Unassociated Document
UNITED
STATES
SECURITIES
AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington,
DC 20549
SCHEDULE
14A
(Rule
14a-101)
INFORMATION
REQUIRED IN PROXY STATEMENT
SCHEDULE
14A INFORMATION
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Exchange
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Definitive
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Three
University Plaza
Hackensack,
New Jersey 07601
NOTICE
OF ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS
TO
BE HELD JUNE 12, 2009
To
the Stockholders of Innodata Isogen, Inc.:
The
Annual Meeting of Stockholders of Innodata Isogen, Inc. (the "Company") will be
held at Innodata Isogen, Inc., Three University Plaza, Hackensack, New Jersey
07601 at 11:00 A.M. on June 12, 2009, for the following purposes:
(1)
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To
elect six Directors of the Company to hold office until the next Annual
Meeting of Stockholders and until their successors have been duly elected
and qualified;
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(2)
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To
ratify the selection and appointment by the Company's Board of Directors
of J.H. Cohn LLP, independent auditors, as auditors for the Company for
the year ending December 31, 2009;
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(3)
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To
approve the Innodata Isogen, Inc. 2009 Stock Plan;
and
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(4)
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To
consider and transact such other business as may properly come before the
meeting or any adjournments
thereof.
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A Proxy
Statement, form of Proxy, and the Annual Report to Stockholders of the Company
for the year ended December 31, 2008 are enclosed herewith. Only
holders of record of Common Stock of the Company at the close of business on
April 15, 2009 will be entitled to notice of and to vote at the Annual Meeting
and any adjournments thereof. A complete list of the stockholders
entitled to vote will be available for inspection by any stockholder during the
meeting; in addition, the list will be open for examination by any stockholder,
for any purpose germane to the meeting, during ordinary business hours, for a
period of at least ten days prior to the meeting at the office of the Secretary
of the Company, located at Three University Plaza, Hackensack, New Jersey
07601.
By Order
of the Board of Directors
Amy R.
Agress
Vice
President, General Counsel and Secretary
Hackensack,
New Jersey
April 28,
2009
All
stockholders are cordially invited to attend the Meeting. If you do
not expect to be present, please sign and date the enclosed form of Proxy and
return it promptly using the enclosed envelope. No postage is
required if mailed in the United States. Any person giving a Proxy
has the power to revoke it at any time prior to its exercise and if present at
the Meeting may withdraw it and vote in person.
Voting
in Person at the Meeting
Registered
holders can vote in person. Beneficial owners must obtain a proxy from their
brokerage firm, bank, or other holder of record and present it to the inspector
of elections with their ballot in order to be able to vote shares in person at
the meeting. Voting in person will replace any previous votes
submitted by proxy.
Attendance at the Meeting is
limited to stockholders, their proxies and invited guests of the
Company.
Important
Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materials for the
2009
Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be held on June 12, 2009
We have
elected to provide access to our proxy materials both by sending you this full
set of proxy materials, including a proxy card, and by notifying you of the
availability of our proxy materials on the Internet.
This
Proxy Statement and the 2008 Annual Report are available on the Internet at:
http://www.innodata-isogen.com/proxy
INNODATA
ISOGEN, INC.
Three
University Plaza
Hackensack,
New Jersey 07601
PROXY
STATEMENT
This
Proxy Statement is furnished in connection with the solicitation by the Board of
Directors of Innodata Isogen, Inc. (the "Company") of Proxies in the form
enclosed. Such Proxies will be voted at the Annual Meeting of Stockholders of
the Company to be held at Innodata Isogen, Inc., Three University Plaza,
Hackensack, New Jersey 07601 at 11:00 A.M. on June 12, 2009 (the "Meeting") and
at any adjournments thereof for the purposes set forth in the accompanying
Notice of Annual Meeting of Stockholders.
This
Proxy Statement and accompanying Proxy are being mailed on or about May 6, 2009
to all stockholders of record on April 15, 2009 (the "Record
Date").
Any
stockholder giving a Proxy has the power to revoke the same at any time before
it is voted. The cost of soliciting Proxies will be borne by the Company. The
Company has an arrangement with The Altman Company in connection with the
solicitation of Proxies. Following the mailing of the Proxy
materials, solicitation of Proxies may be made by The Altman Company, and
officers and employees of the Company by mail, telephone, facsimile, electronic
communication or personal interview. Properly executed Proxies will
be voted in accordance with instructions given by stockholders at the places
provided for such purpose in the accompanying Proxy and, as to any other matter
properly coming before the Meeting (none of which is presently known to the
Board of Directors), in accordance with the judgment of the persons designated
as proxies. Unless contrary instructions are given by stockholders, persons
named in the Proxy intend to vote the shares represented by such Proxies for the election of the six
nominees for director named herein, for the selection of J.H.
Cohn LLP as independent auditors, and for the approval of the
Innodata Isogen, Inc. 2009 Stock Plan. The current members of the Board of
Directors presently hold voting authority for Common Stock representing an
aggregate of 2,780,689 votes, or approximately 11.49% of the total number of
votes eligible to be cast at the Annual Meeting. The members of the Board of
Directors have indicated their intention to vote affirmatively on all of the
proposals.
VOTING
SECURITIES
Stockholders
of record as of the close of business on the Record Date will be entitled to
notice of, and to vote at, the Meeting or any adjournments
thereof. On the Record Date there were 24,206,499 outstanding shares
of common stock, par value $.01 per share (the "Common Stock"). Each holder of
Common Stock is entitled to one vote for each share held by such holder. The
presence, in person or by Proxy, of the holders of a majority of the outstanding
shares of Common Stock is necessary to constitute a quorum at the
Meeting. Proxies submitted which contain abstentions or broker
non-votes will be deemed present at the Meeting in determining the presence of a
quorum.
PROPOSAL
1. ELECTION OF DIRECTORS
It is the intention of the persons
named in the enclosed form of Proxy, unless such form of Proxy specifies
otherwise, to nominate and to vote the shares represented by such Proxy for the election as directors
of Jack S. Abuhoff, Haig S. Bagerdjian, Louise C. Forlenza, Stewart R.
Massey, Todd H. Solomon and Anthea C. Stratigos to hold office until the next
Annual Meeting of Stockholders and until their respective successors shall have
been duly elected and qualified. Each of the nominees named below currently
serves as a director of the Company and with the exception of Stewart R. Massey,
Todd H. Solomon and Anthea C. Stratigos, each was elected at the Annual Meeting
of Stockholders held on June 5, 2008. The Company has no reason to believe that
any of the nominees will become unavailable to serve as director for any reason
before the Annual Meeting. However, in the event that any of them shall become
unavailable, each of the persons designated as proxy reserves the right to
substitute another person of his or her choice when voting at the Annual
Meeting.
Name
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Age
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Position
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Jack
S. Abuhoff
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48
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Chairman
of the Board of Directors, Chief Executive Officer and
President
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Haig
S. Bagerdjian
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52
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Director
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Louise
C. Forlenza
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59
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Director
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Stewart
R. Massey
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52
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Director
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Todd
H. Solomon
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47
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Director
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Anthea
C. Stratigos
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48
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Director
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Jack S. Abuhoff has been
President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company since September 15, 1997,
and a director of the Company since its founding in 1988. Mr. Abuhoff has been
the Chairman of the Company’s Board of Directors since May 2001. From 1995 to
1997 he was Chief Operating Officer of Charles River Corporation, an
international systems integration and outsourcing firm. From 1992 to 1994, Mr.
Abuhoff was employed by Chadbourne & Parke, LLP, in connection with its
joint venture with Goldman Sachs to develop capital projects in
China. Mr. Abuhoff also serves on the board of directors of the
Software Information Industry Association, and is a trustee on the board of
trustees of the Harvard Law School Association of New Jersey. He practiced
international corporate law at White & Case LLP from 1986 to 1992. Mr.
Abuhoff holds an A.B. degree in English from Columbia College (1983) and a J.D.
degree from Harvard Law School (1986).
Haig S. Bagerdjian has served
as one of the Company’s directors since June 2001. He has also been Chairman of
the Board of Point.360 (Nasdaq: PTSX), a provider of video and film asset
management services to owners, producers and distributors of entertainment and
advertising content, since September 2001, and its President and Chief Executive
Officer since October 2002. From 1991 to 2002, Mr. Bagerdjian served
in various executive management positions at Syncor International Corporation
(Nasdaq: SCOR), a leading provider of radiopharmaceuticals, comprehensive
nuclear pharmacy services and medical imaging services, including Executive Vice
President, President and Chief Executive Officer of Syncor Overseas, Ltd.,
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Syncor Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Chief
Legal Officer, and Senior Vice President, Business Development. Mr.
Bagerdjian also served as a director of Advanced Machine Vision Corporation
(Nasdaq: AMVC) from 1997 until 2001. Mr. Bagerdjian received a B.A.
degree in International Relations and Slavic Languages and Literature, and
Certificates in Russian Studies, Strategic Defense and National Security, from
the University of Southern California (1983), and a J.D. degree from Harvard Law
School (1986). He is admitted to the State Bar of
California.
Louise C. Forlenza has served
as one of the Company’s directors since October 2002. From 1994 to
the present, Ms. Forlenza has been providing audit consultancy, management
advisory, and tax planning services to a diverse group of corporate
clients. From 1987 through 1992, she was the Chief Financial Officer
and Chief Operating Officer of Intercontinental Exchange Partners, an
international foreign exchange company, and served as a director and as chair of
its International Audit Committee. Prior to joining Intercontinental,
Ms. Forlenza was Chief Financial Officer of Bierbaum-Martin, a foreign exchange
firm. Ms. Forlenza participates actively in various not-for-profit
and philanthropic organizations including as benefit chair for Greenwich
Hospital and as Director and Treasurer of The Acting Company, a New York
City-based promoter of arts and literacy founded in 1972 by actor John Houseman.
Ms. Forlenza also serves on the executive, compensation and finance committees
of The Acting
Company.
She is a Certified Public Accountant and served on the faculty of the accounting
department of Iona College from 1981 to 1982. Ms. Forlenza received a B.B.A.
degree in Accounting from Iona College (1971).
Stewart R. Massey has served
as one of the Company’s directors since March 2009. Mr. Massey is a partner with
Massey, Quick and Co. LLC, an investment consulting and wealth advisory firm,
which he co-founded in 2004 after a 24-year career on Wall Street. He joined
Morgan Stanley’s Private Client group in 1983 after four years with Dean Witter
Reynolds. From 1988 through 1993, he led Morgan Stanley’s private client
businesses in Asia, Australia, and Japan. Mr. Massey was Head of Japanese Equity
Sales in New York from 1993 through 1996, and returned to Tokyo as Head of
Institutional Equity Sales and Global Head of Japanese Equities in 1996. He
served as President and CEO of Robert Fleming, Inc. in 1997 and 1998. At
Fleming, he had regional responsibility for equity sales and trading, research,
capital markets, investment banking, and asset management in the Americas,
serving on the Board of Directors and Executive Committee of the parent company
in London. Mr. Massey returned to Morgan Stanley in September of 1998 as a
Managing Director and Head of Institutional Sales, Marketing, and Product
Development for the firm’s prime brokerage business. Mr. Massey holds a BA
degree in History from The College of Wooster (1974). He is an Emeritus
Life Trustee of the College. As a member of Wooster’s Board of Trustees, he was
Chair of the Investment Committee and a member of the Executive Committee for 15
years. Mr. Massey also serves on the investment committee of the Visiting
Nurse Association of Somerset Hills. He is a director of Team Capital Bank and
First Santa Fe Wealth Advisors.
Todd H. Solomon has served as
one of the Company’s directors since October 2008. Since founding Innodata
Isogen in 1988, Mr. Solomon served as a director and officer of the company at
various times through 2005. He is a private investor, investment manager and
venture capitalist and divides his time between Las Vegas, the Philippines and
Bali, Indonesia. Mr. Solomon holds an A.B. degree in History and Physics from
Columbia College (1986).
Anthea C. Stratigos has served
as one of the Company’s directors since March 2009. Ms. Stratigos is co-founder
and CEO of Outsell, Inc. (founded in 1994), a leading research and advisory firm
that focuses exclusively on the information and publishing industries, providing
analysis and recommendations for high-level executives regarding markets,
trends, benchmarks and best practices. She is Outsell’s primary spokesperson,
and chairs Outsell’s Leadership Council, a member-service for CEOs and senior
executives of publishing and information-provider firms. Ms. Stratigos holds a
B.S. degree in Communication from Stanford University (1983) and graduated from
the Executive Marketing Program at Harvard University (1992).
There are
no family relationships between or among any directors of the
Company. Directors are elected to serve until the next annual meeting
of stockholders and until their successors are elected and
qualified.
Director
Independence
The Board
of Directors has determined that Haig S. Bagerdjian, Louise C. Forlenza, Stewart
R. Massey, Todd H. Solomon and Anthea C. Stratigos are independent directors.
The independent directors comprise a majority of the Board. The only director
who is not independent is Jack S. Abuhoff, the Company’s Chairman, President and
Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”). The Company defines independence as meeting the
requirements to be considered as an independent director as set forth in the
Nasdaq Marketplace Rule 4200. To assist in determining director independence,
the Board of Directors also considers any business relationship with any
independent director, including any business entity with which any independent
director is affiliated, to determine if there is any material relationship that
would impair a director’s independence. In making its determination, the Board
of Directors reviewed information provided by each of the directors and
information gathered by the Company.
Meetings
of the Board of Directors
The Board
of Directors meets throughout the year on a set schedule. The Board of Directors
also holds special meetings and acts by unanimous written consent from time to
time as appropriate. The Board of Directors held nine meetings during the year
ended December 31, 2008. Each director attended at least (i) 75% of all of the
meetings of the Board of Directors held during the period; and (ii) 75% of the
meetings of all committees on which he or she served. The Company does not have
a policy requiring incumbent directors and director nominees to attend the
Company’s annual meeting of stockholders. All directors attended last year’s
annual meeting.
The Board
of Directors meets in executive sessions without management, as needed, during
or immediately following its regularly scheduled meetings. The Board of
Directors also schedules executive sessions during the year for the independent
directors only.
Committees
of the Board of Directors
Audit
Committee
The Company has a separately designated
standing Audit Committee established in accordance with Section 3(a)(58)(A) of
the Exchange Act. The Audit Committee operates under a written charter adopted
by the Board of Directors. A copy of the charter is available on our website at
www.innodata-isogen.com.
Serving on the Committee are Ms. Forlenza and Messrs. Marozsan and Bagerdjian.
The Board of Directors has determined that it has an audit committee financial
expert serving on the audit committee, Ms. Forlenza. The functions of the Audit
Committee are, among other things, to make recommendations concerning the
selection each year of independent auditors of the Company, to assist the Board
of Directors in fulfilling its oversight responsibilities relating to the
quality and integrity of the Company's financial reports and financial reporting
processes and systems of internal controls, to consider whether the
Company's principal auditor’s provision of non-audit services is compatible with
maintaining the principal accountant’s independence and to determine through
discussions with the independent auditors whether any instructions or
limitations have been placed upon them in connection with the scope of their
audit or its implementation. To carry out its responsibilities, the Audit
Committee met seven times during fiscal 2008. The Company defines independence
as meeting the standards to be considered as an independent director as set
forth in the Nasdaq Marketplace Rule 4200, and the Board of Directors has
determined that all the members of the Audit Committee are "independent" as
defined in the Nasdaq Marketplace Rule 4350(d)(2)(A)(i) and (ii).
Compensation
Committee
The Company has a standing Compensation
Committee comprised of Messrs. Marozsan and Woodward and Ms. Forlenza. The
Compensation Committee operates under a written charter adopted by the Board of
Directors. A copy of the charter is available on our website at www.innodata-isogen.com.
The function of the Compensation Committee is to discharge the responsibilities
of the Board of Directors regarding executive and director compensation,
including determining and approving the compensation packages of the Company’s
executive officers, including its Chief Executive Officer. The Compensation
Committee also reviews and approves stock option grants to non-executive officer
employees. The Chief Executive Officer recommends to the Compensation Committee
proposed compensation for the executive officers other than the Chief Executive
Officer. The Compensation Committee engages the services of an independent
compensation consultant on an as-needed basis to provide market data and advice
regarding executive compensation and proposed compensation programs and amounts.
To carry out its responsibilities, the Compensation Committee met five times
during fiscal 2008. The Company defines independence as meeting the standards to
be considered as an independent director as set forth in the Nasdaq Marketplace
Rule 4200, and the Board of Directors has determined that all the members of the
Compensation Committee are "independent" as defined in the Nasdaq Marketplace
Rule 4200.
