UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT PURSUANT TO
SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE
SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
Date of report (Date of earliest event reported): May 23, 2024
(Exact name of registrant as specified in charter)
| (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) | (Commission File Number) | (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) | ||||||
| (Address of principal executive offices) | (Zip code) | |||||||
Registrant's telephone number, including area code: (918 ) 513-4570
Not Applicable
(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)
Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:
| Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425) | |||||||||||
| Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12) | |||||||||||
| Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b)) | |||||||||||
| Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c)) | |||||||||||
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act:
| Title of each class | Trading Symbol | Name of each exchange on which registered | ||||||
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter). | |||||||||||
Emerging Growth Company | |||||||||||
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐ | |||||||||||
Item 3.03. Material Modification to Rights of Security Holders.
The information set forth under Item 5.03 of this Current Report on Form 8-K is incorporated by reference into this Item 3.03.
Item 5.02. Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.
On March 16, 2024, the board of directors (the "Board") of Vital Energy, Inc. (the "Company") approved, subject to stockholder approval, the amendment and restatement of the Company's Omnibus Equity Incentive Plan (as amended from time to time, the "Amended Plan"), to increase the number of shares of the Company's common stock, par value $0.01 (the "Common Stock"), available for issuance under the Amended Plan by 900,000 shares. The additional shares of the Company's Class A Common Stock authorized to be delivered under the Amended Plan will be registered pursuant to a registration statement on Form S-8.
As further described below under Item 5.07 of this Current Report on Form 8-K, on May 23, 2024, at the Company's 2024 annual meeting of stockholders (the "Annual Meeting"), the stockholders approved the Amended Plan, and it became effective as of May 23, 2024.
The summary of the Amended Plan in this Current Report on Form 8-K does not purport to be a complete description of all provisions of the Amended Plan and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the Amended Plan, which is filed herewith as Exhibit 10.1 and incorporated into this Item 5.02 by reference.
Item 5.03. Amendments to Articles of Incorporation or Bylaws; Change in Fiscal Year.
As described in greater detail under Item 5.07 below, the Company held the Annual Meeting on Thursday, May 23, 2024. At the Annual Meeting, upon the recommendation of the Board, the Company's stockholders approved certain amendments to the Company's Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, as amended (the "Certificate of Incorporation"), to clarify and eliminate obsolete provisions.
The Company's Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (the "A&R Certificate of Incorporation"), which integrates the amendments to the Certificate of Incorporation approved by the Company's stockholders at the Annual meeting, became effective immediately upon filing with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware on May 28, 2024. A description of the A&R Certificate of Incorporation is provided in "Proposal Eight: Approval by Majority Vote of Amendments to the Certificate of Incorporation to Clarify and Eliminate Obsolete Provisions" and "Proposal Nine: Approval by Supermajority Vote of Amendments to the Certificate of Incorporation to Clarify and Eliminate Obsolete Provisions" of the Company's definitive proxy statement on Schedule 14A for the Annual Meeting that filed with filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on April 8, 2024 (the "Proxy Statement"), which description and text are incorporated herein by reference.
The foregoing description of the terms of the A&R Certificate of Incorporation and the descriptions incorporated by reference from the Proxy Statement do not purport to be complete and are qualified in their entirety by the full text of the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, which is filed herewith as Exhibit 3.1 and incorporated herein by reference.
Item 5.07. Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders.
At the Annual Meeting, upon the recommendation of the Board, the Company's stockholders were requested to: (1) elect three Class II directors for a three-year term; (2) ratify the selection of Ernst & Young ("EY") as the Company's independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2024; (3) hold an advisory vote approving the compensation of our named executive officers; (4) hold an advisory vote on the frequency of future advisory votes on the compensation of our named executive officers; (5) approve the amendment and restatement of the Company's Omnibus Equity Incentive Plan; (6) approve an amendment to the Certificate of Incorporation to eliminate the supermajority voting requirements to amend the Certificate of Incorporation; (7) approve the issuance of shares of Common Stock upon conversion of the Company's 2.0% Cumulative Mandatorily Convertible Series A Preferred Stock, par value $0.01 per share (the "Preferred Stock"); (8) approve by majority vote amendments to the Certificate of Incorporation to clarify and eliminate obsolete provisions; (9) approve by supermajority vote amendments to the Certificate of Incorporation to clarify and eliminate obsolete provisions; and (10) approve an amendment to the Certificate of Incorporation to adopt limitations on the liability of officers similar to those that already exist for directors.
As of March 26, 2024, the record date for the Annual Meeting, there were 36,661,788 shares of Common Stock outstanding and entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting and a total of 30,412,891 shares (approximately 82.95%) were represented in person or by proxy at the Annual Meeting, constituting a quorum. The following are the final voting results on proposals considered and voted upon at the Annual Meeting, each of which is more fully described in the Proxy Statement:
1.The election of each of the three Class II directors for a three-year term was approved. The results of the vote were as follows:
| NOMINEE | VOTES FOR | VOTES AGAINST | VOTES ABSTAINED | BROKER NON-VOTES | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Jarvis V. Hollingsworth | 25,606,808 | 1,023,329 | 212,332 | 3,570,422 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lisa M. Lambert | 25,713,512 | 918,950 | 210,007 | 3,570,422 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lori A. Lancaster | 26,127,644 | 501,640 | 213,185 | 3,570,422 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
2.The proposal to ratify the selection of EY as the Company's independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2024 was approved. The results of the vote were as follows:
| VOTES FOR | VOTES AGAINST | VOTES ABSTAINED | BROKER NON-VOTES | |||||||||||||||||
| 29,892,263 | 327,844 | 192,784 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
3.The compensation of our named executive officers was approved on a non-binding, advisory basis. The results of the vote were as follows:
| VOTES FOR | VOTES AGAINST | VOTES ABSTAINED | BROKER NON-VOTES | |||||||||||||||||
| 25,601,106 | 967,352 | 274,011 | 3,570,422 | |||||||||||||||||
4.A frequency of one-year for future advisory votes on the compensation of our named executive officers was approved on a non-binding, advisory basis. The results of the vote were as follows:
| ONE YEAR | TWO YEARS | THREE YEARS | VOTES ABSTAINED | |||||||||||||||||
| 25,674,922 | 67,958 | 819,271 | 280,318 | |||||||||||||||||
The Board supports the advisory resolution, and will include a vote on executive compensation every year until the next non-binding advisory vote on the frequency of future executive compensation votes.
5.The proposal to approve the amendment and restatement of the Company's Omnibus Equity Incentive Plan was approved. The results of the vote were as follows:
| VOTES FOR | VOTES AGAINST | VOTES ABSTAINED | BROKER NON-VOTES | |||||||||||||||||
| 25,107,638 | 1,495,962 | 238,869 | 3,570,422 | |||||||||||||||||
6.The proposal to approve an amendment to the Certificate of Incorporation to eliminate the supermajority voting requirements to amend the Certificate of Incorporation was not approved, as the affirmative vote of 75% in voting power of the outstanding voting stock of the Company was required for approval. The results of the vote were as follows:
| VOTES FOR | VOTES AGAINST | VOTES ABSTAINED | BROKER NON-VOTES | |||||||||||||||||
| 26,241,051 | 369,650 | 231,768 | 3,570,422 | |||||||||||||||||
7.The proposal to approve the issuance of shares of Common Stock upon conversion of the Company's 2.0% Cumulative Mandatorily Convertible Series A Preferred Stock was approved. The results of the vote were as follows:
| VOTES FOR | VOTES AGAINST | VOTES ABSTAINED | BROKER NON-VOTES | |||||||||||||||||
| 25,094,066 | 664,924 | 1,083,479 | 3,570,422 | |||||||||||||||||
8.The proposal to approve, by majority vote, amendments to the Certificate of Incorporation to clarify and eliminate obsolete provisions were approved. The results of the vote were as follows:
| VOTES FOR | VOTES AGAINST | VOTES ABSTAINED | BROKER NON-VOTES | |||||||||||||||||
| 29,848,377 | 286,676 | 277,838 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
9.The proposal to approve, by supermajority vote, amendments to the Certificate of Incorporation to clarify and eliminate obsolete provisions were approved. The results of the vote were as follows:
| VOTES FOR | VOTES AGAINST | VOTES ABSTAINED | BROKER NON-VOTES | |||||||||||||||||
| 29,772,874 | 393,182 | 246,835 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
10.The proposal to approve an amendment to the Certificate of Incorporation to adopt limitations on the liability of officers similar to those that already exist for directors was not approved, as the affirmative vote of 75% in voting power of the outstanding voting stock of the Company was required for approval. The results of the vote were as follows:
| VOTES FOR | VOTES AGAINST | VOTES ABSTAINED | BROKER NON-VOTES | |||||||||||||||||
| 25,705,383 | 892,190 | 244,896 | 3,570,422 | |||||||||||||||||
Item 7.01. Regulation FD Disclosure.
On May 28, 2024, the Company announced its intention to mandatorily convert all outstanding shares of its Preferred Stock into shares of Common Stock on June 4, 2024 pursuant to the terms of the Certificate of Designations of 2.0% Cumulative Mandatorily Convertible Series A Preferred Stock (as amended). A copy of the press release is filed herewith as Exhibit 99.1 and incorporated by reference herein.
In accordance with General Instruction B.2 of Form 8-K, the information furnished under this Item 7.01 of this Current Report on Form 8-K and the exhibit attached hereto is deemed to be "furnished" and shall not be deemed "filed" for the purpose of Section 18 of the Exchange Act, or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section, nor shall such information and exhibit be deemed incorporated by reference in any filing under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act.
Item 8.01. Other Events.
On May 23, 2024, the Board approved an amendment to its existing share repurchase program to (i) increase the shares of Common Stock which the Company may purchase by $37.3 million (the "Additional Authorization") and (ii) extend the expiration date from May 27, 2024 to May 22, 2026. As a result of the Additional Authorization, the aggregate authorization under the Company's repurchase program increased from up to $200.0 million of shares of Common Stock to up to $237.3 million of shares of Common Stock. The share repurchase program does not obligate the Company to purchase any particular amount of Common Stock. The authorization for the share repurchase program may be terminated, suspended, increased or decreased by the Board in its discretion at any time. Repurchases of Common Stock by the Company will be made in accordance with applicable securities laws and may be made at management's discretion within parameters set by the Board from time to time in the open market, through privately negotiated transactions, or otherwise.
Since May 31, 2022 through May 23, 2024, the Company has repurchased 490,536 shares of Common Stock at an average price of approximately $76.00 per share, representing an aggregate purchase price of $37.3 million, excluding fees, commissions or other expenses related to repurchases. Including the Additional Authorization, there is $200.0 million remaining under the current Board authorized share repurchase plan.
Forward Looking Statements
This Current Report on Form 8-K contains forward-looking statements as defined under Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, that address activities that the Company assumes, plans, expects, believes, intends, projects, indicates, enables, transforms, estimates or anticipates (and other similar expressions) will, should or may occur in the future are forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements are based on management's current belief, based on currently available information, as to the outcome and timing of future events. Such statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks, assumptions and uncertainties. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance, and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. See the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023 and the Company's other filings with the SEC for a discussion of other risks and uncertainties. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits.
(d) Exhibits.
| Exhibit Number | Description | |||||||
| 104 | Cover Page Interactive Data File (formatted as Inline XBRL). | |||||||
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
| VITAL ENERGY, INC. | ||||||||
Date: May 28, 2024 | By: | /s/ Mark Denny | ||||||
| Mark Denny | ||||||||
| Executive Vice President—General Counsel and Secretary | ||||||||
EXHIBIT 3.1
SECOND AMENDED AND RESTATED CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION
OF
VITAL ENERGY, INC.
