EX-11 3 d899802dex11.htm EX-11

Exhibit 11

STEALTHGAS INC.

INSIDER TRADING POLICY

StealthGas Inc. (the “Company”) has adopted the following policy and procedures for securities trading by Company directors and employees, including employees of any manager of the Company, including Stealth Maritime Corp. S.A. (our “Insider Trading Policy”). Our Insider Trading Policy is intended to prevent the misuse of material nonpublic information, insider trading in securities, and the severe consequences associated with violations of insider trading laws. It is your obligation to review, understand and comply with this Insider Trading Policy and applicable laws. Our Board of Directors has approved this Insider Trading Policy, and we have appointed our Chief Financial Officer as the Compliance Officer (with their designees, the “Compliance Officer”) to administer the policy and to be available to answer your questions.

PART I. OVERVIEW

A. | Who Must Comply?

This Insider Trading Policy applies to all of our employees, all employees of any manager of the Company, including Stealth Maritime Corp. S.A., and members of our Board of Directors, including anyone employed by or acting as a director of any of the Company’s subsidiaries and consultants/contractors designated by the Company from time to time.

In addition, all of our directors, executive officers and any other employees designated by the Compliance Officer because they have access to material nonpublic information about the Company must comply with the Trading Procedures included in Part II of this Insider Trading Policy (the “Trading Procedures”); we will refer to these individuals in this policy as “Insiders.” The Trading Procedures provide rules for when Insiders can trade in our securities and explain the process for mandatory pre-clearance of proposed trades. You will be notified if you are considered to be an Insider who is required to comply with the Trading Procedures.

This Insider Trading Policy and, for Insiders, the Trading Procedures also apply to the following persons (“Affiliated Persons”):

| • |  | your “Family Members” (“Family Members” are (a) your spouse or domestic partner, children, stepchildren, grandchildren, parents, stepparents, grandparents, siblings and in-laws who reside in the same household as you, (b) your children or your spouse’s children who do not reside in the same household as you but are financially dependent on you, (c) any of your other family members who do not reside in your household but whose transactions are directed by you, and (d) any other individual over whose account you have control and to whose financial support you materially contribute. (Materially contributing to financial support would include, for example, paying an individual’s rent but not just a phone bill.));

| • |  | all trusts, family partnerships and other types of entities formed for your benefit or for the benefit of a member of your family and over which you have the ability to influence or direct investment decisions concerning securities;

| • |  | all persons who execute trades on your behalf; and

| • |  | all investment funds, trusts, retirement plans, partnerships, corporations and other types of entities over which you have the ability to influence or direct investment decisions concerning securities; provided, however, that the Trading Procedures do not apply to any such entity that engages in the investment of securities in the ordinary course of its business (e.g., an investment fund or partnership) if the entity has established its own insider trading controls and procedures in compliance with applicable securities laws and it (or an affiliated entity) has represented to the Company that its affiliated entities: (a) engage in the investment of securities in the ordinary course of their respective businesses; (b) have established insider trading controls and procedures in compliance with securities laws; and (c) are aware the securities laws prohibit any person or entity who has material nonpublic information concerning the Company from purchasing or selling securities of the Company or from communicating such information to any other person under circumstances in which it is reasonably foreseeable that such person is likely to purchase or sell securities.

You are responsible for ensuring compliance with this Insider Trading Policy, including the Trading Procedures contained herein, by all of your Affiliated Persons.

B. | What is Prohibited by this Insider Trading Policy?

You and your Affiliated Persons are prohibited from engaging in insider trading and from otherwise trading in securities in violation of this Insider Trading Policy. “Insider trading” is (1) trading (buying or selling) the securities of a company whether for your account or for the account of another, while in the possession of material nonpublic information (see definition below) about that company or (2) disclosing material nonpublic information about a company to others who may trade on the basis of that information. Insider trading can result in criminal prosecution, jail time, significant fines and public embarrassment for you and the Company.

