UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

SCHEDULE 14A INFORMATION

Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of the

Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Check the appropriate box:

SINTX TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

(Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

Commission File Number: 001-33624

Not Applicable

(Name of Persons Filing Proxy Statement If Other Than the Registrant)

Payment of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box):

SINTX Technologies, Inc.

1885 West 2100 South

Salt Lake City, UT 84119

ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS

September 15, 2021

NOTICE OF MEETING

The annual meeting of the stockholders of SINTX Technologies, Inc., a Delaware corporation, will be held at 10:30 a.m., local time, on September 15, 2021, at 1885 West 2100 South, Salt Lake City, UT 84119.

The Annual Meeting will be held for the following purposes, as more fully described in the Proxy Statement accompanying this notice:

to act upon such other matters as may properly come before the meeting or any adjournment or postponement of the meeting.

Stockholders at the close of business on July 26, 2021 are entitled to vote in person or by proxy at the annual meeting.

August 3, 2021

Important Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materials for the Stockholders Meeting to be held September 15, 2021:

The proxy statement, notice of annual meeting, and annual report to shareholders are available at www.proxyvote.com or from our Investor Relations website at https://ir.sintx.com/annual-shareholder-materials.

SINTX Technologies, Inc.

1885 West 2100 South

Salt Lake City, UT 84119

PROXY STATEMENT

FOR

ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS

To be Held on September 15, 2021

This proxy statement is provided to stockholders of SINTX Technologies, Inc. (the “Company”) in connection with the annual meeting of stockholders and any adjournments or postponements of the annual meeting. The annual meeting will be held at 10:30 a.m. local time, on September 15, 2021, at 1885 West 2100 South, Salt Lake City, UT 84119. Directions to the annual meeting can be obtained by calling the Company at (801) 839-3500.

This proxy statement and form of proxy are first being sent or given to our stockholders on or about August 3, 2021, along with our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on March 22, 2021.

ABOUT THE MEETING, VOTING, STOCKHOLDER PROPOSALS

AND COMPANY INFORMATION

Q: Why did I receive this proxy statement?

A: The Board of Directors is soliciting your proxy to vote at the annual meeting because you were a holder of the Company’s shares of common stock, par value $0.01 per share (“Common Stock”), at the close of business on July 26, 2021, the record date, and are entitled to vote at the annual meeting. The annual meeting is being held for the purposes of obtaining stockholder approval for the following proposals (the “Proposals”):

Q: What information is contained in this proxy statement?

A: The information in this proxy statement relates to the Proposals to be voted on at the annual meeting, the voting process and certain other required information.

Q: What should I do if I receive more than one set of voting materials?

A: You may receive more than one set of voting materials, including multiple copies of this proxy statement and multiple proxy cards or voting instruction cards. For example, if you hold your shares in more than one brokerage account, you may receive a separate voting instruction card for each brokerage account in which you hold shares. If you are a stockholder of record and your shares of Common Stock are registered in more than one name, you will receive more than one proxy card. Please complete, sign, date and return each proxy card and voting instruction card that you receive.

Q: How may I obtain an additional set of proxy materials?

A: All stockholders may write to us at the following address to request an additional copy of these materials:

SINTX Technologies, Inc.

1885 West 2100 South

Salt Lake City, UT 84119

Attention: Corporate Secretary

Additionally, this proxy statement and notice of annual meeting are all available free of charge on our website at http://investors.sintx.com/annual-meetings-proxies or www.proxyvote.com.

Q: What is the difference between holding shares as a stockholder of record and as a beneficial owner?

A: If your shares are registered directly in your name with our transfer agent, American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, you are considered, with respect to those shares, the “stockholder of record.” If you are a stockholder of record, this proxy statement and a proxy card have been sent directly to you by the Company.

If your shares are held in a stock brokerage account or by a bank or other nominee, you are considered the “beneficial owner” of shares held in street name. If you own shares held in street name, this proxy statement has been forwarded to you by your broker, bank or nominee who is considered, with respect to those shares, the stockholder of record. As the beneficial owner, you have the right to direct your broker, bank or nominee how to vote your shares by using the voting instruction card included in the mailing or by following their instructions for voting by telephone or the Internet, if the broker, bank or nominee offers these alternatives. Since a beneficial owner is not the stockholder of record, you may not vote these shares in person at the annual meeting unless you obtain a “legal proxy” from the broker, bank or nominee that holds your shares, giving you the right to vote the shares at the annual meeting.

Q: How do I vote?

A: You may vote using any of the following methods:

Q: What can I do if I change my mind after I vote my shares?

A: If you are a stockholder of record, you may revoke your proxy at any time before it is voted at the annual meeting by:

If you own shares held in street name, you may submit new voting instructions by contacting your broker, bank or nominee. You may also vote in person at the annual meeting if you obtain a legal proxy as described in the answer to the previous question. Attendance at the annual meeting will not, by itself, revoke a proxy.

Q: What if I return a signed proxy card, but do not vote for some of the matters listed on the proxy card?

A: If you return a signed proxy card without indicating your vote, your shares will be voted in accordance with the Board of Director’s recommendations, “FOR” the approval of Proposal No. 1, “FOR” Proposal No. 2, “FOR” Proposal No. 3, and “FOR” Proposal No. 4.

Q: Can my broker vote my shares for me without my instructions?

A: Your broker or nominee will have discretionary authority to vote your shares with respect to “routine” proposals such as Proposal No. 2. Proposals Nos. 1, 3, and 4 are not considered routine and your broker or nominee will not have discretionary authority to vote your shares on those proposals without your direction. Please provide voting instructions on the proposals described herein so your vote can be counted.

Q: Can my shares be voted if I do not return my proxy card or voting instruction card and do not attend the annual meeting?

A: If you do not vote your shares held of record (registered directly in your name, not in the name of a bank or broker), your shares will not be voted.

If you do not vote your shares held in street name with a broker, your broker will not be authorized to vote on Proposal No. 1, Proposal No. 3., and Proposal No. 4, but will be authorized to vote on Proposal No. 2.

Q: What are the voting requirements with respect to each of the Proposals?

A: Proposal No. 1. The one nominee for Class I director receiving the highest number of votes will be elected a Class I director. The proxy card enables a stockholder to vote “FOR” or “WITHHOLD” from voting as to each person nominated by the Board. “Withhold” votes and broker non-votes are not considered votes cast for the foregoing purpose and will have no effect on the election of the nominees.

Proposal No. 2. This proposal requires the affirmative vote of a majority of the votes cast. Any shares not voted (whether by abstention or otherwise) have no impact on the vote. We believe brokerage firms have authority to vote customers’ unvoted shares held by the firms in street name on this Proposal.

Proposal No. 3. The affirmative (“FOR”) vote of the holders of a majority of the votes present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote on this Proposal and cast at the annual meeting is necessary to approve Proposal No. 3. Because abstentions and broker non- votes are not considered votes cast, they will have no effect on the vote. We believe brokerage firms do not have authority to vote customers’ unvoted shares held by the firms in street name on this Proposal.

Proposal No. 4. The affirmative (“FOR”) vote of the holders of a majority of the votes present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote on this Proposal and cast at the annual meeting is necessary to approve Proposal No. 4. Abstentions will have the same effect as votes against Proposal No. 4. We believe brokerage firms may have authority to vote customers’ unvoted shares held by the firms in street name on this Proposal.

Q: How many votes do I have?

A: As of July 26, 2021, the record date, there were 24,703,074 shares of our Common Stock outstanding and entitled to vote. Each share of our Common Stock that you own entitles you to one vote.

Q: What happens if additional matters are presented at the annual meeting?

