EX-10.4 5 cers-ex10_4.htm EX-10.4

Non-Employee Director Form

Exhibit 10.4

Cerus Corporation

2024 Equity Incentive Plan

Restricted Stock Unit Agreement

Pursuant to the Restricted Stock Unit Grant Notice (“Grant Notice”) and this Restricted Stock Unit Agreement (“Agreement”) (collectively, the “Award”), Cerus Corporation (the “Company”) has awarded you, pursuant to its 2024 Equity Incentive Plan (the “Plan”), the number of Restricted Stock Units as indicated in the Grant Notice. Defined terms not explicitly defined in this Restricted Stock Unit Agreement but defined in the Plan shall have the same definitions as in the Plan.

The details of your Award are as follows.

1.
Vesting. Subject to the limitations contained herein, your Award shall vest as provided in the Grant Notice, provided that vesting shall cease upon the termination of your Continuous Service. Any Restricted Stock Units that have not vested shall be forfeited upon the termination of your Continuous Service.
2.
Dividends. You shall not receive any payment or other adjustment in the number of your Restricted Stock Units for dividends or other distributions that may be made in respect of the shares of Common Stock to which your Restricted Stock Units relate.
3.
Issuance of Shares. Subject to the satisfaction of the tax withholding obligations set forth in Section 11 of this Agreement, and except as set forth in Section 6 of this Agreement, the Company shall issue to you those shares of the Company’s Common Stock that vested under your Restricted Stock Units on, or as soon as practicable following, the vesting date indicated in your Grant Notice. The form of such issuance (e.g., a stock certificate or electronic entry evidencing such shares) shall be determined by the Company.
4.
Number of Shares. The number of Restricted Stock Units subject to your Award may be adjusted from time to time for capitalization adjustments, as provided in Section 9(a) of the Plan.
5.
Effect of Change in Control. Notwithstanding the issuance schedule set forth in Section 3 above, if the Company consummates a Change in Control, then if your Continuous Service has not terminated as of the effective date of the Change in Control, your Award will become fully vested and all shares of Common Stock subject to the Award shall be issued on the effective date of the Change in Control.
6.
Securities Law Compliance. You may not be issued any shares of Common Stock under your Award unless the shares are either (i) then registered under the Securities Act or (ii) the Company has determined that such issuance would be exempt from the registration requirements of the Securities Act. Your Award must also comply with other applicable laws and regulations governing the Award, and you shall not receive any shares of Common Stock in respect of the Award if the Company determines that such receipt would not be in material compliance with such laws and regulations.
7.
Restrictive Legends. The shares of Common Stock issued under your Award shall be endorsed with appropriate legends, if any, as determined by the Company.
8.
Transferability. Your Award is not transferable, except by will or by the laws of descent and distribution.
9.
Award Not a Service Contract. Your Award is not an employment or service contract, and nothing in your Award shall be deemed to create in any way whatsoever any obligation on your part to continue in the service of the Company or an Affiliate, or on the part of the Company or an Affiliate to continue such service. In addition, nothing in your Award shall obligate the Company or an Affiliate, their respective stockholders, boards of

