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UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
SCHEDULE 14A
Proxy
Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (Amendment No. )
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Filed by the Registrant
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Filed by a Party other than the Registrant
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Check the appropriate box:
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Preliminary Proxy Statement
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Confidential, for Use of the Commission Only (as permitted by Rule 14a-6(e)(2))
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Definitive Proxy Statement
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Definitive Additional Materials
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Soliciting Material under §240.14a-12
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Magnum Hunter Resources Corporation
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(Name of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter)
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(Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if other than the Registrant)
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Payment of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box):
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No fee required.
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Fee computed on table below per Exchange Act Rules 14a-6(i)(1) and 0-11.
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(1)
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Title of each class of securities to which transaction applies:
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(2)
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Aggregate number of securities to which transaction applies:
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(3)
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Per unit price or other underlying value of transaction computed pursuant to Exchange Act Rule 0-11 (set forth the amount on which the filing fee is calculated and state how it was determined):
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(4)
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Proposed maximum aggregate value of transaction:
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(5)
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Total fee paid:
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Fee paid previously with preliminary materials.
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Check box if any part of the fee is offset as provided by Exchange Act Rule 0-11(a)(2) and identify the filing for which the offsetting fee was paid previously. Identify the previous filing by registration
statement number, or the Form or Schedule and the date of its filing.
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(1)
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Amount Previously Paid:
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(2)
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Form, Schedule or Registration Statement No.:
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(3)
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Filing Party:
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Date Filed:
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June 27, 2014
Dear
Common Stockholder:
You
are cordially invited to attend the 2014 Annual Meeting of Common Stockholders of Magnum Hunter Resources Corporation to be held on August 7, 2014 at 9:00 a.m. Central
Daylight Time at The Houstonian Hotel, Camelia Room, 111 North Post Oak Lane, Houston, Texas 77024.
The
Notice of Annual Meeting and Proxy Statement for the annual meeting is being made available to our stockholders on or about June 27, 2014 on the Internet, electronically by
email for stockholders who have previously consented to electronic delivery or who have requested to receive the proxy materials by email or, upon request, in printed form by mail.
We
look forward to a significant vote of our common stock, either in person or by proxy. We are offering three convenient ways to vote your shares: over the Internet, by toll-free
telephone or by mailing a proxy card. Voting via the Internet, by telephone or by written proxy will ensure your representation at the annual meeting if you do not attend in person. Please review the
instructions you received regarding these three voting options.
Voting
over the Internet or by telephone is fast and convenient and your vote is immediately tabulated. By using the Internet or telephone, you help Magnum Hunter reduce the cost of
postage and proxy tabulations. Regardless of your method of voting, you may revoke your proxy as provided in the Proxy Statement.
Your
support is appreciated, and we hope that you will be able to join us at the meeting.
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Sincerely,
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Gary C. Evans
Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer
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NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF COMMON STOCKHOLDERS
Dear
Common Stockholder:
An
annual meeting of common stockholders (the "Meeting") of Magnum Hunter Resources Corporation will be held on August 7, 2014 at 9:00 a.m. Central Daylight Time at The
Houstonian Hotel, Camelia Room, 111 North Post Oak Lane, Houston, Texas 77024.
All
Magnum Hunter common stockholders are cordially invited to attend the Meeting, although only those stockholders of record as of the close of business on June 23, 2014, the
record date for the Meeting, will be entitled to notice of and to vote at the Meeting or at any adjournment or postponement thereof. Your attention is directed to the Proxy Statement accompanying this
notice for a more complete statement regarding the matters proposed to be acted upon at the Meeting.
The
Notice of Annual Meeting and Proxy Statement for the Meeting are being made available to our stockholders on or about June 27, 2014 on the Internet, electronically by email
for stockholders who have previously consented to electronic delivery or who have requested to receive the proxy materials by email or, upon request, in printed form by mail.
The
purpose of the Meeting is to consider and vote upon the following proposals:
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1.
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The
election of seven directors of Magnum Hunter to hold office until the 2015 annual meeting of common stockholders of Magnum Hunter or until their
respective successors are duly elected and qualified;
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2.
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The
ratification of the appointment of BDO USA, LLP as Magnum Hunter's independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending
December 31, 2014;
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3.
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The
advisory vote on executive compensation;
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4.
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The
approval of an adjournment of the Meeting, if necessary, to solicit additional proxies in favor of the foregoing proposals; and
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5.
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The
transaction of such other business as may properly come before the Meeting or any adjournments or postponements thereof.
The
Board of Directors of Magnum Hunter recommends that our common stockholders vote
"FOR"
each of the proposals listed above and
described in the Proxy Statement.
Pursuant
to the New York Stock Exchange rules (which govern Magnum Hunter's common stock), if you hold your shares in street name, nominees will not have discretion to vote these shares
on the election of directors or on the advisory vote on executive compensation. Accordingly, if your shares are
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held
in street name and you do not submit voting instructions to your broker, bank or other nominee, these shares will not be counted in determining the outcome on Proposal 1 or Proposal 3 set forth
in this proxy statement at the Meeting. We encourage you to provide voting instructions to your broker, bank or other nominee if you hold your shares in street name so that your voice is heard on
these proposals.
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By Order of the Board of Directors,
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Gary C. Evans
Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer
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Houston, Texas
June 27, 2014
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If
you have any questions concerning the proposals set forth in the accompanying proxy statement, the Meeting or the other matters described in the accompanying proxy statement, would
like additional copies of the accompanying proxy statement or need help voting your shares of Magnum Hunter common stock, please contact Magnum Hunter's Investor Relations Department at
(832) 203-4539 or
ir@magnumhunterresources.com
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PROXY STATEMENT
This proxy statement and related proxy materials are being made available to our stockholders on or about June 27, 2014 on the
Internet, electronically by email for stockholders who have previously consented to electronic delivery or who have requested to receive our proxy materials by email or, upon request, in printed form
by mail.
NOTE ABOUT FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
Certain statements in this proxy statement, other than purely historical information, and the assumptions upon which those statements
are based, are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, which we refer to as the Exchange Act. Forward-looking statements may appear throughout this report. These forward-looking statements generally are
identified by the words "believe," "project," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "intend," "strategy," "future," "opportunity," "plan," "may," "should," "will," "would," "will be," "will continue,"
"will likely result," and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties which may cause actual results
to differ materially from the forward-looking statements. A detailed discussion of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results and events to differ materially from such forward-looking
statements is included in the section titled "Risk Factors" of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2013 and our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q.
We undertake no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT THE MEETING
Unless stated otherwise or unless the context otherwise requires, all references
to:
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Magnum Hunter, the Company, MHR, we, our, ours and us are to Magnum Hunter Resources Corporation, a Delaware corporation;
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All references to the Meeting are to the 2014 annual meeting of Magnum Hunter common stockholders to which this proxy
statement relates;
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All references to our common stock are to shares of common stock, par value $0.01;
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All references to common stockholders are to holders of shares of Magnum Hunter common stock; and
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All dollar amounts are expressed in U.S. dollars.
The
following are some questions that you, as a stockholder of Magnum Hunter, may have regarding the Meeting, and brief answers to those questions. You are urged to read carefully this
proxy statement in its entirety because this section may not provide all of the information that is important to you with respect to the Meeting.
Q: When and where is the Meeting?
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A:
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The
Meeting will be held on August 7, 2014 at 9:00 a.m. Central Daylight Time at The Houstonian Hotel, Camelia Room, 111 North Post Oak Lane,
Houston, Texas 77024.
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Q: What is the Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials that I received in the mail this year instead of a full set of proxy materials?
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A:
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In
accordance with rules adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, we may furnish proxy materials, including this proxy statement, to
stockholders, by providing access to these materials on the Internet instead of mailing a printed copy of our proxy materials to our stockholders. Based on this practice, most of our stockholders have
already received a Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials, also referred to as the Notice, which provides instructions for accessing our proxy materials on a website referred to in the
Notice or requesting to receive printed copies of the proxy materials by mail or electronically by email.
If
you are a common stockholder and would like to receive a paper or email copy of our proxy materials for the Meeting or for all future meetings, please follow the instructions for requesting such
materials included in the Notice. Please note that if you previously requested or consented to delivery of our proxy materials by mail or electronically via email, you did not receive the separate
Notice. Instead, we sent you a full set of our proxy materials, which includes instructions for voting. We believe the delivery options that we have chosen will allow us to provide our stockholders
with the proxy materials they need, while lowering the cost of the delivery of the materials and reducing the environmental impact of printing and mailing printed copies.
Q: Why am I being provided with access to or receiving these proxy materials?
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A:
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The
Board of Directors of Magnum Hunter, or the Board, is soliciting proxies from its common stockholders for voting on the proposals to be presented at the
Meeting. Your proxy will be voted in accordance with the instructions given, unless the proxy is subsequently revoked. This proxy statement describes in detail the proposals on which we would like our
common stockholders to vote. It also gives you information on these proposals so that you can make an informed decision.
Q: Who can vote at the Meeting?
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A:
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Only
common stockholders of record at the close of business on June 23, 2014, referred to as the Record Date, will be entitled to vote on the
proposals set forth in this proxy statement at the Meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof. On the Record Date, there were 199,214,389 shares of common stock entitled to vote. Each share of
common stock entitles the holder to one vote per share.
Q: What am I being asked to vote on at the Meeting?
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A:
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Our
common stockholders are being asked to vote on each of the proposals below:
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The election of each of J. Raleigh Bailes, Sr., Victor G. Carrillo, Rocky L. Duckworth, Gary C. Evans, Stephen C. Hurley,
Joe L. McClaugherty and Jeff Swanson, each of whom is presently a member of the Board, to serve as a director of Magnum Hunter until the 2015 annual meeting of stockholders of Magnum Hunter or until
their respective successors are duly elected and qualified;
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The ratification of the appointment of BDO USA, LLP, whom we refer to as BDO, as Magnum Hunter's independent
registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2014;
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The advisory vote on executive compensation; and
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The approval of an adjournment of the Meeting, if necessary, to solicit additional proxies in favor of the foregoing
proposals.
None
of the proposals to be voted upon at the Meeting is conditional on the approval of any other proposal. The Company is not aware of any other matter that will be presented at the Meeting for
action on the part of the common stockholders. However, if any other matters are properly brought before the Meeting, your proxy or voting instructions give authority to the proxy holders, Gary C.
Evans and Paul M. Johnston, to vote on those other matters in accordance with the Board's recommendation.
Q: How does the Board recommend that I vote?
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A:
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With
respect to the proposals to be considered and voted on at the Meeting, the Board recommends that Magnum Hunter common stockholders
vote:
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"FOR"
the election of each of the director nominees;
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"FOR"
the ratification of the appointment of BDO as Magnum Hunter's
independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2014;
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"
FOR
" the approval, on an advisory basis, of Magnum Hunter's executive
compensation; and
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"FOR"
the adjournment of the Meeting, if necessary, to solicit additional
proxies in favor of such proposals.
Q: What vote is required for Magnum Hunter's stockholders to approve each proposal?
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A:
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Assuming
the presence of a quorum, the following vote is required for each proposal:
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The election of each of the seven directors requires the affirmative vote of a plurality of the shares of common stock
cast at the Meeting. You may only vote "
FOR
" or "
WITHHELD
" with respect to election of directors, and as
a result, there will not be any abstentions on this proposal. Broker non-votes will have no effect on the outcome of this proposal.
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The ratification of the appointment of BDO requires the affirmative vote of a majority of the shares of common stock that
are present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote at the Meeting. Under Delaware law, (i) abstentions are considered to be "present" and "entitled to vote" at the Meeting, and
as a result, abstentions will have the effect of a vote "
AGAINST
" this proposal, and (ii) shares underlying broker non-votes are not considered
to be "entitled to vote" at the Meeting, and as a result, broker non-votes will generally have no effect on the outcome of this proposal. As discussed below, under applicable New York Stock Exchange,
or NYSE, rules, brokers may use their discretion to vote shares for which voting instructions are not submitted with respect to the ratification of BDO, so no broker non-votes are expected for this
proposal.
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The approval, on an advisory basis, of the compensation of our named executive officers will require the affirmative vote
of the holders of a majority of the shares of common stock that are present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote at the Meeting. Under
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Delaware
law, (i) abstentions are considered to be "present" and "entitled to vote" at the Meeting, and as a result, abstentions will have the effect of a vote
"
AGAINST
" this proposal, and (ii) shares underlying broker non-votes are not considered to be "entitled to vote" at the Meeting, and as a result,
broker non-votes will generally have no effect on the outcome of this proposal.
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A proposal to adjourn the Meeting, if necessary, to solicit additional proxies requires the affirmative vote of a majority
of the shares of common stock that are present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote at the Meeting. Under Delaware law, (i) abstentions are considered to be "present" and
"entitled to vote" at the Meeting, and as a result, abstentions will have the effect of a vote "
AGAINST
" adjournment of the Meeting, and
(ii) shares underlying broker non-votes are not considered to be "entitled to vote" at the Meeting, and as a result, broker non-votes will generally have no effect on the outcome of a proposal
to adjourn the Meeting. A proposal to adjourn the Meeting, if necessary, does not require a quorum.
Q: What is the difference between holding shares of our stock as a "stockholder of record" and as a "beneficial owner"?
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A:
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Most
of our common stockholders hold their shares through a broker, bank or other nominee rather than directly in their own name. As summarized below, there
are some distinctions between holding shares as a stockholder of record and holding shares as a beneficial owner in street name:
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Stockholder of Record
If your shares are registered directly
in your name with our transfer agent, American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC, you are the stockholder of record of such shares.
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Beneficial Owner
If your shares are held in a brokerage
account, by a bank or by another nominee, you are the "beneficial owner" of such shares held in street name.
Q: If I am a "stockholder of record," how do I vote?
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A:
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If
you are a stockholder of record and entitled to vote at the Meeting, you can submit a proxy or vote in person by completing a ballot at the Meeting.
However, even if you plan to attend the Meeting, Magnum Hunter encourages you to submit a proxy before the Meeting to ensure that your shares are voted. A proxy is a legal designation of another
person to vote your shares of Magnum Hunter stock on your behalf. If you are a stockholder of record, you may submit a proxy for your shares by:
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calling the toll-free number specified on the enclosed proxy card and following the instructions when prompted;
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accessing the Internet website specified on the enclosed proxy card and following the instructions provided to you; or
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filling out, signing and dating the enclosed proxy card and mailing it in the prepaid envelope included with these proxy
materials.
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Q: If I am a "beneficial owner" of shares, how do I vote?
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A:
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If
you are a beneficial owner of shares, you must instruct your broker, bank or other nominee on how to vote your shares by following the instructions that
the broker, bank or other nominee provides to you with these proxy materials. Most brokers offer stockholders the ability to submit voting instructions by mail by completing a voting instruction card,
by telephone and via the Internet.
If
you are a beneficial owner of shares and desire to vote your shares in person at the Meeting, you must obtain a proxy from your broker, bank or other nominee and present it to the inspector of
elections with your ballot when you vote at the Meeting.
Q: How will my proxy be voted?
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A:
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All
shares represented by each properly executed and valid proxy received by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on August 6, 2014 will be voted in
accordance with the instructions given on the proxy.
Your vote is important.
Accordingly, please submit your proxy by telephone, through the Internet or by mail, whether or not you plan to
attend the Meeting in person.
Q: If I am a beneficial owner of shares, will my broker, bank or other nominee automatically vote my shares for me?
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A:
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If
you are the beneficial owner of common stock held in street name and do not submit voting instructions to your broker, bank or other nominee, the nominee
that holds your shares may use their discretion in voting your shares with respect to "routine items," but not with respect to "non-routine items," under the rules of the NYSE. On non-routine items
for which you do not submit voting instructions to your broker, bank or other nominee, your shares will not be voted and will be treated as "broker non-votes." The proposal for common stockholders to
ratify the appointment of BDO as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2014 is considered a routine item and therefore may be voted upon by a
common stockholder's broker, bank or other nominee if such holder does not provide voting instructions on this proposal. The election of directors and the advisory vote on executive
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compensation
are considered non-routine items and, therefore, may not be voted upon by your broker, bank or other nominee if you do not provide voting instructions on this specific proposal.
Q: How can I change or revoke my proxy?
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A:
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You
may revoke your proxy and/or change your vote before your proxy is voted at the Meeting.
Q: What constitutes a quorum for the Meeting?
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A:
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In
order to carry on the business of the Meeting, we must have a quorum. This means at least a majority of the total shares of common stock that are
outstanding as of the Record Date must be represented at the Meeting, either by proxy or in person. Abstentions and broker non-votes, which are described in more detail above, will be counted as
shares present at the Meeting for purposes of determining whether a quorum exists.
Q: Who may attend the Meeting?
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A:
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Magnum
Hunter common stockholders (or their authorized representatives) may attend the Meeting. Proof of identification and proof of ownership of Magnum
Hunter common stock are needed for you to be admitted to the Meeting. If you plan to attend the Meeting and your shares are held in "street name" through a broker, bank or other nominee, you will need
to provide proof of ownership of your shares. Examples of proof of ownership include a recent brokerage statement or letter from your broker, bank or other nominee.
Q: Where can I find the voting results of the Meeting?
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A:
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The
preliminary voting results are expected to be announced at the Meeting. Magnum Hunter will report the final voting results, or the preliminary voting
results if the final voting results are unavailable, in a Current Report on Form 8-K to be filed with the SEC within four business days following the Meeting.
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Q: Who is soliciting this proxy?
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A:
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The
Board is soliciting this proxy and we will bear the cost of the solicitation. We may make arrangements with brokerage firms and other custodians,
nominees and fiduciaries for the forwarding of soliciting material to the beneficial owners of Magnum Hunter common stock held of record. We will reimburse those brokers, custodians, nominees and
fiduciaries for their reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with that service. In addition to the use of mail, our directors, officers and employees, without additional
compensation, may solicit proxies by personal interview, telephone, electronic mail or otherwise.
Q: What do I do if I receive more than one proxy or set of voting instructions?
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A:
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If
you receive more than one proxy and/or set of voting instructions relating to the Meeting, which means you own shares in more than one account, each
should be voted and/or returned separately as described elsewhere in this proxy statement in order to ensure that all of your shares are voted.
Q: What do I need to do now?
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A:
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After
carefully reading and considering the information contained in this proxy statement, please submit your proxy by telephone or through the Internet in
accordance with the instructions set forth in the enclosed proxy card, or fill out, sign and date the proxy card, and then mail your signed proxy card in the enclosed prepaid envelope as soon as
possible so that your shares will be represented at the Meeting.