A: Other than the items of business described in this proxy statement, we are not aware of any other business to be acted upon at the annual meeting. If you grant a proxy, the persons named as proxy holders, B. Sonny Bal and David O’Brien, will have the discretion to vote your shares on any additional matters properly presented for a vote at the annual meeting.

Q: How many shares must be present or represented to conduct business at the annual meeting?

A: A quorum will be present if at least a majority of the outstanding shares of our Common Stock entitled to vote is represented at the annual meeting, either in person or by proxy.

Both abstentions and broker non-votes (described below) are counted for the purpose of determining the presence of a quorum.

Q: How can I attend the annual meeting?

A: You are entitled to attend the annual meeting only if you were a stockholder of SINTX as of the close of business on July 26, 2021, the record date, or if you hold a valid proxy for the annual meeting. You should be prepared to present photo identification for admittance. If you are a stockholder of record, your name will be verified against the list of stockholders of record on the record date prior to your admission to the annual meeting. If you are not a stockholder of record, but hold shares through a broker, bank or nominee (i.e., in street name), you should provide proof of beneficial ownership on the record date, such as your most recent account statement prior to the record date, a copy of the voting instruction card provided by your broker, bank or nominee, or other similar evidence of ownership. If you do not provide photo identification or comply with the other procedures outlined above, you will not be admitted to the annual meeting.

The annual meeting will begin promptly at 10:30 a.m., local time on September 15, 2021. You should allow adequate time for check-in procedures.

Q: How can I vote my shares in person at the annual meeting?

A: Shares held in your name as the stockholder of record may be voted in person at the annual meeting. Shares held beneficially in street name may be voted in person at the annual meeting only if you obtain a legal proxy from the broker, bank or nominee that holds the shares giving you the right to vote the shares. Even if you plan to attend the annual meeting, we recommend that you also submit your proxy card or voting instruction card as described herein so your vote will be counted if you later decide not to attend the annual meeting.

Q: What is the deadline for voting my shares?

A: If you hold shares as the stockholder of record, your vote by proxy must be received before the polls close at the annual meeting, except that proxies submitted by the Internet must be received by 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time, on September 14, 2021.

If you hold shares beneficially in street name, please follow the voting instructions provided by your broker, bank or nominee. You may vote these shares in person at the annual meeting only if at the annual meeting you provide a legal proxy obtained from your broker, bank or nominee.

Q: Is my vote confidential?

A: Proxy instructions, ballots and voting tabulations that identify individual stockholders are handled in a manner that protects your voting privacy. Your vote will not be disclosed either within SINTX or to third parties, except: (1) as necessary to meet applicable legal requirements; (2) to allow for the tabulation of votes and certification of the vote; and (3) to facilitate a successful proxy solicitation. Occasionally, stockholders provide written comments on their proxy card, which are then forwarded to our management.

Q: What is a broker non-vote?

A: A broker non-vote occurs when a broker does not vote on a particular proposal with respect to shares of Common Stock held in a fiduciary capacity (typically referred to as being held in “street name”) because the broker has not received voting instructions from the beneficial owner. Under the rules that govern brokers who are voting with respect to shares held in street name, brokers have the discretion to vote such shares on routine matters, but not on non-routine matters. Routine matters include the ratification of auditors. Non-routine matters include matters such as the election of directors, the approval of, and amendments to, stock plans, the approval of, and amendments to by-laws and corporate charter documents and change in corporate domicile. Therefore, if you do not give your broker or nominee specific instructions, your shares will not be voted on non-routine matters and may not be voted on routine matters. However, shares represented by such “broker non-votes” will be counted in determining whether there is a quorum present at the annual meeting for the purpose of transacting business.

Q: Where can I find the voting results of the annual meeting?

A: We intend to announce preliminary voting results at the annual meeting and publish final voting results in a Current Report on Form 8-K to be filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) within four business days after the annual meeting.

Q: Who will bear the cost of soliciting votes for the annual meeting?

A: The cost of this solicitation is being borne by SINTX. These costs will include the expense of preparing, assembling, printing and mailing the notice, this proxy statement and any other material used in the Company’s solicitation of proxies to stockholders of record and beneficial owners, and reimbursements paid to banks, brokerage firms, custodians and others for their reasonable out-of-pocket expenses for forwarding proxy materials to stockholders and obtaining beneficial owners’ voting instructions. Proxies may be solicited on our behalf by our directors, officers and regular employees by telephone or other means. There will be no special or additional compensation for these services. Stockholders voting via the telephone or Internet should understand that there may be costs associated with telephonic or electronic access, such as usage charges from telephone companies and internet access providers, which must be borne by the stockholder. At this time, we have not retained the services of a professional solicitation firm, though we may decide to do so at a later date.

Q: What if I have questions for the Company’s transfer agent?

A: Please contact our transfer agent at the telephone number or address listed below with any questions concerning stock certificates, transfer of ownership or other matters pertaining to your stock account.

American Stock Transfer & Trust Company LLC

6201 15^th Ave

Brooklyn NY 11219

1-800-937-5449

help@astfinancial.com

Q: Who can help answer my questions?

A: If you have any questions about the annual meeting or how to vote or revoke your proxy, please contact:

SINTX Technologies, Inc.

188 West 2100 South

Salt Lake City, UT 84119

Attention: Corporate Secretary

Q: How does the Board recommend I vote my shares?

A: The Board recommends a vote FOR each nominee for election to the Board and FOR approval of Proposals numbered 2, 3, and 4.

Q: How can I bring business to be presented from the floor of the annual meeting?

A: Stockholders may present proposals for action at a future meeting if they comply with SEC rules, state law and our Bylaws. For nominations or other business to be properly brought before an annual meeting by a stockholder pursuant to our Bylaws, the stockholder must have given timely notice thereof in writing to the Secretary of the Corporation.

Q: How can Stockholders recommend a candidate for election to the Board?

A: Stockholders who wish to recommend a candidate for election to our Board should write to: Corporate Secretary, SINTX Technologies, Inc., 1885 West 2100 South, Salt Lake City, UT 84119, stating in detail the qualifications of a candidate for consideration by the Board. Additionally, our corporate Bylaws contain a detailed description of the process that must be followed by a stockholder in order to properly nominate a candidate for election to our Board. Information on how to obtain a copy of our Bylaws is provided below. In considering Board candidates, the Board seeks individuals of proven judgment and competence who have strong reputations in their respective fields. The Board considers such factors as experience, education, employment history, special talents or personal attributes, anticipated participation in Board activities, and geographic and diversity factors. The process for identifying and evaluating nominees would include detailed consideration of the recommendations and opinions of members of our Board, our executive officers, and our stockholders. There would be no difference in the process of evaluation of candidates recommended by a stockholder and those recommended by other sources.

Q: How can I communicate with the Board?

A: Stockholders interested in communicating directly with our Board may do so by writing to: Board of Directors, SINTX Technologies, Inc., 1885 West 2100 South, Salt Lake City, UT 84119. All such written correspondence is delivered to the director or directors to whom it is addressed or, if addressed generally to the Board, to all directors. Concerns relating to accounting, internal controls, or auditing matters are immediately forwarded to the Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer and Principal Accounting Officer, and Chairman of the Audit Committee.

Q: Will the Board attend the Annual Meeting?

A: We encourage attendance by members of the board and senior executives, but attendance is not required.

Q: How can a stockholder submit a Stockholder Proposal for inclusion in the 2022 Proxy Statement; Discretionary Voting

A: Stockholders interested in submitting a proposal for inclusion in our proxy statement for next year’s annual meeting must do so in compliance with our Bylaws and applicable SEC rules and regulations. Under Rule 14a-8 adopted by the SEC, to be considered for inclusion in our proxy materials for our 2022 annual meeting, a stockholder proposal, including nominations for directors, must be received in writing by our Corporate Secretary no later than 5:00 p.m. MST on April 5, 2022. If the date of our 2022 annual meeting is moved more than 30 days before or after the anniversary date of this year’s meeting, the deadline for inclusion of proposals in our proxy statement will instead be a reasonable time before we begin to print and mail our proxy materials next year. Any such proposals will also need to comply with the various provisions of Rule 14a-8, which governs the basis on which such stockholder proposals can be included or excluded from Company-sponsored proxy materials.

