PROXY STATEMENT
The
Board of Directors of Commerce Energy Group, Inc. (the "Company") is soliciting proxies to be voted at the annual meeting of stockholders of the Company to be held on
March 27, 2008 at The Hilton Costa Mesa, located at 3050 Bristol Street, Costa Mesa, California 92626, at 10:00 a.m., local time, and at any adjournments or postponements thereof (the
"Annual Meeting"), for the purposes set forth in the accompanying Notice of Annual Meeting of Stockholders and described herein. The approximate date on which this proxy statement and the enclosed
form of proxy are first being sent or given to stockholders is February 29, 2008.
The
Board of Directors of the Company (the "Board of Directors" or the "Board") has fixed the close of business on February 8, 2008 as the record date for the determination of
stockholders entitled to receive notice of, and to vote at, the Annual Meeting (the "Record Date"). The only outstanding class of stock of the Company is its common stock, par value $0.001 per share
("Common Stock"). As of the Record Date, 30,375,618 shares of Common Stock were outstanding. Each share of Common Stock entitles its record holder on the Record Date to one vote on all matters.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Why am I receiving this annual meeting information and proxy?
You are receiving this annual meeting information and proxy from us because you owned shares of Common Stock as of the Record Date. This proxy statement describes
issues on which you may vote and provides you with other important information so that you can make informed decisions.
You
may own shares of Common Stock in several different ways. If your stock is represented by one or more stock certificates registered in your name, you have a stockholder account with
our transfer agent, Computershare Trust Company, which makes you a stockholder of record. If you hold your shares in a brokerage, trust or similar account, you are a beneficial owner, not a
stockholder of record.
What am I voting on?
You are being asked to vote on (a) the election of two Class I directors; and (b) the ratification of the appointment of Hein &
Associates LLP, as the Company's independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending July 31, 2008 ("fiscal 2008"). When you sign and mail the proxy card or submit
your proxy by telephone or the Internet, you appoint Gregory L. Craig and Dennis R. Leibel as your representatives at the Annual Meeting. (When we refer to the "named proxies," we are referring to
Messrs. Craig and Leibel.) This way, your shares will be voted even if you cannot attend the Annual Meeting.
How does the Board of Directors recommend I vote on each of the proposals?
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FOR
the Board's director nominees, and
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FOR
the ratification of the appointment of Hein & Associates LLP as the Company's independent registered public accounting firm for fiscal 2008.
How do I vote my shares?
Record holders may vote by using the proxy card, or by submitting proxies by telephone or by the Internet.
Persons
who beneficially own stock held:
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by
a broker or bank and who have the power to vote or to direct the voting of the shares can vote using the proxy or the voting information form provided by the broker or
bank and, if made available by the broker or bank, telephone and/or Internet voting;
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in
trust under an arrangement that provides the beneficial owner with the power to vote or to direct the voting of the shares can vote in accordance with the provisions of
such arrangement.
Persons
who beneficially own stock can vote at the Annual Meeting provided that they obtain a "legal proxy" from the person or entity holding the stock for him or her, typically a
broker, bank or trustee. A beneficial owner can obtain a legal proxy by making a request to the broker, bank or trustee. Under a legal proxy, the bank, broker or trustee confers all of its rights as a
record holder (which may in turn have been passed on to it by the ultimate record holder) to grant proxies or to vote at the Annual Meeting.
Set
forth below are the various meansInternet, phone and mailfor voting without attending the Annual Meeting. Subject to applicable time deadlines for Internet
and phone voting applicable to most stockholders, a person voting by any of these means may submit another proxy again using that means or another means and the later-dated proxy will have the effect
of revoking the earlier-dated proxy. For example, a person who votes on March 13th using the Internet can change their vote on March 14th by using the Internet, phone or
mail, and the effect of the March 14th vote would be to revoke the earlier March 13th vote. A record holder can attend the Annual Meeting and vote, which will have the
effect of revoking a previously given proxy. A beneficial holder who has been given a legal proxy by the record holder can attend the Annual Meeting and vote, which will have the effect of revoking a
previously given proxy or voting information form.