(Originally incorporated on August 12, 2011)
Vital Energy, Inc., a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the State of Delaware (hereinafter referred to as the “Corporation”) hereby certifies as follows:
1.The Corporation was originally incorporated under the name Laredo Petroleum Holdings, Inc. and the original Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation (the “Original Certificate of Incorporation”) was filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware on August 12, 2011.
2.The Original Certificate of Incorporation was amended and restated and an Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation was filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware on December 19, 2011 (the “Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation”), further amended by the Certificate of Amendment filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware on June 1, 2020, further amended by the Second Certificate of Amendment filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware on May 26, 2022, further amended by the Third Certificate of Amendment filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware on January 6, 2023, and further amended by the Fourth Certificate of Amendment filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware on November 21, 2023.
3.This Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation (the “Certificate of Incorporation”), which amends and restates the Corporation’s Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, has been declared advisable by the board of directors of the Corporation (the “Board”), duly adopted by the stockholders of the Corporation and duly executed and acknowledged by an authorized officer of the Corporation in accordance with Sections 103, 228, 242 and 245 of Delaware General Corporation Law.
4.This Certificate of Incorporation shall become effective at the date and time it is filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware.
5.The Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation is hereby amended and restated in its entirety to read as follows:
FIRST: The name of the corporation is Vital Energy, Inc.
SECOND: The address of the registered office of the Corporation in the State of Delaware is Corporation Trust Center, 1209 Orange Street, County of New Castle, Wilmington, Delaware, 19801. The name of the registered agent of the Corporation at that address is The Corporation Trust Company.
THIRD: The purpose of the Corporation is to engage in any lawful act or activity for which a corporation may be organized under the Delaware General Corporation Law.
FOURTH: A. The total number of shares of all classes of stock which the Corporation shall have authority to issue is 130,000,000, consisting of 80,000,000 shares of common stock, par value one cent ($0.01) per share (the “Common Stock”), and 50,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value one cent ($0.01) per share (the “Preferred Stock”).
B.The board of directors is authorized, subject to any limitations prescribed by law, to provide for the issuance of shares of Preferred Stock in series, and by filing a certificate pursuant to the applicable law of the State of Delaware (such certificate being hereinafter referred to as a “Preferred Stock Designation”), to establish from time to time the number of shares to be included in each such series, and to fix the designation, powers, preferences, and rights of the shares of each such series and any qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof. The number of authorized shares of Preferred Stock may be increased or decreased (but not below the number of shares thereof then outstanding) by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the voting power of all of the then-outstanding shares of capital stock of the Corporation entitled to vote thereon, without a vote of the holders of the Preferred Stock, or of any series thereof, unless a vote of any such holders is required pursuant to the terms of any Preferred Stock Designation.
C.Each outstanding share of Common Stock shall entitle the holder thereof to one vote on each matter properly submitted to the stockholders of the Corporation for their vote; provided, however, that, except as otherwise required by law, holders of Common Stock shall not be entitled to vote on any amendment to this Certificate of Incorporation (including any Preferred Stock Designation relating to any series of Preferred Stock) that relates solely to the terms of one or more outstanding series of Preferred Stock if the holders of such affected series are entitled, either separately or together as a class with the holders of one or more other such series, to vote thereon pursuant to this Certificate of Incorporation (including any Preferred Stock Designation relating to any series of Preferred Stock).
FIFTH: The following provisions are inserted for the management of the business and the conduct of the affairs of the Corporation, and for further definition, limitation and regulation of the powers of the Corporation and of its directors and stockholders:
A.The business and affairs of the Corporation shall be managed by or under the direction of the board of directors. In addition to the powers and authority expressly conferred upon them by statute or by this Certificate of Incorporation or the bylaws of the Corporation, the directors are hereby empowered to exercise all such powers and do all such acts and things as may be exercised or done by the Corporation.
B.The directors of the Corporation need not be elected by written ballot unless the bylaws so provide.
C.Special meetings of stockholders of the Corporation may be called only by the board of directors acting pursuant to a resolution adopted by a majority of the Whole
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Board. For purposes of this Certificate of Incorporation, the term “Whole Board” shall mean the total number of authorized directors whether or not there exist any vacancies in previously authorized directorships.
D.An annual meeting of stockholders, for the election of directors to succeed those whose terms expire and for the transaction of such other business as may properly come before the meeting, shall be held at such place, on such date, and at such time as the board of directors shall fix.
SIXTH: A. The number of directors shall be fixed from time to time exclusively by the board of directors pursuant to a resolution adopted by a majority of the Whole Board.
Subject to the rights of the holders of any series of Preferred Stock to elect additional directors under specified circumstances, the board of directors, other than those directors who may be elected by the holders of any series of preferred stock under specified circumstances, shall be divided into three classes, with the initial term of office of the first class to expire at the annual meeting of stockholders held in 2014 (the “Class I Directors”), the initial term of office of the second class to expire at the annual meeting of stockholders held in 2015 (the “Class II Directors”) and the initial term of office of the third class to expire at the annual meeting of stockholders held in 2016 (the “Class III Directors”), with each director to hold office until his or her successor shall have been duly elected and qualified, or until his or her earlier death, resignation, disqualification, or removal from office, and the board of directors shall be authorized to assign members of the board of directors already in office, other than those directors who may be elected by the holders of any series of Preferred Stock under specified circumstances, to such classes at the time such classification becomes effective. At each annual meeting of stockholders, directors elected to succeed those directors whose terms expire shall be elected for a term of office to expire at the third succeeding annual meeting of stockholders after their election, with each director to hold office until his or her successor shall have been duly elected and qualified, or until his or her earlier death, resignation, disqualification, or removal from office.
B.If authorized by a resolution of the board of directors, directors may be elected by the stockholders to fill any vacancy on the board of directors, regardless of how such vacancy shall have been created.
C.A majority of the Whole Board shall constitute a quorum for all purposes at any meeting of the board of directors, and, except as otherwise expressly required by law or by this Certificate of Incorporation, all matters shall be determined by the affirmative vote of a majority of the directors present at any meeting at which a quorum is present.
D.Subject to the rights of the holders of any series of Preferred Stock then outstanding, newly created directorships resulting from any increase in the authorized number of directors or any vacancies in the board of directors resulting from death, resignation, disqualification, removal from office or other cause shall, unless otherwise required by law or by resolution of the board of directors, be filled only by a majority vote of the directors then in office, though less than a quorum (and not by stockholders), and
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directors so chosen shall serve for a term expiring at the annual meeting of stockholders at which the term of office of the class to which they have been chosen expires, in either case with each director to hold office until his or her successor shall have been duly elected and qualified. No decrease in the authorized number of directors shall shorten the term of any incumbent director.
E.Advance notice of stockholder nominations for the election of directors and of business to be brought by stockholders before any meeting of the stockholders of the Corporation shall be given in the manner provided in the bylaws of the Corporation.
F.Subject to the rights of the holders of any series of Preferred Stock then outstanding, any director, or the entire board of directors, may be removed from office at any time only for cause and only by the affirmative vote of the holders of at least seventy-five percent (75%) of the voting power of all of the then-outstanding shares of capital stock of the Corporation then entitled to vote at an election of directors, voting together as a single class.
SEVENTH: The board of directors is expressly empowered to adopt, amend or repeal bylaws of the Corporation. Any adoption, amendment or repeal of the bylaws of the Corporation by the board of directors shall require the approval of a majority of the Whole Board. The stockholders shall also have power to adopt, amend or repeal the bylaws of the Corporation; provided, however, that, in addition to any vote of the holders of any class or series of stock of the Corporation required by law or by this Certificate of Incorporation, the affirmative vote of the holders of at least seventy-five percent (75%) of the voting power of all of the then-outstanding shares of the capital stock of the Corporation entitled to vote thereon, voting together as a single class, shall be required to adopt, amend or repeal any provision of the bylaws of the Corporation.
EIGHTH: A director of the Corporation shall not be personally liable to the Corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director, except for liability (i) for any breach of the director’s duty of loyalty to the Corporation or its stockholders, (ii) for acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law, (iii) under Section 174 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, or (iv) for any transaction from which the director or officer derived an improper personal benefit. If the Delaware General Corporation Law is amended to authorize corporate action further eliminating or limiting the personal liability of directors, then the liability of a director of the Corporation shall be eliminated or limited to the fullest extent permitted by the Delaware General Corporation Law, as so amended.
Any repeal or modification of the foregoing paragraph shall not adversely affect any right or protection of a director of the Corporation existing at the time of such repeal or modification. All references in this Article Eighth to a director shall also be deemed to refer to any such director acting in his or her capacity as a Continuing Director (as defined below).
NINTH: Any action required or permitted to be taken by stockholders may be effected only at a duly called annual or special meeting of stockholders and may not be effected by a written consent or consents by stockholders in lieu of such a meeting.
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TENTH: The Corporation reserves the right to amend or repeal any provision contained in this Certificate of Incorporation in the manner prescribed by the laws of the State of Delaware and all rights conferred upon stockholders are granted subject to this reservation; provided, however, that, notwithstanding any other provision of this Certificate of Incorporation or any provision of law that might otherwise permit a lesser vote or no vote, but in addition to any vote of the holders of any class or series of the stock of this corporation required by law or by this Certificate of Incorporation, and the affirmative vote of the holders of at least seventy-five percent (75%) of the voting power of all of the then-outstanding shares of the capital stock of the Corporation entitled to vote thereon, voting together as a single class, shall be required to amend or repeal this Article Tenth, Sections C or D of Article Fifth, Article Sixth, Article Seventh, Article Eighth or Article Eleventh.
ELEVENTH: [RESERVED]
TWELFTH: Unless the Corporation consents in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware shall be the sole and exclusive forum for (a) any derivative action or proceeding brought on behalf of the Corporation, (b) any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any director, officer or other employee of the Corporation to the Corporation or the Corporation’s stockholders, (c) any action asserting a claim arising pursuant to, or a claim with respect to the interpretation or application of, any provision of the Delaware General Corporation Law, this Certificate of Incorporation or the bylaws of the Corporation or (d) any action asserting a claim governed by the internal affairs doctrine. Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in shares of capital stock of the Corporation shall be deemed to have notice of and consented to the provisions of this Article Twelfth.
THIRTEENTH: The board of directors is expressly authorized to cause the Corporation to issue rights pursuant to Section 157 of the Delaware General Corporation Law and, in connection therewith, to enter into any agreements necessary or convenient for such issuance, and to enter into other agreements necessary and convenient to the conduct of the business of the Corporation. Any such agreement may include provisions limiting, in certain circumstances, the ability of the board of directors of the Corporation to redeem the securities issued pursuant thereto or to take other action thereunder or in connection therewith unless there is a specified number or percentage of Continuing Directors then in office. Pursuant to Section 141(a) of the Delaware General Corporation Law, the Continuing Directors shall have the power and authority to make all decisions and determinations, and exercise or perform such other acts, that any such agreement provides that such Continuing Directors shall make, exercise or perform. For purposes of this Certificate of Incorporation and any such agreement, the term “Continuing Directors” shall mean (1) those directors who were members of the board of directors of the Corporation at the time the Corporation entered into such agreement and any director who subsequently becomes a member of the board of directors, if such director’s nomination for election to the board of directors is recommended or approved by the majority vote of the Continuing Directors then in office and (2) such other members of the board of directors, if any, designated in, or in the manner provided in, such agreement as Continuing Directors.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, this Certificate of Incorporation has been executed by its duly authorized officer this twenty-eighth day of May, 2024.
| VITAL ENERGY, INC. | ||||||||
| By: | /s/ Mark Denny | |||||||
| Mark Denny | ||||||||
| Executive Vice President - General Counsel & Secretary | ||||||||
[Signature Page to the Certificate of Incorporation]
EXHIBIT 10.1
VITAL ENERGY, INC.