Q: Who can help answer my questions?
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A:
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If
you have any questions about the Meeting or the other matters described in this proxy statement or need assistance in voting your shares of common stock
or additional copies of this proxy statement or the enclosed proxy card, you can contact Magnum Hunter's Investor Relations Department at (832) 203-4539 or
ir@magnumhunterresources.com
. In addition, information regarding the Meeting is available via the Internet at our website
www.magnumhunterresources.com
.
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CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
Corporate Governance Guidelines
The business, property and affairs of Magnum Hunter are managed by our Chief Executive Officer under the direction of our Board of
Directors. The Board is responsible for establishing broad corporate policies and for overall performance and direction of Magnum Hunter,
but is not involved in day-to-day operations. Members of the Board keep informed of Magnum Hunter's business by participating in Board and committee meetings, by reviewing analyses and reports sent to
them regularly and through discussions with the Chief Executive Officer and other executive officers.
We
have adopted Corporate Governance Guidelines that address significant issues of corporate governance and set forth the procedures by which the Board carries out its responsibilities.
Among the areas addressed by the guidelines are director qualifications and responsibilities, Board committee responsibilities, selection and election of directors, director compensation and tenure,
Board meeting requirements and Board and committee performance evaluations. The Governance Committee is responsible for assessing and periodically reviewing the adequacy of these guidelines. Our
Corporate Governance Guidelines are available on the Company's website under the "Corporate Governance" link under the "Investors" tab at www.magnumhunterresources.com.
Proposal No. 1Election of Directors
At the Meeting, our common stockholders will consider and vote on the election of each of J. Raleigh Bailes, Sr.,
Victor G. Carrillo, Rocky L. Duckworth, Gary C. Evans, Stephen C. Hurley, Joe L. McClaugherty and Jeff Swanson to hold office until the 2015 annual meeting of
stockholders of Magnum Hunter or until their respective successors are duly elected and qualified. Each director nominee is currently a director of Magnum Hunter. If any director nominee becomes
unable or unwilling to stand for election, which is not currently anticipated, the Board can name a substitute director nominee, and the shares represented by proxies will be voted for the substitute
director nominee pursuant to discretionary authority, unless withheld.
Biographical Information of Our Directors
The following is a brief biography of each director nominee. The biographies include information regarding each individual's service
as a director of Magnum Hunter, business experience, director positions at public companies held currently or at any time during the last five years, and the experience, qualifications, attributes or
skills that caused our Board and the Governance Committee to determine that the person should serve as a director of Magnum Hunter.
J. Raleigh Bailes, Sr.
, age 65, has been a director of Magnum Hunter since 2006. Mr. Bailes has been a partner of Bailes,
Bates & Associates, LLP, a tax and accounting firm, since March 2003. Between November 1999 and March 2003, Mr. Bailes owned and managed J. Raleigh Bailes, CPA, a tax and
accounting firm. Mr. Bailes is admitted to practice before the U.S. Tax Court and is licensed by the State of Texas as a certified public accountant. The Board has concluded that the Company
benefits from Mr. Bailes' tax, accounting and industry experience.
Victor G. Carrillo
, age 49, has been a director of Magnum Hunter since January 2011. Mr. Carrillo currently serves as President
and Chief Operating Officer and a director of Zion Oil & Gas, Inc., or Zion, a company engaged in onshore oil and gas exploration in Israel, a position he has held since October 2011.
Mr. Carrillo has also served as a director of Zion since September 2010, and he served as an executive vice president and a director of Zion from January 2011 to October 2011. From 2003 to
2010, Mr. Carrillo
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served
as a commissioner on the Texas Railroad Commission, overseeing the Texas oil and gas sector. Currently, Mr. Carrillo serves as Chairman of the West Texas Energy Consortium and is also on
the Advisory Board of the Maguire Energy Institute at Southern Methodist University. During his time of service on the Texas Railroad Commission, Mr. Carrillo also served as Chairman of the
Governor's Texas Energy Planning Council, Chairman of the Outer Continental Shelf Advisory Committee to the U.S. Secretary of the Interior, Vice Chairman of the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact
Commission, and as a member of the Committee on Gas for the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners. Mr. Carrillo received a B.S. in geology from Hardin-Simmons University, an
M.S. in geology from Baylor University, a Juris Doctorate with emphasis in both environmental and oil and gas law from the University of Houston Law Center and an honorary Doctorate from
Hardin-Simmons University. The Board has concluded that the Company benefits from Mr. Carrillo's vast educational and professional experience related to the crude oil and natural gas
exploration and production segment of the energy industry.
Rocky L. Duckworth
, age 63, has been a director of Magnum Hunter since October 2013. Mr. Duckworth brings more than
40 years of regulatory compliance, financial reporting (including internal controls over financial reporting), technical accounting and oil and gas accounting experience to the Board.
Currently, Mr. Duckworth serves as a director of Northern Tier Energy GP LLC, the general partner of Northern Tier Energy LP. Mr. Duckworth retired from
KPMG LLP in September 2010 after more than 38 years of service, including more than 29 years as a partner. From 2000 to September 2010, Mr. Duckworth served global energy
clients, and he was the energy industry leader of the audit practice in KPMG's Houston office until 2006. Prior to relocating to Houston, Mr. Duckworth was the Managing Partner of KPMG's
Oklahoma City office from 1987 to 2000. Mr. Duckworth was the partner in charge of the audit practice in Oklahoma City from 1984 until 1987. Mr. Duckworth earned a Bachelor of Science in
Accounting with honors from Oklahoma State University. Mr. Duckworth was commissioned a 2nd lieutenant in the U.S. Army upon graduation from Oklahoma State University. In May 2011,
Mr. Duckworth was appointed by the Governor as a member of the Texas State Board of Public Accountancy and is a certified public accountant in the State of Texas. The Board has concluded that
the Company benefits from Mr. Duckworth's extensive audit and SEC reporting experience serving public oil and natural gas production companies.
Gary C. Evans
, age 57, has been a director of Magnum Hunter since 2009. Mr. Evans was appointed as Chairman of the Board and Chief
Executive Officer of the Company in May 2009. Mr. Evans previously founded and served as the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Magnum Hunter Resources, Inc., or MHRI, an unrelated
NYSE-listed company of similar name, for twenty years before selling MHRI to Cimarex Energy for approximately $2.2 billion in June 2005. In 2005, Mr. Evans founded Wind
Energy, LLC, a renewable energy company which was subsequently acquired in December 2006 by GreenHunter Resources, Inc., or GreenHunter, an NYSE MKT-listed company focusing on oil field
water management and clean water technologies active in the unconventional resource plays. Mr. Evans has served as Chairman of GreenHunter since December 2006, and as interim Chief Executive
Officer of GreenHunter since January 15, 2014. He previously served as Chief Executive Officer of GreenHunter from December 2006 through December 2012. Mr. Evans serves as an individual
trustee of TEL Offshore Trust, a publicly-listed oil and gas trust, and is a director of Novavax Inc., a NASDAQ-listed clinical-stage vaccine biotechnology company. Mr. Evans was
recognized by Ernst & Young LLP as the Southwest Area 2004 Entrepreneur of the Year for the Energy Sector and was subsequently inducted into the World Hall of Fame for Ernst &
Young Entrepreneurs. Mr. Evans was also recognized as the Energy Industry Leader of the year in 2013 and chosen by Finance Monthly in 2013 as one of the most respected CEO's. Mr. Evans
was recently chosen as the Best CEO in the "Large Company" category by Texas Top Producers in 2013. He additionally won the Deal Maker of the Year Award in 2013 by Finance Monthly. Mr. Evans
serves on the Board of the Maguire Energy Institute at Southern Methodist University and speaks regularly at energy industry conferences around the world on the current affairs of the oil and gas
business. The Board has concluded that the Company benefits from Mr. Evans' extensive oil and gas industry expertise, his
9
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expertise
as a chief executive officer with publicly held energy companies, his industry, investment banking and commercial lending contacts and his vast professional experience.
Stephen C. Hurley
, age 64, has been a director of Magnum Hunter since October 2011. Mr. Hurley has 38 years of experience
in the oil and gas industry. He also serves on the board of directors of Brigham Resources, LLC, a privately held oil and gas company. He is a former member of the board of directors of Brigham
Exploration Company, serving from December 2002 to December 2011 when the company was sold to Statoil ASA for $4.6 billion. He also served on the audit and compensation committees of Brigham
Exploration Company. Mr. Hurley is a former President and board member of Hunt Oil Company, having been associated with Hunt Oil Company from August 2001 to February 2012. Prior to joining Hunt
Oil Company, Mr. Hurley served as Chief Operating Officer, Executive Vice President and a member of the board of directors for Chieftain International, Inc. from August 1995 to August
2001, when Hunt Oil Company bought Chieftain International, Inc. Prior to joining Chieftain International, Inc., Mr. Hurley was Executive Vice President of worldwide Exploration
and Production for Murphy Exploration and Production Company. During his 16 year tenure at Murphy Exploration and Production Company, he held the positions of Senior Geologist, Exploration
Manager, Vice President and Executive Vice President. From 1975 to 1980, Mr. Hurley was a geologist with Exxon Company USA, having been recruited out of college. Mr. Hurley holds both
Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in geology from the University of Arkansas and an advanced degree in business studies from Harvard University. He is a past President of both the
Dallas Petroleum Club
and Dallas Wildcatters Committee. The Board has concluded that the Company benefits from Mr. Hurley's extensive executive-level experience in the energy industry.
Joe L. McClaugherty
, age 62, has been a director of Magnum Hunter since 2006. Mr. McClaugherty is a senior partner of
McClaugherty & Silver, P.C., a full service firm engaged in the practice of civil law located in Santa Fe, New Mexico. He has practiced law for 38 years and has a Martindale-Hubbell
rating of AV Preeminent and is a Fellow of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers. Prior to founding McClaugherty & Silver, P.C. in 1992, he was the Managing Partner of the Santa Fe office
of Kemp, Smith, Duncan & Hammond, and, earlier, of Rodey, Dickason, Sloan, Akin & Robb. Mr. McClaugherty has served on numerous boards of both international and domestic
companies. He received a BBA with Honors from the University of Texas in 1973 and a JD with Honors from the University of Texas School of Law in 1976. He is admitted to the Bars of the State of New
Mexico, State of Texas, State of Colorado, United States Federal District Court for the State of New Mexico, United States Federal District Court for the State of Colorado, United States Court of
Appeals for the Tenth Circuit and the United States Supreme Court. The Board has concluded that the Company benefits from Mr. McClaugherty's business and law degrees from the University of
Texas at Austin, his approximately 38 years of legal experience in a broad-based civil practice and his extensive experience on boards of both international and domestic companies.
Jeff Swanson
, age 58, has been a director of Magnum Hunter since 2009. Mr. Swanson currently serves as the President and Chief
Executive Officer of GrailQuest Corp., a privately held company providing software and services to the oil and gas industry, a position he has held since January 1999. Mr. Swanson is also the
President and Chief Executive Officer of Swanson Consulting Inc., a provider of geological and engineering geosciences studies for the oil and gas industry. He has been actively engaged in the
exploration and production sectors of the oil and gas industry for over 30 years. Mr. Swanson co-founded Stratamodel, Inc., which developed the first commercially available 3-D
geocellular technology, now a standard workflow tool in the oil and gas industry. He is co-author of two patents including ReservoirGrail, an increasingly used reservoir volumetric material balancing
simulator. Mr. Swanson received his B.B.A. from Southern Methodist University and is a member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE), Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG), Houston
Geological Society (HGS), Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA) and the National Stripper Well Association (NSWA). He is an individual trustee of TEL Offshore Trust, a publicly-listed
oil and gas trust.
10
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Mr. Swanson
is a published author of several papers and articles regarding various technologies and methodologies used for enhancing and increasing the value of mature oil and gas fields. The
Board has concluded that the Company benefits from Mr. Swanson's experience as a chief executive officer and his oil and gas industry expertise, particularly his technical expertise with
respect to oil field and reserve estimation technology.
The election of each of the director nominees requires the affirmative vote of a plurality of the shares of our common stock cast at
the Meeting. You may only vote
"FOR"
or
"WITHHELD"
with respect to the election of directors, and as a
result, there will not be any abstentions on this proposal. Broker non-votes will not affect the outcome on the election of directors.
The Board recommends that Magnum Hunter's common stockholders vote "FOR" each of the director nominees listed above.
Director Nomination Process
In assessing the qualifications of candidates for nomination as director, our Governance Committee and our Board consider, in addition
to qualifications set forth in our bylaws, each potential nominee's:
-
-
Personal and professional integrity, experience, reputation and skills;
-
-
Ability and willingness to devote the time and effort necessary to be an effective Board member; and
-
-
Commitment to act in the best interests of Magnum Hunter and its stockholders.
Consideration
is also given to the requirement under the NYSE listing standards that the Board be composed of a majority of independent directors, as well as the qualifications required
for membership on our Board committees under the NYSE listing standards and various other regulations.
In
addition, the Board looks for nominees who possess a broad range of business experience, diversity ("diversity" being broadly construed to mean a variety of opinions, perspectives,
experiences and backgrounds, such as gender, race and ethnicity differences, as well as other differentiating characteristics, all in the context of the requirements of our Board at that point in
time), professional skills, geographic representation and other qualities it considers important in light of our business plan. The Board evaluates the makeup of its membership in the context of the
Board as a whole, with the objective of recommending a group that can effectively work together using its diversity of experience to see that Magnum Hunter is well managed and represents the interests
of the Company and its stockholders.
Under
the terms of a previously existing employment agreement, which expired in May 2012, Gary C. Evans, our Chairman of the Board, was entitled to nominate one member to our
Board. Pursuant to that agreement, he nominated Jeff Swanson in August 2009.
Our
common stockholders may submit the names and other information regarding individuals they wish to be considered for nomination as directors by writing to our Corporate Secretary at
777 Post Oak Boulevard, Suite 650, Houston, Texas 77056, Attn: Corporate Secretary. Under our bylaws, stockholders may nominate persons for election to our Board at a meeting of
stockholders by complying with the advance notice procedures set forth in our bylaws. In order to be timely, a stockholder notice of
11
Table of Contents
nomination
of a person for election to the Board must be received at our principal executive offices not less than 30 days nor more than 60 days prior to the meeting;
provided
,
however
, that in the event that less than 40 days' notice or prior public disclosure of
the date of the meeting is given to stockholders, such notice by the stockholder must be received not later than the close of business on the tenth day following the day on which such notice was
given. The notice also must provide certain information as set forth in our bylaws. See the section of this proxy statement entitled "Other MattersStockholder Proposals for 2015 Annual
Meeting" for more information regarding the procedures and requirements for nominating a director for the 2015 annual meeting of stockholders.
Director Independence
In accordance with the NYSE listing standards and applicable SEC rules and guidelines, our Board and our Governance Committee assess
the independence of our Board
members from time to time. Applying the applicable NYSE listing standards and SEC rules for independence, our Board, upon the recommendation of our Governance Committee, determined that
Messrs. J. Raleigh Bailes, Victor G. Carrillo, Rocky L. Duckworth, Stephen C. Hurley, Joe L. McClaugherty, and Jeff Swanson are independent directors.
Under
the NYSE listing standards, a majority of our directors must be independent, and our Audit, Compensation and Governance Committees are each required to be composed solely of
independent directors. The standards for Audit Committee membership include additional requirements under rules of the SEC. The Board has determined that all of the members of our Audit, Compensation
and Governance Committees meet the applicable independence requirements. The listing standards relating to general independence consist of both a requirement for a Board determination that the
director has no material relationship with the Company and a listing of several specific relationships that preclude independence.
Board's Role in Risk Oversight
Our Board of Directors is responsible for the Company's risk-oversight function and is actively involved in the oversight of risks
that could affect our Company. Management is responsible for the day-to-day management of risks we face, while the Board, as a whole and through its committees, has responsibility for the oversight of
risk management.
The
Audit Committee of our Board is charged by its charter with, among other duties, reviewing the significant accounting principles, policies and practices followed by the Company;
reviewing financial, investment and risk management policies followed by Magnum Hunter in operating its business activities; reviewing the Company's annual audited financial statements; reviewing the
effectiveness of our independent audits, including approval of the scope of and fees charged in connection with our annual audit and quarterly reviews; appointing and overseeing the work of the
Company's independent auditor; and reviewing and discussing audit-related and independence matters with management, the Board and the Company's independent auditors. The Audit Committee must regularly
update the Board and make appropriate recommendations. Additionally, at Audit Committee meetings, our management may present a particular area of risk, either independently as a result of its
assessment of materiality or at the request of the Audit Committee. The Audit Committee works with management to address the strengths and weaknesses of the policies in each area presented or
separately assessed. In addition to the formal compliance program, the Board and the Audit Committee encourage management to promote a corporate culture that understands risk management and
incorporates it into the overall corporate strategy and day-to-day business operations.
12
Table of Contents
Board of Directors' Leadership Structure
Gary C. Evans currently serves as Chairman of the Board in addition to his role as our Chief Executive Officer. The Board believes
that our Chief Executive Officer is currently best situated to serve as Chairman because he is the director most familiar with our business and most capable of effectively identifying strategic
priorities and leading the discussion and execution of strategy. Our independent directors bring experience, oversight and expertise from outside the Company, while the Chief Executive Officer brings
company-specific experience and expertise. The Board believes that the combined role of Chairman and Chief Executive Officer facilitates information flow between management and the Board.
The
Board appointed Mr. McClaugherty as the Company's lead independent director for a one-year term commencing on April 13, 2013. On May 8, 2014, the Board
appointed Mr. McClaugherty as the Company's lead independent director for an additional one-year term. The Board intends to continue to maintain a lead independent director on the Board. The
additional responsibilities of the lead independent director include: (i) chairing executive sessions where independent directors meet either before or after regularly scheduled Board meetings
and, as appropriate, providing prompt feedback to the Chairman of the Board and the CEO, (ii) calling, setting the agenda for and chairing periodic executive sessions and meetings of the
independent directors and reporting accordingly to the full Board, (iii) chairing Board meetings in the absence of the Chairman of the Board, (iv) providing feedback to the Chairman of
the Board and CEO on corporate and Board policies and strategies and acting as a liaison between the Board and the CEO, (v) facilitating one-on-one communication between directors and committee
chairs and the Chairman of the Board and CEO and other senior managers to keep abreast of their perspectives, (vi) in concert with the Chairman of the Board and CEO, advising on the agenda and
schedule for Board meetings and strategic planning sessions based on input from directors, (vii) providing advance feedback on background materials and resources necessary or desirable to
assist the directors in carrying out their responsibilities, and reviewing Board materials and background papers in advance of Board meetings, (viii) interviewing potential candidates for
election to the Board, (ix) holding one-on-one discussions with individual directors when deemed appropriate by the Chairman of the Board or the lead independent director, (x) overseeing
the evaluation of individual members of the Board and of the CEO and (xi) carrying out such other duties as are requested by the Board from time to time.
