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© 2006 Morrison & Foerster LLP All Rights Reserved
Keeping Up With a Changing Compliance Environment for Public Companies
ACC-A General Counsel Roundtable___________________________________________
Scott M. StantonMorrison & Foerster
Kristopher L. HansonSAIC
January 26, 2007
Introduction
• Introductions
• Materials
• Topics to be Discussed– Executive Compensation Disclosure Reform– E-Proxy Notice and Delivery Rules– The Return of the Tender Offer– Accelerated Filer Rules– Nasdaq/NYSE Developments
© 2006 Morrison & Foerster LLP All Rights Reserved
Executive Compensation Disclosure Reform
Compensation Discussion & Analysis
• CD&A Requirement: New “general overview” of executive compensation in the form of a Compensation Discussion & Analysis (“CD&A”)
– Report regarding the Company’s executive compensation policies and practices
– Should be principles-based and address the objectives, elements and implementation of executive compensation programs
– Much like MD&A in form and approach– Report is reviewed and approved by Compensation Committee– CD&A is deemed “filed” not “furnished” – more liability for CEO and CFO
• Required Discussion: The CD&A must answer the following questions specific to compensation programs:
– What are the objectives of the program?– What is the program designed to reward?– What are the elements of compensation?– Why does the company choose to pay each element?– How does the company determine the amount/formula for each element?– How does each element and the company’s decision regarding that
element fit into the company’s overall compensation objectives and affect decisions regarding other elements?
Compensation Discussion & Analysis(Continued)
• Additional Discussion: The Final Rules identify 15 additional examples of matters that may be relevant to discuss in the CD&A
• Option Granting Practices:– Discuss reasons for selecting particular grant dates– Methodology for selecting exercise prices and other terms of options (e.g.,
vesting periods, accelerations, forfeitures, etc.)– If exercise price is not the fair market value as of the grant date, then the method
for determining the price must be disclosed– Disclose any policies or practices regarding the timing of option grants relative to
the release of material information, including management’s role Spring Loading Bullet Dodging
• New Compensation Committee Report: – Considerably more brief than previously-delivered report– Report is “furnished” – not “filed”– Will indicate that Committee has reviewed CD&A, discussed its contents with
management and has recommended its inclusion in proxy statement and 10-K
Compensation Discussion & Analysis(Continued)
• Practical Considerations:– Significant amount of time will be needed to think through and
formulate CD&A– Drafting and reviewing CD&A will involve numerous parties,
including legal, human resources and financial reporting, compensation consultants, management and Compensation Committee
– Because CEO and CFO must certify as to sufficiency of CD&A, draft of CD&A should be fairly developed at time of filing of 10-K
Old Summary Compensation Table
Revised Summary Compensation Table
• Total Compensation: Reflects dollar value of all compensation earned by an executive during the fiscal year
– Amount of total compensation used to determine NEO status
– Plan-based awards now reflected with reference to FAS 123R “dollar” value (e.g., Black-Scholes, etc.) – not in shares
• Narrative Disclosure: Narrative disclosure to follow tables
• Prior Fiscal Years: No need to recalculate years prior to new rules
Name and Principal Position Year
Salary($)
Bonus($)
Stock Awards
($)
Option Awards
($)
Non-Equity
Incentive Plan
Comp.($)
Change in Pension Value
and Nonqualified
Deferred Compensation
Earnings($)
All Other Compensation
($) Total ($)
(a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f) (g) (h) (i) (j)
Principal Executive Officer
Principal Financial Officer
Officer 3
Officer 4
Officer 5
Who are the NEO’s?• Any person who served as CEO or CFO at any time during the past fiscal year• Next three highest paid officers (based upon total compensation)• Any former executive officer who would have made the list but for the fact that he/she was not serving as
an officer at 12/31• Additional narrative disclosure proposed for up to three highly-paid employees if the employee makes more
than any of the “top five” and is in policy-making position (originally referred to as “Katie Couric” rule)
Practical Consideration:• Harder to track (or engineer) list of NEO’s since total compensation now includes all elements of
compensation – not just salary and bonus
Revised Summary Compensation Table (Continued)
Name and Principal Position Year
Salary($)
Bonus($)
Stock Awards
($)
Option Awards
($)
Non-Equity
Incentive Plan
Comp.($)
Change in Pension Value
and Nonqualified
Deferred Compensation
Earnings($)
All Other Compensation
($) Total ($)