OMNIBUS EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN
(amended and restated as of May 23, 2024)
1.Purpose. The purpose of the Vital Energy, Inc. Omnibus Equity Incentive Plan is to provide a means through which the Company and its Affiliates may attract and retain key personnel and to provide a means whereby directors, officers, employees, consultants and advisors (and prospective directors, officers, employees, consultants and advisors) of the Company and its Affiliates can acquire and maintain an equity interest in the Company, or be paid incentive compensation, which may (but need not) be measured by reference to the value of Common Stock, thereby strengthening their commitment to the welfare of the Company and its Affiliates and aligning their interests with those of the Company’s shareholders.
2.Definitions. The following definitions shall be applicable throughout the Plan:
(a)“Affiliate” means any parent or direct or indirect subsidiary of the Company; provided, that, with respect to Incentive Stock Options, the term shall only mean “parent corporation” and “subsidiary corporation” as defined in Sections 424(e) and 424(f) of the Code; further, provided, that, with respect to the award of any “stock right” within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code, such affiliate must qualify as a “service recipient” within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code and in applying Section 1563(a)(1), (2) and (3) of the Code for purposes of determining a controlled group of corporations under Section 414(b) of the Code and in applying Treasury Regulation Section 1.414(c)-2 for purposes of determining trades or businesses (whether or not incorporated) that are under common control for purposes of Section 414(c) of the Code, the language “at least 50 percent” is used instead of “at least 80 percent”.
(b)“Award” means, individually or collectively, any Incentive Stock Option, Nonqualified Stock Option, Stock Appreciation Right, Restricted Stock, Restricted Stock Unit, Stock Bonus Award, and Performance Compensation Award granted under the Plan.
(c)“Board” means the Board of Directors of the Company.
(d)“Cause” means, in the case of a particular Award, unless the applicable Award agreement states otherwise, (i) the Company or an Affiliate having “cause” or “good cause” to terminate a Participant’s employment or service, as defined in any employment or consulting agreement or similar services agreement between the Participant and the Company or an Affiliate in effect at the time of such termination or (ii) in the absence of any such employment, consulting, or similar services agreement (or the absence of any definition of “Cause” or “Good Cause” contained therein), (A) the Participant’s commission of, conviction for, plea of guilty or nolo contendere to a felony or a crime involving moral turpitude, or other material act or omission involving dishonesty or fraud, (B) the Participant’s conduct that results in or is reasonably likely to result in harm to the reputation or business of the Company or any of its Affiliates in any material way, (C) the Participant’s failure to perform duties as reasonably directed by the Company or the Participant’s material violation of any rule, regulation, policy or plan for the conduct of any service provider to the Company or its Affiliates or its or their business (which, if curable, is not cured within 5 days after notice thereof is provided to the Participant) or (D) the Participant’s gross negligence, willful malfeasance or material act of disloyalty with respect to the Company or its
Affiliates (which, if curable, is not cured within 5 days after notice thereof is provided to the Participant). Any determination of whether Cause exists shall be made by the Committee in its sole discretion.
(e)“Change in Control” shall, in the case of a particular Award, unless the applicable Award agreement states otherwise or contains a different definition of “Change in Control,” be deemed to occur upon:
(i)Any “person” (as such term is used in Section 13(d) and 14(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”)) (a “Person”) (other than (A) a trustee or other fiduciary holding securities under an employee benefit plan of the Company or any affiliate thereof or (B) the Institutional Investors as of the Effective Date) acquires “beneficial ownership” (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act) of securities of the Company representing 40% or more of the combined voting power of the Company’s then outstanding securities; provided, however, that if the Company engages in a merger or consolidation in which the Company or the surviving entity in such merger or consolidation becomes a subsidiary of another entity, then references to the Company’s then outstanding securities shall be deemed to refer to the outstanding securities of such parent entity;
(ii)A majority of the members of the Board shall not be Continuing Directors; or
(iii)The consummation of a merger or consolidation of the Company with any other entity, other than a merger or consolidation which would result in the voting securities of the Company outstanding immediately prior thereto continuing to represent (either by remaining outstanding or by being converted into voting securities of the surviving entity (or if the surviving entity is or shall become a subsidiary of another entity, then such parent entity)) more than 40% of the combined voting power of the voting securities of the Company (or such surviving entity or parent entity, as the case may be) outstanding immediately after such merger or consolidation.
To the extent a Plan Award provides for “nonqualified deferred compensation” within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code and a Change in Control is intended to constitute a payment event under such Plan Award, then Change in Control shall mean a “change in control event” as defined in Treasury Regulations Section 1.409A-3(i)(5) and any interpretative guidance promulgated under Section 409A of the Code. In addition, notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, in any circumstance in which the definition of “Change in Control” under this Plan would otherwise be operative and with respect to which the additional tax under Section 409A of the Code would apply or be imposed, but where such tax would not apply or be imposed if the meaning of the term “Change in Control” met the requirements of Section 409A(a)(2)(A)(v) of the Code, then the term “Change in Control” herein shall mean, but only for the transaction, event or circumstance so affected and the item of income with respect to which the additional tax under Section 409A of the Code would otherwise be imposed, a transaction, event or circumstance that is both (x) described in the preceding provisions of this definition, and (y) a “change in control event” within the meaning of Treasury Regulations Section 1.409A-3(i)(5).
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(f)“Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and any successor thereto. Reference in the Plan to any section of the Code shall be deemed to include any regulations or other interpretative guidance under such section, and any amendments or successor provisions to such section, regulations or guidance.
(g)“Committee” means the Compensation Committee, as constituted from time to time, of the Board, or if no such committee shall be in existence at any relevant time, the term “Committee” for purposes of the Plan shall mean the Board; provided, however, that while the Common Stock is publicly traded, (i) the Committee shall be a committee of the Board consisting solely of two or more Eligible Directors as necessary to satisfy the requirements of Rule 16b-3 under the Exchange Act with respect to Awards granted under the Plan and (ii) with respect to Awards to directors who are not employees of the Company, the Committee shall consist solely of one or more members of the Board who are “independent” within the meaning of the New York Stock Exchange corporate governance listing standards (or, if the Common Stock is not listed on the New York Stock Exchange, such similar standards of any other applicable registered stock exchange on which the Common Stock is listed or quoted at any relevant time).
(h)“Common Stock” means the shares of common stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the Company (and any stock or other securities into which such shares of common stock may be converted or into which they may be exchanged).
(i)“Company” means Vital Energy, Inc., a Delaware corporation.
(j)“Continuing Directors” means, as of any date of determination, any member of the Board who: (i) was a member of the Board on the Effective Date; or (ii) was nominated for election or elected to the Board with the approval of a majority of the Continuing Directors who were members of the Board at the time of such nomination or election.
(k)“Date of Grant” means the date on which the granting of an Award is authorized, or such other date as may be specified in such authorization; provided, however, that such date complies with the requirements of Sections 422 and 409A of the Code, as applicable.
(l)“Disability” means the “disability” of a person as defined in a then effective long-term disability plan maintained by the Company that covers such person, or if such a plan does not exist at any relevant time, “Disability” means the permanent and total disability of a person within the meaning of Section 22(e)(3) of the Code. For purposes of determining the time during which an Incentive Stock Option may be exercised under the terms of an Option Agreement, “Disability” means the permanent and total disability of a person within the meaning of Section 22(e)(3) of the Code. Section 22(e)(3) of the Code provides that an individual is totally and permanently disabled if he is unable to engage in any substantial gainful activity by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment which can be expected to result in death or which has lasted or can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than twelve (12) months.
(m)“Effective Date” means May 23, 2024, the date on which this amendment and restatement is approved by the Company’s shareholders. The Plan originally was adopted
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effective December 20, 2011, but was amended and restated and approved by the Company’s shareholders effective May 20, 2021 (the “2021 Plan Effective Date”).
(n)“Eligible Director” means a person who is a “non-employee director” within the meaning of Rule 16b-3 under the Exchange Act.
(o)“Eligible Person” means any (i) individual employed by the Company or an Affiliate; (ii) director of the Company or an Affiliate; (iii) consultant or advisor to the Company or an Affiliate, provided that if the Securities Act applies, such persons must be eligible to be offered securities registrable on Form S-8 under the Securities Act; or (iv) prospective employees, directors, officers, consultants or advisors who have accepted offers of employment or consultancy from the Company or its Affiliates (and would satisfy the provisions of clauses (i) through (iii) above once he or she begins employment with or begins providing services to the Company or its Affiliates).
(p)“Exchange Act” has the meaning given such term in the definition of “Change in Control,” and any reference in the Plan to any section of (or rule promulgated under) the Exchange Act shall be deemed to include any rules, regulations or other interpretative guidance under such section or rule, and any amendments or successor provisions to such section, rules, regulations or guidance.
(q)“Exercise Price” has the meaning given such term in Section 7(b) of the Plan.
(r)“Fair Market Value” means, as of any date, the value of the Common Stock determined as follows:
(i)if the Common Stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange or another national securities exchange, the closing sales price for a share of Common Stock reported on such national securities exchange on the day of determination (or if no such price is reported on that day, on the last market trading day prior to the day of determination for which such a price is reported), as reported in The Wall Street Journal or such other source as the Committee deems reliable;
(ii)if the Common Stock is not listed on the New York Stock Exchange or another national securities exchange, but is quoted in the NASDAQ National Market Reporting System or another inter-dealer quotation system on a last sale basis, the closing bid price (or if no such price is reported on that day, on the last market trading day prior to the day of determination for which such a price is reported); or
(iii)in the absence of any listing or quotation of the Common Stock on any established national stock exchange or inter-dealer quotation system on a last sale basis, the Fair Market Value of a share of Common Stock shall be determined in good faith by the Committee in a manner intended to satisfy the principles of Section 409A of the Code.
(s)“Good Reason” shall have the meaning provided in a Participant’s employment or similar services agreement, or in the absence of such an agreement providing such a definition, “Good Reason” means the occurrence of any of the following events without the
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Participant’s written consent, provided that the Participant gives written notice to the Company of the event within 90 days after the initial occurrence thereof, the Company does not fully remedy such event in all material respects within 30 days following its receipt of the Participant’s written notification and the Participant terminates employment or other service with the Company on the date following the expiration of such 30-day cure period: (i) a material adverse change in the Participant’s title, authority, duties or responsibilities; (ii) a material reduction in the Participant’s base salary (other than in connection with a diminution of base salaries to similarly situated employees), (iii) a geographical relocation of the Participant’s principal business location to an area outside a 50 mile radius of the Participant’s then principal business location, or (iv) the Company’s failure to pay amounts to the Participant when due.
(t)“Immediate Family Members” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 14(b).
(u)“Incentive Stock Option” means an Option that is designated by the Committee as an incentive stock option as described in Section 422 of the Code and otherwise meets the requirements set forth in the Plan and Section 422 of the Code.
(v)“Indemnifiable Person” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 4(e) of the Plan.
(w)“Institutional Investors” means Warburg Pincus Private Equity IX, L.P., WP IX Finance LP (collectively, “Warburg Pincus IX”), Warburg Pincus Private Equity X O&G, L.P. and Warburg Pincus X Partners, L.P. (collectively, “Warburg Pincus X”) and any transferee of capital stock of the Company (including subsequent transferees) directly or indirectly (in a chain of title) from Warburg Pincus IX or Warburg Pincus X and who is a stockholder of the Company.
(x)“Nonqualified Stock Option” means an Option that is not designated by the Committee as an Incentive Stock Option.