Code of Conduct and Ethics
We have adopted a Code of Conduct and Ethics that applies to our directors, officers and employees, including our principal executive
officer and principal financial and accounting officers. This code assists employees in resolving ethical issues that may arise in complying with its policies. The purpose of this code is to promote,
among other things:
-
-
Honest and ethical conduct, including ethical handling of actual or apparent conflicts of interest;
-
-
Full, fair, accurate and timely disclosure in filings with the SEC and other public disclosures;
-
-
Compliance with the law and other regulations;
-
-
Protection of our assets;
-
-
Insider trading policies; and
-
-
Prompt internal reporting of any violation of the code.
13
Table of Contents
This
code is available on our website at www.magnumhunterresources.com. We will provide this code free of charge to stockholders who request it. We will post information regarding any
amendments to, or waivers from, the provisions of this code that apply to our principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer or controller or persons performing
similar functions, on our website.
The
Company maintains a third-party managed whistleblower hotline whereby employees can submit complaints or concerns regarding financial statement disclosures, accounting matters,
internal accounting controls, auditing matters, compliance with applicable laws, rules and regulations and compliance with the Company's policies and procedures, including matters arising under our
Code of Conduct and Ethics.
Stockholder Communications with the Board of Directors
Stockholders and other interested parties who wish to communicate with our non-management directors or the entire Board may do so by
making a submission in writing to "Board of Directors (independent members)" or "Board," respectively, in care of our Corporate Secretary at 777 Post Oak Boulevard, Suite 650, Houston, Texas
77056. Our Corporate Secretary will then forward all such communications (excluding routine advertisements and business solicitations) to each member of our Board, or the applicable individual
directors.
We
reserve the right to screen materials sent to our directors for potential security risks and/or harassment purposes. Stockholders also have an opportunity to communicate with our
Board at our annual meetings of stockholders.
Attendance at Meetings of Stockholders
All directors are expected to attend annual meetings of our stockholders, subject to occasional excused absences due to illness or
unavoidable conflicts. All of our directors as of the 2013 annual meeting of our stockholders attended that meeting.
Our Board Committees
The Board of Directors oversees the management of the business and affairs of our Company. The Board has three standing committees:
the Audit Committee, the Compensation Committee and the Governance Committee, each of which is described below. Each committee operates under a written charter adopted by the Board.
In
2013, the Board met 15 times and acted by unanimous written consent five times; the Audit Committee met 34 times; the Compensation Committee met 21 times; and the Governance
Committee met 27 times. Each director attended more than 96% of the meetings of the Board and the committees on which he served. The following table sets forth the committees of the Board and their
members as of the date of this proxy statement:
14
Table of Contents
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Director
|
|
Audit
Committee
|
|
Compensation
Committee
|
|
Governance
Committee
|
|
J. Raleigh Bailes, Sr.
|
|
ü
|
|
|
|
|
|
Victor G. Carrillo
|
|
|
|
|
|
*
ü
|
|
Rocky L. Duckworth
|
|
*
ü
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gary C. Evans
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Joe L. McClaugherty
|
|
ü
|
|
*
ü
|
|
|
|
Stephen C. Hurley
|
|
ü
|
|
ü
|
|
ü
|
|
Jeff Swanson
|
|
|
|
ü
|
|
ü
|
|
(*)
Denotes Chair
From
time to time, the Board also establishes special committees to address specific matters. In 2013, the Board appointed Messrs. McClaugherty and Hurley as members of a special
committee of the Board tasked with addressing litigation matters.
Website Availability of Documents
Our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2013, as amended, the charters of the Audit
Committee, Compensation Committee and Governance Committee, our Code of Conduct and Ethics and our Corporate Governance Guidelines can be found on our website at
www.magnumhunterresources.com
. The committee charters, Code of Conduct and Ethics and Corporate Governance Guidelines are located under the "Corporate Governance" link
under the "Investors" tab. Documents and information on our website are not incorporated by reference in this proxy statement.
Audit Committee
Our Audit Committee assists the Board in fulfilling its oversight responsibilities by, among other things, reviewing the financial
information that will be provided to the stockholders and others; reviewing the internal controls over financial reporting that management has established; appointing, retaining and overseeing the
performance of our independent registered public accounting firm; and overseeing our accounting and financial reporting processes and the audits of our financial statements. Our Audit Committee also
consults with our management and our independent registered public accounting firm prior to the presentation of financial statements to stockholders and, as appropriate, initiates inquiries into
aspects of our financial affairs. Our Audit Committee, along with our Governance Committee, are responsible for establishing procedures for the receipt, retention and treatment of complaints regarding
accounting, internal accounting controls or auditing matters, and for the confidential, anonymous submission by our employees of concerns regarding questionable accounting or auditing matters. In
addition, our Audit Committee is directly responsible for the appointment, retention, compensation and oversight of the work of our independent auditors, including approving services and fee
arrangements.
The
current members of our Audit Committee are Messrs. Bailes, Duckworth, Hurley and McClaugherty. Mr. Bailes served as Chairman of the Audit Committee during 2013 and
through
February 25, 2014, the date on which the Company filed its 2013 Annual Report on Form 10-K. Mr. Duckworth was appointed by the Board as Chairman of the Audit Committee on
February 27, 2014.
15
Table of Contents
Our Audit Committee must include at least one member who has been determined by our Board to meet the qualifications of an audit committee financial
expert in
accordance with SEC rules. Our Board has determined that all of the members of our Audit Committee meet the independence and other requirements for audit committee membership of the NYSE listing
standards and SEC requirements. The Board has also determined that Messrs. Duckworth and Bailes are audit committee financial experts, as that term is defined in the SEC rules.
Mr. Duckworth is a certified public accountant with more than 38 years of service in public accounting. Mr. Bailes is a certified public accountant and has been engaged in a
public accounting and tax practice for approximately the last 39 years. In addition, Messrs. Hurley and McClaugherty have a fundamental understanding of financial statements.
Since
its formation in April 2006, the Audit Committee has approved all audit fees, audit-related fees, tax fees and special engagement fees of the Company's independent public
accounting firm. The Audit Committee approved 100% of such fees for the year ended December 31, 2013.
Based
on the Audit Committee's review and discussions noted above, the Audit Committee recommended to our Board of Directors that Magnum Hunter's audited financial statements for the
year ended December 31, 2013 be included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013.
Compensation Committee
Our Board's Compensation Committee discharges the Board's responsibilities relating to the compensation of our directors and officers.
The Compensation Committee has the overall responsibility for, among other things, establishing the compensation levels and direct and indirect benefits of our officers and directors; making
recommendations to the Board with respect to the establishment and terms of incentive compensation plans and equity-based plans and administering such plans; reviewing and evaluating the Company's
compensation program and such program's coordination and execution; establishing and reviewing policies with respect to management and director perquisites; engaging any outside consultant to assist
in determining appropriate compensation levels for our officers and directors; and reviewing and discussing with management the Compensation Discussion and Analysis included in the Company's annual
report on Form 10-K or proxy statement. In addition, our Compensation Committee administers our Stock Incentive Plan, including reviewing and granting restricted stock and other share-based
awards, with respect to our directors, officers and employees.
The
current members of our Compensation Committee are Messrs. Hurley, McClaugherty, and Swanson. Mr. McClaugherty serves as Chairman of the Compensation Committee. The
members of our Compensation Committee are independent, as independence for directors is defined by NYSE rules.
Governance Committee
Our Governance Committee's responsibilities include identifying individuals qualified to become Board members consistent with criteria
approved by the Board and recommending candidates for election to our Board; reviewing and recommending changes, when necessary, to the Board regarding the Corporate Governance Guidelines of the
Company; overseeing the director nomination process and the evaluation of the Board and management; reviewing the independence of each Board member and making recommendations to the Board regarding
director independence; reviewing and resolving issues pertaining to related-party transactions and conflicts of interests; and evaluating and, if necessary, recommending changes to the Board regarding
Board processes and policies.
The
Governance Committee has established procedures for the nomination process and leads the searches for, selects and recommends candidates for election to our Board, subject to legal
rights, if any, of
16
Table of Contents
third
parties to nominate or appoint directors. Consideration of new director candidates typically involves a series of committee discussions, review of information concerning candidates and
interviews with selected candidates. Candidates for nomination to our Board typically have been suggested by other members of our Board or by our executive officers. From time to time, our Governance
Committee may engage the services of a third-party search firm to identify director candidates. Our Governance Committee recommends candidates for election to our Board. Candidates proposed by common
stockholders will be evaluated by our Governance Committee using the same criteria as for all other candidates.
The
Board will consider recommendations of director nominees from common stockholders. Any such recommendations should be communicated in the manner described above under
"Stockholder Communications with the Board of Directors." In addition, such recommendations should be accompanied by the candidate's name, biographical data, qualifications and a written
statement from the individual evidencing his or her consent to be named as a candidate and, if nominated and elected, to serve as a director. Other than as stated herein, we do not have a formal
policy with respect to consideration of director candidates recommended by stockholders, as the Board believes that each candidate, regardless of the source of the recommendation, should be evaluated
in light of all relevant facts and circumstances.
Nominees
for director are selected on the basis of, among other things, independence, experience, knowledge, skills, expertise, integrity, ability to make independent analytical
inquiries, understanding of the Company's business environment, ability to devote adequate time and effort to Board responsibilities and commitments to other public company boards. Other criteria for
director candidates considered by the Governance Committee and by the full Board include age, diversity ("diversity" being broadly construed to mean a variety of opinions, perspectives, experiences
and backgrounds, such as gender, race and ethnicity differences, as well as other differentiating characteristics, all in the context of the requirements of our Board at that point in time), whether
the candidate has any conflicts of interest, whether the candidate has the requisite independence and skills for Board and committee service under applicable SEC and NYSE rules, how the candidate's
skills and experience enhance the overall competency of the Board, and whether the candidate has any special background relevant to Magnum Hunter's business.
Our
Governance Committee has recommended J. Raleigh Bailes, Sr., Victor G. Carrillo, Rocky L. Duckworth, Gary C. Evans, Stephen C. Hurley, Joe L. McClaugherty and Jeff Swanson as
nominees for election to our Board at the Meeting.
The
current members of our Governance Committee are Messrs. Carrillo, Hurley and Swanson. Mr. Carrillo serves as Chairman of the Governance Committee. The members of our
Governance Committee are independent, as independence for directors is defined by NYSE rules.
Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation
Only one of our directors, Gary C. Evans, also serves as an executive officer of Magnum Hunter. Mr. Evans does not serve on any
of our standing committees, and no other member of our Board is employed by Magnum Hunter or its subsidiaries.
Mr. Evans
also serves as Chairman of the board of directors of GreenHunter and is a major stockholder of GreenHunter. In addition, Mr. Evans currently serves as the
interim Chief Executive Officer of GreenHunter. Other than as described above, none of our executive officers serves on the board of directors of another entity whose executive officers serve on our
Board. No officer or employee of Magnum Hunter, other than Mr. Evans, participated in the deliberations of our Board or our Compensation Committee concerning executive officer or director
compensation.
17
Table of Contents
Director and Officer Indemnification
Our bylaws permit the Company to indemnify the Company's directors and officers to the fullest extent permitted by law. We also
maintain directors' and officers' liability insurance. Additionally, we have, from time to time, entered into separate indemnification agreements with persons who were in service as directors and
executive officers of the Company at such time (some of whom are no longer serving in such capacities) that provide broader indemnification than that required under the Delaware General Corporation
Law. These agreements, among other things, require us to indemnify our directors and executive officers to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law for certain expenses, including attorneys'
fees, judgments, penalties, fines and settlement amounts actually and reasonably incurred by a director or executive officer in any action or proceeding arising out of his service as one of our
directors or executive officers, or any of our subsidiaries, or any other
company or enterprise to which the person provides services at our request, including liability arising out of negligence or active or passive wrongdoing by the officer or director. We believe that
these agreements are necessary to attract and retain qualified directors and executives.
The
limitation of liability and indemnification provisions in our restated certificate of incorporation and bylaws and the indemnification agreements may discourage stockholders from
bringing a lawsuit against our directors and officers for breach of their fiduciary duty. They may also reduce the likelihood of derivative litigation against our directors and officers, even though
an action, if successful, might benefit us and other stockholders. Further, a stockholder's investment may be adversely affected to the extent that we pay the costs of settlement and damage awards
against directors and officers as required by these indemnification provisions.
Section 16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance
Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act requires our directors, executive officers and beneficial holders of more than 10% of our
common stock to file reports with the SEC regarding their ownership and changes in ownership of our stock. Based solely upon a review of Forms 3 and 4 and amendments thereto furnished to us
during the year ended December 31, 2013 and Forms 5 and amendments thereto furnished to us with respect to the year ended December 31, 2013, and any written representations
provided to us, we believe that all of our directors, executive officers and beneficial holders of more than 10% of the outstanding shares of our common stock complied with Section 16(a) of the
Exchange Act for the year ended December 31, 2013.
DIRECTOR COMPENSATION
Our Compensation Committee reviews, not less frequently than bi-annually, and recommends to our Board for approval, fees and other
compensation and benefits for our non-employee directors. Also, our Compensation Committee frequently consults with Longnecker and Associates, or Longnecker, an independent compensation consultant, on
the competitiveness of our executive compensation. Longnecker's most recent formal peer group review for the Compensation Committee on overall director compensation was performed in December 2013.
Longnecker assists our Compensation Committee in evaluating the appropriateness of our non-employee directors' compensation program, including the mix of meeting fees and annual chairperson retainers,
to ensure that the program compensates our non-employee directors for the level of responsibility the Board has assumed in today's corporate governance environment and to remain competitive relative
to companies in our peer group.
The
Company's non-employee directors' compensation program remained fundamentally unchanged in 2013. Fees for attending meetings of the Board and its committees were set at $1,500 per
Board meeting and $1,000 per committee meeting (including standing and special committees). In 2013, all
18
Table of Contents
of
our non-employee directors received a $45,000 annual retainer in addition to the fees described above. The chair of each committee also received an additional $10,000 annual retainer, and the lead
independent director received an additional $15,000 annual retainer. Meeting fees and retainers are paid on a quarterly basis. Non-employee directors were also granted options as reflected in the
table below.
Beginning
in January, 2014, the $45,000 annual retainer described above was increased to $50,000, the $15,000 additional annual retainer for the lead independent director was increased
to $30,000, and the annual retainer for the chair of the audit committee was increased from $10,000 to $15,000. Options have not been granted to non-employee directors in 2014. Instead, in January
2014, each non-employee director received restricted stock valued at approximately $150,000 on the date of grant. Subject to continued service as a director, the full restricted stock award vests one
year from the date of grant or, if earlier, upon the death of the recipient or a change in control of the Company.
Each
non-employee director may elect to receive his compensation, including meeting fees, committee chairperson fees and annual retainer, in cash or in shares of our common stock, or a
combination thereof. Each director's election will remain in effect until a new election is made, and new elections may be made on an annual basis. As of the date hereof, all of our non-employee
directors have elected to receive compensation in shares of common stock, with the exception of Mr. Duckworth, who has elected to receive 60% of his compensation in stock and 40% in cash.
The
number of shares paid in lieu of cash compensation is based on the volume weighted average price of our common stock for the calendar quarter in which the meetings were held or the
chairperson fee or annual retainer was accrued. Non-employee directors are also eligible to receive annual grants of shares of Magnum Hunter common stock, which may be restricted stock, under our
Stock Incentive Plan.
The
following table presents compensation earned by each non-employee member of our Board for 2013. Compensation information for Mr. Evans, a current director, and
Mr. Ormand, a former director, is contained in the Summary Compensation Table below. Messrs. Evans and Ormand did not receive any compensation in their capacities as directors of the
Company.
2013 Director Compensation Table
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Name
|
|
Fees Earned
or Paid in
Cash
|
|
Option
Awards (1) (2)
|
|
Stock
Awards (1)
|
|
All Other
Compensation (3)
|
|
Total
|
|
J. Raleigh Bailes, Sr.
|
|
|
|
$158,634
|
|
$121,868
|
|
|
|
$280,502
|
|
Brad Bynum (4)
|
|
|
|
$158,634
|
|
$ 77,562
|
|
|
|
$236,196
|
|
Victor G. Carrillo
|
|
|
|
$158,634
|
|
$116,692
|
|
|
|
$275,326
|
|
Rocky L. Duckworth (5)
|
|
$7,603
|
|
|
|
$ 11,842
|
|
|
|
$ 19,445
|
|
Stephen C. Hurley
|
|
|
|
$158,634
|
|
$168,417
|
|
|
|
$327,051
|
|
Joe L. McClaugherty
|
|
|
|
$158,634
|
|
$184,728
|
|
|
|
$343,362
|
|
Steven A. Pfeifer (4)
|
|
|
|
$158,634
|
|
$ 61,222
|
|
|
|
$219,856
|
|
Jeff Swanson
|
|
|
|
$158,634
|
|
$112,670
|
|
|
|
$271,304
|
|
-
(1)
-
Represents
the aggregate grant date fair value, in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification 718, "Stock Compensation", referred to in this annual
report as ASC 718 (except no assumptions for forfeitures were included), with respect to (a) shares of common stock (under the Fees Paid in Stock column), and (b) stock options (under
the Option Awards column). See "Note 9Share-Based
19
Table of Contents
Compensation"
in the notes to our consolidated financial statements included in our annual report on Form 10-K for information regarding the assumptions made in determining these values.
As of December 31, 2013, Messrs. Bailes, Carrillo, Duckworth, Hurley, McClaugherty, and Swanson did not hold any shares of unvested restricted stock. As of December 31, 2013, the
aggregate number of outstanding option awards held by our current non-employee directors was: 275,000 for Mr. Bailes, 175,000 for Mr. Carrillo, none for Mr. Duckworth, 136,000 for
Mr. Hurley, 140,000 for Mr. McClaugherty, and 175,000 for Mr. Swanson.
-
(2)
-
On
January 17, 2013, Messrs. Bailes, Carrillo, Hurley, McClaugherty, and Swanson were each granted an option to purchase up to 60,000 shares
of our common stock at an exercise price of $4.16 per share with a ten-year expiration date.