You may submit your proxy on the Internet.
Stockholders of record and most beneficial owners of Common Stock may vote via the
Internet. Instructions for doing so are provided along with your proxy card or voting instruction form. If you vote on the Internet, please do not mail in your proxy card. Subject to rules relating to
broker non-votes, your Internet vote will authorize the named proxies to vote your shares in the same manner as if you marked, signed and returned your proxy card.
You may submit your proxy by phone.
Stockholders of record and most beneficial owners of Common Stock may vote by phone.
Instructions for doing so are provided along with your proxy card or voting instructions. If you vote by telephone, please do not mail in your proxy card. Subject to rules relating to broker
non-votes, your phone vote will authorize the named proxies to vote your shares in the same manner as if you marked, signed and returned your proxy card.
You may submit your proxy by mail.
Simply sign and date the proxy card or voting instruction form received with this proxy
statement and mail it in the enclosed prepaid and addressed envelope. If you mark your choices on the card or voting instruction form, your shares will be voted as you instruct.
If
you return a signed proxy card but do not mark your choices, your shares will be voted in accordance with the recommendations of the Board of Directors indicated above and as stated
below under the caption "How will my shares be voted?" If you do not mark your choices on the voting instruction form, the voting of your shares will be subject to rules relating to broker
non-votes.
The availability of telephone and Internet submission of proxies.
Telephone and Internet voting have been provided for.
Simply follow the instructions that appear on the enclosed form of proxy or voting instruction form.
2
All
proxies that have been properly submitted and not revoked will be voted at the Annual Meeting.
What if I change my mind after I submit my proxy?
You may revoke your proxy and change your vote irrespective of the method (
i.e.
, telephone, Internet or mail) in
which you originally submitted your proxy by delivering a later-dated proxy or by voting at the Annual Meeting. The later-dated proxy may be delivered by telephone, Internet or mail and need not be
delivered by the same means used in delivering the to-be-revoked proxy. You may do this at a later date or time by:
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submitting
a proxy by telephone or on the Internet (which may not be available to some beneficial holders); your latest telephone or Internet proxy will be counted;
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signing
and delivering a proxy card with a later date; or
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voting
at the Annual Meeting. (If you hold your shares beneficially through a broker, you must bring a legal proxy from the record holder in order to vote at the Annual
Meeting.)
If
you are a registered stockholder, you may obtain a new proxy card by contacting the Corporate Secretary, Commerce Energy Group, Inc., 600 Anton Boulevard, Suite 2000,
Costa Mesa, California 92626, telephone (714) 259-2500. If your shares are held by a broker, trustee or bank, you may obtain a new voting instruction by contacting your broker,
trustee or bank. If you sign and date the proxy card or the voting instruction form and submit it in accordance with the accompanying instructions and in a timely manner, any earlier proxy card or
voting instructions will be revoked and your choices on the proxy card or voting instruction form will be voted as you instruct.
How will my shares be voted?
All proxies received and not revoked will be voted as directed. If no directions are specified, such proxies will be voted "FOR" all of the following:
(a) the election of the Board of Directors' nominees
for directors; and (b) the ratification of the appointment of Hein & Associates LLP as the Company's independent registered public accounting firm for fiscal 2008. As to any other
business which may properly come before the Annual Meeting, the persons named in such proxies will vote in accordance with their best judgment, although the Company does not presently know of any
other such business.
How many shares must be present to hold the meeting?
A majority of the Company's outstanding shares of Common Stock as of the Record Date must be present at the Annual Meeting and entitled to vote in order to hold
the Annual Meeting and conduct business (
i.e.