Prohibition on Trading in Company Securities

When you are in possession of material nonpublic information about the Company, whether positive or negative, you are prohibited from trading (whether for your account of for the account of another) in the Company’s securities, which includes common stock, options to purchase common stock, any other type of securities that the Company may issue (such as preferred stock, convertible debentures, warrants and exchange-traded options), and any derivative securities that provide the economic equivalent of ownership of any the Company’s securities or an opportunity, direct or indirect, to profit from any change in the value of the Company’s securities, except for trades made pursuant to plans approved by the Compliance Officer in accordance with this policy that are intended to comply with Rule 10b5-1 under the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”).

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The trading prohibitions in this Insider Trading Policy do not apply to: (1) an exercise of an employee stock option when payment of the exercise price is made in cash or (2) the withholding by the Company of shares of stock upon vesting of restricted stock or upon settlement of restricted stock units to satisfy applicable tax withholding requirements if (a) such withholding is required by the applicable plan or award agreement or (b) the election to exercise such tax withholding right was made by the Insider in compliance with the Trading Procedures.

The trading prohibitions in this Insider Trading Policy do apply, however, to the use of outstanding Company securities to pay part or all of the exercise price of a stock option, any sale of stock as part of a broker-assisted cashless exercise of an option and any other market sale for the purpose of generating the cash needed to pay the exercise price of an option.

Restricted Trading Periods

From time to time, in connection with an announcement of material information about the Company or when significant developments or announcements are anticipated, we may impose a temporary prohibition on trading in our securities that applies to specified groups of employees or, in rare instances, all persons covered by this Insider Trading Policy. In such event, you will be notified by e-mail and/or other means of the imposition and expected duration of the trading prohibition. During that period, no person covered by such a notice may trade in our securities (subject to the limited exceptions set forth in this policy).

Prohibition on Tipping

Providing material nonpublic information about the Company to another person who may trade or advise others to trade on the basis of that information is known as “tipping” and is illegal. You are prohibited from providing material nonpublic information about the Company to a friend, relative or anyone else who might buy or sell a security or other financial instrument on the basis of that information, whether or not you intend to or actually do realize a profit (or any other benefit) from such tipping. Additionally, you are prohibited from recommending to any person that such person engage in or refrain from engaging in any transaction involving the Company’s securities, or otherwise give trading advice concerning the Company’s securities, if you are in possession of material nonpublic information about the Company.

Prohibition on Trading in Securities of Other Companies

Whenever, during the course of your service to or employment by the Company, you become aware of material nonpublic information about another company (1) with which the Company has an existing business relationship, including but not limited to, the Company’s distributors, vendors, customers or suppliers or collaboration, marketing, research, development or licensing partners, or (2) with which the Company is in active discussions concerning a potential transaction or business relationship, neither you nor your Affiliated Persons may trade in any securities of that company, give trading advice about that company, tip or disclose that information, pass it on to others or engage in any other action to take advantage of that information. If your work regularly involves handling or discussing confidential information of companies in either of the foregoing categories, you should consult with the Compliance Officer before trading in any of those company’s securities.

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Additionally, if you believe you may be in possession of nonpublic information about the Company that could potentially have a material effect on the stock price of a company with which the Company does not have an existing business relationship or with which the Company is not discussing a potential transaction or business relationship, you should exercise caution when trading in the securities of that company because the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) has successfully brought an insider trading claim against an insider in those circumstances.

Duration of Trading Prohibitions

These trading prohibitions continue whenever and for as long as you know or are in possession of material nonpublic information. Remember, anyone scrutinizing your transactions will be doing so after the fact, with the benefit of hindsight. As a practical matter, before engaging in any transaction, you should carefully consider even the appearance of improper insider trading and how enforcement authorities and others might view the transaction in hindsight.

This Insider Trading Policy applies to you and your Affiliated Persons so long as you are associated with the Company. If you leave the Company for any reason, this Insider Trading Policy, including, if applicable, the Trading Procedures described in Part II, will continue to apply to you and your Affiliated Persons until the later of: (1) the first trading day following the public release of earnings for the fiscal quarter in which you leave the Company or (2) the first trading day after any material nonpublic information known to you has become public or is no longer material.

