Exhibit
(a)(l)(E)
[FORM
OF
E-MAIL FROM PRESIDENT TO ELIGIBLE EMPLOYEES]
|
To:
|
Eligible
Employees
|
|
From:
|
Jeffrey
Hoffman
|
|
Date:
|
February
19, 2008
|
|
Subject:
|
Announcement
of Option Exchange
Offer
|
Ubid.com
Holdings, Inc. (“uBid”) is pleased to offer you an option exchange program that
gives you an opportunity to exchange your eligible stock options for restricted
stock rights (“RSRs”). This offer begins on February 19, 2008, and is scheduled
to expire on March 18, 2008. The complete terms and conditions of the option
exchange program are described in a document called the “Offer to Exchange,”
which has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the
“Commission”).
Your
unexercised stock options eligible for exchange are those with exercise prices
per share more than a “threshold price,” which is $2.00 and were issued in
either 2005 or 2006. You are only eligible to exchange your unexercised stock
options if you hold more than 500 of such stock options. If you hold fewer
than
500 eligible options, your options will be paid out at a price of $0.40 per
option. You may exchange one or more of your eligible options for restricted
stock rights. Restricted stock rights will take the form of shares of restricted
stock. These shares are “restricted” because they are subject to vesting
requirements. If you remain employed by uBid for a specified period after the
award of restricted stock rights, you will receive or become vested in a
specified number of shares of uBid common stock in accordance with the vesting
schedule.
The
company is offering restricted stock rights to retain, motivate and reward
our
valued employees while aligning their interests with those of our stockholders.
Like many companies similar to ours, our stock price has experienced significant
volatility and has declined over the past few years. As a result, many employees
have “underwater” stock options with exercise prices significantly higher than
the current market price for our common stock. These underwater stock options
may not achieve our goals of providing strong performance and employee retention
incentives.
Furthermore,
the negative investor perception of the dilution represented by “option
overhang” (e.g., the proportion of unexercised options in relation to our
outstanding stock), the increasing investor pressure to limit option programs
and the new rules requiring companies to expense the cost of stock options
have
forced us to seek new ways to align employees’ and stockholders’ interests,
while creating incentives for you to perform at your best, and providing rewards
for your accomplishments.
UBid’s
leadership and its Board of Directors firmly believe that superior company
and
stockholder performance is achieved when employees are stockholders. This
exchange program provides the opportunity to align employee interests with
those
of stockholders.
The
option exchange program gives you the opportunity to benefit from the full
value
of uBid shares as the shares vest, while creating a win for investors. This
new
program will give you the opportunity to exchange stock options you hold that
have exercise prices greater than the threshold price described above (i.e.,
out
of the money options), for restricted stock rights based in all cases on an
exchange ratio of 3 options to 1 restricted stock right. The exchange program
is
subject to the terms and conditions of a formal “Offer to Exchange” and related
documents that have been filed with the Commission. These documents contain
important information about the program, including a more specific description
of the restricted stock rights, a detailed set of questions and answers, the
form of restricted stock rights agreement you will receive if you elect to
participate, our 2005 Equity Incentive Plan under which the restricted stock
rights will be granted, and the election forms required to participate. All
of
the documents related to this option exchange offer are included as exhibits
to
our Tender Offer Statement on Schedule TO, which we filed with the Commission
on
February 19, 2008. You may view these documents at the Commission’s website at
www.sec.gov.
In
connection with this offer, we have attached to this e-mail the following
documents:
| |
·
|
Form
of Restricted Sock Rights Agreement
|
| |
·
|
2005
Equity Incentive Plan
|
| |
·
|
Individual
Statement of Options
|
| |
·
|
Personalized
Form of Letter of Transmittal
|
| |
·
|
Personalized
Form of Notice of Withdrawal
|
Please
review these materials carefully.
You
should also carefully review the information and disclosures in our Annual
Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2006, and our Quarterly
Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2007, which may be
viewed at the Commission’s website at www.sec.gov.
The
attached Individual Statement of Options summarizes your current stock option
grants, indicating:
| |
·
|
Which
of the options you hold may be eligible for this exchange (i.e.,
those
option grants with exercises prices greater than $2.00);
and
|
| |
·
|
The
number of new restricted stock rights you would be granted for each
eligible option you choose to
exchange.
|
The
attached personalized form of Letter of Transmittal is the document you must
submit to the company in order to participate in the option exchange program.
Your Letter of Transmittal will list all of your options that may be eligible
for exchange and will permit you to make an election whether you wish to have
your options exchanged for restricted stock rights. To
participate, you must return your completed, signed and dated Letter of
Transmittal before the expiration of the offer at 9:00 p.m., Central Time,
on
March 19, 2008.
The
attached personalized form of Notice of Withdrawal is the document you must
submit to uBid if you wish to withdraw from the exchange program any options
you
previously elected to exchange. To withdraw any previous election, you must
submit the Notice of Withdrawal prior to the expiration of the offer at the
time
and date stated above. Finally, you will receive a Tax Payment Election Form
under which you will elect the method by which income and employment taxes
will
be paid when an award of restricted stock vests.
During
the offer period you may send any specific questions that you have to
mikem@ubid.com.
Finally,
please note that participation in the stock option exchange program is
VOLUNTARY. UBID does not recommend whether you should or should not elect to
exchange your existing options.
You
must make your own decision regarding participation in the option exchange
program. We encourage you to seek professional advice from your financial and
tax advisors.
YOU
WILL HAVE UNTIL 9:00 P.M., CENTRAL TIME, ON MARCH 19, 2008, TO ELECT TO
PARTICIPATE IN THE EXCHANGE OFFER.
Thank
You
Jeffrey
Hoffman