-
(3)
-
We
reimburse the reasonable travel and accommodation expenses of directors to attend meetings and other corporate functions. In 2013, the incremental cost
to the Company to provide these perquisites was less than $10,000 per director.
-
(4)
-
Messrs. Bynum
and Pfeifer resigned from the Board on July 23, 2013.
-
(5)
-
Mr. Duckworth
was elected to the Board on October 7, 2013.
20
Table of Contents
AUDIT MATTERS
Report of Our Audit Committee
The Audit Committee reviewed and discussed Magnum Hunter's audited financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2013
with our management. The Audit Committee discussed with BDO, Magnum Hunter's independent registered public accounting firm for such year, the matters required to be communicated by PCAOB Auditing
Standard No. 16,
"Communication with Audit Communications" as well as other PCAOB rules and standards that require communication of specific matters between the auditor and the audit committee.
Based
on the Audit Committee's review and discussions noted above, the Audit Committee recommended to our Board of Directors that Magnum Hunter's audited financial statements for the
year ended December 31, 2013 be included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013 for filing with the SEC.
|
|
|
|
|
THE AUDIT COMMITTEE
|
|
|
J. Raleigh Bailes, Sr.
Rocky L. Duckworth
Steven C. Hurley
Joe L. McClaugherty
|
Auditor Fees
Aggregate fees for professional services rendered by BDO USA, LLP for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2013 and 2012
are set forth below.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2013
|
|
2012
|
|
|
|
(In thousands)
|
|
Audit Fees
|
|
$
|
1,697
|
|
$
|
1,224
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total Fees
|
|
$
|
1,697
|
|
$
|
1,224
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Audit Fees.
The audit fees for the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2012 were for professional services
rendered by BDO USA, LLP.
Audit fees relate to professional services rendered in connection with the audits of the Company's consolidated annual financial statements and internal control over financial reporting, quarterly
review of consolidated financial statements included in the Company's Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and audit services provided in connection with other statutory and regulatory filings,
including the filing of registration statements and audited and reviewed financial statements filed on certain Current Reports on Form 8-K. Also included are fees for assurance and related
services that are traditionally performed by the independent auditor, including consultation regarding accounting and reporting matters and the issuance of comfort letters in connection with offerings
by Magnum Hunter of common stock and preferred stock.
Tax Fees.
There were no fees incurred for tax compliance, tax advice, or tax planning for the years ended
December 31, 2013 and 2012.
All Other Fees.
There were no fees incurred for any products or services provided by BDO other than those products and
services described above.
21
Table of Contents
Audit Committee Pre-Approval Policy and Procedures.
The Audit Committee is responsible for appointing, setting the compensation for and overseeing the work of Magnum Hunter's independent
auditor. In recognition of this responsibility, the Audit Committee is required to approve all audit and non-audit services performed by the Company's independent registered public accounting firm in
order to assure that the provision of these services does not impair the independent auditor's independence; except that the Chairman of the Audit Committee has discretion to unilaterally engage
accounting professionals previously approved by the Audit Committee to perform additional services, provided that the cost of such services does not exceed certain predetermined amounts. For 2013, the
cost of pre-approved services could not exceed $15,000. The Chairman of the Audit Committee must report any such engagement at the next Audit Committee meeting.
The
Audit Committee specifically approved all audit and non-audit services performed by our independent accountants in 2013.
Proposal No. 2Ratification of the Appointment of BDO as Our Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm for the Fiscal Year Ending December 31, 2014
The Audit Committee has engaged BDO as our independent registered public accounting firm to audit the Company's financial statements
for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2014, and the Board is submitting such selection to the Company's common stockholders for their ratification. Although the Company is not required to
obtain stockholder ratification of the appointment of BDO, the Board considers the selection of an independent registered public accounting firm to be an important matter to stockholders and considers
such proposal to be an opportunity for stockholders to provide input to the Audit Committee and the Board on a key corporate governance issue.
The
Audit Committee believed it to be in the best interests of our stockholders to have engaged BDO as our independent registered public accounting firm to audit the Company's financial
statements for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2014. If the common stockholders fail to ratify the selection, the Audit Committee will consider whether it is appropriate to select another
independent registered public accounting firm for the 2014 fiscal year. Even if the selection is ratified, the Audit Committee in its discretion may appoint a different independent public accounting
firm at any time during the year if it determines that such a change would be in our best interests and those of our stockholders.
No
relationship between the Company and BDO exists other than the usual relationship between independent auditor and client. A representative of BDO is expected to be present at the
Meeting to respond to appropriate questions and will have the opportunity to make a statement if he or she desires to do so.
Engagement of BDO As Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm for the Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2012
On April 16, 2013, the Company, at the direction of the Audit Committee, engaged BDO as the Company's independent registered
public accounting firm for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2012 following the dismissal of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, which we refer to as PwC, on April 10, 2013 (which is
further described under "Dismissal of PwC As Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm for the Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2012" below). One of the reasons that the Company decided to
engage BDO following the dismissal of PwC was the Company's belief that such engagement would increase the likelihood that the audit of the Company's consolidated financial statements for the fiscal
year ended December 31, 2012 would be completed at an earlier date and without continued delays of the
22
Table of Contents
targeted
completion dates. The Company has since filed its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2012.
During
the fiscal years ended December 31, 2012 and 2011 and the subsequent interim period through the date of BDO's engagement, neither the Company nor anyone acting on its
behalf consulted BDO with respect to either (i) the application of accounting principles to a specified transaction, either completed or proposed, or the type of audit opinion that might be
rendered on the Company's consolidated financial statements, and no written report or oral advice was provided by BDO to the Company that BDO concluded was an important factor considered by the
Company in reaching a decision as to the accounting, auditing, or financial reporting issue; or (ii) any matter that was the subject of either a disagreement (as contemplated by
Item 304(a)(1)(iv) of Regulation S-K) or a reportable event (as described in Item 304(a)(1)(v) of Regulation S-K).
Dismissal of PwC As Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm for the Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2012
On April 16, 2013, the Company filed a Current Report on Form 8-K disclosing the Company's dismissal of PwC as the
Company's independent registered public accounting firm and describing certain "reportable events" as that term is defined in Item 304(a)(1)(v) of Regulation S-K. On April 22,
2013, the Company filed Amendment No. 1 on Form 8-K/A to include a letter from PwC dated April 18, 2013, as Exhibit 16.1 to that Form 8-K/A. The following is an
excerpt from the Current Report on Form 8-K/A and has been included in this proxy statement solely for the purpose of satisfying the requirements of Item 304(a) of Regulation S-K.
The following excerpt should be read in conjunction with the April 18, 2013 letter from PwC referred to above. No attempt has been made to update the disclosures taken from the Current Report
on Form 8-K that are set forth below:
"Item 4.01 Changes in Registrant's Certifying Accountant.
Dismissal of Previously Engaged Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
On
April 10, 2013, the Company, at the direction of the Audit Committee (the "
Audit Committee
") of the Company's Board of Directors (the
"
Board
"), dismissed PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP ("
PwC
") as the Company's independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal
year ended December 31,
2012, effective immediately. PwC was engaged as the Company's independent registered public accounting firm on July 17, 2012. PwC has not completed an audit or issued an audit report on the
Company's consolidated financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2012. The decision to dismiss PwC was unanimously approved by the Audit Committee on April 10, 2013,
and such decision was unanimously ratified by the Board on April 13, 2013.
PwC
was not engaged (and did not serve) as the Company's independent registered public accounting firm at any time prior to its engagement as the Company's independent registered public
accounting firm on July 17, 2012. During the period beginning on July 17, 2012 and ending on the date of PwC's dismissal (the "
Applicable Time Period
"),
there were no disagreements between the Company and PwC on any matter of accounting principles or practices, financial statement disclosure or auditing scope or procedure, which disagreements, if not
resolved to the satisfaction of PwC, would have caused PwC to make reference to the subject matter of the disagreements in connection with its reports on the Company's consolidated financial
statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2012.
23
Table of Contents
During
the Applicable Time Period, there were no "reportable events" as that term is defined in Item 304(a)(1)(v) of Regulation S-K under the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended (the "
Securities Act
"), relating to PwC's engagement as the Company's independent registered public accounting firm, except that PwC advised the Company
(A) (i) that information had come to PwC's attention that if further investigated may have a material impact on the fairness or reliability of Company's consolidated financial statements, and
this information was not further investigated and resolved to PwC's satisfaction prior to its dismissal, and (ii) of the need to significantly expand the scope of PwC's audit of the Company's
consolidated financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2012, and due to PwC's dismissal, PwC did not complete its expanded procedures (collectively, the matters in
(i) and (ii) above, the "PwC Identified Matters"), and (B) of certain deficiencies in the Company's internal controls over financial reporting that constitute material weaknesses
during the Applicable Time Period (whether identified by the Company or PwC), which led PwC to believe that internal controls necessary for the Company to develop reliable financial statements did not
exist, and therefore, PwC significantly expanded the scope of its audit of the Company's consolidated financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2012 for purposes of completing
such audit. However, the Company believes that it has implemented the internal controls and processes necessary to develop reliable financial statements and allow its successor independent accounting
firm to complete the audit of the Company's consolidated financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2012. The Company will be working with its successor independent accounting
firm to complete the audit of such consolidated financial statements.
PwC
Identified Matters.
The PwC Identified Matters consisted of the following and were under review and analysis by both PwC and the Company at
the time of PwC's dismissal. As of the date of the filing of this Current Report on Form 8-K, the Company does not believe that there are any misstatements, errors or omissions that would
require any restatement of any of the Company's prior period financial statements. The Company believes that the PwC Identified Matters arose primarily due to a period of
rapid growth of the Company. The Company believes that such growth will significantly enhance future shareholder value, but in the near term this growth strained the accounting resources of the
Company. The Company has been addressing and will continue to address these issues by expanding and upgrading the personnel in its accounting department and is also utilizing the advisory services of
a "Big Four" accounting firm to assist the Company in completing its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2012 and in upgrading its accounting department and
systems.
-
-
Property Accounting and Transfers of Unproved
Properties.
PwC requested additional information to support the estimation of the valuation of the Company's oil and gas properties
(including information regarding the timing of non-cash impairments and lease expirations and extensions). In addition, PwC requested support of the timing of transferring the classification of
certain of such properties from unproved to proved and the effect of such transfers on non-cash impairments and depletion. The Company has substantially completed such analysis, which it will provide
to its successor independent accounting firm. Such analysis indicated no material adjustments were necessary other than with respect to transfers and impairments that were recorded in the third
quarter ended September 30, 2012 and prior periods. As previously disclosed, the Company anticipates unproved property impairments in the amount of $71 million which will be recorded in
the quarter ended December 31, 2012. Further additional adjustments, if any, that would be material would all be non-cash charges.
-
-
Oil and Gas Reserves.
PwC has requested additional
information and support for some of the underlying assumptions from which the reserve report issued by the Company's
24
Table of Contents
independent
petroleum engineering firm on the Company's oil and gas reserves as of December 31, 2012 was derived. Such additional analysis included the proposed capital budget for 2013
supporting such assumptions and analysis of lease operating expenses in the Company's Magnum Hunter Production subsidiary ("
MHP
"). The Company has completed such analysis
and believes no adjustments are necessary to such reserve report as its capital budget supports such assumptions and the MHP lease operating expenses analyzed are consistent with the assumptions made
with respect thereto in the reserve report. PwC also requested additional support for the underlying division of interest of properties (which, in addition to oil and gas reserves, could affect other
matters including revenues, lease operating expenses and oil and gas properties), although management does not expect the division of interest analysis to result in any material adjustments to these
items. In addition, PwC
requested that the Company perform additional analysis on its properties in the Tableland Field in Saskatchewan, Canada to determine if any non-cash impairment charges would be required. PwC advised
the Company that a material non-cash impairment charge should be recognized for such properties and the Company continues to review this matter based on updated engineering information from its
independent petroleum engineering firm. As previously disclosed, the Company anticipates proved property impairments in the amount of approximately $16 million which will be recorded in the
quarter ended December 31, 2012. Any such impairment would be a non-cash charge to earnings for 2012. PwC also noted that a 2011 reserve report for certain significant subsidiaries of the
Company indicated that it was prepared in accordance with the Canadian Oil and Gas Evaluation Handbook, and at the time of PwC's dismissal, PwC had not received adequate support as to whether such
reserve report was prepared in accordance, or was materially consistent, with applicable U.S. and SEC standards. The Company has confirmed that such reserve report was prepared in accordance, and was
materially consistent, with applicable U.S. and SEC standards, and it has received a revised cover letter from its independent petroleum engineering firm to such effect (although the Company had not
provided such letter to PwC by the time of its dismissal).
-
-
Income Taxes.
The Company and PwC discussed various issues
relating to the Company's treatment of and positions with respect to certain income tax matters. The Company believes that its tax entries for the fourth quarter of 2012 are correct and that there
should be no material adjustment to prior period entries.
-
-
Accounting regarding MHP.
PwC requested that the Company
review certain assumptions relating to the Company's initial accounting in connection with its acquisition in 2011 of NGAS Resources, Inc., whose operations are now conducted in or under MHP.
PwC also requested further analysis regarding the appropriateness of certain credits recorded in lease operating expenses, whether such credits are appropriate deductions in the reserve report, and,
if the credits were not deemed to be appropriate deductions, whether changes in reserves would have a material impact on MHP's proved property impairments. The Company has determined, in conjunction
with advice from its "Big Four" accounting firm advisor, that such accounting was recorded properly. PwC was still reviewing such matter and there was no final resolution thereof at the time of its
dismissal.
-
-
Prior Period Restatements.
The Company has reviewed
whether Staff Accounting Bulletin 99 might require certain errors, if any, in prior fiscal years and/or fiscal quarters to be corrected in the applicable prior periods. The Company has determined that
the adjustments to date are not material and thus do not require any restatements of prior
25
Table of Contents
-
-
Ability to Meet Debt Covenants.
The ability of the Company
to comply with its debt covenants in future fiscal periods related primarily to the late filing of the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2012.
The Company has obtained waivers relating to this late filing under certain of its debt agreements, and intends to address the issues relating to this late filing arising under the indenture governing
the Company's outstanding senior notes. In addition, the Company calculated projected financial statements and projected compliance with associated financial covenants under its debt agreements (based
on the assumed closing of the Company's previously announced sale of its Eagle Ford Shale properties in which the cash portion of the purchase price is expected to be approximately $380 million
(after purchase price adjustments) as well as the Company's revised upstream capital budget of $300 million). The Company believes that it will be able to remain in compliance with its
financial covenants for the foreseeable future. Further, the Company has taken, and will continue to take, the appropriate additional actions necessary to prevent or cure any non-compliance with
non-financial covenants under the Company's debt agreements as a result of the Company's failure to timely file its periodic reports under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the
"
Exchange Act
"), with the SEC.
-
-
Capitalized Interest.
PwC asked the Company to consider
whether certain interest expense associated with its unproved oil and gas properties should be capitalized. The Company's policy is to capitalize interest on expenditures for significant exploration
and development projects that last more than six months. The Company and PwC were discussing approaches to capitalized interest but no conclusion had been reached at the time of PwC's dismissal. The
Company's preliminary assessment is that it did not have any capitalized interest expense associated with the development of its unproved oil and gas properties because none of such projects exceeded
six months. Any such adjustment in this regard would be a positive non-cash increase to net income in prior periods.
-
-
Assets Held for Sale.
In connection with the Company's
pending sale of its Eagle Ford Shale properties, PwC asked the Company to consider whether such properties should be classified as "assets held for sale" as of December 31, 2012. The Company,
in conjunction with advice from its "Big Four" accounting firm advisor, determined that the conditions required for such classification did not exist at December 31, 2012.
-
-
Miscellaneous.
In addition, other PwC Identified Matters
include issues with respect to the Company's asset retirement obligations, revenue and lease operating expense accruals, share-based compensation, information technology systems and general controls,
and manual post-closing entries, each of which were under review by PwC at the time of its dismissal and some of which the Company believes it has previously disclosed and corrected. The Company
continues to review these matters and will review them with its successor independent accounting firm, but at this time, the Company does not believe that these matters will materially impact the
Company's consolidated financial statements.
Internal
Controls
. PwC advised the Company of the five categories of below-described deficiencies that constitute, or that PwC considered might
constitute, material weaknesses in the Company's internal controls over financial reporting. The first, second and fourth categories below were generally previously disclosed by the Company.
26
Table of Contents
-
-
Effective Control Environment to Meet the Company's
Growth
-
-
In certain areas (internal audit, financial reporting, tax and accounting departments), the Company did not have
sufficient personnel with an appropriate level of knowledge, experience and training commensurate with the growth of the Company's corporate structure and financial reporting requirements.
Specifically, the Company did not effectively establish controls, upgrade controls when necessary, or upgrade internal control, tax, financial reporting and accounting resources; therefore the
effectiveness of the Company's control environment applicable to previous periods was negatively impacted. This deficiency resulted from either not having adequate controls designed and in place or
not achieving the intended operating effectiveness of existing controls designed in prior years.
-
-
The Company did not establish effective controls over risk assessments commensurate with the growth of the Company.
Specifically, the Company did not have adequate processes to evaluate certain business, process and information technology risks. This deficiency resulted in either not having adequate controls
designed and in place or not achieving the intended operating effectiveness of controls.
-
-
These material weaknesses also contributed to the material weaknesses described below.
-
-
Financial Reporting
-
-
The Company did not maintain effective monitoring of controls in certain areas, including period-end financial reporting
process, consolidations, share-based compensation, acquisitions and divestitures, and land and leasehold cost accounting. Specifically, the Company did not maintain effective controls to provide
reasonable assurance that monthly account reconciliations were revised on a timely basis and that monthly and quarterly financial information was prepared and reviewed timely. Due to lack of personnel
with technical skills, this deficiency resulted in either not having adequate controls designed and in place or not achieving the intended operating effectiveness of controls.
-
-
The Company did not maintain effective controls over the recording and retention of all journal entries. Specifically, the
Company did not maintain effective monitoring of controls to ensure that journal entries were properly prepared with sufficient supporting documentation or were reviewed and approved to ensure the
accuracy and completeness of the journal entries.
-
-
The Company did not maintain effective controls over financial statement disclosures to ensure completeness and accuracy.
Specifically, effective controls were not in place to ensure that disclosure of condensed consolidating guarantor financial statements footnote information for the nine month period ended
September 30, 2012 was accurately reported.
-
-
The Company did not maintain effective controls over reconciling accounts. Specifically, the Company did not design and
maintain effective controls to reconcile these accounts for 2012.