Compensation Committee Interlocks
and Insider Participation. The Compensation Committee is currently
comprised of Messrs. Marozsan and Woodward and Ms. Forlenza, none of whom are or
were officers or employees of the Company.
Nominating
Committee
The
Company has a standing Nominating Committee comprised of Messrs. Bagerdjian and
Marozsan, and Ms. Forlenza. The Company does not have a Nominating Committee
charter. The primary responsibilities of the
Nominating
Committee include assisting the Board of Directors in identifying and evaluating
qualified candidates to serve as directors; recommending to the Board of
Directors candidates for election or re-election to the Board of Directors or to
fill vacancies on the Board of Directors; and assisting in attracting qualified
candidates to serve on the Board of Directors. Director nominees are selected by
Board of Director resolution. All of the nominees recommended for election to
the Board of Directors at the Annual Meetings, with the exception of Stewart R.
Massey, Todd H. Solomon and Anthea C. Stratigos, are directors standing for
re-election. Mr. Massey was recommended by a non-management director, and Ms.
Stratigos was recommended by the CEO. Although the Nominating Committee has not
established any minimum qualifications for director candidates, when considering
potential director candidates, the Nominating Committee considers the
candidate's character, judgment, diversity, skills, including financial
literacy, and experience in the context of the needs of the Company and the
Board of Directors. To carry out its responsibilities, the Nominating Committee
met one time during fiscal 2008 and two times in fiscal 2009 to date. The
Company defines independence as meeting the standards to be considered as an
independent director as set forth in the Nasdaq Marketplace Rule 4200, and the
Board of Directors has determined that all the members of the Nominating
Committee are "independent" as defined in the Nasdaq Marketplace Rule 4200. In
2008 the Company did not pay any fees to any third party to assist in
identifying or evaluating potential nominees.
The
Company's By-laws include a procedure whereby its stockholders can nominate
director candidates, as more fully described below under “Stockholder Proposals
for the 2010 Annual Meeting.” The Board of Directors will consider director
candidates recommended by the Company's stockholders in a similar manner as
those recommended by members of management or other directors, provided the
stockholder submitting such nomination has complied with the procedures set
forth in the Company’s By-laws. To date, the Company has not received any
recommended nominees from any non-management stockholder or group of
stockholders that beneficially owns five percent or more of its voting
stock.
Stockholder
Communications with the Board of Directors
Generally, stockholders who have
questions or concerns regarding the Company should contact our Investor
Relations department at 201-371-8000. However, stockholders may communicate with
the Board of Directors by sending a letter to: Board of Directors of Innodata
Isogen, Inc., c/o Corporate Secretary, 3 University Plaza, Hackensack, New
Jersey 07601. Any communications must contain a clear notation indicating that
it is a "Stockholder—Board Communication" or a "Stockholder—Director
Communication" and must identify the author as a stockholder. The office of the
Corporate Secretary will receive the correspondence and forward appropriate
correspondence to the Chairman of the Board or to any individual director or
directors to whom the communication is directed. The Company reserves the right
not to forward to the Board of Directors any communication that is hostile,
threatening, illegal, does not reasonably relate to the Company or its business,
or is otherwise inappropriate. The office of the Corporate Secretary has
authority to discard or disregard any inappropriate communication or to take any
other action that it deems to be appropriate with respect to any inappropriate
communications.
REPORT
OF THE AUDIT COMMITTEE
The following report of the Audit
Committee does not constitute soliciting material and should not be deemed filed
or incorporated by reference into any other Company filing under the Securities
Act of 1933 or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, except to the extent the
Company specifically incorporates this Report by reference therein.
The
responsibilities of the Audit Committee, which are set forth in the Audit
Committee Charter, include providing oversight to the Company’s financial
reporting process through periodic meetings with the Company’s independent
auditors and management to review accounting, auditing, internal controls and
financial reporting matters. The Audit Committee is also responsible for the
appointment, compensation and oversight of the Company’s independent auditors.
The management of the Company is responsible for the preparation and
integrity
of the
financial reporting information and related systems of internal controls. The
Audit Committee, in carrying out its role, relies on the Company’s senior
management, including senior financial management, and its independent
auditors.
The Audit
Committee has implemented procedures to ensure that during the course of each
fiscal year it devotes the attention that it deems necessary or appropriate to
each of the matters assigned to it under the Audit Committee's
charter. To carry out its responsibilities, the Audit Committee met
seven times during fiscal 2008.
The primary purpose of the Audit
Committee is to assist the Board of Directors in fulfilling its oversight
responsibilities relating to the quality and integrity of the Company's
financial reports and financial reporting processes and systems of internal
controls. Management of the Company has primary responsibility for
the Company's financial statements and the overall reporting process, including
maintenance of the Company's system of internal controls. The Company
retains independent auditors who are responsible for conducting independent
audits of the Company's financial statements and internal control over financial
reporting, in accordance with standards of the Public Company Accounting
Oversight Board (United States), and issuing reports thereon.
The Audit
Committee has reviewed and discussed the Company’s consolidated audited
financial statements as of and for the year ended December 31, 2008 with
management and the independent auditors. The Audit Committee has discussed with
the independent auditors the matters required to be discussed under standards
established by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States),
including those matters set forth in Statement on Auditing Standards No. 61
(Communication with Audit Committees), as amended, as adopted by the Public
Company Accounting Oversight Board in rule 3200T. The independent auditors have
provided to the Audit Committee the written disclosures and the letter required
by applicable requirements of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board
regarding the independent auditor’s communication with the Audit Committee
concerning independence, and the Audit Committee has discussed with the auditors
their independence from the Company. The Audit Committee has concluded that the
independent auditors are independent from the Company and its
management.
On the
basis of the foregoing reviews and discussions, the Audit Committee recommended
to the Board of Directors that the consolidated audited financial statements be
included in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended
December 31, 2008, for filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
The Audit Committee has also recommended, subject to stockholder approval, the
selection of the Company's independent auditors.
The
Members of the Audit Committee
Louise C.
Forlenza - Chair
Haig S.
Bagerdjian
John R.
Marozsan
Changes
in Independent Registered Accounting Firm
On
September 12, 2008, the Company dismissed Grant Thornton LLP as the Company’s
independent registered public accounting firm and engaged J.H. Cohn LLP as the
Company’s independent registered public accounting firm.
The Audit
Committee of the Board of Directors of the Company recommended and approved the
decision to change independent registered public accounting firms.
The audit
reports of Grant Thornton LLP on the consolidated financial statements of the
Company for the years ended December 31, 2006 and December 31, 2007 did not
contain an adverse opinion or disclaimer of opinion and were not qualified or
modified as to uncertainty, audit scope or accounting principles, and the audit
report of Grant Thornton LLP on the effectiveness of internal control over
financial reporting as of December 31, 2007 did not contain any adverse opinion
or disclaimer of opinion and was not qualified or modified as to uncertainty,
audit scope or accounting principles.
During
the Company’s two fiscal years ended December 31, 2006 and December 31, 2007 and
the subsequent periods through September 12, 2008, there were no disagreements
with Grant Thornton LLP on any matter of accounting principles or practices,
financial statement disclosure, or auditing scope or procedure, which
disagreements, if not resolved to Grant Thornton LLP’s satisfaction, would have
caused Grant Thornton LLP to make reference to the subject matter of such
disagreements in connection with its reports on the financial statements for
such periods.
During
the Company’s two fiscal years ended December 31, 2006 and December 31, 2007 and
the subsequent periods through September 12, 2008, there were no reportable
events (as defined in Regulation S-K Item 304 (a)(1)(v)).
The
Company did not, nor did anyone on its behalf, consult J.H. Cohn LLP during the
Company’s two fiscal years ended December 31, 2006 and December 31, 2007 and any
subsequent interim periods prior to the Company’s engagement of that firm
regarding the application of accounting principles to a specified transaction
(completed or proposed), the type of audit opinion that might be rendered on the
Company’s financial statements, any matter being the subject of disagreement or
reportable event, or any other matter as defined in Regulation S-K,
Item 304 (a)(1)(iv) or (a)(1)(v).
Fiscal
2008 and 2007 Accounting Firm Fee Summary
Set forth
below is certain information concerning fees billed to the Company by (i) J.H.
Cohn LLP; and (ii) Grant Thornton LLP and its international affiliates, in
respect of professional services rendered to the Company for the audit of the
annual financial statements for the years ended December 31, 2008 and December
31, 2007; the reviews of the financial statements included in reports on Form
10-Q for periods within 2008 and 2007; related regulatory filings for periods
within 2008 and 2007; and other services. The Audit Committee has
determined that the provision of all services is compatible with maintaining the
independence of J.H. Cohn LLP and Grant Thornton LLP.
|
|
J.H.
Cohn LLP
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Grant
Thornton LLP
|
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2008
|
|
|
2007
|
|
|
2008
|
|
|
2007
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Audit
Fees
|
|
$ |
340,000 |
|
|
|
-0- |
|
|
$ |
244,000 |
|
|
$ |
588,000 |
|
Audit-Related
Fees
|
|
|
-0- |
|
|
|
-0- |
|
|
$ |
18,000 |
|
|
|
25,000 |
|
Tax
Fees
|
|
|
-0- |
|
|
|
-0- |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
-0- |
|
All
Other Fees
|
|
|
-0- |
|
|
|
-0- |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
-0- |
|
Audit
fees consist of fees for the audit of the Company’s financial statements and
internal control over financial reporting under Section 404 of the Sarbanes
Oxley Act, the review of the interim financial statements included in the
Company’s quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and other professional services
provided in connection with statutory and regulatory filings or
engagements.
Audit-related
fees consist of fees for assurance and related services that are reasonably
related to the performance of the audit and the review of the Company’s
financial statements and which are not reported under “Audit Fees”. These
services relate to consultations concerning financial accounting and reporting
standards and are not required by statute or regulation.
Audit
Committee Pre-Approval Policy
All
audit, audit-related services, tax services and other services provided by J.H.
Cohn LLP or Grant Thornton LLP must be pre-approved by the Audit Committee. The
Audit Committee may delegate to its Chair the authority to pre-approve otherwise
permissible non-audit services, provided that any decision made pursuant to such
delegation must be presented to the full Audit Committee for informational
purposes at its next scheduled meeting.
EXECUTIVE
OFFICERS
Set forth below is information
concerning the Executive Officers who are not directors.
Name
|
|
Age
|
|
Position
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ashok
Mishra
|
|
54
|
|
Executive
Vice President and Chief Operating Officer
|
Jurgen
C. Tanpho
|
|
44
|
|
Interim
Chief Financial Officer
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ashok Mishra has been the
Company’s Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer since January
2007. Mr. Mishra has held senior level positions with the Company and its
subsidiaries for more than nine years. Mr. Mishra has served as Senior Vice
President since May 2004, after serving as Vice President, Project Delivery from
October 2001 through April 2004. Prior thereto, Mr. Mishra served as
Assistant Vice President, Project Delivery from November 2000 to September 2001,
and as General Manager and Head of the Facility of the Company’s India
operations from 1997 to October 2000. Mr. Mishra holds a Bachelor of Technology
degree in Mechanical Engineering from Pantnagar University (1976). He also has
Component Manufacturing Technical Training from Alcatel France (1985) and
completed a condensed MBA course from Indian Institute of Management Banglore
(1995).
Jurgen C. Tanpho has been the
Company’s interim Chief Financial Officer since April 27, 2009, and a Vice
President with various operational and financial responsibilities since March
1998. Mr. Tanpho has served in various management capacities with the Company
and its subsidiaries for more than 17 years. Mr. Tanpho served as assistant to
the President of the Company’s Manila Operations from 1996 to February 1998; as
Assistant Vice President- Administration from 1994 to 1996; and as Facilities
and Purchasing Manager from 1991 to 1994. Mr. Tanpho holds a Bachelor of Science
degree in industrial engineering from the University of the Philippines
(1986).
The Company’s Executive Officers are
elected by and serve at the discretion of our Board of Directors. There are no
family relationships between or among any of the Company’s Executive
Officers.
EXECUTIVE
COMPENSATION
Compensation
Discussion and Analysis
Overview
This
compensation discussion and analysis describes and analyzes the material
elements of compensation awarded, earned by, or paid to each of our executive
officers who served as named executive officers during the last completed fiscal
year. This compensation discussion and analysis focuses on the information
contained in the following tables and related footnotes and narrative for
primarily the last completed fiscal year, but we also describe compensation
actions taken before or after the last completed fiscal year to the extent it
enhances the understanding of our executive compensation
disclosure.
Executive
Compensation Objectives and Philosophy
The
Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors is responsible for overseeing
and administering our executive compensation program and for establishing our
executive compensation philosophy. The objectives of our compensation
program are to:
|
·
|
Attract,
motivate and retain qualified, talented and dedicated executive
officers |
|
·
|
Motivate
executives to achieve business and financial objectives that will enhance
stockholder value
|
|
·
|
Align
the interests of our executives with the long term interests of
stockholders through stock based
incentives
|
|
·
|
Maintain
a strong link between pay and performance by placing a portion of the
executive’s total pay at risk
|
The
Committee applies these objectives in selecting the specific elements of
compensation. The Committee also reviews and considers:
|
·
|
Company
performance, both separately and in relation to similar
companies
|
|
·
|
The
individual executive’s performance, experience and scope of
responsibilities
|
|
·
|
Historical
compensation levels and stock option awards at the
Company
|
|
·
|
Competitive
market and peer company data
|
|
·
|
Internal
equity among executive officers
|
|
·
|
The
recommendations of management
|
Executive
Officer Compensation Processes
The
Committee uses the following processes, procedures and resources to help it
perform its responsibilities:
|
·
|
Executive
Sessions without management present to discuss various compensation
matters, including the compensation of our
CEO
|
|
·
|
The
services of an independent compensation consultant, who advises the
Committee on an as-needed basis
|
|
·
|
An
annual review of all executive compensation and benefit programs for
reasonableness and cost
effectiveness
|
|
·
|
The
recommendations of the CEO on compensation for the other executive
officers
|
Competitive
Benchmarking / Peer Group Analysis
Although the Company has no policy
regarding the retention of independent consultants to conduct competitive
benchmarking and/or a peer group analysis, it has from time to time engaged such
consultants to assist the Committee in the review and determination of various
executive compensation matters.
In
December 2007 the Company engaged an independent compensation consultant,
Frederic W. Cook & Co., Inc. (the “Consultant”). The primary purpose of the
engagement was to review the Company’s compensation program for 2008, and
evaluate how our executive compensation program compares to the competitive
market. Competitive comparisons were primarily based on a peer group of 16
publicly-traded business process outsourcing (BPO) and business-to-business
information technology companies selected by the Consultant in consultation with
the Committee and Company management. The companies in the peer group were
Answerthink, APAC Customer Services, Inc., AXS-One Inc., Computer Programs and
Systems, Inc., DATATRAK International, Inc., Document Sciences Corporation,
Edgewater Technology, Inc., eLoyalty Corporation, Kintera, Inc., LionBridge
Technologies, Inc., Manatron, Inc., PeopleSupport, Inc., Streamline Health
Solutions, Inc., StarTek Inc., TechTeam Global, Inc., and United American
Healthcare Inc. The Company was positioned near the median of the peer group in
terms of revenues, net income, and market capitalization, in the upper quadrant
in terms of size, and at the top of the peer group in terms of annualized
shareholder return. The Consultant did not make specific recommendations on
individual pay levels, but rather provided and analyzed competitive data for
review and use by the Committee and the Company.
In
January 2009 the Committee engaged the Consultant for the primary purpose of
reviewing the CEO’s then existing employment agreement in advance of its
expiration in February 2009. The agreement was reviewed to assess its market
competitiveness relative to employment agreements of other CEOs at 19 similar
small cap technology and business services companies. The 19 companies are all
publicly traded technology and business services companies similar to the peer
group included in the 2007 study. On March 25, 2009 the Company and the CEO
executed an employment agreement with an effective date of February 1, 2009 as
more fully described below in the Narrative Disclosure to Summary Compensation
Table and Grants of Plan-Based Awards Table.
Components
of the Executive Compensation Program
The
primary elements of the Company’s Executive Compensation Program
are:
|
·
|
Performance-based
cash incentives
|
|
·
|
Benefits
and perquisites
|
|
·
|
Severance
and change in control compensation
|
In order
to determine the compensation packages of the executive officers, the Committee
reviewed the total compensation package of each executive officer against the
total compensation packages of named executive officers at the peer group
companies referenced in the section entitled “Competitive Benchmarking / Peer
Group Analysis”. The Committee does not use a pre-set formula to allocate a
percentage of total compensation to each compensation component, and the
percentage of total compensation allocated to each compensation component varies
among the executive officers. Instead, the Committee relies on the processes and
factors described in this discussion and analysis, and takes into account the
current and historical compensation components, and amount of each component,
for each executive officer.
