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STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION PLAN
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2011
STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION PLAN
16. STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION PLAN
 
Options to Employees
 
 
On November 13, 2007, the Company approved the 2007 Non-Statutory Stock Option Plan, which was later amended and restated in August 2008 (the “2007 Plan”), and granted 3,000,000 options to acquire the Company’s common stock at $1.23 per share to twenty (20) managerial and non-managerial employees under the 2007 Plan.
 
On April 23, 2010, the Company amended the 2007 Non-Statutory Stock Option Plan to increase the number of shares available for issuance under the plan from 3.2 million to 5 million.
 
The vesting terms of options granted under the 2007 Plan are subject to the Non-Statutory Stock Option Agreements for managerial and non-managerial employees. For managerial employees, 15% of the total stock options shall vest and become exercisable on the six month anniversary of the grant date. An additional 15% and 50% of the total stock options shall vest and become exercisable on the first and second year anniversary of the grant date, respectively. The remaining 20% of the total stock options shall vest and become exercisable on the third year anniversary of the grant date. For non-managerial employees, 30% of the total stock options shall vest and become exercisable on the first year anniversary of the grant date. An additional 50% of the total stock options shall vest and become exercisable on the second year anniversary of the grant date. The remaining 20% of the total stock options shall vest and become exercisable on the third year anniversary of the grant date. Each stock option shall become vested and exercisable over a period of no longer than five years from the grant date.
 
Based on the fair value method under SFAS No. 123 (Revised) “Share Based Payment” (“SFAS 123(R)”), codified in FASB ASC Topic 718, the fair value of each stock option granted is estimated on the date of the grant using the Black-Scholes option pricing model. The Black-Scholes option pricing model has assumptions for risk free interest rates, dividends, stock volatility and expected life of an option grant. The risk free interest rate is based upon market yields for United States Treasury debt securities at a maturity near the term remaining on the option. Dividend rates are based on the Company’s dividend history. The stock volatility factor is based on the historical volatility of the Company’s stock price. The expected life of an option grant is based on management’s estimate as no options have been exercised in the Plan to date. The fair value of each option granted to employees is calculated by the Black-Scholes method and is recognized as compensation expense over the vesting period of each stock option award. For stock options issued, the fair value was estimated at the date of grant using the following range of assumptions:
 
The options vest over three years and have a life of 5 years. The fair value of the options was calculated using the following assumptions, estimated life of five years, volatility of 100%, risk free interest rate of 3.76%, and dividend yield of 0%. No estimate of forfeitures was made as the Company has a short history of granting options.
 
Effective June 25, 2008, the Company and each of the option holders agreed to cancel all vested options and accepted the option holders’ forfeiture of any unvested shares underlying such options.
 
On August 4, 2008, the Company granted stock options to acquire 3,000,000 shares of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.001, at $0.80 per share to 17 employees under the 2007 Plan. The options vest over a period of three years and have a life of 5 years. The fair value of the options was calculated using the following assumptions, estimated life of five years, volatility of 100%, risk free interest rate of 2.76%, and dividend yield of 0%. No estimate of forfeitures was made as the Company has a short history of granting options. The options were accounted for as a modification to the options that were cancelled on June 25, 2008. The grant date fair value of options was $5.04 million.
 
On November 9 and 11, 2009, the Company and three option holders agreed to cancel vested but unexercised options for 87,000 vested but unexercised shares and forfeit unvested options for 203,0000 unvested shares. On November 11, 2009, the Company granted options to two other employees for 290,000 shares of the Company’s common stock at $2.35 per share. The options vest over three years and have a life of 5 years. The fair value of the options was calculated using the following assumptions, estimated life of five years, volatility of 100%, risk free interest rate of 3.84%, and dividend yield of 0%. The grant date fair value of options was $518,513.
 
On April 23, 2010, the Company amended and restated the 2007 Plan, which increases the aggregate number of shares of common stock authorized for issuance under 2007 Plan by 2,200,000 shares, from 3,000,000 shares to 5,200,000 shares, effective from January 1, 2010. The Amended and Restated 2007 Plan was approved by the Company’s stockholders meeting on June 4, 2010.
 
On August 13, 2010, the Company granted 2,200,000 options to acquire the Company’s common stock at $3.05 per share to thirty six (36) managerial and non-managerial employees as new equity awards pursuant to the Corporation’s Amended and Restated 2007 plan, which increased the number of shares available under the plan from 3 million to 5.2 million.
 