27
Table of Contents
-
-
Leasehold Property
Costs
-
-
The Company did not design effective controls to provide reasonable assurance over accuracy and completeness of master
files of lease records. Specifically, the Company did not have effective controls over allocation of leasehold property costs as well as adequate reconciliation of subsidiary leasehold property
records to the general ledger.
-
-
The Company did not maintain effective controls over completeness and accuracy of well acreage data resulting in
inaccurate transfers of leasehold property costs during 2012 and as a result subsequent adjustments are expected to be made for the fourth quarter of 2012.
-
-
The Company did not design effective controls to ensure completeness of leasehold property costs to be appropriately
included in the depletion pool. Specifically, the cost basis used in depletion calculation was reconciled to property account balances that were inaccurate during 2012. In addition, there was lack of
controls around formal documentation and review of the depletion model.
-
-
The Company did not have effective controls over review of properties for expirations and impairments of unproven acreage.
-
-
The Company did not maintain effective controls over division of interest records resulting in inadequate legal
documentation and lack of adequate review of changes to the division of interest records.
-
-
Complex Accounting
Issues
-
-
The Company did not design effective controls over share-based compensation expense, which is recorded in the Company's
general and administrative expenses. Specifically, the Company did not design effective controls related to the review of supporting details, including the completeness and accuracy of the vesting
inputs and calculations and the journal entries for share-based compensation expenses. This control deficiency resulted in a misstatement of the Company's general and administrative expense and
share-based compensation related disclosures for the three and six month periods ended June 30, 2012 and resulted in the restatement of the financial statements for such fiscal periods.
-
-
The Company did not design an effective control environment over complex equity instruments including convertible
preferred stock and related arrangements. This material weakness resulted in the restatement of the Company's Series A Convertible Preferred Units of Eureka Hunter Holdings, LLC, the
Company's preferred stock embedded derivative liabilities and the loss on derivatives and related disclosures for the three and six month periods ended June 30, 2012. These issues resulted in
review adjustments to the Company's condensed consolidated financial statements for the three and nine month periods ended September 30, 2012.
28
Table of Contents
-
-
Miscellaneous Internal Control Deficiencies
-
-
The Company did not design or maintain effective controls over income tax accounting, including to ensure that information
related to tax credit carryover was accurately disclosed in the Company's financial statements.
-
-
The Company did not design or maintain effective controls over capitalized interest.
-
-
The Company did not design or maintain effective controls over segregation of duties and timeliness of reporting with
respect to partnership accounting, revenue, joint interest accounting and divisions of interest for MHP.
The
Company's Remediation Plan
. The Board, Audit Committee and senior management of the Company consider it essential that they provide the
appropriate "tone at the top" to assure the Company achieves effective and comprehensive internal controls over financial reporting. To further such objective, and to compensate for internal control
deficiencies resulting from the Company's accounting personnel, software systems and other resources not having kept pace with the Company's rapid growth, the Board, the Audit Committee and senior
management have adopted a "hands on" and proactive approach to address the internal control deficiencies. As discussed below, this has resulted in the Company dedicating substantial resources to
hiring additional accounting personnel with greater expertise, engaging outside consultants and investing in new software and technology.
More
specifically, the Board, the Audit Committee and management recognize the importance of improving its internal controls related to the overall control environment, financial
reporting and consolidation processes and property, inventory, share-based compensation, acquisitions and divestiture accounting processes. To establish and maintain effective and sustainable
controls, in the fourth quarter of 2012, management started to expand staff and outside consultants with the knowledge, training and experience necessary to develop and support the Company's overall
control environment.
-
-
Effective Control Environment to Meet the Company's
Growth
-
-
Management has evaluated its business and control needs and began hiring and replacing resources in the third quarter of
2012 to address these needs. More specifically, the Company added a Chief Accounting Officer, two new corporate-level controllers, two regional controllers, and new managers of internal audit, tax and
financial reporting. These resources were not in place long enough in 2012 to substantially improve the control environment. Management will continue to increase staffing as needed to address business
and control environment risks. Management will supplement their in-house internal audit and tax functions in 2013 with the use of additional outside consulting firms. Additionally, management will
develop a formal top down risk assessment of the Company's people, processes and technology as such relates to financial reporting to properly identify, develop and maintain internal controls.
-
-
Financial Reporting
-
-
In the fourth quarter of 2012, management began reorganizing the responsibilities and accountability in the accounting and
financial reporting processes and implementing additional monitoring and detective controls to remediate the material
29
Table of Contents
weakness.
In addition, management hired a new manager of financial reporting. This improvement in processes is ongoing and some new or revised controls were in place at year end. However, management
could not place reliance on these controls for the control assessment as these controls normally would need to be in place for two months or two quarters depending on the type of control. As noted
above, the control environment will be improved through the addition of already added resources and an improved risk assessment process. With these changes to the control environment and the
reorganization of accounting and financial reporting, management will continue to redefine and improve controls to meet the Company's control requirements. Areas of particular focus are the journal
entries process, reconciliations, consolidations, financial reporting process and the accounting processes for share-based compensation, acquisitions, divestitures and leasehold property costs.
-
-
Leasehold Property
Costs
-
-
Management is implementing appropriate steps to ensure that there are appropriate detective and monitoring controls over
the leasehold property accounts and that the controls operate effectively as designed. Management plans to implement controls over proper documentation retention and accuracy of records for leasehold
property accounts and related leasehold expenditures.
-
-
In 2013, management will continue the process of transitioning the manually tracked leases to automated land systems in
order to improve the completeness, accuracy and control of the data. Controls over maintenance of lease records will include authorization for updates to lease files, prevention of unauthorized access
to or alteration of data, periodic monitoring of critical dates and decisions to pay delay rentals or lease extensions, and adequate support for and reconciliation of subsidiary property records to
the general ledger. Additional processes and controls will be implemented to address completeness and accuracy of well status and well data and proper review of related transfers of leasehold property
costs.
-
-
Management plans to take appropriate measures to ensure that proved property costs and unproved leasehold costs are
properly reviewed periodically for possible impairment including performing property analysis in order to identify any indicators that unproved properties may be impaired including lease expiration
dates, likelihood of extending leases, unsuccessful wells drilled on the leases, and future drilling plans. The remediation steps will involve effective coordination between the land, engineering and
accounting departments.
-
-
Appropriate actions will be taken to ensure accuracy for the calculation of depletion which will include the following:
leasehold costs are included in the appropriate depletion pool, estimated reserves and productions costs are appropriate, cost basis used in the depletion calculation is reconciled to the property
account balances in the general ledger and proper review and approval of the depletion model and calculation by management.
-
-
Management plans to implement additional review controls over set up and maintenance of division of interest records to
include the following: timely communication between land department and accounting, retention of adequate
30
Table of Contents
-
-
Complex Accounting
Issues
-
-
Management is implementing additional review controls and other controls with regard to share based compensation activity
around the completeness and accuracy of the schedules and related inputs including reviewer checklists to ensure all inputs and calculations are complete and accurate. New processes and controls were
designed to implement a new software system to track stock option activity and the related compensation expense and disclosures. Management has also formalized the process for valuation of share based
compensation expense to ensure consistent use of management's methodology.
-
-
To remediate the material weakness in our control environment over the analysis of acquisitions and divestitures, the
Company has added additional controls around the review of acquisitions and divestitures for accounting, financial reporting, tax and legal implications of such transactions. Management has added
additional technical staff in tax, accounting and financial reporting to assist in the review of acquisitions and divestitures for financial statement implications. Management plans to bring in
outside consultants when management feels the complexity of certain transactions warrants additional review. Further, management is evaluating accounting and financial reporting controls for purchase
accounting, equity instrument accounting and related income tax accounting matters.
-
-
Miscellaneous Internal Controls
-
-
The Company has hired a full-time tax manager and engaged a "Big Four" accounting firm to provide advisory services on tax
matters that, together with other measures being implemented by management, should provide effective internal controls over income tax accounting.
-
-
The Company is reviewing, and will discuss with its new independent public accounting firm, whether the Company's internal
controls over the capitalization of interest need to be modified in any manner.
-
-
To facilitate the Company's having effective internal controls over segregation of duties and timely reporting on various
MHP accounting matters, the Company has added substantial accounting personnel and resources and will continue to review the applicable internal controls and discuss such controls with its new
independent public accounting firm.
Management
will develop a formal remediation plan and timeline and will monitor the Company's remediation efforts. Under the direction of the Chief Executive Officer, the Chief
Financial Officer and the Chief Accounting Officer, reporting to the Audit Committee of the Board, management will continue to assess and enhance the overall design of the Company's control
environment to improve the overall effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting. The Company is also planning the implementation of a more functional and integrated accounting system,
which it intends to implement during 2013.
31
Table of Contents
Subsequent
to the Company's filing of the above-quoted Current Report on Form 8-K, the Company has continued with the implementation of the remediation plan. The management team
has worked diligently to improve the design and operating effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting. The Company reported fourteen material weaknesses as of December 31, 2012.
Due to significant remediation efforts made by management, the number of material weaknesses has been reduced to three as of December 31, 2013. Management expects to continue on the path of
remediation in 2014 to improve the Company's internal control over financial reporting.
The
Company, at the direction of the Audit Committee, had engaged PwC on July 17, 2012 as the Company's independent auditor for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2012.
During the fiscal years ended December 31, 2011 and 2010 and through the date of PwC's engagement in July 2012, the Company did not consult with PwC on (i) the application of accounting
principles to a specified transaction, either completed or proposed, or the type of audit opinion that may be rendered on the Company's financial statements, and PwC did not provide either a written
report or oral advice to the Company that PwC concluded was an important factor considered by the Company in reaching a decision as to any accounting, auditing, or financial reporting issue; or
(ii) any matter that was either the subject of any disagreement (as defined in Item 304 (a)(1)(iv) of Regulation S-K and the related instructions to Item 304 of
Regulation S-K) or a reportable event (as described in Item 304(a)(1)(v) of Regulation S-K).
No
relationship between the Company and PwC existed other than the usual relationship between independent auditor and client.
Decision of Hein to Not Stand for Re-Election As Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm for the Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2012
The Audit Committee had initially selected and engaged Hein as the Company's independent registered public accountants for the year
ending December 31, 2012. Hein had also audited the Company's financial statements for 2009, 2010 and 2011. In spring of 2012, the Company began to evaluate whether the Company needed a larger
accounting firm. As a result, senior management of the Company concluded that it would be in the Company's best interests for the Company to engage a new independent registered public accounting firm
for 2012 with a greater depth of resources to accommodate the Company's rapidly expanding and widespread operations as well as its accessing the public capital markets. On May 25, 2012, Hein
informed the Company that it declined to stand for re-election as the Company's independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2012.
Hein's
audit reports on the Company's consolidated financial statements as of and for the years ended December 31, 2011 and 2010 did not contain any adverse opinions or
disclaimers of opinion and were not qualified or modified as to uncertainty, audit scope or accounting principles. The audit reports of Hein on the effectiveness of internal control over financial
reporting as of December 31, 2011 and 2010 did not contain any adverse opinions or disclaimers of opinion, nor were they qualified or modified as to uncertainty, audit scope or accounting
principles.
During
the fiscal years ended December 31, 2011 and 2010, and the subsequent interim period through June 1, 2012, there were (i) no disagreements between the
Company and Hein on any matter of accounting principles or practices, financial statement disclosure or auditing scope or procedure, which disagreements, if not resolved to the satisfaction of Hein,
would have caused Hein to make reference to the subject matter of the disagreement in their reports on the Company's consolidated financial statements
32
Table of Contents
for
such years, and (ii) no "reportable events" as that term is defined in Item 304(a)(1)(v) of Regulation S-K.
No
relationship between the Company and Hein existed other than the usual relationship between independent auditor and client.
Communications with BDO, PwC and Hein
As required by Instruction 2 to Item 304 of Regulation S-K, the Company has provided BDO, PwC and Hein with a
copy of the disclosures made or quoted above in this proxy statement under "Engagement of BDO As Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm for the Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2014,"
"Dismissal of PwC As Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm for the Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2012," and "Decision of Hein to Not Stand for Re-Election As Independent Registered
Public Accounting Firm for the Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2012" in order to permit each to furnish a brief statement to the Company regarding the views of each with respect to such
disclosure. Hein and BDO declined to provide such a statement. PwC did not provide a statement, but requested that certain language be included in the first paragraph under "Dismissal of PwC As
Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm for the Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2012" above, which the Company has done.
The affirmative vote of a majority of the shares of the Company's common stock present in person or represented by proxy and entitled
to vote at the Meeting is required to ratify the appointment of BDO. Under Delaware law, (i) abstentions are considered to be "present" and "entitled to vote" at the Meeting, and as a result,
will have the effect of a vote
"AGAINST"
this proposal, and (ii) shares underlying broker non-votes are not considered to be "entitled to vote"
at the Meeting, and as a result, will have no effect on the outcome of this proposal. Under applicable NYSE rules, brokers may use their discretion to vote shares for which voting instructions are not
submitted with respect to the ratification of BDO, so no broker non-votes are expected for this proposal.
The Board recommends Magnum Hunter's common stockholders vote "FOR" the ratification of the appointment of BDO as our independent registered public accounting
firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2014.
Proposal No. 3Advisory Vote on Executive Compensation.
The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, enacted in July 2010, requires that we provide our common stockholders
with the opportunity to vote to approve, on a nonbinding, advisory basis, the compensation of our named executive officers as disclosed in this proxy statement in accordance with the compensation
disclosure rules of the SEC.
We
believe that our compensation policies and procedures are designed to align each executive's compensation with the Company's short-term and long-term performance and to provide the
compensation and incentives necessary to attract, motivate and retain the key executives who are crucial to the Company's long-term success. The following key objectives are the cornerstone of our
executive compensation program:
-
-
compensation levels should be sufficiently competitive to enable us to recruit and retain highly qualified managerial
talent by providing market-based levels of compensation; and
33
Table of Contents
-
-
motivate our executives to achieve individual and business performance objectives by varying their compensation in
accordance with the success of our business.
By
adhering to these key objectives, we believe that the application of our overall executive compensation philosophy, policies and procedures have resulted in executive compensation
decisions that are appropriate and that have benefitted the Company over time.
The
Compensation Committee, which is responsible for determining the compensation of our executive officers, is composed solely of outside directors who satisfy the independence
requirements of the
NYSE. The Compensation Committee engages in an ongoing independent review of all aspects of our executive compensation programs.
The
vote on this resolution is not intended to address any specific element of compensation; rather, the vote relates to the compensation of our named executive officers, as described
in this proxy statement in accordance with the compensation disclosure rules of the SEC. The vote is advisory, which means that the vote is not binding on Magnum Hunter, our Board of Directors or the
Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors.
The affirmative vote of a majority of the shares of our common stock present in person or by proxy and entitled to vote at the Meeting
is required to approve, on an advisory basis, our executive compensation. Under Delaware law, (i) abstentions are considered to be "present" and "entitled to vote" at the Meeting, and as a
result, will have the effect of a vote "AGAINST" this proposal, and (ii) shares underlying broker non-votes are not considered to be "entitled to vote" at the Meeting, and as a result, will
have no effect on the outcome of this proposal.
Accordingly,
we ask our common stockholders to vote on the following resolution at the Meeting:
"
RESOLVED
, that the compensation paid to the Company's named executive officers, as disclosed pursuant to Item 402 of
Regulation S-K, is hereby
APPROVED
."
The Board recommends Magnum Hunter's common stockholders vote "FOR" the approval of the compensation of our named executive officers, as disclosed in this Proxy
Statement.
34
Table of Contents
OUR EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
The following is a brief biography of each of our executive officers other than Mr. Evans, whose biographical information is
included above under "Corporate GovernanceProposal No. 1Election of Directors."
Joseph C. Daches
, age 47, has served as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of the Company since July 2013.
Mr. Daches has more than 20 years of regulatory compliance, financial reporting, technical accounting, management and oil and gas accounting experience, primarily within the energy
industry. Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Daches had served as Executive Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer of Energy & Exploration Partners, Inc. since September 2012
and as a director of that company since April 2013. He previously served as a partner and Managing Director of the Willis Consulting Group, LLC, from January 2012 to September 2012. From
October 2003 to
December 2011, Mr. Daches served as the Director of E&P Advisory Services at Sirius Solutions, LLC, where he was primarily responsible for financial reporting, technical, and oil and gas
accounting and the overall management of the E&P advisory services practice. Mr. Daches earned a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Wilkes University in Pennsylvania, and he is a certified
public accountant in good standing with the Texas State Board of Public Accountancy.
R. Glenn Dawson
, age 57, currently serves as Executive Vice President of the Company and as President of our Williston Basin Division.
Mr. Dawson joined the Company in May 2011 when it acquired NuLoch Resources, Inc., renamed Williston Hunter Canada, Inc., a company for which Mr. Dawson had served as
President and CEO. He has over 30 years of experience in oil and gas exploration in North America. His principal responsibilities have involved the generation and evaluation of drilling
prospects and production acquisition opportunities. In the early stages of his career, Mr. Dawson was employed as an exploration geologist by Sundance Oil and Gas, Inc., a public company
located in Denver, Colorado, concentrating on their Canadian operations. From December 1985 to September 1998, Mr. Dawson held a variety of managerial and technical positions with Summit
Resources, a then-public Canadian oil and gas exploration and production company, including Vice President of Exploration, Exploration Manager and Chief Geologist. He served as Vice President of
Exploration with PanAtlas Energy Inc., a then-public Canadian oil and gas exploration and production company, from 1999 until its acquisition by Velvet Exploration Ltd. in July 2000.
Mr. Dawson was a co-founder and Vice President of Exploration of TriLoch Resources Inc., a then-public Canadian oil and gas exploration company, from 2001 to 2005, until it was acquired
by Enerplus Resources Fund. As a result of the sale of TriLoch Resources Inc. to Enerplus Resources Fund, Mr. Dawson founded NuLoch Resources, Inc. in 2005. Mr. Dawson
graduated in 1980 from Weber State University of Utah with a Bachelor's degree in Geology and attended the University of Calgary from 1980 to 1982 in the Masters Program for Geology.
James W. Denny, III
, age 66, currently serves as Executive Vice President of the Company and as President of our Appalachian Division.