Non-Employee Director Form

directors, Officers or Employees to continue any relationship that you might have as an Employee, Director or Consultant for the Company or an Affiliate.
10.
Unsecured Obligation. Your Award is unfunded, and as a holder of vested Restricted Stock Units subject to your Award, you shall be considered an unsecured creditor of the Company with respect to the Company’s obligation, if any, to issue shares of Common Stock pursuant to Section 3 of this Agreement.
11.
Withholding Obligations.
(a)
You acknowledge that, regardless of any action taken by the Company, or if different, the Affiliate employing or engaging you (the “Employer”), the ultimate liability for all income tax (including U.S. federal, state, and local taxes and/or non-U.S. taxes), social insurance, payroll tax, fringe benefits tax, payment on account or other tax-related items related to your participation in the Plan and legally applicable to you (the “Tax-Related Items”) is and remains your responsibility and may exceed the amount, if any, actually withheld by the Company or the Employer. You further acknowledge that the Company and/or the Employer (i) make no representations or undertakings regarding the treatment of any Tax-Related Items in connection with any aspect of your Award, including, but not limited to, the grant of your Award, the vesting of the Restricted Stock Units, the issuance of shares in settlement of vesting of the Restricted Stock Units, the subsequent sale of any shares of Common Stock acquired pursuant to the Award and the receipt of any dividends or dividend units; and (ii) do not commit to and are under no obligation to reduce or eliminate your liability for Tax-Related Items. Further, if you become subject to taxation in more than one country, you acknowledge that the Company and/or the Employer (or former employer, as applicable) may be required to withhold or account for Tax-Related Items in more than one country.
(b)
On each vesting date, and on or before the time you receive a distribution of the shares underlying your Restricted Stock Units, and at any other time as reasonably requested by the Company in accordance with applicable law, you agree to make adequate provision for any sums required to satisfy the withholding obligations of the Company, the Employer or any Affiliate in connection with any Tax-Related Items that arise in connection with your Award (the “Withholding Taxes”). The Company shall arrange a mandatory sale (on your behalf pursuant to your authorization under this section and without further consent) of the shares of Common Stock issued in settlement upon the vesting of your Restricted Stock Units in an amount necessary to satisfy the Withholding Taxes and shall satisfy the Withholding Taxes by withholding from the proceeds of such sale (the “Sell to Cover”). You hereby acknowledge and agree that the Company shall have the authority to administer the Sell to Cover arrangement in its sole discretion with a registered broker-dealer that is a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (a “FINRA Dealer”) as the Company may select as the agent (the “Agent”) who will sell on the open market at the then prevailing market price(s), as soon as practicable on or after each date on which your Restricted Stock Units vest and in accordance with the issuance schedule set forth in Section 3 of this Agreement, the number (rounded up to the next whole number) of the shares of Common Stock to be delivered to you in connection with the vesting of the Restricted Stock Units sufficient to generate proceeds to cover (A) the Withholding Taxes that you are required to pay pursuant to the Plan and this Agreement as a result of the vesting of the Restricted Stock Units (or shares being issued thereunder, as applicable) and, to the extent applicable (B) fees and commissions due to, or required to be collected by, the Agent with respect thereto, with any remaining funds remitted to you.
(c)
If, for any reason, the Sell to Cover does not result in sufficient proceeds to satisfy the Withholding Taxes, the Company or an Affiliate may, in its sole discretion, satisfy all or any portion of the Withholding Taxes relating to your Award by any of the following means or by a combination of such means: (i) withholding from any compensation otherwise payable to you by the Company or the Employer; (ii) causing you to tender a cash payment (which may be in the form of a check, electronic wire transfer or other method permitted by the Company); or (iii) withholding shares of Common Stock from the shares of Common Stock issued or otherwise issuable to you in connection with the Award with a Fair Market Value (measured as of the date shares of Common Stock are vested or are issued, as applicable) equal to the amount of such Withholding Taxes; provided, however, that the number of such shares of Common Stock so withheld shall not exceed the amount necessary to satisfy the Company’s required tax withholding obligations using the maximum statutory withholding rates for federal, state, local and foreign tax purposes, including payroll taxes, that are applicable to supplemental taxable income; and to the extent necessary to qualify for an exemption from application of Section 16(b) of the Exchange Act, if applicable, such share withholding procedure will be subject to the express prior approval of the Company’s Board or Compensation Committee of the Board.