If a stockholder desires to submit a proposal, including nominations for directors, for consideration at the 2022 annual meeting, but not have the proposal included with our proxy solicitation materials relating to the 2022 annual meeting, the stockholder must comply with the procedures set forth in our governing documents. Our Bylaws require that, for business to be properly brought before an annual meeting by a stockholder, such stockholder must have given timely notice thereof, along with other specified material, in proper written form to the Company. To be timely, a stockholder’s notice pertaining to an annual meeting shall be delivered to the Corporate Secretary at the principal executive offices of the Company not less than ninety (90) or more than one-hundred and twenty (120) days prior to the first anniversary of the date of the preceding year’s annual meeting; provided, however, that in the event that the date of the annual meeting is more than thirty (30) days before or more than thirty (30) days after the previous year’s annual meeting, notice by the stockholder to be timely must be so delivered not earlier than the close of business on the one-hundred and twentieth (120th) day prior to such annual meeting and not later than the close of business on the later of the ninetieth (90th) day prior to such annual meeting or the close of business on the tenth (10th) day following the day on which public announcement of the date of such meeting is first made by the Corporation.

Any stockholder who wishes to make such a proposal should obtain a copy of the Bylaws, which contain these and other requirements with respect to stockholder proposals and director nominations, including certain information that must be included concerning the stockholder and each proposal and nominee. Our Bylaws were filed with the SEC as an exhibit to our Current Report on Form 8-K, filed on February 20, 2014. You may also obtain a copy by writing to our Corporate Secretary, at SINTX Technologies, Inc., 1885 W 2100 S, Salt Lake City, UT 84119.

Q: Where can I find More Information on SINTX

Our corporate website is http://www.sintx.com. We make available on this website, free of charge, access to our Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A and amendments to those materials filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically submit such material to the SEC. The SEC makes available on its website, free of charge, reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding issuers, such as us, that file electronically with the SEC. The SEC’s website is http://www.sec.gov.

Directors and Officers

Directors

The following table sets forth the names, ages, and positions with SINTX for each of our directors.

Our Board is divided into three classes (Class I, Class II and Class III) with staggered three-year terms. Directors in each class are elected to serve for three-year staggered terms that expire in successive years. Officers serve at the discretion of our Board. The following is information on the business experience of each director now serving and a discussion of the qualifications, attributes and skills that led to the Board of Directors’ conclusion that each one is qualified to serve as a director.

The following is a brief summary of the background of each of our directors.

Class I Directors— up for election at the 2021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders with a term expiring at the 2024 annual meeting of stockholder if re-elected.

Mark Froimson, M.D. has served on our Board of Directors since February 2019. Dr. Froimson is currently a Principal at Riverside Health Advisors, a consulting company that provides strategic advice and services to health care executive leaders. Dr. Froimson served as the President of the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons from March 2017 to March 2018. Previously, he was the Executive Vice President and Chief Clinical Officer of Trinity Health, a major national non-profit Catholic healthcare system comprising 93 hospitals in 22 states. Prior to his executive leadership position at Trinity Health, Dr. Froimson was President and Chief Executive Officer of Euclid Hospital, a Cleveland Clinic Hospital. Dr. Froimson served as a staff surgeon in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at the Cleveland Clinic for over 16 years, during which time he held a variety of leadership positions, including President of the professional staff, Vice Chair of the Orthopedic and Rheumatologic Institute, and member of the board of governors and board of trustees. Dr. Froimson also serves on the board of directors of Pacira Biosciences, Inc., a publicly traded company on the NASDAQ Stock Market. Dr. Froimson received a B.S. in philosophy from Princeton University, an M.D. from Tulane University School of Medicine and an MBA from the Weatherhead School of Business at Case Western Reserve University.

Class II Directors - continuing directors with a term expiring at the 2022 annual meeting of stockholders.

David W. Truetzel has served on our Board of Directors since our acquisition of US Spine, Inc. in September 2010. Mr. Truetzel has been the general partner of Augury Capital Partners, a private equity fund that invests in life sciences and information technology companies, which he co-founded in 2006. Mr. Truetzel is a director of Enterprise Bank, Inc., Bonfyre, LLC, a provider of enterprise technology management solutions, and Paranet, LLC, an IT services provider. Mr. Truetzel holds a B.S. in Business Administration from Saint Louis University and an M.B.A. from The Wharton School. We believe that Mr. Truetzel’s financial and managerial expertise qualify him to serve on our Board of Directors.

Eric A. Stookey has served on our Board of Directors since October 2014. Mr. Stookey has served as Chief Operating Officer of Osteoremedies, LLC since March of 2015. From October 2011 until August 2014, Mr. Stookey served as the President of the Extremities-Biologics division at Wright Medical Group Inc. Mr. Stookey also served in various other marketing and sales positions at Wright Medical Group Inc. since 1995, including as the Senior Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer from January 2010 to November 2011, as the Vice President North American Sales from 2007 to January 2010, as the Vice President US Sales from 2005 to 2007, as the Senior Director of Sales, Central Region, from 2003 to 2005 and as the Director of Marketing for Large Joint Reconstruction Products from 2001 to 2003. Mr. Stookey earned his M.B.A. from Christian Brothers University and his B.S. in Business from the Indiana University School of Business. We believe that Mr. Stookey’s industry and executive leadership experience qualifies him to serve on our Board of Directors.

Class III Directors— - continuing directors with a term expiring at the 2023 annual meeting of stockholders.

B. Sonny Bal, M.D. has served on our Board of Directors since February 2012, as Chairman of our Board of Directors since August 2014 and as our President and Chief Executive Officer since October 2014. Dr. Bal was a tenured Professor in Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Missouri, Columbia, and has an extensive history of research into silicon nitride ceramics. He is Adjunct Professor of Material Sciences at Missouri Science and Technology University at Rolla. Dr. Bal is a member of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons, and the International Society of Technology in Arthroplasty. Dr. Bal received his M.D. degree from Cornell University and an M.B.A. from Northwestern University, a J.D. from the University of Missouri, and a Ph.D. in Engineering from the Kyoto Institute of Technology in Japan. We believe that Dr. Bal’s breadth of experience and scientific expertise in silicon nitride qualifies him to serve as our Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer.

Jeffrey S. White has served on our Board of Directors since January 2014. From January 2013 to 2018, Mr. White served as Principal at Medtech Advisory Group LLC, a firm he founded that advises early and mid-stage medical technology firms. In that capacity Mr. White has consulted MiMedx Group Inc., the leading amniotic tissue and allograft regenerative biomaterials firm since mid-2015 and served as Vice President, Product Management Strategies at MiMedix. Mr. White previously served as a director of Residency Select LLC, a company which offers psychometric assessment, training and compliance products to medical and surgical residency programs. Mr. White also served in 2014 and 2015 as President and director of Liventa Bioscience LLC, a provider of specialty amniotic tissue allografts for use in surgical and wound care applications. From May 2006 to December 2012 he served as Global Director of Business Development for Synthes Inc., a global orthopedic firm that was acquired by Johnson and Johnson in 2012. Mr. White has served as Chief Executive Officer and/or co-founder of several start-up surgical device firms and has previously held executive level positions at United States Surgical Corporation, now part of Medtronic. Mr. White holds a B.S. in Biology from Union College in Schenectady NY. We believe that Mr. White’s experience as an executive and founder of medical device companies qualifies him to serve on our Board of Directors.