(y)“Officer” means a person who is an “officer” of the Company or any Affiliate within the meaning of Section 16 of the Exchange Act (whether or not the Company is subject to the requirements of the Exchange Act).
(z)“Option” means an Award granted under Section 7 of the Plan.
(aa) “Option Period” has the meaning given such term in Section 7(c) of the Plan.
(bb) “Participant” means an Eligible Person who has been selected by the Committee to participate in the Plan and to receive an Award pursuant to Section 6 of the Plan.
(cc) “Performance Compensation Award” shall mean any Award designated by the Committee as a Performance Compensation Award pursuant to Section 11 of the Plan, which, for the avoidance of doubt, could include, without limitation, performance units, performance-based shares and other equity and non-equity performance-based awards.
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(dd) “Performance Formula” shall mean, for a Performance Period, the one or more objective formulae applied against the relevant Performance Goal to determine, with regard to the Performance Compensation Award of a particular Participant, whether all, some portion but less than all, or none of the Performance Compensation Award has been earned for the Performance Period.
(ee) “Performance Goals” shall mean, for a Performance Period, the one or more goals established by the Committee for the Performance Period.
(ff) “Performance Period” shall mean the one or more periods of time, as the Committee may select, over which the attainment of one or more Performance Goals will be measured for the purpose of determining a Participant’s right to, and the payment of, a Performance Compensation Award.
(gg) “Permitted Transferee” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 14(b) of the Plan.
(hh) “Person” has the meaning given such term in the definition of “Change in Control.”
(ii) “Plan” means this Vital Energy, Inc. Omnibus Equity Incentive Plan.
(jj) “Restricted Period” means the period of time determined by the Committee during which an Award is subject to restrictions or, as applicable, the period of time within which performance is measured for purposes of determining whether an Award has been earned.
(kk) “Restricted Stock Unit” means an unfunded and unsecured promise to deliver shares of Common Stock, cash, other securities or other property, subject to certain restrictions (including, without limitation, a requirement that the Participant remain continuously employed or provide continuous services for a specified period of time), granted under Section 9 of the Plan.
(ll) “Restricted Stock” means shares of Common Stock, subject to certain specified restrictions (including, without limitation, a requirement that the Participant remain continuously employed or provide continuous services for a specified period of time), granted under Section 9 of the Plan.
(mm) “SAR Period” has the meaning given such term in Section 8(c) of the Plan.
(nn) “Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and any successor thereto. Reference in the Plan to any section of the Securities Act shall be deemed to include any rules, regulations or other interpretative guidance under such section, and any amendments or successor provisions to such section, rules, regulations or guidance.
(oo) “Stock Appreciation Right” or “SAR” means an Award granted under Section 8 of the Plan.
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(pp) “Stock Bonus Award” means an Award granted under Section 10 of the Plan.
(qq) “Strike Price” means, except as otherwise provided by the Committee in the case of Substitute Awards, (i) in the case of a SAR granted in tandem with an Option, the Exercise Price of the related Option, or (ii) in the case of a SAR granted independent of an Option, an amount not less than the Fair Market Value on the Date of Grant.
(rr) “Subsidiary” means, with respect to any specified Person:
(i) any corporation, association or other business entity of which more than 50% of the total voting power of shares or any equivalent equity-type ownership (without regard to the occurrence of any contingency and after giving effect to any voting agreement or shareholders’ agreement that effectively transfers voting power) is at the time owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by that Person or one or more of the other Subsidiaries of that Person (or a combination thereof); and
(ii) any partnership (or any comparable foreign entity) (a) the sole general partner (or functional equivalent thereof) or the managing general partner of which is such Person or a Subsidiary of such Person or (b) the only general partners (or functional equivalents thereof) of which are that Person or one or more Subsidiaries of that Person (or any combination thereof).
(ss) “Substitute Award” has the meaning given such term in Section 5(e).
3.Effective Date; Duration. The Plan originally became effective as of December 20, 2011, in connection with the Company’s initial public offering and was amended and restated effective on each of March 30, 2016, May 20, 2021 and January 9, 2023. The Plan as set forth herein constitutes and amendment and restatement of the Plan as in effect immediately prior to the Effective Date, and the Plan, as amended and restated herein, is effective as of the Effective Date. Unless sooner terminated by the Board in accordance with Section 13 hereof, the expiration date of the Plan, as amended and restated herein, on and after which date no Awards may be granted hereunder, shall be the tenth (10th) anniversary of the Effective Date; provided, however, that such expiration shall not affect Awards then outstanding, and the terms and conditions of the Plan shall continue to apply to such Awards.
4.Administration.
(a)The Committee shall administer the Plan. To the extent required to comply with the provisions of Rule 16b-3 promulgated under the Exchange Act (if the Board is not acting as the Committee under the Plan), it is intended that each member of the Committee shall, at the time he takes any action with respect to an Award under the Plan, be an Eligible Director. However, the fact that a Committee member shall fail to qualify as an Eligible Director shall not invalidate any Award granted by the Committee that is otherwise validly granted under the Plan. The acts of a majority of the members present at any meeting at which a quorum is present or acts approved in writing by a majority of the Committee shall be deemed the acts of the Committee.
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(b)Subject to the provisions of the Plan and applicable law, the Committee shall have the sole and plenary authority, in addition to other express powers and authorizations conferred on the Committee by the Plan, to: (i) designate Participants; (ii) determine the type or types of Awards to be granted to a Participant; (iii) determine the number of shares of Common Stock to be covered by, or with respect to which payments, rights, or other matters are to be calculated in connection with, Awards; (iv) determine the terms and conditions of any Award; (v) determine whether, to what extent, and under what circumstances Awards may be settled or exercised in cash, shares of Common Stock, other securities, other Awards or other property, or canceled, forfeited, or suspended and the method or methods by which Awards may be settled, exercised, canceled, forfeited, or suspended; (vi) determine whether, to what extent, and under what circumstances the delivery of cash, shares of Common Stock, other securities, other Awards or other property and other amounts payable with respect to an Award shall be deferred either automatically or at the election of the Participant or of the Committee; (vii) interpret, administer, reconcile any inconsistency in, correct any defect in and/or supply any omission in the Plan and any instrument or agreement relating to, or Award granted under, the Plan; (viii) establish, amend, suspend, or waive any rules and regulations and appoint such agents as the Committee shall deem appropriate for the proper administration of the Plan; (ix) accelerate the vesting or exercisability of, payment for or lapse of restrictions on, Awards in the event of a Participant’s death or Disability; and (x) make any other determination and take any other action that the Committee deems necessary or desirable for the administration of the Plan.
(c)The Committee may delegate to one or more Officers of the Company or any Affiliate the authority to act on behalf of the Committee with respect to any matter, right, obligation, or election that is the responsibility of or that is allocated to the Committee herein, and that may be so delegated as a matter of law, except for grants of Awards to persons subject to Section 16 of the Exchange Act.
(d)Unless otherwise expressly provided in the Plan, all designations, determinations, interpretations, and other decisions under or with respect to the Plan or any Award or any documents evidencing Awards granted pursuant to the Plan shall be within the sole discretion of the Committee, may be made at any time and shall be final, conclusive and binding upon all persons or entities, including, without limitation, the Company, any Affiliate, any Participant, any holder or beneficiary of any Award, and any shareholder of the Company.
(e)No member of the Board, the Committee, delegate of the Committee or any employee or agent of the Company (each such person, an “Indemnifiable Person”) shall be liable for any action taken or omitted to be taken or any determination made in good faith with respect to the Plan or any Award hereunder. Each Indemnifiable Person shall be indemnified and held harmless by the Company against and from any loss, cost, liability, or expense (including attorneys’ fees) that may be imposed upon or incurred by such Indemnifiable Person in connection with or resulting from any action, suit or proceeding to which such Indemnifiable Person may be a party or in which such Indemnifiable Person may be involved by reason of any action taken or omitted to be taken under the Plan or any Award agreement and against and from any and all amounts paid by such Indemnifiable Person with the Company’s approval, in settlement thereof, or paid by such Indemnifiable Person in satisfaction of any judgment in any such action, suit or proceeding against such Indemnifiable Person, provided, that the Company shall have the right, at its own expense, to assume and defend any such action, suit or proceeding and once the Company
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gives notice of its intent to assume the defense, the Company shall have sole control over such defense with counsel of the Company’s choice. The foregoing right of indemnification shall not be available to an Indemnifiable Person to the extent that a final judgment or other final adjudication (in either case not subject to further appeal) binding upon such Indemnifiable Person determines that the acts or omissions of such Indemnifiable Person giving rise to the indemnification claim resulted from such Indemnifiable Person’s bad faith, fraud or willful criminal act or omission or that such right of indemnification is otherwise prohibited by law or by the Company’s constituent documents. The foregoing right of indemnification shall not be exclusive of any other rights of indemnification to which such Indemnifiable Persons may be entitled under the Company’s constituent documents, as a matter of law, or otherwise, or any other power that the Company may have to indemnify such Indemnifiable Persons or hold them harmless.
(f)Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in the Plan, the Board may, in its sole discretion, at any time and from time to time, grant Awards and administer the Plan with respect to such Awards. In any such case, the Board shall have all the authority granted to the Committee under the Plan.
5.Shares Subject to the Plan; Grant of Awards; Limitations.
(a)Awards granted under the Plan shall be subject to the following limitations: (i) subject to Section 12 of the Plan, the Committee is authorized to deliver under the Plan an aggregate of 3,332,500 shares of Common Stock; (ii) subject to Section 12 of the Plan, grants of Options or SARs under the Plan in respect of no more than 717,500 shares of Common Stock may be made to any single Participant during any single calendar year, and, subject to Section 12 of the Plan, grants of Incentive Stock Options under the Plan in respect of no more than 717,500 shares of Common Stock may be made to any single Participant during any single calendar year; (iii) subject to Section 12 of the Plan, no more than 717,500 shares of Common Stock may be earned in respect of Performance Compensation Awards denominated in shares of Common Stock granted pursuant to Section 11 of the Plan to any single Participant for a single calendar year during a Performance Period, or in the event such Performance Compensation Award is paid in cash, other securities, other Awards or other property, no more than the Fair Market Value of 717,500 shares of Common Stock on the last day of the Performance Period to which such Award relates; (iv) the maximum amount that can be paid to any single Participant in any one calendar year pursuant to a cash bonus Award described in Section 11(a) of the Plan shall be $5,000,000; and (v) subject to Section 12 of the Plan, no more than 71,750 shares of Common Stock may be issued in respect of Awards granted to any single Participant who is a non-employee director for a single calendar year.
(b)The Committee may, from time to time, grant Options, Stock Appreciation Rights, Restricted Stock, Restricted Stock Units, Stock Bonus Awards and/or Performance Compensation Awards to one or more Eligible Persons selected in its sole discretion. An Eligible Person may be granted more than one Award under the Plan, and Awards may be granted at any time or times during the term of the Plan. The grant of an Award to an Eligible Person shall not be deemed either to entitle that individual to, or to disqualify that individual from, participation in any other grant of Awards under the Plan. Notwithstanding anything in this subsection (b) to the contrary, the Committee may, in its sole discretion, grant a Stock Bonus Award to a director of the
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Company or an Affiliate in the name of a partnership or limited liability company designated by the director to receive such Award and in which the director owns 100% of the equity interests.
(c)Use of shares of Common Stock to pay the required Exercise Price or tax obligations, or shares not issued in connection with settlement of an Option or SAR shall, notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, not be available again for other Awards under the Plan. Shares underlying Awards under this Plan that are forfeited, cancelled, expire unexercised, or are settled in cash are available again for Awards under the Plan. For the avoidance of doubt, Awards that can only be settled in cash shall not be treated as shares of Common Stock granted for purposes of this Plan.