Non-Employee Director Form

(d)
Unless the tax withholding obligations of the Company and/or any Affiliate with respect to the Tax-Related Items are satisfied, the Company shall have no obligation to issue a certificate for such shares or otherwise deliver to you any Common Stock.
(e)
In the event the Company’s obligation to withhold arises prior to the delivery to you of Common Stock or it is determined after the delivery of Common Stock to you that the amount of the Withholding Taxes was greater than the amount withheld by the Company or your Employer, you agree to indemnify and hold the Company and your Employer harmless from any failure by the Company or your Employer to withhold the proper amount.
(f)
You acknowledge that the Sell to Cover is one of the terms and conditions of the Award. You further understand and acknowledge that the Agent is under no obligation to arrange for the sale of Common Stock at any particular price and may effect sales pursuant to the Sell to Cover in one or more sales and that the average price for executions resulting from bunched orders will be assigned to your account. In addition, you acknowledge that it may not be possible to sell shares of Common Stock as provided by in this Section 11 due to (i) a legal or contractual restriction applicable to you or the Agent, (ii) a market disruption, (iii) rules governing order execution priority on the national exchange where the Common Stock may be traded or (iv) the Company’s determination that sales may not be effected. Further, you agree to execute and deliver to the Agent any other agreements or documents as the Agent reasonably deems necessary or appropriate to carry out the purposes and intent of the Sell to Cover under this Section 11.
(g)
The Company may withhold or account for Tax-Related Items by considering applicable minimum statutory withholding amounts, or other applicable withholding rates, including maximum applicable rates in your jurisdiction(s). If the maximum rate is used, any over-withheld amount may be refunded to you in cash by the Company or Employer (with no entitlement to the equivalent in shares of Common Stock), or if not refunded, you may seek a refund from the local tax authorities. You must pay to the Company and/or the Employer any amount of Tax-Related Items that the Company and/or the Employer may be required to withhold or account for as a result of your participation in the Plan that cannot be satisfied by the means previously described.
12.
Notices. Any notices provided for in your Award or the Plan shall be given in writing and shall be deemed effectively given upon receipt or, in the case of notices delivered by the Company to you, five (5) days after deposit in the United States mail, postage prepaid, addressed to you at the last address you provided to the Company.
13.
Electronic Delivery. The Company may, in its sole discretion, decide to deliver any documents related to current or future participation in the Plan by electronic means. You hereby consent to receive such documents by electronic delivery and agree to participate in the Plan through an on-line or electronic system established and maintained by the Company or a third party designated by the Company.
14.
Headings. The headings of the Sections in this Agreement are inserted for convenience only and shall not be deemed to constitute a part of this Agreement or to affect the meaning of this Agreement.
15.
Amendment. Nothing in this Agreement shall restrict the Company’s ability to exercise its discretionary authority pursuant to Section 2 of the Plan; provided, however, that no such action may, without your consent, materially impair your rights under your Award and this Agreement.
16.
Governing Plan Document. Your Award is subject to all the provisions of the Plan, the provisions of which are hereby made a part of your Award, and is further subject to all interpretations, amendments, rules and regulations which may from time to time be promulgated and adopted pursuant to the Plan. In the event of any conflict between the provisions of your Award and those of the Plan, the provisions of the Plan shall control.
17.
Choice of Law. The interpretation, performance and enforcement of this Agreement shall be governed by the law of the state of California without regard to such state’s conflicts of laws rules.
18.
Other Documents. You hereby acknowledge receipt of or the right to receive a document providing the information required by Rule 428(b)(1) promulgated under the Securities Act, which includes the

Non-Employee Director Form

prospectus for the Plan. In addition, you acknowledge receipt of the Company’s policy permitting certain individuals to sell shares of Common Stock only during certain “window” periods in effect from time to time and the Company’s insider trading policy.
19.
Severability. If any part of this Agreement or the Plan is declared by any court or governmental authority to be unlawful or invalid, such unlawfulness or invalidity will not invalidate any portion of this Agreement or the Plan not declared to be unlawful or invalid. Any Section of this Agreement (or part of such a Section) so declared to be unlawful or invalid will, if possible, be construed in a manner which will give effect to the terms of such Section or part of a Section to the fullest extent possible while remaining lawful and valid.
20.
Effect on Other Employee Benefit Plans. The value of your Award will not be included as compensation, earnings, salaries, or other similar terms used when calculating your benefits under any employee benefit plan sponsored by the Company or any Affiliate, except as such plan otherwise expressly provides. The Company expressly reserves its rights to amend, modify, or terminate any of the Company’s or any Affiliate’s employee benefit plans.
21.
Miscellaneous.
(a)
The rights and obligations of the Company under your Award shall be transferable to any one or more persons or entities, and all covenants and agreements hereunder shall inure to the benefit of, and be enforceable by, the Company’s successors and assigns.
(b)
You agree upon request to execute any further documents or instruments necessary or desirable in the sole determination of the Company to carry out the purposes or intent of your Award.
(c)
You acknowledge and agree that you have reviewed your Award in its entirety, have had an opportunity to obtain the advice of counsel prior to executing and accepting your Award and fully understand all provisions of your Award.
(d)
This Agreement shall be subject to all applicable laws, rules, and regulations, and to such approvals by any governmental agencies or national securities exchanges as may be required.
(e)
All obligations of the Company under the Plan and this Agreement shall be binding on any successor to the Company, whether the existence of such successor is the result of a direct or indirect purchase, merger, consolidation, or otherwise, of all or substantially all of the business and/or assets of the Company.