, to constitute a quorum). Shares are counted as present at the Annual Meeting if the stockholder of record
attends the Annual Meeting in person, if the beneficial holder attends with a legal proxy from the record holder, or if the record holder has granted a proxy, whether by returning a proxy card or by
telephone or Internet, without regard to whether the proxy actually casts or withholds a vote or abstains from voting.
How many votes must the Class I Director nominees receive to be elected?
Directors are elected by a plurality, which means that the two Class I Director nominees who receive the highest number of "FOR" votes will be elected.
There is no cumulative voting for the Company's directors. A properly executed proxy withholding authority to vote for one or more nominees with respect to the election of directors will not be voted
for the director(s) from whom authority to vote is withheld. However, the shares represented will be counted for purposes of determining whether there is a quorum. Abstentions, withheld votes and
broker non-votes, if applicable, will not be taken into account in determining the outcome of the election of directors.
3
What happens if a director nominee is unable to stand for election?
The Board of Directors may reduce the number of seats on the Board or it may designate a substitute nominee. If the Board designates a substitute, shares
represented by proxies will be voted for the substitute nominee.
How many votes are required to ratify the appointment of the Company's independent registered public accounting firm for fiscal 2008?
The
affirmative vote of a majority of the votes cast by holders of the shares of Common Stock present in person or represented by proxy at the Annual Meeting and entitled to vote on this
proposal will constitute stockholder ratification of the appointment of Hein & Associates LLP as the Company's independent registered public accounting firm for fiscal 2008.
Abstentions,
but not broker non-votes, will be treated as shares present and entitled to vote on this proposal. Applying that standard, an abstention will have the effect of
a vote "against" this proposal, and a broker non-vote will reduce the absolute number (although not the percentage) of the affirmative votes needed for approval of this proposal.
What are broker non-votes?
As indicated above, if you are a stockholder of record who submits a proxy but does not indicate how the proxies should vote on one or more matters, the named
proxies will vote as recommended by the Company. However, if your shares are held by a broker and you do not provide instructions to the broker on how to vote (whether you use the Internet or phone or
return the enclosed voting instruction form), the absence of instructions may cause a "broker non-vote" on the matters for which you do not provide instructions. Accordingly, if you want
to vote your shares on a matter, it is important that you provide voting instructions on that matter.
When
there is a broker non-vote, the stockholder grants a limited proxy that does not empower the holder to vote on a particular proposal(s).
Who pays the costs of proxy solicitation?
The expenses of soliciting proxies for the Annual Meeting are to be paid by the Company. In addition to the use of the mails, solicitation of proxies may be made
by means of personal calls upon, or telephonic, telegraphic or other electronic communications with, stockholders or their personal representatives by directors, officers and employees of the Company
who will not be specially compensated for such services. The Company does not intend to furnish proxy statements pursuant to Rule 14a-16 in connection with the Annual Meeting.
Although there is no formal agreement to do so, the Company may reimburse banks, brokerage houses and other custodians, nominees and fiduciaries for their reasonable expenses in forwarding this proxy
statement to stockholders whose Common Stock is held of record by such entities. The Company has engaged
MacKenzie Partners, Inc. to assist in the solicitation of proxies in connection with this proxy statement, and such firm will receive a fee estimated to be $5,000 and will be reimbursed for
out-of-pocket expenses. MacKenzie Partners also may use the above-referenced means to solicit proxies.
What business may be properly brought before the meeting and what discretionary authority is granted?
Nominations for Directors for the Annual Meeting.
The Second Amended and Restated Bylaws of the Company (the "Bylaws") set
forth specific procedures relating to the nomination of the Company's directors (the "Nomination Bylaw"), and no person is eligible for election as a director unless nominated in accordance with the
Nomination Bylaw. If a stockholder wishes to nominate a candidate
4
for
election as a director, the Nomination Bylaw requires a stockholder's notice of nomination to have been delivered to or mailed and received at the principal executive offices of the Company not
earlier than September 27, 2007 and not later than October 27, 2007 to be timely for the Annual Meeting. For this Annual Meeting, the Company has not received a timely notice of
nomination from any stockholder. Accordingly, the presiding officer of the Annual Meeting will, if the facts warrant, determine that a nomination was not made in accordance with the procedures
prescribed by the Nomination Bylaw, and if he should so determine, he will so declare to the Annual Meeting and the defective nomination will be disregarded.