(d)Shares of Common Stock delivered by the Company in settlement of Awards may be authorized and unissued shares, shares held in the treasury of the Company, shares purchased on the open market or by private purchase, or a combination of the foregoing.
(e)Awards may, in the sole discretion of the Committee, be granted under the Plan in assumption of, or in substitution for, outstanding awards previously granted by an entity acquired by the Company or with which the Company combines (“Substitute Awards”). The number of shares of Common Stock underlying any Substitute Awards shall be counted against the aggregate number of shares of Common Stock available for Awards under the Plan.
6.Eligibility. Participation shall be limited to Eligible Persons who have entered into an Award agreement or who have received written notification from the Committee, or from a person designated by the Committee, that they have been selected to participate in the Plan.
7.Options.
(a)Generally. Each Option granted under the Plan shall be subject to the conditions set forth in this Section 7, and to such other conditions not inconsistent with the Plan as may be reflected in the applicable Award agreement. All Options granted under the Plan shall be Nonqualified Stock Options unless the applicable Award agreement expressly states that the Option is intended to be an Incentive Stock Option. Incentive Stock Options shall be granted only to Eligible Persons who are employees of the Company and its Affiliates, and no Incentive Stock Option shall be granted to any Eligible Person who is ineligible to receive an Incentive Stock Option under the Code. No Option shall be treated as an Incentive Stock Option unless the Plan has been approved by the shareholders of the Company in a manner intended to comply with the stockholder approval requirements of Section 422(b)(1) of the Code, provided, that any Option intended to be an Incentive Stock Option shall not fail to be effective solely on account of a failure to obtain such approval, but rather such Option shall be treated as a Nonqualified Stock Option unless and until such approval is obtained. In the case of an Incentive Stock Option, the terms and conditions of such grant shall be subject to and comply with such rules as may be prescribed by Section 422 of the Code. If for any reason an Option intended to be an Incentive Stock Option (or any portion thereof) shall not qualify as an Incentive Stock Option, then, to the extent of such nonqualification, such Option or portion thereof shall be regarded as a Nonqualified Stock Option appropriately granted under the Plan.
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(b)Exercise Price. The exercise price (“Exercise Price”) per share of Common Stock for each Option shall not be less than 100% of the Fair Market Value of such share determined as of the Date of Grant; provided, however, that, in the case of an Incentive Stock Option granted to an employee who, at the time of the grant of such Option, owns shares representing more than 10% of the voting power of all classes of shares of the Company or any Affiliate, the Exercise Price per share shall not be less than 110% of the Fair Market Value per share on the Date of Grant.
(c)Vesting and Expiration. Subject to the last sentence of this Section 7(c), Options shall (i) vest and become exercisable in such manner and on such date or dates, and (ii) expire after such period, not to exceed ten years (the “Option Period”), in each case as may be determined by the Committee and as set forth in an Award agreement; provided, however, that the Option Period shall not exceed five years from the Date of Grant in the case of an Incentive Stock Option granted to a Participant who on the Date of Grant owns shares representing more than 10% of the voting power of all classes of shares of the Company or any Affiliate; provided, further, that notwithstanding any vesting dates set by the Committee in the Award agreement, the Committee may, in its sole discretion, accelerate the exercisability of any Option in the event of the Participant’s death or Disability, which acceleration shall not affect the terms and conditions of such Option other than with respect to exercisability. Unless otherwise provided by the Committee in an Award agreement: (i) the unvested portion of an Option shall expire upon termination of employment or service of the Participant granted the Option, and the vested portion of such Option shall remain exercisable for (A) one year following termination of employment or service by reason of such Participant’s death or Disability, but not later than the expiration of the Option Period or (B) ninety (90) days following termination of employment or service for any reason other than such Participant’s death or Disability, and other than such Participant’s termination of employment or service for Cause, but not later than the expiration of the Option Period and (ii) both the unvested and the vested portion of an Option shall expire upon the termination of the Participant’s employment or service by the Company for Cause. Options that vest based on a Participant’s continued service shall not become vested or exercisable prior to the first anniversary following the Date of Grant other than in connection with the Participant’s death, Disability or pursuant to Section 12 of the Plan. Notwithstanding the foregoing, up to five percent (5%) of the available shares of Common Stock authorized for issuance pursuant to Section 5(a) of the Plan may be subject to Awards of Options and SARs that vest, partially or in full, prior to the first anniversary of the Date of Grant.
(d)Method of Exercise and Form of Payment. No shares of Common Stock shall be delivered pursuant to any exercise of an Option until payment in full of the Exercise Price therefor is received by the Company and the Participant has paid to the Company an amount equal to any federal, state, local and non-U.S. income and employment taxes required to be withheld. Options that have become exercisable may be exercised by delivery of written notice of exercise or, if provided for, electronic notice of exercise, to the Company in accordance with the terms of the Option accompanied by payment of the Exercise Price. The Exercise Price shall be payable (i) in cash, check, cash equivalent and/or shares of Common Stock having a Fair Market Value on the date of exercise equal to the Exercise Price (including, pursuant to procedures approved by the Committee, by means of attestation of ownership of a sufficient number of shares of Common Stock in lieu of actual delivery of such shares to the Company), provided, that such shares of Common Stock are not subject to any pledge or other security interest and are held for the
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applicable period as determined by the Company’s auditors to avoid adverse accounting charges, and (ii) by such other method as the Committee may permit in accordance with applicable law, in its sole discretion, including without limitation: (A) in other property having a fair market value on the date of exercise equal to the Exercise Price or (B) if there is a public market for the shares of Common Stock at such time, by means of a broker-assisted “cashless exercise” pursuant to which the Company is delivered a copy of irrevocable instructions to a stockbroker to sell the shares of Common Stock otherwise deliverable upon the exercise of the Option and to deliver promptly to the Company an amount equal to the Exercise Price or (C) by a “net exercise” method whereby the Company withholds from the delivery of the shares of Common Stock for which the Option was exercised that number of shares of Common Stock having a Fair Market Value equal to the aggregate Exercise Price for the shares of Common Stock for which the Option was exercised. Any fractional shares of Common Stock shall be settled in cash. The Committee may specify a reasonable minimum number of shares of Common Stock or a percentage of the shares subject to an Option that may be purchased on any exercise of an Option; provided, that such minimum number will not prevent Optionee from exercising the full number of shares of Common Stock as to which the Option is then exercisable.
(e)Notification upon Disqualifying Disposition of an Incentive Stock Option. Each Participant awarded an Incentive Stock Option under the Plan shall notify the Company in writing immediately after the date the Participant makes a disqualifying disposition of any shares of Common Stock acquired pursuant to the exercise of such Incentive Stock Option. A disqualifying disposition is any disposition (including, without limitation, any sale) of such shares of Common Stock before the later of (A) two years after the Date of Grant of the Incentive Stock Option or (B) one year after the date of exercise of the Incentive Stock Option. The Company may, if determined by the Committee and in accordance with procedures established by the Committee, retain possession of any shares of Common Stock acquired pursuant to the exercise of an Incentive Stock Option as agent for the applicable Participant until the end of the period described in the preceding sentence.
(f)Compliance With Laws, etc. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in no event shall a Participant be permitted to exercise an Option in a manner that the Committee determines would violate the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, if applicable, or any other applicable law or the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission or the applicable rules and regulations of any securities exchange or inter-dealer quotation system on which the securities of the Company are listed, traded or reported.
8.Stock Appreciation Rights.
(a)Generally. Each SAR granted under the Plan shall be subject to the conditions set forth in this Section 8, and to such other conditions not inconsistent with the Plan as may be reflected in the applicable Award agreement. Any Option granted under the Plan may include tandem SARs. The Committee also may award SARs to Eligible Persons independent of any Option.
(b)Strike Price. The Strike Price per share of Common Stock for each SAR shall not be less than 100% of the Fair Market Value of such share determined as of the Date of Grant.
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(c)Vesting and Expiration. Subject to the last sentence of this Section 8(c), a SAR granted in connection with an Option shall become exercisable and shall expire according to the same vesting schedule and expiration provisions as the corresponding Option. A SAR shall (i) vest and become exercisable in such manner and on such date or dates, and (ii) expire after such period, not to exceed ten years (the “SAR Period”), in each case as may be determined by the Committee and as set forth in an Award agreement; provided, however, that notwithstanding any vesting dates set by the Committee in the Award agreement, the Committee may, in its sole discretion, accelerate the exercisability of any SAR in the event of the Participant’s death or Disability, which acceleration shall not affect the terms and conditions of such SAR other than with respect to exercisability. Unless otherwise provided by the Committee in an Award agreement: (i) the unvested portion of a SAR shall expire upon termination of employment or service of the Participant granted the SAR, and the vested portion of such SAR shall remain exercisable for (A) one year following termination of employment or service by reason of such Participant’s death or Disability, but not later than the expiration of the SAR Period or (B) ninety (90) days following termination of employment or service for any reason other than such Participant’s death or Disability, and other than such Participant’s termination of employment or service for Cause, but not later than the expiration of the SAR Period and (ii) both the unvested and the vested portion of a SAR shall expire upon the termination of the Participant’s employment or service by the Company for Cause. SARs that vest based on a Participant’s continued service shall not become vested or exercisable prior to the first anniversary following the Date of Grant other than in connection with the Participant’s death, Disability or pursuant to Section 12 of the Plan. Notwithstanding the foregoing, up to five percent (5%) of the available shares of Common Stock authorized for issuance pursuant to Section 5(a) of the Plan may be subject to Awards of Options and SARs that vest, partially or in full, prior to the first anniversary of the Date of Grant.
(d)Method of Exercise. SARs that have become exercisable may be exercised by delivery of written or electronic notice of exercise to the Company in accordance with the terms of the Award, specifying the number of SARs to be exercised and the date on which such SARs were awarded. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if on the last day of the Option Period (or in the case of a SAR independent of an Option, the SAR Period), the Fair Market Value of a share of Common Stock exceeds the Strike Price, the Participant has not exercised the SAR or the corresponding Option (if applicable), and neither the SAR nor the corresponding Option (if applicable) has expired, such SAR shall be deemed to have been exercised by the Participant on such last day and the Company shall make the appropriate payment therefor.
(e)Payment. Upon the exercise of a SAR, the Company shall pay to the Participant an amount equal to the number of shares subject to the SAR that are being exercised multiplied by the excess, if any, of the Fair Market Value of a share of Common Stock on the exercise date over the Strike Price, less an amount equal to any federal, state, local and non-U.S. income and employment taxes required to be withheld. The Company shall pay such amount in cash, in shares of Common Stock with a Fair Market Value equal to such amount, or any combination thereof, as determined by the Committee in an Award agreement. Any fractional share of Common Stock shall be settled in cash.
9.Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units.
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(a)Generally. Each such grant of Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Units under the Plan shall be subject to the conditions set forth in this Section 9, and to such other conditions not inconsistent with the Plan as may be reflected in the applicable Award agreement.
(b)Restricted Stock – Accounts, Escrow or Similar Arrangement. Upon the grant of Restricted Stock, a book entry in a restricted account shall be established in the Participant’s name at the Company’s transfer agent and, if the Committee determines that the Restricted Stock shall be held by the Company or in escrow rather than held in such restricted account pending the release of the applicable restrictions, the Committee may require the Participant to additionally execute and deliver to the Company (i) an escrow agreement satisfactory to the Committee, if applicable, and (ii) the appropriate share power (endorsed in blank) with respect to the Restricted Stock covered by such agreement. If a Participant shall fail to execute an agreement evidencing an Award of Restricted Stock and, if applicable, an escrow agreement and blank share power within the amount of time specified by the Committee, the Award shall be null and void. Subject to the restrictions set forth in this Section 9 and unless otherwise set forth in an applicable Award agreement, the Participant generally shall have the rights and privileges of a shareholder as to such Restricted Stock, including without limitation the right to vote such Restricted Stock and the right to receive dividends, if applicable; provided that any dividends with respect to a share of Restricted Stock shall be withheld by the Company for the Participant’s account, without interest, until the restrictions have lapsed on the related share of Restricted Stock. To the extent shares of Restricted Stock are forfeited, any share certificates issued to the Participant evidencing such shares shall be returned to the Company, any dividends withheld and attributable to such shares shall also be forfeited to the Company and all rights of the Participant to such shares and as a shareholder with respect thereto shall terminate without further obligation on the part of the Company.