Executive Officers

Our current executive officers and their respective ages and positions are as follows:

The following is a brief summary of the background of each of our executive officers.

B. Sonny Bal, M.D. has served on our Board of Directors since February 2012, as Chairman of our Board of Directors since August 2014 and as our President and Chief Executive Officer since October 2014. Dr. Bal was a tenured Professor in Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Missouri, Columbia, and has an extensive history of research into silicon nitride ceramics. He is Adjunct Professor of Material Sciences at Missouri Science and Technology University at Rolla. Dr. Bal is a member of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons, and the International Society of Technology in Arthroplasty. Dr. Bal received his M.D. degree from Cornell University and an M.B.A. from Northwestern University, a J.D. from the University of Missouri, and a Ph.D. in Engineering from the Kyoto Institute of Technology in Japan. We believe that Dr. Bal’s breadth of experience and scientific expertise in silicon nitride qualifies him to serve as our Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer.

Bryan J. McEntire has served as our Chief Scientific Officer since May 2012. From June 2004 to May 2012 he served as our Vice President of Manufacturing and as our Vice President of Research from December 2006 to May 2012. Dr. McEntire has worked in various advanced ceramic product development, quality engineering and manufacturing roles at Applied Materials, Inc., (Santa Clara, CA), Norton Advanced Ceramics, a division of Saint-Gobain Industrial Ceramics Corporation (E. Granby, CT), Norton/TRW Ceramics (Northboro, MA) and Ceramatec, Inc., (Salt Lake City, UT). Dr. McEntire has a BS degree in Materials Science and Engineering and an MBA both from the University of Utah (Salt Lake City, UT), and a Ph.D. from the Kyoto Institute of Technology (Kyoto, Japan).

David O’Brien has served as our Chief Operating Officer since July 2019. Mr. O’Brien previously served as the Company’s Vice President and General Manager from October 2016 to July 2019 and from March 2014 through September 2016, he held prior roles as our Vice President of Operations and Vice President of Manufacturing. Mr. O’Brien has over 30 years of experience in engineering, manufacturing, and operations leadership in advanced materials and medical device organizations. From 2005 to 2014, he fulfilled several engineering leadership roles for Covidien. From 1991 to 2005, he worked for Arnold Magnetic Technologies in the production of ceramic, powder metal and molded magnets in multiple facilities across the U.S. and in England. He has extensive experience with Lean and other Continuous Improvement initiatives. Mr. O’Brien holds an M.S. in Ceramic Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology, and a B.S. in Physics from the University of Texas at San Antonio.

Arrangements between Officers and Directors

To our knowledge, there is no arrangement or understanding between any of our officers and any other person, including directors, pursuant to which the officer was selected to serve as an officer.

Family Relationships

None of our directors are related by blood, marriage, or adoption to any other director, executive officer, or other key employees.

Other Directorships

With the exception of Dr. Froimson, who is also on the board of directors of Pacira Biosciences, Inc., a SEC public reporting company, none of the directors of the Company are also directors of issuers with a class of securities registered under Section 12 of the Exchange Act (or which otherwise are required to file periodic reports under the Exchange Act).

Other Involvement in Certain Legal Proceedings

None of our directors or executive officers has been involved in any bankruptcy or criminal proceedings (other than traffic and other minor offenses) or been subject to any of the items set forth under Item 401(f) of Regulation S-K, nor have there been any judgments or injunctions brought against any of our directors or executive officers during the last ten years that we consider material to the evaluation of the ability and integrity of any director or executive officer.

The Board and Committees

Our Board of Directors has five members. The Chairman of the Board and our Chief Executive Officer, B. Sonny Bal, MD, PhD, is a member of the Board and is a full-time employee of SINTX. David W. Truetzel, Eric A. Stookey, Jeffrey S. White, and Mark Froimson are non-employee directors, and the Board has determined that these persons (who constitute a majority of the Board) are “independent directors” under the criteria set forth in Rule 5605(a)(2) of the Nasdaq Listing Rules. The Board met eight (8) times during the year ended December 31, 2020. All directors attended more than seventy-five percent (75%) of the meetings of the Board and committee meetings of which such director was a member held during 2020.

In accordance with our restated Certificate of Incorporation, our Board of Directors is divided into three classes with staggered three-year terms. At each annual meeting of stockholders, the successors to the directors whose terms then expire will be elected to serve until the third annual meeting following such election. Our directors are divided among the three classes as follows:

Any additional directorships resulting from an increase in the number of directors will be distributed among the three classes so that, as nearly as possible, each class will consist of one-third of the directors.

Our Board of Directors has three permanent committees: the Audit Committee, the Compensation Committee, and the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee. The written charters for these committees are on our website at https://ir.sintx.com/corporate-governance. Our Board of Directors may from time to time establish other standing committees. In addition, from time to time, special committees may be established under the direction of our Board of Directors when necessary to address specific issues.

The following table sets forth a description of the three permanent Board committees and the chairpersons and members of those committees, all of whom are independent directors:

Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee

The Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee is currently comprised of the following members: Eric A. Stookey (Chairman), David W. Truetzel and Jeffrey S White. Among other items, the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee is tasked by the Board to: (1) identify individuals qualified to serve as members of the Board and, recommend individuals to be nominated by the Board for election by the stockholders or to be appointed by the Board to fill vacancies consistent with the criteria approved by the Board; (2) develop and periodically evaluate and recommend changes to SINTX’s Corporate Governance Guidelines and Code of Ethics, and to review the Company’s policies and programs that relate to matters of corporate responsibility, including public issues of significance to the Company and its stakeholders; and (3) oversee an annual evaluation of the performance of the Board. The Board has determined that each of the members of the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee is “independent” under the standard set forth in Rule 5605(a)(2) of the Nasdaq Listing Rules. The Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee did not meet as a separate committee in 2019, but rather, because the committee is comprised of all three independent directors, governance matters were addressed as necessary in meetings of the Board. The Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee operates under a written charter adopted by the Board of Directors, which sets forth the responsibilities and powers delegated by the Board to the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee.

Board Nominations

In considering Board candidates, the Board seeks individuals of proven judgment and competence who have strong reputations in their respective fields. Although we do not have a formal diversity policy, the Board considers such factors as experience, education, employment history, special talents or personal attributes, anticipated participation in Board activities, and geographic and diversity factors. The process for identifying and evaluating nominees would include detailed consideration of the recommendations and opinions of members of our Board, our executive officers, and our stockholders. There would be no difference in the process of evaluation of candidates recommended by a stockholder and those recommended by other sources.

The Nominating and Governance Committee has adopted a policy and procedures for shareholders to recommend nominees to the Company’s Board. The Committee will only consider qualified proposed nominees that meet the qualification standards set forth on Appendix A to the Committee’s charter available on the Company’s website at www.SINTX.com. Pursuant to the policy, only shareholders who meet minimum percentage ownership requirements as established by the Board may make recommendations for consideration by the Committee. At this time, the Board has set a minimum percentage ownership of 5% of the Company’s issued and outstanding shares of common stock for a period of at least one year. To make recommendations, a shareholder must submit the recommendation in writing by mail, courier or personal delivery to: Corporate Secretary, SINTX Technologies, Inc., 1885 West 2100 South, Salt Lake City, UT 84119. For each annual meeting the Committee will consider only one proposed nominee from each shareholder or shareholder group (within the meaning of Regulation 13D under the Exchange Act).

The recommendation must set forth (1) the name, address, including telephone number, of the recommending shareholder or shareholder group; (2) the number of the Company’s shares of common stock held by such shareholder and proof of ownership if the shareholder is not a holder of record; and (3) a statement that the shareholder has a good faith intention of holding the shares through the record date of the Company’s next annual meeting. For shareholder groups this information must be submitted for each shareholder in the group.