Base
Salary
The base
salaries of our executive officers are designed to attract and retain a high
performing and dedicated leadership team. The Committee reviews the performance
evaluations and salary recommendations provided to the Committee by the CEO for
each executive officer other than himself. Increases to the CEO’s base salary
are determined by the Committee without a recommendation by Company
management. Adjustments to base salaries are determined based on the
individual’s responsibility levels, performance, contribution and length of
service, after considering competitive market data and the Company’s financial
performance, as well as any requirements set forth in the executive officer’s
employment agreement for those executive officers with an employment agreement.
In February 2008 the Committee increased the annual base salaries of the
executive officers effective as of January 1, 2008. Mr. Abuhoff’s base salary
was increased from $369,000 to $424,350; Mr. Ford’s base salary was increased
from $300,000 to $310,500; and Mr. Mishra’s base salary was increased from
$175,000 to $220,000. The increases were based on a review of the data from the
peer group competitive comparisons discussed in the section entitled
“Competitive Benchmarking / Peer Group Analysis” and the factors outlined
above.
Performance-Based
Cash Incentives
Performance-based
cash incentives provide the Company with a means of rewarding performance based
upon the attainment of individual goals and corporate financial goals. The
Committee reviews Company financial performance and individual performance, as
well as recommendations provided to the Committee by the CEO for each executive
officer other than the CEO. Cash incentives may be paid pursuant to an incentive
compensation plan or as cash bonuses. In 2008, incentive compensation awards for
the executive officers were made pursuant to an incentive compensation plan, and
were based on the extent to which the Company achieved goals set by the
Committee for 2008 revenues (excluding revenue from mergers and acquisitions),
bookings and pre-tax income with respect to Messrs. Abuhoff, Ford and Mishra,
and revenues from mergers and acquisitions solely with respect to Mr. Ford.
Based on the extent of the Company’s achievement of these goals in March 2009
the Committee awarded a performance-based cash incentive to each named executive
officer for the year ended 2008 as follows: $244,206 to Mr. Abuhoff, $72,464 to
Mr. Ford, and $84,404 to Mr. Mishra. The target awards set under the incentive
compensation plan were based on a review of the data from the peer group
competitive comparisons discussed in the section entitled “Competitive
Benchmarking / Peer Group Analysis” and the factors outlined above.
Stock-Based
Incentives
The
Company uses stock option grants as the primary vehicle for employee stock-based
incentives. The Committee believes stock options align the executive officers’
interests with those of stockholders in building shareholder value, offer
executive officers an incentive for the achievement of superior performance over
time, and foster the retention of key management personnel. The number of stock
options the Committee awards each executive officer is based on his relative
position, responsibilities and performance over the previous fiscal year, and
his anticipated future performance, potential and responsibilities. The
Committee also reviews and considers prior stock option grants to each executive
officer. The size of stock option grants is not directly related to the
Company’s performance. The Committee also uses data on stock options granted by
companies that are comparable by industry and revenue, and takes into
consideration recommendations asserted by an independent compensation consulting
firm. No stock options were granted to any executive officer in
calendar year 2008.
Benefits
and Perquisites
The
Company offers retirement, health, life, and disability benefits, as well as
medical and dependent care reimbursement plans to all full-time employees. These
plans do not discriminate in scope, terms or operation in favor of executive
officers. In addition, in calendar year 2008 the Company reimbursed the CEO
$24,085 for the cost of life and disability insurance premiums and related taxes
pursuant to his employment agreement, and paid $5,000 for legal expenses
incurred by the CEO in connection with the negotiation of his employment
agreement. The Company also provided the COO, in connection with his foreign
assignment, benefits totaling $41,268 for an apartment rental, utilities,
medical insurance, related fringe benefit taxes, and spousal
travel.
Severance
and Change in Control
The
Company uses severance and change of control agreements to attract and retain
qualified, talented and dedicated executives and to help it remain competitive
in the marketplace.
COMPENSATION
COMMITTEE REPORT
The Compensation Committee has reviewed
and discussed the Compensation Discussion and Analysis required by Item 402(b)
of Regulation S-K with management. Based on such review and discussions, the
Compensation Committee recommended to the Board of Directors that the
Compensation Discussion and Analysis be included in this Proxy
Statement.
The
Members of the Compensation Committee
John R.
Marozsan, Chair
Louise C.
Forlenza
Peter H.
Woodward
SUMMARY
COMPENSATION TABLE
The
following table sets forth information regarding compensation paid or accrued to
Named Executive Officers.
Name
and Position
|
|
Year
|
|
Salary
|
|
|
Bonus
|
|
|
Non-Equity
Incentive Plan
Compensation (1)
|
|
|
All
Other Compensation
|
|
|
Total
Compensation
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Jack
S. Abuhoff Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer
|
|
2008
|
|
$ |
424,350 |
|
|
$ |
- |
|
|
$ |
244,206 |
|
|
$ |
29,085 |
(2) |
|
$ |
697,641 |
|
|
|
2007
|
|
|
369,000 |
|
|
|
477,707 |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
24,085 |
|
|
|
870,792 |
|
|
|
2006
|
|
|
369,000 |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
21,114 |
|
|
|
390,114 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Steven
L. Ford Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (3)
|
|
2008
|
|
|
310,500 |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
72,464 |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
382,964 |
|
|
|
2007
|
|
|
300,000 |
|
|
|
94,606 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
394,606 |
|
|
|
2006
|
|
|
300,000 |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
300,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ashok
Mishra Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer (4)
|
|
2008
|
|
|
220,000 |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
84,404 |
|
|
|
41,268 |
(5) |
|
|
345,672 |
|
|
|
2007
|
|
|
175,000 |
|
|
|
183,433 |
(6) |
|
|
- |
|
|
|
45,172 |
|
|
|
403,605 |
|
(1) The
amounts in this column reflect the cash payment made to the named executive in
respect of an incentive compensation plan covering the 2008 performance period
and paid in March 2009.
(2)
Includes the cost of employer provided executive life and disability
insurance in the amount of $13,861, reimbursement for related federal and state
income taxes in the amount of $10,224, and the payment of $5,000 for legal
expenses incurred by the CEO in connection with the negotiation of his
employment agreement.
(3)
Through April 27, 2009.
(4) Mr.
Mishra was appointed as an executive officer effective as of January 1,
2007.
(5)
Includes, in connection with the Executive’s foreign assignment, $23,832
for apartment rental, as well as utilities, medical insurance and spousal
travel, and $1,980 for related fringe benefit taxes.
(6)
Includes a $30,000 signing bonus.
GRANTS
OF PLAN-BASED AWARDS
The
following table summarizes the non-equity awards granted to each Named Executive
Officer in 2008
Name
|
|
Grant
Date
|
|
|
Estimated
Future Payouts Under Non-Equity Incentive Plan Awards (1)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Threshold
|
|
|
Target
|
|
|
Maximum
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Jack
S. Abuhoff
|
|
|
07-24-2008 |
|
|
$ |
127,305 |
|
|
$ |
254,610 |
|
|
$ |
407,376 |
|
Steven
L. Ford
|
|
|
07-24-2008 |
|
|
|
51,233 |
|
|
|
93,150 |
|
|
|
149,040 |
|
Ashok
Mishra
|
|
|
07-24-2008 |
|
|
|
44,000 |
|
|
|
88,000 |
|
|
|
140,800 |
|
(1)
|
The
amounts shown reflect the range of potential awards for 2008 pursuant to
each named executive officer’s incentive compensation plan. In March 2009
awards were paid to each Named Executive Officer in the amounts set forth
under the Non-Equity Incentive Plan Compensation column of the Summary
Compensation Table.
|
Narrative
Disclosure to Summary Compensation Table and Grants of Plan-Based Awards
Table
Employment
Agreements
On March
25, 2009 the Company and Mr. Jack S. Abuhoff, the President and Chief Executive
Officer of the Company, executed an employment Agreement with an effective date
of February 1, 2009 (the “Agreement”). The Agreement will continue until
terminated by the Company or Mr. Abuhoff.
The
Agreement provides for: annual base salary compensation of $424,350 subject to
cost of living adjustments and annual discretionary increases as determined by
the Company’s Board of Directors; additional cash incentive or bonus
compensation for each calendar year determined by the Compensation Committee of
the Board of Directors in its discretion and conditioned on the attainment of
certain quantitative objectives to be established by the Compensation Committee
with a target bonus of not less than 60% of Mr. Abuhoff's base salary for the
year; and stock options and/or other equity and/or non-equity based awards and
incentives as determined by the Compensation Committee in its sole and absolute
discretion. The Agreement also provides for indemnification, insurance and other
fringe benefits, and contains confidentiality, non-compete and non-interference
provisions.
In
the event Mr. Abuhoff is terminated by the Company other than for cause (as
defined), death or disability, or Mr. Abuhoff resigns his employment with the
Company for good reason (as defined), Mr. Abuhoff is entitled to receive an
amount equal to (i) 200% of his (A) base salary and (B) the greater of his most
recently declared bonus (as defined) or the average of his three most recently
declared bonuses to be paid in substantially equal payments over a period of 24
months; (ii) the continuation of his medical, dental, life, and disability
insurance until the earlier of the end of the maximum applicable COBRA coverage
period or for the 24 month period immediately following Mr. Abuhoff’s
termination (and if the COBRA period is shorter than the applicable 24 month
period, pay Mr. Abuhoff an amount equal to the monthly cost charged by the
Company for COBRA coverage during the period beginning upon the expiration of
the maximum COBRA coverage period and the end of the 24 month continuation
period); and (iii) the removal of any vesting, transfer, lock-up, performance or
other restrictions or requirements on his stock options and other equity and
non-equity-based awards and incentives. In the event Mr. Abuhoff is terminated
by the Company coincident or following a change of control (as defined), Mr.
Abuhoff is entitled to receive an amount equal to (i) 300% of his (A) base
salary and (B) the greater of his most recently declared bonus (as defined) or
the average of his three most recently declared bonuses to be paid in a lump sum
payout within 30 days of the date of his termination; (ii) the continuation of
his medical, dental, life, and disability insurance until the earlier of the end
of the maximum applicable COBRA coverage period or for the 36 month period
immediately following Mr. Abuhoff’s termination (and if the COBRA period is
shorter than the applicable 36 month period, pay Mr. Abuhoff an amount equal to
the monthly cost charged by the Company for COBRA coverage during the period
beginning upon the expiration of the maximum COBRA coverage period and the end
of the 36 month continuation period; and (iii) the removal of any vesting,
transfer, lock-up, performance or other restrictions or requirements on his
stock options and other equity and non-equity-based awards and
incentives.
In the
event Mr. Abuhoff is a “specified employee” as defined in Section 409A of the
Code at the time of his termination of employment, the payments referenced above
shall be delayed until the date that is six months and one day following his
termination of employment (or, if earlier, the earliest other date as is
permitted under Section 409A of the Code). The amount payable on such
date shall include all amounts that would have been payable to Mr. Abuhoff prior
to that date but for the application of Section 409A and the remaining payments
shall be made in substantially equal installments until fully
paid. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the six month delay shall not
apply to any such payments made (A) during the short term deferral period set
forth in Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-1(b)(4), or (B) after
said short term deferral period, payable solely on account of an involuntary
separation from service (as defined in Section 409A of the Code) and in an
amount less than the Section 409A Severance Exemption Amount. The
Agreement also provides for potential tax gross-up payments in respect of taxes,
penalties and/or interest that may be incurred by Mr. Abuhoff under Section 409A
of the Code.
On May
18, 2007, the Company and Mr. Ashok Mishra, the Executive Vice President and
Chief Operations Officer of the Company, entered into a three year agreement
with an effective date of January 1, 2007 whereby the Company agreed to cause
one or more of its wholly-owned subsidiaries to offer employment to Mr. Mishra.
Mr. Mishra’s agreement automatically renews for one year periods unless the
Company either provides a notice of non-renewal by June 30 of the then current
term or the Company and Mr. Mishra execute a new agreement prior to the end of
the then current term. The agreement provides for annual base compensation of
$175,000 per annum, subject to annual reviews for discretionary annual
increases; incentive compensation pursuant to an incentive compensation plan;
and a signing bonus of $30,000. The agreement also provides for insurance and
other fringe benefits, and contains confidentiality, non-compete and
non-interference provisions. In the event the Company terminates the agreement
without cause, Mr. Mishra is entitled to receive his then base salary for 12
months following the date of termination.
OUTSTANDING
EXECUTIVE EQUITY AWARDS AT FISCAL YEAR-END
The
following table summarizes the outstanding equity awards held by each Named
Executive Officer at
December
31, 2008.
|
|
Number
of securities underlying
|
|
|
Option
|
|
Option
|
|
|
unexercised
options
|
|
|
Exercise
Price
|
|
Expiration
Date
|
Name
and Principal Position
|
|
Exercisable
|
|
|
Unexercisable
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Jack
S. Abuhoff
Chairman,
President and CEO
|
|
|
31,500 |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
$ |
0.50 |
|
06/02/2013
|
|
|
|
126,000 |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
$ |
0.50 |
|
07/01/2013
|
|
|
|
180,000 |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
$ |
0.67 |
|
06/08/2014
|
|
|
|
154,000 |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
$ |
2.59 |
|
03/31/2014
|
|
|
|
44,000 |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
$ |
2.59 |
|
05/31/2009
|
|
|
|
44,000 |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
$ |
2.59 |
|
05/31/2010
|
|
|
|
44,000 |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
$ |
2.59 |
|
05/31/2011
|
|
|
|
44,000 |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
$ |
2.59 |
|
05/31/2012
|
|
|
|
44,000 |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
$ |
2.59 |
|
05/31/2013
|
|
|
|
154,000 |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
$ |
2.59 |
|
09/30/2009
|
|
|
|
154,000 |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
$ |
2.59 |
|
09/30/2010
|
|
|
|
154,000 |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
$ |
2.59 |
|
09/30/2011
|
|
|
|
154,000 |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
$ |
2.59 |
|
09/30/2012
|
|
|
|
80,000 |
(1) |
|
|
- |
|
|
$ |
3.46 |
|
12/30/2015
|
|
|
|
100,000 |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
$ |
3.75 |
|
08/18/2014
|
Total
|
|
|
1,507,500 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Number
of securities underlying
|
|
|
Option
|
|
Option
|
|
|
unexercised
options
|
|
|
Exercise
Price
|
|
Expiration
Date
|
Name
and Principal Position
|
|
Exercisable
|
|
|
Unexercisable
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Steven
L. Ford
Executive
Vice President and CFO (2)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total
|
|
|
250,000 |
(3) |
|
|
- |
|
|
$ |
3.28 |
|
12/21/2015
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ashok
Mishra
|
|
|
10,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
$ |
2.00 |
|
09/29/2014
|
Executive
Vice President and COO
|
|
|
16,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
$ |
2.59 |
|
10/02/2010
|
|
|
|
50,000 |
(1) |
|
|
- |
|
|
$ |
3.46 |
|
12/30/2015
|
|
|
|
90,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
$ |
3.35 |
|
11/09/2013
|
Total
|
|
|
166,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(1)
Granted on December 31, 2005. Shares issuable upon exercise of the option
are subject to the following restrictions: no shares may be sold during the
first year after the date of grant; no more than 25% of the shares may be sold
during the second year after the date of grant; no more than a total of 50% of
the shares may be sold during the second and third years after the date of
grant; and no more than a total of 75% of the shares may be sold during the
second, third and fourth years after the date of grant. No restrictions on sales
apply after the fourth anniversary of the date of grant.
(2) Through
April 27, 2009.
(3)
Granted on December 22, 2005. Shares issuable upon exercise of the option
are subject to the following restrictions: no shares may be sold during the
first year after the date of grant; no more than 25% of the shares may be sold
during the second year after the date of grant; no more than a total of 50% of
the shares may be sold during the second and third years after the date of
grant; and no more than a total of 75% of the shares may be sold during the
second, third and fourth years after the date of grant. No restrictions on sales
apply after the fourth anniversary of the date of grant.
POTENTIAL
PAYMENTS UPON TERMINATION OR CHANGE-IN-CONTROL
Estimated
Termination or Change in Control Benefits at Year-End 2008
The
following table summarizes the estimated value of payments to each of the named
executive officers assuming different termination events occurred at December
31, 2008.
