stock-option-grant

name	stock-option-grant
title	Stock Option Grant Agreement
description	Drafts Stock Option Grant Agreements for ISOs or NQSOs under a company's equity incentive plan. Covers vesting, exercise mechanics, termination, tax (IRC §422/§409A), securities compliance, and change-in-control provisions. Use when drafting option grants, equity compensation agreements, or stock option award letters.
author	CaseMark
author_url	https://github.com/CaseMark/skills/tree/main/skills/legal/stock-option-grant
license	Apache-2.0
version	0.1.0
execution_mode	open
jurisdiction	us
practice	employee-benefits
language	en

Stock Option Grant Agreement

Drafts a binding option grant agreement governing ISO or NQSO issuance, integrated with the company's equity incentive plan.

Prerequisites

Collect before drafting:

• Adopted equity incentive plan (with amendments)
• Board/committee resolution (grant date, share count, exercise price, recipient)
• Certificate of incorporation + bylaws (authorized shares, stock classes)
• Recipient's employment/consulting agreement (equity, acceleration, post-termination terms)
• Cap table context (stockholders' agreement, ROFR/co-sale/drag-along)
• 409A valuation (private) or closing price (public) establishing FMV at grant date
• Insider trading / equity admin policies (if any)

Quick Start

1. Confirm option type: ISO (§422) or NQSO — tax treatment diverges significantly
2. Verify exercise price meets FMV floor (100% FMV for ISO; 110% for >10% shareholders)
3. Draft agreement sections below in order
4. Cross-check acceleration terms against all existing agreements

Document Sections

1. Caption & Recitals

Include: grant date (from board resolution), company legal name + state, optionee name, plan title with adoption/amendment dates, "Subject to and governed by the Plan" incorporation clause.

2. Definitions

Term	Requirements
Option	ISO (§422) or NQSO; if ISO, savings clause converting excess to NQSO
Shares	Class of stock (typically common)
Continuous Service	Employee/director/consultant; parent/subsidiary service treatment
Exercise Price	Per-share price + FMV methodology
Vesting Commencement Date	Grant date, hire date, or specified date
Cause	Dishonesty, fraud, felony, fiduciary breach, material policy violation
Change in Control	Merger, asset sale, stock sale, board change — with threshold percentages