The recommendation must set forth in relation to the proposed nominee being recommended by the shareholder: (1) the information required by Items 401, 403 and 404 of Regulation S-K under the Exchange Act, (2) any material relationships or agreements between the proposed nominee and the recommending shareholder or the Company’s competitors, customers, labor unions or other persons with special interests in the Company; (3) a statement regarding the qualifications of the proposed nominee to serve on the Board; (4) a statement that the proposed nominee can fairly represent the interests of all shareholders of the Company; and (5) a signed consent by the proposed nominee to being interviewed by the Nominating and Governance Committee.

Recommendations must be made not later than 120 calendar days prior to the first anniversary of the date of the proxy statement for the prior annual meeting of shareholders. In the event that the date of the annual meeting of shareholders for the current year is more than 30 days following the first anniversary date of the annual meeting of shareholders for the prior year, the submission of a recommendation will be considered timely if it is submitted not earlier than the close of business on the 120 days prior to such annual meeting and not later than the close of business on the later of 90 days prior to such annual meeting or the close of business 10 days following the day on which public announcement of the date of such meeting is first made by the Company.

Audit Committee

We have a standing Audit Committee and audit committee charter, which complies with Rule 10A-3 of the Exchange Act, and the requirements of the Nasdaq Listing Rules. Our Audit Committee was established in accordance with Section 3(a)(58)(A) of the Exchange Act. The Audit Committee is currently comprised of the following members: David W. Truetzel (Chairman), Eric A. Stookey and Jeffrey S White. The Audit Committee provides oversight for financial reporting matters, internal controls, and compliance with the Company’s financial policies, and meets with its auditors when appropriate. The Audit Committee did not meet as a separate committee in 2020, but rather, because the committee is comprised of all three independent directors, committee matters were addressed as necessary in meetings of the Board. The Board has determined that David W. Truetzel is an “audit committee financial expert” within the meaning of Item 407(d)(5) of Regulation S-K. Further, the Board has determined that each of David W. Truetzel, Jeffrey S. White and Eric A. Stookey are “independent” under the standard set forth in Rule 5605(a)(2) of the Nasdaq Listing Rules. The Audit Committee operates under a written charter adopted by the Board of Directors, which sets forth the responsibilities and powers delegated by the Board to the Audit Committee.

Compensation Committee

The Compensation Committee of the Board is comprised of the following members: Jeffrey S. White, (Chairman), David W. Truetzel and Eric A. Stookey. The Board has determined that each of David W. Truetzel, Jeffrey S. White and Eric A. Stookey are “independent” under the standard set forth in Rule 5605(a)(2) of the Nasdaq Listing Rules. The Compensation Committee recommends to the Board for determination compensation of our executive officers, including the chief executive officer, and addresses salary and benefit matters for other key personnel and employees of the Company. The Compensation Committee did not meet as a separate committee in 2020, but rather, because the committee is comprised of all three independent directors, committee matters were addressed as necessary in meetings of the Board. The Compensation Committee operates under a written charter adopted by the Board of Directors, which sets forth the responsibilities and powers delegated by the Board to the Compensation Committee.

Code of Business Conduct

The Board has adopted a Code of Business Conduct that applies to all of our employees, officers and directors, including those officers responsible for financial reporting. The code of business conduct is available on our website at https://ir.sintx.com/corporate-governance. We intend to disclose any amendments to the code or any waivers of its requirements on our website.

The Bylaws of the Company provide that no contract or transaction between SINTX and one or more of its directors or officers, or between SINTX and any other corporation, firm, association, or other organization in which one or more of its directors or officers are financially interested, shall be void or voidable solely for this reason, or solely because the director or officer is present at or participates in the meeting of the Board of Directors or committee that authorizes or approves the contract or transaction, or because their votes are counted for such purpose, provided that:

Section 16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance

Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, requires our officers, directors, and persons who beneficially own more than 10% of our common stock (“10% Stockholders”), to file reports of ownership and changes in ownership with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Such officers, directors and 10% Stockholders are also required by SEC rules to furnish us with copies of all Section 16(a) forms that they file.

Based solely on our review of the copies of such forms received by us, or written representations from certain reporting persons, the Company believes that during fiscal year ended December 31, 2020, the filing requirements applicable to its officers, directors and greater than 10% percent beneficial owners were complied with.

STOCK OWNERSHIP

The following table sets forth certain information regarding the beneficial ownership of our common stock as of July 30, 2021 by:

Beneficial ownership is determined in accordance with the rules of the SEC and includes voting or investment power with respect to the securities. Shares of common stock that may be acquired by an individual or group within 60 days of July 30, 2021, pursuant to the exercise or vesting of options or warrants or conversion of convertible promissory notes, are deemed to be outstanding for the purpose of computing the percentage ownership of such individual or group, but are not deemed to be outstanding for the purpose of computing the percentage ownership of any other person shown in the table. Percentage of shares beneficially owned is based on 24,703,074 shares issued and outstanding on July 30, 2021.

Except as indicated in footnotes to this table, we believe that the stockholders named in this table have sole voting and investment power with respect to all shares of common stock shown to be beneficially owned by them, based on information provided to us by such stockholders. The address for each director and executive officer listed is: c/o SINTX Technologies, Inc., 1885 West 2100 South, Salt Lake City, Utah 84119.

EXECUTIVE AND BOARD COMPENSATION

The following discussion relates to the compensation of our “named executive officers.”

Summary Compensation Table

The following table sets forth information about certain compensation awarded or paid to our named executive officers for the 2020 and 2019 fiscal years.

Narrative Disclosure to Summary Compensation Table. We do not have written employment agreements with any of our executive officers. All of our executive officers serve on an at-will basis. The base salaries for our named executive officers were determined by our compensation committee after reviewing a number of factors, including: the responsibilities associated with the position, the seniority of the executive’s position, the base salary level in prior years, and our financial position; and for executive officers other than our Chief Executive Officer, recommendations made by our Chief Executive Officer.

Outstanding Equity Awards at Fiscal Year-End

The following table shows information regarding equity awards held by our named executive officers as of December 31, 2020:

401(k) Plan

We offer our executive officers, including our named executive officers, retirement benefits, including participation in our tax-qualified profit sharing plan that includes a “cash-or-deferred” (or 401(k)) feature in the same manner as other employees. The plan is intended to satisfy the requirements of Section 401 of the Internal Revenue Code. Our employees may elect to reduce their current compensation by up to the statutorily prescribed annual limit and have a like amount contributed to the plan. In addition, we may make discretionary and/or matching contributions to the plan in amounts determined annually by our Board. We currently elect to match the contributions of our employees who participate in our 401(k) plan as follows: a match of 100% on the first 3% of compensation contributed by a plan participant and a match of 50% on amounts above 3%, up to 5%, of compensation contributed by a plan participant.

Potential Payments upon Termination or Change in Control

We had entered into certain agreements and maintained certain plans that may have required us to make certain payments and/or provide certain benefits to the executive officers named in the Summary Compensation Table in the event of a termination of employment or change in control.