Name
|
|
Cash
Compensation
|
|
|
Welfare
Benefits
|
|
|
Aggregate
Payments
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Jack
S. Abuhoff
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Termination
for cause
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
32,642 |
|
|
|
32,642 |
|
Termination
without cause (1)
|
|
|
1,337,112 |
|
|
|
100,792 |
|
|
|
1,437,904 |
|
Change
in Control (2)
|
|
|
2,005,668 |
|
|
|
134,867 |
|
|
|
2,140,535 |
|
Death
|
|
|
244,206 |
|
|
|
32,642 |
|
|
|
276,848 |
|
Disability
|
|
|
350,294 |
|
|
|
32,642 |
|
|
|
382,936 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ashok
Mishra
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Termination
for cause
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
Termination
without cause (1)
|
|
|
304,404 |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
304,404 |
|
Change
in Control
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
Death
|
|
|
84,404 |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
84,404 |
|
Disability
|
|
|
139,404 |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
139,404 |
|
(1)
|
Includes
resignation by the executive with good reason (as described
below).
|
(2)
|
Assumes
the Company’s termination of the executive’s employment coincident or
following a change in control (as described
below).
|
Payments
on Change in Control
Pursuant
to Mr. Abuhoff’s employment agreement, a change of control shall be deemed to
have occurred as of the earliest of any of the following events:
|
·
|
The
closing of a transaction by the Company or any person (other than the
Company, any subsidiary of the Company or any employee benefit plan of the
Company or of any subsidiary of the Company) (a “Person”),
together with all “affiliates and “associates” (within the meanings of
such terms under Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended) (the “Exchange Act”)
of such Person, shall be the beneficial owner of thirty percent (30%) or
more of the Company’s then outstanding voting stock (“Beneficial
Ownership”);
|
|
·
|
A
change in the constituency of the Board such that, during any period of
thirty-six (36) consecutive months, at least a majority of the entire
Board shall not consist of Incumbent Directors. For purposes of
this Paragraph 5(c)(ii), “Incumbent
Directors” shall mean individuals who at the beginning of such
thirty-six (36) month period constitute the Board, unless the election or
nomination for election by the shareholders of the Company of each such
new director was approved by a vote of a majority of the Incumbent
Directors;
|
|
·
|
The
closing of a transaction involving the merger, consolidation, share
exchange or similar transaction between the Company and any other
corporation other than a transaction which results in the Company’s voting
stock immediately prior to the consummation of such transaction continuing
to represent (either by remaining outstanding or by being converted into
voting stock of the surviving entity) at least two-thirds (2/3rds) of the
combined voting power of the Company’s or such surviving entity’s
outstanding voting stock immediately after such
transaction;
|
|
·
|
The
closing of a transaction involving the sale or disposition by the Company
(in one transaction or a series of transactions) of all or substantially
all of the Company’s assets; or
|
|
·
|
A
plan of liquidation or dissolution of the Company goes into
effect.
|
Upon the
Company’s termination of Mr. Abuhoff’s employment coincident or following a
change of control, Mr. Abuhoff will receive:
|
·
|
300%
of his base salary to be paid in a lump sum payout within 30 days of the
date of his termination;
|
|
·
|
300%
of the greater of his most recently declared bonus (as defined) or the
average of the his three most recently declared bonuses to be paid in a
lump sum payout within 30 days of the date of his
termination;
|
|
·
|
Continuation
of his, and his dependents’, medical benefits, dental benefits, life
insurance and disability insurance until the earlier of the end of the
maximum applicable COBRA coverage period or for the 36 month period
immediately following Mr. Abuhoff’s termination (and if the COBRA period
is shorter than the applicable 36 month period, pay Mr. Abuhoff an amount
equal to the monthly cost charged by the Company for COBRA coverage during
the period beginning upon the expiration of the maximum COBRA coverage
period and the end of the 36 month continuation
period);
|
|
·
|
The
removal of any vesting, transfer, lock-up, performance or other
restrictions or requirements on his stock options and other equity and
non-equity-based awards and incentives;
and
|
|
·
|
Payment
of up to six weeks of accrued but unused
vacation.
|
Upon the
occurrence of a change of control without a termination of Mr. Abuhoff’s
employment, Mr. Abuhoff will receive:
|
·
|
The
removal of any vesting, transfer, lock-up, performance or other
restrictions or requirements on his stock options and other equity and
non-equity-based awards and
incentives.
|
Payments
on Termination (other than upon Change in Control)
Pursuant
to Mr. Abuhoff’s employment agreement, if Mr. Abuhoff’s employment is terminated
by the Company other than for cause, death or disability, or Mr. Abuhoff resigns
his employment for good reason (including the Company’s breach of its material
obligations under the Agreement, the Company, without Mr. Abuhoff’s prior
consent, relocating Mr. Abuhoff’s regular office location by more than 50 miles
from its present location, the Company assigning duties to Mr. Abuhoff which
represent a material diminution of his authorities, duties or responsibilities,
or requiring him to report to any person or entity other than the Board of
Directors, and the Company does not revoke or reasonably cure any such action
within 30 days of receipt of notice from Mr. Abuhoff and Mr. Abuhoff resigns his
employment within 30 days thereafter) Mr. Abuhoff will be entitled to (i) 200%
of his (A) base salary and (B) the greater of his most recently declared bonus
(as defined) or the average of the his three most recently declared bonuses to
be paid in substantially equal payments over a period of 24 months; (ii) the
continuation of his and his dependents’ medical, dental, life, and disability
insurance until the earlier of the end of the maximum applicable COBRA coverage
period or for the 24 month period immediately following Mr. Abuhoff’s
termination (and if the COBRA period is shorter than the applicable 24 month
period, pay Mr. Abuhoff an amount equal to the monthly cost charged by the
Company for COBRA coverage during the period beginning upon the expiration of
the maximum COBRA coverage period and the end of the 24 month continuation
period); and (iii) the removal of any vesting, transfer, lock-up, performance or
other restrictions or requirements on his stock options and other equity and
non-equity-based awards and incentives. If Mr. Abuhoff’s employment is
terminated for death, his estate will receive payment of his base salary through
the date of termination, a pro-rated bonus based on his performance of his
objectives through the date of termination, and payment of up to six weeks of
accrued but unused vacation. If Mr. Abuhoff’s employment is terminated for
disability he will receive payment of his base salary for a 90 day period
following the date of termination, a pro-rated bonus based on active duty with
the Company and conditioned on attainment of quantitative objectives, and
payment of up to six weeks of accrued but unused vacation. If Mr. Abuhoff’s
employment is terminated for cause, Mr. Abuhoff will receive his base salary
through the date of termination, and payment for up to six weeks of accrued but
unused vacation. In return for the benefits described above, Mr. Abuhoff is
required to sign a separation agreement and general release, and agreed, for a
12 month period following termination of his employment, not to compete or
interfere with the Company, and not to employ or retain the services of an
employee of the Company.
The
Agreement also provides for potential tax gross-up payments in respect of taxes,
penalties and/or interest that may be incurred by Mr. Abuhoff under Section 409A
of the Code.
In the
event Mr. Abuhoff is a “specified employee” as defined in Section 409A of the
Code at the time of his termination of employment, the payments referenced above
(for both Change of Control and other than upon Change of Control) shall be
delayed until the date that is six months and one day following his termination
of employment (or, if earlier, the earliest other date as is permitted under
Section 409A of the Code). The amount payable on such date shall include all
amounts that would have been payable to Mr. Abuhoff prior to that date but for
the application of Section 409A and the remaining payments shall be made in
substantially equal installments until fully paid. Notwithstanding
the foregoing, the six month delay shall not apply to any such payments made (A)
during the short term deferral period set forth in Treasury Regulation Section
1.409A-1(b)(4), or (B) after said short term deferral period, payable solely on
account of an involuntary separation from service (as defined in Section 409A of
the Code) and in an amount less than the Section 409A Severance
Exemption Amount. The Agreement also provides for potential tax gross-up
payments in respect of taxes, penalties and/or interest that may be incurred by
Mr. Abuhoff under Section 409A of the Code.
Pursuant
to Mr. Mishra’s agreement, if the agreement is terminated without cause or by
Mr. Mishra with good reason (including the Company’s material breach of its
obligations, reduction of base salary below that set forth in the agreement
without Mr. Mishra’s consent, and assignment of duties to Mr. Mishra
inconsistent with his position and the Company does not reasonably cure such
event after receipt of written notice from Mr. Mishra that he intends to resign
his employment), he will be entitled to his base salary for 12 months following
the date of his termination or resignation with good reason, any earned but
unpaid incentive compensation, and payment for up to six weeks of accrued but
unused vacation. If the agreement is terminated due to Mr. Mishra’s death, his
estate will receive payment of his base salary through the date of termination,
any earned but unpaid incentive compensation, and payment for up to six weeks of
accrued but unused vacation. If the agreement is terminated due to Mr. Mishra’s
disability he will receive payment of his base salary for a 90 day period
following the date of termination, any earned but unpaid incentive compensation,
and payment for up to six weeks of accrued but unused vacation. If
this agreement is terminated for cause, Mr. Mishra will receive his base salary
through the date of termination, and payment for up to six weeks of accrued but
unused vacation. In return for the benefits described above, Mr. Mishra is
required to sign a separation agreement and general release, and agreed not to
compete with the Company for a 12 month period following termination of his
employment, and not to solicit the customers of the Company or to solicit or
employ the services of an employee of the Company for a 24 month period
following termination of employment.
QUALIFICATION
BY REFERENCE
The matters
described in the sections titled "Narrative Disclosure to Summary Compensation
Table" and "Potential Payments Upon Termination or Change-in-Control" are
qualified in their entirety by reference to agreements previously
filed by the Company in reports with the Securities and Exchange
Commission.
DIRECTOR
COMPENSATION
Summary
Director Compensation Table
The
following table sets forth information regarding compensation paid or accrued to
directors in fiscal year ended December 31, 2008.
Name
|
|
Fees
Earned or
Paid
in Cash
|
|
|
Option
Awards (1)
|
|
|
All
Other
Compensation
|
|
|
Total
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Haig
S. Bagerdjian
|
|
$ |
30,000 |
|
|
$ |
26,800 |
|
|
$ |
- |
|
|
$ |
56,800 |
|
Louise
C. Forlenza
|
|
|
40,000 |
|
|
|
26,800 |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
66,800 |
|
John
R. Marozsan
|
|
|
36,000 |
|
|
|
26,800 |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
62,800 |
|
Todd
H. Solomon
|
|
|
5,000 |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
5,000 |
|
Peter
H. Woodward
|
|
|
30,000 |
|
|
|
26,800 |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
56,800 |
|
|
|
$ |
141,000 |
|
|
$ |
107,200 |
|
|
$ |
- |
|
|
$ |
248,200 |
|
(1) The
amount set forth in the “Option Awards” column represents the compensation costs
for financial statement purposes recognized in 2008 relating to stock option
awards that were granted in August 2008 in accordance with Statement of
Financial Accounting Standards No. 123 (Revised 2004), Share-Based Payment. See
Note 9 of the consolidated financial statements in the Company’s 2008 Form 10-K
regarding assumptions underlying valuation of option awards. As of December 31,
2008 each of Messrs. Bagerdjian and Marozsan and Ms. Forlenza has an option to
purchase 83,000 shares of common stock, and Mr. Woodward has an option to
purchase 28,000 shares of common stock. The grant date fair value was $69,000
for each of Messrs. Bagerdjian, Marozsan and Woodward and Ms.
Forlenza.
Narrative
Disclosure to Director Compensation Table
Messrs.
Bagerdjian, Marozsan, Solomon and Woodward and Ms. Forlenza are compensated at
the rate of $2,500 per month, plus out-of-pocket expenses for each Board of
Directors meeting they attend. The Chair of the Audit Committee receives an
additional $833.34 per month, and the Chair of the Compensation Committee
receives an additional $500 per month. The directors do not receive any
compensation for serving as a member on a Committee of the Board of
Directors.
TRANSACTIONS
WITH RELATED PERSONS, PROMOTERS AND CERTAIN CONTROL PERSONS
The Company maintains a written policy
and procedures for the review, approval, or ratification of any related party
transactions that the Company is required to report under this section of the
Proxy Statement. A related party, for purposes of the Company’s policy,
means any (1) person who is or was (since the beginning of the last
fiscal year for which the Company has filed a Form 10-K and proxy statement,
even if they do not presently serve in that role) an executive officer, director
or nominee for election as a director; (2) greater than five percent beneficial
owner of the Company’s common stock; or (3) immediate family member of any of
the foregoing. Immediate family member includes a person’s spouse, parents,
stepparents, children, stepchildren, siblings, mothers-and fathers-in-law,
sons-and daughters-in-law, and brothers-and sisters-in-law and anyone residing
in such person’s home (other than a tenant or employee).
Under the related party transaction
policy, any transaction, arrangement or relationship or series of transactions,
arrangements or relationships in which the aggregate amount involved will or may
be expected to exceed $120,000 in any calendar year between the Company and a
related party must be approved by the Audit Committee, unless the transaction,
arrangement or relationship is pre-approved under the policy.
As set forth in the policy, in the
course of its review, approval or ratification of a related party transaction
the Audit Committee considers, among other factors it deems appropriate, whether
the transaction is on terms no less favorable to the Company than terms
generally available to an unaffiliated third party under the same or similar
circumstances and the extent of the related party’s interest in the
transaction.
No director shall participate in any
discussion or approval of a related party transaction for which he or she is a
related party, except that the director shall provide all material information
concerning the transaction to the Audit Committee and, if a member of the Audit
Committee, may be counted in determining the presence of a quorum at any meeting
at which the transaction is discussed and/or approved.
SECURITY
OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT
The following table sets forth, as of
March 31, 2009, certain information regarding the beneficial ownership (as
defined in Rule 13d-3 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) of the
Company's Common Stock based upon the most recent information available to the
Company for (i) each person known by the Company to own beneficially more than
five (5%) percent of the Company's outstanding Common Stock, (ii) each director
and nominee for director of the Company, (iii) each of the Company’s Named
Executive Officers, and (iv) all Executive Officers and directors of the Company
as a group. Unless otherwise indicated, each stockholder's address is
c/o the Company, Three University Plaza, Hackensack, New Jersey
07601.
|
|
Amount
and Nature
|
|
|
|
|
Name
and Address of
|
|
of
Beneficial
|
|
|
|
|
Beneficial
Owner
|
|
Ownership
|
|
|
Percent
of Class
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Directors:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Jack
S. Abuhoff (2)
|
|
|
2,187,639 |
|
|
|
8.52 |
% |
Haig
S. Bagerdjian (3)
|
|
|
94,689 |
|
|
|
* |
|
Louise
C. Forlenza (3)
|
|
|
91,999 |
|
|
|
* |
|
John
R. Marozsan (3)
|
|
|
96,699 |
|
|
|
* |
|
Stewart
R. Massey
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
|
|
Todd
H. Solomon
|
|
|
1,972,311 |
|
|
|
8.17 |
% |
Anthea
C. Stratigos
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
* |
|
Peter
H. Woodward (4)
|
|
|
93,848 |
|
|
|
* |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Named
Executive Officers:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Steven
L. Ford (5)
|
|
|
270,000 |
|
|
|
1.11 |
% |
Ashok
Mishra (6)
|
|
|
166,000 |
|
|
|
* |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
All
Executive Officers and Directors
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
as
a Group (10 persons) (7)
|
|
|
4,758,185 |
|
|
|
18.21 |
% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Known
Beneficial Holders of More Than 5%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
None
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
* Less
than 1%.
(1) Unless
otherwise indicated, (i) each person has sole investment and voting power with
respect to the shares indicated; and (ii) the shares indicated are currently
outstanding shares. For purposes of this table, a person or group of
persons is deemed to have "beneficial ownership" of any shares as of a given
date which such person has the right to acquire within 60 days after such
date. For purposes of computing the percentage of outstanding shares
held by each person or group of persons named above on a given date, any
security which such person or persons has the right to acquire within 60 days
after such date is deemed to be outstanding for the purpose of computing the
percentage
ownership of such person or persons, but is not deemed to be outstanding for the
purpose of computing the percentage ownership of any other
person. Subject to the foregoing, the percentages are calculated
based on 24,154,499 shares outstanding.
(2) Includes
currently exercisable options to purchase 1,507,500 shares of Common
Stock.
(3) Includes
currently exercisable options to purchase 75,999 shares of Common
Stock.
(4) Includes
currently exercisable options to purchase 20,999 shares of Common Stock. The
balance represents shares owned by MHW Partners, L.P. Mr. Woodward is the
Managing Member of the general partner of MHW Partners, L.P. Mr. Woodward
disclaims beneficial ownership of these shares except to the extent of his
pecuniary interest therein.