C. | What is Material Nonpublic Information?

This Insider Trading Policy prohibits you from trading in a company’s securities if you are in possession of information about the company that is both “material” and “nonpublic.” If you have a question whether certain information you are aware of is material or has been made public, you should consult with the Compliance Officer.

“Material” Information

Information about our Company or any other company is “material” if it could reasonably be expected to affect the investment decisions of a stockholder or potential investor or if disclosure of the information could reasonably be expected to significantly alter the total mix of information in the marketplace about us or any other company. We speak mostly in this Insider Trading Policy about determining whether information about us is material and nonpublic, but the same analysis applies to information about other companies covered by this policy that would preclude you from trading in their securities.

In simple terms, material information is any type of information that could reasonably be expected to affect the market price of our securities. Both positive and negative information may be material. While it is not possible to identify all information that would be deemed “material,” the following items are examples of the types of information that could be material:

| • |  | projections of future earnings or losses, or other earnings guidance;

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| • |  | quarterly financial results that are known but have not been publicly disclosed;

| • |  | potential restatements of the Company’s financial statements, changes in auditors or auditor notification that the Company may no longer rely on an auditor’s audit report;

| • |  | financial guidance that is inconsistent with the expectations of the investment community;

| • |  | pending or proposed corporate mergers, acquisitions, tender offers, joint ventures or acquisitions or dispositions of significant assets;

| • |  | changes in senior management or member of our Board of Directors;

| • |  | significant actual or threatened litigation or governmental investigations or major developments in such matters;

| • |  | cybersecurity risks and incidents, including the discovery of significant vulnerabilities or breaches;

| • |  | significant developments regarding customers, suppliers, orders, contracts or financing sources (e.g., the acquisition or loss of a contract);

| • |  | changes in dividend policy, share repurchase programs, declarations of stock splits or proposed securities offerings or other financings;

| • |  | potential defaults under our credit agreements or indentures or potential material liquidity issues; and

| • |  | bankruptcies or receiverships.

The above items will not always be material. For example, some new contracts may clearly be material while others may not be. No “bright-line” standard or list of items can adequately address the range of situations that may arise; information and events should be carefully considered in terms of their materiality to the Company.

“Nonpublic” Information

Material information is “nonpublic” if it has not been disseminated in a manner making it available to investors generally.

To demonstrate that information is public, one must be able to point to some fact that establishes that the information has become publicly available, such as the filing of a report with the SEC, the distribution of a press release, publishing the information on our website or posting on social media if those are regular ways we communicate with investors, or by other means that are reasonably designed to provide broad public access. Before a person with material nonpublic information can trade, the market must have adequate time to absorb the information that has been disclosed. For the purposes of this Insider Trading Policy, information will be considered public after the completion of one full day of trading following our public release of the information. For that purpose, a full day of trading means an entire calendar day in which a session of regular trading hours on the Nasdaq Stock Market (“Nasdaq”) between 9:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time (or such earlier close time as has been set by exchange rules) has occurred.

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For example, if the Company publicly discloses material nonpublic information of which you are aware before trading begins on a Tuesday, the first time you can buy or sell Company securities is the opening of the market on the following Wednesday. However, if the Company publicly discloses material information after trading begins on a Tuesday, the first time that you can buy or sell Company securities is the opening of the market on the following Thursday.

D. | What are the Penalties for Insider Trading and Noncompliance with this Insider Trading Policy?

Both the SEC and the national securities exchanges, through the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”), investigate and are very effective at detecting insider trading. The U.S. government pursues insider trading violations vigorously, successfully prosecuting, for example, trading by employees in foreign accounts, trading by family members and friends of insiders and trading involving only a small number of shares.

The penalties for violating rules against insider trading can be severe and include:

| • |  | forfeiting any profit gained or loss avoided by the trading;

| • |  | payment of the loss suffered by the persons who, contemporaneously with the purchase or sale of securities that are subject of a violation, have purchased or sold securities of the same class;

| • |  | payment of criminal penalties of up to $5,000,000;

| • |  | payment of civil penalties of up to three times the profit made or loss avoided; and

| • |  | imprisonment for up to 20 years.