According to the vesting terms, the options granted were divided into three tranches, (i) 1/3 (one third) of the total number of shares subject to the options shall vest and become exercisable if the Company meets its minimum revenue and earnings goals in the Company’s guidance for 2010 as delivered in its earnings releases and/or conference calls in the first quarter of 2010, such vesting to occur immediately upon completion of the annual audit confirming the financial results for 2010; and (ii) an additional 1/3 (one third) of the total number of shares subject to the options shall vest and become exercisable if the Company meets certain financial goals of 2011 which will be set out and decided by the Compensation Committee, such vesting to occur immediately upon Compensation Committee’s determination that the Company has met such goals for 2011; and (iii) the remaining 1/3 (one third) of the total number of shares subject to the options shall vest and become exercisable if the Company meets certain financial goals of 2012 which is set out and decided by the Compensation Committee, such vesting is to occur immediately upon Compensation Committee’s determination that the Company has met such goals for 2012. The Option may only be exercised to the extent that the Option has become vested and exercisable. The management used its estimates for determining the probability of achieving each year’s financial goals; these goals were 100%, 50% and 50% for 2010, 2011 and 2012, respectively.
 
As of December 31, 2011, the Company believes it did not meet the financial goal of 2011; accordingly, the second tranche (one third of the total number of 2,200,000 options) was forfeited.
 
The options have a life of 5 years. The fair value of the options was calculated using the following assumptions; estimated life of five years, volatility of 92%, risk free interest rate of 3.54%, and dividend yield of 0%. Each tranche of the options was deemed independent of the others; therefore, the fair value of each tranche of the options will be fully expensed within each year.
 
The following table summarizes activity for employees in the Company’s Plan:
 
Number of
Shares
Average
Exercise
Price per Share
Weighed
Average
Remaining
Contractual
Term in Years
Outstanding at January 1, 2010
3,000,000
0.95
3.71
Exercisable at January 1, 2010
813,000
0.80
3.59
Granted
2,200,000
3.05
5.00
Exercised
-
-
-
Forfeited
-
-
-
Outstanding at December 31, 2010
5,200,000
1.84
3.52
Exercisable at December 31, 2010
2,255,000
$
0.86
2.59
Granted
-
-
-
Exercised
-
-
-
Forfeited
733,333
3.05
3.61
Outstanding at December 31, 2011
4,466,667
1.64
2.34
Exercisable at December 31, 2011
3,675,333
$
1.35
2.07
 
In July 2011, the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors of the Company approved and provided the employees cashless exercise elections to the stock Options granted by the Board on August 4, 2008.
 
The Company recorded $1,411,138 and $2,224,691 compensation expense for stock options to employees during the year ended December 31, 2011 and 2010, respectively. There were no options exercised during the year ended December 31, 2011.
 
Options that were vested and exercisable at December 31, 2011 were 3,675,333 shares, weighted average exercise price of $1.35, no intrinsic value, and weighted-average remaining contractual term of 2.07 years. Options that were expected to vest at December 31, 2011 were 791,334 shares, weighted average exercise price of $3.00, no intrinsic value, and weighted-average remaining contractual term of 3.56 years. The fair value of non-vested stock options was $0.60 million at December 31, 2011.
 
Options to Independent Directors
 
On October 30, 2009, the Company granted stock options for 130,000 shares of the Company’s common stock, at $1.85 per share to three independent directors. The options vested and became exercisable on the six-month anniversary of the grant date with a life of 5 years. The fair value of the options was calculated using the following assumptions: estimated life of five years, volatility of 100%, risk free interest rate of 3.54%, and dividend yield of 0%. The grant date fair value of options was $183,000.
 
On January 20, 2010, the Company granted stock options for 40,000 shares of the Company’s common stock, at $4.68 per share to another independent director. The options vest and become exercisable on the six-month anniversary of the grant date with a life of 5 years. The fair value of the options was calculated using the following assumptions: estimated life of five years, volatility of 100%, risk free interest rate of 3.54%, and dividend yield of 0%. The grant date fair value of options was $142,000.
 