(5) Includes
currently exercisable options to purchase 250,000 shares of Common
Stock.
(6) Represents
currently exercisable options to purchase 166,000 shares of Common
Stock.
(7) Includes
currently exercisable options to purchase 1,977,496 shares of Common
Stock.
Compliance
with Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act
Section 16(a)
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 requires the Company’s directors, certain
of its officers, and any person owning more than ten percent of the Company’s
securities to file reports of ownership and changes of ownership with the
Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company has procedures in place to
assist its directors and officers in preparing and filing these reports on a
timely basis. Based solely on a review of the forms filed, upon our
records, and upon representations furnished by the Company’s officers and
directors that no Form 5s were required, the Company believes that during the
period from January 1, 2008 through December 31, 2008 all officers and directors
complied with Section 16(a) filing requirements.
PROPOSAL
2. RATIFICATION OF APPOINTMENT OF INDEPENDENT AUDITORS
Subject
to approval by the stockholders, the Board of Directors has appointed J.H. Cohn
LLP as the independent auditors to audit the financial statements of the Company
for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2009. J.H. Cohn LLP has served as the
Company's auditors since September 2008. A representative of J.H.
Cohn LLP is expected to be present at the Annual Meeting and will have the
opportunity to make a statement if he desires to do so. A representative of J.H.
Cohn LLP is also expected to be available to respond to appropriate questions at
the meeting.
In the
event that the stockholders fail to ratify this appointment, other independent
auditors will be considered upon recommendation of the Audit Committee. Even if
this appointment is ratified, our Board of Directors, in its discretion, may
direct the appointment of a new independent accounting firm at any time during
the year, if the Board believes that such a change would be in the best interest
of the Company and its stockholders.
THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
RECOMMENDS THAT YOU VOTE FOR RATIFICATION OF THE
APPOINTMENT OF J.H. COHN LLP
AS INDEPENDENT AUDITORS
PROPOSAL
3. APPROVAL OF THE INNODATA ISOGEN, INC. 2009 STOCK PLAN
The Board
of Directors has adopted, and recommends that the stockholders approve, the
Innodata Isogen, Inc. 2009 Stock Plan. The 2009 Plan permits the grant of stock
options, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock, stock units and
performance grants. Stockholder approval of the 2009 Plan is required by Nasdaq
rules. If we receive stockholder approval, the 2009 Plan will become effective
June 12, 2009. If we do not receive stockholder approval, the 2009 Plan will not
go into effect.
Additional
Information Concerning the Plan
A summary of the material terms of
the 2009 Plan is provided below, but is qualified in its entirety by reference
to the full text of the 2009 Plan that is included as Annex A to this proxy
statement.
Effective
Date. The Plan was approved by the Innodata Isogen Board of Directors on March
23, 2009 and will become effective on the date the Plan is approved by the
shareholders of the Company.
Shares
Available. The maximum number of shares of common stock that may be delivered
under the Plan is (i)1,000,000 shares of Common Stock of Innodata Isogen
(“Stock”), plus (ii) 835,834, shares of Common Stock that are currently
available for issuance under the Company’s 2001 and 2002 Stock Option Plans (the
“Prior Plans”), plus (iii) any shares subject to an award or portion of any
award under the Prior Plans that are currently outstanding as of the effective
date of the Plan that expire or terminate unexercised, become unexercisable or
are forfeited or otherwise terminated, surrendered or canceled as to any shares
without the delivery of shares of Stock or other
consideration, subject to adjustment for certain specified
changes to the Company's capital structure. Some awards under the Plan may link
future payments to the awardee to the future value of a specified number of
shares of common stock. The number of shares used for reference purposes in
connection with these awards will be considered "delivered" for purposes of
computing the maximum number of shares that may be delivered under the Plan. If
an award under the Plan terminates without the shares subject thereto being
delivered, the shares subject to such award will thereafter be available for
further awards under the Plan.
No further grants may be made under the
Prior Plans on or after the date on which the Plan is approved by the
shareholders of the Company.
Plan
Limits. The maximum number of shares of Stock that may be issued under the Plan
as restricted stock awards or with reference to Stock units is 1,000,000 shares,
and the maximum number of shares of Stock that may be subject to awards of any
combination that may be granted during any fiscal year of the Company to any one
individual is 1,000,000 shares, both subject to adjustment for certain specified
changes to the Company's capital structure. The maximum amount of cash that may
be paid under the Plan to any on individual during any one fiscal year of the
Company is $2,000,000.
Share
Counting. Any shares of
Stock tendered or exchanged by a participant as full or partial payment to the
Company of the exercise price under an option and any shares retained or
withheld in satisfaction of a participant’s tax withholding obligations with
respect to any award shall not be available for issuance, subjected to new
awards or otherwise used to increase the number of shares of Stock available for
awards under the Plan. The cash proceeds from option exercises shall not be used
to repurchase shares of Stock on the open market for reuse under the
Plan. SARs issued under the Plan that may be settled in shares of
Stock shall reduce the number of shares available for Awards under the Plan by
the number of shares of Stock equal to the number of such SARs that are
issued. Awards under the Plan that may only be settled in cash shall
not reduce the number of shares available for awards under the
Plan.
Eligibility.
All directors, officers and other employees and other persons who provide
services to the Company or any Related Company (as defined in Section 2.21 of
the Plan) are eligible to participate in the Plan.
Administration.
The administrator of the Plan will be the board or any other committee which the
board designates to serve as the administrator of the Plan. The board or
committee serving as administrator (the "Committee") will, among other things,
have the authority to: construe the Plan and any award under the Plan; select
the directors and officers and others who provide services to the Company to
whom awards may be granted and the time or times at which awards will be
granted; determine the number of shares of common stock to be covered by or used
for reference purposes for any award; determine and modify from time to time the
terms, conditions, and restrictions of any award; approve the form of written
instrument evidencing any award; accelerate or otherwise change the time or
times at which an award becomes vested or when an award may be exercised or
becomes payable; waive, or accelerate the lapse, in whole or in part, any
restriction or condition with respect to any award; impose limitations on
awards; modify, extend or renew outstanding awards, or accept the surrender of
outstanding awards and substitute new awards (subject to the restrictions
below); delegate, to the extent permitted by applicable law, any portion of its
authority under the Plan to any officer or director of the Company, subject to
any conditions the Committee may establish; and make all other determinations
deemed necessary or advisable for the administration of the Plan.
Repricing
Prohibited. Without
prior shareholder approval, the administrator of the Plan is expressly
prohibited from (i) lowering the exercise price of any option or SAR after the
date of grant; (ii) taking any other action that is treated as a repricing under
generally accepted accounting principles; or (iii) cancelling an option or SAR
at a time when its exercise price (or, with respect to an SAR, the fair market
value of the Stock covered by the SAR on the grant date) exceeds the fair market
value of the underlying Stock in exchange for any other award, unless the
cancellation and exchange occurs in connection with a corporate transaction (as
described in Section 10.1 of the Plan).
The
Committee has not yet made any awards under the Plan. Because the granting of
awards is in the sole discretion of the Committee, the nature and magnitude of
future awards cannot currently be determined.
Types of
Awards. The types of awards that may be made under the Plan are stock options,
stock appreciation rights, restricted stock awards, stock units and performance
grants. The Committee will fix the terms of each award, including, to the extent
relevant, the following: (1) exercise price for options, base price for stock
appreciation rights, purchase price, if any, for restricted stock awards, and
performance goals for performance grants, (2) vesting requirements and other
conditions to exercise, (3) term and termination, (4) effect, if any, of change
of control and (5) method of exercise and of any required payment by the
recipient. Additional information concerning the types of awards that may be
made is set forth below.
Stock
Options. The Committee may grant options that are qualified as "incentive stock
options" under Section 422 of the Internal Revenue Code ("ISOs") and options
that are not so qualified ("non-qualified options"). ISOs are subject to certain
special limitations, including the following: (1) the exercise price per share
may not be less than 100% of the fair market value per share of our common stock
on the grant date (110% of such fair market value, if the recipient owns more
than 10% of the total combined voting power of all classes of our outstanding
shares), (2) the term may not exceed 10 years (5 years, if the recipient owns
more than 10% of the total combined voting power of all classes of our
outstanding shares), and (3) the recipient must be an employee of our Company.
The term for non-qualified options may not exceed 10 years.
Stock
Appreciation Rights. A stock appreciation right gives the holder the opportunity
to benefit from the appreciation of our common stock over a specified base price
determined by the Committee. The base price may not be less than 100% of the
fair market value of the Stock covered by the SAR on the date of grant. Upon
exercise of a stock appreciation right, the holder has the right to receive in
respect of each share subject thereto a payment equal to the excess, if any, of:
(1) the fair market value of a share of our common stock as of the exercise date
over (2) the specified base price. At the discretion of the Committee, any
required payment may be made in cash, shares of our common stock, or both. The
term of any SAR may not exceed 10 years.
Restricted
Stock Awards. A restricted stock award entitles the recipient to acquire shares
of our common stock for no consideration or for the consideration specified by
the Committee. The shares will be subject to such vesting periods and other
restrictions and conditions as the Committee determines
Stock
Units. A stock unit is a bookkeeping account to which there is credited the fair
market value of a share of our common stock. The value of the account is
subsequently adjusted to reflect changes in the fair market value.
Upon exercise of a stock unit, the holder is entitled to receive the value of
the account. At the discretion of the Committee, any required payment may be
made in cash, shares of our common stock, or both.
Performance
Grants. A performance grant is an award based on the achievement of performance
goals set forth with respect to certain performance criteria. For each
performance grant the Committee will establish the amount of cash or shares of
our common stock payable at specified levels of performance, based on the
performance goals for each performance criterion. Any performance grant will be
made not later than 90 days after the start of the performance period to which
such award relates and will be made prior to the completion of 25% of the
performance period. The Committee may increase, but not decrease, the level of
performance needed to achieve any performance goal during the performance
period.
Performance
Criterion. Performance goals may be based on any one or more of the following
performance criteria: cash flow; cash flow from operations; earnings
(including, but not limited to, earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation
and amortization); earnings per share, diluted or basic; earnings per share from
continuing operations; net asset turnover; inventory turnover; capital
expenditures; debt; debt reduction; working capital; return on investment;
return on sales; net or gross sales; market share; economic value added; cost of
capital; change in assets; expense reduction levels; productivity; delivery
performance; safety record; stock price; return on equity; total
stockholder return; return on capital; return on assets or net
assets; revenue; income or net income; operating income or net
operating income; operating profit or net operating profit; gross
margin, operating margin or profit margin; and completion of acquisitions,
business expansion, product diversification, new or expanded market penetration
and other non-financial operating and management performance
objectives.
Code
Section 162(m). With respect to any restricted stock awards or stock units
intended to qualify as “performance-based compensation" under Code Section
162(m), the terms and conditions of such award shall be implemented by the
Committee in a manner designed to preserve such awards as “performance-based
compensation.”
Modifications.
No modification (within the meaning of U.S. Treasury Regulations Section
1.409A-1(b)(5)(v)(B)) may be made with respect to any option or SAR if the
modification would result in the Option or SAR constituting a deferral of
compensation, and no extension (within the meaning of U.S. Treasury Regulations
Section 1.409A-1(b)(5)(v)(C)) may be made with respect to any Option or SAR if
the extension would result in the Option or SAR having an additional deferral
feature from the date of grant, in each case without the participant’s
consent.
Certain
Corporate Transactions. If certain corporate transactions specified in the Plan
occur, the Committee shall proportionately adjust the Plan and awards as it
deems necessary or appropriate to prevent enlargement or dilution of rights,
including, without limitation, (1) the number of shares of stock that can be
granted or used for reference purposes pursuant to the Plan and any other limits
under the Plan; (2) the number and kind of shares or other securities subject to
any then outstanding awards under the Plan; and (3) the exercise
price, base price, or purchase price applicable to outstanding awards under the
Plan. The Committee may cancel outstanding awards, but not outstanding stock or
restricted stock awards, in connection with any merger or consolidation of our
Company or any sale or transfer of all or part of our assets or business, or any
similar event. The Committee may determine to pay no compensation whatsoever for
any canceled awards that are not in-the-money (as defined below) or for any
canceled awards to the extent not vested. The Company is required to provide
payment in cash or other property for the in-the-money value of the vested
portion of awards that are in-the-money and that are canceled as aforesaid.
Awards are in-the-money only to the extent of their then realizable market
value, without taking into account the potential future increase in the value of
the award (whether under Black-Scholes-type formulas or otherwise).
Any
adjustment of ISOs shall be made only to the extent not constituting a
"modification" within the meaning of Code Section 424(h)(3). Further, with
respect to Awards intended to qualify as "performance-based compensation" under
Code Section 162(m), such adjustments shall be made only to the extent that the
Administrator determines that such adjustments may be made without causing the
Company to be denied a tax deduction on account of Code section 162(m). No
adjustments of NSOs and SARs shall be made, without the recipient’s consent, to
the extent such adjustment would result in the NSO or SAR constituting a
deferral of compensation (within the meaning of U.S. Treasury Regulations
Section 1.409A-1(b)(5)(v)(B) or(C)).
Amendment.
The Board of Directors may amend, alter, suspend, discontinue, or terminate the
Plan or any portion thereof at any time; provided that no such amendment,
alteration, suspension, discontinuation or termination shall be made without
shareholder approval if such approval is necessary to comply with any tax or
regulatory requirement applicable to the Plan (including as necessary to prevent
the Corporation from being denied a tax deduction on account of Code Section
162(m)); and provided further that any such amendment, alteration, suspension,
discontinuance or termination that would impair the rights of any participant or
any holder or beneficiary of any award theretofore granted shall not to that
extent be effective without the consent of the affected participant, holder or
beneficiary.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Board may unilaterally amend the Plan
and outstanding Awards without participant consent as it deems necessary or
appropriate to ensure compliance with applicable securities laws and provisions
of the Code.
Term of
Plan. No award may be granted under the Plan after the close of business on the
day immediately preceding the tenth anniversary of the adoption of the Plan.
However, all awards made prior to such time will remain in effect in accordance
with their terms.
Section
409A Compliance.
Separation
from Service. With respect to any award that provides for a deferral of
compensation for purposes of Code Section 409A and that is payable under its
terms on a participant’s termination of employment (including a participant’s
termination of employment on account of retirement, if applicable), (i) any
references in the Plan and in the participant’s grant agreement to the
participant’s termination of employment or date of termination of employment
shall refer to the participant’s Separation from Service or date of Separation
from Service, as the case may be; and (ii) notwithstanding any provision herein
or in the participant’s Grant Agreement to the contrary, if at the time of
payment under such an award, the participant is a “specified employee” (as
defined below), no such payment shall occur prior to the earlier of (A) the
expiration of the six (6)-month period measured from the date of the
participant’s Separation from Service, or (B) the date of the participant’s
death. Upon the expiration of the six (6)-month deferral period
referred to in the preceding sentence or the participant’s death, all amounts
that would otherwise have been paid during such period but for these provisions
shall be paid and any amounts that remain to be paid under the award shall be
paid in accordance with the terms hereof and of the grant
agreement. The term “specified employee” shall have the same meaning
as assigned to that term under Code Section 409A(a)(2)(B)(i) and whether a
participant is a specified employee shall be determined in accordance with
written guidelines adopted by the Company for such purposes (or, in the absence
of such guidelines, in accordance with the default provisions of Code Section
409A).
Qualifying
Change of Control. With respect to any award that provides for a
deferral of compensation for purposes of Code Section 409A and that is payable
under its terms upon a Change of Control (as defined in Section 2.5 of the
Plan), or under which the time or form of payment of the award varies depending
on whether a Change of Control has occurred, any references herein and in the
Participant’s grant agreement to a Change of Control or date of the Change of
Control shall refer to a Qualifying Change of Control or the date of a
Qualifying Change of Control, as the case may be. A “Qualifying
Change of Control” for this purpose is an event which meets all the requirements
for a Change of Control and which, in addition, constitutes a change in
ownership of the Affected Corporation (as defined in Section 2.2 of the Plan), a
change in effective control of the Affected Corporation, or a change in
ownership of substantially all of the Affected Corporation’s assets, each as
defined in U.S. Treasury Regulations Section 1.409A-3(i)(5).
Summary of Federal Income
Tax Consequences.
Generally,
a participant in the Plan will not incur any federal income tax when he receives
an award, unless a participant who receives a restricted stock award makes a
valid Section 83(b) election with respect to the award. If the
participant makes a valid Section 83(b) election, the participant will recognize
ordinary income equal to the fair market value of the restricted shares on the
date of grant, and generally will not recognize any additional ordinary income
at the time the restrictions with respect to the shares lapse.