Mr. Denny has served as an Executive Vice President of the Company since March 2008. Mr. Denny brings more than 35 years of industry related experience to the Company. Prior to
joining Magnum Hunter, Mr. Denny served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Gulf Energy Management Company, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Harken Energy Corporation from January 2005 to
October 2007. Mr. Denny served in various positions of responsibility during his tenure with Harken Energy Corporation from 1998 to 2005. In his capacity as President and Chief Executive
Officer of Gulf Energy Management, Mr. Denny was responsible for all facets of Gulf Energy Management's North American operations. He is a registered Professional Engineer (Louisiana) and is a
Certified Earth Scientist. He is also a member of various industry associations, including the American Petroleum Institute, the National Society of Professional Engineers, the Society of Petroleum
Engineers, and the Society of Petroleum Evaluation Engineers. He is a graduate of the University of Louisiana-Lafayette with a B. S. in Petroleum Engineering.
35
Table of Contents
H.C. "Kip" Ferguson, III
, age 48, currently serves as Executive Vice PresidentExploration of the Company.
Mr. Ferguson has served as an Executive Vice President of the Company since October 2009 and was President of our Eagle Ford Shale Division from 2011 until April 2013. Mr. Ferguson was
formerly the President of Sharon Resources, Inc. from September 1999 until the company was acquired by Magnum Hunter in October 2009 and subsequently renamed Eagle Ford Hunter, Inc. As
President of Sharon Resources, Inc., Mr. Ferguson's responsibilities included supervision of the day-to-day activities of that company, budget planning for operations, supervision of the
development of exploratory projects within numerous basins and involvement in extensive field studies and trend analysis, using advanced drilling and completion technology. Mr. Ferguson brings
more than 20 years of exploration and development experience in several major U.S. basins to the Company. Mr. Ferguson served on the board of Sharon Resources, Inc. and Sharon
Energy Ltd. from September 1999 to October 2009. Mr. Ferguson served on the board for Diaz Resources, Inc. from 2005 to 2009. Mr. Ferguson is a third-generation geologist
with a degree in Geology from the University of Texas at Austin.
Paul M. Johnston
, age 59, has served as Senior Vice President and General Counsel of the Company since June 2010. Mr. Johnston has
over 30 years of increasing responsibility and management experience in all facets of general corporate, finance, securities and regulatory related legal matters. He is a former partner with
the Dallas-based law firm, Thompson & Knight, LLP, representing both private and publicly held companies during his twenty-year career with the firm. Mr. Johnston also had ten
years of in-house counsel experience before joining Magnum Hunter, including his service as Vice President and Corporate Counsel for an NYSE-listed Fortune 250 company from 2000 to 2007, and his
service as General Counsel for Links Business Capital, LP, the manager for an SEC-registered investment advisor involved in the management of onshore and offshore hedge funds, from 2007 to
2010. A 1977 graduate of Texas Tech University, Mr. Johnston received his Juris Doctorate from Texas Tech University in 1980.
Don Kirkendall
, age 57, has served as Senior Vice President of the Company and as Senior Vice President of our subsidiary, Eureka Hunter
Pipeline, LLC, since June 2010. Mr. Kirkendall has served as a Senior Vice President of the Company since September 2009. Prior to serving in his current roles, Mr. Kirkendall
served as President of Magnum Hunter from March 2006 to September 2009 and as Executive Vice President of Magnum Hunter from August 2005 to March 2006. Mr. Kirkendall also served on the
Company's Board from August 2005 to September 2009. Prior to his employment with Magnum Hunter in August 2005, Mr. Kirkendall was self-employed as a consultant focused on oil and gas upstream
and midstream operations. Mr. Kirkendall brings more than 32 years of diversified energy experience to Magnum Hunter. His background includes interstate pipeline business along with
natural gas marketing and exploration experience. He co-founded and managed a successful natural gas marketing company along with an associated exploration company that specialized in drilling Texas
Gulf Coast and South Texas oil and gas prospects. Mr. Kirkendall received his B.B.A. from Southwest Texas State University.
36
Table of Contents
TRANSACTIONS WITH RELATED PERSONS
Under SEC rules, public companies, such as Magnum Hunter, must disclose certain "Related Person Transactions." These are transactions
in which: (i) the Company is a participant; (ii) the amount involved exceeds $120,000; and (iii) a director, executive officer or holder of more than 5% of our common stock has a
direct or indirect material interest.
Review, Approval or Ratification of Transactions with Related Persons
Our Governance Committee charter requires, among other things, that (i) our Governance Committee will be comprised exclusively
of members of our Board who satisfy the independence requirements of the NYSE and (ii) our Governance Committee is responsible for approving all related party transactions, as defined by the
rules of the SEC, to which we are a party. In February 2014 we adopted a related party transactions policy to assist us in identifying related parties under applicable rules and potential related
party transactions. The related party transactions policy is available on the Company's website under the "Corporate Governance" link under the "Investors" tab at www.magnumhunterresources.com. The
Governance Committee's review procedures under this policy include evaluating the following:
-
-
Whether the terms of the related party transaction are fair to the Company and on the same basis as would apply if the
transaction did not involve a related party;
-
-
Whether there are business reasons for the Company to enter into the related party transaction;
-
-
Whether the related party transaction would impair the independence of an outside director; and
-
-
Whether the related party transaction would present an improper conflict of interest for any director or executive officer
of the Company, taking into account the size of the transaction, the overall financial position of the director, executive officer, or related party, and the nature of the director's, executive
officer's, or related party's interest in the transaction and the ongoing nature of any proposed relationship, and any other factors the Governance Committee deems relevant.
Additionally,
in cases of transactions in which a director or executive officer may have an interest, the Governance Committee also evaluates the effect of the transaction on such
individual's willingness or ability to properly perform his or her duties at Magnum Hunter.
Certain Relationships and Related Transactions
Airplane Rental
During 2013, we rented an airplane for business use at various times from Pilatus Hunter, LLC, an entity wholly-owned by
Mr. Evans. Airplane rental expenses totaled $166,000 for the year ended December 31, 2013.
37
Table of Contents
GreenHunter Transactions
As discussed in the "Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation" section, Gary C. Evans, our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer,
is the Chairman and a major stockholder of GreenHunter and serves as interim Chief Executive Officer of GreenHunter.
During
the year ended December 31, 2013, Eagle Ford Hunter, Inc. and Triad Hunter, LLC, wholly-owned subsidiaries of the Company, rented storage tanks for disposal
water, frac tanks and equipment from GreenHunter. Rental costs totaled $282,000 for the year ended December 31, 2013. The Company believes that such services were provided to it at competitive
market rates and were comparable to or more attractive than rates that could have been obtained from unaffiliated third-party suppliers of such services. Additionally, these companies regularly
obtained, and we continue to obtain, services from GreenHunter Resources, Inc. for water disposal which are at competitive market rates. These disposal charges recorded in lease operating
expenses totaled $3.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2013.
38
Table of Contents
SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT
The following table sets forth information regarding beneficial ownership of Magnum Hunter's common stock and preferred stock as of
June 23, 2014, held by (i) each of our current directors and named executive officers; (ii) all current directors and executive officers as a group; and (iii) any person
(or group) who is known to us to be the beneficial owner of more than 5% of any class of our stock. Beneficial ownership is determined in accordance with Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act and,
except as otherwise indicated, the respective holders have sole voting and investment power over such shares. To our knowledge, there are no single holders of 5% or more of any series of our preferred
stock.
Unless
otherwise specified, the address of each of the persons set forth below is in care of Magnum Hunter Resources Corporation, 777 Post Oak Boulevard, Suite 650,
Houston, Texas 77056.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Title of Class
|
|
Name of Beneficial Owner
|
|
Amount and
Nature of
Beneficial
Ownership (1)
|
|
Percent of
Class (%)
|
|
|
|
|
Common Stock
|
|
Gary C. Evans (a)
|
|
7,420,977
|
|
|
3.7
|
%
|
|
|
|
Common Stock
|
|
Ronald D. Ormand (b)
|
|
737,190
|
|
|
*
|
|
|
|
|
Common Stock
|
|
H.C. "Kip" Ferguson, III (c)
|
|
894,874
|
|
|
*
|
|
|
|
|
Common Stock
|
|
R. Glenn Dawson (d)
|
|
2,012,594
|
|
|
1.0
|
%
|
|
|
|
Common Stock
|
|
James W. Denny, III (e)
|
|
831,764
|
|
|
*
|
|
|
|
|
Common Stock
|
|
J. Raleigh Bailes, Sr. (f)
|
|
447,283
|
|
|
*
|
|
|
|
|
Common Stock
|
|
Victor G. Carrillo (g)
|
|
239,683
|
|
|
*
|
|
|
|
|
Common Stock
|
|
Stephen C. Hurley (h)
|
|
234,619
|
|
|
*
|
|
|
|
|
Common Stock
|
|
Joe L. McClaugherty (i)
|
|
1,174,651
|
|
|
*
|
|
|
|
|
Common Stock
|
|
Jeff Swanson (j)
|
|
314,121
|
|
|
*
|
|
|
|
|
Common Stock
|
|
Rocky L. Duckworth (k)
|
|
23,927
|
|
|
*
|
|
|
|
|
Common Stock
|
|
Joseph C. Daches (l)
|
|
281,500
|
|
|
*
|
|
|
|
|
Common Stock
|
|
BlackRock, Inc. (m)
|
|
10,013,026
|
|
|
5.0
|
%
|
|
|
|
Common Stock
|
|
The Vanguard Group (n)
|
|
9,547,966
|
|
|
4.8
|
%
|
|
|
|
Common Stock
|
|
Aristeia Capital, L.L.C. (o)
|
|
15,283,257
|
|
|
7.7
|
%
|
|
|
|
Common Stock
|
|
Millennium Management LLC (p)
|
|
9,081,116
|
|
|
4.6
|
%
|
|
|
|
Common Stock
|
|
Relational Investors LLC (q)
|
|
32,371,938
|
|
|
16.1
|
%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Common Stock
|
|
Directors and executive officers as a group
(14 persons) (r)
|
|
15,358,511
|
|
|
7.5
|
%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
10.25% Series C Cumulative
Perpetual Preferred Stock
|
|
Directors and executive officers as a group
|
|
0
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
8.0% Series D Cumulative
Preferred Stock
|
|
James W. Denny, III
|
|
4,680
|
|
|
*
|
|
|
|
|
8.0% Series D Cumulative
Preferred Stock
|
|
Directors and executive officers as a group
(1 person named above)
|
|
4,680
|
|
|
*
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
8.0% Series E Cumulative
Convertible Preferred Stock
(represented by depositary shares)
|
|
Directors and executive officers as a group
|
|
0
|
|
|
|
|
|
39
Table of Contents
-
*
-
Less
than 1%.
-
(1)
-
Each
beneficial owner has sole voting and investment power with respect to all shares, unless otherwise indicated below.
-
(a)
-
Includes
300,000 shares of restricted common stock; 126,500 shares of common stock held in an account under the name of Mr. Evans' children and
Mr. Evans' Special Inheritance account; an option to purchase 1,351,250 shares of common stock which has vested; 121,974 shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of 500,000 stock
appreciation rights which have vested (based on the $6.09 exercise price of the stock appreciation rights and the fair market value of the common stock as of March 26, 2014, determined in
accordance with our Stock Incentive Plan); 561,492 shares of common stock underlying presently exercisable warrants; and an indirect interest in 7,664 shares of common stock held by the Company's
401(k) plan. Mr. Evans has pledged 4,961,261 shares of common stock as security.
-
(b)
-
Information
related to this reporting stockholder is based on the stockholder's Form 5 filed with the SEC on February 14, 2014.
-
(c)
-
Includes
65,000 shares of restricted common stock; an option to purchase 488,750 shares of common stock which has vested; 11,870 shares underlying presently
exercisable warrants; and an indirect interest in 7,664 shares of common stock held by the Company's 401(k) plan.
-
(d)
-
Includes
65,000 shares of restricted common stock; an option to purchase 756,250 shares of common stock which has vested and 96,940 shares of common stock
underlying presently exercisable warrants. Mr. Dawson has pledged 951,110 shares of common stock as security.
-
(e)
-
Includes
100,000 shares of restricted common stock; an option to purchase 418,750 shares of common stock which has vested; 14,350 shares of common stock
underlying presently exercisable warrants; and an indirect interest in 7,664 shares of common stock held by the Company's 401(k) plan. Mr. Denny has pledged 357,500 shares of common stock as
security.
-
(f)
-
Includes
20,633 shares of restricted common stock; an option to purchase 275,000 shares of common stock which has vested; and 13,904 shares of common stock
underlying presently exercisable warrants.
-
(g)
-
Includes
20,633 shares of restricted common stock; an option to purchase 175,000 shares of common stock which has vested; and 175 shares of common stock
underlying presently exercisable warrants.
-
(h)
-
Includes
20,633 shares of restricted common stock; an option to purchase 136,000 shares of common stock which has vested; and 1,500 shares of common stock
underlying presently exercisable warrants.
-
(i)
-
Includes
20,633 shares of restricted common stock; an option to purchase 140,000 shares of common stock which has vested; and 75,605 shares of common stock
underlying presently exercisable warrants.
-
(j)
-
Includes
20,633 shares of restricted common stock; an option to purchase 175,000 shares of common stock which has vested; and 4,522 shares of common stock
underlying presently exercisable warrants.
-
(k)
-
Includes
20,633 shares of restricted common stock.
-
(l)
-
Includes
20,633 shares of restricted common stock.
-
(m)
-
Includes
sole voting power over 9,349,440 shares of common stock and sole dispositive power over 10,013,026 shares of common stock. BlackRock, Inc.'s
principal business office address is 40 East 52nd Street, New York, New York 10022. Information relating to this reporting stockholder is based on the stockholder's Schedule 13G filed
with the SEC on February 11, 2014.
40
Table of Contents
-
(n)
-
Includes
sole voting power over 251,202 shares of common stock; sole dispositive power over 9,307,364 shares of common stock; and shared dispositive power
over 240,602 shares of common stock. The Vanguard Group's principal business office address is 100 Vanguard Blvd. Malver, PA 19355. Information relating to this reporting stockholder is based on the
stockholder's Schedule 13G filed with the SEC on February 12, 2014.
-
(o)
-
Includes
shared voting and dispositive power over 15,283,257 shares of common stock. Aristeia Capital, L.L.C.'s principal business office address is 136
Madison Avenue, 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10016. Information related to this reporting stockholder is based partly on the stockholder's Schedule 13G filed with the SEC on
February 14, 2014.
-
(p)
-
Includes
shared voting and dispositive power over 9,081,116 shares of common stock. Millennium Management LLC and related parties principal business
office address is 666 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10103. Information related to this reporting stockholder is based on the stockholder's Schedule 13G filed with the SEC on February 14,
2014.
-
(q)
-
Includes
sole voting and dispositive power over 30,229,080 shares of common stock and 2,142,858 shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of warrants.
Relational Investors LLC's principle business office address is 12400 High Bluff Drive, Suite 600, San Diego, CA 92130. Information related to this reporting stockholder is based
on the stockholder's Schedule 13D filed with the SEC on May 27, 2014.
-
(r)
-
Includes
6,269,871 shares pledged by our officers and directors.
41
Table of Contents
COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
This compensation discussion and analysis provides information regarding our executive compensation program in 2013 for the following
executive officers and former executive officer of the Company, collectively referred to as our Named Executive Officers, or NEOs:
-
-
Gary C. Evans, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
-
-
Joseph C. Daches, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
-
-
Ronald D. Ormand, former Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Secretary
-
-
James W. Denny III, Executive Vice President and President, Appalachian Division
-
-
H.C. "Kip" Ferguson, Executive Vice PresidentExploration
-
-
R. Glenn Dawson, Executive Vice President and President, Williston Basin Division
Our Compensation Philosophy
The objective of the Company's executive compensation program is to enable us to recruit and retain highly qualified managerial talent
by providing competitive levels of compensation in an increasingly competitive market for executive talent. We also seek to motivate our executives to achieve individual and business performance
objectives by varying their compensation in accordance with the success of our business.
We
believe compensation programs can drive the behavior of employees covered by the programs, and accordingly we seek to design our executive compensation program to align compensation
with current and desired corporate performance and stockholder interests. Actual compensation in a given year will vary based on the Company's performance and on subjective appraisals of individual
performance. In other words, actual compensation generally will reflect the Company's financial and operational performance.
We
maintain competitive benefit programs for our employees, including our NEOs, with the objective of retaining their services. Our benefits reflect competitive practices at the time
the benefit programs were implemented and, in some cases, reflect our desire to maintain similar benefits treatment for all employees in similar positions. To the extent possible, we structure these
programs to deliver benefits in a manner that is tax efficient to both the recipient and the Company.
We
seek to provide compensation that is competitive with the companies we believe are our peers and other likely competitors for executive talent. Competitive compensation is normally
sufficient to attract executive talent to the Company. Competitive compensation also makes it less likely that executive talent will be lured away by higher compensation to perform a similar role with
a similarly-sized competitor. We also believe that a significant portion of compensation for executives should be "at risk," meaning that the executives will receive a significant portion of their
total compensation only to the extent the Company and the executive accomplish goals established by our Compensation Committee.
42
Table of Contents
We
frequently consult with Longnecker on the competitiveness of our executive compensation. In February 2013, Longnecker performed a formal peer group review on the compensation of our
senior executives. That review looked at the following companies in our peer group:
|
|
|
|
|
Approach Resources Inc.
|
|
Gulfport Energy Corporation
|
|
Resolute Energy Corporation
|
Carrizo Oil & Gas, Inc.
|
|
Halcon Resources Corporation
|
|
Rex Energy Corporation
|
Comstock Resources, Inc.
|
|
Kodiak Oil & Gas Corp.
|
|
Rosetta Resources Inc.
|
EXCO Resources, Inc.
|
|
Northern Oil & Gas, Inc.
|
|
Swift Energy Company
|
Forest Oil Corporation
|
|
Oasis Petroleum Inc.
|
|
|
Goodrich Petroleum Corporation
|
|
PDC Energy, Inc.
|
|
|
We
generally have targeted direct cash compensation (salary and bonus) at or around the 50th percentile of our peer group and long-term incentive compensation at or around the
75th percentile of our peer group, for a total compensation package that falls between the 50th and 75th percentiles of our peer group. We believe this approach best serves our
objectives described above.
Base Salary
Base salary is the foundation of total compensation. Base salary recognizes the job being performed and the value of that job in the
competitive market. Base salary must be sufficient to attract and retain the talent necessary for our continued success and provides an element of compensation that is not at risk in order to avoid
fluctuations in compensation that could distract the executives from the performance of their responsibilities.
Adjustments
to base salary primarily reflect either changes or responses to changes in market data or increased experience and individual contribution of the employee. Working with
Longnecker, we noted in 2010 that our base salaries were, in many cases, significantly below market. We have instituted salary increases each year to ensure that our overall compensation remains
competitive, but continue to place more emphasis on incentive compensation because of its link to the creation of stockholder value.
