for the purposes set forth in the accompanying Notice of
Annual Meeting of Stockholders and in this Proxy Statement.
The principal executive offices of the Company are located at 11301 Via
Frontera,15175
Innovation Drive, San Diego, California 92127.92128-3401. The approximate date on
which this Proxy Statement and accompanying Proxy will first be sent or given to
stockholders is March 16, 1999.[__], 2000.
VOTING SECURITIES
VotingVOTING
The specific proposals to be considered and acted upon at the Meeting
are summarized in the accompanying Notice of Annual Meeting of Stockholders and
are described in more detail in this Proxy Statement. On February 15, 1999,March 27, 2000, the
record date for determination of stockholders entitled to notice of and to vote
at the Meeting, 16,860,151[________] shares of the Company's common stock, par value $0.005$.005
(the "Common Stock"), were issued and outstanding and 1,570.5 shares of
the Company's preferred stock, par value $1,000, were issued and outstanding of
which 420.5 were shares of 5% Convertible Preferred Stock, 600par
value $1,000 per share (the "5% Convertible Stock"), were shares of
Series D Convertible Preferred Stocks (the "Series D Preferred")issued and
550 were
shares of Series E Convertible Preferred Stock (the "Series E Preferred").outstanding. Each stockholder is entitled to one vote for each share of Common
Stock and no vote for each share of 5% Convertible Stock held by such
stockholder on February 15, 1999. Each stockholder of the Series D Preferred and
Series E Preferred is entitled to one vote for each whole share of Common Stock
into which each share of Series D Preferred and Series E Preferred held by each
stockholder is convertible on the date immediately prior to February 15, 1999,
which will be approximately 2,910 votes per share of issued and outstanding
Series D Preferred and approximately 1,951 votes per share of issued and
outstanding Series E Preferred; provided, however, that in no event shall a
stockholder of Series D Preferred be entitled to vote more than 9.999% of the
number of shares entitled to be voted on any particular matter.March 27, 2000.
The attendance, in person or by proxy, of the holders of a majority of
the outstanding voting shares of Common Stock including the number of shares of
Common Stock entitled to be voted by the holders of the Series D Preferred and
the Series E Preferred, entitled to vote at the Meeting is
necessary to constitute a -5-
quorum. A vote of a majority of the outstanding voting shares
of Common Stock
including the number of shares of Common Stock entitled to be voted by the
holders of the Series D Preferred and the Series E Preferred, entitled to vote at the Meeting will be required for the
approval of each of the amendmentamendments to the Company's certificate of incorporation.incorporation
(the "Certificate of Incorporation"). A vote of the holders of a majority of the
number of outstanding shares of Common Stock, including the number of shares
of Common Stock entitled to be voted by the holders of the Series D Preferred
and the Series E Preferred, present, in person or represented
by proxy at the Meeting and entitled to vote at the Meeting, will be required
for the election of directors, approval of athe stock option plan, and approvalelection
of the issuance of all
shares of Common Stock which the Company would be entitled to issue upon
conversion of the Series D Preferred Stock and the Series E Preferred Stock.Company's accountants.
Although the Company is a Delaware corporation, under Section 2115 of
the California Corporations Code, certain provisions of the California
Corporation Code apply to the Company because of the residence of the Company's
stockholders and the extent of its business operations and assets in California.
The provisions pertaining to certain requirements of cumulative voting apply to
the Company.
Stockholders have cumulative voting rights when voting for directors.
Accordingly, any stockholder may multiply the number of votes he or she is
entitled to vote by the number of directors to be elected and allocate votes
among the candidates in any manner. However, no voting stockholder may
cumulative votes unless the name(s) of the director candidate or candidates have
been placed in nomination prior to the voting and the stockholder, prior to the
voting, has given notice at the Meeting prior to voting of the stockholder'sits intention to cumulate its shares.
If any one stockholder has given a notice of its intention to cumulate votes
then all stockholders may cumulate their votes for director candidates in
nomination. Stockholders may exercise such cumulative voting rights, either in
person or by proxy after providing the proper notice. The five director nominees
receiving the highest number of votes will be elected.
The Board intends to vote proxies equally for the five nominees unless
otherwise instructed on the Proxy Card. If you do not wish your votes to be
voted for particular nominees, please identify the exceptions in the designated
place on the Proxy Card. If at the time of the Meeting one or more of the
nominees have become unavailable to serve, votes represented by Proxies will be
voted for the remaining nominees and for any substitute nominee or nominees
designated by the Board. Directors elected at the Meeting will hold office until
the next Annual Meeting of Stockholders or until their successors have been
elected and qualified.
All votes will be tabulated by the inspector of election appointed for
the Meeting, who will separately tabulate affirmative and negative votes,
abstentions and broker non-votes. Abstentions and broker non-votes are counted
as present for purposes of determining the presence or absence of a quorum for
the transaction of business. Abstentions will be counted towards the tabulations
of votes cast on proposals presented to the stockholders and will have the same
effect as negative votes except in regard to the election of directors, whereas
brokerdirectors. Broker
non-votes will not be counted for purposestowards the tabulations of determining whether a
proposal has been approved.
Proxiesvotes cast on proposals
presented to the stockholders.
PROXIES
If the enclosed form of Proxy is properly signed and returned, the
shares represented thereby will be voted at the Meeting in accordance with the
instructions specified thereon. If the Proxy does not specify how the shares
represented thereby are to be voted, the Proxy will be equally voted FOR the
election of the five directors proposed by the Board unless the authority to
vote for the election of such directors is withheld and, if no contrary
instructions are given, the Proxy will be voted FOR the approval of Proposals 1,
2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 -6-
described in the accompanying Notice and Proxy Statement. You
may revoke or change your Proxy at any time before the Meeting by filing with
the Chief
Financial OfficerSecretary of the Company at the Company's principal executive offices at
11031 Via Frontera,15175 Innovation Drive, San Diego, California 92127,92128-3401, a notice of revocation
or another signed Proxy with a later date. You may also revoke your Proxy by
attending the Meeting and voting in person.
SolicitationSOLICITATION
The Company will bear the entire cost of solicitation, including the
preparation, assembly, printing and mailing of this Proxy Statement, the form of
Proxy and any additional solicitation materials furnished to the stockholders.
Copies of solicitation materials will be furnished to brokerage houses,
fiduciaries and custodians holding shares in their names that are beneficially
owned by others so that they may forward this solicitation material to such
beneficial owners. The Company may reimburse such persons for their costs in
forwarding the solicitation materials to such beneficial owners. In addition to
the solicitation of Proxies by mail, Proxies may be solicited without extra
compensation paid by the Company by directors, officers and employees of the
Company by telephone, facsimile, telegraph or personal interview. The Company
also has engaged the proxy solicitation firm of W.F. Doring & Co.,D.F. King Company, Inc. to
solicit votes for the Meeting for a fee of approximately $5,000,$7,500, plus
reimbursement of certain expenses.
DEADLINE FOR RECEIPT OF STOCKHOLDER PROPOSALS
Proposals of stockholders of the Company that are intended to be
presented by such stockholders at the Company's 19992000 Annual Meeting of
Stockholders must be received by the Company at its executive offices not later
than October 29, 1999a reasonable time before the Company begins to print and mail its proxy
materials in order that such proposals may be included in the Proxy Statement
and form of Proxy relating to such meeting.
-7-2
MATTERS TO BE CONSIDERED AT THE MEETING
PROPOSAL 1
ELECTION OF THE BOARD
Nominees For Election as DirectorsNOMINEES FOR ELECTION AS DIRECTORS
The persons named below are nominees for director to serve until the
next annual meeting of stockholders and until their successors have been elected
and qualified. Management has selected five nominees, all of whom are currently
directors of the Company. Each person nominated for election has agreed to serve
if elected, and management has no reason to believe that any nominee will be
unavailable to serve. Unless otherwise instructed, the Proxy holders will vote
the Proxies received by them for the nominees named below. The proxies received
by the Proxy holders cannot be voted for more than five directors, and, unless
otherwise instructed, the Proxy holders will vote such proxies for the nominees
named below. The five candidates receiving the highest number of affirmative
votes of the shares entitled to vote at the Meeting will be elected directors of
the Company.
If, however, any of those named are unable to serve, or for good cause
decline to serve at the time of the Meeting, the persons named in the enclosed
Proxy will exercise discretionary authority to vote for substitutes. The Board
is not aware of any circumstances that would render any nominee unavailable for
election.
The following table sets forth certain information regarding the
nominees for election as directors.
Name Age Since Director TitleNAME AGE SINCE DIRECTOR TITLE
- ---- --- ----- --------------
Harry J. Saal 55 1983 Director,Brian Bonar 52 1995 Chairman of the Board,
Brian Bonar 51 1995 Director, President
and Chief Executive Officer
Keith Meadows 64 2000 Director
Robert A. L. Dubrow 65 1997Dietrich 54 2000 Director
David M. CarverEric W. Gaer 51 19982000 Director
Warren T. Lazarow 39 1998Stephen J. Fryer 61 2000 Director
Harry J. Saal has served as a director of the Company since 1983 and
became the Company's Chairman of the Board in December 1995. From September 1993
through November 1995, Dr. Saal was President and Chief Executive Officer of
Smart Valley, Inc., a company which helped create an electronic community in the
San Francisco Bay Area. In addition, from 1986 until 1993, Dr. Saal was the
President and a director of Network General Corporation, a company engaged in
the design, manufacture and sale of diagnostic systems for local area networks
(and related products). Dr. Saal serves as a director of Inprise Corporation.
Brian Bonar has served as a director of the Company since August 1995.1995
and became the Company's Chairman of the Board in December 1999. From August
1992 through April 1994, Mr. Bonar served as the Company's Director of
Technology Sales and from April 1994 through September 1994 as the Company's
Vice President, Sales and Marketing. In September 1994, Mr. Bonar became the
Company's Executive Vice President Sales, Marketing and, Engineering and, in July 1997, Mr. Bonar was
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appointed as the
Company's President and Chief Operating Officer. In April 1998 he was appointed asMr. Bonar assumed
the Company's Chief Executive Officer.post of CEO. From 1991 to 1992, Mr. Bonar was Vice President of Worldwide
Sales and Marketing for Bezier Systems, Inc., a San Jose, California-based
manufacturer and marketer of laser printers. From 1990 to 1991, he was Worldwide
Sales Manager for Adaptec, Inc., a San Jose-based laser printer controller
developer. From 1988 to 1990, Mr. Bonar was Vice President of Sales and
Marketing for Rastek Corporation, a laser printer controller developerdeveloped located
in Huntsville, Alabama. From 1984 to 1988, Mr. Bonar was employed as Executive
Director of Engineering at QMS, Inc., an Alabama-based developer and
manufacturer of high-performance color and monochrome printing solutions. Prior
to these positions, Mr. Bonar was employed by IBM, U.K. Ltd. for approximately
17 years.
A. L. DubrowKeith George Meadows has served as a director of the Company since
February
1997, at which time heJanuary 2000. Mr. Meadows is Chairman of Continua Ltd., a large printer
installation and maintenance company in Europe. He has served on the board of
directors for various technology companies. Mr. Meadows retired in January 1986
from Data Processing Customer Engineering ("D.P.C.E."), a company that pioneered
large-scale independent computer maintenance throughout Europe, went public on
the London Stock Exchange and was subsequently sold to Granada PLC. From
3
1983 to 1986, Mr. Meadows was named and acted as Managing Director of D.P.C.E.
In 1979, Mr. Meadows was appointed as the Company's Vice President, Special
Projects, a post in which he served until the middle of 1997. In 1996, Mr.
Dubrow was involved in the acquisition and restructuring of NewGen Systems, Inc.
and served as its President and Chief Executive Officer prior to such
acquisition. From 1977 to April 1995, Mr. Dubrow was partGeneral Manager of the senior
managementUnited Kingdom
Division of BW/IP, an operation acquired from Borg Warner, whereD.P.C.E. From 1959 to 1979, Mr. Dubrow
served as General Manager from 1977 to 1992 and as Chief Operating Officer until
April 1995.
David M. Carver has served as a director of the Company from June 1998.
From November 1995 through December 1997, Mr. CarverMeadows served in several key
management positions including Executivefor English Electric Computers/ICL and as a Vice
President and Chief Operating
Officer,President-Bureau Operations Europe for First National City Bank of Network General Corporation, the $250-million software firm which in
December 1997 merged with McAfee Associates to form Network Associates. From
March 1994 to October 1995,New York. Mr.
Carver worked as an independent consultant for
Institutional Venture Partners developing investment strategies for Internet
business opportunities. Mr. Carver also spent 20 years with the Hewlett-Packard
Company holding numerous management positionsMeadows served in the areasRoyal Navy for two years as a Sub-Lieutenant. He is a
graduate of sales and
marketing.
Warren T. LazarowSt. Edmund Hall, Oxford University, England.
Robert A. Dietrich has served as a director of the Company since
June
1998. SinceJanuary 2000. Mr. Dietrich is President and CEO of Cyberair Communications Inc.,
a privately-held telecommunications company with strategic interests in Internet
communications and "bandwidth" expansion technologies, as well as domestic and
international telephone services, in Irvine, California. Recently, Mr. Dietrich
was named President and CEO of Semper Resources Corporation, a public natural
resources holding company in Irvine, California. From 1996 to 2000, Mr. Dietrich
was Managing Director and CFO of Ventana International, Ltd., Irvine,
California, a venture capital and private investment banking firm. From 1990 to
1994, Mr. LazarowDietrich was Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of CEI, Inc.,
in Santa Ana, California, a commercial furnishings firm, prior to joining
Ventana. Mr. Dietrich is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame, with a
bachelor's degree in accounting, and the University of Detroit, with a master's
degree in finance. He served as a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy's Atlantic Command
Operations Control Center.
Eric W. Gaer has served as a director since March 2000. Since 1998, Mr.
Gaer has been the President and CEO of Arroyo Development Corporation, a
partnerprivately-held, San Diego-based management consulting company. From 1996 to
1998, he was Chairman, President and CEO of Greenland Corporation, a
publicly-held high technology company in San Diego, California. In 1995, he was
CEO of Ariel Systems, Inc., a privately-held engineering development company in
Vista, California. Over the past 25 years, Mr. Gaer has served in executive
management positions at a variety of high-technology companies, including ITEC,
Daybreak Technologies, Inc., Venture Software, Inc., and Merisel, Inc. In 1970,
he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in mass communications from California
State University, Northridge.
Stephen J. Fryer has served as a director of the lawCompany since March
2000. He is currently Chairman of the Board and CEO of Pen Interconnect, Inc.
("Pen"), a high technology company in Irvine, California. He began his
employment service at Pen in 1997 as Senior Vice President of Sales ad
Marketing. At Pen, he became a director in 1995 and was appointed President and
CEO in 1998. From 1989 to 1996, Mr. Fryer was a principal in Ventana
International, Ltd., a venture capital and private investment banking firm in
Irvine, California. He has over 28 years experience in the computer industry in
the United States, Asia and Europe. Mr. Fryer graduated from te University of
Brobeck,
Phleger & Harrison LLP, an international legal firm specializingCalifornia in emerging
growth companies. Mr. Lazarow represents1960 with a broad range of technology companies.
Mr. Lazarow received his lawbachelor's degree from Brooklyn Law School and his A.B.
degree, cum laude, from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International
Affairs at Princeton University.
Board Committees and Meetingsin mechanical engineering.
BOARD AND COMMITTEE MEETINGS
The Board held twelve10 meetings and acted by unanimous written consent
on three occasions during the fiscal year ended June 30, 19981999.
The Company's audit committee (the "1998 Fiscal
Year""Audit Committee"). The Board has an Audit Committee, composed of
Messrs. David M. Carver and a Compensation Committee. Each
director attended or participated in seventy-five percent or moreA.L. Dubrow, both of the
aggregate of (i) the total number of meetings ofwhom resigned from the Board and (ii) the total
number of meetings held by all committees of the Board on which such director
servedin
December 1999, met once during the 1998 Fiscal Year.fiscal year ended June 30, 1999, to review
the Company's financial statements and to meet with the Company's independent
auditors. The Auditaudit Committee currently consists of three directors, Mr.Robert A. Dietrich and Eric
W. Gaer.
The Company's compensation committee (the "Compensation Committee"),
composed of Messrs. Dubrow Mr. Carver and Mr. Lazarow,Harry J. Saal, both of whom resigned from the
Board in December 1999, met once during the fiscal year ended June 30, 1999, to
review executive compensation and is primarily responsible for approving the services performed bystatus of the Company's independent auditors and reviewing their
reports regarding the Company's accounting practices and systems of internal
accounting controls. The Audit Committee held two meetings during the 1998
Fiscal Year.employee stock
option plans. The Compensation Committee of the Company's Board (the "Compensation
Committee") currently consists of two directors, Dr. SaalStephen J. Fryer
and Mr. Carver, and is
primarily responsible for reviewing and approvingKeith Meadows. None of these individuals was an officer or employee of the
Company's general
compensation policies and setting compensation levels for the Company's
executive officers.
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The Compensation Committee is also responsible for the administration and award
of stock options under the Company's stock option plans, as well as, the award
of stock options and warrants issued pursuant to individual stock option and
warrant agreements. The Compensation Committee held two meetings and did not act
by unanimous written consentCompany at any time during the 1998 Fiscal Year.
Directorfiscal year ended June 30, 1999, or at any other
time.
No current executive officer of the Company has ever served as a member
of the board of directors or compensation committee of any other entity that has
or has had one or more executive officers serving as a member of the Board or
Compensation Committee.
4
DIRECTOR AND COMMITTEE COMPENSATION
Directors who are not employees of the Company or one of its
subsidiaries receive meetingmonthly fees for each Board meeting or Board committee
meeting attended. The per meeting fee is $4,500 plus travel expenses for Dr.
Saal and is $2,500 plus travel expenses for Messrs. Carver and Lazarow. No fees
were paid in the 1998 Fiscal Year and as of such fiscal year end, $63,000 of
unpaid meeting fees were accrued and unpaid to Dr. Saal and $5,000 of unpaid
meeting fees were accrued and unpaid to each of Messrs. Carver and Lazarow.$1,000.
THE BOARD RECOMMENDS THAT THE STOCKHOLDERS VOTE FOR
THE ELECTION OF THE NOMINEES LISTED ABOVE.
PROPOSAL 2
APPROVAL OF AN AMENDMENT TO THE COMPANY'S CERTIFICATE OF
INCORPORATION TO INCREASE THE AUTHORIZED
PREFERRED STOCK
On January 7, 1998, the Board adopted a resolution by unanimous written
consent approving a proposal to amend Article Fourth of the Company's
Certificate of Incorporation (the "Certificate") to increase the number of
shares of Preferred Stock which the Company is authorized to issue from 10,000
shares to 100,000 shares. The Board determined that such amendment is advisable
and directed that the proposed amendment be considered at the Meeting.
Purposes and Effects of Increasing the Number of Authorized Shares of Preferred
Stock
The proposed amendment would increase the number of shares of Preferred
Stock which the Company is authorized to issue from 10,000 shares to 100,000
shares. The additional 90,000 shares will be a part of the existing Preferred
Stock and, if and when issued, shall be divided into series. Such series of
Preferred Stock will have the rights, preferences, privileges and restrictions
granted to or imposed by the Certificate or by the Board acting pursuant to the
Certificate.
Reference is made to the proposed amendment to Article Fourth of the
Company's Certificate which is substantially set forth in the form listed under
the heading "Proposed New Article Fourth to the Company's Certificate of
Incorporation" in Exhibit A to this Proxy Statement.
The Company has no present plans, arrangements or understandings for
the issuance or use of the proposed additional shares of Preferred Stock.
However, the Board believes that the adoption of the proposed amendment is
advantageous to the Company and its stockholders. The proposed amendment would
provide additional authorized shares of Preferred Stock that could be used from
time to time, without further action or
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authorization by the stockholders (except as may be required by law or by any
stock exchange on which the Company's securities may then be listed), for
corporate purposes which the Board may deem desirable, including, without
limitation, financings and acquisitions.
The authority possessed by the Board to issue Preferred Stock could
also potentially be used to discourage attempts by others to obtain control of
the Company through merger, tender offer, proxy contest or otherwise by making
such attempts more difficult or costly to achieve. However, depending on, among
other things, the voting rights and the conversion rights assigned to the
Preferred Stock, the issuance of Preferred Stock may adversely effect the market
price of the Common Stock and may result in dilution of the voting power of the
holders of Common Stock, including the possibility of the loss of voting control
to the holders of Preferred Stock.
If the proposed amendment is adopted, there will be 97,398.5 authorized
shares of Preferred Stock that will not be outstanding or reserved for issuance.
As of the record date, February 15, 1999, the Company had 1,570.5 shares of
Preferred Stock issued and outstanding.
STOCKHOLDER APPROVAL
In accordance with the Delaware General Corporation Law and the
Company's Certificate of Incorporation, the affirmative vote of a majority of
the outstanding shares of Common Stock entitled to vote thereon is required to
adopt this proposed amendment. Abstentions and broker non-votes are not
considered cast.
THE BOARD RECOMMENDS THAT STOCKHOLDERS VOTE FOR THIS
PROPOSAL.
PROPOSAL 3
APPROVAL OF 19982000 STOCK OPTION/STOCK ISSUANCE PLAN
The Company's stockholders are being asked to approve the 19982000 Stock
Option Plan (the "1998"2000 Stock Option Plan"), pursuant to which 1,500,0003,500,000 shares
of Common Stock will be reserved for issuance. The Board has authorized the
implementation of the 19982000 Stock Option Plan as a comprehensive equity incentive
program to attract and retain the services of those persons essential to the
Company's growth and financial success. The 19982000 Stock Option Plan was adopted
by the Board on October 26, 1998January 25, 2000, and willwould become effective upon stockholder
approvalif (i) either
Proposal 4 or 5 is (A) approved by the required vote of stockholders and (B)
implemented by the Board and (ii) this Proposal 2 is approved by a majority of
the shares of Common Stock entitled to vote at the Meeting. At the Company's 1996 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, the Company's
stockholders approved the implementation of the 1997 Stock Option Plan and 1997
Stock Purchase Plan; however, these plans have not been implemented andIn addition, if
this
proposalProposal 5 is approved by stockholders, the 1997 Stock Option Planstockholders and the 1997Board effects a stock
combination (reverse split), the number of shares of Common Stock Purchase Plan wouldreserved for
issuance will be terminated.reduced to that number obtained by dividing 3,500,000 by that
exchange ratio determined by the Board. See "Proposal 5 Approval of an Amendment
of the Company's Certificate of Incorporation to Effect a Reverse Split of
common Stock."