Upon
exercise of a nonstatutory stock option, a participant generally will recognize
ordinary income equal to the difference between the fair market value of the
stock acquired on the date of the exercise and the exercise price. A
participant generally will not recognize any ordinary income upon exercise of an
incentive stock option unless the participant is subject to the alternative
minimum tax. If the participant holds the stock purchased upon
exercise
of an incentive stock option until the later of two years after the date of
grant or one year after exercise, then any profit or loss realized on the later
sale or exchange of the stock relative to the exercise price will be capital
gain or loss. If the participant sells or exchanges the stock prior
to expiration of the holding period, the participant generally will recognize
ordinary income equal to the difference between the fair market value of the
shares at the time of exercise (or, if less, the amount realized upon the sale
or exchange) and the exercise price, and any additional profit will be capital
gain. If the amount realized upon the sale or exchange of the shares
is less than the exercise price paid, then the participant will generally be
entitled to a capital loss.
Unless
the participant has made a valid Section 83(b) election, upon vesting of
restricted stock, a participant will generally recognize ordinary income equal
to the fair market value of the shares, determined at the time of
vesting. A participant will generally recognize ordinary income upon
payment of stock appreciation rights, restricted stock units and performance
grants equal to the cash received or the fair market value of the shares paid
under the award determined at the time of payment.
If the
participant is an employee then ordinary income recognized by the participant in
connection with an award as described above is generally subject to applicable
tax withholding by us. We generally are not required to withhold
taxes in connection with the exercise or disposition of an incentive stock
option.
Assuming
that a participant’s compensation is otherwise reasonable and that the statutory
limitations on compensation deductions (including the limitations under Internal
Revenue Code Sections 162(m) and 280G) do not apply, we usually will be entitled
to a business expense deduction when and for the amount which a participant
recognizes as ordinary income in connection with an incentive award, as
described above. We generally do not receive a deduction in
connection with the exercise of an incentive stock option unless there is a
disqualifying disposition of the shares acquired under the option.
Internal
Revenue Code Section 162(m) imposes a $1,000,000 limit on the amount of the
annual compensation deduction allowable to a publicly-held company with respect
to its chief executive officer and up to four other most highly compensated
officers whose compensation is required to be reported to shareholders under the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934. An exception to this limit is
provided for performance-based compensation if certain requirements are
met. The Plan permits awards under the Plan to be granted in a manner
that will qualify for this exception from the deduction limit.
The
discussion above is subject to the general federal tax doctrines of constructive
receipt and economic benefit and to the applicable provisions of Code section
409A. If at any time a participant is in constructive receipt or
receives the economic benefit of an award, the participant may incur federal tax
liabilities with respect to the award earlier than the times described
above. In addition if at any time the Plan, any award under the Plan
or any arrangement required to be aggregated with the Plan or any award under
the Plan fails to comply with the applicable requirements of Code section 409A,
all amounts (including earnings) deferred under the Plan or such award for the
taxable year and all preceding taxable years by any participant with respect to
whom the failure relates are includible in such participant’s gross income for
the taxable year to the extent not subject to a substantial risk of forfeiture
and not previously included in the participant’s gross income. These
amounts are also subject to an additional income tax equal to 20 percent of the
amount required to be included in gross income and interest equal to the
underpayment rate specified by the Internal Revenue Service plus one percentage
point, imposed on the underpayments that would have occurred had the
compensation been includible in income for the taxable year when first deferred,
or if later, when not subject to a substantial risk of forfeiture.
THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
RECOMMENDS THAT YOU VOTE FOR APPROVAL OF THE
INNODATA ISOGEN, INC. 2009
STOCK PLAN
VOTE
REQUIRED
Election of
Directors. Directors will be elected at the meeting by a
plurality of the votes cast (i.e., the six nominees receiving the greatest
number of votes will be elected as directors).
Ratification of the Appointment of
Independent Auditors. The appointment of J.H. Cohn LLP as
independent auditors requires the affirmative vote of a majority of the shares
present in person or represented by proxy at the meeting and entitled to vote on
the matter.
Approval of the Innodata Isogen,
Inc. 2009 Stock Plan. The approval of the Innodata Isogen, Inc. 2009
Stock Plan requires the affirmative vote of a majority of the shares present in
person or represented by proxy at the meeting and entitled to vote on the
matter. Abstentions will have the same effect as a vote against such
approval, whereas broker non-votes and shares not represented at the meeting
will not be counted for purposes of determining whether such approval has been
received.
EXPENSE
OF SOLICITATION
The cost
of soliciting Proxies, which also includes the preparation, printing and mailing
of the Proxy Statement, will be borne by the Company. Solicitation will be made
by the Company primarily through the mail, but regular employees of the Company
may solicit Proxies personally, by telephone, facsimile or electronic
communication. The Company will request brokers and nominees to obtain voting
instructions of beneficial owners of the stock registered in their names and
will reimburse them for any expenses incurred in connection therewith. In
addition, we have retained The Altman Group to assist in the solicitation of
Proxies for the 2009 Annual Meeting at a fee of approximately $6,000, plus
associated costs and expenses.
HOUSEHOLDING
We have
adopted a procedure approved by the SEC called “householding.” Under this
procedure, multiple shareowners who share the same last name and address and do
not participate in electronic delivery will receive only one copy of the annual
proxy materials or notice regarding the internet availability of proxy
materials. If the household received a printed set of proxy materials by mail,
each shareowner will receive his or her own proxy card by mail. We have
undertaken householding to reduce our printing costs and postage
fees.
If you
wish to opt out of householding and continue to receive multiple copies of the
proxy materials or notice regarding the internet availability of proxy materials
at the same address, you may do so at any time prior to thirty days before the
mailing of proxy materials or notice regarding the internet availability of
proxy materials, which typically are mailed in May of each year, by notifying us
in writing or by telephone at: Innodata Isogen, Inc. Investor Relations, 3
University Plaza, Hackensack, New Jersey 07601, (201) 371-8000. You also
may request additional copies of the proxy materials or notice regarding the
internet availability of proxy materials by notifying us in writing or by
telephone at the same address or telephone number.
STOCKHOLDER
PROPOSALS FOR THE 2010 ANNUAL MEETING
Notice
Required to Include Proposals in Our Proxy Statement
We will
review for inclusion in next year's proxy statement shareholder proposals
received by December 31, 2009. All proposals must meet the requirements set
forth in the rules and regulations of the SEC in order to be eligible for
inclusion in the proxy statement. Proposals should be sent to
Innodata Isogen, Inc., Three University Plaza, Hackensack, New Jersey 07601,
Attention: Corporate Secretary.
Notice
Required to Bring Business Before an Annual Meeting
Our
by-laws establish an advance notice procedure for stockholders to make
nominations of candidates for election of director or to bring other business
before an annual meeting. Under these procedures, a stockholder that
proposes to nominate a candidate for director or propose other business at the
2010 annual meeting of stockholders, must give us written notice of such
nomination or proposal not less than 60 days and not more than 90 days prior to
the scheduled date of the meeting (or, if less than 70 days' notice or prior
public disclosure of the date of the meeting is given, then not later than the
15th day following the earlier of (i) the date such notice was mailed; or (ii)
the day such public disclosure was made). Such notice must provide
certain information as specified in our by-laws and must be received at our
principal executive offices by the deadline specified above.
ANNUAL
REPORT ON FORM 10-K
A copy of the Company’s Annual Report
on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2008, as filed with the SEC,
excluding exhibits, is being mailed to you concurrently herewith. The exhibits to the Annual Report on
Form 10-K are available upon payment of charges that approximate our cost of
reproduction by written request addressed to Investor Relations, Innodata
Isogen, Inc., 3 University Plaza, Hackensack, New Jersey
07601.
OTHER
MATTERS
The
Company knows of no items of business that are expected to be presented for
consideration at the Annual Meeting which are not enumerated herein. However, if
other matters properly come before the Meeting, it is intended that the person
named in the accompanying Proxy will vote thereon in accordance with his best
judgment.
PLEASE
DATE, SIGN AND RETURN THE PROXY CARD AT YOUR EARLIEST CONVENIENCE IN THE
ENCLOSED RETURN ENVELOPE. NO POSTAGE IS REQUIRED IF MAILED IN THE UNITED STATES.
A PROMPT RETURN OF YOUR PROXY CARD WILL BE APPRECIATED AS IT WILL SAVE THE
EXPENSE OF FURTHER MAILINGS.
By
Order of the Board of Directors
Hackensack,
New Jersey
April 28,
2009
Amy R.
Agress
Vice
President, General Counsel and Secretary
Annex A
INNODATA
ISOGEN, INC. 2009 STOCK PLAN
ARTICLE
I
General
1.1. Purpose. The
purpose of the Innodata Isogen, Inc. 2009 Stock Plan (the “Plan”), is to provide
additional incentive to officers, directors, employees and others who render
services to Innodata Isogen, Inc. (the “Corporation”) and any Related
Company. It is intended that Awards granted under the Plan strengthen
the desire of such persons to join and remain in the employ of the Corporation,
or otherwise render services to the Corporation, and stimulate their efforts on
behalf of the Corporation.
1.2. Term. No
Award shall be granted under the Plan after the close of business on the day
immediately preceding the 10-year anniversary of the adoption of the Plan.
Subject to other applicable provisions of the Plan, all Awards made under the
Plan prior to such termination of the Plan shall remain in effect until such
Awards have been satisfied or terminated in accordance with the Plan and the
terms of such Awards.
1.3. Shares Subject to the
Plan. Subject to adjustments as provided in Article X, the number of
shares of Stock that may be delivered, purchased or used for reference purposes
(with respect to SARs or Stock Units) with respect to Awards granted under the
Plan shall be (i) one million (1,000,000) shares of Common Stock of Innodata
Isogen (“Stock”), plus (ii) eight
hundred thirty-five thousand eight hundred thirty-four (835,834) shares of Stock
that, as of the Effective Date of the Plan, were available for issuance under
the 2001 and 2002 Stock Option Plans (collectively, the “Prior Plans”), plus (iii) any shares
subject to an award or portion of any award under the Prior Plans that are
currently outstanding as of the Effective Date of the Plan that expire or
terminate unexercised, become unexercisable or are forfeited or otherwise
terminated, surrendered or canceled as to any shares without the delivery of
shares of Stock or other consideration. No further awards shall be
made under the Prior Plans on or after the Effective Date of the
Plan. If any Award, or portion of an Award, under the Plan expires or
terminates unexercised, becomes unexercisable or is forfeited or otherwise
terminated, surrendered or canceled as to any shares without the delivery of
shares of Stock or other consideration, the shares subject to such Award shall
thereafter be available for further Awards under the Plan.
1.4 Share
Counting. Any shares of Stock tendered or exchanged by a
Participant as full or partial payment to the Corporation of the exercise price
under an Option and any shares retained or withheld in satisfaction of a
Participant’s tax withholding obligations with respect to any Award shall not be
available for issuance, subjected to new Awards or otherwise used to increase
the number of shares of Stock available for Awards under the Plan. The cash
proceeds from Option exercises shall not be used to repurchase shares of Stock
on the open market for reuse under the Plan. SARs issued under the
Plan that may be settled in shares of Stock shall reduce the number of shares
available for Awards under the Plan by the number of shares of Stock equal to
the number of such SARs that are issued. Awards under the Plan that
may only be settled in cash shall not reduce the number of shares available for
Awards under the Plan.
1.5. Plan
Limits. All of the shares of Stock that may be issued under
this Plan may be issued upon the exercise of Options that qualify as
ISOs. Subject to adjustments as provided in Article X, the maximum
number of shares of Stock subject to Awards of any combination that may be
granted during any one (1) fiscal year of the Corporation to any one (1)
individual shall be limited to one million (1,000,000) shares; provided that
such number shall be adjusted pursuant to Article X, and shares otherwise
counted against such number, only in a manner which will not cause
Awards granted under the Plan to fail to qualify as "performance-based
compensation" under Code Section 162(m). Subject to adjustments as
provided in Article X, the maximum number of shares of Stock that may be issued
under the Plan as Restricted Stock Awards or with reference to Stock Units shall
be one million (1,000,000) shares. The
maximum amount of cash that may be paid under the Plan to any one (1) individual
during any one (1) fiscal year of the Corporation shall be limited to two
million dollars ($2,000,000).
ARTICLE
II
Definitions
For
purposes of the Plan, the following terms shall be defined as set forth
below.
2.1. Administrator means
the Board or, if designated by the Board, the Special Stock Committee, or any
other committee which is designated by the Board as the “Administrator,”
provided that, if any member of the body constituting the Administrator at any
given time does not qualify as (i) an outside director for purposes of Code
Section 162(m), (ii) a non-employee director for purposes of
Rule 16b-3 under the Exchange Act, and (iii) an independent director
for purposes of the rules of the exchange on which the Stock is traded, the
remaining members of the body constituting the Administrator (but not less than
two members) shall be constituted as a subcommittee to act as the Administrator
for purposes of the Plan.
2.2. Affected Corporation
means the corporation (either the Corporation or a Related Company) that employs
the Participant or for which the Participant performs services at the time of a
change of control event (the “Employer Corporation”), and any other corporation
in a chain of corporations in which each corporation owns more than
50 percent of the total fair market value and total voting power of another
corporation in the chain, ending with the Employer Corporation.
2.3. Award means any
Options (including ISOs and NSOs), SARs (including free-standing and tandem
SARs), Restricted Stock Awards, Stock Units, Performance Grants, or any
combination of the foregoing granted pursuant to the Plan, except, however, when
the term is being used under the Plan with respect to a particular category of
grant in which case it shall only refer to that particular category of
grant.
2.4. Board means the Board
of Directors of the Corporation.
2.5. Change of Control
means any of the following events:
(i) The
Corporation merges, consolidates, exchanges shares or engages in a similar
transaction with any other entities other than a transaction which results in
the Corporation’s voting stock immediately prior to the consummation of such
transaction continuing to represent (either by remaining outstanding or by being
converted into voting stock of the surviving entity) at least fifty percent
(50%) of the combined voting power of the Corporation’s or such surviving
entity’s outstanding voting stock immediately after such transaction;
or
(ii) The
liquidation or dissolution of the Corporation or the sale or disposition by the
Corporation (in one (1) transaction or a series of transactions) of all or
substantially all of the Corporation’s assets; or
(iii) The
acquisition by any person (other than the Corporation, any Related Company or
any employee benefit plan of the Corporation or of any Related Company) (a
“Person”), together with all “affiliates” and “associates” (within the meanings
of such terms under Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act) of such Person, of more than
fifty percent (50%) of the Corporation’s then outstanding voting
stock.
2.6 Code means the
Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.
2.7. Exchange Act means
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
2.8. Disability means (i)
for any purpose relating to an ISO, a disability as defined in Code Section
22(e)(3); and (ii) for any purpose relating to an Award that provides for a
deferral of compensation within the meaning of Code Section 409A and that is
payable under its terms upon the Participant’s Disability, the Participant’s
inability to engage in any substantial gainful activity or receipt of income
replacement benefits for a period of not less than three (3) months under an
accident and health plan covering employees of the Participant’s employer, in
each case by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment
that can be expected to result in death or can be expected to last for a
continuous period of not less than twelve (12) months; and (iii) for any other
purpose under the Plan, a disability as determined in the discretion of the
Administrator.
2.9. Effective Date means
the date on which the Plan will become effective as provided in Section
13.7.
2.10. Fair Market Value
means, as to Stock as of any date,
(i) If
the Stock is not traded on any over-the-counter market or on a national
securities exchange, the fair market value determined by the Board using the
reasonable application of a reasonable valuation method;
(ii) If
the Stock is traded in the over-the-counter market, based on most recent closing
price for the Stock on the Grant Date or other date the calculation thereof
shall be made or, if such date is not a trading day, on the most recent trading
day immediately preceding such date; or
(iii) If
the Stock is listed on a national securities exchange, based on the closing
price for the Stock on such exchange on the Grant Date or other date the
calculation thereof shall be made or, if such date is not a trading day, on the
most recent trading day immediately preceding such date.
2.11. Grant Agreement means
the agreement between the Corporation and the Participant pursuant to which the
Corporation authorizes an Award hereunder. Each Grant Agreement
entered into between the Corporation and a Participant with respect to an Award
granted under the Plan shall contain such provisions, consistent with the
provisions of the Plan, as may be established by the Administrator.
2.12. Grant Date means the
date on which the Administrator completes the corporate action necessary to give
a Participant a legally binding right to compensation under the terms and
conditions of an SAR, constitute an offer of stock for sale to a Participant
under the terms and conditions of an Option, or otherwise grant a Restricted
Stock Award, Stock Unit or Performance Grant to a Participant, or in each case
such other date as the Administrator shall so designate at the time of
completing such corporate action.
