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Exhibit 10.1

 

Domestic

 

Stock Option Agreement

Under

The Estée Lauder Companies Inc.

Amended and Restated Fiscal 2002 Share Incentive Plan (the “Plan”)

 

This STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT (the “Agreement”) provides for the granting of options by The Estée Lauder Companies Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), to the participant, an employee of the Company or one of its subsidiaries (the “Employee” or the “Participant”), to purchase shares of the Company’s Class A Common Stock, par value $0.01 (the “Shares”), subject to the terms below (the “Stock Options” or “Options”).  The name of the “Participant,” the “Grant Date,” the aggregate number of Shares that may be purchased pursuant to this Agreement, and the “Exercise Price” per Shares are stated in the attached “Notice of Grant,” and are incorporated by reference.  The other terms of the Options are stated in this Agreement and in the Plan.  Terms not defined in this Agreement are defined in the Plan, as amended.

 

The Stock Options described in this Agreement are granted pursuant to the Company’s Amended and Restated Fiscal 2002 Share Incentive Plan, as may be amended from time to time (the “Plan”), and are subject in all respects to the provisions of the Plan.  The Stock Options granted under this Agreement are not Incentive Stock Options (as defined in Section 422(b) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”)).

 

1.  Payment of Exercise Price.  The Company will provide and communicate to the Employee various methods of exercise.  In all cases, upon exercise, the Employee must deliver or cause to be delivered to the Company (or its agent designated for the purpose) upon settlement of the exercise sufficient cash or sufficient number of Shares with value equal to or exceeding the Exercise Price per Share.  The Employee also is required to deliver or cause to be delivered sufficient cash to cover the applicable tax withholding in accordance with Section 5 of this Agreement and fees in connection with the exercise.  To facilitate exercise, the Company may enter into agreements for coordinated procedures with one or more brokerage firms or financial institutions.

 

2.   Exercise Period.

 

a.  General .  Subject to other provisions contained in this Agreement and in the Plan, Stock Options granted under this Agreement will be exercisable in installments as specified under “Exercise Period” in the attached “Notice of Grant”.

 

Stock Options awarded under this Agreement are exercisable until the close of business on the tenth anniversary of the Grant Date; after this date, the Stock Options expire.

 

b.  Death or Disability .  If the Employee dies or becomes totally and permanently disabled (as determined under the Company’s long term disability program), each Stock Option awarded but not yet exercisable as of the Employee’s date of death or disability determination will become immediately exercisable.  The period during which the Stock Option may be exercised will commence on the day after the Employee’s date of death or disability determination and end on the earlier of the close of business on the date of (i) the first anniversary of the Employee’s death or disability determination or (ii) the tenth anniversary of the Grant Date.

 

c.  Retirement .  Subject to Section 3, if the Employee formally retires under the terms of the Estée Lauder Inc. Retirement Growth Account Plan (or an affiliate or a successor plan or program of similar purpose), each Stock Option awarded but not yet exercisable as of the date of retirement will become immediately exercisable. Each Stock Option awarded may thereafter be exercised until the close of business on the date of the tenth anniversary of the Grant Date.  If the Employee dies during active employment after the attainment of age 55 and the completion of 10 or more years of service, or after the attainment of age 65 and the completion of 5 or more years of service, without formally retiring under the terms of the Estée Lauder Inc. Retirement Growth Account Plan (or an affiliate or a successor plan or program of similar purpose), the Employee will have deemed to be retired as of the date of death and this

 



 

Section 2(c) will apply rather than Section 2(b).  If the Employee dies or becomes disabled after retirement as contemplated by this Section 2(c), the provisions of this section shall apply.

 

d.  Termination of Employment Without Cause .

 

(1) Subject to Section 3, if the Employee is terminated at the instance of the Employee (e.g., resigns voluntarily), each Stock Option exercisable but unexercised as of the effective date of such termination may be exercised until the close of business on the date first to occur of (i) ninety (90) days after the effective date of such termination and (ii) the tenth anniversary of the Grant Date.  Each Stock Option awarded but unexercisable as of the date of such termination will be forfeited.

 

(2) Subject to Section 3, if the Employee is terminated at the instance of the Company or relevant subsidiary without Cause (as defined below), each Stock Option awarded but unexercisable as of the date of termination will become immediately exercisable.  Each Stock Option awarded may be exercised until the close of business on the date first to occur of (i) ninety (90) days after the effective date of such termination and (ii) the tenth anniversary of the Grant Date.  For this purpose, “Cause” is defined in the employment agreement in effect between the Employee and the Company or any subsidiary, including an employment agreement entered into after the Grant Date.  In the absence of an employment agreement, “Cause” means any breach by the Employee of any of his or her material obligations under any Company policy or procedure, including, without limitation, the Code of Corporate Conduct and the Policy on Avoidance of Insider Trading.

 

3.  Post-Employment Exercises.   No Stock Option represented by this Agreement may be exercised after termination of the Employee’s employment with the Company (or any of its subsidiaries) unless as provided for in Section 2b, 2c or 2d hereof.  The exercise of any Stock Option after termination of the Employee’s employment by reason of retirement in accordance with Section 2c, or due to termination by the Employee or termination by the Company or relevant subsidiary without Cause in accordance with Section 2d, is subject to satisfaction of the conditions precedent that the Employee neither (i) competes with, takes other employment with, or renders services to a competitor of the Company, its subsidiaries, or affiliates without the Company’s written consent, nor (ii) conducts herself or himself in a manner adversely affecting the Company.  All Stock Options that cannot be exercised after termination of the Employee’s employment will be forfeited.

 

4.  Adjustment Provisions; Change in Control.

 

a.  If there shall be any change in the Class A Common Stock of the Company, through merger, consolidation, reorganization, recapitalization, stock dividend, stock split, reverse stock split, split up, spin-off, combination of Shares, exchange of Shares, dividend in kind or other like change in capital structure or distribution (other than normal cash dividends) to stockholders of the Company, the Company shall adjust, in a fair and equitable manner, the Plan and each outstanding Stock Option to prevent dilution or enlargement of Participant’s rights under the Plan.  The Company will make th


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