The Company and/or the supervisors of the person engaged in insider trading may also be required to pay civil penalties or fines of $2.5 million or more, up to three times the profit made or loss avoided, as well as criminal penalties of up to $25,000,000, and could under some circumstances be subject to private lawsuits.

Violation of this Insider Trading Policy or any federal or state insider trading laws may subject you to disciplinary action by the Company, including termination of your employment or other relationship with the Company. The Company reserves the right to determine, in its own discretion and on the basis of the information available to it, whether this Insider Trading Policy has been violated. The Company may determine that specific conduct violates this Insider Trading Policy whether or not it also violates the law. It is not necessary for the Company to await the filing or conclusion of a civil or criminal action against an alleged violator before taking disciplinary action.

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E. | How Do You Report a Violation of this Insider Trading Policy?

If you have a question about this Insider Trading Policy, including whether certain information you are aware of is material or has been made public, you should consult with the Compliance Officer. In addition, if you violate this Insider Trading Policy or any federal or state laws governing insider trading or know of any such violation by any director or employee of the Company, you should report the violation immediately to the Compliance Officer.

PART II. TRADING PROCEDURES

A. | Special Trading Restrictions Applicable to Insiders

In addition to needing to comply with the restrictions on trading in our securities set forth above, Insiders and their Affiliated Persons are subject to the following special trading restrictions:

| 1. | No Trading Except During Trading Windows.

The announcement of the Company’s quarterly financial results almost always has the potential to have a material effect on the market for the Company’s securities. Although an Insider may not know the financial results prior to public announcement, if an Insider engages in a trade before the financial results are disclosed to the public, such trades may give an appearance of impropriety that could subject the Insider and the Company to a charge of insider trading. Therefore, subject to limited exceptions described herein, Insiders may trade in Company securities only during four quarterly trading windows and then only after obtaining pre-clearance from the Compliance Officer in accordance with the procedures set forth below. Unless otherwise advised, the four trading windows consist of the periods that begin after market close on the first full trading day following the Company’s issuance of a press release (or other method of broad public dissemination) announcing its quarterly or annual earnings and end at the close of business on the last day of the then-current quarter. For the purposes of the foregoing, a full trading day means an entire calendar day in which a session of regular trading hours on the NYSE or Nasdaq between 9:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time (or such earlier close time as has been set by exchange rules) has occurred. Insiders may be allowed to trade outside of a trading window only (a) pursuant to a pre-approved Rule 10b5-1 Plan as described below or (b) if granted a waiver in accordance with the procedure for granting waivers as described below.

For example, if we release earnings results before the market opens on a Tuesday, the first time an Insider can buy or sell Company securities is after the market opens on the following Wednesday. However, if our earnings release occurs after trading begins on a Tuesday, the first time that an Insider can buy or sell Company securities is the opening of the market on the following Thursday.

Of course, if an Insider has material nonpublic information about the Company during one of these trading windows, the Insider may not trade in the Company’s securities.

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| 2. | Special Closed Trading Periods

The Compliance Officer may designate, from time to time, a “Special Closed Window” during what would otherwise be a permitted trading window. During a Special Closed Window, designated Insiders (which could be all Insiders or a subset of them) may not trade in the Company’s securities. The Compliance Officer may also impose a Special Closed Window on Insiders or a subset of them to prohibit trading in the securities of other companies to ensure compliance with this Insider Trading Policy. The imposition of a Special Closed Window will not be announced to the Company generally, should not be communicated to any other person, and may itself be considered under this Insider Trading Policy to be material nonpublic information about the Company.

| 3. | Gifts and Other Distributions in Kind.

No Insider may donate or make any other transfer of Company securities without consideration when the Insider is not permitted to trade. In addition to charitable donations or gifts to family members, friends, trusts or others, this prohibition applies to distributions to limited partners by limited partnerships that are subject to this Insider Trading Policy. Making a gift shall be considered trading in securities for purposes of the Pre-Clearance Procedures and Post-Trade Reporting Procedures in Section II.B. below.