Stockholder Proposals for the Annual Meeting.
The Bylaws set forth specific procedures to enable stockholders to properly
bring business before an annual meeting of the stockholders (the "Stockholder Proposal Bylaw"). Under the terms of the Stockholder Proposal Bylaw, to be timely for the Annual Meeting a stockholder
must have delivered notice of a proposal to the principal executive offices of the Company not earlier than September 27, 2007 and not later than October 27, 2007. For this Annual
Meeting, the Company has not received a timely notice of any proposal from any stockholder. Accordingly, the presiding officer of the Annual Meeting will, if the facts warrant, determine that a
stockholder proposal was not made in accordance with the procedures prescribed by the Stockholder Proposal Bylaws, and if he should so determine, he will so declare to the Annual Meeting and the
defective proposal will be disregarded.
Rule 14a-8.
To the extent that a stockholder desires to have his or her proposal included in the Company's
proxy materials in accordance with Rule 14a-8 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended ("Rule 14a-8"), such proposal must have been received by the
Company prior to the deadline for submission calculated in accordance with Rule 14a-8, and not be otherwise excludable under Rule 14a-8. The Company originally
disclosed in its proxy materials for last year's annual meeting that the deadline for
submission of proposals for inclusion in the Company's proxy materials relating to this year's Annual Meeting was August 27, 2007. However, since the Annual Meeting is being held more than
30 days after the anniversary of the previous year's meeting, the Company announced a revised deadline of December 31, 2007 for submitting a stockholder proposal relating to this year's
Annual Meeting in accordance with Rule 14a-8. No proposals were submitted for inclusion in the Company's proxy materials relating to the Annual Meeting prior to such revised
deadline.
The
Company has no knowledge or notice that any business other than as set forth in the Notice of Annual Meeting will be brought before the Annual Meeting. As to other matters that
properly come before the Annual Meeting and are not on the proxy card, Mr. Craig and Mr. Leibel will vote the shares of Common Stock for which they hold proxies in accordance with their
best judgment.
For
information related to application of the Nomination Bylaw, the Stockholder Proposal Bylaw and Rule 14a-8 to the annual meeting relating to fiscal 2008, see the
discussion in this Proxy Statement under the caption "Submission of Stockholder Proposals and Director Nominations for the Annual Meeting for the Fiscal Year Ending July 31, 2008."
Is a list of stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting available?
A list of stockholders of record entitled to vote at the annual meeting will be available at the Annual Meeting. It also will be available Monday through Friday
from March 12, 2008 through March 26, 2008, between the hours of 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., local time, at the offices of the Corporate Secretary, 600 Anton Boulevard,
Suite 2000, Costa Mesa, California 92626.
A
stockholder of record may examine the list for any legally valid purpose related to the Annual Meeting.
5
Where can I find the voting results of the meeting?
We will publish the final results in our quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the third quarter of fiscal 2008. You can read or print a copy of
that report by going to the Company's website,
www.commerceenergy.com
, and then choosing Investor Relations, SEC Filings. You can find the same
Form 10-Q by going directly to the SEC EDGAR files at
www.sec.gov.
You can also obtain a copy by calling us at
(714) 259-2500, or by calling the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") at (800) SEC-0330 for the location of a public reference room.
EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
Compensation Discussion and Analysis for Named Executive Officers
OverviewCompensation Objectives
The primary objective of the Compensation Committee of our Board of Directors with respect to executive compensation is to attract, retain and motivate the best
possible executive talent. The focus is to tie short and long-term cash and equity incentives to the achievement of measurable corporate objectives and to align executives' incentives with
stockholder value creation. To achieve these objectives, the Compensation Committee has adopted a compensation approach that ties a portion of the executives' overall compensation to our operational
performance and a portion to their attainment of individually-assigned goals designed to expand our business and improve our internal structures and processes.