(a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f) (g) (h) (i) (j)
Principal Executive Officer
Principal Financial Officer
Officer 3
Officer 4
Officer 5
Revised Summary Compensation Table(Continued)
Plan-Based Awards:• Requires disclosure of FAS 123R dollar value of stock awards, options or other non-stock
awards that are settled in cash but where performance is tied to company’s stock– SEC issued interim final rules in December 2006 stating that disclosure should reflect
portion of awards’ fair value recognized in fiscal year – not full grant date fair market value– SEC approach remedied disparity between proxy statement and financial statement
treatment of equity awards under original rules• Non-equity incentive compensation will reflect cash bonuses earned on account of pre-
determined bonus goals – instead of under “Bonus” column (which will include only discretionary awards)
Name and Principal Position Year
Salary($)
Bonus($)
Stock Awards
($)
Option Awards
($)
Non-Equity
Incentive Plan
Comp.($)
Change in Pension Value
and Nonqualified
Deferred Compensation
Earnings($)
All Other Compensation
($) Total ($)
(a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f) (g) (h) (i) (j)
Principal Executive Officer
Principal Financial Officer
Officer 3
Officer 4
Officer 5
Revised Summary Compensation Table(Continued)
All Other Compensation:• Retains old definition of “perk” – not integrally related to performance of duties and
not generally available to large groups of employees• Threshold for reporting perks lowered to $10,000• Could include payments for: (i) termination on change in control, (ii) company
contributions to deferred compensation plans, (iii) tax “gross-ups” and (iv) life insurance premiums
Practical Consideration:• Extraordinary severance payment to a departing officer could impact NEO list for
past year
Name and Principal Position Year
Salary($)
Bonus($)
Stock Awards
($)
Option Awards
($)
Non-Equity
Incentive Plan
Comp.($)
Change in Pension Value
and Nonqualified
Deferred Compensation
Earnings($)
All Other Compensation
($) Total ($)
(a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f) (g) (h) (i) (j)
Principal Executive Officer
Principal Financial Officer
Officer 3
Officer 4
Officer 5
New Grants of Plan-Based Awards Table
• Intended to complement the Summary Compensation Table (columns (e), (f) and (g))• Separate line item disclosure for each grant or award – no grouping allowed• Disclosure required for (i) non-equity and equity awards subject to performance conditions (e.g., stock
price, return on equity, etc.) and (ii) other equity-based awards granted in the last year that are not performance-based
• Full grant date value under FAS 123R for each grant (per Interim Final Rules)
* Extra Approval Date column required if different from Grant Date
** Extra Market Price on Grant Date column if option exercise price different than closing price on grant date
NameGrant Date
Approval Date
Estimated Future PayoutsUnder Non-Equity Incentive
Plan Awards
Estimated Future Payouts Under Equity Incentive
Plan Awards
All Other Stock
Awards: Number of Shares of Stock or
Units(#)
All Other Option
Awards: Number of Securities Underlying
Options (#)
Exercise or Base Price of Option Awards ($/Sh)
Market Price on
Grant Date
Grant Date Fair
Value of Stock and
Option Awards
Thresh-old($)
Target($)
Maxi-mum
($)
Thresh-old(#)
Target(#)
Maxi-mum(#)
(a) (b) * (c) (d) (e) (f) (g) (h) (i) (j) (k) ** (l)
Principal Executive Officer
Principal Financial Officer
Officer 3
Officer 4
Officer 5
Termination/Change in Control Payments
• Presentation: No prescribed tabular format required – can be only narrative disclosure
• Required Discussion: Disclosure must include:– List of each triggering event (these are likely to be multiple types of
termination triggering severance benefits)– For each triggering event, description and quantification of estimated
benefits; assume event occurred at end of last completed fiscal year at year-end stock price
– Description of post-employment conditions on payment– Non-discriminatory benefits need not be disclosed (e.g., generally
provided death benefits)
• Practical Consideration: New disclosure and quantification of benefits likely to be among most high-profile (and potentially embarrassing) disclosure
New Director Compensation Table
New Requirements:• Similar disclosure requirements as the revised Summary Compensation Table – total compensation
for past year• Disclosure required for any person who served as a director during the past year (except NEO’s)• “All Other Compensation” includes any perks ($10,000 threshold for identifying the perk by name)• Footnote disclosing the aggregate amount of options outstanding at year end and full grant date
value of equity awards (per the Interim Final Rules)
Name
(a)
Fees Earned or
Paid in Cash
($)
(b)
Stock Awards
($)
(c)
Option Awards
($)
(d)
Non-Equity Incentive
Plan Comp.($)
(e)
Change in Pension Value
and Nonqualified Deferred Comp.
Earnings($)
(f)
All Other Comp.