Short-Term Incentives
For 2012 and prior years, our short-term incentive compensation program provided our executive officers the opportunity to receive a
cash bonus of up to 50% of base salary based on specified performance metrics and an additional merit bonus at the discretion of the Compensation Committee. For 2013, the Compensation Committee
suspended the metrics-based component of our short-term incentive program that was utilized in prior years in favor of full discretion for the Compensation Committee in awarding bonuses. In light of
the change in the Company's independent auditor in 2013 and related late filing of the Company's 2012 Form 10-K, the Compensation Committee determined that 2013 bonuses for senior management
should be considered on a case-by-case basis. Importantly, the award of a bonus should not be seen as "locked in" because of the achievement of a performance metric if the bonus is not deserved given
overall performance. However, the Compensation Committee determined that the performance metrics adopted for 2012 would be considered as part of its analysis of the discretionary award of bonuses.
For
2012, the performance metrics were tied to increases in average daily production, increases in total proved reserves, reductions in lifting costs, reductions in recurring cash
general and administrative expenses and, in the case of the Chief Executive Officer, the Company's stock price.
43
Table of Contents
Our
Compensation Committee awarded short-term incentives in the form of cash bonuses to certain employees, including our NEOs, in March, 2014, based on individual and Company
performance in 2013. The Compensation Committee considered each NEO's contributions to the Company's financial and operational performance objectives, including the performance metrics described
above. For each NEO, the Compensation Committee considered that:
-
-
the Company's average daily production for the fourth quarter of 2013 increased by approximately 44% from the fourth
quarter of 2012;
-
-
the Company's total proved reserves at December 31, 2013 increased by approximately 23% from December 31,
2012, adjusted for the disposition of certain assets during 2013;
-
-
the Company's lease operating expenses per Boe, or LOE/Boe, for the year ended December 31, 2013 increased by
approximately 59% from the year ended December 31, 2012 and the increase related primarily to increased volume produced, increased percentage of production as NGL in the Appalachian Basis and
higher Appalachian Basis gas transportation charges; and
-
-
the Company's recurring cash general and administrative expenses per Boe for the fourth quarter of 2013 decreased by
approximately 34% from the fourth quarter of 2012, but recurring cash general and administrative expenses per Boe for the year ended December 31, 2013 increased by approximately 11% from the
year ended December 31, 2012.
For
Mr. Evans, the Compensation Committee also considered the increase in the Company's stock price during 2013, as well as his ultimate responsibility, as Chief Executive
Officer, for the overall performance of the Company.
The
cash bonus for Mr. Daches included a sign-on bonus of $150,000 paid when he joined the Company. The cash bonus for Mr. Ormand was a one-time separation payment.
For
2014, the Compensation Committee intends to reinstitute a metrics-based component to the short-term incentive program following review of the program with the Company's compensation
consultant.
Long-Term Incentives
Our Stock Incentive Plan, in which each of our executive officers, including each of our NEOs, and certain other employees
participate, is designed to reward participants for sustained improvements in the Company's financial performance and increases in the value of our common stock over an extended period. Long-term
incentives are a key component of the Company's overall compensation structure.
The
Compensation Committee authorizes grants throughout the year depending upon the Company's activities during that time period. Grants can be made from a variety of award types
authorized under our Stock Incentive Plan.
Currently,
the vesting criteria for most awards is service based to ensure that our equity compensation awards have the effect of retaining our employees. In light of the Company's
performance, the competitive environment and the skill of our employees, the Compensation Committee anticipates that future awards will primarily be in shares of restricted stock.
44
Table of Contents
The
number of stock options awarded to our NEOs during 2013 was not based on individual or Company performance. Rather, the awards were determined by the Compensation Committee to
target the 75th percentile in long-term incentive compensation of our peer group. This is consistent with our approach described above of using long-term incentives more aggressively than
direct cash compensation in comparison to our peers and using equity awards for retention purposes.
Change in Control Payments
In 2011, the Company approved a change in control program that provides the Company's executives with certain specified severance
payments following a change in control of the Company, provided that the severance occurs either without cause or by the executive for good reason within 24 months following the change in
control. The definition of what constitutes a change in control tracks the language of the Company's Stock Incentive Plan.
Immediately
prior to a change in control, all outstanding equity awards will vest and any performance targets will be deemed to have been met at 100%. This occurs without regard to
whether a termination of employment occurs.
For
the 24 months following a change in control, an executive who is terminated without cause or who terminates employment for good reason will be entitled to the severance
payments. Generally, senior executives, including the NEOs, would receive a severance payment equal to two times base salary plus two times targeted bonus and 24 months of continued medical
coverage. The "targeted bonus" is defined as the highest of (1) the maximum bonus opportunity established by the Compensation Committee for the executive or, if the Compensation Committee has
not established the executive's bonus opportunity for the year in which the executive's termination occurs, 100% of the executive's base salary, (2) the maximum bonus opportunity established by
the Compensation Committee for the executive for the immediately preceding year or (3) the maximum bonus opportunity established by the Compensation Committee for the executive immediately
prior to the change in control.
As
a condition to receiving severance payments, an executive must sign a release and waiver of claims that includes non-disparagement and confidentiality provisions. In most
circumstances, the executive will, by statute, have 21 days to consider the release and seven days following execution of the release where the executive can revoke it. The executive will
receive health coverage during this consideration period even if the executive does not ultimately execute the release.
Severance
benefits paid to an executive will be reduced to the extent necessary to avoid the imposition of any excise tax associated with parachute payments.
In
developing the change in control program, the Compensation Committee engaged the services of Longnecker as compensation consultants. As part of their analysis, Longnecker used the
following peer group of companies for benchmarking purposes:
|
|
|
|
|
Oasis Petroleum Inc.
|
|
Comstock Resources, Inc.
|
|
Penn Virginia Corporation
|
Swift Energy Company
|
|
Kodiak Oil & Gas Corp.
|
|
GeoResources, Inc.
|
Stone Energy Corporation
|
|
Northern Oil & Gas, Inc.
|
|
Rex Energy Corporation
|
Carrizo Oil & Gas, Inc.
|
|
Resolute Energy Corporation
|
|
Endeavour International Corporation
|
Gulfport Energy Corporation
|
|
Goodrich Petroleum Corporation
|
|
GMX Resources, Inc.
|
45
Table of Contents
Risk Assessment
As part of its oversight of the Company's executive and non-executive compensation programs, the Compensation Committee considers the
impact of the Company's compensation programs, and the incentives created by the compensation awards that it administers, on the Company's risk profile. In addition, the Company reviews all of its
compensation policies and procedures, including the incentives that they create and factors that may reduce the likelihood of excessive risk taking, to determine whether they present a significant
risk to the Company. Based on this review, the Company has concluded that its compensation policies and procedures are not reasonably likely to have a material adverse effect on the Company. As a
result of this analysis, the Compensation Committee identified the following risk mitigating factors:
-
-
use of long-term incentive compensation;
-
-
vesting periods for equity compensation awards that encourage executives and other key employees to focus on sustained
stock price appreciation and to provide a long-term retention incentive for our key employees;
-
-
the Compensation Committee's discretionary authority to adjust annual incentive awards, which helps mitigate any business
risks associated with such awards;
-
-
the Company's internal controls over financial reporting and other financial, operational and compliance policies and
practices currently in place;
-
-
base salaries consistent with executives' responsibilities so that they are not motivated to take excessive risks to
achieve a reasonable level of financial security; and
-
-
design of long-term compensation to reward executives and other key employees for driving sustainable and/or profitable
growth for stockholders.
As
a result of the above assessment, the Compensation Committee determined that the Company's policies and procedures largely achieve a proper balance between competitive compensation
and prudent business risk..
2013 Summary Compensation Table
The 2013 Summary Compensation Table below sets forth compensation information for our NEOs relating to 2013, 2012 and 2011. Pursuant
to SEC rules, the 2013 Summary Compensation Table is required to include for a particular fiscal year only those restricted stock awards, stock appreciation rights and options to purchase common stock
granted during that year, rather than awards granted after year-end, even if awarded for services in that year. SEC rules require disclosure of variable cash compensation to be included in the year
earned, even if payment is made after year-end. Generally, we pay any cash variable compensation for a particular year after the Compensation Committee has had an opportunity to review
46
Table of Contents
the
Company's and each individual's performance for that year. As a result, cash variable compensation reported in the "Bonus" column was paid in the year following the year in which it is reported in
the table.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Name and Principal Position
|
|
Year
|
|
Salary (1)
|
|
Bonus (2)
|
|
Stock
Awards (3)
|
|
Option
Awards (3)
|
|
All Other
Compensation (4)
|
|
Total
|
|
|
|
Gary C. Evans
|
|
|
2013
|
|
$
|
490,000
|
|
$
|
500,000
|
|
$
|
|
|
$
|
1,982,925
|
|
$
|
186,701
|
|
$
|
3,159,626
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Chairman and CEO
|
|
|
2012
|
|
$
|
465,000
|
|
$
|
500,000
|
|
$
|
|
|
$
|
2,943,232
|
|
$
|
90,507
|
|
$
|
3,998,739
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2011
|
|
$
|
415,000
|
|
$
|
650,000
|
|
$
|
|
|
$
|
3,181,100
|
|
$
|
73,129
|
|
$
|
4,319,229
|
|
|
|
Ronald D. Ormand (5)
|
|
|
2013
|
|
$
|
236,923
|
|
$
|
137,500
|
|
$
|
|
|
$
|
660,975
|
|
$
|
17,419
|
|
$
|
1,052,817
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Executive V.P., CFO, and
|
|
|
2012
|
|
$
|
275,000
|
|
$
|
50,000
|
|
$
|
|
|
$
|
981,077
|
|
$
|
28,057
|
|
$
|
1,334,134
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Secretary
|
|
|
2011
|
|
$
|
250,000
|
|
$
|
240,625
|
|
$
|
|
|
$
|
1,223,500
|
|
$
|
36,966
|
|
$
|
1,751,091
|
|
|
|
Joseph C. Daches (6)
|
|
|
2013
|
|
$
|
126,923
|
|
$
|
350,000
|
|
$
|
|
|
$
|
1,184,560
|
|
$
|
16,504
|
|
$
|
1,677,987
|
|
Senior V.P. and CFO
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
James W. Denny, III
|
|
|
2013
|
|
$
|
295,000
|
|
$
|
300,000
|
|
$
|
|
|
$
|
660,975
|
|
$
|
88,479
|
|
$
|
1,344,454
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Executive V.P. and
|
|
|
2012
|
|
$
|
275,000
|
|
$
|
275,000
|
|
$
|
|
|
$
|
981,077
|
|
$
|
61,454
|
|
$
|
1,592,531
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
President, Appalachian
|
|
|
2011
|
|
$
|
250,000
|
|
$
|
240,625
|
|
$
|
|
|
$
|
1,223,500
|
|
$
|
68,981
|
|
$
|
1,783,106
|
|
Division
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
H.C. "Kip" Ferguson
|
|
|
2013
|
|
$
|
275,000
|
|
$
|
200,000
|
|
$
|
|
|
$
|
660,975
|
|
$
|
29,234
|
|
$
|
1,165,209
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Executive V.P.Exploration
|
|
|
2012
|
|
$
|
275,000
|
|
$
|
500,000
|
|
$
|
|
|
$
|
981,077
|
|
$
|
27,199
|
|
$
|
1,783,276
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2011
|
|
$
|
250,000
|
|
$
|
240,625
|
|
$
|
|
|
$
|
1,223,500
|
|
$
|
36,324
|
|
$
|
1,750,449
|
|
|
|
R. Glenn Dawson (7)
|
|
|
2013
|
|
$
|
277,103
|
|
$
|
201,001
|
|
$
|
|
|
$
|
660,975
|
|
$
|
14,674
|
|
$
|
1,153,753
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Executive V.P. and
|
|
|
2012
|
|
$
|
274,342
|
|
$
|
192,697
|
|
$
|
|
|
$
|
981,077
|
|
$
|
13,668
|
|
$
|
1,461,784
|
|
President, Williston Basin
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Division
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
-
(1)
-
The
amounts reflected in this column show each NEO's annualized salary for the majority of the year. For 2013, the amounts shown were effective
March 1, 2013. For 2012, the amounts shown were effective April 16, 2012. For 2011, the amounts shown were effective March 1, 2011.
-
(2)
-
For
a discussion of the 2013 executive bonuses, refer to Short-Term Incentives above. The bonus reflected for Mr. Daches includes a sign-on bonus of
$150,000 paid when he joined the Company. The bonus for Mr. Ormand was a one-time separation payment. Cash variable compensation for 2012 performance was determined in July 2013; thus, the 2012
amounts in the "Bonus" column have been updated accordingly.
-
(3)
-
Represents
the aggregate grant date fair value in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification 718, "Stock Compensation" (except no assumptions for
forfeitures were included). For a discussion of the assumptions made in the valuation of stock and option awards, please refer to "Note 9Share-Based Compensation" in the notes to
our consolidated financial statements included in our annual report on Form 10-K.
-
(4)
-
Amounts
in this column are detailed in the following All Other Compensation Table.
-
(5)
-
Mr. Ormand
was succeeded in his role as Chief Financial Officer of the Company by Joseph C. Daches, effective July 22, 2013, and resigned from
his position as Executive Vice PresidentFinance and Head of Capital Markets and as an employee of the Company, effective October 31, 2013. Mr. Ormand's annualized salary for
2013 was $275,000.
-
(6)
-
Mr. Daches
joined the Company on July 22, 2013, with an annualized base salary of $300,000. The amount shown reflects the amount paid to
Mr. Daches from his hire date through the last payroll period in 2013.
-
(7)
-
Mr. Dawson's
2013 annualized salary was $285,000 CAD. The amount shown is converted to U.S. dollars using the nominal noon exchange rate on
March 1, 2013, the effective date of his 2013 annual salary, as published by the Bank of Canada. Mr. Dawson's 2013 bonus was $225,000 CAD. The amount shown is converted to U.S. dollars
using the nominal noon exchange rate on March 21, 2014, the date his 2013 bonus was paid, as published by the Bank of Canada. Mr. Dawson's 2012 annualized salary was $275,000 CAD. The
amount shown is converted to U.S. dollars using the nominal noon exchange rate on April 16, 2012, the effective date of his 2012 annual salary, as published by the Bank of Canada.
Mr. Dawson's 2012 bonus was $200,000 CAD. The amount shown is converted to U.S. dollars using the nominal noon exchange rate on August 16, 2013, the date his 2012 bonus was paid, as
published by the Bank of Canada.
47
Table of Contents
All Other Compensation Table
The charts and narrative below describe the benefits and perquisites for 2013 contained in the "All Other Compensation" column of the
2013 Summary Compensation Table
, above.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
401(k) Matching
Contribution (1)
|
|
Health, Dental, Vision,
and Executive Illness
Premiums
|
|
Life Insurance
Premiums
|
|
Disability
Insurance
Premiums
|
|
Other
|
|
|
|
Mr. Evans
|
|
$
|
8,925
|
|
$
|
12,365
|
|
$
|
1,080
|
|
$
|
7,823
|
|
$
|
156,508 (4), (5)
|
|
|
|
Mr. Ormand (2)
|
|
$
|
|
|
$
|
10,139
|
|
$
|
900
|
|
$
|
6,380
|
|
$
|
|
|
|
|
Mr. Daches
|
|
$
|
8,925
|
|
$
|
11,020
|
|
$
|
367
|
|
$
|
1,789
|
|
$
|
|
|
|
|
Mr. Denny
|
|
$
|
8,925
|
|
$
|
9,461
|
|
$
|
729
|
|
$
|
5,766
|
|
$
|
63,598 (5)
|
|
|
|
Mr. Ferguson
|
|
$
|
8,925
|
|
$
|
12,442
|
|
$
|
1,080
|
|
$
|
6,787
|
|
$
|
|
|
|
|
Mr. Dawson (3)
|
|
$
|
|
|
$
|
4,503
|
|
$
|
2,192
|
|
$
|
7,979
|
|
$
|
|
|
|
|
-
(1)
-
The
Company's "safe harbor" matching contributions to its 401(k) plan for 2013 have not yet been made. When made, the Company expects that the contribution
will be made in shares of the Company's common stock. Once dollar amounts for the Company's contributions are determined, the Company uses the closing price of the common stock the day prior to making
its contribution to convert the dollar amounts to shares on a unitized basis. The amount of this contribution will change if the Company chooses to make a discretionary matching contribution for 2013.
-
(2)
-
Mr. Ormand
was succeeded in his role as Chief Financial Officer of the Company by Joseph C. Daches, effective July 22, 2013, and resigned from
his position as Executive Vice PresidentFinance and Head of Capital Markets and as an employee of the Company, effective October 31, 2013.
-
(3)
-
Certain
amounts paid for the benefit of Mr. Dawson were paid in Canadian dollars throughout the course of the year while other amounts were paid in
U.S. dollars. For simplification purposes, all amounts paid in Canadian dollars have been aggregated and converted to U.S. dollars using the nominal noon exchange rate for December 31, 2013, as
published by the Bank of Canada.
-
(4)
-
We
provide Mr. Evans with memberships to certain private country and city clubs to facilitate business meetings and initiate and strengthen business
relationships. Mr. Evans uses one country club for business and non-business purposes. The cost of membership in that club is included in this total.
-
(5)
-
Because
of extensive business travel requirements, we make corporate apartments available to Messrs. Evans and Denny and other employees. In 2013,
Mr. Evans did not maintain a residence near the Company's Houston offices and the Company incurred an incremental cost of $86,914 associated with Mr. Evans' use of a Houston apartment
along with other executives who also reside at the same premises. In 2013, Mr. Denny used corporate apartments near the Company's operations in Marietta, Ohio, and Lexington, Kentucky, with
incremental costs to the Company of $38,731 and $24,867 respectively. We also provide vehicles at various locations. The amount shown for Mr. Evans includes the incremental cost of
Mr. Evans' use of Company vehicles. We did not attribute any incremental cost to Mr. Denny's use of Company vehicles because the vehicles driven by Mr. Denny in 2013 had fully
depreciated prior to 2012 and because of his limited personal use of those vehicles.