On October 7, 2010, our Board of Directors approved the increase in its size from seven to nine members as a result of entering the Loan and Note agreements with Cinda on August 18, 2010 as described in Note 15 above. At the same time, our Board of Directors appointed Mr. Yilin Ma and Mr. Chungui Shi as new members of the Board of Directors to fill the vacancies on our Board of Directors until their successors have been duly elected and qualified. Mr. Shi is also appointed as a member of the Compensation Committee of our Board of Directors. In connection with the appointment, our Board of Directors has authorized the Company to provide Mr. Shi with (i) compensation of $2,000 per month and (ii) the grant of an option to purchase 40,000 shares of the Company's Common Stock, at an exercise price equal to the closing price per share of the Company's Common Stock on October 7, 2010. The options vested and became exercisable on the six-month anniversary of the grant date with a life of 5 years. The fair value of the options was calculated using the following assumptions: estimated life of five years, volatility of 87%, risk free interest rate of 3.54%, and dividend yield of 0%. The grant date fair value of options was $83,000.
 
The following table summarizes option activity with respect to the independent directors:
 
Number of
Shares
Average
Exercise
Price per Share
Weighed
Average
Remaining
Contractual
Term in Years
Outstanding at January 1, 2010
130,000
1.85
4.83
Exercisable at January 1, 2010
-
-
-
Granted
80,000
3.83
5.00
Exercised
-
-
-
Forfeited
-
-
-
Outstanding at December 31, 2010
210,000
2.60
4.05
Exercisable at December 31, 2010
170,000
$
2.52
3.89
Granted
-
-
-
Exercised
-
-
-
Forfeited
-
-
-
Outstanding at December 31, 2011
210,000
2.60
3.05
Exercisable at December 31, 2011
210,000
$
2.60
3.05
 
The Company recorded $43,975 and $302,969 compensation expense for stock options to independent directors during the years ended December 31, 2011 and 2010, respectively. No options were exercised during the year ended December 31, 2011.
 
Options that were vested and exercisable at December 31, 2011 were 210,000 shares, weighted average exercise price of $2.60, no intrinsic value, and weighted-average remaining contractual term of 3.05 years.
Warrants to Investor Relation Firms
 
On October 1, 2009, the Company granted warrants to acquire 200,000 shares of the Company’s common stock, at $1.50 per share to certain investor relations firms. The warrants are exercisable, in whole or in part, at any time from July 1, 2010 (the “Vesting Date”) to October 1, 2014 (the “Expiration Date”). The Company accounted for warrants issued to investor relations firms based on ASC 505-50 at each balance sheet and expense recorded based on the period elapsed at each balance sheet date, which is the date at which the counterparty’s performance is deemed to be completed for the period. The fair value of each warrant granted is estimated on the date of the grant using the Black-Scholes option pricing model under ASC 505-30-11 and is recognized as compensation expense over the service term of the investor relations agreement as it is a better matching of cost with services received. Under that Agreement, the issuance of the warrants was irrevocable and the Company agreed to take no action to cause the warrants to be void or revoked or their issuance to be otherwise terminated. The warrants are classified as equity instruments and are exercisable into a fixed number of common shares. There is no commitment or requirement to change the quantity or terms based on conditions to the counterparty’s performance or market conditions. The fair value of the warrants was calculated using the following assumptions: estimated life of five years, volatility of 100%, risk free interest rate of 3.54%, and dividend yield of 0%.
 
The following table summarizes activity for the warrants to certain investor relations IR firms:
 
Number of
Shares
Average
Exercise
Price per Share
Weighed
Average
Remaining
Contractual
Term in Years
Outstanding at January 1, 2010
200,000
1.50
4.75
Exercisable at January 1, 2010
-
-
-
Granted
-
-
-
Exercised
150,000
1.50
-
Forfeited
-
-
-
Outstanding at December 31, 2010
50,000
1.50
3.75
Exercisable at December 31, 2010
50,000
$
1.50
3.75
Granted
-
-
-
Exercised
-
-
-
Forfeited
-
-
-
Outstanding at December 31, 2011
50,000
1.50
2.75
Exercisable at December 31, 2011
50,000
$
1.50
2.75
 
The Company recorded $0 and $413,325 compensation expense for warrants to the IR firms during the years ended December 31, 2011 and 2010, respectively. There were no warrants exercised during the year ended December 31, 2011, there were 150,000 warrants exercised through cashless exercise during 2010.
 
Warrants that were vested and exercisable at December 31, 2011 were 50,000 shares, weighted average exercise price of $1.50, no aggregate intrinsic value, and weighted-average remaining contractual term of 2.75 years.