(c)Vesting; Acceleration of Lapse of Restrictions. The Restricted Period shall lapse with respect to an Award of Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Units at such times as provided by the Committee in an Award agreement, and the unvested portion of Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units shall terminate and be forfeited upon termination of employment or service of the Participant.
(d)Delivery of Restricted Stock and Settlement of Restricted Stock Units.
(i)Upon the expiration of the Restricted Period with respect to any shares of Restricted Stock, the restrictions set forth in the applicable Award agreement shall be of no further force or effect with respect to such shares, except as set forth in the applicable Award agreement. If an escrow arrangement is used, upon such expiration, the Company shall deliver to the Participant, or his beneficiary, without charge, the share certificate evidencing the shares of Restricted Stock that have not then been forfeited and with respect to which the Restricted Period has expired (rounded down to the nearest full share). Dividends, if any, that may have been withheld by the Company and attributable to any particular share of Restricted Stock shall be distributed to the Participant in cash or, at the sole discretion of the Committee, in shares of Common Stock having a Fair Market Value equal to the amount of such dividends, upon the release of restrictions on such share and, if such share is forfeited, the Participant shall have no right to such dividends (except as otherwise set forth by the Committee in the applicable Award agreement).
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(ii)Unless otherwise provided by the Committee in an Award agreement, upon the expiration of the Restricted Period with respect to any outstanding Restricted Stock Units, the Company shall deliver to the Participant, or his beneficiary, without charge, one share of Common Stock for each such outstanding Restricted Stock Unit; provided, however, that the Committee may, in its sole discretion, elect to (i) pay cash or part cash and part Common Stock in lieu of delivering only shares of Common Stock in respect of such Restricted Stock Units or (ii) defer the delivery of shares of Common Stock (or cash or part Common Stock and part cash, as the case may be) beyond the expiration of the Restricted Period if such delivery would result in a violation of applicable law until such time as is no longer the case. If a cash payment is made in lieu of delivering shares of Common Stock, the amount of such payment shall be equal to the Fair Market Value of the shares of Common Stock as of the date on which the Restricted Period lapsed with respect to such Restricted Stock Units, less an amount equal to any federal, state, local and non-U.S. income and employment taxes required to be withheld.
10.Stock Bonus Awards. The Committee may issue unrestricted shares of Common Stock, or other Awards denominated in shares of Common Stock, under the Plan to Eligible Persons, either alone or in tandem with other awards, in such amounts as the Committee shall from time to time in its sole discretion determine. Each Stock Bonus Award granted under the Plan shall be subject to such conditions not inconsistent with the Plan as may be reflected in the applicable Award agreement.
11.Performance Compensation Awards.
(a)Generally. The Committee shall have the authority, at the time of grant of any Award described in Sections 9 or 10 of the Plan, to designate such Award as a Performance Compensation Award. The Committee shall also have the authority to make an award of a cash bonus to any Participant and designate such Award as a Performance Compensation Award. The Committee, in its sole discretion, shall determine the payment of any Performance Compensation Award, whether payable in cash, shares of Common Stock or a combination of cash and shares of Common Stock.
(b)Discretion of Committee with Respect to Performance Compensation Awards. With regard to a particular Performance Period, the Committee shall have sole discretion to select the length of such Performance Period, the type(s) of Performance Compensation Awards to be issued, the criterion or criteria that will be used to establish the Performance Goal(s), the kind(s) and/or level(s) of the Performance Goals(s) that is (are) to apply and the Performance Formula.
(c)Performance Goals. Performance Goals may be based on one or more business criteria or other performance measures determined by the Committee in its discretion.
(d)Modification of Performance Goal(s). In the event that applicable securities laws change to permit Committee discretion to alter the governing Performance Goal(s) without obtaining shareholder approval of such alterations, the Committee shall have sole discretion to make such alterations without obtaining shareholder approval.
(e)Payment of Performance Compensation Awards.
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(i)Condition to Receipt of Payment. Unless otherwise provided in the applicable Award agreement, a Participant must be employed by the Company or an Affiliate of the Company on the date of payment with respect to a Performance Period to be eligible to receive such payment in respect of a Performance Compensation Award for the preceding Performance Period.
(ii)Limitation. A Participant shall be eligible to receive payment in respect of a Performance Compensation Award only to the extent that: (A) the Performance Goals for such period are achieved; and (B) all or some of the portion of such Participant’s Performance Compensation Award has been earned for the Performance Period based on the application of the Performance Formula to such achieved Performance Goals.
(iii)Certification. Following the completion of a Performance Period, the Committee shall review and certify in writing whether, and to what extent, the Performance Goals for the Performance Period have been achieved and, if so, calculate and certify in writing that amount of the Performance Compensation Awards earned for the period based upon the Performance Formula. The Committee shall then determine the amount of each Participant’s Performance Compensation Award actually payable for the Performance Period and, in so doing, may apply discretionary adjustments in accordance with Section 11(e)(iv).
(iv)Discretionary Adjustments. In determining the actual amount of an individual Participant’s Performance Compensation Award for a Performance Period, the Committee may reduce or eliminate the amount of the Performance Compensation Award earned under the Performance Formula in the Performance Period if, in its sole judgment, such reduction or elimination is appropriate. The Committee shall not have the discretion, except as is otherwise provided in the Plan, to (A) grant or provide payment in respect of Performance Compensation Awards for a Performance Period if the Performance Goals for such Performance Period have not been attained; or (B) increase a Performance Compensation Award above the applicable limitations set forth in Section 5 of the Plan.
(f)Timing of Award Payments. Performance Compensation Awards granted for a Performance Period shall be paid to Participants as soon as administratively practicable following completion of the certifications required by this Section 11, but in no event later than two-and-one-half months following the end of the fiscal year during which the Performance Period is completed; provided, however, that such Performance Compensation Awards may be deferred and paid after such date so long deferrals are made in accordance with Section 409A of the Code and applicable guidance thereunder.
12.Changes in Capital Structure and Similar Events.
(a)Effect of Certain Events. In the event of (A) any dividend or other distribution (whether in the form of cash, shares of Common Stock, other securities or other property), recapitalization, stock split, reverse stock split, reorganization, merger, amalgamation, consolidation, split-up, split-off, combination, repurchase or exchange of shares of Common Stock or other securities of the Company, issuance of warrants or other rights to acquire shares of Common Stock or other securities of the Company, or other similar corporate transaction or event (including, without limitation, a Change in Control) that affects the shares of Common Stock, or
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(B) unusual or nonrecurring events (including, without limitation, a Change in Control) affecting the Company, any Affiliate, or the financial statements of the Company or any Affiliate, or changes in applicable rules, rulings, regulations or other requirements of any governmental body or securities exchange or inter-dealer quotation system, accounting principles or law, such that in either case an adjustment is determined by the Committee in its sole discretion to be necessary or appropriate, then the Committee shall make any such adjustments in such manner as it may deem equitable, including without limitation any or all of the following:
(i)adjusting any or all of (A) the number of shares of Common Stock or other securities of the Company (or number and kind of other securities or other property) that may be delivered in respect of Awards or with respect to which Awards may be granted under the Plan (including, without limitation, adjusting any or all of the limitations under Section 5 of the Plan) and (B) the terms of any outstanding Award, including, without limitation, (1) the number of shares of Common Stock or other securities of the Company (or number and kind of other securities or other property) subject to outstanding Awards or to which outstanding Awards relate, (2) the Exercise Price or Strike Price with respect to any Award or (3) any applicable performance measures (including, without limitation, Performance Goals);
(ii)providing for a substitution or assumption of Awards, termination of Awards or providing for a period of time for exercise prior to the occurrence of such event; and
(iii)canceling any one or more outstanding Awards or portion thereof and causing to be paid to the holders thereof, in cash, shares of Common Stock, other securities or other property, or any combination thereof, the value of such Awards, if any, as determined by the Committee (which if applicable may be based upon the price per share of Common Stock received or to be received by other shareholders of the Company in such event), including without limitation, in the case of an outstanding Option or SAR, a cash payment in an amount equal to the excess, if any, of the Fair Market Value (as of a date specified by the Committee) of the shares of Common Stock subject to such Option or SAR over the aggregate Exercise Price or Strike Price of such Option or SAR, respectively (it being understood that, in such event, any Option or SAR having a per share Exercise Price or Strike Price equal to, or in excess of, the Fair Market Value of a share of Common Stock subject thereto may be canceled and terminated without any payment or consideration therefor); provided, however, that in the case of any “equity restructuring” (within the meaning of the Financial Accounting Standards Board Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 123 (Revised 2004) and FASB Accounting Standards Codification Topic 718) or any successor rule, the Committee shall make an equitable or proportionate adjustment to outstanding Awards to reflect such equity restructuring. Any adjustment in Incentive Stock Options under this Section 12 (other than any cancellation of Incentive Stock Options) shall be made only to the extent not constituting a “modification” within the meaning of Section 424(h)(3) of the Code, and any adjustments under this Section 12 shall be made in a manner that does not adversely affect the exemption provided pursuant to Rule 16b-3 under the Exchange Act or the exemption under Section 409A, to the extent applicable. The Company shall give each Participant notice of an adjustment hereunder and, upon notice, such adjustment shall be conclusive and binding for all purposes.
(b)Effect of Change in Control. Notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan to the contrary, unless specifically provided otherwise with respect to Change in Control
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events in an Award or in a then-effective written employment agreement between the Participant and the Company or an Affiliate, in the event a Change in Control occurs during the effectiveness of the Plan:
(i)If and to the extent that a successor to the Company assumes, substitutes or replaces an Award granted on or after the 2021 Plan Effective Date, the vesting restrictions and forfeiture provisions applicable to such Award shall not be accelerated or lapse, and all such vesting restrictions and forfeiture provisions shall continue with respect to any shares of the successor or other consideration that may be received with respect to such Award; provided that, in the event of the termination of a Participant’s employment or service by the Company or its successor without Cause or by the Participant for Good Reason during the 18-month period following the Change in Control, (1) all outstanding Options and SARs held by the Participant shall become immediately vested and exercisable with respect to 100% of the shares subject to such Options or SARs, (2) the Restricted Period shall expire immediately and all restrictions shall lapse with respect to 100% of the outstanding Restricted Stock Awards and Restricted Stock Units held by the Participant and (3) all Performance Goals or other vesting criteria with respect to Performance Compensation Awards held by the Participant will be deemed achieved at 100% of target levels and all other terms and conditions will be deemed met, in each case as of the date of the Participant’s termination of employment or service.