The following summary describes the material features of the 19982000 Stock
Option Plan. The summary, however, does not purport to be a complete description
of all the provisions of the 19982000 Stock Option Plan. A complete form of the 19982000
Stock Option Plan has been attached hereto as Exhibit B.
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A.
The following is a summary of the material features of the 19982000 Stock
Option Plan.
Shares Subject to the Option Plan and EligibilitySHARES SUBJECT TO THE OPTION PLAN AND ELIGIBILITY
The 19982000 Stock Option Plan authorizes the grant of options to purchase
a maximum of 1,500,0003,500,000 shares of the Company's Common Stock (subject to
adjustment as described below) to employees and directors of, and consultants
to, the Company or any of its subsidiaries. Upon expiration, cancellation or
termination of unexercised options, the shares of the Company's Common Stock
subject to such options will again be available for the grant of options under
the 19982000 Stock Option Plan.
Type of OptionsTYPE OF OPTIONS
Options granted under the 19982000 Stock Option Plan may either be
incentive stock options ("ISOs"), within the meaning of Section 422 of the
Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code"), or nonqualified stock
options, which do not qualify as ISOs ("NQSOs"). ISOs, however, may only be
granted to employees.
AdministrationADMINISTRATION
The 19982000 Stock Option Plan is to be administered by the Compensation
Committee, which will consist of "non-employee directors" within the meaning of
Rule 16b-3 promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended
(the "Exchange Act"). It is also expected that Compensation Committee members
will be "outside directors," within the meaning of Section 162(m) of the Code.
Those administering the 19982000 Stock Option Plan are referred to as the
"Administrators."
Among other things, the Administrators are empowered to determine,
within the express limits contained in the 19982000 Stock Option Plan, the
employees, consultants and directors to be granted options, whether an option
granted to an employee is to be an ISO or a NQSO, the number of shares of Common
Stock to be subject to each option, the exercise price of each option, the term
of each option, the date each option shall become exercisable as well as any
terms and conditions relating to the exercisability of each option, whether to
accelerate the date of
5
exercise of any option or installment and the form of payment of the exercise
price, to construe each stock option contract between the Company and an
optionee and, with the consent of the optionee, to cancel or modify an option.
The Administrators are also authorized to prescribe, amend and rescind rules and
regulations relating to the 19982000 Stock Option Plan and make all other
determinations necessary or advisable for administering the 19982000 Stock Option
Plan.
Terms and Conditions of OptionsTERMS AND CONDITIONS OF OPTIONS
Options granted under the 19982000 Stock Option Plan are subject to, among
other things, the following terms and conditions:
(a) The exercise price of each option is determined by the
Administrators; provided, however, that the exercise price of an ISO may not be
less than the fair market value of the Company's Common Stock on the date of
grant (110% of such fair market value if the optionee owns, or is deemed to own,
more than 10% of the voting power of the Company).
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(b) Options may be granted for terms established by the Administrators;
provided, however, that the term of an ISO may not exceed ten10 years (five years
if the optionee owns, or is deemed to own, more than 10% of the voting power of
the Company).
(c) The maximum number of shares of the Company's Common Stock for
which options may be granted to an employee in any calendar year is 250,000. In
addition, the aggregate fair market value of shares with respect to which ISOs
may be granted to an employee which are exercisable for the first time during
any calendar year may not exceed $100,000.
(d) The exercise price of each option is payable in full upon exercise
or, if the Administrators permit, in installments. Payment of the exercise price
of an option may be made in cash, or, if the Administrators permit (but only to
the extent permitted), in shares of the Company's Common Stock or any
combination thereof.
(e) Options may not be transferred other than by will or by the laws of
descent and distribution, and may be exercised during the optionee's lifetime
only by the optionee.
(f) Except as may otherwise be provided in the option contract related
to the option, if the optionee's relationship with the Company as an employee,
director or consultant is terminated for any reason other than death or
disability, the option may be exercised, to the extent exercisable at the time
of termination of such relationship at any time, within three months thereafter,
but in no event after the expiration of the term of the option; provided,
however, that if the relationship is terminated either for cause or without the
consent of the Company, the option will terminate immediately. Except as may be
provided in the option contract related to the option, an option is not affected
by a change in the status of an optionee so long as the optionee continues to be
an employee or director of, or a consultant to, the Company. Except as otherwise
provided in the optionee's option contract, in the case of the death of an
optionee while an employee, director or consultant (or, generally, within three
months after termination of such relationship, or within one year after
termination of such relationship by reason of disability), the optionee's legal
representative or beneficiary may exercise the option, to the extent exercisable
on the date of death, at any time within one year after such date, but in no
event after the expiration of the term of the option. Except as otherwise
provided in the optionee's option contract, an optionee whose relationship with
the Company is terminated by reason of disability may exercise the option, to
the extent exercisable at the effective date of such termination, at any time
within one year thereafter, but not after the expiration of the term of the
option.
(g) The Company may withhold cash and/or, with the consent of the
Administrators, shares of the Company's Common Stock having an aggregate value
equal to the amount which the Company determines is necessary to meet its
obligations to withhold any federal, state and/or local taxes or other amounts
incurred by reason of the grant, exercise or vesting of an option or the
disposition of shares acquired upon the exercise of the option. Alternatively,
the Company may require the optionee to pay the Company such amount in cash
promptly upon demand.
Adjustment in Event of Capital Changes6
ADJUSTMENT IN EVENT OF CAPITAL CHANGES
In the event of any change in the Company's Common Stock by reason of
any stock dividend, stock split, combination, reclassification,
recapitalization, merger in which the Company is the surviving corporation,
spin-off, split-up, exchange of shares or the like, the following adjustments to
the 19982000 Stock Option Plan shall be made to:
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o the number and kind of shares available under the 19982000 Stock
Option Plan;
o the number and kind of shares subject to the 19982000 Stock Option
Plan;
o each outstanding option;
o the exercise prices of outstanding options; and
o the limitations on the number of shares that may be granted to
any employee in any calendar year.
Any outstanding options shall terminate upon the earliest occurrence of
any of the following events, unless other provision is made therefor in the
applicable event:
o the liquidation or dissolution of the Company; or
o a transaction (or series of related transactions) that is
approved by a majority of the members of the Board as elected
by stockholders prior to the first of such transactions
(including, without limitation, a merger, consolidation, sale
of stock by the Company or its stockholders, tender offer or
sale of assets)
in which either:
o the voting power (in the election of directors generally) of
the Company's voting securities outstanding immediately prior
to such transaction ceases to represent at least 50% of the
combined voting power (in the election of directors generally)
of the Company or such surviving entity outstanding
immediately after such transaction; or
o the registration of the Company's Common Stock under the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 is terminated.
Duration and Amendment of the 1998 Stock Option PlanDURATION AND AMENDMENT OF THE 2000 STOCK OPTION PLAN
No option may be granted under the 19982000 Stock Option Plan after October
25, 2008.January
24, 2010. The Board may at any time terminate or amend the 19982000 Stock Option
Plan; provided, however, that, without the approval of the Company's
stockholders, no amendment may be made which would:
o except as a result of the anti-dilution adjustments described
above, increase the maximum number of shares for which options
may be granted under the 19982000 Stock Option Plan or increase
the maximum number of shares covered by options that may be
granted to an employee in any calendar year;
o change the eligibility requirements for persons who may
receive options under the 19982000 Stock Option Plan; or
o make any change for which applicable law requires stockholder
approval.
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No termination or amendment may adversely affect the rights of an
optionee with respect to an outstanding option without the optionee's consent.
Federal Income Tax TreatmentFEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSEQUENCES
The following is a general summary of thecertain material federal income
tax consequences of the grant and exercise of the options under the 2000 Stock
Option Plan and the sale of any underlying security. This description is based
on current tax law of NQSOs and ISOs. Itwhich is subject to change, possibly with retroactive effect.
This discussion does not purport to coveraddress all tax considerations relating to
the grant and exercise of the options or resulting from the application of
special rules includingto a particular optionee (including an optionee subject to the
exercisereporting and short-swing profit provisions under Section 16 of an option with
previously-acquired shares, or the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, as amended), and state, or local, income orforeign and other tax
consequences inherent in the ownership and exercise of stock options and the
ownership and disposition of the
7
underlying shares. In addition, the rules
summarized herein are based on laws, regulations, cases and rulings currently in
effect, all of which are subject to change possibly on a retroactive basis.securities. An optionee does not recognizeshould consult with the optionee's own tax
advisors with respect to the tax consequences inherent in the ownership and
exercise of stock options and the ownership and disposition of any underlying
security.
ISOs Exercised With Cash: No taxable income for federal income tax
purposeswill be recognized by an
optionee upon the grant or exercise of a NQSO or an ISO. UponThe optionee's tax basis in the
shares acquired upon the exercise of a NQSO, the optionee recognizes ordinary income in
an amountISO with cash will be equal to the
excess, if any, ofexercise price paid by the fair market value ofoptionee for such shares.
If the shares acquired onreceived upon exercise of an ISO are disposed of more
than one year after the date of exercise over the exercise price thereof, and the
Company generally is entitledtransfer of such shares to a deduction for such amount at that time. If the optionee later sells shares acquired pursuant toand more
than two years from the exercisedate of a NQSO,grant of the option, the optionee recognizeswill recognize
long-term or short-term capital gain or loss on such disposition equal to the difference
between the amount realized on such saleselling price and the fair market value ofoptionee's basis in the shares, onand the
date acquired (plus or minus any other adjustmentsCompany will not be entitled to the
basis of the shares), depending on the period for which the shares were held.a deduction. Long-term capital gain is generally
subject to more favorable tax treatment than ordinary income or short-term capital gain.
Upongain or ordinary
income.
If the shares received upon the exercise of an ISO are disposed of
prior to the optionee does not recognize taxable
income. Ifend of the optionee disposestwo-years-from-grant/one-year-after-transfer holding
period (a "disqualifying disposition"), the excess (if any) of the fair market
value of the shares on the date of transfer of such shares to the optionee over
the exercise price (but not in excess of the gain realized on the sale of the
shares) will be taxed as ordinary income in the year of such disposition, and
the Company generally will be entitled to a deduction in the year of disposition
equal to such amount. Any additional gain or any loss recognized by the optionee
on such disposition will be short-term or long-term capital gain or loss, as the
case may be, depending upon the period for which the shares were held.
NQSOs Exercised With Cash: No taxable income will be recognized by an
optionee upon the grant of a NQSO. Upon the exercise of a NQSO, the excess of
the fair market value of the shares received at the time of exercise over the
exercise price therefor will be taxed as ordinary income, and the Company will
generally be entitled to a corresponding deduction. The optionee's tax basis in
the shares acquired upon the exercise of such NQSO will be equal to the exercise
price paid by the optionee for such shares plus the amount of ordinary income so
recognized.
Any gain or loss recognized by the optionee on a subsequent disposition
of shares purchased pursuant to a NQSO will be short-term or long-term capital
gain or loss, depending upon the period during which such shares were held, in
an amount equal to the difference between the selling price and the optionee's
tax basis in the shares.
Exercises of Options Using Previously Acquired Shares: If previously
acquired shares are surrendered in full or partial payment of the exercise price
of an option (whether an ISO or a NQSO), gain or loss generally will not be
recognized by the optionee upon the exercise of such option to the extent the
optionee receives shares which on the date of exercise have a fair market value
equal to the fair market value of the shares surrendered in exchange therefor
("Replacement Shares"). If the option exercised is an ISO or if the shares used
were acquired pursuant to the exercise of an ISO, more than two years afterthe Replacement Shares are
treated as having been acquired pursuant to the exercise of an ISO.
However, if an ISO is exercised with shares which were previously
acquired pursuant to the exercise of an ISO but which were not held for the
required two-years-from-grant/one-year-after-transfer holding period, there is a
disqualifying disposition of such previously acquired shares. In such case, the
optionee would recognize ordinary income on such disqualifying disposition equal
to the difference between the fair market value of such shares on the date of
grantexercise of the prior ISO and more than one year
after the transferamount paid for such shares (but not in excess
of the gain realized). Special rules apply in determining which shares are
considered to have been disposed of and in allocating the basis among the
shares. No capital gain is recognized.
The optionee will have an aggregate basis in the Replacement Shares
equal to the basis of the shares surrendered, increased by any ordinary income
required to be recognized on the disposition of the previously acquired shares.
The optionee's holding period for the Replacement Shares generally includes the
period during which the surrendered shares were held.
Any shares received by the optionee on such exercise in addition to the
optionee,Replacement Shares will be treated in the optionee recognizes
long-term capital gain or loss and the Company is not entitled tosame manner as a deduction.
However, if the optionee disposescash exercise of such shares within another required holding
period, all or a portion of the gain is treated as ordinary income and the
Company generally is entitled to deduct such amount.an
option for no consideration.
8
ALTERNATIVE MINIMUM TAX
In addition to the federal income tax consequences described above, an
optionee who exercises an ISO may be subject to the alternative minimum tax,
which is payable only to the extent it exceeds the optionee's regular tax.tax
liability. For this purpose, upon the exercise of an ISO, the excess of the fair
market value of the shares over the exercise price therefor is an adjustment thatwhich
increases the optionee's alternative minimum taxable income. In addition, the
optionee's basis in such shares is increased by such excessamount for purposes of
computing the gain or loss on the disposition of the shares for alternative minimum
tax purposes. If anthe optionee is required to pay an alternative minimum tax, the
amount of such tax which is attributable to deferral preferences (including the
ISO adjustment) is allowedallowable as a tax credit against the optionee's regular tax
liability (net of other non-refundable credits) in subsequent years. To the
extent the credit is not used, it is carried forward. ValuationAn optionee holding an ISO
should consult with the optionee's tax advisors concerning the applicability and
effect of the alternative minimum tax.
VALUATION
On March 5, 1999,15, 2000 the closing price of the Company's Common Stock on
The Nasdaq SmallCap Marketthe National Quotation Bureau "Pink Sheets" (the "Pink Sheets") was $1.50$.80 per
share.
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STOCKHOLDER APPROVAL
The affirmative vote of a majority of the outstanding voting shares of
the Company present or represented and entitled to vote at the Meeting is
required for approval of the 19982000 Stock Option Plan. Should such stockholder
approval not be obtained, then the 19982000 Stock Option Plan will terminate and all
options previously granted under the 19982000 Stock Option Plan will terminate
without becoming exercisable for any of the shares of Common Stock subject to
those options and no further option grants or stock issuances will be made under
the 19982000 Stock Option Plan. The Company's 19971998 Stock Option Plan will however,
continuenot be
affected by the stockholders' vote on the 2000 Stock Option Plan.
The Board believes that it is in the best interests of the Company to
implement a comprehensive equity incentive program for the Company, which will
provide a meaningful opportunity for officers, employees, and non-employee Board
members to acquire a substantial proprietary interest in the Company and thereby
encourage such individuals to remain in effect,the Company's service and option grants may be made pursuant tomore closely
align their interests with those of the provisions of that plan, if implemented, until the available reserve of Common
Stock under such plan is issued.stockholders.
THE BOARD RECOMMENDS THAT THE STOCKHOLDERS VOTE FOR THETHIS PROPOSAL.
PROPOSAL 3
APPROVAL OF THE
1998EMPLOYEE STOCK OPTION PLAN. THE BOARD BELIEVES THAT IT IS IN THE BEST
INTERESTS OF THE COMPANY TO IMPLEMENT A COMPREHENSIVE EQUITY INCENTIVE
PROGRAM FOR THE COMPANY WHICH WILL PROVIDE A MEANINGFUL OPPORTUNITY FOR
OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES AND NON-EMPLOYEE BOARD MEMBERS TO ACQUIRE A
SUBSTANTIAL PROPRIETARY INTEREST IN THE ENTERPRISE AND THEREBY
ENCOURAGE SUCH INDIVIDUALS TO REMAIN IN THE COMPANY'S SERVICE AND MORE
CLOSELY ALIGN THEIR INTERESTS WITH THOSE OF THE STOCKHOLDERS.
PROPOSAL 4
APPROVAL OF THE ISSUANCE OF ADDITIONAL SHARES OF COMMON STOCK
UPON CONVERSION OF SERIES D CONVERTIBLE PREFERRED STOCK
General
As of January 13, 1999,PURCHASE PLAN
The Board has approved the Company entered into a Securities Purchase
Agreement (the "Series D Agreement") with certain investors contemplating a
potential funding of up to $2.4 million (the "Series D Funding"). The Series D
Funding provides for the private placementadoption by the Company of up to 1,200 units
(the "Units"). Each Unit consistsCompensation Committee of
the following securities:
o one share of Series D Convertible Preferred Stock (the "Series
D Stock"); and
o 2,000 warrants (the "Series D Warrants" and, collectively,
with the Series D Stock, the "Series D Securities")
exercisable for shares of Common Stock.
The Series D Stock is convertible intoPurchase Plan, which enables employees to purchase shares of Common
Stock as more fully
described below; provided, however, eachat not less than 85% of the investors has agreed thatfair market value on the date of purchase.
Employees of the Company who elect to participate in no
event shall it be permittedthe Stock Purchase Plan
(the "Participating Employees") may do so by authorizing specified payroll
deductions to convert anyeffect purchases pursuant to the Stock Purchase Plan. The purpose
of the Stock Purchase Plan is to secure for the Company and its stockholders the
benefits of the incentive inherent in the ownership of Common Stock by current
and future employees.
The Stock Purchase Plan was formally adopted by the Board on January
25, 2000, and would become effective if (i) either Proposal 4 or 5 is (A)
approved by the required vote of stockholders and (B) implemented by the Board
and (ii) this Proposal 3 is approved by a majority of the shares of Series DCommon Stock
in excess ofentitled to vote at the number of such shares uponMeeting. In addition, if Proposal 5 is approved by the
conversion of which,
ostockholders and the Board effects a stock combination (reverse split), the
number of shares of Common Stock ownedreserved for issuance will be reduced to that
number obtained by such investor
(other thandividing 1,250,000 by that exchange ratio determined by the
Board. See "Proposal 5 - Approval of an Amendment of the Company's Certificate
of Incorporation to Effect a Reverse Split of Common Stock."
The following is a summary of the Stock Purchase Plan, which is
qualified in its entirety by reference to the
9
Stock Purchase Plan, a copy of which is annexed hereto as Exhibit B. Capitalized
terms not otherwise defined in this summary shall have the meanings given to
them in the Stock Purchase Plan text as annexed hereto as Exhibit B.
SHARES RESERVED FOR THE STOCK PURCHASE PLANE
Shares of Common Stock to be delivered pursuant to the Stock Purchase
Plan shall be made available from currently or subsequently authorized but
unissued Common Stock, treasury shares of Common Stock or a combination thereof,
up to a maximum of 1,250,000 shares of Common Stock, subject to adjustment in
the event of a subdivision or consolidation of the outstanding shares of Common
Stock or stock dividend, on the outstanding shares of Common Stock.
VALUATION
As of March 15, 2000, the closing price of the Company's Common Stock
as reported on the Pink Sheets was $.80.
ELIGIBILITY
All employees of the Company, including directors and officers of the
Company who are also employees of the Company, will be eligible to participate
in the Stock Purchase Plan beginning on the first day of each calendar month
coincident with or next following their date of hire and continuing for so long
as they remain employees of the Company. Approximately 43 employees of the
Company were eligible to participate in the Stock Purchase Plan as of March 1,
2000.
PURCHASE OF COMMON STOCK UNDER THE PLAN
Participating Employees shall direct the deduction of a specified
amount from their paycheck, to be used to effect the purchase of Common Stock
under the Stock Purchase Plan. Such deduction may constitute from 1% to 15 % of
the Participating Employee's eligible compensation. A Participating Employee may
increase or decrease the percentage of eligible compensation subject to payroll
deduction or discontinue participation in the Stock Purchase Plan at any time
upon written notice to the Company.
Unless the Company is so notified prior to the beginning of each Stock
Purchase Plan year, the Participating Employee shall be deemed to have
authorized continued participation in the Stock Purchase Plan for each
subsequent Stock Purchase Plan year to the same extent as at the end of the
prior Stock Purchase Plan year.
The purchase price of a share of Common Stock shall be determined from
time to time by the Company but shall not be less than 85 percent of the fair
market value of such share. The Company shall advise employees of the purchase
price in advance of their enrollment in the Stock Purchase Plan and, following
their enrollment, in advance of any change in the purchase price.
All payroll deductions of a Participating Employee shall be credited on
the records and used by the Company to effect the purchases of Common Stock
under the Stock Purchase Plan. The Company shall effect such purchases by making
quarterly offerings of Common Stock, in amounts to be determined by the Company
until the maximum number of shares of Common Stock available under the Stock
Purchase Plan have been issued and purchased pursuant to the Stock Purchase
Plan's terms. On the date of each such offering, each Participating Employee
shall be deemed to have been granted the option to purchase and to have
exercised such option and purchased the number of shares of Common Stock
determined by dividing the amount credited to the Participating Employee's
payroll deduction account by the then-current purchase price for such shares.
All shares of Common Stock purchased by a Participating Employee under the Stock
Purchase Plan shall be held in an account administered by a custodian selected
by the Company. Upon termination of either the Participating Employee's
employment with the Company or participation in the Stock Purchase Plan, all
shares of Common Stock credited to such account, cash in lieu of any fractional
share and all uninvested cash credited pursuant to the Participating Employee's
payroll deductions shall be distributed to the Participating Employee.
10
The Company will not grant to any Participating Employee any option to
purchase shares of Common Stock if the exercise of such option would permit the
fair market value of all shares of Common Stock purchased by the Participating
Employee under all employee stock purchase plans of the Company to exceed
$25,000 in any calendar year, or if such exercise would cause such Participating
Employee to own 5% or more of the combined voting power or value of all classes
of the Company's stock. The Board may also require, as a condition to the
exercise of any option granted pursuant to the Stock Purchase Plan, the listing
of the shares of the Common Stock reserved for issuance upon such exercise on a
national securities exchange and the registration of such shares under the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or a representation from the Participating
Employee satisfactory to the Company that such exercise and purchase are for
investment purposes only and not with a view toward resale or distribution.