We
endeavor to match market compensation levels through competitive base salaries, cash bonuses and equity grants. We compete for key personnel on the basis of (i) our vision of
future success, (ii) our culture and company values, (iii) the cohesiveness and productivity of our teams, and (iv) the excellence of our technical and management personnel. In
all of these areas, we compete with other energy companies, where there is significant competition for talented employees. While the Company places an emphasis on recruiting in the national energy
sector for senior and key executive talent, it also recruits from a broader "all industry" group of public and private companies based primarily in Southern California and Texas, the two principal
markets in which we operate. Accordingly, our compensation philosophy has been to maintain an aggressive and flexible pay posture for total compensation, as well as other components of total
compensation. In addition, with the same competitive pay issues to consider, our Compensation Committee has developed incentive bonus and equity plans designed to align stockholder and employee
interests.
We
have adopted an approach to compensation comprised of a mix of short- and long-term components and a mix of cash and equity elements in proportions we believe will provide
the proper incentives, reward our senior management team and help us achieve the following goals:
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offer
base compensation sufficient to attract, retain and motivate a high quality management team;
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foster
a goal-oriented, highly motivated management team whose participants have a clear understanding of business objectives and shared corporate values;
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provide
variable compensation components (including short and long-term incentive awards) that are aligned with our business objectives and the interests of our
stockholders;
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provide
a competitive benefits package; and
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control
costs in each facet of our business to maximize our efficiency.
The
compensation of our executive officers is based in part on the terms of employment agreements and offer letters we entered into with several of our executive officers, which set
forth the initial base salaries and initial option grants for our executive officers, as well as the terms of our cash Bonus Programs. See "Employment Agreements" and "Cash Bonus Program" below.
In
fiscal 2007, we believe that our compensation offering for executive officer talent of base salary, bonus program and equity grant provided a competitive compensation package to
attract, retain and motivate quality management talent. The establishment of financial targets as our goals in the Bonus Program for fiscal 2007 reinforced two other compensation goals; namely,
alignment of our executive officers' compensation with our business objectives and the interests of our stockholders and the fostering of a goal-oriented, highly motivated management team
whose participants have a clear understanding of business objectives and shared corporate values. In fiscal 2007, we achieved our
20
stretch
financial target under the Bonus Program, thereby creating a higher bonus potential for each of the eligible executive officers. These same two compensation goals also were important in the
decision to grant options and shares of restricted stock to the new senior vice president and general counsel who was hired during fiscal 2007, the only equity grants made to executive officers in
fiscal 2007. These grants are discussed in this Compensation Discussion and Analysis under the caption "Equity-Based Incentives." The individual performance goals set by the Chief Executive Officer
and the Compensation Committee for the named executive officers that were used to calculate bonus amounts under the Bonus Program for fiscal 2007 were designed to link the executive officer's bonus
with our performance and the attainment of individual goals within that framework of corporate growth. Targeted objectives for the Chief Executive Officer and the other executive officers under the
Bonus Program fell into the following categories: financial performance, investor awareness, and increase in customer growth, risk management and leadership.
Role of Our Compensation Committee
Our Compensation Committee approves, administers and interprets our executive compensation and benefit policies. Our Compensation Committee was appointed by our
Board of Directors, and consists entirely of directors who are "outside directors" for purposes of Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code, as amended, or the Code, and
"non-employee directors" for purposes of Rule 16b-3 under the Exchange Act. Our Compensation Committee is comprised of Gary J. Hessenauer, Mark S. Juergensen, Dennis R.
Leibel and Robert C. Perkins. Mr. Leibel is our Compensation Committee chairperson.