2.13. ISO means any Option
designated and qualified as an “incentive stock option” as defined in Code
Section 422.
2.14. NSO means any Option
that is not an ISO.
2.15. Option means any
option to purchase shares of Stock granted under Article V.
2.16. Parent means a
corporation, whether now or hereafter existing, within the meaning of the
definition of “Parent Corporation” provided in Code Section 424(e), or any
successor to such definition.
2.17. Participant means any
person to whom any Award is granted pursuant to the Plan.
2.18. Performance Criterion
means any one (1) or more of the following performance criteria, either
individually, alternatively or in any combination, and subject to such
modifications or variations as specified by the Administrator, applied to either
the Corporation as a whole or to a business unit or Related Company, either
individually, alternatively or in any combination, and measured over a period of
time including any portion of a year, annually or cumulatively over a period of
years, on an absolute basis or relative to a pre-established target, to previous
years’ results or to a designated comparison group, in each case as specified by
the Administrator: cash flow; cash flow from operations; earnings
(including, but not limited to, earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation
and amortization); earnings per share, diluted or basic; earnings per share from
continuing operations; net asset turnover; inventory turnover; capital
expenditures; debt; debt reduction; working capital; return on investment;
return on sales; net or gross sales; market share; economic value added; cost of
capital; change in assets; expense reduction levels; productivity; delivery
performance; safety record; stock price; return on equity; total
stockholder return; return on capital; return on assets or net
assets; revenue; income or net income; operating income or net
operating income; operating profit or net operating profit; gross
margin, operating margin or profit margin; and completion of acquisitions,
business expansion, product diversification, new or expanded market penetration
and other non-financial operating and management performance
objectives. To the extent consistent with Code Section 162(m)
and the regulations promulgated thereunder and unless otherwise determined by
the Administrator at the time the Performance Goals are established, the
Administrator shall, in applying the Performance Goals, exclude the adverse
effect of any of the following events that occur during a performance period:
the impairment of tangible or intangible assets; litigation or claim judgments
or settlements; changes in tax law, accounting principles or other such laws or
provisions affecting reported results; business combinations, reorganizations
and/or restructuring programs that have been approved by the Board; reductions
in force and early retirement incentives; and any extraordinary, unusual,
infrequent or non-recurring items separately identified in the financial
statements and/or notes thereto in accordance with generally accepted accounting
principles.
2.19. Performance Goal
means an objectively determinable performance goal established by the
Administrator with respect to a given Award that relates to one or more
Performance Criteria.
2.20. Performance Grant
means an Award made pursuant to Article VIII.
2.21. Related Company means
(i) for any purpose relating to an ISO, any Parent or Subsidiary,
(ii) for purposes of determining eligibility to receive an NSO or SAR, any
corporation or other entity, whether now or hereafter existing, in a chain of
corporations or other entities in which each corporation or other entity has a
controlling interest (as defined in Treasury Regulations Section
1.414(c)-2(b)(2)(i), provided that the phrase “at least 50 percent” is used
instead of “at least 80 percent” each place it appears therein) in another
corporation or other entity in the chain, beginning with a corporation or other
entity in which the Corporation has a controlling interest; and (iii) for all
other purposes under the Plan, any corporation, trade or business, whether now
or hereafter existing, that would be required to be treated as a single employer
with the Corporation under Code Sections 414(b) or (c), provided that, in
applying Code Sections 1563(a)(1), (2) and (3) for purposes of
determining a controlled group of corporations, or in applying Treasury
Regulations Section 1.414(c)-2 for purposes of determining trades or
businesses under common control, the phrase “at least 50 percent” shall replace
the phrase “at least 80 percent” each time it appears in those
Sections.
2.22. Restricted Stock
Award means any Award of shares of restricted Stock granted pursuant to
Article VII of the Plan.
2.23. SAR means a stock
appreciation right, as awarded under Article VI.
2.24. Separation from
Service means a Participant’s termination of employment or other
separation from service (within the meaning of U.S. Treasury Regulations Section
1.409A-1(h), applying the default terms thereof) with the Corporation and all
Related Companies.
2.25. Stock means the
voting common stock of the Corporation, subject to adjustments pursuant to the
Plan.
2.26. Stock Unit means
credits to a bookkeeping reserve account solely for accounting purposes, where
the amount of the credit shall equal the Fair Market Value of a share of Stock
on the Grant Date (unless the Administrator provides otherwise in the Grant
Agreement) and which shall be subsequently increased or decreased to reflect the
Fair Market Value of a share of Stock. Stock Units do not require segregation of
any of the Corporation’s assets. Stock Units are awarded under Article
VII.
2.27. Subsidiary means any
corporation (other than the Corporation), whether now or hereafter existing, in
any unbroken chain of corporations beginning with the Corporation, if each of
the corporations (other than the last corporation in the unbroken chain) owns
stock possessing fifty percent (50%) or more of the total combined voting power
of all classes of stock in one (1) of the other corporations in the
chain.
ARTICLE
III
Administration
3.1. General. The Plan
shall be administered by the Administrator. The Administrator’s determinations
under the Plan (including without limitation determinations of the persons to
receive Awards, the form, amount and timing of such Awards, the terms and
provisions of such Awards and the agreements evidencing same) need not be
uniform and may be made by the Administrator selectively among persons who
receive, or are eligible to receive, Awards under the Plan, whether or not such
persons are similarly situated.
3.2. Duties. The
Administrator shall have full power and authority to administer and interpret
the Plan and to adopt such rules, regulations, agreements, guidelines and
instruments for the administration of the Plan and for the conduct of its
business as the Administrator deems necessary or advisable, all within the
Administrator’s sole and absolute discretion. The Administrator shall have full
power and authority to take
all other
actions necessary to carry out the purpose and intent of the Plan, including,
but not limited to, the authority to:
(i) Construe
the Plan and any Award under the Plan;
(ii) Subject
to Section 4.1, select the persons to whom Awards may be granted and the time or
times at which Awards shall be granted;
(iii) Determine
the number of shares of Stock to be covered by or used for reference purposes
for any Award;
(iv) Determine
and modify from time to time the terms and conditions, including restrictions,
of any Award (including provisions that would allow for cashless exercise of
Awards) and to approve the form of written instrument evidencing
Awards;
(v) Accelerate
the time or times at which an Award becomes vested or when an Award may be
exercised or becomes payable and to waive or accelerate the lapse, in whole or
in part, of any restriction or condition with respect to such Award, including,
but not limited to, any restriction or condition with respect to the vesting or
exercisability of an Award following a Participant’s termination of employment
or death;
(vi) Impose
limitations on Awards, including limitations on transfer and repurchase
provisions;
(vii) Modify,
extend or renew outstanding Awards, or accept the surrender of outstanding
Awards and substitute new Awards, provided that, without prior shareholder
approval, the Administrator is expressly prohibited from repricing an Option or
SAR if the exercise price of the new Option or SAR would be less than the
exercise price of the Option or SAR under the existing Award surrendered for
cancellation;
(viii) Delegate,
to the extent permitted by applicable law, any portion of its authority under
the Plan to any officer or officers of the Corporation, including without
limitation the ability to grant Awards under the Plan, subject to any conditions
that the Committee may establish (including but not limited to conditions on
such officer’s or officers’ ability to grant Awards to “executive officers”
within the meaning of Section 16 of the Exchange Act or to “covered
employees” within the meaning of Code Section 162(m)(3)); and
(ix) Make
all other determinations deemed necessary or advisable for the administration of
the Plan, including without limitation whether a Participant has experienced a
Disability for purposes of any Award.
3.3 Repricing
Prohibited. Without prior shareholder approval, the
Administrator is expressly prohibited from (i) lowering the exercise price of
any Option or SAR after the Date of Grant; (ii) taking any other action that is
treated as a repricing under generally accepted accounting principles; or
(iii) cancelling an Option or SAR at a time when its exercise price (or,
with respect to an SAR, the Fair Market Value of the Stock covered by the SAR on
the Grant Date) exceeds the Fair Market Value of the underlying Stock in
exchange for any other Award, unless the cancellation and exchange occurs in
connection with a Corporate Transaction (as described in Article X
below).
ARTICLE
IV
Eligibility and
Participation
4.1. Eligibility. The
persons eligible to participate in the Plan are officers, directors, and
employees of the Corporation or its Related Companies and other natural persons
who render bona fide services to the Corporation or its Related
Companies.
ARTICLE
V
Stock
Options
5.1. General. Subject
to the other applicable provisions of the Plan, the Administrator may from time
to time grant to eligible Participants Awards of ISOs or NSOs. The ISO or NSO
Awards granted shall be subject to the following terms and
conditions.
5.2. Grant of
Option. The grant of an Option shall be evidenced by a Grant
Agreement, executed by the Corporation and the Participant, describing the
number of shares of Stock subject to the Option, whether the Option is an ISO or
NSO, the Exercise Price of the Option, the vesting period for the Option and
such other terms and conditions that the Administrator deems, in it sole
discretion, to be appropriate, provided that such terms and conditions are not
inconsistent with the Plan. Reload options are expressly
prohibited.
5.3. Exercise Price. The
price per share payable upon the exercise of each Option (the “Exercise Price”)
shall be determined by the Administrator and set forth in the Grant Agreement;
provided, however, that the Exercise Price of each Option shall not be less than
one hundred percent (100%) of the Fair Market Value of the shares on the Grant
Date. Notwithstanding the immediately preceding sentence, the
Exercise Price of any ISO granted to a Participant who owns, within the meaning
of Code Section 422(b)(6), after application of the attribution rules in Code
Section 424(d), more than ten percent (10%) of the total combined voting power
of all classes of shares of the Corporation or any Related Company shall not be
less than 110% of the Fair Market Value of the Stock on the Grant
Date.
5.4 Payment for Shares of Stock
upon Exercise of Option. Options may be exercised in whole or in part by
payment of the Exercise Price of the shares to be acquired. The full payment of
the Exercise Price shall be made:
(i) In
cash; or
(ii) With
the consent of the Administrator and to the extent permitted by it:
(A) With
Stock of the Corporation valued at Fair Market Value on date of
exercise;
(B) To
the extent permitted by law, with a full recourse interest bearing promissory
note of the Participant secured by a pledge of the shares of Stock received upon
exercise of such Options, and having such other terms and conditions as
determined by the Administrator;
(C) By
delivering a properly executed exercise notice together with irrevocable
instructions to a broker to sell shares acquired upon exercise of the Option and
promptly deliver to the Corporation a portion of the proceeds thereof equal to
the Exercise Price; or
(D) Any
combination of any of the foregoing.
5.5. Terms of Options. The
term during which each Option may be exercised shall be determined by the
Administrator; provided, however, that in no event shall any Option be
exercisable more than ten years from the date it is granted.
5.6. Restrictions on ISOs.
ISO Awards granted under the Plan shall comply in all respects with Code Section
422 and, as such, shall meet the following additional requirements:
5.6.1. Grant
Date. An ISO must be granted within ten (10) years of the
earlier of the Plan’s adoption by the Board of Directors or approval by the
Corporation’s shareholders but will be an NSO and not an ISO if the Plan is not
approved by shareholders within twelve months from the grant of the
option.
5.6.2. Term. The term of an
ISO shall not exceed ten (10) years. Notwithstanding the immediately preceding
sentence, the term of any ISO granted to a Participant who owns, within the
meaning of Code Section 422(b)(6), after application of the attribution rules in
Code Section 424(d), more than ten percent (10%) of the total combined voting
power of all classes of shares of the Corporation or Related Company shall not
exceed five (5) years.
5.6.3. Maximum Grant. The
aggregate Fair Market Value (determined as of the Grant Date) of shares of Stock
with respect to which all ISOs first become exercisable by any Participant in
any calendar year under this or any other plan of the Corporation and any
Related Company may not exceed one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) or such
other amount as may be permitted from time to time under Code Section
422. To the extent that such aggregate Fair Market Value shall exceed
one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000), or other applicable amount, such
Options shall be treated as NSOs. In such case, the Corporation may
designate the shares of Stock that are to be
treated
as stock acquired pursuant to the exercise of an ISO by issuing a separate
certificate for such shares and identifying the certificate as ISO shares in the
stock transfer records of the Corporation.
5.6.4. Participant. ISOs
shall only be issued to employees of the Corporation or any Related
Company.
5.6.5. Tandem Options
Prohibited. An ISO may not be granted in tandem with a NSO in such a
manner that the exercise of one affects a Participant’s right to exercise the
other.
5.6.6. Designation. No
option shall be an ISO unless so designated by the Administrator at the time of
grant or in the Grant Agreement evidencing such Option.
5.6.7. Period of Exercise.
Any Option which is an ISO shall in all events lapse unless exercised by the
Participant:
(i) Prior
to the eighty-ninth (89th) day after the date on which employment terminated, if
termination was other than by reason of death or Disability; and
(ii) Within
a twelve (12)-month period next succeeding the death of the Participant if
termination is by reason of death or Disability.
5.7. Exercisability.
Options shall be exercisable as provided in the Grant Agreement.
5.8. Transferability. ISOs
shall be non-transferable except by will or by the laws of descent and
distribution and shall be exercisable during the Participant’s lifetime solely
by the Participant. Except as provided in the Grant Agreement, NSOs shall not be
assignable or transferable by the Participant, except by will, or by the laws of
descent and distribution.
5.9. Modifications. No
modification (within the meaning of U.S. Treasury Regulations Section
1.409A-1(b)(5)(v)(B)) shall be made with respect to any Option if the
modification would result in the Option constituting a deferral of compensation,
and no extension (within the meaning of U.S. Treasury Regulations Section
1.409A-1(b)(5)(v)(C)) shall be made with respect to any Option if the extension
would result in the Option having an additional deferral feature from the Grant
Date, in each case without the Participant’s consent.
ARTICLE
VI
Stock Appreciation
Rights
6.1. Award of
SARs. Subject to the other applicable provisions of the Plan,
the Administrator may at any time and from time to time grant SARs to eligible
Participants, either on a free-standing basis (without regard to or in addition
to the grant of an Option) or on a tandem basis (related to the grant of an
underlying Option). The term of any SAR shall not exceed ten (10)
years from Grant Date.
6.2. Restrictions on Tandem
SARs. Options may not be surrendered in connection with the
exercise of a tandem SAR unless the Fair Market Value of the Stock subject to
the Option is not less than the Exercise Price for such Option. SARs
granted in tandem with Options shall be exercisable only to the same extent and
subject to the same conditions as the related Options are exercisable. The
Administrator may, in its discretion, prescribe additional conditions to the
exercise of any such tandem SAR. A tandem SAR must have the same
Grant Date as the Option to which the tandem SAR relates.
6.3 Base
Price. The base price per share of each SAR (the “Base Price”)
shall be determined by the Administrator and set forth in the Grant
Agreement. The Base Price shall not be less than 100% of the Fair
Market Value of the Stock covered by the SAR on the Grant Date.
6.3. Amount of Payment Upon
Exercise of SARs. A SAR shall entitle the Participant to
receive, subject to the provisions of the Plan and the Grant Agreement, a
payment having an aggregate value equal to the product of (i) the excess of (A)
the Fair Market Value on the exercise date of one (1) share of Stock over (B)
the Base Price per share specified in the Grant Agreement, times (ii) the number
of shares specified by the SAR, or portion thereof, which is
exercised. In the case of exercise of a tandem SAR, such payment
shall be made in exchange for the surrender of the unexercised related Option
(or any portions thereof which the Participant from time to time determines to
surrender for this purpose).
6.4. Form of Payment Upon
Exercise of SARs. Payment by the Corporation of the amount
receivable upon any exercise of a SAR may be made by the delivery of Stock or
cash, or any combination of Stock and cash, as provided in the Grant Agreement,
or the Administrator may reserve the right in the Grant Agreement to determine
the method of payment in its sole discretion at the time of
exercise.
6.5. Transferability. SARs
shall be transferable only as provided in the Grant Agreement.
6.6 Modifications. No
modification (within the meaning of U.S. Treasury Regulations Section
1.409A-1(b)(5)(v)(B)) shall be made with respect to any SAR if the modification
would result in the SAR constituting a deferral of compensation, and no
extension (within the meaning of U.S. Treasury Regulations Section
1.409A-1(b)(5)(v)(C)) shall be made with respect to any SAR if the extension
would result in the SAR having an additional deferral feature from the Grant
Date, in each case without the Participant’s consent.