Options to purchase shares of Common Stock pursuant to the Stock
Purchase Plan are not transferable, except by will and the laws of descent and
distribution and may be exercised during the lifetime of the person to whom they
were granted only by such person. Shares of Common Stock purchased under the
Stock Purchase Plan shall not be transferable for a period of 12 months from the
date of purchase of such shares and shall not be transferable without the prior
written consent of the Company for an additional 12-month period following the
expiration of the initial 12-month period.
AMENDMENT AND TERMINATION
Subject to the provisions of Section 423 of the Code, the Board has the
power to amend or terminate the Stock Purchase Plan, in its sole discretion, at
any time in any respect except that any amendment or termination may not
retroactively impair or otherwise adversely affect the rights of any person to
benefits that have already accrued under the Stock Purchase Plan. The Stock
Purchase Plan shall terminate at such time as Participating Employees become
entitled to purchase a number of shares of Common Stock greater than the number
of reserved shares of Common Stock available for such purchase.
NEW PLAN BENEFITS TABLE
A table listing the estimated dollar value and number of shares that
will be purchased under the Stock Purchase Plan, or would have been purchased
under the Stock Purchase Plan had the plan been in effect in 1999, by the
Company's officer and directors is indeterminable.
CERTAIN FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSEQUENCES
The following summary generally describes the principal federal (and
not state and local) income tax consequences of stock purchases under the Stock
Purchase Plan. It is general in nature and is not intended to cover all tax
consequences that may apply to a particular Stock Purchase Plan participant or
to the Company. The provisions of the Code and the Treasury Regulations are
complicated and their impact in any one case may depend upon the particular
circumstances. Each participant in the Stock Purchase Plan should consult the
participant's own accountant, legal counsel or other financial advisor regarding
the tax consequences of participation in the Stock Purchase Plan. This
discussion is based on the Code as currently in effect.
The Stock Purchase Plan is intended to qualify under Section 423 of the
Code. Under Section 423 of the Code, an employee who purchases Common Stock
through the plan will not recognize any income, and the Company will not be
entitled to a deduction for tax purposes, at the time of the purchase for the
difference between the fair market value of the stock at the time of purchase
and the purchase price (i.e., the discount below fair market value). Generally,
if the employee holds the Common Stock for at least two years after the date of
sale or other disposition of the Common Stock the lesser of: (i) the amount by
which the fair market value of the Common Stock when purchased exceeds the
purchase price (i.e., the discount below fair market value); or (ii) the amount,
if any, by which the Common Stock's fair market value at the time of the sale or
other disposition exceeds the purchase price. The employee's tax basis in the
Common Stock will be increased by the amount recognized as compensation and any
further gain recognized on the sale or other taxable disposition will be
treated, under current tax rules, as long-term capital gain. In general, no
deduction will be allowed to the Company with respect to any such disposition.
However, if the employee disposes of shares of Common Stock acquired under the
Stock Purchase Plan within two years after the date of purchase (a
"Disqualifying Disposition"), the employee will recognize compensation income,
11
and the Company (or one of its affiliates) will be entitled to a deduction for
tax purposes, in the amount of the excess of the fair market value of the shares
on the date of purchase over the purchase price (i.e., the discount below fair
market value) regardless of the amount received by the employee in connection
with the Disqualifying Disposition. The employee's tax basis in the shares
disposed of will be increased by the amount recognized as compensation and any
further gain or loss realized upon the Disqualifying Disposition will be
short-term or long-term capital gain or loss, depending upon the length of time
between the purchase and the Disqualifying Disposition of the shares.
If, in any year, an affected participant's total compensation from the
Company (including compensation related to purchases of Common Stock under the
Stock's Purchase Plan) exceeds $l,000,000, such compensation in excess of
$1,000,000 may not be deductible by the Company under Section 162(m) of the
Code. Affected participants are generally, if at all, the Company's chief
executive officer and the four most highly compensated employees of the Company
(other than the chief executive officer) at the end of the Company's taxable
year. Excluded from the calculation of total compensation for this purpose is
compensation that is "performance-based" within the meaning of Section 162(m) of
the Code. It is expected that compensation realized upon the purchase of Common
Stock under the Stock Purchase Plan may not be "performance-based" and,
therefore, that such compensation may only be deductible in accordance within
the limits of Section 162(m) of the Code.
STOCKHOLDER APPROVAL
The affirmative vote of a majority of the outstanding voting shares of
the Company present or represented and entitled to vote at the Meeting is
required for approval of the Stock Purchase Plan. The Company's 1998 Stock
Option Plan and the 2000 Stock Option Plan will not be affected by the
stockholders' vote on the Stock Purchase Plan.
The Board believes that it is in the best interests of the Company to
implement this equity incentive program for the Company, which will provide,
with the 2000 Stock Option Plan, a meaningful opportunity for officers,
employees, and non-employee Board members to acquire a substantial proprietary
interest in the Company and thereby encourage such individuals to remain in the
Company's service and more closely align their interests with those of the
stockholders.
THE BOARD RECOMMENDS THAT THE STOCKHOLDERS VOTE FOR THIS PROPOSAL.
PROPOSAL 4
APPROVAL OF AN AMENDMENT OF THE COMPANY'S
CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION TO INCREASE
THE AUTHORIZED COMMON STOCK
GENERAL
On January 25, 2000, the Board unanimously adopted a resolution
proposing, declaring advisable and recommending a proposal to amend the
Certificate of Incorporation to increase the number of shares of Common Stock
which the Company is authorized to issue from 100,000,000 to 200,000,000 shares.
The Board determined that such amendment is advisable and directed that the
proposed amendment be considered at the Meeting. The additional 100,000,000
shares of Common Stock, if and when issued, will have the same rights and
privileges as the shares of Common Stock presently issued and outstanding. Each
holder of Common Stock is entitled to one vote per share on all matters
submitted to a vote of stockholders. The Common Stock does not have cumulative
voting rights except for those as may be required under California law. The
holders of Common Stock share ratably on a per share basis in any dividends
when, as and if declared by the Board out of funds legally available therefor
and in all assets remaining after the payment of liabilities in the event of the
liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Company. There are no preemptive
or other subscription rights, conversion rights or redemption or sinking fund
provisions with respect to the Common Stock.
Reference is made to the proposed amendment to Article Fourth of the
Certificate of Incorporation which is attached hereto as Exhibit C to this Proxy
Statement.
12
The Certificate of Incorporation, as amended to date, authorizes the
Company to issue 100,000,000 shares of Common Stock, $.005 par value per share,
of which 94,473,837 shares were issued and outstanding as of March 15, 2000, and
100,000 shares of the Company's preferred stock, par value $1,000.00 per share
(the "Preferred Stock"), of which 420.5 shares of 5% Convertible Stock were
outstanding on such date. In addition to the 94,473,837 shares of Common Stock
outstanding as of March 15, 2000, 6,752,440 shares of Common Stock are reserved
for possible future issuances as follows:
o options to purchase 682,185 shares at exercise prices between
$.30 and $8.45 per share;
o warrants to purchase 6,058,240 shares at exercise prices
between $1.00 and $7.50 per share; and
o 12,015 shares issuable upon conversion of Series D420.5 shares of 5%
Convertible Stock currently outstanding. The Company expects
the remaining shares of 5% Convertible Stock outstanding to be
cancelled and replaced by cash or equity, or a combination of
both. The 5% Convertible Stock is convertible into Common
Stock at the discretion of the holders.
The Company is contractually obligated to issue 1,727,452 shares of
Common Stock more than the 100,000,000 shares of Common Stock the Company is
currently authorized to issue. Accordingly, the Company is in violation of
certain of its contractual violations as it would be unable to issue any shares
of Common Stock pursuant to (a) the exercise of options or warrants or (b) the
conversion of 5% Convertible Stock, if any such issuance would cause the Company
to issue more than 100,000,000 shares of Common Stock. Breaches of such
contractual obligations could cause the Company to accrue substantial
liabilities.
PURPOSES AND CERTAIN POSSIBLE EFFECTS OF INCREASING THE NUMBER OF AUTHORIZED
SHARES OF COMMON STOCK
The Company has historically either publicly offered or privately
placed its capital stock to raise funds to finance its operations, including
research and development and product development activities, and has issued
securities to management, non-management employees and consultants. The Company
expects to continue to make substantial expenditures for research and product
development and in the development and marketing of products. The Company
continues to actively explore and negotiate additional financing that it
requires. The Company may also seek acquisitions of other companies, products
and assets. These activities are likely to require the Company to sell shares of
Common Stock or uponsecurities convertible into or exchangeable for Common Stock.
The Company has, at times in the past, sold shares or securities instruments
exercisable or convertible into shares at below the market price of its Common
Stock at the date of issuance and may be required to do so in the future in
order to raise financing.
The Board acknowledges that the increase in the number of authorized
shares of Common Stock at this time will provide the Company with the ability to
issue the shares of Common Stock it is currently obligated to issue pursuant to
the exercise and conversion of outstanding convertible securities and thereby
avoid certain contractual liabilities described above, and also provide it with
the flexibility of having an adequate number of authorized but unissued shares
of Common Stock available for future financing requirements, including for
funding research and product development, acquisitions and other corporate
purposes (including issuances pursuant to the 2000 Stock Option Plan) without
the expense or delay attendant in seeking stockholder approval at any special or
other annual meeting. The proposed amendment would provide additional authorized
shares of Common Stock that could be used from time to time, without further
action or authorization by the stockholders (except as may be required by law or
by any stock exchange or over-the-counter market on which the Company's
securities may then be listed).
Although it is not the purpose of the proposed amendment and the Board
is not aware of any pending or proposed effort to acquire control of the
Company, the authorized but unissued shares of Common Stock also could be used
by the Board to discourage, delay or make more difficult a change in control of
the Company.
This proposed amendment will not affect the rights of existing holders
of Common Stock except to the extent that further issuances of Common Stock will
reduce each existing stockholder's proportionate ownership. In the event that
stockholder approval of this proposed amendment of the Certificate of
Incorporation to increase the authorized Common Stock is not obtained, the
Company will be unable to satisfy its exercise and conversion
13
obligations under the terms of certain of its outstanding convertible securities
and holders of such convertible securities may commence legal proceedings
against us.
STOCKHOLDER APPROVAL
In accordance with the Delaware General Corporation Law and the
Certificate of Incorporation, the affirmative vote of a majority of the
outstanding shares of Common Stock entitled to vote thereon is required to adopt
this proposed amendment.
THE BOARD RECOMMENDS THAT THE STOCKHOLDERS VOTE FOR THIS PROPOSAL.
PROPOSAL 5
APPROVAL OF AN AMENDMENT OF THE COMPANY'S
CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION TO EFFECT A REVERSE SPLIT
OF THE COMMON STOCK
GENERAL
The Board has unanimously adopted resolutions proposing, declaring
advisable and recommending that stockholders authorize an amendment to the
Certificate of Incorporation to: (i) effect a stock combination (reverse split)
of the Company's Common Stock in an exchange ratio to be approved by the Board,
ranging from one (1) newly issued share for each two (2) outstanding shares of
Common Stock to one (1) newly issued share for each six (6) outstanding shares
of Common Stock (the "Reverse Split"); and (ii) provide that no fractional
shares or scrip representing fractions of a share shall be issued, but in lieu
thereof, each fraction of a share that any stockholder would otherwise be
entitled to receive shall be rounded up to the nearest whole share. There will
be no change in the number of the Company's authorized shares of Common Stock
and no change in the par value of a share of Common Stock.
If the Reverse Split is approved, the Board will have authority,
without further stockholder approval, to effect the Reverse Split pursuant to
which the Company's outstanding shares (the "Old Shares") of Common Stock would
be exchanged for new shares (the "New Shares") of Common Stock, in an exchange
ratio to be approved by the Board, ranging from one (1) New Share for each two
(2) Old Shares to one (1) New Share for each six (6) Old Shares. The number of
Old Shares for which each New Share is to be exchanged is referred to as the
"Exchange Number". The Exchange Number may, within such range, be a whole number
or a whole number and fraction of a whole number.
In addition, the Board will have the authority to determine the exact
timing of the effective date and time of the Reverse Split, which may be any
time prior to December 31, 2000, without further stockholder approval. Such
timing and Exchange Number will be determined in the judgment of the Board, with
the intention of maximizing the Company's ability to comply with the listing
requirements of The Nasdaq Stock Market, Inc. ("Nasdaq"), to raise financing, to
issue shares of Common Stock pursuant to outstanding contractual obligations,
and for other intended benefits as the Company finds appropriate. See "--
Purposes of the Reverse Split," below. The text of this proposed amendment
(subject to inserting the effective time of the Reverse Split and the Exchange
Number) is set forth in Exhibit D to this Proxy Statement.
The Board also reserves the right, notwithstanding stockholder approval
and without further action by stockholders, to not proceed with the Reverse
Split if, at any time prior to filing this amendment with the Secretary of State
of the State of Delaware, the Board, in its sole discretion, determines that the
Reverse Split is no longer in the best interests of the Company and its
stockholders. The Board may consider a variety of factors in determining whether
or not to implement the Reverse Split and in determining the Exchange Number
including, but not limited to, the approval by the stockholders of Proposal 4
which would increase the number of the authorized Common Stock, overall trends
in the stock market, recent changes and anticipated trends in the per share
market price of the Common Stock, business and transactional developments and
the Company's actual and projected financial performance.
14
PURPOSES OF THE REVERSE SPLIT
The Common Stock is quoted on the Pink Sheets but had been, prior to
being delisted, on March 1, 2000 quoted on The Nasdaq SmallCap Market. In order
for the Common Stock to be relisted on The Nasdaq SmallCap Market, the Company
and its Common Stock are required to comply with various listing standards
established by Nasdaq. Among other things, as such requirements pertain to the
Company, the Company is required to have a market capitalization of at least
$50,000,000 and its Common Stock must (a) have an aggregate market value of
shares held by persons other than officers and directors of at least $5,000,000,
(b) be held by at least 300 persons who own at least 100 shares and (c) have a
minimum bid price of at least $4.00 per share.
Under Nasdaq listing requirements, to be listed or relisted, the
Company must demonstrate the ability to maintain a minimum bid price of at least
$4.00 per share. Although there are no strict guidelines in regard to how such
an ability to maintain stock price is to be demonstrated, at least a month of
consistent closing prices of more than $4.00 per share may be necessary for
NASDAQ consideration. Furthermore, if relisted, under Nasdaq's listing
maintenance standards, if the closing bid price of the Common Stock falls under
$1.00 per share for 30 consecutive business days and does not thereafter regain
compliance for a minimum of 10 consecutive business days during the 90 calendar
days following notification by Nasdaq of failure to comply with listing
maintenance requirements, Nasdaq may again delist the Common Stock from trading
on The Nasdaq SmallCap Market. The closing bid price on March 15, 2000 was $.80
on the Pink Sheets. Prior to being delisted, the bid price of the Company's
Common Stock closed on The Nasdaq SmallCap Market below $1.00 per share from
July 29, 1999 to November 29, 1999 and did not again have a minimum closing bid
price of at least $1.00 for 10 consecutive days until the period between
February 10, 2000 and March 1, 2000. The principal purpose of the Reverse Split
is to increase the market price of the Common Stock in order that the market
price of the Common Stock is well above the Nasdaq minimum bid requirement for
relisting and if relisted could better maintain the $1.00 maintenance
requirement (which does not adjust for the Reverse Split). The Pink Sheets on
which the Common Stock is now traded is generally considered to be a less
efficient market.
The purpose of the Reverse Split also would be to increase the market
price of the Common Stock in order to make the Common Stock more attractive to
raise financing (and, therefore, both raise cash to support the Company's
operations and increase the Company's net tangible assets to facilitate
compliance with Nasdaq requirements), and as a possible currency for
acquisitions and other transactions. The Common Stock traded on The Nasdaq
SmallCap Market at market prices ranging from approximately $.125 to
approximately $2.59 from November 18, 1999 through March 1, 2000 and on the Pink
Sheets from approximately $.80 to approximately $[1.04] from March 2, 2000
through March 15, 2000. This has reduced the attractiveness of using the Common
Stock or instruments convertible or exercisable into Common Stock in order to
raise financing to support the Company's operations and to increase the
Company's net worth and as consideration for potential acquisitions (which, when
coupled with the Company's need to deploy its available cash for operations, has
rendered acquisitions difficult to negotiate). Furthermore, the Company believes
that relisting the Company's Common Stock on The Nasdaq SmallCap Market may
provide the Company with a broader market for its Common Stock and, therefore,
facilitate the use of the Common Stock in acquisitions and financing
transactions in which the Company may engage.
THERE CAN BE NO ASSURANCE, HOWEVER, THAT, EVEN AFTER CONSUMMATING THE
REVERSE SPLIT, THE COMPANY WILL MEET THE MINIMUM BID PRICE FOR RELISTING AND
OTHERWISE MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF NASDAQ FOR INCLUSION FOR TRADING ON THE
NASDAQ SMALLCAP MARKET, OR THAT IT WILL BE ABLE TO UTILIZE ITS COMMON STOCK IN
ORDER TO EFFECTUATE FINANCING OR ACQUISITION TRANSACTIONS.
Furthermore, the Company is contractually obligated to issue 1,727,452
shares of Common Stock more than the 100,000,000 shares of Common Stock the
Company is currently authorized to issue. Accordingly, the Company is in
violation of certain of its contractual violations as it would be unable to
issue any shares of Common Stock pursuant to the exercise of Series D Warrants) addedoptions or warrants
or the conversion of 5% Convertible Stock if any such issuance would cause the
Company to -16-issue more than 100,000,000 shares of Common Stock. A Reverse Split
would allow the Company to issue shares pursuant to its contractual obligations
as it would reduce the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding and make
available shares of authorized Common Stock to issue as required.
15
oIn addition, the Reverse Split would make available the required number
of authorized shares of Common Stock needed to implement the 2000 Stock Option
Plan.
Giving the Board authority to implement the Reverse Split will help
avoid the necessity of calling a special meeting of stockholders under time
constraints to authorize a reverse split should it become necessary in order to
seek to effectuate a financing or acquisition transaction or to meet Nasdaq's
listing maintenance criteria at a future time.
The Reverse Split will not change the proportionate equity interests of
the Company's stockholders, nor will the respective voting rights and other
rights of stockholders be altered, except for possible immaterial changes due to
rounding up to eliminate fractional shares. The Common Stock issued pursuant to
the Reverse Split will remain fully paid and nonassessable. The Company will
continue to be subject to the periodic reporting requirements of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
CERTAIN EFFECTS OF THE REVERSE SPLIT
The following table illustrates the principal effects of the Reverse
Split to the 94,473,837 shares of Common Stock outstanding as of March 15, 2000:
Prior to After 1-for-2 After 1-for-4 After 1-for-6
Reverse Reverse Reverse Reverse
Stock Stock Stock Stock
Number of Shares Split Split Split Split
- ---------------- ----- ----- ----- -----
Common Stock:
Authorized (1)............................... 100,000,000 100,000,000 100,000,000 100,000,000
Outstanding (2)............................. 94,473,837 47,236,928 23,618,459 15,745,639
---------- ---------- ---------- ----------
Available for Future
Issuance............................... 5,526,163 52,763,072 76,381,541 84,254,360
-----------------------------
(1) If Proposal 4 is approved by the stockholders, there would be 200,000,000
shares of Common Stock authorized.
(2) Gives effect to the Reverse Split, excluding New Shares to be issued in
lieu of fractional shares, and to conversions of convertible preferred
stock through March 15, 2000 and to exercise of warrants through March 15,
2000. Excludes, on a pre-Reverse Split basis: 12,015 shares of Common Stock
subject to potential issuance upon conversion of the outstanding shares of
5% Convertible Stock; approximately 6,740,425 shares of Common Stock which
were subject to outstanding options and warrants; and 4,750,000 additional
shares of Common Stock which would be available for the grant of future
options if the 2000 Stock Option Plan and Stock Purchase Plan were
instituted. The number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion
of such sharesthe 5% Convertible Stock may be dependent upon the market price of
Series D Preferred Stock or exercise of
Series D Warrants,
would be equal to or exceed
o 9.999 percent ofCommon Stock. Accordingly, the actual number of shares of Common Stock
then
issued and outstanding, including the shares that would be
issuable upon conversion of the Series D Stock or exercise of
Series D Warrants held by such investor.
The Company will not be able, under the Series D Funding, to issue an
amount of shares of Common Stock equal to 20 percent or more of the outstanding
Common Stock of the Company unless this proposal is approved by the Company's
stockholders. See below "Reason for Stockholder Approval". In the event that
approval is not obtained from stockholders, the Company is only obligated under
the Series D Agreement to convert upon proper notification from the investors,
the Series D Stock into Common Stock at the applicable below market conversion
price in the applicable pro rata amounts so that no more than 20 percent of the
Company's Common Stock then outstanding will be issued. Any outstanding shares
of Series D Stock which if converted would cause the Company to issue in excess
of 20 percent of the outstanding Common Stock of the Company will be convertible
at the applicable market price of the Common Stock on the applicable conversion
date.
The Company intends to use the proceeds from the sale of the securities
for working capital and general corporate purposes.
Three Tranches of Funding Pursuant to the Series D Agreement
Pursuant to the Series D Agreement, the Company issued and sold and
shall issue and sell to the investors the Series D Stock and the Series D
Warrants in three tranches in the following dollar amounts on the following
dates:
o the first tranche of $600,000 of Series D Securities was
funded at the signing of the Series D Agreement;
o the second tranche of $600,000 of Series D Securities was
funded on February 5, 1999; and
o the third tranche of $1,200,000 of Series D Securities would
fund on a date after the Company, among other things, (i)
provides a written notice to the investors requiring such
investors to purchase up to $1,200,000 of the stated value of
the Series D Stock and (ii) has, and has had for two business
days prior to receiving any funding pursuant to the third
tranche, an appropriate and effective registration statement
(the "Registration Statement") filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission (the "SEC").
The Series D Stock is convertible into shares of the Company's Common Stock at a
floating conversion rate that is significantly below market price as of March 5,
1999, which is the lesser of (A) $.50 and (B) an amount equal to 70 percent of
the closing bid price per share of Common Stock on the Nasdaq SmallCap Market
(the "Series D Closing Price") for the three trading days having the lowest
Closing Price during the 30 trading days prior to the date on which the
applicable investor gives to the Company notice of conversion of Series D Stock;
except that all Series D Stock converted prior to February 26, 1999 would be
converted at $.50. As a result of this
-17-
floating conversion rate, the lower the market price for a share of Common
Stock, the more shares of Common Stock will be issued upon conversion of the Series D Stock. Accordingly, there is theoretically no limit on5% Convertible Stock may not be determined at
this time. Upon effectiveness of the Reverse Split, each option and warrant
would entitle the holder to acquire a number of shares equal to the number
of shares which the holder was entitled to acquire prior to the Reverse
Split divided by the Exchange Number at the exercise price in effect
immediately prior to the Reverse Split multiplied by the Exchange Number.