(ii)If and to the extent that Awards either were granted prior to the 2021 Plan Effective Date, or were granted on or after the 2021 Plan Effective Date but are canceled or terminated upon and in connection with the Change in Control, then (1) each such Option and SAR which is at the time outstanding under the Plan shall automatically become fully vested and exercisable with respect to all shares of Common Stock covered thereby, (2) the Restricted Period shall expire and restrictions applicable to all such Restricted Stock Awards and Restricted Stock Units which is at the time outstanding shall lapse and such Awards shall become fully vested and (3) all Performance Goals or other vesting criteria with respect to such Performance Compensation Awards held by the Participant in effect on the date the Change in Control occurs shall end on such date and the Committee shall (A) determine the extent to which Performance Goals with respect to each such Performance Period have been met based upon such audited or unaudited financial information or other information then available as it deems relevant and (B) cause the Participant to receive partial or full payment of Awards for each such Performance Period based upon the Committee’s determination of the degree of attainment of the Performance Goals, or assuming that the applicable “target” levels of performance have been attained or on such other basis determined by the Committee whichever is greater.
(c)The existence of this Plan and Awards granted hereunder shall not affect in any way the right or power of the Board or the stockholders of the Company to make or authorize any adjustment, recapitalization, reorganization or other change in the Company’s capital structure or its business, any merger or consolidation of the Company, any issue of debt or equity securities ahead of or affecting Company Shares or the rights thereof, the dissolution or liquidation of the Company or any sale, lease, exchange or other disposition of all or any part of its assets or business or any other corporate act or proceeding.
13.Amendments and Termination.
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(a)Amendment and Termination of the Plan. The Board may amend, alter, suspend, discontinue, or terminate the Plan or any portion thereof at any time; provided, that (i) no amendment to Section 11(c) or Section 13(b) (to the extent required by the proviso in such Section 13(b)) shall be made without shareholder approval and (ii) no such amendment, alteration, suspension, discontinuation or termination shall be made without shareholder approval if such approval is necessary to comply with any tax or regulatory requirement applicable to the Plan (including, without limitation, as necessary to comply with any rules or requirements of any securities exchange or inter-dealer quotation system on which the Common Stock may be listed or quoted or to prevent the Company from being denied a tax deduction); provided, further, that any such amendment, alteration, suspension, discontinuance or termination that would materially and adversely affect the rights of any Participant or any holder or beneficiary of any Award theretofore granted shall not to that extent be effective without the consent of the affected Participant, holder or beneficiary.
(b)Amendment of Award Agreements. The Committee may waive any conditions or rights under, amend any terms of, or alter, suspend, discontinue, cancel or terminate, any Award theretofore granted or the associated Award agreement, prospectively or retroactively; provided that any such waiver, amendment, alteration, suspension, discontinuance, cancellation or termination that would materially and adversely affect the rights of any Participant with respect to any Award theretofore granted shall not to that extent be effective without the consent of the affected Participant; provided, further, that without shareholder approval, except as otherwise permitted under Section 12 of the Plan, (i) no amendment or modification may reduce the Exercise Price or minimum vesting requirements of any Option or the Strike Price or minimum vesting requirements of any SAR, (ii) the Committee may not cancel any outstanding Option or SAR and replace it with a new Option or SAR, another Award or cash, and (iii) the Committee may not take any other action that is considered a “repricing” for purposes of the shareholder approval rules of the applicable securities exchange or inter-dealer quotation system on which the Common Stock is listed or quoted.
14.General.
(a)Award Agreements. Each Award under the Plan shall be evidenced by an Award agreement, which shall be delivered to the Participant (whether in paper or electronic medium (including email or the posting on a web site maintained by the Company or a third party under contract with the Company)) and shall specify the terms and conditions of the Award and any rules applicable thereto, including without limitation, the effect on such Award of the death, Disability or termination of employment or service of a Participant, or of such other events as may be determined by the Committee.
(b)Nontransferability.
(i)Each Award shall be exercisable only by a Participant during the Participant’s lifetime, or, if permissible under applicable law, by the Participant’s legal guardian or representative. No Award may be assigned, alienated, pledged, attached, sold or otherwise transferred or encumbered by a Participant other than by will or by the laws of descent and distribution and any such purported assignment, alienation, pledge, attachment, sale, transfer or encumbrance shall be void and unenforceable against the Company or an Affiliate; provided that
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the designation of a beneficiary shall not constitute an assignment, alienation, pledge, attachment, sale, transfer or encumbrance.
(ii)Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Committee may, in its sole discretion, permit Awards (other than Incentive Stock Options) to be transferred by a Participant, without consideration, subject to such rules as the Committee may adopt consistent with any applicable Award agreement to preserve the purposes of the Plan, to: (A) any person who is a “family member” of the Participant, as such term is used in the instructions to Form S-8 under the Securities Act (collectively, the “Immediate Family Members”); (B) a trust solely for the benefit of the Participant and his or her Immediate Family Members; (C) a partnership or limited liability company whose only partners or stockholders are the Participant and his or her Immediate Family Members; or (D) any other transferee as may be approved either (I) by the Board or the Committee in its sole discretion, or (II) as provided in the applicable Award agreement (each transferee described in clauses (A), (B) (C) and (D) above is hereinafter referred to as a “Permitted Transferee”); provided, that the Participant gives the Committee advance written notice describing the terms and conditions of the proposed transfer and the Committee notifies the Participant in writing that such a transfer would comply with the requirements of the Plan.
(iii)The terms of any Award transferred in accordance with the immediately preceding sentence shall apply to the Permitted Transferee, and any reference in the Plan, or in any applicable Award agreement, to a Participant shall be deemed to refer to the Permitted Transferee, except that (A) Permitted Transferees shall not be entitled to transfer any Award, other than by will or the laws of descent and distribution; (B) Permitted Transferees shall not be entitled to exercise any transferred Option unless there shall be in effect a registration statement on an appropriate form covering the Common Stock to be acquired pursuant to the exercise of such Option if the Committee determines, consistent with any applicable Award agreement, that such a registration statement is necessary or appropriate; (C) the Committee or the Company shall not be required to provide any notice to a Permitted Transferee, whether or not such notice is or would otherwise have been required to be given to the Participant under the Plan or otherwise; and (D) the consequences of the termination of the Participant’s employment by, or services to, the Company or an Affiliate under the terms of the Plan and the applicable Award agreement shall continue to be applied with respect to the Participant, including, without limitation, that an Option shall be exercisable by the Permitted Transferee only to the extent, and for the periods, specified in the Plan and the applicable Award agreement.
(c)Tax Withholding.
(i)A Participant shall be required to pay to the Company or any Affiliate, and the Company or any Affiliate shall have the right and is hereby authorized to withhold, from any cash, shares of Common Stock, other securities or other property deliverable under any Award or from any compensation or other amounts owing to a Participant, the amount (in cash, shares of Common Stock, other securities or other property) of any required withholding taxes in respect of an Award, its exercise, or any payment or transfer under an Award or under the Plan and to take such other action as may be necessary in the opinion of the Committee or the Company to satisfy all obligations for the payment of such withholding taxes.
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(ii)Without limiting the generality of clause (i) above, the Committee may, in its sole discretion, permit a Participant to satisfy, in whole or in part, the foregoing withholding liability by (A) the delivery of shares of Common Stock (which are not subject to any pledge or other security interest and are held for the applicable period as determined by the Company’s auditors to avoid adverse accounting charges) owned by the Participant having a fair market value equal to such withholding liability or (B) having the Company withhold from the number of shares of Common Stock otherwise issuable or deliverable pursuant to the exercise or settlement of the Award a number of shares with a fair market value equal to such withholding liability (but no more than the minimum required statutory withholding liability).
(d)No Claim to Awards; No Rights to Continued Employment; Waiver. No employee of the Company or an Affiliate, or other person, shall have any claim or right to be granted an Award under the Plan or, having been selected for the grant of an Award, to be selected for a grant of any other Award. There is no obligation for uniformity of treatment of Participants or holders or beneficiaries of Awards. The terms and conditions of Awards and the Committee’s determinations and interpretations with respect thereto need not be the same with respect to each Participant and may be made selectively among Participants, whether or not such Participants are similarly situated. Neither the Plan nor any action taken hereunder shall be construed as giving any Participant any right to be retained in the employ or service of the Company or an Affiliate, nor shall it be construed as giving any Participant any rights to continued service on the Board. The Company or any of its Affiliates may at any time dismiss a Participant from employment or discontinue any consulting relationship, free from any liability or any claim under the Plan, unless otherwise expressly provided in the Plan or any Award agreement. By accepting an Award under the Plan, a Participant shall thereby be deemed to have waived any claim to continued exercise or vesting of an Award or to damages or severance entitlement related to non-continuation of the Award beyond the period provided under the Plan or any Award agreement, notwithstanding any provision to the contrary in any written employment contract or other agreement between the Company and its Affiliates and the Participant, whether any such agreement is executed before, on or after the Date of Grant.
(e)International Participants. With respect to Participants who reside or work outside of the United States of America, the Committee may in its sole discretion amend the terms of the Plan or outstanding Awards (or adopt a subplan) with respect to such Participants in order to conform such terms with the requirements of local law or to obtain more favorable tax or other treatment for a Participant, the Company or its Affiliates.
(f)Designation and Change of Beneficiary. Each Participant may file with the Committee a written designation of one or more persons as the beneficiary(ies) who shall be entitled to receive the amounts payable with respect to an Award, if any, due under the Plan upon his death. A Participant may, from time to time, revoke or change his beneficiary designation without the consent of any prior beneficiary by filing a new designation with the Committee. The last such designation received by the Committee shall be controlling; provided, however, that no designation, or change or revocation thereof, shall be effective unless received by the Committee prior to the Participant’s death, and in no event shall it be effective as of a date prior to such receipt. If no beneficiary designation is filed by a Participant, the beneficiary shall be deemed to be his or her spouse or, if the Participant is unmarried at the time of death, his or her estate. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, to the extent that a Participant’s beneficiary designation would
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result in a duplication of, or unintended, benefits payable under this Plan or would otherwise violate applicable law, the Committee shall have the authority to disregard such designation and payments shall be made in accordance with applicable law.
(g)Termination of Employment/Service. Unless determined otherwise by the Committee at any point following such event or as otherwise provided in an Award agreement, service shall not be considered terminated in the case of (i) any approved leave of absence, (ii) transfers among the Company, any Affiliate, or any successor, in any capacity of any employee, director or consultant, or (iii) any change in status as long as the individual remains in the service of the Company or an Affiliate in any capacity of employee, director or consultant. An approved leave of absence shall include sick leave, military leave, or any other authorized personal leave. For purposes of each Incentive Stock Option, if such leave exceeds three (3) months, and reemployment upon expiration of such leave is not guaranteed by statute or contract, then the Incentive Stock Option shall be treated as a Non-Qualified Stock Option on the day following the expiration of such three (3) month period.
(h)No Rights as a Stockholder. Except as otherwise specifically provided in the Plan or any Award agreement, no person shall be entitled to the privileges of ownership in respect of shares of Common Stock that are subject to Awards hereunder until such shares have been issued or delivered to that person.
(i)Government and Other Regulations.
(i)The obligation of the Company to settle Awards in shares of Common Stock or other consideration shall be subject to all applicable laws, rules, and regulations, and to such approvals by governmental agencies as may be required. Notwithstanding any terms or conditions of any Award to the contrary, the Company shall be under no obligation to offer to sell or to sell, and shall be prohibited from offering to sell or selling, any shares of Common Stock pursuant to an Award unless such shares have been properly registered for sale pursuant to the Securities Act with the Securities and Exchange Commission or unless the Company has received an opinion of counsel, satisfactory to the Company, that such shares may be offered or sold without such registration pursuant to an available exemption therefrom and the terms and conditions of such exemption have been fully complied with. The Company shall be under no obligation to register for sale under the Securities Act any of the shares of Common Stock to be offered or sold under the Plan. The Committee shall have the authority to provide that all certificates for shares of Common Stock or other securities of the Company or any Affiliate delivered under the Plan shall be subject to such stop transfer orders and other restrictions as the Committee may deem advisable under the Plan, the applicable Award agreement, the federal securities laws, or the rules, regulations and other requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission, any securities exchange or inter-dealer quotation system upon which such shares or other securities are then listed or quoted and any other applicable federal, state, local or non-U.S. laws, and, without limiting the generality of Section 9 of the Plan, the Committee may cause a legend or legends to be put on any such certificates to make appropriate reference to such restrictions. Notwithstanding any provision in the Plan to the contrary, the Committee reserves the right to add any additional terms or provisions to any Award granted under the Plan that it in its sole discretion deems necessary or advisable in order that such Award complies with the legal requirements of any governmental entity to whose jurisdiction the Award is subject.
