12. | Satisfaction of All Rights to Equity. |
The Option is in complete satisfaction of any and all rights that the Participant may have (under an employment, consulting, or other written or oral agreement with the Corporation or any of its Affiliates, or otherwise) to receive (1) stock options or stock awards with respect to the securities of the Corporation or any of its Affiliates, and/or (2) any other equity or derivative security in or with respect to the Corporation or any of its Affiliates. This Option Agreement supersedes the terms of all prior understandings and agreements, written or oral, of the parties with respect to such matters. The Participant shall have no further rights or benefits under any prior agreement conveying any right with respect to any security or derivative security in or with respect to the Corporation or any of its Affiliates. The foregoing notwithstanding, this Section 12 shall not adversely affect the Participant’s rights under any prior stock option or stock award agreement under the Plan (provided such agreement is expressly labeled as a stock option or stock award agreement under the Plan (or a predecessor plan) and is similar in form to this Option Agreement) which has been signed by an authorized officer of the Corporation.
13. | Governing Law; Limited Rights; Severability. |
13.1. Delaware Law; Construction. This Option Agreement and the Exercise Agreements shall be governed by and construed and enforced in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware without regard to conflict of law principles thereunder. The language of all parts of the Plan, this Option Agreement (including these Terms) and the Exercise Agreements shall in all cases be construed as a whole, according to its fair meaning, and not strictly for or against either of the parties.
13.2. Limited Rights. The Participant has no rights as a stockholder of the Corporation with respect to the Option as set forth in Section 7.8 of the Plan. The Option does not place any limit on the corporate authority of the Corporation as set forth in Section 7.15 of the Plan.
13.3. Arbitration. Any controversy arising out of or relating to this Option Agreement (including these Terms), the Plan, and/or the applicable Exercise Agreement, their enforcement or interpretation, or because of an alleged breach, default, or misrepresentation in connection with any of their provisions, or any other controversy arising out of or related to the Option, including, but not limited to, any state or federal statutory claims, shall be submitted to arbitration in Santa Clara County, California, before a sole arbitrator selected from Judicial Arbitration and Mediation Services, Inc., San Jose, California, or its successor (“JAMS”), or if JAMS is no longer able to supply the arbitrator, such arbitrator shall be selected from the American Arbitration Association, and shall be conducted in accordance with the provisions of California Code of Civil Procedure §§ 1280 et seq. as the exclusive forum for the resolution of such dispute; provided, however, that provisional injunctive relief may, but need not, be sought by either party to this Option Agreement in a court of law while arbitration proceedings are pending, and any provisional injunctive relief granted by such court shall remain effective until the matter is finally determined by the arbitrator. Final resolution of any dispute through arbitration may include any remedy or relief which the arbitrator deems just and equitable, including any and all remedies provided by applicable state or federal statutes. At the conclusion of the arbitration, the arbitrator shall issue a written decision that sets forth the essential findings and conclusions upon which the arbitrator’s award or decision is based. Any award or relief granted by the arbitrator hereunder shall be final and binding on the parties hereto and may be enforced by any court of competent jurisdiction. The parties acknowledge and agree that they are hereby waiving any rights to trial by jury in any action, proceeding or counterclaim brought by either of the parties against the other in connection with any matter whatsoever arising out of or in any way connected with any of the matters referenced in the first sentence above. The parties agree that Corporation shall be responsible for payment of the forum costs of any arbitration hereunder, including the arbitrator’s fee. The parties further agree that in any proceeding with respect to such matters, each party shall bear its own attorney’s fees and costs (other than forum costs associated with the arbitration) incurred by it or him or her in connection with the resolution of the dispute.
13.4. Severability. If the arbitrator selected in accordance with Section 13.3 or a court of competent jurisdiction determines that any portion of this Option Agreement, the Plan, or the applicable Exercise Agreement is in violation of any statute or public policy, then only the portions of this Option Agreement, the Plan, or the applicable Exercise Agreement, as applicable, which violate such statute or public policy shall be stricken, and all portions of this Option Agreement, the Plan, and the applicable Exercise Agreement which do not violate any statute or public policy shall continue in full force and effect. Furthermore, it is the parties’ intent that any court order striking any portion of this Option Agreement, the Plan, and/or the applicable Exercise Agreement should modify the stricken terms as narrowly as possible to give as much effect as possible to the intentions of the parties hereunder.
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