16
Stockholders should recognize that, if the Reverse Split is
effectuated, they will own a fewer number of Common Stock which mayshares than they presently own (a
number equal to the number of shares owned immediately prior to the filing of
the amendment regarding the Reverse Split divided by the Exchange Number, as
adjusted to include New Shares to be issued upon conversionin lieu of fractional shares). While
the Series D
Stock. ToCompany expects that the extent the Series D stockholders convert their Series D Stock,Reverse Split will result in an increase in the
market price of the Common Stock, may decrease duethere can be no assurance that the Reverse
Split will increase the market price of the Common Stock by a multiple equal to
the additional sharesExchange Number or result in a permanent increase in the market price (which
is dependent upon many factors, including the Company's performance and
prospects). Also, should the market price of the Company's Common Stock coming intodecline
after the market. A decreaseReverse Split, the percentage decline may be greater than would
pertain in the absence of the Reverse Split. Furthermore, the possibility exists
that liquidity in the market price of the Common Stock could allowbe adversely
affected by the Series Dreduced number of shares that would be outstanding after the
Reverse Split. In addition, the Reverse Split will increase the number of
stockholders to convert their Series D
Stock into even more shares of Common Stock, perhaps further decreasing the
market price of the Common Stock. This downward pressure onCompany who own odd-lots (less than 100 shares).
Stockholders who hold odd-lots typically will experience an increase in the market price
caused bycost
of selling their shares, as well as greater difficulty in effecting such sales.
In addition, an increase in the conversionnumber of Series D Stock could encourage short sales byodd-lot holders will reduce the Series D stockholders,number
of holders of round lots (100 or more shares), which could resultadversely affect the
Nasdaq listing requirement that the Company have at least 300 round lot holders.
Consequently, there can be no assurance that the Reverse Split will achieve the
desired results that have been outlined above.
Stockholders should also recognize that, as indicated in the further downward pressure on
the market price of the Common Stock.
Each investorforegoing
table, there will be an increase in Series D Stock shall have the right to vote, except as
otherwise required by Delaware law, on all matters on which holders of Common
Stock have the right to vote on with each such investor having the right to cast
one vote for each whole share of Common Stock into which each share of the
Series D Preferred Stock held by such investor is convertible immediately prior
to the record date for the determination of stockholders entitled to vote;
provided, however, that in no event shall a holder be entitled to vote more than
9.999 percent of the number of shares entitledwhich the Company will
be able to issue from authorized but unissued shares of Common Stock. As a
result of any issuance of shares, the equity and voting rights of holders of
outstanding shares may be voted on any matter.
Upondiluted.
PROCEDURE FOR EFFECTING REVERSE SPLIT AND EXCHANGE OF STOCK CERTIFICATES
If this amendment is approved by the completion of each tranche of Series D Funding, eachCompany's stockholders, and if the
Board still believes that the Reverse Split is in the best interests of the
investorsCompany and its stockholders, the Company will receivefile the number of Series D Warrants that directly correspondsamendment with the
dollar amountSecretary of State of the State of Delaware at such investor invested intime as the Board has
determined the appropriate Exchange Number and the appropriate effective time
for such tranche.split. The Series D
Warrants have an exercise price of $.875 and an exercise period of five years
fromBoard may delay effecting the Reverse Split until as late as
December 31, 2000 without resoliciting stockholder approval. The Reverse Split
will become effective on the date of issuance. The exercise pricefiling the amendment at the time specified
in the amendment (the "Effective Time"). Beginning at the Effective Time, each
certificate representing Old Shares will be deemed for all corporate purposes to
evidence ownership of New Shares.
As soon as practicable after the Effective Time, stockholders will be
notified that the Reverse Split has been effected and of the Series D Warrants may
decrease resultingexact Exchange
Number. The Company expects that its transfer agent will act as exchange agent
(the "Exchange Agent") for purposes of implementing the exchange of stock
certificates. Holders of Old Shares will be asked to surrender to the Exchange
Agent certificates representing Old Shares in exchange for certificates
representing New Shares in accordance with the procedures to be set forth in a
letter of transmittal to be sent by the Exchange Agent. No new certificates will
be issued to a stockholder until such stockholder has surrendered such
stockholder's outstanding certificate(s) together with the properly completed
and executed letter of transmittal to the Exchange Agent. Any Old Shares
submitted for transfer, whether pursuant to a sale or other disposition, or
otherwise, will automatically be exchanged for New Shares at the exchange ratio.
STOCKHOLDERS SHOULD NOT DESTROY ANY STOCK CERTIFICATE AND SHOULD NOT SUBMIT ANY
CERTIFICATE UNTIL REQUESTED TO DO SO BY THE COMPANY OR THE EXCHANGE AGENT.
FRACTIONAL SHARES
No scrip or fractional certificates will be issued in connection with
the Reverse Split. Any fraction of a share that any stockholders of record
otherwise would be entitled to receive shall be rounded up to the nearest whole
share.
NO DISSENTER'S RIGHTS
Under Delaware law, stockholders are not entitled to dissenter's rights
with respect to the proposed amendment.
17
FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSEQUENCES OF THE REVERSE SPLIT
The following is a summary of certain material U.S. federal income tax
consequences of the Reverse Split and does not purport to be complete. It does
not discuss any state, local, foreign or minimum income or other U.S. federal
tax consequences. Also, it does not address the tax consequences to holders that
are subject to special tax rules, such as banks, insurance companies, regulated
investment companies, personal holding companies, foreign entities, nonresident
alien individuals, broker-dealers and tax-exempt entities. The discussion is
based on the provisions of the U.S. federal income tax law as of the date
hereof, which is subject to change retroactively as well as prospectively. This
summary also assumes that the Old Shares were, and the New Shares will be, held
as a "capital asset," as defined in the issuanceCode (generally, property held for
investment). The tax treatment of a stockholder may vary depending upon the
particular facts and circumstances of such stockholder. EACH STOCKHOLDER SHOULD
CONSULT WITH SUCH STOCKHOLDER'S OWN TAX ADVISOR WITH RESPECT TO THE CONSEQUENCES
OF THE REVERSE SPLIT.
The Reverse Split is an increased numberisolated transaction and is not part of shares of Common
Stock issuable upon exercisea plan
to periodically increase any stockholder's proportionate interest in the assets
or earnings and profits of the Series D Warrants upon the occurrence of,
among other things, the mergerCompany. As a result, no gain or saleloss should be
recognized by a stockholder of the Company recapitalization,
reorganization or reclassificationupon such stockholder's exchange of
the Company's capital or issuance of
shares of Common Stock at a price which is below the then market price.
The following table describes the amount of shares of Common Stock into
which the Series D Securities outstanding as of March 5, 1999 are convertible or
exercisable at various percentages of the market price as of March 5, 1999 and
the percentages of the total outstanding Common Stock following such conversion
and exercise the Series D Securities would represent:
Conversion Price (any market price Number ofOld Shares for New Shares of Percentage of the Outstanding
over $.50 per share would be Common Stock issuable upon Common Stock following
converted at the conversion price of exercise of the Series D conversion and exercise of the
$.50 per share) Securities Series D Securities
----------------- ------------ --------------------
At $1.50 per share, market price at
March 5, 1999 7,200,000 28.8%
At $1.125 per share (75% of market
price at March 5, 1999) 7,200,000 28.8%
At $.75 per share (50% of market
price at March 5, 1999) 7,200,000 28.8%
At $.375 per share (25% of market
price at March 5, 1999) 8,800,000 33.1%
The holders of Series D Stock have no rights to receive dividends.
-18-
Reason for Stockholder Approval
Under the rules of the National Association of Securities Dealers,
issuers whose securities are listed on the Nasdaq Small Cap Market, the exchange
on which the Common Stock is listed, are required to obtain stockholder
approval, prior to the issuance of securities in connection with a transaction
other than a public offering involving:
o the sale or issuance by the issuer of common stock (or
securities convertible into or exercisable for common stock)
at a price less than (i) the greater of book or (ii) market
value of the stock, which together with sales by officers,
directors or substantial stockholders of the company equals 20
percent or more of common stock or 20 percent or more of the
voting power outstanding before the issuance; or
o the sale or issuance by the Company of common stock (or
securities convertible into or exercisable to purchase common
stock) equal to 20 percent or more of the common stock or 20
percent or more of the voting power outstanding before the
issuance for less than (i) the greater of book value or (ii)
market value of the stock.
Based on the closing bid price per share of Common Stock on the Nasdaq
SmallCap Market on March 5, 1999, and assuming that each of the three tranches
of Series D Funding was to occur, the Common Stock issuable pursuant to the Series D Agreement would be more than 20 percentReverse Split. The aggregate tax basis
of the shares of outstanding
Common StockNew Shares received in the Reverse Split will be the same as of March 5, 1999 (assuming, and after taking into account, the
full conversion ofstockholder's aggregate tax basis in the Series D StockOld Shares exchanged therefor. The
stockholder's holding period for the New Shares will include the period during
which the stockholder held the Old Shares surrendered in the Reverse Split.
REQUIRED VOTE
In accordance with the Delaware General Corporation Law and the
exerciseCertificate of all ofIncorporation, the Series D
Warrants, issued pursuant to the Series D Funding). On a fully diluted basis,
the Common Stock issuable pursuant to the full conversion and exercise of the
Series D Securities would be approximately 28.8 percent of the Common Stock
outstanding following such conversion and exercise. Accordingly, the full
conversion and exercise of the Series D Securities into shares of Common Stock
would result in substantial dilution to the interests of the holders of Common
Stock.
Therefore, the Board seeks stockholder approval of the Company's
issuance of shares of Common Stock pursuant to the conversion or exercise, as
applicable, of the Series D Securities which, if issued to the full extent,
could potentially result in the Company issuing 20 percent or more of the shares
of Common Stock outstanding. Stockholders are being asked to approve only this
proposed issuance and are not being asked to approve any other aspect of the
proposed Series D Funding.
STOCKHOLDER APPROVAL
Aaffirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the
voting poweroutstanding shares of the issued
and outstanding Common Stock present in person or represented by Proxy at the
Meeting and entitled to vote at the Meeting,thereon is required to approveadopt
this proposed amendment. As a result, any shares not voted (whether by
abstention, broker non-vote or otherwise) will have the issuance
ofsame effect as a vote
against the Securities pursuant to the Funding.proposal.
THE BOARD RECOMMENDS THAT STOCKHOLDERS VOTE FOR THIS
PROPOSAL.
PROPOSAL 5
APPROVAL OF THE ISSUANCE OF ADDITIONAL SHARES OF COMMON STOCK
-19-
UPON CONVERSION OF SERIES E CONVERTIBLE PREFERRED STOCK
General
As of February 2, 1999, the Company entered into a Securities Purchase
Agreement (the "Series E Agreement") with certain investors contemplating a
potential funding of up to $4,405,000 and as of February 19, 1999, the Company
entered into an Exchange Agreement (the "Exchange Agreement") with certain
investors contemplating a potential funding of $1,150,000 million (the Series E
Agreement and the Exchange Agreement being together the "Series E Funding"). The
Series E Funding provides for the private placement by the Company of up to
1,250 units (the "Units"). Each Unit consists of the following securities:
o one share of Series E Convertible Preferred Stock (the "Series
E Stock"); and
o 5,000 warrants (the "Series E Warrants" and, collectively,
with the Series E Stock, the "Series E Securities")
exercisable for shares of Common Stock.
The Series E Stock is convertible into shares of Common Stock as more fully
described below.
The Company will not be able, under the Series E Funding, to issue an
amount of shares of Common Stock equal to 20 percent or more of the outstanding
Common Stock of the Company unless this proposal is approved by the Company's
stockholders. See below "Reason for Stockholder Approval." In the event that
approval is not obtained from stockholders, the Company is only obligated under
the Series E Agreement to convert upon proper notification from the investors
the Series E Stock into Common Stock at the applicable below market conversion
price in the applicable pro rata amounts so that no more than 20 percent of the
Company's Common Stock then outstanding will be issued. Any outstanding shares
of Series E Stock which if converted would cause the Company to issue in excess
of 20 percent of the outstanding Common Stock of the Company will be convertible
at the applicable market price of the Common Stock on the applicable conversion
date.
The Company intends to use the proceeds from the sale of the Series E
Securities for working capital and general corporate purposes.
Funding Pursuant to the Series E Agreement and the Exchange Agreement
Pursuant to the Series E Agreement and the Exchange Agreement, the
Company issued and sold or shall issue and sell to the investors the Series E
Stock and Series E Warrants in the following amounts on the following dates:
o $2,500,000 of Series E Securities ($1,265,000 for cash and
$1,235,000 in exchange and/or cancellation of indebtedness) at
the time of the original execution of the Series E Agreement;
o $555,000 of Series E Securities for cash upon later closings
by certain of the Series E investors pursuant to the Series E
Agreement;
-20-
o $1,100,000 of Series E Securities in exchange and/or
cancellation of indebtedness pursuant to the Exchange
Agreement with such exchange or cancellation of indebtedness
taking place within five days of Shareholder Approval; and
o $250,000 for cash after the Company, among other things has,
and has had for two business days prior, an effective
Registration Statement filed with the SEC.
The Series E Stock is convertible into shares of the Company's Common Stock at a
floating conversion rate that is significantly below market price as of March 5,
1999, which is the lesser of (A) $.50 and (B) an amount equal to 70 percent of
the closing bid price per share of Common Stock on the Nasdaq SmallCap Market
(the "Series E Closing Price") for the three trading days having the lowest
Closing Price during the 30 trading days prior to the date on which the
applicable investor gives to the Company notice of conversion of Series E Stock;
except that all Series E Stock converted prior to February 26, 1999 would be
converted at $.50. As a result of this floating conversion rate, the lower the
market price for a share of Common Stock, the more shares of Common Stock will
be issued upon conversion of the Series E Stock. Accordingly, there is
theoretically no limit on the number of shares of Common Stock which may be
issued upon conversion of the Series E Stock. To the extent the Series E
stockholders convert their Series E Stock, the market price of the Common Stock
may decrease due to the additional shares of Common Stock coming into the
market. A decrease in the market price of the Common Stock could allow the
Series E stockholders to convert their Series E Stock into even more shares of
Common Stock, perhaps further decreasing the market price of the Common Stock.
This downward pressure on the market price caused by the conversion of Series E
Stock could encourage short sales by the Series E stockholders, which could
result in further downward pressure on the market price of the Common Stock.
Each investor in Series E Stock shall have the right to vote, except as
otherwise required by Delaware law, on all matters on which holders of Common
Stock have the right to vote on with each such investor having the right to cast
one vote for each whole share of Common Stock into which each share of the
Series E Preferred Stock held by such investor is convertible immediately prior
to the record date for the determination of stockholders entitled to vote.
Upon the Series E Funding, each of the investors will receive the
number of Series E Warrants that directly corresponds with the dollar amount
such investor invested in the Series E Funding, except that Tranche Investors
will receive the number of Series E Warrants that directly corresponds with the
dollar amount such investor invested in each completed tranche. The Series E
Warrants have an exercise period of $.875 and an exercise term of five years
from the date of issuance. The exercise price of the Series E Warrants may
decrease resulting in the issuance of an increased number of shares of Common
Stock issuable upon exercise of the Series E Warrants upon the occurrence of,
among other things, the merger or sale of the Company, recapitalization,
reorganization or reclassification of the Company's capital or issuance of
shares of Common Stock at a price which is below the then market price.
The following table describes the amount of shares of Common Stock into
which the Series E Securities outstanding as of March 5, 1999 are convertible or
exercisable at various percentages of the market price as of March 5, 1999 and
the percentages of the total outstanding Common Stock following such conversion
and exercise the Series E Stock would represent:
-21-
Conversion Price (any market price Number of Shares of Percentage of the Outstanding
over $.50 per share would be Common Stock issuable upon the Common Stock following
converted at the conversion price of conversion or exercise of the conversion and exercise of the
$.50 per share) Series E Series E Securities
At $1.50 per share, market price at
March 5, 1999 13,215,000 42.6%
At $1.125 per share (75% of market
price at March 5, 1999) 13,215,000 42.6%
At $.75 per share (50% of market
price at March 5, 1999) 13,215,000 42.6%
At $.375 per share (25% of market
price at March 5, 1999) 16,151,666 47.6%
The holders of Series E Stock have no rights to receive dividends.
Reason for Stockholder Approval
Under the rules of the National Association of Securities Dealers,
issuers whose securities are listed on the Nasdaq Small Cap Market, the exchange
on which the Common Stock is listed, are required to obtain stockholder
approval, prior to the issuance of securities in connection with a transaction
other than a public offering involving:
o the sale or issuance by the issuer of common stock (or
securities convertible into or exercisable for common stock)
at a price less than (i) the greater of book or (ii) market
value of the stock, which together with sales by officers,
directors or substantial stockholders of the company equals 20
percent or more of common stock or 20 percent or more of the
voting power outstanding before the issuance; or
o the sale or issuance by the Company of common stock (or
securities convertible into or exercisable to purchase common
stock) equal to 20 percent or more of the common stock or 20
percent or more of the voting power outstanding before the
issuance for less than the greater of (i) book value or (ii)
market value of the stock.
Based on the closing bid price per share of Common Stock on the Nasdaq
SmallCap Market on March 5, 1999, and assuming that the terms and conditions of
the Exchange Agreement were to be fully carried out and each of the three
tranches relating to the Tranche Investors' Series E Funding were to occur, the
Common Stock issuable pursuant to the Series E Agreement and the Exchange
Agreement would be more than 20 percent of the shares of outstanding Common
Stock as of March 5, 1999 (assuming, and after taking into account, the full
conversion of the Series E Stock and the exercise of all of the Series E
Warrants, issued pursuant to the Series E Funding). On a fully diluted basis,
the Common Stock issuable pursuant to the full conversion and exercise of the
Series E Securities would be approximately 42.6 percent of the Common Stock
outstanding following such conversion and exercise. Accordingly, full conversion
and exercise of the Series E Securities into shares of Common Stock would result
in substantial dilution to the interests of the holders of Common Stock.
-22-
Therefore, the Board seeks stockholder approval of the Company's
issuance of shares of Common Stock pursuant to the conversion or exercise of the
Series E Securities which, if issued to the full extent, could potentially
result in the Company issuing 20 percent or more of the shares of Common Stock
outstanding. Stockholders are being asked to approve only this proposed issuance
and are not being asked to approve any other aspect of the proposed Series E
Funding.
STOCKHOLDER APPROVAL
A vote of the holders of a majority of the voting power of the issued
and outstanding Common Stock, present in person or represented by Proxy at the
Meeting and entitled to vote at the Meeting, is required to approve the issuance
of the Securities pursuant to the Funding.
THE BOARD RECOMMENDS THAT STOCKHOLDERS VOTE FOR THIS PROPOSAL.
PROPOSAL 6
RATIFICATION OF INDEPENDENT AUDITORS
The Board has appointedstockholders approved the appointment of the firm of Boros &
Farrington APC, independent public auditors for the Company during the 1998 Fiscal Year,fiscal
year ended June 30, 1999. The Board has selected Boros & Farrington, APC to
serve in the same capacity for the year endingended June 30, 1999,2000, and is asking the
stockholders to ratify this appointment. The affirmative vote of a majority of
the shares represented and voting at the Meeting is required to ratify the
selection of Boros & Farrington APC.
In the event the stockholders fail to ratify the appointment, the Board
will reconsider its selection. Even if the selection is ratified, the Board in
its discretion may direct the appointment of a different independent auditing
firm at any time during the year if the Board believes that such a change would
be in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders.
A representative of Boros & Farrington APC is expected to be present at
the Meeting, will have the opportunity to make a statement if he or she desires
to do so, and will be available to respond to appropriate questions.
THE BOARD RECOMMENDS THAT THE STOCKHOLDERS VOTE FOR THE
RATIFICATION OF THE SELECTION OF BOROS & FARRINGTON APC TO
SERVE AS THE COMPANY'S INDEPENDENT AUDITORS FOR THE FISCAL
YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 1999.THIS PROPOSAL.
OTHER MATTERS
The Company knows of no other matters that will be presented for
consideration at the Meeting. If any other matters properly come before the
Meeting, it is the intention of the persons named in the enclosed -23-
form of
18
Proxy to vote the shares they represent as the Board may recommend.
Discretionary authority with respect to such other matters is granted by the
execution of the enclosed Proxy.
OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES
The following table sets forth certain information known to the Company
with respect to the beneficial ownership of Common Stock as of February 10,
1999,March 15, 2000,
by (i) all persons who are beneficial owners of five percent (5 percent)(5%) or more of the
Common Stock, (ii) each director and nominee for director, (iii) the applicable
executive officers named in the Summary Compensation Table of the Executive
Compensation and Other Information section of this Proxy Statement and (iv) all
current directors and executive officers as a group. Unless otherwise indicated,
each of the stockholders has sole voting and investment power with respect to
the shares beneficially owned, subject to community property laws, where
applicable.
Percentage
Shares of Common Of Shares Of Common
Stock Beneficially Stock Beneficially
Beneficial Ownership of Common Stock Owned OwnedPERCENTAGE
SHARES OF COMMON OF SHARES OF COMMON
STOCK BENEFICIALLY STOCK BENEFICIALLY
BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF COMMON STOCK OWNED OWNED (1)
------------------------------------ ------- --------------- ---------
Harry J. Saal Trust UTA Dated 7/19/72 (2).......... 5,604,333 25.6%
Saal Family Charitable Lead Trust UTA Dated
2/25/98 (3)...................................... 1,118,767 6.4
Edward W. Savarese (4)............................. 277,600 2.1
A. L. Dubrow (5)................................... 245,014 1.8
Brian Bonar (6).................................... 214,464 1.6
David M. Carver (7)................................ 8,333(2) 514,255 *
Warren T. Lazarow (7).............................. 8,333Christopher McKee (3) 48,192 *
Joseph Pfeuffer (4) 54,076 *
Philip Englund (5) 71,490 *
Keith Meadows * *
Robert A. Dietrich * *
Eric W. Gaer * *
Stephen J. Fryer * *
All current directors and 6,080,477 27.4
executive officers 688,013 *
as a group (10(8 persons) (8).................................(6)
- ---------------------------------------------------------
* Less than one percent of the outstanding Common Stock
(1) Percentage of ownership is based on 16,320,15594,473,837 shares of Common Stock
outstanding on February 10, 1999.March 15, 2000. Shares of Common Stock subject to stock
options warrants and convertible securities which are currently
exercisable or convertible or will become exercisable or convertible
within 60 days after February 10, 1999March 15, 2000 are deemed outstanding for
computing the percentage of the person or group holding such options,
warrants or convertible securities but are not deemed outstanding for
computing the percentage of any other person or group.