Pursuant to severance agreements that we have entered into with each of our named executive officers, upon the consummation of a change in control, all outstanding options, restricted stock and other such rights held by the executives will fully vest. Additionally, if a change in control occurs and at any time during the one-year period following the change in control (i) we or our successor terminate the executive’s employment other than for cause (but not including termination due to the executive’s death or disability) or (ii) the executive terminates his employment for good reason, then such executive has the right to receive payment consisting of a lump sum payment equal to one-half times his highest annual salary with us during the preceding three-year period, including the year of such termination and including bonus payments (measured on a fiscal year basis), but not including any reimbursements and amounts attributable to stock options and other non-cash compensation. “Change in control” is defined in the severance agreements as occurring upon: (i) any “person” (as such term is used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) of the Exchange Act) becoming the “beneficial owner” (as defined in Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act), directly or indirectly, of securities representing 50% or more of the total voting power represented by our then outstanding voting securities (excluding securities held by us or our affiliates or any of our employee benefit plans) pursuant to a transaction or a series of related transactions which our Board did not approve; (ii) a merger or consolidation of our company, other than a merger or consolidation which would result in our voting securities outstanding immediately prior thereto continuing to represent at least 50% of the total voting securities or such surviving entity or parent of such corporation outstanding immediately after such merger or consolidation; or (iii) the approval by our stockholders of an agreement for the sale or disposition of all or substantially all of our assets. As defined in the severance agreements, “cause” means: (i) the executive’s commission of a felony (other than through vicarious liability or through a motor vehicle offense); (ii) the executive’s material disloyalty or dishonesty to us; (iii) the commission by the executive of an act of fraud, embezzlement or misappropriation of funds; (iv) a material breach by the executive of any material provision of any agreement to which the executive and we are party, which breach is not cured within 30 days after our delivery to the executive of written notice of such breach; or (v) the executive’s refusal to carry out a lawful written directive from our Board. “Good reason” as defined in the severance agreements means, without the executive’s consent: (i) a change in the principal location at which the executive performs his duties to a new work location that is at least 50 miles from the prior location; or (ii) a material change in the executive’s compensation, authority, functions, duties or responsibilities, which would cause his position with us to become of less responsibility, importance or scope than his prior position, provided, however, that such material change is not in connection with the termination of the executive’s employment with us for any reason.

In the event that an officer entitled to receive or receives payment or benefit under the severance agreements described above, or under any other plan, agreement or arrangement with us, or any person whose action results in a change in control or any other person affiliated with us and it is determined that the total amount of payments will be subject to excise tax under Section 4999 of the Internal Revenue Code, or any similar successor provisions, we will be obligated to pay such officer a “gross up” payment to cover all taxes, including any excise tax and any interest or penalties imposed with respect to such taxes due to such payment.

Code of Business Conduct Violations

It is our policy under our Code of Business Conduct to take appropriate action against any executive officer whose actions are found to violate the Code or any other policy of SINTX. Disciplinary actions may include immediate termination of employment and, where SINTX has suffered a loss, pursuing its remedies against the executive officer responsible. SINTX will cooperate fully with the appropriate authorities where laws have been violated.

Role of the Board in Risk Oversight

Risk is inherent with every business, and how well a business manages risk can ultimately determine its success. Management is responsible for the day-to-day management of the risks that we face, while our Board of Directors, as a whole and through its committees, has responsibility for the oversight of risk management. In its risk oversight role, our Board of Directors is responsible for satisfying itself that the risk management processes designed and implemented by management are adequate and functioning as designed.

Our Board of Directors does not have a standing risk management committee, but rather administers this oversight function directly through our Board of Directors as a whole, as well as through various standing committees of the Board of Directors that address risks inherent in their respective areas of oversight. In particular, our Board of Directors is responsible for monitoring and assessing strategic risk exposure, including a determination of the nature and level of risk appropriate for us. Our Audit Committee has the responsibility to consider and discuss our major financial risk exposures and the steps our management has taken to monitor and control these exposures, including guidelines and policies to govern the process by which risk assessment and management is undertaken. The Audit Committee also monitors oversight of the performance of our internal audit function. Our Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee monitors the effectiveness of our corporate governance guidelines, including whether they are successful in preventing illegal or improper liability-creating conduct. Our Compensation Committee assesses and monitors whether any of our compensation policies and programs have the potential to encourage excessive risk-taking or promote behaviors contra to our Code of Business Conduct.

Board Compensation

The following table shows the total compensation paid or accrued during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020 to each of our non-employee directors.

The following compensation schedule sets forth compensation for non-employee directors (paid on a quarterly basis) as approved by the Board:

A new Board appointee receives an award of 40,000 stock options upon appointment. Further, each member of the Board is awarded an option grant for 15,000 stock options on an annual basis.

The chair of the Audit Committee is paid an annual retainer of $120,000 payable in monthly increments of $10,000 each.

Equity Compensation Plan Information

The following table sets forth information as of December 31, 2020 relating to all of our equity compensation plans:

2020 Equity Incentive Plan

The 2020 Plan provides for the grant of nonqualified stock options, incentive stock options, restricted stock, restricted stock units, stock appreciation rights (SARs), and performance share awards to employees, officers, consultants, advisors, non-employee directors and independent contractors designated by either the board of directors of the Company or if so authorized by the board of directors, the Compensation Committee (the “Committee”) of the Board of Directors. Under the 2020 Plan, the maximum number of shares of common stock which may be issued, subject to adjustment as described below, is 1,902,520 shares of common stock, which includes 2,520 shares that have been rolled over from our 2012 Plan. In addition, there are 377 shares subject to outstanding awards under our 2012 Plan that, if, after April 21, 2020, are forfeited or reacquired by the Company due to termination or cancellation of such awards shall also be permitted to be granted under the 2020 Plan. For stock options and SARs, the aggregate number of shares with respect to which such awards are exercisable, rather than the number of shares actually issued upon exercise, will be counted against the number of shares available for awards under the 2020 Plan. If awards under the 2020 Plan expire or otherwise terminate without being exercised, the shares not acquired pursuant to such awards again become available for issuance under the 2020 Plan in accordance with its terms. However, under the following circumstances, shares will not again be available for issuance under the 2020 Plan: (i) shares unissued due to a “net exercise” of a stock option, (ii) any shares withheld, or shares tendered to satisfy tax withholding obligations with respect to a stock option or SAR, (iii) shares covered by a SAR that is not settled in shares upon exercise and (iv) shares repurchased using stock option exercise proceeds.

Administration

The 2020 Plan will be administered by the Committee, or in the board of director’s sole discretion, by the board of directors. The Board of Directors will fill vacancies on and from time to time may remove or add members to the Committee, and the Committee will be so constituted to permit awards granted under the 2020 Plan to be exempt from Section 16(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”) and to permit grants of awards under the plan to comply with or any other statutory rule or regulatory requirements, unless otherwise determined by the Board of Directors.

Subject to the express provisions of the 2020 Plan, the Committee has authority to administer and interpret the 2020 Plan, including the authority to determine who is eligible to participate in the 2020 Plan and to whom and when awards are granted under the 2020 Plan, to grant awards, to determine the number of shares of common stock subject to awards and the exercise or purchase price of such shares under an award, to establish and verify the extent of satisfaction of any performance criteria applicable to awards, to prescribe and amend the terms of the agreements evidencing awards made under the 2020 Plan, and to make other determinations deemed necessary or advisable for the administration of the 2020 Plan. Also, subject to the requirements of Delaware General Corporation Law and any limitations under applicable stock exchange rules, the Committee also has the power to delegate to officers the authority to grant and determine the terms and conditions of awards granted under the 2020 Plan. These delegated officers shall not be permitted to grant awards to any person subject to Rule 16b-3 under the Exchange Act or Code.

Eligibility

Participants under the 2020 Plan are limited to employees, officers, non-employee directors, and consultants providing services to the Company, or any person to whom an offer of employment or engagement with the Company is extended. In determining to whom awards will be granted and the nature of such each award, the Committee may take into account the nature of the services rendered by the respective participant, their present and potential contributions to the success of the Company or such other factors as the Committee, in its discretion, deems relevant.