B. | Pre-Clearance Procedures

No Insider may trade in our securities, even during an open trading window, unless the trade has been approved by the Compliance Officer in accordance with the procedures described below. In reviewing trading requests, the Compliance Officer may consult with our other officers and/or outside legal counsel and will seek approval of their own trades from the Chair of the Board of Directors.

| 1. | Procedures. No Insider may trade in our securities unless:

| • |  | The Insider has notified the Compliance Officer of the amount and nature of the proposed trade(s) using the Stock Transaction Request form attached to this Insider Trading Policy or by providing the information requested by such form via an email directed to the Compliance Officer.

| • |  | The Insider has certified to the Compliance Officer in writing (which may be by email) before the proposed trade(s) that the Insider does not possess material nonpublic information concerning the Company;

| • |  | If the Insider is an executive officer or director, the Insider has informed the Compliance Officer, using the Stock Transaction Request form (or email request containing such required information), whether, to the Insider’s best knowledge, if the transaction involves a sale by an “affiliate” of the Company or of “restricted securities” (as such terms are defined under Rule 144 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (“Rule 144”)), whether the transaction meets all of the applicable conditions of Rule 144; and

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| • |  | The Compliance Officer has approved the trade(s) and has certified their approval in writing (which may be by email).

The Compliance Officer does not assume responsibility for, and approval by the Compliance Officer does not protect the Insider from, the consequences of prohibited insider trading.

| 2. | Additional Information.

Insiders shall provide to the Compliance Officer any documentation the Compliance Officer reasonably requires in furtherance of the foregoing procedures. Any failure to provide such information will be grounds for the Compliance Officer to deny approval of the trade request.

| 3. | No Obligation to Approve Trades.

The foregoing approval procedures do not in any way obligate the Compliance Officer to approve any trade. The Compliance Officer has sole discretion to reject any trading request.

From time to time, an event may occur that is material to the Company and is known by only a limited number of directors and employees. The Compliance Officer may decline an Insider’s request to preclear a proposed trade based on the existence of a material nonpublic development – even if the Insider is not aware of that material nonpublic development. If any Insider engages in a trade before a material nonpublic development is disclosed to the public or resolved, the Insider and the Company might be exposed to a charge of insider trading that could be costly and difficult to refute even if the Insider was unaware of the development. So long as the event remains material and nonpublic, the Compliance Officer may decide not to approve any transactions in the Company’s securities. The Compliance Officer will subsequently notify the Insider once the material nonpublic development is disclosed to the public or resolved. If an Insider requests preclearance of a trade during the pendency of such an event, the Compliance Officer may reject the trading request without disclosing the reason.

| 4. | Completion of Trades.

After receiving written clearance to engage in a trade from the Compliance Officer, whether by a signed Stock Transaction Request form or by email, an Insider must complete the proposed trade within three (3) business days or make a new trading request. Even if an Insider has received clearance, the Insider may not engage in a trade if (i) such clearance has been rescinded by the Compliance Officer, (ii) the Insider has otherwise received notice that the trading window has closed or (iii) the Insider has or acquires material nonpublic information.

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C. | Exemptions

| 1. | Pre-Approved Rule 10b5-1 Plan.

Transactions made pursuant to an approved Rule 10b5-1 Plan (as defined below) will not be subject to our trading windows or pre-clearance procedures and Insiders are not required to complete a Stock Transaction Request form for such transactions. Rule 10b5-1 of the Exchange Act provides an affirmative defense from insider trading liability under the federal securities laws for trading plans, arrangements or instructions that meet specified requirements. A trading plan, arrangement or instruction that meets the requirements of the SEC’s Rule 10b5-1 (a “Rule 10b5-1 Plan”) enables Insiders to trade in Company securities outside of our trading windows, even when in possession of material nonpublic information.

If an Insider intends to trade pursuant to a Rule 10b5-1 Plan, such plan, arrangement or instruction must:

| • |  | satisfy the requirements of Rule 10b5-1;

| • |  | be documented in writing;

| • |  | be established during a trading window when such Insider does not possess material nonpublic information; and

| • |  | be pre-approved by the Compliance Officer.

Prior to approving a Rule 10b5-1 Plan, the Compliance Officer may require that the plan exclude or include certain provisions (e.g., cooling off period, minimum number of trades requirement, limited term) that ensure compliance with SEC regulations and practices the Compliance Officer deems to be in the best interests of the Company.