(2) Harry J. Saal is a trustee of the Harry J. Saal Trust UTA Dated
7/19/72, 1955 Bryant Street, Palo Alto, CA 94301. Includes 3,031,073
shares issuable upon exercise of warrants that are currently
exercisable or will become exercisable within 60 days after February
10, 1999. Includes also 2,470,000 shares issuable upon the conversion
of Series E Preferred into shares of Common Stock assuming that the
conversion rate used is $.50 (see "Proposal 5 Approval of the Issuance
of Additional Shares of Common Stock Upon Conversion of Series E
Convertible Preferred Stock").
-24-
Includes also 100,000 shares issuable upon exercise of stock options
that are currently exercisable or will become exercisable within 60
days after February 10, 1999.
(3) Leonard J. Shustek is the trustee of the Saal Family Charitable Lead
Trust UTA Dated 2/25/98, 1955 Bryant Street, Palo Alto, CA 94301.
(Harry J. Saal has no beneficial ownership interest in any of the
shares of this trust). Includes 330,000 shares issuable upon the
conversion of Series E Preferred into shares of Common Stock assuming
that the conversion rate used is $.50 (see "Proposal 5 Approval of the
Issuance of Additional Shares of Common Stock Upon Conversion of Series
E Convertible Preferred Stock"). Includes also 165,000 shares issuable
upon exercise of stock options that are currently exercisable or will
become exercisable within 60 days after February 10, 1999.
(4) Includes 137,500 shares issuable upon exercise of warrants that are
currently exercisable or will become exercisable within 60 days after
February 10, 1999.
(5) Includes 20,612 shares issuable upon exercise of warrants that are
currently exercisable or will become exercisable within 60 days after
February 10, 1999.
(6) Includes 206,458506,249 shares issuable upon exercise of options and warrants
that are currently exercisable or will become exercisable within 60
days after February 10, 1999.
(7) Represents 8,333March 15, 2000.
(3) Includes 48,192 shares issuable upon exercise of warrants that are
currently exercisable or will become exercisable within 60 days after
February 10, 1999.
(8)March 15, 2000.
(4) Includes 5,844,80954,076 shares issuable upon exercise of warrants that are
currently exercisable or will become exercisable within 60 days after
March 15, 2000.
(5) Includes 71,490 shares issuable upon exercise of warrants that are
currently exercisable or will become exercisable within 60 days after
March 15, 2000.
19
(6) Includes 680,007 shares issuable upon exercise of options and warrants
that are currently exercisable or will become exercisable within 606 days
after February 10, 1999.
Shares of Percentage of Shares
Series D Stock of Series D Stock
Beneficial Ownership of Series D Stock Beneficially Owned Beneficially Owned (1)
-------------------------------------- ------------------ ----------------------
Balmore Funds S.A. (2).......................... 250 41.67%
Austost Anstalt Schaan (3)...................... 250 41.67
Nesher, Inc. (4)................................ 50 8.33
Guarantee & Finance Corp. (5)................... 50 8.33
(1) Percentage of ownership is based on 600 shares of Series D Stock
outstanding on February 10, 1999. Upon completion of the third tranche
of the Series D Funding, the Company will issue an additional 600
shares of Series D Stock.
(2) The address of the beneficial owner is Trident Chambers, P.O. Box 146,
Roadstown Tortola, British Virgin Islands, Attn.: Francois Morax.
Balmore Funds S.A. will be issued an additional 250 shares of Series D
Stock within two business days of the declaration of effectiveness of
the Registration Statement by the SEC.
(3) The address of the beneficial owner is 744 Fuerstentum, Landstrasse
163, Lichtenstein, Attn.: Thomas Hackl. Austost Anstalt Schaan will be
issued an additional 250 shares of Series D Stock
-25-
within two business days of the declaration of effectiveness of the
Registration Statement by the SEC.
(4) The address of the beneficial owner is Ragnall House, 18 Peel Road,
Douglas, Isle of Man, 1M14L2 United Kingdom, Attn.: John Clarke.
Nesher, Inc. will be issued an additional 50 shares of Series D Stock
within two business days of the declaration of effectiveness of the
Registration Statement by the SEC.
(5) The address of the beneficial owner is Vallarino P.H., Calle 52, Elvimo
Mendez, Panama, Panama, Attn.: Ricardo Durling. Guarantee & Finance
Corp. will be issued an additional 50 shares of Series D Stock within
two business days of the declaration of effectiveness of the
Registration Statement by the SEC.
Percentage of Shares of
Shares of Series E Stock Series E Stock
Beneficial Ownership of Series E Stock Beneficially Owned(1) Beneficially Owned(1)
Harry J. Saal Trust
UTA Dated 7/19/92............................ 247 44.9%
Gilston Corporation, Ltd. (2).................. 50 9.0
Manchester Asset Management (3)................ 50 9.0
Saal Family Charitable Lead Trust UTA
Dated 2/25/98................................ 33 6.0
(1) Percentage of ownership is based on 550 shares of Series E Stock
outstanding on February 10, 1999. Upon completion of the third tranche
of the Series E Funding, the Company would issue an additional 50
shares of Series E Stock within two business days of the declaration of
effectiveness of the Registration Statement by the SEC.
(2) The address of the beneficial owner is Charlotte House, Charlotte
Street, P.O. Box N-9204, Nassau, Bahamas, attention Ms. Dawn Davies.
Gilston Corporation, Ltd. will be issued an additional 25 shares of
Series E Stock within two business days of the declaration of
effectiveness of the Registration Statement by the SEC.
(3) The address of the beneficial owner is Charlotte House, Charlotte
Street, P.O. Box N-9204, Nassau, Bahamas, attention Anthony L.M. Inder
Rieden. Manchester Asset Management will be issued an additional 25
shares of Series E Stock within two business days of the declaration of
effectiveness of the Registration Statement by the SEC.March 15, 2000.
EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
The executive officers of the Company as of March 5, 1999,15, 2000, are as
follows:
Name Age Position
Brian Bonar.................. 51 President, Chief Executive Officer
and Director
-26-
Name Age Position
- ---- --- --------
Michael K. Clemens........... 51 Senior ViceBrian Bonar 52 Chairman of the Board of Directors,
President, and Chief FinancialExecutive Officer
Joseph J. Pfeuffer........... 53Pfeuffer 54 Senior Vice President of Engineering
Frank Leonardi............... 53 Senior Vice President of Worldwide
Sales and Marketing
Philip J. Englund............ 55Englund 56 Senior Vice President, General Counsel
and Secretary
Christopher W. McKee......... 50McKee 51 Senior Vice President of Finance and
Administration
Brian Bonar has been nominated to serve as a director of the Company.
See "Proposal 1 Election of the Board" for a discussion of Mr. Bonar's business
experience.
Michael K. Clemens has served as Senior Vice President and Chief
Financial Officer of the Company since August 1998. Prior to joining the
Company, Mr. Clemens served in various capacities, including Chief Financial
Officer, Senior Vice President and Treasurer at SyQuest Technology, Inc. from
July 1996 through August 1998. From April 1994 to July 1996, Mr. Clemens served
as the Vice President--Treasurer of MTI Technology, a computer storage company,
and from May 1993 to April 1994, Mr. Clemens served as a consultant to private
businesses in the high-tech industry. Mr. Clemens served as the Chief Financial
Officer of Bluebird Systems, a privately held software and distribution company,
from April 1992 to April 1993.
Joseph J. Pfeuffer has served as Senior Vice President of Engineering
of the Company since February 1998. Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Pfeuffer
was a Director of Engineering with Adobe Systems, Inc. during 1996 and 1997
where he was responsible for Postscript-Registration Mark- controller
development. From 1990 to 1996 Mr. Pfeuffer was a Director of Engineering with
Output Technology responsible for electronic and software engineering. Mr.
Pfeuffer holds a B.S. degree from Stevens Institute of Technology and a Masters
of Business Administration from Washington University.
Frank Leonardi has served as Senior Vice President of Worldwide Sales
and Marketing of the Company since September 1998. Prior to joining the Company,
Mr. Leonardi served as an independent consultant for over five years providing
sales management consulting for various domestic and international markets for
numerous companies. Mr. Leonardi holds a B.S. degree from Iona College.
Philip J. Englund has served as Senior Vice President, General Counsel
and Secretary of the Company since February 1999. Prior to joining the Company,
Mr. Englund served as general counsel to a number of companies on a contract
basis from October 1997 through February 1999, as he had done form April 1995
through November 1996. He served as Senior Vice President, General Counsel and
Secretary to The Titan Corporation from November 1996 through October 1997; and
as Vice President and General Counsel to Optical Radiation Corporation from
November 1986 through April 1995.
Christopher W. McKee has served as Senior Vice President of Finance and
Operations of the Company since August 1998. Prior to joining the Company, Mr.
McKee spent 23 years with Flowserve Corporation and its predecessor company,
BW/IP, Inc., in various financial management positions, including most recently
as its Director of Information Technology and Baan Implementation. Mr. McKee
holds a masters in business administration from Pepperdine University.
-27-20
EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION AND OTHER INFORMATION
Summary of Cash and Certain Other Compensation
The following table provides certain summary information concerning the
cash compensation earnedand certain other compensation paid, awarded, or accrued, by
each ofthe Company to the Company's Chief Executive OfficersOfficer and the two most highly
compensated executive officers who were serving at the end of the fiscal year
ended June 30, 1999 and two former executive officers who served during the
fiscal year ended June 30, 1999, each of whose salary and bonus exceeded
$100,000 for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1999 for services rendered in all
capacities to the Company and its subsidiaries for the fiscal years ended June
30, 1996, 1997, 1998 and 1998. None of the Company's other
executive officers were paid a salary and bonus for the 1998 Fiscal Year in
excess of $100,000.1999. The listed individuals shall be hereinafter referred to
as the "Named Officers."
SUMMARY COMPENSATION TABLE
Long Term
Compensation
-------------
Annual Compensation Compensation
-------- Other Awards -------------------------- ----------------- -------------
Other
Other Compen-
Fiscal Annual Options/ sationCompensation
Name and Principal Position Year Salary Bonus Compensation SARS (#) (5)Salary($) Bonus($) Compensation($) SARS(#) ($)
- ------------------------------- --------- ---------- ----------- ----------------- ------------- -----------
*Brian Bonar................... 1998 $ 235,243 $ -- $ -- 450,000 $ --
Director, President and Chief 1997 173,391 -- -- 150,000 --
Executive Officer 1996 155,648 -- 12,009 (2) 750,000 --
*Edward W. Savarese............ 1998 270,000 85,000(1) 210,973 (3) 300,000 --
Director and Chief Executive 1997 255,000 -- 38,235 150,000 --
Officer 1996 246,792 -- 72,850 (4) 1,675,000 4,710
* Dr. Savarese resigned as the Chief Executive Officer of the Company on
April 1, 1998, and as director of the Company as of June 15, 1998. Mr.
Bonar was appointed as Chief Executive Officer of the Company on April
1, 1998.
(1) This amount includes $40,000 of deferred bonuses from the fiscal year
of 1997 (the "1997 Fiscal Year").
(2) This amount includes $12,009 of accrued but unpaid vacation due to Mr.
Bonar that was converted into unregistered shares of Common Stock.
(3) This amount includes $75,000, which represents the compensation deemed
paid to Dr. Savarese upon exercise of certain warrants to purchase
75,000 shares of Common Stock, and $56,362 for accrued vacation
benefits that were paid to Dr. Savarese.
(4) This amount includes $42,500 for accrued vacation benefits and $30,350
of accrued but unpaid compensation due to Dr. Savarese that was
converted into unregistered shares of Common Stock.
(5) This amount represents the total insurance premiums paid for term life
insurance for the benefit of Dr. Savarese for fiscal 1996. For fiscal
1997, the policy was converted to a whole life policy.
-28-
Option/SAR Grants in Last Fiscal Year
The following table provides information on options/SARs granted in the
1998 Fiscal Year to the Named Officers.
Number of Percent of Total Potential Realizable
Securities Options/sars Exercise Value at Assumed
Underlying Granted to Or Base Annual Rates of Stock
Options/sars Employees in Price Expiration Price Appreciation for
Name Granted (#) (1) Fiscal Year ($/share) Date Option Term
- -------------------- ------------------------------------------- ---- -------- ------- --------------- ----------- ----------------- ----------------------------
5% ($) 10% ($)------- ---
Brian Bonar 200,000 12.78% $4.00 January1999 250,570 -- -- 850,000 --
Chairman of the Board, 1998 235,243 -- -- 450,000 --
President and Chief Executive 1997 179,303 -- -- 150,000 --
Officer
Christopher McKee 1999 129,250 20,000 -- 100,000 --
Vice President of Finance 1998 0 -- -- -- --
and Administration 1997 0 -- -- -- --
Joseph Pfeuffer 1999 132,250 20,000 -- 27,000 --
Vice President of Operations 1998 51,458 -- -- 45,000 --
Worldwide 1997 0 -- -- -- --
*Frank Leonardi 1999 180,000 -- 77,424(1) 100,000 --
Vice President of Worldwide 1998 0 -- -- -- --
Sales and Marketing (former) 1997 0 -- -- -- --
**Michael Clemens 1999 149,007 -- -- 60,000 --
Vice President of Accounting 1998 0 -- -- -- --
(former) 1997 0 -- -- -- --
- ------------------------------------------
* Frank Leonardi resigned from his position with the Company in May of the
fiscal year ended June 30, 1999.
** Michael Clemens resigned from his position with the Company in March of the
fiscal year ended June 30,1999.
(1) Such sum was earned pursuant to sales commissions.
21
OPTION/SAR GRANTS IN LAST FISCAL YEAR
The following table provides information on Options/SARs granted in the
fiscal year ended June 30, 2008 $503,116 $1,274,9941999 to the Named Officers.
Percent (%) Potential Realizable
of Total Value at Assumed
Number of Options/SARs Annual Rates of Stock
Securities Granted to Exercise Price Appreciation for
Underlying Employees in or Base Option Term
Options/SARs the fiscal Price Expiration -----------------------
Name Granted (#)(1) year ($/share) Date 5% ($) 10% ($)
- --------------------- ---------------- --------------- ------------ ---------------- ------------ ----------
Brian Bonar 200,000 15.98 3.00 April850,000 30 1.13 2/19/08 1,768,000 3,383,000
Christopher McKee 100,000 4 2.65 8/11/09 56,000 246,000
Joseph Pfeuffer 27,000 1 2008 471,671 1,195,307
Edward W. Savarese* 200,000 19.17 4.00 January 30, 2008 754,674 1,912,4910.75 6/09/09 66,420 117,720
Frank Leonardi 100,000 4 1.90 8/18/08 131,000 321,000
Michael Clemens 60,000(2) 7 1.90 8/18/08 78,6000 192,600
* Dr. Savarese resigned as the Chief Executive Officer of the Company on
April 1, 1998, and as a director of the Company as of June 15, 1998.- --------------------------------
(1) WarrantsWarrants/options become exercisable monthly over 48 monthsa 10 year period from
date of grant. Aggregated Options/Each warrant/option was issued at the then current
market price.
(2) An additional 140,000 warrants/options originally granted to Mr.
Clemens were canceled pursuant to his March 1999 resignation.
AGGREGATED OPTIONS/SAR Exercises in Last Fiscal Year and Fiscal Year-end
Option/EXERCISES IN LAST FISCAL YEAR AND FISCAL YEAR-END
OPTION/SAR ValuesVALUES
The following table provides information on option exercises in the
1998 Fiscal Yearfiscal year ended June 30, 1999 by the Named Officers and the value of such
Named Officers' unexercised options at June 30, 1998.1999. Warrants to purchase
Common Stock are included as options. No stock appreciation rights were
exercised by the Named Officers during the 1998 Fiscal Year,fiscal year ended June 30, 1999, and
no stock appreciation rights were held by them at the end of the 1998 Fiscal Year.fiscal year
ended June 30, 1999.
Shares Value
Number of Securities Value of Unexercised
Acquired on Realized (#) Underlying Unexercised In-the-money Options/sars
Name Exercise (#)SARs
Shares Options/sarsSARs at FY-end (#) At Fiscal Year End ($) (1)
- -------------------- --------------- ------------- ---------------------------------- --------------------------------Acquired on Value ---------------------------
Name Exercise (#) Realized($) Exercisable Unexercisable Exercisable Unexercisable
- --------------------- --------------- ------------ ------------- -------------- ------------- ----------------
Brian Bonar 40,000 $216,250 131,458 513,542 $143,047 $205,078
Edward W. Savarese* 75,000 119,550 81,250 368,750 -- --0 0 150,000 700,000 126,582 590,716
Christopher McKee 0 0 33,333 81,668 0 0
Joseph Pfeuffer 27,000 20,250 18,752 26,248 0 0
Frank Leonardi 0 0 50,229 149,771 1,290 5,590
Michael Clemens 0 0 60,000 0 4,128 0
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Dr. Savarese resigned as the Chief Executive Officer of the Company on
April 1, 1998, and as a director of the Company as of June 15, 1998.- --------------------------------
(1) At the 1998 Fiscal Year end of the fiscal year ended June 30, 1999, the average of the
bid and asked price of the Common Stock on that date as quoted by the
NASD Electronic Bulletin Board was $3.88.
-29-$1.9688.
22
Employment Contracts, Termination of Employment and Change-in-control
ArrangementsEMPLOYMENT CONTRACTS, TERMINATION OF EMPLOYMENT AND CHANGE-IN-CONTROL
ARRANGEMENTS
The Company entered into an employment agreement with Dr. Savarese as
of July 1, 1990, which was amended in 1994, 1997 and 1998, calling for
employment through June 30, 2002. The salary under the amended agreement,
commencing July 1, 1998, is $198,750 per year.
The Company also entered into an employment agreement with Mr. Bonar,
(with Dr. Savarese, the "Executives"),
effective September 1, 1994, and amended April 1, 1998, calling for employment
through June 30, 1999, at an annual base salary of $250,000 plus incentive
bonus.
TheseThis employment agreements provideagreement provides that, in the event of termination
without cause, whether or not occurring in the aftermath of a change in
corporate control, the Company shall pay, within 72 hours after his termination,
his entire salary for the remainder of the entire term, and shall also continue
his fringe benefits for the remainder of the entire term.
In addition, in the event of an Executive'sMr. Bonar's death or permanent disability,
his salary shall continue during the entire term, and his stock options shall be
exercisable until two years after his death or permanent disability.
An ExecutiveMr. Bonar shall be entitled to severance pay equal to one-half of his
fiscal 1999 annual salary if his employment terminates upon the scheduled
expiration of the employment agreement, or if he is terminated without cause
within six months before the scheduled expiration of the employment agreement.
The Company entered into an executive employment agreement with Mr. ClemensEnglund as of
November 1, 1998, callingFebruary 22, 1999, which calls for a base monthly salary of $16,500$11,667.67 for a
term of three years. Pursuant to the terms of his employment agreement, Mr. ClemensEnglund is
eligible for the following bonuses:
o $10,000 bonus paid 30 days after the start$5,000 quarterly bonuses based upon achievement of his employment;
o 1% bonus on all equity financing of upobjectives
to $10,000,000 the
Company receives as a result ofbe mutually agreed-upon by Mr. Clemens' efforts;
o $10,000 quarterly bonus based on the Company achieving
quarterly salesEnglund and profit objectives as established by the Company's
management and approved by the Board;chief executive officer; and
o at the sole discretion of the Company, Mr. ClemensEnglund may receive
from time to time additional compensation.
Hecompensation or benefits.
In addition, Mr. Englund also received 200,000 stock option grants pursuant to the terms of
the Company's employee stock option plan and presently receives other employee benefits,
including certain medical benefits and eligibility to be part of the Company
401(k) plan.
Mr. Clemens'Englund's employment agreement provides that, in the event of
termination without cause, termination for good causereason or pursuant to change in
corporate control, the Company shall pay, within 72 hours after his termination,
an amount equal to six months of his salary together with any other compensation
or benefits owed to him by the Company. In the event of his death or permanent
disability, his salary shall continue during the entire term, and his stock
options shall be exercisable until two years after his death or permanent
disability. Mr. ClemensEnglund shall be entitled to severance pay equal to one-half of
his annual salary if his employment
-30-
terminates upon the scheduled expiration of
the employment agreement or if he is terminated without cause within six months
before the scheduled expiration of the employment agreement.
The Company entered into an employment letter agreement with Mr.
Leonardi as of September 1, 1998, which calls for a base monthly salary of
$16,500 and entitles Mr. Leonardi to bonuses based on services provided to the
Company in addition to the services provided to the Company pursuant to his
position as Senior Vice President of Worldwide Sales and Marketing. In addition,
Mr. Leonardi may earn commissions based on sales targets achieved by the
Company. Pursuant to the terms of his letter agreement, Mr. Leonardi also
receives other employee benefits, including certain medical benefits and
eligibility to be part of the Company 401(k) plan. Mr. Leonardi's employment
with the Company is "at-will" and may be terminated at any time.
The Company entered into an employment letter agreement with Mr. McKee
as of August 3, 1998, calling for a base monthly salary of $11,750. Pursuant to
the terms of his letter agreement, Mr. McKee is eligible for the following
bonuses:
o quarterly bonus based on the Company achieving quarterly sales
and profit objectives; and
o at the sole discretion of the Board, Mr. McKee may receive
from time to time a percentage of the Company's net income.
He also received 100,000 stock option grants pursuant to the terms of
the Company's employee stock option plan and presently receives other employee
benefits, including certain medical benefits and eligibility to be part of the
Company 401(k) plan. Mr. McKee's employment with the Company is "at-will" and
may be terminated at any time.
Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation
The Compensation Committee currently consists of Dr. Saal and Mr.