48
Table of Contents
2013 Grants of Plan-Based Awards
The following table sets forth plan-based awards made in 2013. Each of our NEOs was granted options to purchase shares of the
Company's common stock. All grants featured 25% immediate vesting and 25% additional vesting on the first three anniversaries of the grant date.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Grant Date
|
|
Number of
Securities
Underlying
Options
|
|
Exercise Price
of Option
Awards
|
|
Grant Date Fair
Value of Option
Awards
|
|
|
|
Mr. Evans
|
|
|
1/17/2013
|
|
|
750,000
|
|
$
|
4.16
|
|
$
|
1,982,925
|
|
|
|
Mr. Ormand (1)
|
|
|
1/17/2013
|
|
|
250,000
|
|
$
|
4.16
|
|
$
|
660,975
|
|
|
|
Mr. Daches
|
|
|
7/26/2013
|
|
|
400,000
|
|
$
|
3.82
|
|
$
|
1,184,560
|
|
|
|
Mr. Denny
|
|
|
1/17/2013
|
|
|
250,000
|
|
$
|
4.16
|
|
$
|
660,975
|
|
|
|
Mr. Ferguson
|
|
|
1/17/2013
|
|
|
250,000
|
|
$
|
4.16
|
|
$
|
660,975
|
|
|
|
Mr. Dawson
|
|
|
1/17/2013
|
|
|
250,000
|
|
$
|
4.16
|
|
$
|
660,975
|
|
|
|
-
(1)
-
Mr. Ormand
was succeeded in his role as Chief Financial Officer of the Company by Joseph C. Daches, effective July 22, 2013, and resigned from
his position as Executive Vice PresidentFinance and Head of Capital Markets and as an employee of the Company, effective October 31, 2013.
49
Table of Contents
2013 Outstanding Equity Awards at Year-End
The following table identifies the outstanding equity-based awards held by the NEOs as of December 31, 2013. For all unvested
awards, continued employment through the vesting date is required.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Option and Stock Appreciation Right Awards
|
|
Stock Awards
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Award
Year
|
|
Number of
Securities
Underlying
Unexercised
Options/SARs
(Exercisable)
|
|
Number of
Securities
Underlying
Unexercised
Options/SARs
(Unexercisable)
|
|
Equity Incentive
Plan Awards:
Number of
Securities
Underlying
Unexercised
Unearned SARs
|
|
Option
Exercise
Price/
SAR Base
Price
|
|
Option
Expiration
Date
|
|
Number of
Shares of
Stock That
Have Not
Vested
|
|
Market
Value of
Shares of
Stock That
Have Not
Vested
|
|
|
|
Mr. Evans
|
|
|
2013
|
|
|
187,500
|
|
|
562,500
|
(2)
|
|
|
|
$
|
4.16
|
|
|
1/17/2023
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2012
|
|
|
375,000
|
|
|
275,000
|
(2)
|
|
|
|
$
|
6.08
|
|
|
4/13/2022
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2011
|
|
|
601,250
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$
|
7.95
|
|
|
5/2/2021
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2010
|
|
|
500,000
|
|
|
|
|
|
2,208,332
|
(3)
|
$
|
6.09
|
|
|
11/29/2015
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Mr. Ormand (1)
|
|
|
2011
|
|
|
231,250
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$
|
7.95
|
|
|
5/2/2021
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Mr. Daches
|
|
|
2013
|
|
|
|
|
|
300,000
|
(2)
|
|
|
|
$
|
3.82
|
|
|
7/26/2023
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Mr. Denny
|
|
|
2013
|
|
|
62,500
|
|
|
187,500
|
(2)
|
|
|
|
$
|
4.16
|
|
|
1/17/2023
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2012
|
|
|
125,000
|
|
|
125,500
|
(2)
|
|
|
|
$
|
6.08
|
|
|
4/13/2022
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2011
|
|
|
231,250
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$
|
7.95
|
|
|
5/2/2021
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2009
|
|
|
12,500
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$
|
1.17
|
|
|
9/30/2014
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2009
|
|
|
250,000
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$
|
1.69
|
|
|
10/23/2014
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Mr. Ferguson
|
|
|
2013
|
|
|
62,500
|
|
|
187,500
|
(2)
|
|
|
|
$
|
4.16
|
|
|
1/17/2023
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2012
|
|
|
125,000
|
|
|
125,500
|
(2)
|
|
|
|
$
|
6.08
|
|
|
4/13/2022
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2011
|
|
|
231,250
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$
|
7.95
|
|
|
5/2/2021
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2010
|
|
|
270,000
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$
|
2.25
|
|
|
2/11/2020
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2009
|
|
|
100,000
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$
|
1.17
|
|
|
9/30/2014
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Mr. Dawson
|
|
|
2013
|
|
|
62,500
|
|
|
187,500
|
(2)
|
|
|
|
$
|
4.16
|
|
|
1/17/2023
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2012
|
|
|
125,000
|
|
|
125,500
|
(2)
|
|
|
|
$
|
6.08
|
|
|
4/13/2022
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2011
|
|
|
675,000
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$
|
7.58
|
|
|
5/3/2021
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
-
(1)
-
Mr. Ormand
was succeeded in his role as Chief Financial Officer of the Company by Joseph C. Daches, effective July 22, 2013, and resigned from
his position as Executive Vice PresidentFinance and Head of Capital Markets and as an employee of the Company, effective October 31, 2013.
-
(2)
-
All
2013 and 2012 grants featured 25% immediate vesting and 25% additional vesting on the first three anniversaries of the grant dates, which were
January 17, 2013 and April 13, 2012, respectively.
-
(3)
-
We
awarded Mr. Evans stock appreciation rights on 3,083,332 shares of the Company's common stock, with vesting subject to specific stock price
performance measures and certain specific reserve growth performance achievements over the five-year period following the grant date. If the performance measures are achieved, the stock appreciation
rights become exercisable in three annual tranches based on the anniversary of the grant date. As of December 31, 2013, stock appreciation rights on 500,000 shares were vested and exercisable.
50
Table of Contents
2013 Option Exercises and Stock Vested
The following table summarizes the options that our NEOs exercised in 2013. For stock awards that vested in
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Option Awards
|
|
Stock Awards
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Number of Shares
Acquired on
Exercise
|
|
Value Realized
on Exercise
|
|
Number of Shares
With Lapse of
Restrictions
|
|
Value Realized
on Lapse of
Restrictions
|
|
|
|
Mr. Evans
|
|
|
|
|
$
|
|
|
|
65,025
|
|
$
|
468,830
|
|
|
|
Mr. Ormand (1)
|
|
|
187,500
|
|
$
|
1,239,375
|
|
|
|
|
$
|
|
|
|
|
Mr. Daches
|
|
|
100,000
|
|
$
|
546,000
|
|
|
|
|
$
|
|
|
|
|
Mr. Denny
|
|
|
|
|
$
|
|
|
|
|
|
$
|
|
|
|
|
Mr. Ferguson
|
|
|
|
|
$
|
|
|
|
|
|
$
|
|
|
|
|
Mr. Dawson
|
|
|
|
|
$
|
|
|
|
|
|
$
|
|
|
|
|
-
(1)
-
Mr. Ormand
was succeeded in his role as Chief Financial Officer of the Company by Joseph C. Daches, effective July 22, 2013, and resigned from
his position as Executive Vice PresidentFinance and Head of Capital Markets and as an employee of the Company, effective October 31, 2013.
Potential Payments Upon Termination or Change in Control
The following table identifies the payments that may be made to our NEOs following a change in control of the Company. For a detailed
discussion of these payments, please see the Compensation Discussion and Analysis above. These calculations assume a change in control of the Company on December 31, 2013, and a closing stock
price on that date of $7.31.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash (1)
|
|
Equity (2)
|
|
Perquisites /
Benefits (3)
|
|
Total
|
|
|
|
Mr. Evans
|
|
$
|
1,960,000
|
(4)
|
$
|
6,589,165
|
|
$
|
26,952
|
|
$
|
8,576,117
|
|
|
|
Mr. Daches
|
|
$
|
1,200,000
|
(5)
|
$
|
1,047,000
|
|
$
|
26,952
|
|
$
|
2,273,952
|
|
|
|
Mr. Denny
|
|
$
|
1,180,000
|
(6)
|
$
|
2,576,750
|
|
$
|
20,562
|
|
$
|
3,777,312
|
|
|
|
Mr. Ferguson
|
|
$
|
1,100,000
|
(7)
|
$
|
3,075,200
|
|
$
|
26,952
|
|
$
|
4,202,152
|
|
|
|
Mr. Dawson
|
|
$
|
1,108,412
|
(8)
|
$
|
1,095,000
|
|
$
|
8,850
|
|
$
|
2,212,262
|
|
|
|
-
(1)
-
Cash
compensation is subject to each NEO's severance from employment without cause or by the NEO with good reason within 24 months following a change
in control.
-
(2)
-
The
2013 Outstanding Equity Awards at Year-End table details the unvested awards that would have been subject to accelerated vesting on December 31,
2013. All outstanding equity awards are immediately vested upon a change in control.
-
(3)
-
The
benefits identified in the third column consist of 24 months of continued Company contributions towards the cost of coverage for medical, dental
and vision plans. The amounts were calculated by taking each NEO's actual coverage elections for 2014 and assuming that
51
Table of Contents
the
cost of coverage would not change in 2015. Accordingly, these amounts are only estimates.
-
(4)
-
This
consists of 2x base salary of $490,000 plus 2x targeted bonus with the bonus set at 100% of base salary.
-
(5)
-
This
consists of 2x base salary of $300,000 plus 2x targeted bonus with the bonus set at 100% of base salary.
-
(6)
-
This
consists of 2x base salary of $295,000 plus 2x targeted bonus with the bonus set at 100% of base salary.
-
(7)
-
This
consists of 2x base salary of $275,000 plus 2x targeted bonus with the bonus set at 100% of base salary.
-
(8)
-
This
consists of 2x base salary of $277,103 plus 2x targeted bonus with the bonus set at 100% of base salary.
Report of Our Compensation Committee
Our Compensation Committee reviewed the Executive Compensation Discussion and Analysis, or CD&A, as prepared by management of the
Company, and discussed the CD&A with the Company's management. Based on the Committee's review and discussions, the Committee recommended to the Board that the CD&A be included in this proxy
statement.
|
|
|
|
|
The Compensation Committee
|
|
|
Joe L. McClaugherty, Chair
Stephen C. Hurley
Jeff Swanson
|
52
Table of Contents
OTHER MATTERS
As of the date of this proxy statement, our Board knows of no matters that will be presented for consideration at the Meeting other
than as described in this proxy statement. However, if any other matter shall properly come before the Meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof and shall be voted upon, the proposed proxy
will be deemed to confer authority to the individuals named as authorized therein to vote the shares represented by the proxy as to any matters that fall within the purposes set forth in the notice of
Meeting.
Stockholder Proposals for 2015 Annual Meeting
Magnum Hunter common stockholders who wish to present proposals for inclusion in the proxy statement relating to our annual meeting of
stockholders to be held in 2015 may do so by following the procedures prescribed in Rule 14a-8 under the Exchange Act. Generally, to be eligible, stockholder proposals must be received by
Magnum Hunter's Corporate Secretary no later than February 27, 2015, which is 120 days prior to the calendar anniversary of the mailing date of this proxy statement. However, if the date
of the Company's 2015 annual meeting is changed by more than 30 days from the date of the Meeting, then the deadline for receipt of stockholder proposals will be a reasonable time before the
Company prints and sends its proxy materials for the 2015 annual meeting. The Company currently expects to hold its 2015 annual meeting in September 2015. Such proposals must comply with SEC
regulations under Rule 14a-8 regarding the inclusion of stockholder proposals in Company-sponsored proxy materials. Upon receipt of any such proposal, we will determine whether or not to
include such proposal in our proxy statement in accordance with the regulations governing the solicitation of proxies.
Any
common stockholder desiring to nominate a director or propose other business at our annual meeting of stockholders to be held in 2015 must comply with the advance notice provisions
of our bylaws. Please refer to our bylaws for a description of the required content of this notice. To be timely, the notice must ordinarily be delivered to our Corporate Secretary at our principal
executive offices at 777 Post Oak Boulevard, Suite 650, Houston, Texas 77056 no later than 30 days nor more than 60 days prior to the meeting as originally
scheduled;
provided
,
however
, that in the event that less than 40 days' notice or prior public
disclosure of the date of the meeting is given to stockholders, such notice by the stockholder must be received not later than the close of business on the tenth day following the day on which such
notice was given.
Householding of Proxies
For stockholders who have requested a printed copy of our proxy materials, the SEC has adopted rules that permit companies and
intermediaries such as brokers to satisfy delivery requirements for annual reports and proxy statements with respect to two or more stockholders sharing the same address by delivering a single annual
report, proxy statement or Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials addressed to those stockholders. This process, which is commonly referred to as "householding," potentially provides extra
convenience for stockholders and cost savings for companies. The Company, and some brokers, household annual reports, proxy statements, or Notices of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials, as
applicable, by delivering a single annual report, proxy statement, or Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials, as applicable, to multiple stockholders sharing an address, unless contrary
instructions have been received by the Company from one or more of the affected stockholders. For example, if you and another stockholder
share an address and each requests copies of the proxy statement, absent contrary instructions, only one copy of the proxy statement will be delivered to your address.
Once
you have received notice from your broker or the Company that your broker or the Company will be householding materials to your address, householding will continue until you are
notified
53
Table of Contents
otherwise
or until you revoke your consent. If, at any time, you no longer wish to participate in householding and would prefer to receive a separate annual report, proxy statement or Notice of
Internet Availability of Proxy Materials, as applicable, in the future, please notify your broker if your shares are held in a brokerage account or the Company if you hold registered shares. If, at
any time, you and another stockholder sharing the same address wish to participate in householding and prefer to receive a single copy of annual reports, proxy statements, or Notices of Availability
of Proxy Materials, please notify your broker if your shares are held in a brokerage account, or the Company using the contact information below if you hold registered shares.
You
may request to receive at any time a separate copy of our annual report, proxy statement, or Notice of Availability of Proxy Materials, as applicable, by sending a written request
to our Corporate Secretary at 777 Post Oak Boulevard, Suite 650, Houston, Texas 77056 or by telephoning (832) 369-6986. A separate copy of the requested materials will be delivered
promptly following receipt of your request.
Where You Can Find More Information
We file with, or furnish to, the SEC annual, quarterly, current and special reports, proxy statements and other information. You may
read and copy any reports, statements or other information that Magnum Hunter files with, or furnishes to, the SEC at the SEC's Public Reference Room, 100 F Street, N.E., Washington,
D.C. 20549. Please call the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330 for further information regarding the Public Reference Room. These SEC filings are also available to the public from commercial document retrieval
services and at the Internet world wide website maintained by the SEC at
www.sec.gov
. The reports and other information filed by Magnum Hunter with the SEC are also
available at its Internet website, which is
www.magnumhunterresources.com
. Information on these Internet websites is not part of this proxy statement.
54
|
THIS PROXY CARD
IS VALID ONLY WHEN SIGNED AND DATED. KEEP THIS PORTION FOR YOUR RECORDS
DETACH AND RETURN THIS PORTION ONLY TO VOTE, MARK BLOCKS BELOW IN BLUE OR
BLACK INK AS FOLLOWS: Signature (Joint Owners) Signature [PLEASE SIGN WITHIN
BOX] Date Date To withhold authority to vote for any individual nominee(s),
mark For All Except and write the number(s) of the nominee(s) on the line
below. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0000216858_1 R1.0.0.51160 For Withhold For All
All All Except The Board of Directors recommends you vote FOR the following:
1. Election of Directors Nominees 01 J. Raleigh Bailes, Sr. 02 Victor G.
Carrillo 03 Rocky L. Duckworth 04 Gary C. Evans 05 Stephen C. Hurley 06 Joe
L. McClaugherty 07 Jeff Swanson MAGNUM HUNTER RESOURCES CORPORATION 777 POST
OAK BLVD SUITE 650 HOUSTON, TX 77056 VOTE BY INTERNET - www.proxyvote.com Use
the Internet to transmit your voting instructions and for electronic delivery
of information up until 11:59 P.M. Eastern Time the day before the cut-off
date or meeting date. Have your proxy card in hand when you access the web
site and follow the instructions to obtain your records and to create an
electronic voting instruction form. ELECTRONIC DELIVERY OF FUTURE PROXY
MATERIALS If you would like to reduce the costs incurred by our company in
mailing proxy materials, you can consent to receiving all future proxy
statements, proxy cards and annual reports electronically via e-mail or the
Internet. To sign up for electronic delivery, please follow the instructions
above to vote using the Internet and, when prompted, indicate that you agree
to receive or access proxy materials electronically in future years. VOTE BY
PHONE - 1-800-690-6903 Use any touch-tone telephone to transmit your voting
instructions up until 11:59 P.M. Eastern Time the day before the cut-off date
or meeting date. Have your proxy card in hand when you call and then follow
the instructions. VOTE BY MAIL Mark, sign and date your proxy card and return
it in the postage-paid envelope we have provided or return it to Vote
Processing, c/o Broadridge, 51 Mercedes Way, Edgewood, NY 11717. The Board of
Directors recommends you vote FOR proposals 2., 3. and 4.: For Against
Abstain 2. The ratification of the appointment of BDO USA, LLP as Magnum
Hunters independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year
ending December 31, 2014; 3. The approval, on an advisory basis, of Magnum
Hunters executive compensation; 4. The approval of an adjournment of the
meeting, if necessary, to solicit additional proxies in favor of the
foregoing proposals. Please sign exactly as your name(s) appear(s) hereon.
When signing as attorney, executor, administrator, or other fiduciary, please
give full title as such. Joint owners should each sign personally. All
holders must sign. If a corporation or partnership, please sign in full
corporate or partnership name, by authorized officer.
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0000216858_2
R1.0.0.51160 Important Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materials
for the Annual Meeting: The Notice & Proxy Statement, Form 10-K is/are
available at www.proxyvote.com . MAGNUM HUNTER RESOURCES CORPORATION Annual
Meeting of Stockholders August 7, 2014 This proxy is solicited by the Board
of Directors The stockholder(s) hereby appoint(s) Gary C. Evans and Paul
Johnston, or either of them, as proxies, each with the power to appoint his
substitute, and hereby authorizes them to represent and to vote, as
designated on the reverse side of this ballot, all of the shares of common
stock of MAGNUM HUNTER RESOURCES CORPORATION that the stockholder(s) is/are
entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting of stockholder(s) to be held at 09:00
AM, CDT on August 7, 2014, at The Houstonian Hotel, Camelia Room, 111 North
Post Oak Lane, Houston, Texas 77024, and any adjournment or postponement thereof.
This proxy, when properly executed, will be voted in the manner directed
herein. If no such direction is made, this proxy will be voted in accordance
with the Board of Directors' recommendations. Continued and to be signed on
reverse side
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