Any proposed deviation from the specifications of an approved Rule 10b5-1 Plan (including, without limitation, the amount, price or timing of a purchase or sale) must be reported immediately to, and be approved by, the Compliance Officer.

Any modification or termination of a Rule 10b5-1 Plan previously approved by the Compliance Officer requires a new approval by the Compliance Officer. The Compliance Officer may require as a condition to such approval that the modification or termination occur during a trading window, that the Insider not be aware of material nonpublic information and that additional conditions, such as a cooling off period, must be satisfied.

| 2. | Employee Equity Plans.

Exercise of Stock Options. The trading prohibitions and restrictions set forth in the Trading Procedures do not apply to the exercise for cash of an option to purchase securities of the Company. However, the securities acquired upon the exercise of an option to purchase Company securities are subject to all of the requirements of this Insider Trading Policy, including the Trading Procedures. Moreover, the Trading Procedures apply to the use of outstanding Company securities to pay part or all of the exercise price of an option, any net option exercise, any exercise of a stock appreciation right, share withholding and any sale of stock as part of a broker-assisted cashless exercise of an option or any other market sale for the purpose of generating the cash needed to pay the exercise price of an option.

Tax Withholding on Restricted Stock/Units. The trading prohibitions and restrictions set forth in the Trading Procedures do not apply to the withholding by the Company of shares of stock upon vesting of restricted stock or upon settlement of restricted stock units to satisfy tax withholding requirements if (a) withholding is required by the applicable plan or award agreement or (b) the election to exercise the tax withholding right was made by the Insider in compliance with the Trading Procedures.

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D. | Waivers

A waiver of any provision of this Insider Trading Policy or the Trading Procedures may be authorized in writing by the Compliance Officer or his or her designee or by the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors.

PART III. AMENDMENT

This Insider Trading Policy may be amended from time to time with the approval of the Board of Directors or a designated committee thereof.

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Questions regarding this Insider Trading Policy are encouraged and may be directed to the Compliance Officer.

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EXHIBIT A

STOCK TRANSACTION REQUEST

Pursuant to StealthGas Inc.’s Insider Trading Policy, I hereby notify StealthGas Inc. (the “Company”) of my intent to trade the securities of the Company as indicated below:

REQUESTER INFORMATION Insider’s Name: _________________________________________
INTENT TO PURCHASE
Number of shares: |  |
Intended trade date: |  |
Means of acquiring shares: |  | ☐ |  | Acquisition through employee benefit plan (please specify):
|  | ☐ |  | Purchase through a broker on the open market
|  | ☐ |  | Other (please specify): ________________________________________
INTENT TO SELL
Number of shares: Intended trade date: |  |
Means of selling shares: |  | ☐ |  | Sale through employee benefit plan (please specify):
|  | ☐ |  | Sale through a broker on the open market
|  | ☐ |  | Other (please specify): ________________________________________

|  | RULE 144 (Not applicable if transaction requested involves a purchase)
|  | ☐ |  | I am not an “affiliate” of the Company and the transaction requested above does not involve the sale of “restricted securities” (as those terms are defined in Rule 144 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended).
|  | ☐ |  | To the best of my knowledge, the transaction requested above will meet all of the applicable conditions of Rule 144.
|  | ☐ |  | The transaction requested will be made pursuant to an effective registration statement covering such transaction.
|  | ☐ |  | None of the above.

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CERTIFICATION I hereby certify that I am not (1) in possession of any material nonpublic information concerning the Company, as defined in the Company’s Insider Trading Policy and (2) purchasing any securities of the Company on margin in contravention of the Company’s Trading Procedures. I understand that, if I trade while possessing such information or in violation of such trading restrictions, I may be subject to severe civil and/or criminal penalties and may be subject to discipline by the Company including termination of my employment.
Insider’s Signature |  |  |  | Date
APPROVAL
Signature of Compliance Officer (or designee) |  |  |  | Date

* | NOTE: Multiple lots must be listed on separate forms or broken out.

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