Carver. None of these individuals was an officer or employee of the Company at
any time during the 1998 Fiscal Year or at any other time.
No current executive officer of the Company has ever served as a member
of the Board or Compensation Committee of any other entity that has or has had
one or more executive officers serving as a member of the Board or Compensation
Committee.
Compensation Committee Report on Executive Compensation
It is the duty of the Compensation Committee to review and determine
the salaries and bonuses of executive officers of the Company, including the
Chief Executive Officer, and to establish the general compensation policies for
such individuals. The Compensation Committee also has the sole and exclusive
authority to make discretionary option grants to the Company's executive
officers under the Company's stock option plan.
The Compensation Committee believes that the compensation programs for
the Company's executive officers should reflect the Company's performance and
the value created for the Company's stockholders. In addition, the compensation
programs should support the short-term and long-term strategic goals and values
of the Company and should reward individual contribution to the Company's
success. The Company is engaged in
-31-23
a very competitive industry, and the Company's success depends upon its ability
to attract and retain qualified executives through the competitive compensation
packages it offers to such individuals.
General Compensation Policy. The Compensation Committee's policy is to
provide the Company's executive officers with compensation opportunities which
are based upon their personal performance, the financial performance of the
Company and their contribution to that performance and which are competitive
enough to attract and retain highly skilled individuals. Each executive
officer's compensation package is comprised of three elements: (i) base salary
that is competitive with the market and reflects individual performance, (ii)
annual variable performance awards payable in cash and tied to the Company's
achievement of annual performance goals and (iii) long-term stock-based
incentive awards designed to strengthen the mutuality of interests between the
executive officers and the Company's stockholders. As an officer's level of
responsibility increases, a greater proportion of his or her total compensation
will be dependent upon the Company's financial performance and stock price
appreciation rather than base salary.
Factors. The principal factors that were taken into account in
establishing each executive officer's compensation package for the 1998 Fiscal
Year are described below. However, the Compensation Committee may in its
discretion apply entirely different factors, such as different measures of
financial performance, for future fiscal years.
Base Salary. In setting base salaries, the Compensation Committee
attempted to keep the base salaries of the Company's officers at a level around
the median range of the salaries of officers in comparable companies. The
Compensation Committee also considered each individual's personal performance
and internal alignment considerations. The relative weight given to each factor
varies with each individual in the sole discretion of the Compensation
Committee. Each executive officer's base salary is adjusted each year on the
basis of (i) the Compensation Committee's evaluation of the officer's personal
performance for the year and (ii) the competitive marketplace for persons in
comparable positions. The Company's performance and profitability may also be a
factor in determining the base salaries of executive officers.
Annual Incentives. The annual incentive bonuses for the Company's
executive officers are granted pursuant to the terms and conditions of an
executive officer's employment agreement and based on a percentage of an
executive officer's base pay which is adjusted to reflect the actual financial
performance of each executive officer and the achievement of Company goals
during the year. If an executive officer's employment agreement does not call
for annual incentive bonuses then an executive officer will not receive the
bonuses. Based on these criteria, only Dr. Savarese received a bonus in the 1998
Fiscal Year. Dr. Savarese's was paid a bonus based upon the profitability of the
Company, which bonuses for the first three quarters of the Fiscal Year 1998
totaled $45,000. Subsequent target bonuses pursuant to Dr. Savarese's employment
agreement were not met and therefore no further bonuses was paid to him for the
Fiscal Year 1998. In addition, Dr. Savarese received $40,000 in annual incentive
bonuses which was earned in the Fiscal Year 1997 but not paid until the Fiscal
Year 1998.
Long-term Incentives. Generally, stock option grants or other forms of
stock-based incentive awards are made annually by the Compensation Committee to
each of the Company's executive officers. Each grant is designed to align the
interests of the executive officer with those of the stockholders and provide
each individual with a significant incentive to manage the Company from the
perspective of an owner with an equity stake in the business. Each grant allows
the officer to acquire shares of Common Stock at a fixed price per share (the
market price on the grant date) over a specified period of time (up to ten
years). Each option becomes exercisable in a series of installments over a
four-year period, contingent upon the officer's continued employment with the
Company. Accordingly, the option will provide a return to the executive officer
only if he or she remains
-32-
employed by the Company during the vesting period, and then only if the market
price of the shares appreciates over the option term.
The size of the option grant to each executive officer, including the
Chief Executive Officer, is set by the Compensation Committee at a level that is
intended to create a meaningful opportunity for stock ownership based upon the
individual's current position with the Company, the individual's personal
performance in recent periods and his or her potential for future responsibility
and promotion over the option term. The Compensation Committee also takes into
account the number of unvested options held by the executive officer in order to
maintain an appropriate level of equity incentive for that individual. The
relevant weight given to each of these factors varies from individual to
individual. The Compensation Committee has established certain guidelines with
respect to the option grants made to the executive officers, but has the
flexibility to make adjustments to those guidelines at its discretion.
CEO Compensation. In setting the total compensation payable to the two
individuals that served as the Company's Chief Executive Officer during the 1998
Fiscal Year, the Compensation Committee sought to make their compensation
competitive with the compensation paid to the chief executive officers of
companies of similar size, in comparable industries, while at the same time
assuring that a significant percentage of compensation was tied to Company
performance and stock price appreciation.
For the 1998 Fiscal Year, the Compensation Committee believes that Dr.
Savarese's and Mr. Bonar's base salaries ($270,000 and $235,243, respectively)
were approximately at the median of the base salary levels of other chief
executive officers at comparable companies. Dr. Savarese's base salary was paid
pursuant to the terms of his employment agreement originally signed in 1990. Mr.
Bonar's base salary was increased on becoming the Company's Chief Executive
Officer in consideration of the additional responsibilities of such position.
The remaining components of Dr. Savarese's and Mr. Bonar's 1998 Fiscal
Year compensation, however, were primarily dependent upon corporate performance.
Dr. Savarese was eligible for a cash bonus for the 1998 Fiscal Year conditioned
on the Company's attainment of business plan objectives. Dr. Savarese earned an
$85,000 bonus for the 1998 Fiscal Year because the Company attained certain of
these objectives and also had achieved certain business plan objectives in the
1997 Fiscal Year, with such 1997 Fiscal Year bonuses having been deferred for
payment in the 1998 Fiscal Year. Mr. Bonar was not eligible for a cash bonus for
the 1998 Fiscal Year in his role as Chief Executive Officer because he served in
that position for only approximately three months during the 1998 Fiscal Year.
The Compensation Committee granted stock-based incentive awards to Dr. Savarese
and Mr. Bonar in the 1998 Fiscal Year in order to provide them with an equity
incentive to continue contributing to the financial success of the Company. Dr.
Savarese's incentive awards totaled 300,000 shares and Mr. Bonar's incentive
awards totaled 450,000 shares during the 1998 Fiscal Year. These incentive
awards will have value for Dr. Savarese and Mr. Bonar only if the market price
of the underlying shares appreciates over the market price in effect on the date
the grant was made.
Compliance with Internal Revenue Code Section 162(m). Section 162(m) of
the Code disallows a tax deduction to publicly held companies for compensation
paid to certain of their executive officers, to the extent that compensation
exceeds $1 million per covered officer in any fiscal year. The limitation
applies only to compensation which is not considered to be performance-based.
Non-performance based compensation paid to the Company's executive officers for
the 1998 Fiscal Year did not exceed the $1 million limit per officer, and the
Compensation Committee does not anticipate that the non-performance based
compensation to be paid to the Company's executive officers for the 1998 Fiscal
Year will exceed that limit. Because it is unlikely that the cash compensation
payable to any of the Company's executive officers in the foreseeable future
will approach the $1
-33-
million limit, the Compensation Committee has decided at this time not to take
any action to limit or restructure the elements of cash compensation payable to
the Company's executive officers. The Compensation Committee will reconsider
this decision should the individual cash compensation of any executive officer
ever approach the $1 million level.
It is the opinion of the Compensation Committee that the executive
compensation policies and plans provide the necessary total remuneration program
to properly align the Company's performance and the interests of the Company's
stockholders through the use of competitive and equitable executive compensation
in a balanced and reasonable manner, for both the short-and long-term.
Submitted by the Compensation Committee.
Stock Performance GraphSTOCK PERFORMANCE GRAPH
The graph depicted below shows a comparison of cumulative total
stockholder returns for the Company, the Nasdaq Stock Market (U.S.) Index and
the Nasdaq Computer & Data Processing Index.
COMPARISON OF 5 YEAR CUMULATIVE TOTAL RETURN
AMONG IMAGING TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION,
THE NASDAQ STOCK MARKET (U.S.) INDEX
AND THE NASDAQ COMPUTER & DATA PROCESSING INDEX
[GRAPH APPEARS HERE]
CUMULATIVE TOTAL RETURN
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6/94 6/95 6/96 6/97 6/98 6/99
---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ----
IMAGING TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION 100.00 33.93 403.57 198.66 138.39100 80 365 178 124 63
NASDAQ MARKET (U.S.) 100.00 133.50 171.39 208.36 274.93100 133 171 208 274 394
NASDAQ COMPUTER & DATA PROCESSING 100.00 163.26 216.84 273.73 414.38100 163 217 274 414 631
(1) The graph covers the period from July 1, 1993 to June 30, 1998.1999.
(2) The graph assumes that $100 was invested in the Company on July 1,
1993, in the Common Stock and in each index, and that all dividends
were reinvested. No cash dividends have been declared on the Common
Stock.
(3) Stockholder returns over the indicated period should not be considered
indicative of future stockholder returns.
24
Notwithstanding anything to the contrary set forth in any of the
Company's previous filings made under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, that might incorporate future
filings made by the Company under those statutes, neither the preceding Stock
Performance Graph nor the Compensation Committee Report is to be incorporated by
reference into any such prior filings, nor shall such graph or report be
incorporated by reference into any future filings made by the Company under
those statutes.
CERTAIN TRANSACTIONS
Irwin Roth, a former director of the Company, receives compensation as
a consultant to the Company on corporate matters under an agreement expiring in
June 2002. These consulting fees amounted to $120,000 in the 1998 Fiscal Year.fiscal year ended
June 30, 1998. Effective July 1, 1998, the annual consulting fee under the
agreement was reduced to $55,583. During the fiscal year ended June 30, 1998, Fiscal Year, as
consideration for services provided relating to the private placement of the
Series C Preferred Stock, this former director received commissions and expense
reimbursement totaling -34-
$200,000 of which $100,000 was paid in cash and $100,000
was used to exercise warrants for 100,000 shares at a price of $1.00 per share.
During calendar year 1995, Dr. Edward W. Savarese, a former director
and the former Chief Executive Officer of the Company, loaned to the Company an
aggregate of $100,000 under a convertible note with interest at the rate of 7
percent per year. In May 1998, the note was converted into 64,516 shares of
Common Stock. Dr. Savarese was also a director of Color Solutions, Inc., which
was acquired by the Company in November 1997 through the issuance of Common
Stock. In connection with the acquisition, Dr. Savarese received 40,000 shares
of Common Stock.
In January 1996, the Company sold to Dr. Saal for $500,000 five-year
warrants to purchase 2,000,000 shares of its Common Stock at the rate of $5.00
per share. The warrant contained certain anti-dilution provisions should the
Company issue equity instruments at less than 50 percent of the exercise price.
As a result of subsequent financings, the exercise price of this warrant has
been reduced as a result of this provision. In June and December 1996, Dr. Saal
exercised warrants to purchase 666,667 and 18,000 shares, respectively.
In May 1998, Dr. Harry Saal, a former director of the Company, loaned
$1,000,000 to the Company under a 10 percent note payable on demand at any time
on or after December 31, 19981999 (the "Saal 10% Note"). The note is convertible
into Common Stock at anytime at Dr. Saal's option at the lesser of $2.36 per
share or 85 percent of the volume weighted trade price of Common Stock on the
date of conversion.
In September 1998, Dr. Harry Saal, a former director of the Company,
and certain other investors (either individually or as part of a group), all of
which were owners of more than 5 percent (5%) of the Company's outstanding
Common Stock, provided the Company with funding totaling $4,375,000. In
exchange, the Company issued 500,000 shares of its Common Stock at a price of
$2.50 per share and subordinated promissory notes in the amount of $3,125,000.
Of the notes, Dr. Saal purchased $1,500,000 in the form of non-convertible notes
(the "Saal Non-convertible Notes"). The Company also issued three-year warrants
to the investors as part of this financing. The warrants authorize the purchase
of 490,000 shares of Common Stock at an exercise price of $2.025 per share: Dr.
Saal received 300,000 of these warrants. All of the investors, including Dr.
Saal, are parties to a Registration Rights Agreement that grants certain
registrations rights with respect to the shares of Common Stock purchased in the
financing and issuable upon exercise of the warrants.
In February 1999, pursuant to thea Series E Preferred Stock Agreement
among the Company and the investors thereto (the "Series E Agreement"), of which
Dr. Saal was an investor, Dr. Saal exchanged and/or canceled the Saal 10% Note,
all accrued interest and fees associated therewith, certain accrued interest on
the Saal Non-convertible Notes and all accrued director's fees, in the amount of
$1.235 million, for 247 shares of the Company's Series E Preferred.preferred stock. Also
pursuant to such Series E Agreement became a party to a Registration Rights
Agreementregistration rights
agreement that grants Dr. Saal certain registration rights with respect to the
shares of Common Stock underlying thehis Series E Securities. See "Proposal 5
Approval of the Issuance of the Company's Securities Pursuant to a Securities
Purchase Agreement Relating to Series E Convertible Preferred Stock."preferred stock and certain
warrants.
COMPLIANCE WITH SECTION 16(a)16(A) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
COMPLIANCE WITH SECTION 16(A) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
The members of the Board, the executive officers of the Company and
persons who hold more than 10 percent (10%) of the Company's outstanding Common
Stock are subject to the reporting requirements of Section 16(a) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 which require them to file reports with respect
to their ownership of the Common Stock and their transactions in such Common
Stock. Based upon (i) the copies of Section 16(a) reports -35-
which the Company
received from such persons for their 1998 Fiscal Year
transactions in the fiscal year ended June
30, 1999 relating to the Common Stock and their Common Stock holdings, and (ii) the
written representations received from one or more of such persons that no annual
Form 5 reports were required to be filed by them for the 1998 Fiscal Year, the
Company, to the best of the Company's knowledge, believes that allcertain of the
reporting requirements under Section 16(a) for such fiscal year were not met in
a timely manner by its directors, executive officers and greater than ten percent10%
beneficial owners except as set forth below.
Mr.25
Each of Messrs. Bonar, Pfeuffer, Englund, Charles Olsen (a former CFO
of the Company) did not timely file a Form 4 with the SEC with respect to one
transaction. In addition, each of Messrs. Stephen MacDonald (formerCarver (a former director of the
Company), Carver, Lazarow and Gerry Berg (former SecretarySaal (a former Chairman of the Company)
did not timely file a Form 3 withBoard of the SEC. In addition, eachCompany), Frank Leonardi
(a former Vice President of Messrs.
MacDonald, Carver, LazarowSales and BergMarketing of the Company), Bonar,
Pfeuffer, Dubrow (a former director of the Company), McKee and Englund did not
timely file a Form 5 with the SEC.
ANNUAL REPORT ON FORM 10-K
The Company filed an Annual Report on Form 10-K with the SEC on or about
October 13, 1999 and an amendment thereto on October 28, 1999. A copy of the
Annual Report of the CompanyForm 10-K for the 1998 Fiscal Year (the
"Annual Report")fiscal year ended June 30, 1999, has been mailed concurrently
with this Proxy Statement to all stockholders entitled to notice of and to vote
at the Meeting. The Annual ReportForm 10-K is not incorporated into this Proxy Statement and
is not considered proxy solicitation material.
FORM 10-K
The Company filed an Annual Report on Form 10-K with the SEC on or about
October 13, 1998. Stockholders may obtain aan additional copy of this report, without
charge, by writing to Michael K. Clemens, Chief Financial OfficerPhilip J. Englund, Senior Vice President and General
Counsel of the Company, at the Company's principal executive offices located at
11031 Via Frontera,15175 Innovation Drive, San Diego, California 92127.
-36-92128-3401.
26
ExhibitEXHIBIT A
Form of Proposed Amendment to Article Fourth to the
Company's Certificate of Incorporation
CERTIFICATE---------
PROPOSED FORM OF AMENDMENT
OF
CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION
OF
IMAGING TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
It is hereby certified that:
1. The name of the corporation (hereinafter called the "Corporation")
is Imaging Technologies Corporation.
2. The Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation (hereinafter
called the "Certificate of Incorporation") is hereby amended by deleting the
number 10,000 in the second sentence of Section (1) of Article Fourth and
inserting the number 100,000 in its place.
3. The amendment of the Certificate of Incorporation herein certified
has been duly adopted in accordance with the provisions of Section 242 of the
General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware.
Dated: March __, 1999
---------------------------
Brian Bonar, President
Attest:
- ---------------------------------
Michael Clemens, Chief Financial Officer
-37-
Exhibit B
Proposed Form of the 1998 Stock Option Plan
1998THE 2000 STOCK OPTION PLAN
Of2000 STOCK OPTION PLAN
OF
IMAGING TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
1. PURPOSES OF THE PLAN. This stock option plan (the "Plan")
is designed to provide an incentive to employees (including directors and
officers who are employees) and directors of, and consultants to, IMAGING
TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION, a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), or any Parent
or Subsidiary (as such terms are defined in Paragraph 19 hereof) of the Company,
and to offer an additional inducement in obtaining the services of such persons.
The Plan provides for the grant of "incentive stock options" ("ISOs") within the
meaning of Section 422 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the
"Code"), and nonqualified stock options which do not qualify as ISOs ("NQSOs").
The Company makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, as to the
qualification of any option as an "incentive stock option" under the Code.
2. STOCK SUBJECT TO THE PLAN. Subject to the provisions of
Paragraph 12 hereof, the aggregate number of shares of Common Stock, $.01$.005 par
value per share, of the Company ("Common Stock") for which options may be
granted under the Plan shall not exceed 1,500,000.3,500,000. Such shares of Common Stock
may consist either in whole or in part of authorized but unissued shares of
Common Stock or shares of Common Stock held in the treasury of the Company.
Subject to the provisions of Paragraph 13 hereof, any shares of Common Stock
subject to an option which for any reason expires, is canceled or is terminated
unexercised or which ceases for any reason to be exercisable, shall again become
available for the granting of options under the Plan. The Company shall at all
times during the term of the Plan reserve and keep available such number of
shares of Common Stock as will be sufficient to satisfy the requirements of the
Plan.
3. ADMINISTRATION OF THE PLAN. The Plan shall be administered
by the Compensation Committee (the "Compensation Committee of the Company's Board of Directors (the
"Committee"), which Committee, to the extent required by Rule 16b-3 promulgated
under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (as the same may be in
effect and interpreted from time to time, "Rule 16b- 3"16b-3"), shall consist of not
less than two (2) directors, each of whom shall be a non-employee director
within the meaning of Rule 16b-3.16b-3 or an outside director within the meaning of
Section 162(m) of the Code. Unless otherwise provided in the By-laws of the
Company or by resolution of the Board of Directors, a majority of the members of
the Committee shall constitute a quorum, and the acts of a majority of the
members present at any meeting at which a quorum is present, and any acts
approved in writing by all of the members of the Committee without a meeting,
shall be the acts of the Committee. Those administering the Plan are referred to
herein as the "Administrators".
Subject to the express provisions of the Plan, the
Administrators shall have the authority, in their sole discretion, to determine:
the employees, consultants and directors who shall be granted options; whether
an option to be granted to a employee is to be in ISO or an NQSO (options to be
granted to consultants and directors who are not employees shall be NQSOs); the
times when an option shall be granted; the number of shares of Common Stock to
be subject to each option; the term of each option; the date each option shall
become exercisable; whether an option shall be exercisable in whole, in part or
in installments and, if in installments, the number of shares of Common Stock to
be subject to each installment, whether the installments shall be cumulative,
the date each installment shall become exercisable and the term of each
installment; whether to
-38-
accelerate the date of exercise of any option or
installment; whether shares of Common Stock may be issued upon the exercise of
an option as partly paid and, if so, the dates when future installments of the
exercise price shall become due and the amounts of such installments; the
exercise price of each option; the form of payment of the exercise price;
whether to restrict the sale or other disposition of the shares of Common Stock
acquired upon the exercise of an option and, if so, whether and under what
conditions to waive any such restriction; whether and under what conditions to
subject all or a portion of the grant, the vesting or the exercise of an option
or the shares acquired pursuant to the exercise of an option to the fulfillment
of certain restrictions or contingencies as specified in the contract referred
to in Paragraph 11 hereof (the "Contract"), including, without limitation,
restrictions or contingencies relating to entering into a covenant not to
compete with the Company, any of its Subsidiaries or a Parent (as such term is
defined in Paragraph 19 hereof), to financial objectives for the Company, any of
its Subsidiaries or a Parent, a division of any of the foregoing, a product line
or other category, and/or to the period of continued employment of the optionee
with the Company, any of its Subsidiaries or a Parent, and to determine whether
such restrictions or contingencies have been met; whether an optionee is
Disabled (as such term is defined in
A-1
Paragraph 19 hereof); the amount, if any, necessary to satisfy the obligation of
the Company, a Subsidiary or Parent to withhold taxes or other amounts; the fair
market value of a share of Common Stock; to construe the respective Contracts
and the Plan; with the consent of the optionee, to cancel or modify an option,
provided that the modified provision is permitted to be included in an option
granted under the Plan on the date of the modification, and provided, further,
that in the case of a modification (within the meaning of Section 424(h) of the
Code) of an ISO, such option as modified would be permitted to be granted on the
date of such modification under the terms of the Plan; to prescribe, amend and
rescind rules and regulations relating to the Plan; to approve any provision of
the Plan or any option granted under the Plan, or any amendment to either, which
under Rule 16b-3 or Section 162(m) of the Code requires the approval of the
Board of Directors, a committee of non-employee directors or the stockholders in
order to be exempt (unless otherwise specifically provided herein); and to make
all other determinations necessary or advisable for administering the Plan. Any
controversy or claim arising out of or relating to the Plan, any option granted
under the Plan or any Contract shall be determined unilaterally by the
Administrators in their sole discretion. The determinations of the
Administrators on the matters referred to in this Paragraph 3 shall be
conclusive and binding on the parties thereto. No Administrator or former
Administrator shall be liable for any action, failure to act or determination
made in good faith with respect to the Plan or any option hereunder.