($)
(g)
Total ($)
(h)
Disclosure RequirementsOther Items
• New Rules Expand Disclosure for Security Ownership of Officers and Directors:
– Officers: Requires disclosure of the number of shares actually owned and/or pledged by management
Currently, vested options show as “shares owned”
– Directors: Requires disclosure of the number of shares actually owned and number of qualifying shares, if any, held by individual board members
Shares that are an eligibility requirement to be a board member
• Form 8-K Modifications:
– New Item 5.02 for agreements or material amendments to agreements involving “named executive officers” and other listed officers
– Requires disclosure of retirement, resignation or termination of NEOs and PEOs
– Removes executive compensation agreements from purview of Items 1.01 and 1.02 (Entry Into/Termination of a Material Definitive Agreement)
– Intended to capture only events that are “unquestionably or presumptively material” to investors
© 2006 Morrison & Foerster LLP All Rights Reserved
E-Proxy Notice and Delivery Rules
E-Proxy Rules
• Background:
– In December 2006, SEC approved amendments to the proxy rules to permit “notice and access” model for furnishing proxy materials (other than those involving business combinations) through the Internet
• Rule Requirements:
– Notice must be sent 40 days or more before the date of the shareholders meeting
– Notice must be written in plain English and include:
the date, time and location of the meeting;
the address of the Internet website where the proxy materials are available;
a toll-free number and e-mail address for shareholders to request copies of the materials (at no cost to the shareholders); and
a description of the matters to be considered at the meeting and the issuer’s recommendation on the matters
– Issuer must give the shareholders some means of voting (voting over the Internet or telephonic voting or some combination thereof), but a proxy card may not be sent along with the initial notice
– Issuers relying on the new rules must provide shareholders with copies of proxy materials upon request in paper or by e-mail (as requested) within three business days
E-Proxy RulesContinued
• Impact of New Rules on Intermediaries:
– The current proxy rules require that issuers send their proxy materials to the intermediaries who forward the materials, along with a request for voting instructions, to the beneficial owners
– At the request of an issuer or other soliciting person, intermediaries will be required to prepare and send their own notices regarding Internet availability of the proxy materials that would be designed specifically for beneficial owners
• Timing and Effectiveness of New Rules:– Issuers may begin to comply with the new rules beginning July 1, 2007 – but not
before that time– SEC also proposed new rule that would require all issuers and other soliciting
persons to follow the “notice and access” model for all proxy solicitations (other than business combinations) at an unspecified time in the future – possibly as early as 2008 proxy season for large accelerated filers
© 2006 Morrison & Foerster LLP All Rights Reserved
The Return of the Tender Offer
Return of the Tender Offer
• The Problem: Judicial interpretations of the “Best Price” Rule
• The Solution: SEC Exemption (and Safe Harbor– Best price rule does not apply to employment compensation,
severance or benefit arrangements
– Safe harbor if compensation and severance arrangements are approved by independent board committee
• The Effect: Acquirors of public targets can now avail themselves of tender offer structure rather than conventional merger
– Tender offers are much faster to complete than mergers
– SEC reviews focus on more material issues due to compressed timeline
© 2006 Morrison & Foerster LLP All Rights Reserved
Accelerated Filer Rules
Accelerated Filer Rules
• Background:– In December 2006, the SEC issued rules to delay the SOX 404 internal control
reporting requirements for newly public companies, non-accelerated filers and certain foreign private issuers
• Delay of Section 404 Compliance Date for Smaller Public Companies:– For companies that are not accelerated filers, SEC split the compliance dates for
(i) the management report on internal control and (ii) the auditor attestation Management Report – Management report not required until the filing of the Form 10-
K for Company’s first fiscal year ending on or after December 15, 2007 (a six-month delay from the current rules)
Auditor Attestation – Auditor attestation report not required until the filing of the Form 10-K for Company’s first fiscal year ending on or after December 15, 2008 (an 18-month delay from the current rules)
• Relief for Newly Public Companies:– Newly public companies may delay compliance with Section 404 internal control
reporting requirements until after they filed one annual report with the Commission
– In second annual report, the company would then be required to comply with the Section 404 internal control reporting requirements in accordance with the bifurcated phase-in schedules discussed above.
Accelerated Filer RulesContinued
Category of Category of Domestic Filer Domestic Filer
Internal Control Internal Control Reporting Deadlines Reporting Deadlines Starting with Annual Starting with Annual
Reports For FYEs Reports For FYEs Ending on or after the Ending on or after the
Date Below.Date Below.
Filing Deadlines Filing Deadlines Starting with 10-K Starting with 10-K
Annual Reports for FYE Annual Reports for FYE on or after December on or after December
15, 200515, 2005
Filing Deadlines Filing Deadlines Starting with Annual Starting with Annual
Reports for FYE on or Reports for FYE on or after December 15, 2006after December 15, 2006
Filing Deadline for 10-Q Filing Deadline for 10-Q Quarterly ReportsQuarterly Reports
10-K Deadline 10-K Deadline 10-Q Deadline
Large Accelerated Filer ($700MM or more)
Management Report and Auditor Attestation:
• Already required for domestic issuers
75 days 60 days 40 days
Accelerated Filer ($75MM and above, but less than $700MM)
Management Report and Auditor Attestation
• Already required for domestic issuers
75 days 75 days 40 days
Non-accelerated Filer Management’s Report:
• December 15, 2007
Auditor Attestation• December 15, 2008
90 days 90 days 45 days
© 2006 Morrison & Foerster LLP All Rights Reserved
Nasdaq / NYSE Developments
Nasdaq/NYSE Developments
• Nasdaq is now an “exchange” with three tiers – Global Select, Global and Capital
• NYSE treasury share exception to shareholder approval requirement eliminated
• Modification of Nasdaq definition of “independent” director
• NYSE proposal to eliminate broker discretionary voting in director elections (implications for companies with majority voting provisions)
• Nasdaq adds the “letter of reprimand” to its arsenal