The
Compensation Committee considered recommendations from Steven S. Boss, our former Chief Executive Officer, in determining executive compensation. While Mr. Boss discussed his
recommendations with the Compensation Committee, he did not participate in determining his own compensation. In making his recommendations, Mr. Boss received input from our Human Resources
department and had access to third-party compensation surveys such as the 2007 Employers Group Compensation Survey and on-line compensation data of publicly-traded companies. This
information also was available to our Compensation Committee. None of our other executive officers participated in the Compensation Committee's discussions regarding executive compensation. The
Compensation Committee did not delegate any of its functions to others in determining executive compensation. The Compensation Committee considered the business goals set for fiscal 2007, as well as
changes in corporate market focus and goals for the next fiscal year. The Compensation Committee
reviewed with our management the business plans for the new fiscal year relative to the prior fiscal year.
Our
Compensation Committee has taken the following steps to ensure that our approach to executive compensation and benefits is consistent with both our compensation philosophy and our
corporate governance guidelines:
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evaluated
our compensation practices and assisted in developing and implementing the executive compensation philosophy;
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developed
recommendations with regard to executive compensation structures that were reviewed and approved by our Compensation Committee and Board of Directors;
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established
a practice of prospectively reviewing the performance of, and determining the compensation earned, paid or awarded to our Chief Executive Officer independent of
input from him; and
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established
a policy to review on an annual basis the performance of our other executive officers with assistance from our Chief Executive Officer and determining what we
believe to be appropriate total compensation.
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Components of our Compensation Approach
Our compensation approach consists of five components:
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base
salary;
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annual
cash bonuses;
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discretionary
bonuses;
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equity-based
incentives; and
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other
benefits.
We
chose to build our executive compensation approach around these elements because we believe that together they have been and will continue to be effective in achieving our overall
objectives. We utilize short-term compensation, including base salary and cash bonuses, to motivate and reward our key executives. The use and weight of each compensation element is based
on a subjective determination by the Compensation Committee of the importance of each element in meeting our overall objectives. We believe that the proportion of compensation at risk should increase
as an employee's level of responsibility increases. We believe that, in addition to base salaries and bonuses, restricted stock awards and other equity-based awards are the primary
compensation-related motivator in attracting and retaining qualified employees. Although our Compensation Committee has in the past engaged the services of compensation consultants, in fiscal 2007,
the Compensation Committee did not engage in the services of a compensation consultant with the exception of structuring our Bonus Program, described below. We have not benchmarked any element of our
compensation as it pertains to our executive officers in fiscal 2007.
Base Salary.
Base salaries will typically be used to recognize the experience, skills, knowledge and responsibilities
required of each executive officer, as well as competitive market conditions. The base salary of our named executive officers will be reviewed on an annual basis and adjustments are made to reflect
performance-based factors, as well as competitive conditions. We do not apply specific formulas to determine increases.
In
fiscal 2007, Thomas S. Ulry, our senior vice president, sales and marketing, received a $25,000 annual increase in base salary from $228,000 to $253,000 and Nick Cioll, our vice
president, chief risk officer, received a $20,000 annual increase in base salary from $152,500 to $172,500, each effective October 1, 2006, in recognition of their superior performance in
fiscal 2006 and, in the case of Mr. Cioll, also in recognition of his recent promotion to his current position. In fiscal 2007, we hired Erik A.
Lopez, Sr. as our senior vice president and general counsel. The Compensation Committee established a base salary for Mr. Lopez of $265,000. Among the factors that the Compensation Committee
considered in the course of establishing that base salary were on-line salary data, a third-party compensation survey and the potential earnings potential that Mr. Lopez may have
been foregoing from his prior employment. We also entered into an agreement with Tatum LLC to engage the services of J. Robert Hipps as our interim chief financial officer at $37,500 per month
for a minimum period of three months. The terms of such agreement with Tatum were believed by the Compensation Committee to be market, based upon Mr. Hipps' qualifications and experience.