4. ELIGIBILITY. The Administrators may from time to time, in
their sole discretion, consistent with the purposes of the Plan, grant options
to (a) employees (including officers and directors who are employees) of, (b)
directors (who are not employees) of, and (c) consultants to, the Company or any
Parent or Subsidiary of the Company. Such options granted shall cover such
number of shares of Common Stock as the Administrators may determine, in their
sole discretion, as set forth in the applicable Contract; provided, however,
that the maximum number of shares subject to options that may be granted to any
employee during any calendar year under the Plan (the "162(m) Maximum") shall be
250,000 shares; and provided, further, that the aggregate market value
(determined at the time the option is granted in accordance with Paragraph 5
hereof) of the shares of Common Stock for which any eligible employee may be
granted ISOs under the Plan or any other plan of the Company, or of a Parent or
a Subsidiary of the Company, which are exercisable for the first time by such
optionee during any calendar year shall not exceed $100,000. Such ISO limitation
shall be applied by taking ISOs into account in the order in which they were
granted. Any option granted in excess of such ISO limitation amount shall be
treated as a NQSO to the extent of such excess.
5. EXERCISE PRICE. The exercise price of the shares of Common
Stock under each option shall be determined by the Administrators, in their sole
discretion, as set forth in the applicable Contract; provided, however, that the
exercise price of an ISO shall not be less than the fair market value of the
Common Stock subject to such option on the date of grant; and provided, further,
that if, at the time an ISO is granted, the -39-
optionee owns (or is deemed to own
under Section 424(d) of the Code) stock possessing more than 10% of the total
combined voting power of all classes of stock of the Company, of any of its
Subsidiaries or of a Parent, the exercise price of such ISO shall not be less
than 110% of the fair market value of the Common Stock subject to such ISO on
the date of grant.
The fair market value of a share of Common Stock on any day
shall be (a) if actual sales price information is available with respect to the
Common Stock, the average of the highest and lowest sales prices per share of
Common Stock on such day, or (b) if such information is not available, the
average of the highest bid and lowest asked prices per share of Common Stock on
such day as reported by the market upon which the Common Stock is quoted, The
Wall Street Journal, the National Quotation Bureau Incorporated or an
independent dealer in the Common Stock, as determined by the Company; provided,
however, that if clauses (a) and (b) of this Paragraph are all inapplicable, or
if no trades have been made or no quotes are available for such day, the fair
market value of the Common Stock shall be determined by the Board of Directors
by any method consistent with applicable regulations adopted by the Treasury
Department relating to stock options.
6. TERM. The term of each option granted pursuant to the Plan
shall be such term as is established by the Administrators, in their sole
discretion, as set forth in the applicable Contract; provided, however, that the
term of each ISO granted pursuant to the Plan shall be for a period not
exceeding ten (10) years from the
A-2
date of grant thereof; and provided, further, that if, at the time an ISO is
granted, the optionee owns (or is deemed to own under Section 424(d) of the
Code) stock possessing more than 10% of the total combined voting power of all
classes of stock of the Company, any of its Subsidiaries or a Parent, the term
of the ISO shall be for a period not exceeding five (5) years from the date of
grant. Options shall be subject to earlier termination as hereinafter provided.
7. EXERCISE. An option (or any part or installment thereof),
to the extent then exercisable, shall be exercised by giving written notice to
the Company at its principal office stating which option is being exercised,
specifying the number of shares of Common Stock as to which such option is being
exercised and accompanied by payment in full of the aggregate exercise price
therefor (or the amount due on exercise if the applicable Contract permits
installment payments) (a) in cash or by certified check or (b) if the applicable
Contract permits, with previously acquired shares of Common Stock having an
aggregate fair market value on the date of exercise (determined in accordance
with Paragraph 5 hereof) equal to the aggregate exercise price of all options
being exercised or a combination of cash, certified check or shares of Common
Stock having such value. The Company shall not be required to issue any shares
of Common Stock pursuant to any such option until all required payments,
including payments for any required withholding amounts, have been made.
The Administrators may, in their sole discretion (in the
Contract or otherwise), permit payment of the exercise price of an option by
delivery by the optionee of a properly executed notice, together with a copy of
his irrevocable instructions to a broker acceptable to the Administrators to
deliver promptly to the Company the amount of sale or loan proceeds sufficient
to pay such exercise price. In connection therewith, the Company may enter into
agreements for coordinated procedures with one or more brokerage firms.
A person entitled to receive Common Stock upon the exercise of
an option shall not have the rights of a stockholder with respect to such shares
of Common Stock until the date of issuance of a stock certificate for such
shares or, in the case of uncertificated shares, until the date an entry is made
on the books of the Company's transfer agent representing such shares; provided,
however, that until such stock certificate is issued or until such book entry is
made, any optionee using previously acquired shares of Common Stock in payment
of an option exercise price shall continue to have the rights of a stockholder
with respect to such previously acquired shares.
-40-
In no case may a fraction of a share of Common Stock be
purchased or issued under the Plan.
8. TERMINATION OF RELATIONSHIP. Except as may otherwise be
expressly provided in the applicable Contract, any optionee whose relationship
with the Company, its Subsidiaries and Parent as an employee, director or
consultant has terminated for any reason (other than as a result of the death or
Disability (as such term is defined in Paragraph 19 hereof) of the Optionee) may
exercise such option, to the extent exercisable on the date of such termination,
at any time within three months after the date of termination, but not
thereafter and in no event after the date the option would otherwise have
expired; provided, however, that if such relationship is terminated either (a)
for Cause (as such term is defined in Paragraph 19 hereof), or (b) without the
consent of the Company, such option shall terminate immediately.
For the purposes of the Plan, an employment relationship shall
be deemed to exist between an individual and the Company, any of its
Subsidiaries or a Parent if, at the time of the determination, the individual
was an employee of such corporation for purposes of Section 422(a) of the Code.
As a result, an individual on military, sick leave or other bona fide leave of
absence shall continue to be considered an employee for purposes of the Plan
during such leave if the period of the leave does not exceed 90 days or, if
longer, so long as the individual's right to reemployment with the Company, any
of its Subsidiaries or a Parent is guaranteed either by statute or by contract.
If the period of leave exceeds 90 days and the individual's right to
reemployment is not guaranteed by statute or by contract, the employment
relationship shall be deemed to have terminated on the 91st day of such leave.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, except as may otherwise be
expressly provided in the applicable Contract, options granted under the Plan
shall not be affected by any change in the status of the optionee so long as the
optionee continues to be an employee or director of, or a consultant to, the
Company, any of its Subsidiaries or a Parent (regardless of having changed from
one position to another or having been transferred from one entity to another).
A-3
Nothing in the Plan or in any option granted under the Plan
shall confer on any optionee any right to continue in the employ of, as a
director of, or as a consultant to, the Company, any of its Subsidiaries or a
Parent, or interfere in any way with any right of the Company, any of its
Subsidiaries or a Parent to terminate the optionee's relationship at any time
for any reason whatsoever without liability to the Company, any of its
Subsidiaries or a Parent.
9. DEATH OR DISABILITY OF AN OPTIONEE. Except as may otherwise
be expressly provided in the applicable Contract, if an individual optionee dies
(a) while he is an employee or director of, or a consultant to, the Company, any
of its Subsidiaries or a Parent, (b) within three months after the termination
of such relationship (unless such termination was for Cause or without the
consent of the Company or such Subsidiary or Parent) or (c) within one year
following the termination of such relationship by reason of Disability, the
optionee's option may be exercised, to the extent exercisable on the date of the
optionee's death, by the optionee's Legal Representative (as defined in
Paragraph 19) at any time within one year after death, but not thereafter and in
no event after the date the option would otherwise have expired.
Except as may otherwise be expressly provided in the
applicable Contract, any optionee whose relationship as an employee or director
of, or a consultant to, the Company, any of its Subsidiaries or a Parent has
terminated by reason of Disability (without continuing in another such capacity)
may exercise the optionee's option, to the extent exercisable upon the effective
date of such termination, at any time within one year after such date, but not
thereafter and in no event after the date the option would otherwise have
expired.
-41-
10. COMPLIANCE WITH SECURITIES LAWS. It is a condition to the
exercise of any option that either (a) a Registration Statement under the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), with respect to the
shares of Common Stock to be issued upon such exercise shall be effective and
current at the time of exercise or (b) there is an exemption from registration
under the Securities Act for the issuance of the shares of Common Stock upon
such exercise. Nothing herein shall be construed as requiring the Company to
register shares subject to any option under the Securities Act or to keep any
Registration Statement effective or current.
The Administrators may require, in their sole discretion, as a
condition to the receipt of an option or the exercise of any option that the
optionee execute and deliver to the Company such representations and warranties,
in form, substance and scope satisfactory to the Administrators, as the
Administrators determine are necessary or appropriate to facilitate the
perfection of an exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities
Act, applicable state securities laws or other legal requirement, including,
without limitation, that (a) the shares of Common Stock to be issued upon the
exercise of the option are being acquired by the optionee for the optionee's own
account, for investment only and not with a view to the resale or distribution
thereof, and (b) any subsequent resale or distribution of shares of Common Stock
by such optionee will be made only pursuant to (i) a Registration Statement
under the Securities Act which is effective and current with respect to the
shares of Common Stock being sold, or (ii) a specific exemption from the
registration requirements of the Securities Act, but in claiming such exemption,
the optionee shall, prior to any offer of sale or sale of such shares of Common
Stock, provide the Company with a favorable written opinion of counsel
satisfactory to the Company, in form, substance and scope satisfactory to the
Company, as to the applicability of such exemption to the proposed sale or
distribution.
In addition, if at any time the Administrators shall
determine, in their sole discretion, that the listing or qualification of the
shares of Common Stock subject to any option on any securities exchange, Nasdaq
or under any applicable law, or the consent or approval of any governmental
agency or self-regulatory body, is necessary or desirable as a condition to, or
in connection with, the granting of an option or the issuing of shares of Common
Stock upon the exercise thereof, such option may not be granted and such option
may not be exercised in whole or in part unless such listing, qualification,
consent or approval shall have been effected or obtained free of any conditions
not acceptable to the Administrators.
11. CONTRACTS. Each option shall be evidenced by an
appropriate Contract which shall be duly executed by the Company and the
optionee, which Contract shall contain such terms, provisions and conditions not
inconsistent herewith as may be determined by the Administrators. The terms of
each option and Contract need not be identical.
A-4
12. ADJUSTMENTS UPON CHANGES IN COMMON STOCK. Notwithstanding
any other provision of the Plan, in the event of a stock dividend, stock split,
combination, reclassification, recapitalization, merger in which the Company is
the surviving corporation, spin-off, split-up or exchange of shares or the like
which results in a change in the number or kind of shares of Common Stock which
is outstanding immediately prior to such event, the aggregate number and kind of
shares subject to the Plan, the aggregate number and kind of shares subject to
each outstanding option and the exercise price thereof, and the 162(m) Maximum
shall be appropriately adjusted by the Board of Directors, whose determination
shall be conclusive and binding on all parties thereto. Such adjustment may
provide for the elimination of fractional shares which might otherwise be
subject to options without payment therefor.
In the event of (a) the liquidation or dissolution of the
Company, or (b) a transaction (or series of related transactions) that is
approved by a majority of the members of the Company's Board of Directors who
-42-
were elected by stockholders prior to the first of such transactions (including,
without limitation, a merger, consolidation, sale of stock by the Company or its
stockholders, tender offer or sale of assets) and in which either (i) the voting
power (in the election of directors generally) of the Company's voting
securities outstanding immediately prior to such transaction(s) cease to
represent at least 50% of the combined voting power (in the election of
directors generally) of the Company or such surviving entity outstanding
immediately after such transaction(s) or (ii) the registration of the Common
Stock under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 is terminated, then all
outstanding options shall terminate upon the earliest of any such event, unless
other provision is made therefor in the transaction.
13. AMENDMENTS AND TERMINATION OF THE PLAN. The Plan was
adopted by the Board of Directors on October 26, 1998.January 25, 2000. No ISO may be granted
under the Plan after October 25, 2008.January 24, 2010. The Board of Directors, without further
approval of the Company's stockholders, may at any time suspend or terminate the
Plan, in whole or in part, or amend it from time to time in such respects as it
may deem advisable, including, without limitation, in order that ISOs granted
hereunder meet the requirements for "incentive stock options" under the Code, or
to comply with the provisions of Rule 16b-3, Section 162(m) of the Code or any
change in applicable law, regulations, rulings or interpretations of
administrative agencies; provided, however, that no amendment shall be effective
without the requisite prior or subsequent stockholder approval which would (a)
except as contemplated in Paragraph 12 hereof, increase the maximum number of
shares of Common Stock for which options may be granted under the Plan or the
162(m) Maximum, (b) change the eligibility requirements to receive options
hereunder or (c) make any change for which applicable law requires stockholder
approval. No termination, suspension or amendment of the Plan shall, without the
consent of the optionee, adversely affect the optionee's rights under any option
granted under the Plan. The power of the Administrators to construe and
administer any option granted under the Plan prior to the termination or
suspension of the Plan nevertheless shall continue after such termination or
during such suspension.
14. NON-TRANSFERABILITY. No option granted under the Plan
shall be transferable otherwise than by will or the laws of descent and
distribution, and options may be exercised, during the lifetime of the optionee,
only by the optionee or his Legal Representatives. Except to the extent provided
in the immediately preceding sentence, options may not be assigned, transferred,
pledged, hypothecated or disposed of in any way (whether by operation of law or
otherwise) and shall not be subject to execution, attachment or similar process,
and any such attempted assignment, transfer, pledge, hypothecation or
disposition shall be null and void ab initio and of no force or effect.
15. WITHHOLDING TAXES. The Company, a Subsidiary or Parent may
withhold (a) cash or (b) with the consent of the Administrators (in the Contract
or otherwise), shares of Common Stock to be issued upon exercise of an option
having an aggregate fair market value on the relevant date (determined in
accordance with Paragraph 5 hereof) or a combination of cash and shares, in an
amount equal to the amount which the Administrators determine is necessary to
satisfy the obligation of the Company, a Subsidiary or Parent to withhold
Federal, state and local income taxes or other amounts incurred by reason of the
grant, vesting, exercise or disposition of an option, or the disposition of the
underlying shares of Common Stock. Alternatively, the Company, a Subsidiary or
Parent may require the holder to pay to it such amount, in cash, promptly upon
demand.
A-5
16. LEGENDS; PAYMENT OF EXPENSES. The Company may endorse such
legend or legends upon the certificates for shares of Common Stock issued upon
exercise of an option under the Plan and may issue such "stop transfer"
instructions to its transfer agent in respect of such shares as it determines,
in its discretion, to be necessary or appropriate to (a) prevent a violation of,
or to perfect an exemption from, the registration requirements of the Securities
Act and any applicable state securities laws, (b) implement the
-43-
provisions of
the Plan or any agreement between the Company and the optionee with respect to
such shares of Common Stock or (c) permit the Company to determine the
occurrence of a "disqualifying disposition," as described in Section 421(b) of
the Code, of the shares of Common Stock issued or transferred upon the exercise
of an ISO granted under the Plan.
The Company shall pay all issuance taxes with respect to the
issuance of shares of Common Stock upon the exercise of an option granted under
the Plan, as well as all fees and expenses incurred by the Company in connection
with such issuance.
17. USE OF PROCEEDS. The cash proceeds received upon the
exercise of an option under the Plan shall be added to the general funds of the
Company and used for such corporate purposes as the Board of Directors may
determine, in its discretion.
18. SUBSTITUTIONS AND ASSUMPTIONS OF OPTIONS OF CERTAIN
CONSTITUENT CORPORATIONS. Anything in this Plan to the contrary notwithstanding,
the Board of Directors may, without further approval by the Company's
stockholders, substitute new options for prior options of a Constituent
Corporation (as such term is defined in Paragraph 19 thereof) or assume the
prior options of such Constituent Corporation.
19. DEFINITIONS. For purposes of the Plan, the following terms
shall be defined as set forth below:
(a) "Cause" shall mean (i) in the case of an employee or
consultant, if there is a written employment or consulting agreement between the
optionee and the Company, any of its Subsidiaries or a Parent which defines
termination of such relationship for cause, cause as defined in such agreement,
and (ii) in all other cases, cause within the meaning of applicable state law.
(b) "Constituent Corporation" shall mean any corporation
which engages with the Company, any of its Subsidiaries or a Parent in a
transaction to which Section 424(a) of the Code applies (or would apply if the
option assumed or substituted were an ISO), or any Parent or any Subsidiary of
such corporation.
(c) "Disability" shall mean a permanent and total
disability within the meaning of Section 22(e)(3) of the Code.
(d) "Legal Representative" shall mean the executor,
administrator or other person who at the time is entitled by law to exercise the
rights of a deceased or incapacitated optionee with respect to an option granted
under the Plan.
(e) "Parent" shall have the same definition as "parent
corporation" in Section 424(e) of the Code.
(f) "Subsidiary" shall have the same definition as
"subsidiary corporation" in Section 424(f) of the Code.
20. GOVERNING LAW; CONSTRUCTION. The Plan, the options and
Contracts hereunder and all related matters shall be governed by, and construed
in accordance with, the laws of the State of Delaware, without regard to
conflict of law provisions.
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Neither the Plan nor any Contract shall be construed or
interpreted with any presumption against the Company by reason of the Company
causing the Plan or Contract to be drafted. Whenever from the context it appears
appropriate, any term stated in either the singular or plural shall include the
singular and plural, and any term stated in the masculine, feminine or neuter
gender shall include the masculine, feminine and neuter.
A-6
21. PARTIAL INVALIDITY. The invalidity, illegality or
unenforceability of any provision in the Plan, any option or Contract shall not
affect the validity, legality or enforceability of any other provision, all of
which shall be valid, legal and enforceable to the fullest extent permitted by
applicable law.
22. STOCKHOLDER APPROVAL. The Plan shall be subject to
approval by a majority of the votes present in person or by proxy and entitled
to vote thereon at the next duly held meeting of the Company's stockholders at
which a quorum is present. No options granted hereunder may be exercised prior
to such approval; provided, however, that the date of grant of any option shall
be determined as if the Plan had not been subject to such approval.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Plan is not approved by a vote of the
stockholders of the Company on or before October 7, 1999,[January 24, 2001], the Plan and any
options granted hereunder shall terminate.
-45-A-7
EXHIBIT B
---------
PROPOSED FORM OF THE STOCK PURCHASE PLANE
EMPLOYEE STOCK PURCHASE PLAN
OF
IMAGING TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
SECTION 1
Purpose
-------
The purpose of the Plan is to secure for the Company and its
stockholders the benefits of the incentive inherent in the ownership of Common
Stock by current and future Eligible Employees. The Plan is intended to comply
with the provisions of Code section 423 and shall be administered, interpreted
and construed in accordance with such provisions.
SECTION 2
Definitions
-----------
When used herein, the following terms shall have the following
meanings:
2.1 "Board of Directors" means the Board of Directors of the
Company.
2.2 "Code" means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended
from time to time, or any successor statute thereto.
2.3 "Committee" means the committee appointed by the Board of
Directors to administer the Plan pursuant to Section 12.
2.4 "Common Stock" means common stock, par value $0.005 per
share, of the Company.
2.5 "Common Stock Account" means the account established with,
and maintained by, the Custodian, for the purpose of holding Common Stock
purchased pursuant to this Plan.
2.6 "Company" means Imaging Technologies Corporation, and its
successors and assigns.
2.7 "Custodian" means the agent selected by the Company to
hold Common Stock purchased under the Plan.
2.8 "Eligible Compensation" means the sum of: (i) the total
compensation paid to an Eligible Employee by the Company and its Subsidiaries
that is subject to tax under Code section 3402 (or which would be subject to tax
thereunder if the employee were fully subject to Federal income tax with respect
to such compensation), plus (ii) any "elective deferrals" contributed to the
401(k) Plan by such Eligible Employee, plus (iii) amounts deferred under a
plan intended to qualify under Code section 125.
2.9 "Eligible Employee" means each employee of the Company or
any Subsidiary.
2.10 "Entry Date" means the first day of each calendar month
included in a Plan Year.
B-1
2.11 "Fair Market Value" means, on any day, (a) if actual
sales price information is available with respect to the Common Stock, the
average of the highest and lowest sales prices per share of Common Stock on such
day, or (b) if such information is not available, the average of the highest bid
and lowest asked prices per share of Common Stock on such day as reported by the
market upon which the Common Stock is quoted, The Wall Street Journal, the
National Quotation Bureau Incorporated or an independent dealer in the Common
Stock, as determined by the Company; provided, however, that if clauses (a) and
(b) of this Paragraph are all inapplicable, or if no trades have been made or no
quotes are available for such day, the fair market value of the Common Stock
shall be determined by the Board of Directors by any method consistent with
applicable regulations adopted by the Treasury Department relating to stock
options.
2.12 "Investment Date" means the last day of each Plan Year
quarter and such other dates as may be determined by the Committee in its sole
discretion.
2.13 "Participant" means an Eligible Employee who has met the
requirements of Section 3 and has elected to participate in the Plan pursuant to
Section 4.1.
2.14 "Payroll Deduction Account" means the bookkeeping entry
established by the Company for each Participant pursuant to Section 4.3.
2.15 "Plan" means the Imaging Technologies Corporation
Employee Stock Purchase Plan as set forth herein and as amended from time to
time.
2.16 "Plan Year" means July 1, 2000 through December 31,
2000 and each calendar year thereafter.
2.17 "Subsidiary" means any corporation designated by the
Board of Directors, in its sole discretion, of which the Company owns or
controls, directly or indirectly, not less than 50% of the total combined voting
power of all classes of stock and which constitutes a "subsidiary" of the
Company, within the meaning of Code section 424(f).
SECTION 3
Eligibility
-----------
3.1 General Rule. Subject to Section 3.3, each Eligible
Employee shall be eligible to participate in the Plan beginning on the Entry
Date coincident with or next following the Eligible Employee's date of hire by
the Company or any of its Subsidiaries.