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(ii)The Committee may cancel an Award or any portion thereof if it determines, in its sole discretion, that legal or contractual restrictions and/or blockage and/or other market considerations would make the Company’s acquisition of shares of Common Stock from the public markets, the Company’s issuance of shares of Common Stock to the Participant, the Participant’s acquisition of shares of Common Stock from the Company and/or the Participant’s sale of shares of Common Stock to the public markets, illegal, impracticable or inadvisable. If the Committee determines to cancel all or any portion of an Award in accordance with the foregoing, the Company shall pay to the Participant an amount equal to the excess of (A) the aggregate Fair Market Value of the shares of Common Stock subject to such Award or portion thereof canceled (determined as of the applicable exercise date, or the date that the shares would have been vested or delivered, as applicable), over (B) the aggregate Exercise Price or Strike Price (in the case of an Option or SAR, respectively) or any amount payable as a condition of delivery of shares of Common Stock (in the case of any other Award). Such amount shall be delivered to the Participant as soon as practicable following the cancellation of such Award or portion thereof.
(iii)Notwithstanding any provision in this Plan or any Award agreement to the contrary, Awards granted hereunder shall be subject, to the extent applicable, (A) to any clawback policy adopted by the Company, and (B) to the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, as amended, and rules, regulations and binding, published guidance thereunder, which legislation provides for the clawback and recovery of incentive compensation in the event of certain financial statement restatements. If, pursuant to Section 10D of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the Company would not be eligible for continued listing, if applicable, under Section 10D(a) of the Exchange Act if it did not adopt policies consistent with Section 10D(b) of the Exchange Act, then, in accordance with those policies that are so required, any incentive-based compensation payable to a Participant under this Plan shall be subject to claw-back in the circumstances, to the extent, and in the manner, required by Section 10D(b)(2) of the Exchange Act, as interpreted by rules of the Securities Exchange Commission.
(j)Payments to Persons Other Than Participants. If the Committee shall find that any person to whom any amount is payable under the Plan is unable to care for his affairs because of illness or accident, or is a minor, or has died, then any payment due to such person or his estate (unless a prior claim therefor has been made by a duly appointed legal representative) may, if the Committee so directs the Company, be paid to his spouse, child, relative, an institution maintaining or having custody of such person, or any other person deemed by the Committee to be a proper recipient on behalf of such person otherwise entitled to payment. Any such payment shall be a complete discharge of the liability of the Committee and the Company therefor.
(k)Nonexclusivity of the Plan. Neither the adoption of this Plan by the Board nor the submission of this Plan to the shareholders of the Company for approval shall be construed as creating any limitations on the power of the Board to adopt such other incentive arrangements as it may deem desirable, including, without limitation, the granting of stock options or other equity-based awards otherwise than under this Plan, and such arrangements may be either applicable generally or only in specific cases.
(l)No Trust or Fund Created. Neither the Plan nor any Award shall create or be construed to create a trust or separate fund of any kind or a fiduciary relationship between the Company or any Affiliate, on the one hand, and a Participant or other person or entity, on the other
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hand. No provision of the Plan or any Award shall require the Company, for the purpose of satisfying any obligations under the Plan, to purchase assets or place any assets in a trust or other entity to which contributions are made or otherwise to segregate any assets, nor shall the Company maintain separate bank accounts, books, records or other evidence of the existence of a segregated or separately maintained or administered fund for such purposes. Participants shall have no rights under the Plan other than as unsecured general creditors of the Company, except that insofar as they may have become entitled to payment of additional compensation by performance of services, they shall have the same rights as other employees under general law.
(m)Reliance on Reports. Each member of the Committee and each member of the Board shall be fully justified in acting or failing to act, as the case may be, and shall not be liable for having so acted or failed to act in good faith, in reliance upon any report made by the independent public accountant of the Company and its Affiliates and/or any other information furnished in connection with the Plan by any agent of the Company or the Committee or the Board, other than himself.
(n)Relationship to Other Benefits. No payment under the Plan shall be taken into account in determining any benefits under any pension, retirement, profit sharing, group insurance or other benefit plan of the Company except as otherwise specifically provided in such other plan.
(o)Governing Law. The Plan shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the internal laws of the State of Delaware, without giving effect to the conflict of laws provisions thereof.
(p)Severability. If any provision of the Plan or any Award or Award agreement is or becomes or is deemed to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable in any jurisdiction or as to any person or entity or Award, or would disqualify the Plan or any Award under any law deemed applicable by the Committee, such provision shall be construed or deemed amended to conform to the applicable laws, or if it cannot be construed or deemed amended without, in the determination of the Committee, materially altering the intent of the Plan or the Award, such provision shall be construed or deemed stricken as to such jurisdiction, person or entity or Award and the remainder of the Plan and any such Award shall remain in full force and effect.
(q)Obligations Binding on Successors. The obligations of the Company under the Plan shall be binding upon any successor corporation or organization resulting from the merger, amalgamation, consolidation or other reorganization of the Company, or upon any successor corporation or organization succeeding to substantially all of the assets and business of the Company.
(r)Shareholder Approval. The Plan, as amended and restated herein, is effective as of May 20, 2021, subject to approval by the Company’s shareholders.
(s)Expenses; Gender; Titles and Headings. The expenses of administering the Plan shall be borne by the Company and its Affiliates. Masculine pronouns and other words of masculine gender shall refer to both men and women. The titles and headings of the sections in the
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Plan are for convenience of reference only, and in the event of any conflict, the text of the Plan, rather than such titles or headings shall control.
(t)Other Agreements. Notwithstanding the above, the Committee may require, as a condition to the grant of and/or the receipt of shares of Common Stock under an Award, that the Participant execute lock-up, shareholder or other agreements, as it may determine in its sole and absolute discretion.
(u)Payments. Participants shall be required to pay, to the extent required by applicable law, any amounts required to receive shares of Common Stock under any Award made under the Plan.
(v)Section 409A. The Plan and the Awards hereunder are intended to either comply with, or be exempt from, the requirements of Section 409A of the Code. To the extent that the Plan or any Award is not exempt from the requirements of Section 409A of the Code, the Plan and any such Award intended to comply with the requirements of Section 409A of the Code shall be limited, construed and interpreted in accordance with such intent. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in no event whatsoever shall the Company be liable for any additional tax, interest or penalty that may be imposed by Section 409A of the Code or any damages relating to any failure to comply with Section 409A of the Code. To the extent required under Section 409A of the Code, (i) the provisions of Treasury Regulations Section 1.409A-3(i)(2) will apply to an Award granted hereunder and (ii) any reference to a “termination of employment or service” (or any similar term) shall mean a “separation from service” as defined in Section 409A of the Code.
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EXHIBIT 99.1
Vital Energy Announces Conversion of 2.0% Cumulative Mandatorily Convertible Series A Preferred Stock
TULSA, OK - May 28, 2024 - Vital Energy, Inc. (NYSE: VTLE) ("Vital Energy" or the "Company") today announced its intention to mandatorily convert all outstanding shares of its 2.0% Cumulative Mandatorily Convertible Series A Preferred Stock, par value $0.01 per share (the "Series A Preferred Stock"), into shares of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.01 per share, on June 4, 2024 pursuant to the terms of the Certificate of Designations of 2.0% Cumulative Mandatorily Convertible Series A Preferred Stock. Holders of Series A Preferred Stock do not need to take any action. As of May 28, 2024, the Company had 1,575,376 shares of Series A Preferred Stock outstanding.
On June 4, 2024, each outstanding share of Series A Preferred Stock will automatically convert into one (1) share of common stock. The number of shares of common stock issuable on conversion was determined as set forth in the Certificate of Designations.
Upon conversion, the Series A Preferred Stock will no longer be outstanding and all rights with respect to the Series A Preferred Stock will cease and terminate following receipt of the number of shares of common stock issuable upon conversion of the Series A Preferred Stock.
About Vital Energy
Vital Energy, Inc. is an independent energy company with headquarters in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Vital Energy's business strategy is focused on the acquisition, exploration and development of oil and natural gas properties in the Permian Basin of West Texas.
Additional information about Vital Energy may be found on its website at www.vitalenergy.com.
Forward Looking Statements
This press release and any oral statements made regarding the contents of this release contain forward-looking statements as defined under Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, that address activities that Vital Energy assumes, plans, expects, believes, intends, projects, indicates, enables, transforms, estimates or anticipates (and other similar expressions) will, should or may occur in the future are forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements are based on management’s current belief, based on currently available information, as to the outcome and timing of future events. Such statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks, assumptions and uncertainties.
General risks relating to Vital Energy include, but are not limited to, continuing and worsening inflationary pressures and associated changes in monetary policy that may cause costs to rise; changes in domestic and global production, supply and demand for commodities, including as a result of actions by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and other producing countries (“OPEC+”) and the Russian-Ukrainian or Israeli-Hamas military conflicts, the decline in prices of oil, natural gas liquids and natural gas and the related impact to financial
statements as a result of asset impairments and revisions to reserve estimates, reduced demand due to shifting market perception towards the oil and gas industry; competition in the oil and gas industry; the ability of the Company to execute its strategies, including its ability to successfully identify and consummate strategic acquisitions at purchase prices that are accretive to its financial results and to successfully integrate acquired businesses, assets and properties, pipeline transportation and storage constraints in the Permian Basin, the effects and duration of the outbreak of disease, and any related government policies and actions, long-term performance of wells, drilling and operating risks, the possibility of production curtailment, the impact of new laws and regulations, including those regarding the use of hydraulic fracturing, and under the Inflation Reduction Act (the “IRA”), including those related to climate change, the impact of legislation or regulatory initiatives intended to address induced seismicity on our ability to conduct our operations; uncertainties in estimating reserves and production results; hedging activities, tariffs on steel, the impacts of severe weather, including the freezing of wells and pipelines in the Permian Basin due to cold weather, technological innovations and scientific developments, physical and transition risks associated with climate change, increased attention to ESG and sustainability-related matters, risks related to our public statements with respect to such matters that may be subject to heightened scrutiny from public and governmental authorities related to the risk of potential “greenwashing,” i.e., misleading information or false claims overstating potential sustainability-related benefits, risks regarding potentially conflicting anti-ESG initiatives from certain U.S. state or other governments, possible impacts of litigation and regulations, the impact of the Company’s transactions, if any, with its securities from time to time, the impact of new environmental, health and safety requirements applicable to the Company’s business activities, the possibility of the elimination of federal income tax deductions for oil and gas exploration and development and imposition of any additional taxes under the IRA or otherwise, and other factors, including those and other risks described in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023 (the “2023 Annual Report”) and those set forth from time to time in other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). These documents are available through Vital Energy’s website at www.vitalenergy.com under the tab “Investor Relations” or through the SEC’s Electronic Data Gathering and Analysis Retrieval System at www.sec.gov. Any of these factors could cause Vital Energy’s actual results and plans to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Therefore, Vital Energy can give no assurance that its future results will be as estimated. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which such statement is made. Vital Energy does not intend to, and disclaims any obligation to, correct, update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law.
Investor Contact
Ron Hagood
918.858.5504
ir@vitalenergy.com
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