In
fiscal 2007, Mr. Clayton incurred costs for long-distance travel commuting expenses in the amount of $59,274 in connection with commuting from his home in Texas to
our corporate headquarters in Costa Mesa, California. In accordance with our policies and Mr. Clayton's relocation agreement, we paid these non-reimbursable costs to
Mr. Clayton and added such costs to his base salary.
Annual Cash Bonuses.
We believe that as an employee's level of responsibility increases, a greater portion of the
individual's cash compensation should be variable and linked to both quantitative and
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qualitative
expectations, including key operational and strategic metrics. To that end, in fiscal 2007, we established annual cash Bonus Program which is administered by the Compensation Committee.
These bonuses, if earned, are paid after the end of the fiscal year. All of our named executive officers, with the exception J. Robert Hipps, were eligible to participate in the Bonus Program in
fiscal 2007; however, in order to vest in a bonus amount, an executive officer must be an active employee on the date the bonus is paid, and have been an employee for at least three months at the end
of the fiscal year. Mr. Hipps was not eligible to participate because he was first employed during the last three months of fiscal 2007.
For
fiscal 2007, bonus payments to our Chief Executive Officer and the other executive officers were based on meeting and/or exceeding Company financial goals set by the Compensation
Committee and achieving other business goals set for the respective executives by the Compensation Committee. Pursuant to the terms of the Bonus Program, the bonus award for each executive officer was
calculated based upon the product of (i) the named executive officer's base annual salary as of April 30, 2007, (ii) the named executive officer's potential bonus percentage
assigned by the Compensation Committee to the level of such employee (
i.e.
, 20-70% for the Chief Executive Officer and 12-40%
for the other executive officers), and (iii) the named executive officer's earned bonus percentage based upon the attainment of certain individual business goals set by the Compensation
Committee with recommendations by the Chief Executive Officer; and reduced (but not below zero) by amounts, if any, from the Company's commission incentive plan. Messrs. Boss, Ulry and Cioll
were not eligible to participate in the Company's commission incentive plan.
Under
the Bonus Program, a participant's potential bonus percentage is determined based upon the Company's net income which is defined under the Bonus Program to mean net income from
operations, including interest income and expense, for any fiscal year after bonus accruals under the
Bonus Program are deducted. At the beginning of each fiscal year, the Compensation Committee establishes four levels of net income goals and assigns potential bonus percentages for each such
corresponding level. In fiscal 2007, we attained net income as defined in the Bonus Program of $3.6 million. In reaching that level of net income, the Compensation Committee excluded in its
calculation of net income, $6.5 million received by the Company in connection with the APX settlement, and $4.6 million for the ACN arbitration settlement (including $0.7 million
in related legal fees). At the $3.6 million level of net income, which exceeded the Level II target, the applicable bonus percentage for the Chief Executive Officer was 30% and 18% for
the other executive officers. At the time the Compensation Committee set the Level II target, it believed attainment of the goal to be achievable, but somewhat of a stretch. Levels I,
II, III and IV of the net income goals under the Bonus Program were set at $1.35, $3.0, $4.0 and $5.0 million, respectively. In addition to a bonus payment, if the Level IV target had
been exceeded, the Committee could have established a bonus pool and distributed it among the bonus groups, including the named executive officers, as the Committee determine in its sole discretion.
In
determining the earned bonus percentage, the Compensation Committee assigned to the Chief Executive Officer and each of the other executive officers specific individual objectives in
several of the following categories: increase in overall Company financial performance; increase in investor awareness; financial risk management; peer and leadership development; and customer
maintenance and growth. Each category was assigned a specific percentage weight at the commencement of the Bonus Program. In establishing the performance objectives of the executive officers, the
Chief Executive Officer and members of the executive team made recommendations, which were approved by members of the Compensation Committee. Each executive, including each executive officer, had
individual objectives for the year which were designed to contribute to the achievement of our corporate objectives. For purposes of determining whether our executive officers met each of the
individual goals and objectives assigned to them, the Compensation Committee met with our Chief Executive Officer and then the Committee deliberated alone without the Chief Executive Officer present.