General Terms and Conditions of Awards

Nonqualified Stock Options

The Committee may grant nonqualified stock options under the 2020 Plan which do not meet the requirements of Section 422 of the Code and which will be subject to the following terms and conditions. The option exercise price per share will be determined by the Committee but will not be less than 100% of the “fair market value” of the common stock on the date of grant of such option. The term “fair market value” means either (a) if the common stock is listed on any established stock exchange, the closing price for the common stock on the date of grant or (b) in the absence of an established market for the common stock, the fair market value shall be determined in good faith by the Committee and such determination shall be conclusive and binding on all persons. The exercise price of an option may be paid through various means specified by the Committee, including in cash or check, by delivering to the Company shares of common stock or by a reduction in the number of shares issuable pursuant to such option. Except in limited circumstances, every option which has not been exercised within ten years of its date of grant will lapse upon the expiration of the ten-year period, unless it has lapsed at an earlier date as determined by the Committee.

During the lifetime of a participant, except as otherwise may be provided by the Committee in its discretion, options granted to that participant under the 2020 Plan generally will be nontransferable and exercisable only by the participant. A participant will have the right to transfer any options granted to such participant upon such participant’s death either by the terms of such participant’s will or under the laws of descent and distribution.

Incentive Stock Options

The Committee may grant incentive stock options under the 2020 Plan which meet the requirements of section 422 of the Code. Under the 2020 Plan, the aggregate fair market value, determined at the time the option is granted, of the common stock with respect to which incentive stock options are exercisable for the first time by any participant during any calendar year (under the 2020 Plan and any other incentive stock option plans of the Company) may not exceed $100,000, or any other limit as may be prescribed by the Code from time to time. The option exercise price per share will be determined by the Committee but will not be less than 100% of the “fair market value” of the common stock on the date of grant of such option. In the case of a grant of an incentive stock option to a participant who, at the time such option is granted, owns stock possessing more than 10% of the combined voting power of all classes of stock of the Company, the option exercise price per share under such option will not be less than 110% of the “fair market value” of the common stock on the date of grant of such option and such option will expire and no longer be exercisable no later than five years from the date of grant of such option.

SARs

The committee may grant SARs under the 2020 Plan. Subject to the express provisions of the 2020 Plan and as discussed in this paragraph, the Committee has discretion to determine the grant value, term, methods of exercise, dates of exercise, methods of settlement and any other terms and conditions of any SAR. The grant value of each SAR granted under the 2020 Plan will be determined by the Committee. Every SAR which has not been exercised within ten years of its date of grant will lapse upon the expiration of such ten-year period, unless it has lapsed at an earlier date as determined by the Committee.

Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units

The Committee may grant restricted stock or restricted stock units under the 2020 Plan. Restricted stock and restricted stock units will be subject to such restrictions as the Committee may impose (including, without limitation, any limitation on the right to vote a share of restricted stock or the right to receive any dividend or other right or property with respect thereto), which restrictions may lapse separately or in combination at such time or times, in such installments or otherwise as the Committee may deem appropriate. For example, awards may, at the Committee’s discretion, be conditioned upon a participant’s completion of a specified period of service, or upon the achievement of one or more performance goals established by the Committee, or upon any combination of service-based and performance-based conditions. A restricted stock or restricted stock unit award that is conditioned in whole or in part upon the achievement of one or more financial or other company-related performance goals (including goals specific to the participant’s individual performance, other than performance of service alone) is generally referred to as a performance share or performance share unit award.

Any restricted stock granted under the 2020 Plan shall be issued at the time such awards are granted and may be evidenced in such manner as the Committee may deem appropriate. In the case of restricted stock units, no common stock shall be issued at the time such awards are granted. Upon the lapse or waiver of restrictions and the restricted period relating to restricted stock units evidencing the right to receive common stock, such common stock shall be issued and delivered to the holder of the restricted stock units.

Except as otherwise determined by the Committee, if a director resigns or is removed or if the employment of an employee holding restricted stock or restricted stock units terminates during the applicable restricted period, the restricted stock and/or restricted stock units held by such director or employee will be forfeited and reacquired by the Company.

Transferability

Generally, no award (other than fully vested and unrestricted shares) and no right under any such award shall be transferable by a participant other than by will or by the laws of descent and distribution, and no award (other than fully vested and unrestricted shares) or right under any such award may be pledged, alienated, attached or otherwise encumbered. If a transfer is allowed by the Compensation Committee (other than for fully vested and unrestricted shares), the transfer will be for no value and shall comply with the Form S-8 rules. The Committee may establish procedures to allow a participant to designate a beneficiary or beneficiaries, to exercise the rights of the participant and receive any property distributable with respect to an award in the event of the participant’s death.

Corporate Transactions

In the event of any Change-in-Control Event (as defined in the 2020 Plan), reorganization, merger, consolidation, split-up, spin-off, combination, plan of arrangement, take-over bid or tender offer, repurchase or exchange of common stock or other securities of the Company or any other similar corporate transaction or event involving the Company, all outstanding options and SARs shall become immediately exercisable with respect to 100% of the shares subject to such options or SARs, and/or the restricted period shall expire immediately with respect to 100% of the outstanding shares of restricted stock awards or restricted stock units. Further, with respect to performance share awards and cash awards, in the event of a Change-in-Control, all performance goals or other vesting criteria will be deemed achieved at 100% of target levels and all other terms and conditions will be deemed met.

In addition, in the event of a Change-in-Control, the Committee may in its discretion and upon at least 10 days’ advance notice to the affected persons, cancel any outstanding awards and pay to the holders thereof, in cash or stock, or any combination thereof, the value of such awards based upon the price per share of common stock received or to be received by other shareholders of the Company in the event. In the case of any option or SAR with an exercise price (or SAR Exercise Price in the case of a SAR) that equals or exceeds the price paid for a share of common stock in connection with the Change-in-Control, the Committee may cancel the option or SAR without the payment of consideration therefor.

Amendment and Termination

No awards may be granted pursuant to the 2020 Plan after the ten-year anniversary of the effective date of the 2020 Plan which, if the shareholders approve the amendment and restatement of the 2020 Plan, will be April 21, 2030. Except to the extent stockholder approval or participant consent is required as provided by the 2020 Plan, the Board may amend, modify or terminate the 2020 Plan.

The Committee may amend, modify or terminate an outstanding award, provided, however, that, except as expressly provided in the 2020 Plan, the Committee may not, without the participant’s consent, amend, modify or terminate an outstanding award unless it determines that the action would not adversely alter or impair the terms or conditions of such award. However, the Committee reserves the right to reprice any previously granted “underwater” option or SAR by (i) lowering the exercise price, (ii) canceling the underwater option or SAR and granting a substitute award, or (iii) repurchasing the underwater option or SAR.

2012 Equity Incentive Plan

The Company is no longer making equity awards under the 2012 Plan. As outstanding awards under the 2012 Plan expire or terminate the shares allocated to such awards will rollover to the 2020 Plan. All shares that were available for award under the 2012 Plan have been rolled into the 2020 Plan.

PROPOSAL NO. 1

ELECTION OF DIRECTORS

We have a classified Board currently consisting of five members, all but one of whom are non-employee directors, divided into three classes (Class I, Class II and Class II). Directors in each class are elected to serve for three-year staggered terms that expire in successive years. Our Class I directors are up for election this year. Accordingly, we are holding an election for our Class I directors at the Annual Meeting, with each Class I director elected to serve a three-year term.

The Board has nominated Mark Froimson, MD, for election as a Class I director, for a three-year term expiring at the annual meeting of stockholders to be held in 2024 or until his successor is elected and qualified, or his earlier death, resignation or removal. If the nominee declines to serve or become unavailable for any reason, or if any additional vacancy occurs before the election (although we know of no reason to anticipate that this will occur), the proxies may be voted for such substitute nominee as the Board may designate. The nominee has consented to being named in the Proxy Statement and has agreed to serve if elected.