3.2 Leave of Absence. Unless the Committee otherwise
determines, a Participant on a paid leave of absence shall continue to be a
Participant in the Plan so long as such Participant is on such paid leave of
absence. Unless otherwise determined by the Committee, a Participant on an
unpaid leave of absence shall not be entitled to participate in any offering
commencing after such unpaid leave has begun but shall not be deemed to have
terminated employment for the purposes of the Plan. A Participant who, upon
failing to return to work following a leave of absence, is deemed not to be an
employee, shall not be entitled to participate in any offering commencing after
such termination of employment and such Participant's Payroll Deduction Account
shall be paid out in accordance with Section 6.1.
3.3 Common Stock Account. As a condition to participation in
this Plan, each Eligible Employee shall be required to hold shares purchased
hereunder in a Common Stock Account and such employee's decision to participate
in the Plan shall constitute the appointment of the Custodian as custodial agent
for the purpose of holding such shares. Such Common Stock Account shall be
governed by, and subject to, the terms and conditions of a written agreement
with the Custodian.
B-2
SECTION 4
Participation and Payroll Deductions
------------------------------------
4.1 Enrollment. Each Eligible Employee may elect to
participate in the Plan for a Plan Year by completing an enrollment form
prescribed by the Committee and returning it to the Company on or before the
date specified by the Committee, which date shall precede the Eligible
Employee's Entry Date.
4.2 Amount of Deduction. The enrollment form shall specify a
payroll deduction amount of from 1% to 15% (in whole numbers) of Eligible
Compensation, which shall be withheld from the Participant's regular paychecks,
including bonus paychecks, for the Plan Year. The Committee, in its sole
discretion, may authorize payment in respect of any option exercised hereunder
by personal check.
4.3 Payroll Deduction Accounts. Each Participant's payroll
deduction shall be credited, as soon as practicable following the relevant pay
date, to a Payroll Deduction Account, pending the purchase of Common Stock in
accordance with the provisions of the Plan. All such amounts shall be assets of
the Company and may be used by the Company for any corporate purpose. No
interest shall accrue or be paid on amounts credited to a Payroll Deduction
Account.
4.4 Subsequent Plan Years. Unless otherwise specified prior to
the beginning of any Plan Year on an enrollment form prescribed by the
Committee, a Participant shall be deemed to have elected to participate in each
subsequent Plan Year for which the Participant is eligible to the same extent
and in the same manner as at the end of the prior Plan Year.
4.5 Changes in Participation.
(a) At any time during a Plan Year, a Participant may cease
participation in the Plan by completing and filing the form prescribed by the
Committee with the Company. Such cessation will become effective as soon as
practicable following receipt of such form by the Company, whereupon no further
payroll deductions will be made and the Company shall pay to such Participant an
amount equal to the balance in the Participant's Payroll Deduction Account as
soon as practicable thereafter. To the extent then eligible, any Participant who
ceased to participate may elect to participate again on any subsequent Entry
Date in any calendar quarter after the quarter in which such Participant ceased
to participate.
(b) At any time during the Plan Year (but not more than once
in any calendar quarter) a Participant may increase or decrease the percentage
of Eligible Compensation subject to payroll deduction within the limits provided
in Section 4.2 by filing the form prescribed by the Committee with the Company.
Such increase or decrease shall become effective with the first pay period
following receipt of such form to which it may be practicably applied.
SECTION 5
Offerings
---------
5.1 Maximum number of shares. The Plan shall be implemented by
making offerings of common stock on each investment date until the maximum
number of shares of common stock available under the plan have been issued
pursuant to the exercise of options.
5.2 Grant and Exercise of Options.
(a) Subject to Section 5.3, on each Investment Date, each
Participant shall be deemed, subject to Section 5.4, to have been granted the
option to purchase, and shall be deemed, without any further action, to have
exercised such option and purchased, the number of shares of Common Stock
determined by dividing the
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amount credited to the Participant's Payroll Deduction Account on such date by
the purchase price (as determined in paragraph (b) below). All such shares shall
be credited to the Participant's Common Stock Account.
(b) The purchase price for each share of Common Stock shall be
equal to eighty-five percent (85%) of the Fair Market Value of such share on the
Investment Date.
5.3 Oversubscription of shares. If the total number of shares
for which options are exercised on any investment date exceeds the maximum
number of shares available for the applicable offering, the company shall make
an allocation of the shares available for delivery and distribution among the
participants in as nearly a uniform manner as shall be practicable, and the
balance of all participant's payroll deduction account shall be refunded to the
participant or, in the event of the participant's death, to the participant's
estate, as soon as practicable.
5.4 Limitations on Grant and Exercise of Options.
(a) No option granted under this Plan shall permit a
participant to purchase stock under all employee stock purchase plans (as
defined by code section 423(b)) of the Company and its subsidiaries at a rate
which, in the aggregate, exceeds $25,000 of the Fair Market Value (payroll
deductions not in excess of $21,250) of such stock (determined at the time the
option is granted) for each calendar year in which the option is outstanding at
any time.
(b) No employee who would down, immediately after the option
is granted, stock possessing five percent (5%) or more of the total combined
voting power or value of all classes of stock of the Company or any Subsidiary
(a "5% owner") shall be granted an option. For purposes of determining whether
an employee is a 5% owner, the rules of Code section 424(d) shall apply in
determining the stock ownership of an individual and stock which the employee
may purchase under outstanding options shall be treated as stock owned by the
employee.
SECTION 6
Distributions of Common Stock Account
-------------------------------------
6.1 Termination of Employment. If a Participant's employment
with the Company and its Subsidiaries terminates for any reason during a Plan
Year, all shares credited to the participant's common stock account shall be
distributed, and any amount credited to the Participant's Payroll Deduction
Account shall be refunded to the Participant or, in the event of the
Participant's death, to the Participant's estate, as soon as practicable.
6.2 During employment. Prior to the Participant's termination
of employment with the company and its Subsidiaries, a Participant may withdraw
some or all of the whole shares credited to the Participant's Common Stock
Account, subject to the provisions of Section 10.3.
SECTION 7
Dividends on shares
-------------------
All cash dividends paid with respect to shares of Common Stock
held in a participant's Common Stock Account shall be invested automatically in
shares of Common Stock purchased at one-hundred percent (100%) of Fair Market
Value on the next Investment Date. All non-cash distributions paid on Common
Stock held in a Participant's Common Stock Account shall be paid to the
Participant as soon as practicable.
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SECTION 8
Rights as a stockholder
-----------------------
When a Participant purchases Common Stock pursuant to the plan
or when Common Stock is credited to a participant's Common Stock Account, the
participant shall have all of the rights and privileges of a stockholder of the
company with respect to the shares so purchased or credited, whether or not
certificates representing shares shall have been issued.
SECTION 9
Options Not Transferable
------------------------
Options granted under the Plan are not transferable by a
Participant other than by will or the laws of descent and distribution and are
exercisable during the Participant's lifetime only by the Participant.
SECTION 10
Common stock
------------
10.1 Reserved shares. There shall be reserved for issuance and
purchase under the Plan an aggregate of 1,250,000 shares of Common Stock,
subject to adjustment as provided in section 11. Shares subject to the Plan may
be shares now or hereafter authorized but unissued, treasury shares, or both.
10.2 Restrictions on exercise. In its sole discretion, the
Board of Directors may require as conditions to the exercise of any option that
shares of Common Stock reserved for issuance upon the exercise of an option
shall have been duly listed on any recognized national securities exchange, and
that either a registration statement under the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended, with respect to said shares shall be effective, or the participant
shall have represented at the time of purchase, in form and substance
satisfactory to the Company, that it is the participant's intention to purchase
the shares for investment only and not for resale or distribution.
10.3 Restriction on sale. Shares of Common Stock purchased
hereunder shall not be transferable by a participant for a period of 12 months
immediately following the Investment Date on which such shares were purchased.
In addition, upon the expiration of such 12-month period, shares of Common Stock
purchased hereunder shall not be transferable by a Participant for an additional
12-month period, without prior written notice to the Company on a form
prescribed by the Committee.
SECTION 11
Adjustment Upon Changes In Capitalization
-----------------------------------------
In the event of a subdivision or consolidation of the
outstanding shares of Common Stock, or the payment of stock dividend thereon,
the number of shares reserved or authorized to be reserved under this plan shall
be increased or decreased, as the case may be, proportionately, and such other
adjustments shall be made as may be deemed necessary or equitable by the Board
of Directors. In the event of any other change affecting the common stock, such
adjustments shall be made as may be deemed equitable by the Board of Directors,
in its sole discretion, to give proper effect to such event, subject to the
limitations of Code section 424.
SECTION 12
Administration
--------------
12.1 Appointment. The Plan shall be administered by the
Committee. The Committee shall consist of two or more members who shall serve at
the pleasure of the Board of Directors. The Board of
B-5
Directors may from time to time appoint members of the Committee in substitution
for, or in addition to, members previously appointed and may fill vacancies,
however caused, in the Committee.
12.2 Authority. Subject to the express provisions of the Plan,
the Committee shall have authority to interpret the Plan, to prescribe, amend
and rescind rules and regulations relating to it, and to make all other
determinations necessary or advisable in administering the Plan, all of which
determinations shall be final and binding upon all persons. If and to the extent
required by Securities and Exchange Commission rule 16b-3 or any successor
exemption under which the Committee believes it is appropriate for the plan to
qualify, the Committee may restrict a participant's ability to participate in
the plan or sell any common stock received under the plan for such period as the
committee deems appropriate or may impose such other conditions in connection
with participation or distributions under the Plan as the Committee deems
appropriate.
12.3 Committee Procedures. The Committee may select one of its
members as its chairman and shall hold its meetings at such times and places as
it shall deem advisable and may hold telephonic meetings. A majority of its
members shall constitute a quorum. All determinations of the Committee shall be
made by a majority of its members. Any decision or determination reduced to
writing and signed by a majority of the members of the Committee shall be as
fully effective as if it had been made by a majority vote at a meeting duly
called and held. The Committee may request advice or assistance or employ such
other persons as are necessary for the proper administration of the plan.
12.4 Duties of Committee. The committee shall establish and
maintain records of the plan and of each payroll deduction account and common
stock account established for any participant hereunder.
12.5 Plan Expenses. The company shall pay the fees and
expenses of accountants, counsel, agents and other personnel and all other costs
of administration of the plan.
12.6 Indemnification. To the maximum extent permitted by law,
no member of the Committee shall be personally liable by reason of any contract
or other instrument executed by such member or on such member's behalf in such
member's capacity as a member of the Committee or for any mistake of judgment
made in good faith, and the Company shall indemnify and hold harmless, directly
from its own assets (including the proceeds of any insurance policy the premiums
of which are paid from the Company's own assets), each member of the Committee
and each other officer, employee or director of the Company to whom any duty or
power relating to the administration or interpretation of the plan or to the
management or control of the assets of the plan may be delegated or allocated,
against any cost or expense (including fees, disbursements and other charges of
legal counsel) or liability (including any sum paid in settlement of a claim
with the approval of the Company) arising out of any act or omission to act in
connection with the plan unless arising out of such person's own fraud, willful
misconduct or bad faith. The foregoing shall not be deemed to limit the
company's obligation to indemnify any member of the committee under the
Company's certificate of Incorporation or By-laws, or any other agreement
between the Company and such member.
SECTION 13
Amendment and Termination
-------------------------
13.1 Amendment. Subject to the provisions of Code Section 423,
the board of directors may amend the plan in any respect; provided, however,
that the plan may not be amended in any manner that will retroactively impair or
otherwise adversely affect the rights of any person to benefits under the Plan
which have accrued prior to the date of such action.
13.2 Termination. The Plan shall terminate on the Investment
Date that Participants become entitled to purchase a number of shares greater
than the number of reserved shares available for purchase. In addition, the Plan
may be terminated at any time, in the sole discretion of the Board of Directors.
B-6
SECTION 14
Effective date
--------------
The plan shall become effective on July 1, 2000, subject to
approval by the holders of the majority of shares of Common Stock present and
represented at an annual or special meeting of the stockholders held within 12
months of the date the Plan is adopted.
SECTION 15
Governmental and other regulations
----------------------------------
The plan and the grant and exercise of options to purchase
shares hereunder, and the Company's obligation to sell and deliver shares upon
the exercise of options to purchase shares, shall be subject to all applicable
Federal, state and foreign laws, rules and regulations, and to such approvals by
any regulatory or governmental agency as, in the opinion of counsel to the
Company, may be required.
SECTION 16
No employment rights
--------------------
The Plan does not create, directly or indirectly, any right
for the benefit of any employee or class of employees to purchase any shares
under the Plan, or create in any employee or class of employees any right with
respect to continuation of employment by the Company or any subsidiary, and it
shall not be deemed to interfere in any way with the Company's or any
Subsidiary's right to terminate, or otherwise modify, an employee's employment
at any time.
SECTION 17
Withholding
-----------
As a condition to receiving shares hereunder, the Company may
require the Participant to make a cash payment to the Company of, or the Company
may withhold from, any shares distributable under the Plan, an amount necessary
to satisfy all Federal, state, city or other taxes as may be required to be
withheld in respect of such payments pursuant to any law or governmental
regulation or ruling.
SECTION 18
Offsets
-------
To the extent permitted by law, the Company shall have the
absolute right to withhold any amounts payable to any Participant under the
terms of the Plan to the extent of any amount owed for any reason by such
participant to the Company or any Subsidiary and to set off and apply the
amounts so withheld to payment of any such amount owed to the company or any
subsidiary, whether or not such amount shall then be immediately due and payable
and in such order or priority as among such amounts owed as the Committee, in
its sole discretion, shall determine.
SECTION 19
Notices, etc.
-------------
All elections, designations, requests, notices, instructions
and other communications from a participant to the committee or the company
required or permitted under the Plan shall be in such form as is prescribed from
time to time by the Committee, shall be mailed by first-class mail or delivered
to such location as
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shall be specified by the Committee, and shall be deemed to have been given and
delivered only upon actual receipt thereof at such location.
SECTION 20
Captions, Etc.
--------------
The captions of the sections and paragraphs of this Plan have
been inserted solely as a matter of convenience and in no way define or limit
the scope or intent of any provision of the Plan. Reference to sections herein
are to the specified sections of this Plan unless another reference is
specifically stated. Wherever used herein, a singular number shall be deemed to
include the plural unless a different meaning is required by the context.
SECTION 21
Effect of Plan
--------------
The provisions of the Plan shall be binding upon, and inure to
the benefit of, all successors of the Company and each Participant, including,
without limitation, such Participant's estate and the executors, administrators
or trustees thereof, heirs and legatees, and any receiver, trustee in bankruptcy
or representative of creditors of such Participant.
SECTION 22
Governing law
-------------
The laws of the State of Delaware shall govern all matters
relating to this Plan except to the extent it is superseded by the laws of the
United States.
B-8
EXHIBIT C
PROPOSED FORM OF AMENDMENT TO CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION
INCREASING THE NUMBER OF AUTHORIZED SHARES OF COMMON STOCK
CERTIFICATE OF AMENDMENT
OF
CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION
OF
IMAGING TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
It is hereby certified that:
1. The name of the corporation (hereinafter called the
"Corporation") is Imaging Technologies Corporation.
2. The Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation
(hereinafter called the "Certificate of Incorporation") is hereby further
amended by deleting the current first paragraph of the Fourth Article and
replacing it with the following:
"FOURTH: The aggregate number of shares of stock which the
Corporation shall have authority to issue is 200,100,000 shares divided into two
classes; 200,000,000 shares of which shall be designated as Common Stock, $.005
par value per share, and 100,000 shares of which shall be designated as
Preferred Stock, with $1,000.00 par value per share. There shall be no
preemptive rights with respect to any shares of capital stock of the
Corporation."
3. The amendment of the Certificate of Incorporation herein
certified has been duly adopted in accordance with the provisions of Sections
228 and 242 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware.
Dated: ___________, 2000
By:_________________________
Brian Bonar, President
ATTEST:
By:__________________________
Philip Englund, Secretary
C-1
EXHIBIT D
PROPOSED FORM OF AMENDMENT TO CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION
EFFECTING A REVERSE SPLIT
CERTIFICATE OF AMENDMENT
OF
CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION
OF
IMAGING TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
It is hereby certified that:
1. The name of the corporation (hereinafter called the
"Corporation") is Imaging Technologies Corporation.
2. The Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation
(hereinafter called the "Certificate of Incorporation") is hereby further
amended by deleting the current first paragraph of the Fourth Article and
replacing it with the following:
"FOURTH: The aggregate number of shares of stock which the
Corporation shall have authority to issue is _________ shares divided into two
classes; _________ shares of which shall be designated as Common Stock, $.005
par value per share, and _________ shares of which shall be designated as
Preferred Stock, with $1,000.00 par value per share. There shall be no
preemptive rights with respect to any shares of capital stock of the
Corporation.
Effective 12:01 a.m. on __________, 2000 (the "Effective
Time"), each __ shares of Common Stock then issued shall be automatically
combined into one share of Common Stock of the Corporation. No fractional shares
or scrip representing fractions of a share shall be issued, but in lieu thereof,
each fraction of a share that any stockholder would otherwise be entitled to
receive shall be rounded up to the nearest whole share."
3. The amendment of the Certificate of Incorporation herein
certified has been duly adopted in accordance with the provisions of Sections
228 and 242 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware.
Dated: ___________, 2000
By:_________________________
Brian Bonar, President
ATTEST:
By:__________________________
Philip Englund, Secretary
D-1
THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF
IMAGING TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
Dated: March __, 1999May 11, 2000
IMAGING TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION PROXY SOLICITED ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF
DIRECTORS
The undersigned hereby appoints Brian Bonar and Michael K. ClemensPhilip J. Englund
jointly and severally, as proxies, with full power of substitution and
resubstitution, to vote all shares of stock which the undersigned is entitled to
vote at the Annual Meeting of Stockholders (the "Annual Meeting") of Imaging
Technologies Corporation (the "Company") to be held at the Company's principal
executive offices at 15175 Innovation Drive, San Diego, California 92128, on
Monday, March 29, 1999,May 11, 2000, at 10 a.m., local time, or at any postponements or
adjournments thereof, as specified below, and to vote in his or her discretion
on such other business as may properly come before the Annual Meeting and any
adjournments thereof.
THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS RECOMMENDS A VOTE FOR PROPOSALS 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 AND 66.
1. ELECTION OF DIRECTORS:
Nominees: Harry J. Saal, Brian Bonar, Keith Meadows, Robert A. L. Dubrow, David. M. CarverDietrich, and Warren T. Lazarow
/ /Eric W. Gaer
|_| VOTE FOR ALL NOMINEES ABOVE / /VOTE|_| VOTE WITHHELD FROM ALL NOMINEES (EXCEPT AS WITHHELD IN
THE SPACE BELOW)NOMINEE
(Except as withheld in the space
below)
Instruction: To withhold authority to vote for any individual nominee, check the
box "Vote FOR" and write the nominee's name on the line below.
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2. AMENDMENTAPPROVAL OF THE COMPANY'S CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION
Amendment of the Company's Certificate of Incorporation to increase the
number of the Company's preferred stock authorized to be issued from 10,000
shares to 100,000 shares.
3. APPROVAL OF 19982000 STOCK OPTION PLAN:
Approval of the 19982000 Stock Option/Stock Issuance Plan, pursuant to
which 1,000,0003,500,000 shares of Common Stock will be reserved for issuance
over the term of such plan.
/ /|_| VOTE FOR / /|_| VOTE AGAINST / /|_| ABSTAIN
3. APPROVAL OF THE 2000 STOCK PURCHASE PLAN:
To approve the Stock Purchase Plan, pursuant to which 1,250,000 shares
of Common Stock will be reserved or may be reserved for issuance over
the term of such plan.
|_| VOTE FOR |_| VOTE AGAINST |_| ABSTAIN
4. APPROVAL OF AMENDMENT TO THE ISSUANCECOMPANY'S CERTIFICATE OF
INCORPORATION INCREASING THE COMPANY'S AUTHORIZED COMMON STOCK UPON CONVERSION OF
SERIES D CONVERTIBLE PREFERRED STOCK
Approval of the issuance of all shares of Company Common Stock which
the Company would be entitled to issue upon conversion of the Company's Series D
Convertible Preferred Stock.
/ /STOCK:
|_| VOTE FOR / /|_| VOTE AGAINST / /|_| ABSTAIN
-46-
5. APPROVAL OF REVERSE SPLIT OF THE ISSUANCE OFCOMPANY'S COMMON STOCK UPON CONVERSION OF
SERIES E CONVERTIBLE PREFERRED STOCK:
Approval of the issuance of all shares of Company Common Stock which
the Company would be entitled to issue upon conversion of the Company's Series E
Convertible Preferred Stock.
/ /|_| VOTE FOR / /|_| VOTE AGAINST / /|_| ABSTAIN
6. RATIFICATION OF ACCOUNTANTS:
Ratification and approval of the selection of Boros & Farrington APC as
independent auditors for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1999.
/ /2000.
|_| VOTE FOR / /|_| VOTE AGAINST / /|_| ABSTAIN
(PLEASE SIGN AND DATE ON REVERSE SIDE)
UNLESS OTHERWISE SPECIFIED BY THE UNDERSIGNED, THIS PROXY WILL BE VOTED FOR
PROPOSALS 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 andAND 6, AND WILL BE VOTED BY THE PROXY HOLDERS AT THEIR
DISCRETION AS TO ANY OTHER MATTERS PROPERLY TRANSACTED AT THE ANNUAL MEETING OR
ANY ADJOURNMENT(S) THEREOF TO VOTE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS'
RECOMMENDATIONS JUST SIGN BELOW, NO BOXES NEED BE CHECKED.
DATED: __________, 19______________________, 2000
SIGNATURE OF STOCKHOLDER
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PRINTED NAME OF STOCKHOLDER
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TITLE (IF APPROPRIATE)
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PLEASE SIGN EXACTLY AS NAME APPEARS HEREON. IF SIGNING AS ATTORNEY, EXECUTOR,
ADMINISTRATOR, TRUSTEE OR GUARDIAN, PLEASE GIVE FULL TITLE AS SUCH, AND, IF
SIGNING FOR A CORPORATION, GIVE YOUR TITLE. WHEN SHARES ARE IN THE NAMES OF MORE
THAN ONE PERSON, EACH SHOULD SIGN.
CHECK HERE IF YOU PLAN TO ATTEND THE ANNUAL MEETING. / /
[LOGO]|_|
[ITECH LOGO]
IMAGING TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
[LETTERHEAD]
-47-15175 Innovation Drive o San Diego, California 92128
Telephone: (858) 613-1300 o Fax: (858) 207-6505