ARTICLE
VII
Restricted Stock and Stock
Units
7.1. Grants. Subject
to the other applicable provisions of the Plan, the Administrator may grant
Restricted Stock or Stock Units to Participants in such amounts and for such
consideration as may be required by law, as it determines. Such Awards shall be
made pursuant to a Grant Agreement.
7.2. Terms and
Conditions. A Restricted Stock Award entitles the recipient to
acquire shares of Stock and a Stock Unit Award entitles the recipient to be paid
the Fair Market Value of the Stock on the settlement date. Stock Units may be
settled in Stock, cash or a combination thereof, as determined by the
Administrator. Restricted Stock Awards and Stock Unit Awards are subject to
vesting periods and other restrictions and conditions as the Administrator may
include in the Grant Agreement.
7.3. Restricted
Stock.
7.3.1. The
Grant Agreement for each Restricted Stock Award shall specify the applicable
restrictions on such shares of Stock, the duration of such restrictions, and the
times and/or Performance Goals upon which such restrictions shall lapse with
respect to all or a specified number of shares of Stock that are part of the
Award. Restrictions conditioned on employment and the passage of time
shall not fully expire less than three years from the Grant Date of the
Restricted Stock Award except that up to fifty thousand (50,000) shares of Stock
may be granted with a restriction of no less than one (1)
year. Restrictions conditioned on the achievement of Performance
Goals or other performance conditions shall not expire less than one (1) year
from the Grant Date. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Administrator
may reduce or shorten the duration of any restriction applicable to any shares
of Stock awarded to any Participant under the Plan, including without limitation
upon the Participant’s death or Disability or the occurrence of a Change of
Control.
7.3.2. Share
certificates with respect to restricted shares of Stock may be issued at the
time of grant of the Restricted Stock Award, subject to forfeiture if the
restrictions do not lapse, or upon lapse of the restrictions. If share
certificates are issued at the time of grant of the Restricted Stock Award, the
certificates shall bear an appropriate legend with respect to the restrictions
applicable to such Restricted Stock Award (as described in Section 13.1) or,
alternatively, the Participant may be required to deposit the certificates with
the Corporation during the period of any restriction thereon and to execute a
blank stock power or other instrument of transfer. Shares of
restricted Stock may also be issued in book entry or uncertificated form with
appropriate instructions to the Corporation’s transfer agent.
7.3.3. Upon
the acceptance by a Participant of a Restricted Stock Award, the Participant
shall, subject to the restrictions set forth in the Grant Agreement, have all
the rights of a shareholder with respect to the shares of Stock, including, but
not limited to, the right to vote the shares of Stock and the right to receive
all dividends and other distributions paid thereon. Unless otherwise
provided in the Grant Agreement, dividends or other distributions payable to the
Participant with respect to his or her Restricted Stock Award shall be paid at
the same time such dividends or other distributions are paid to other
shareholders of record.
7.4. Stock
Units.
7.4.1. The
grant of Stock Units shall be evidenced by a Grant Agreement that states the
number of Stock Units evidenced thereby and the terms and conditions of such
Stock Units, including, but not limited to, any Performance Goals, if any, that
must be satisfied before a Participant earns such Stock Units. Any such grant
shall either comply with the requirements of Code Section 409A or the exemptions
to Code Section 409A.
7.4.2. Stock
Units shall be settled at such times and upon such conditions as are described
in the Grant Agreement. The Grant Agreement for each Award of Stock
Units shall specify the applicable vesting conditions with respect to such Stock
Units, which may include vesting based on continued employment and the passage
of time and/or Performance Goals or other performance
measures. Vesting conditions based on employment and the passage of
time shall not fully expire less than three (3) years from the Grant Date of the
Stock Unit Award except that up to fifty thousand (50,000) Stock Units may be
granted with a vesting period of no less than one (1) year. Vesting
conditions based on the achievement of Performance Goals or other performance
conditions shall not end less than one (1) year from the Grant
Date. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Administrator may reduce or
shorten the vesting period applicable to any Stock Units awarded to any
Participant under the Plan, including without limitation upon the Participant’s
death or Disability or the occurrence of a Change of Control.
7.4.3. A
Participant who receives Stock Units payable in shares of Stock shall have no
rights as a shareholder until the Stock is issued pursuant to the terms of the
Grant Agreement and all requirements with respect to the issuance of such shares
have been satisfied. The Administrator may, in its discretion, provide in the
Grant Agreement that a Participant shall be entitled to receive dividend
equivalents on outstanding Stock Units. Dividend equivalents may be
(i) paid in cash, (ii) credited to the Participant as additional Stock
Units, or (iii) credited in the form of a fixed combination of cash and
additional Stock Units as provided in the Grant Agreement.
7.5. Transferability.
Unvested Restricted Stock Awards or Stock Units may not be sold, assigned,
transferred, pledged or otherwise encumbered or disposed of except as
specifically provided in the Grant Agreement.
7.6. Code Section
162(m). With respect to any Restricted Stock Awards or Stock
Units intended to qualify as “performance-based compensation” under Code Section
162(m), the terms and conditions of such Award shall be designed and implemented
by the Administrator in accordance with the provisions of Article
VIII.
Article
VIII
Performance
Grants
8.1. Grant. Subject
to the other applicable provisions of the Plan, the Administrator may at any
time and from time to time grant Performance Grants to eligible
Participants. The terms of the Performance Grant may be set forth in
a Grant Agreement or an annual or long-term bonus plan or other similar document
and shall contain the Performance Goals for the Award, the target and maximum
amounts payable and any other terms and conditions as are applicable to the
Award. Each Performance Grant shall be granted and administered to
comply with the requirements of Code Section 162(m).
8.2. Performance
Goals. The Administrator shall establish the Performance Goals
for Performance Grants. The Administrator shall determine the extent to which
any Performance Criteria shall be used and weighted in determining Performance
Grants. The Administrator may vary the Performance Criteria,
Performance Goals, and weightings from Participant to Participant,
Performance Grant to Performance Grant and performance year to performance
year. The Administrator may increase, but not decrease, the level of
performance needed to achieve any Performance Goal during a performance
period.
8.3. Terms and
Conditions. The Administrator shall establish for each
Performance Grant the amount of cash or Stock payable at specified levels of
performance, based on the Performance Goals for each Performance
Criterion. Any Performance Grant shall be made not later than 90 days
after the start of the performance period to which such Award relates and shall
be made prior to the completion of 25% of the period. All
determinations regarding the achievement of any Performance Goals will be made
by the
Administrator. The
Administrator may not increase during an applicable performance period the
amount of cash or Stock that would otherwise be payable upon achievement of the
Performance Goal or Goals but may reduce or eliminate the payments as provided
in the Performance Grant.
8.4 Payment. The
actual payments to a Participant under a Performance Grant will be calculated by
applying the achievement of a Performance Criterion to the Performance Goal as
established in the Performance Grant. All calculations of actual payments shall
be made by the Administrator and the Administrator shall certify in writing the
extent, if any, to which the Performance Goals have been
met. Performance Grants will be paid in cash, Stock or both, at the
time or times as are provided in the Performance Grant. A Participant
who receives a Performance Grant payable in Stock shall have no rights as a
shareholder until the Stock is issued pursuant to the terms of the Performance
Grant.
8.5 Transferability. A
Participant’s interest in a Performance Grant may not be sold, assigned,
transferred, pledged, hypothecated, or otherwise encumbered.
ARTICLE
IX
Tax
Withholding
9.1. General. Subject to
subparagraph 9.2., as a condition to taking any action otherwise required under
the Plan or any Grant Agreement, the Corporation shall have the right to require
assurance that the Participant will remit to the Corporation when required an
amount sufficient to satisfy federal, state and local tax withholding
requirements. The Administrator may permit such withholding obligations to be
satisfied through cash payment by the Participant, through the surrender of
shares of Stock which the Participant already owns or through the surrender of
shares of Stock to which the Participant is otherwise entitled under the Plan or
through any other method determined by the Administrator.
9.2. ISO. If a Participant
makes a disposition of shares of Stock acquired upon the exercise of an ISO
within either two (2) years after the Option was granted or one (1) year after
its exercise by the Participant, the Participant shall promptly notify the
Corporation or respond to an inquiry by the Corporation concerning a
disposition.
ARTICLE
X
Corporate
Transactions
10.1. Adjustments Due to Special
Circumstances.
10.1.1. In
the event of any change in the capital structure or business of the Corporation
by reason of any stock dividend or extraordinary dividend, stock split or
reverse stock split, recapitalization, reorganization, merger, consolidation,
split-up, combination or exchange of shares, non-cash distributions with respect
to its outstanding Stock, reclassification of the Corporation’s capital stock,
any sale or transfer of all or part of the Corporation’s assets or business, or
any similar change affecting the Corporation’s capital structure or business or
the capital structure of any business of any subsidiary, as determined by the
Administrator, the Administrator shall proportionately adjust the Plan and
Awards as it deems necessary or appropriate to prevent enlargement or dilution
of rights, including, without limitation, in: (i) the number of shares of Stock
that can be granted or used for reference purposes pursuant to the Plan and any
other limits under the Plan; (ii) the number and kind of shares or other
securities subject to any then outstanding Awards under the Plan; and (iii) the
exercise price, base price, or purchase price applicable to outstanding Awards
under the Plan. The adjustment by the Administrator shall be final,
binding and conclusive.
10.1.2. The
Administrator may cancel outstanding Awards, but not outstanding Stock or
Restricted Stock Awards, in connection with any merger, consolidation of the
Corporation, or any sale or transfer of all or part of the Corporation’s assets
or business, or any similar event. The Administrator may determine to pay no
compensation whatsoever for any canceled Awards that are not in-the-money (as
hereinafter defined) or for any canceled Awards to the extent not vested. The
Corporation shall provide payment in cash or other property for the in-the-money
value of the vested portion of Awards that are in-the-money and that are
canceled as aforesaid. Awards are “in-the-money” only to the extent of their
then realizable market value, without taking into account the
potential
future increase in the value of the Award (whether under Black-Scholes-type
formulas or otherwise). The opinion by the Administrator of the in-the-money
value of any Award shall be final, binding and conclusive.
10.1.3. Any
adjustment of ISOs under this Section 10.1 shall be made only to the extent not
constituting a “modification” within the meaning of Code Section
424(h)(3). Further, with respect to Awards intended to
qualify as “performance-based compensation” under Code Section
162(m), such adjustments shall be made only to the extent that the Administrator
determines that such adjustments may be made without causing the Corporation to
be denied a tax deduction on account of Code Section 162(m). Any
adjustment of NSOs and SARs shall be subject to Sections 5.9 and 6.6
above.
10.2. Substitution of
Options. In the event that, by reason of a corporate merger,
consolidation, acquisition of property or stock, separation, reorganization or
liquidation, the Board shall authorize the issuance or assumption of a stock
option or stock options in a transaction to which Code Section 424(a) applies,
then, notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan, the Administrator may
grant options upon such terms and conditions as it may deem appropriate for the
purpose of assumption of the old option, or substitution of a new option for the
old option, in conformity with the provisions of Code Section 424(a) and the
rules and regulations thereunder, as they may be amended from time to
time.
ARTICLE
XI
Amendment and
Termination
11.1 Amendment and
Termination. The Board may amend, alter, suspend, discontinue,
or terminate the Plan or any portion thereof at any time; provided that no such
amendment, alteration, suspension, discontinuation or termination shall be made
without shareholder approval if such approval is necessary to comply with any
tax or regulatory requirement applicable to the Plan (including as necessary to
prevent the Corporation from being denied a tax deduction on account of Code
Section 162(m)); and provided further that any such amendment, alteration,
suspension, discontinuance or termination that would impair the rights of any
Participant or any holder or beneficiary of any Award theretofore granted shall
not to that extent be effective without the consent of the affected Participant,
holder or beneficiary. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Board may
unilaterally amend the Plan and outstanding Awards without Participant consent
as it deems necessary or appropriate to ensure compliance with applicable
securities laws and provisions of the Code.
ARTICLE
XII
Section 409A
Compliance
12.1 Separation from
Service. With respect to any Award that provides for a
deferral of compensation for purposes of Code Section 409A and that is payable
under its terms on a Participant’s termination of employment (including a
Participant’s termination of employment on account of retirement, if
applicable), (i) any references herein and in the Participant’s Grant Agreement
to the Participant’s termination of employment or date of termination of
employment shall refer to the Participant’s Separation from Service or date of
Separation from Service, as the case may be; and (ii) notwithstanding any
provision herein or in the Participant’s Grant Agreement to the contrary, if at
the time of payment under such an Award, the Participant is a “specified
employee” (as defined below), no such payment shall occur prior to the earlier
of (A) the expiration of the six (6)-month period measured from the date of the
Participant’s Separation from Service, or (B) the date of the Participant’s
death. Upon the expiration of the six (6)-month deferral period
referred to in the preceding sentence or the Participant’s death, all amounts
that would otherwise have been paid during such period but for this Section 12.1
shall be paid and any amounts that remain to be paid under the Award shall be
paid in accordance with the terms hereof and of the Grant
Agreement. The term “specified employee” shall have the same meaning
as assigned to that term under Code Section 409A(a)(2)(B)(i) and whether a
Participant is a specified employee shall be determined in accordance with
written guidelines adopted by the Corporation for such purposes (or, in the
absence of such guidelines, in accordance with the default provisions of Code
Section 409A).
12.2 Qualifying Change of
Control. With respect to any Award that provides for a
deferral of compensation for purposes of Code Section 409A and that is payable
under its terms upon a Change of
Control,
or under which the time or form of payment of the Award varies depending on
whether a Change of Control has occurred, any references herein and in the
Participant’s Grant Agreement to a Change of Control or date of the Change of
Control shall refer to a Qualifying Change of Control or the date of a
Qualifying Change of Control, as the case may be. A “Qualifying
Change of Control” for this purpose is an event which meets all the requirements
for a Change of Control and which, in addition, constitutes a change in
ownership of the Affected Corporation, a change in effective control of the
Affected Corporation, or a change in ownership of substantially all of the
Affected Corporation’s assets, each as defined in U.S. Treasury Regulations
Section 1.409A-3(i)(5).
ARTICLE
XIII
Miscellaneous
13.1. Restrictive
Legends. The Corporation may at any time place legends
referencing any restrictions described in the Grant Agreement and any applicable
federal or state securities law restrictions on all certificates representing
shares of Stock underlying an Award.
13.2. Compliance with Governmental
Regulations. Notwithstanding any provision of the Plan or the
terms of any Grant Agreement entered into pursuant to the Plan, the Corporation
shall not be required to issue any shares hereunder prior to registration of the
shares subject to the Plan under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, if such registration shall be
necessary, or before compliance by the Corporation or any Participant with any
other provisions of either of those acts or of regulations or rulings of the
Securities and Exchange Commission thereunder, or before compliance with other
federal and state laws and regulations and rulings thereunder, including the
rules of any applicable securities exchange or quotation system.
13.3. No Guarantee of
Employment. Participation in this Plan shall not be construed to confer
upon any Participant the legal right to be retained in the employ of the
Corporation or give any person any right to any payment whatsoever, except to
the extent of the benefits provided for hereunder.
13.4. Governing Law. The
provisions of this Plan shall be governed by, construed and administered in
accordance with applicable federal law; provided, however, that to the extent
not in conflict with federal law, this Plan shall be governed by, construed and
administered under the laws of Delaware, other than its laws respecting choice
of law.
13.5. Severability. If any
provision of the Plan shall be held invalid, the remainder of this Plan shall
not be affected thereby and the remainder of the Plan shall continue in
force.
13.6 Beneficiary
Designations. Each Participant may, from time to time, name
any beneficiary or beneficiaries (who may be named contingently or successively)
to whom any benefit under the Plan is to be paid in case of his or her death
before he or she receives any or all of such benefit. Each such designation
shall revoke all prior designations by the same Participant, shall be in a form
prescribed by the Corporation, and will be effective only when filed by the
Participant in writing with the Corporation during the Participant’s lifetime.
In the absence of any such designation, benefits remaining unpaid at the
Participant’s death shall be paid to the Participant’s estate. Any
payment made to a beneficiary under this Plan in good faith shall fully
discharge the Corporation from all further obligations with respect to that
payment.
13.7 Effective
Date. The Plan was approved by the Board on March 23, 2009,
and shall become effective as of the date on which it is approved by the
shareholders of the Corporation. Until (i) the Plan has been
approved by the Corporation’s shareholders, and (ii) the requirements of
any applicable securities laws have been met, no shares of Stock subject to
Awards under the Plan shall be issued and no Options or SARs granted under the
Plan shall be exercisable that, in either case, are not contingent on the
occurrence of both such events.