If a quorum is present, the nominee for Class I director receiving the highest number of votes will be elected a Class I director. Abstentions and broker non-votes will be counted as shares present for the purpose of determining the presence of a quorum but will have no effect on the results of the vote. Biographical information, including the principal occupation of and other directorships held by Dr. Froimson for at least the past five years as well as the specific experience, qualifications, attributes and skills that led to the conclusion that he should serve as a member of the Board is provided elsewhere in this proxy statement in the preceding section entitled “DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS” with respect to Class I nominee, as well as the Class II and Class III directors whose terms of office will continue after the Annual Meeting.

RECOMMENDATION OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR PROPOSAL NO. 1:

The Board of Directors recommends that you vote FOR the Director Nominee listed above.

PROPOSAL NO. 2:

RATIFICATION OF THE APPOINTMENT OF TANNER LLC

AS INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM FOR 2021

The Audit Committee has selected and appointed the firm of Tanner LLC as the independent registered public accounting firm to examine our financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2021. Tanner LLC audited our 2020 and 2019 annual financial statements. We do not expect representatives of Tanner LLC will attend the annual meeting.

Ratification of the selection of Tanner LLC is not required by our Bylaws or otherwise. The Board is submitting the selection to our stockholders for ratification as a matter of good corporate practice. If the selection is not ratified, the Audit Committee will consider whether it is appropriate to select another registered public accounting firm. Even if the selection is ratified, the Audit Committee in its discretion may select a different registered public accounting firm at any time after the annual meeting if it determines such a change would be in the interests of SINTX and its stockholders.

Accountant Fees and Services

The aggregate fees and expenses incurred from our principal accounting firm, Tanner LLC, for fiscal years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, were as follows (in thousands):

Each of the permitted non-audit services has been pre-approved by the Audit Committee or the Audit Committee’s Chairman pursuant to delegated authority by the Audit Committee, other than de minimus non-audit services for which the pre-approval requirements are waived in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Audit Fees

Consist of fees billed for professional services rendered for the audit of our financial statements and review of interim consolidated financial statements included in quarterly reports and services that are normally provided by the principal accountants in connection with statutory and regulatory filings or engagements.

Audit Related Fees

Consist of fees billed for assurance and related services that are reasonably related to the performance of the audit or review of our consolidated financial statements and are not reported under “Audit Fees”.

Tax Fees

Consist of fees billed for professional services for tax compliance, tax advice and tax planning. These services include preparation of federal and state income tax returns.

All Other Fees

Consist of fees for product and services other than the services reported above.

Policy for Approval of Audit and Permitted Non-Audit Services

The Audit Committee charter provides that the Audit Committee will pre-approve audit services and non-audit services to be provided by our independent auditors before the accountant is engaged to render these services. The Audit Committee may consult with management in the decision-making process, but may not delegate this authority to management. The Audit Committee may delegate its authority to pre-approve services to one or more committee members, provided that the designees present the pre-approvals to the full committee at the next committee meeting.

The affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the common shares voted on the proposal and represented at the annual meeting in person or by proxy is required to ratify the selection of Tanner LLC. The Board of Directors recommends that you vote FOR this proposal.

PROPOSAL NO. 3

ADVISORY VOTE ON EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION (“SAY-ON-PAY”)

Background

The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (“Dodd-Frank Act”) requires that stockholders have the opportunity to cast an advisory (non-binding) vote on executive compensation (a so-called “say-on-pay” vote), as well as an advisory vote with respect to whether future “say-on-pay” votes will be held every one, two or three years (a so-called “say-on-frequency” vote).

Our executive compensation programs are designed to attract, motivate and retain our named executive officers (“NEOs”), who are critical to our success. Under these programs, our NEOs are rewarded for the achievement of both specific financial and strategic goals, which are expected to result in increased stockholder value. Please read the tables and narrative disclosure that follow for additional details about our executive compensation programs, including information about the year ended December 31, 2020 compensation of our NEOs.

The Compensation Committee regularly reviews the compensation programs for our NEOs to ensure that they achieve the desired goals of aligning our executive compensation structure with our stockholders’ interests and with current market practices. This includes establishing corporate target goals and objectives based on our strategic and operating plans. We closely monitor the compensation programs and pay levels of executives at other similarly situated companies with less than 50 employees, so that we may ensure that our compensation programs are within the norm of market practices. This enables us to retain our executive officers in a competitive market for executive talent.

We believe that our executive compensation programs have been effective at motivating the achievement of positive results, appropriately aligning pay and performance, and enabling us to attract and retain talented executives within our industry.

Recommendation

We request stockholder approval of our compensation of our NEOs for the year ended December 31, 2020 as disclosed in this Proxy Statement pursuant to the SEC’s compensation disclosure rules (which disclosure includes the compensation tables, and the narrative disclosures that accompany the compensation tables within the Executive Compensation section of this Proxy Statement). This vote is not intended to address any specific item of compensation, but rather the overall compensation of our NEOs and the philosophy, policies and practices described in this Proxy Statement.

Accordingly, we ask that you vote “FOR” the following resolution at our Annual Meeting:

“RESOLVED, that the stockholders of SINTX Technologies, (the “Company”) approve, on an advisory basis, the compensation of the named executive officers, as disclosed in the Company’s Proxy Statement for the Annual Meeting of Stockholders pursuant to the compensation disclosure rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the Summary Compensation Table and the other related tables and disclosure within the Executive Compensation section of this Proxy Statement.”

The vote solicited for Proposal No.3 is advisory, and therefore is not binding on the Company, our Board of Directors or our Compensation Committee, nor will its outcome require the Company, our Board of Directors or our Compensation Committee to take any action. Moreover, the outcome of the vote will not be construed as overruling any decision by the Company, the Board of Directors or the Compensation Committee. However, our Compensation Committee, which is responsible for designing and administering our executive compensation programs, values the opinions expressed by our stockholders in their vote on this Proposal and will consider the outcome of this vote when making future compensation decisions for our NEOs.

We currently intend to include a stockholder advisory resolution on our executive compensation program at our annual meeting of stockholders each year.

PROPOSAL NO. 4:

ADJOURNMENT TO SOLICIT ADDITIONAL PROXIES

Stockholders are being asked to grant authority to proxy holders to vote in favor of one or more adjournments of the meeting, if necessary or appropriate, to solicit additional proxies if there are insufficient votes at the time of the meeting to adopt one or more of the foregoing Proposals. If this Proposal is approved, the meeting could be successively adjourned to any date. We do not intend to call a vote on adjournments of the meeting to solicit additional proxies if the adoption of each of the foregoing Proposals is approved at the meeting. If the meeting is adjourned to solicit additional proxies, stockholders who have already submitted their proxies will be able to revoke them at any time prior to their use.

Vote Required

The approval of authority to adjourn the meeting requires the affirmative vote of stockholders who hold a majority of the shares of Common Stock present in person or represented by proxy at the meeting and entitled to vote. Abstentions will have the effect of a vote against this Proposal. Broker non-votes will not count as votes for or against this Proposal and will have no effect on the outcome.

RECOMMENDATION OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR PROPOSAL NO. 4:

The Board of Directors recommends that stockholders vote for adjournments of the meeting, if necessary or appropriate, to solicit additional proxies if there are insufficient votes at the time of the meeting to adopt one or more of the foregoing Proposals.

OTHER MATTERS

As of the date of this proxy statement, the Board knows of no other matters that may come before the annual meeting. However, if any matters other than those referred to herein should be presented properly for consideration and action at the annual meeting, or any adjournment or postponement thereof, the proxies will be voted with respect thereto in accordance with the best judgment and in the discretion of the proxy holders.

The above notice and proxy statement are sent by order of the Board of Directors.

August 3, 2021