Messrs. Boss, Ulry and Cioll
23
each
had individual objectives that the Company reach $1.35 million in net income which was met and exceeded by 168%. The weighting for that factor among the three executive officers was 70%
for Mr. Boss, 40% for Mr. Ulry and 40% for Mr. Cioll. Mr. Boss also had individual objectives relating to increasing institutional or strategic investors and each of the
three named executive officers were assigned internal leadership goals. Mr. Ulry was also assigned Company performance objectives to (i) improve profitability by originated gross margin
of $18 million, a goal exceeded by 172%; (ii) increase customer growth by at least 98,000 new customer accounts, a goal exceeded by 120%; and (iii) achieve at least an 80%
customer renewal rate, a goal also met. Mr. Cioll was assigned several individual projects related to improving the risk management operation of the business. In fiscal 2007, the earned bonus
percentages for Steven S. Boss, our Chief Executive Officer during fiscal 2007, Thomas L. Ulry, our senior vice president, sales and marketing, and Nick Cioll, our vice president, chief risk officer,
were 90%, 100% and 85%, respectively. The reason for Mr. Boss not realizing the maximum earned bonus percentage was a subjective determination by the Compensation Committee regarding progress
made on team building initiatives and the reason for Mr. Cioll not realizing his maximum earned bonus percentage was a determination by the Compensation Committee that certain elements of the
new risk management plan were not operational and a subjective determination relating to certain new risk management reports. As a result, Mr. Boss's bonus for fiscal 2007 was $111,242 or 27%
of his base salary as of April 30, 2007, Mr. Ulry's bonus for fiscal 2007 was $45,538, or 18% of his base salary as of April 30, 2007 and Mr. Cioll bonus for fiscal 2007
was $26,392, or 15.3% of his base salary as of April 30, 2007. The bonus amounts for Messrs. Boss, Ulry and Cioll which relate to fiscal 2007 were paid in November 2007. To receive the
bonus payment, each named executive officer was an active employee of the Company and was in good standing on the date the bonus is paid.
We
have not paid any significant signing or promotion bonuses to our named executive officers, nor have we guaranteed any future bonuses to our named executive officers.
Discretionary Bonuses.
The Compensation Committee has the discretion to award discretionary bonuses to named executive
officers. In fiscal 2007, the Compensation Committee awarded discretionary bonus to Thomas L. Ulry and Nick Cioll in the amount of $25,000 and $20,000, respectively, in recognition of their
outstanding contributions in fiscal 2006. In awarding the amount of the bonus, the Compensation Committee recognized the more senior position of Mr. Ulry and the importance of the sales
function of the Company as one of the key drivers to increase stockholder value.
Equity-Based Incentives.
Salaries and bonuses are intended to compensate our named executive officers for
short-term performance. We also have adopted an equity incentive approach intended to reward longer-term performance and to help align the interests of our named executive
officers with those of our stockholders. We believe that long-term performance is achieved through an ownership culture that rewards performance by our named executive officers through the
use of equity incentives. Our equity incentive plans have been established to provide our employees, including our named executive officers, with incentives to help align those employees' interests
with the interests of our stockholders. Our equity incentive plans have provided the principal method for our named executive officers to acquire equity interests in the Company.
The
size and terms of the initial option grant and restricted share award made to each executive officer upon joining us are primarily based on competitive conditions applicable to the
executive officer's specific position and are set forth in the executive officer's employment agreement or offer letter from us. In addition, the Compensation Committee considers the number of options
and restricted shares owned by other executives in comparable positions within the Company.
The
equity awards we make to our named executive officers will be driven by our sustained performance over time, our named executive officers' ability to impact our results that drive
24
stockholder
value, their level of responsibility within the Company, their potential to fill roles of increasing responsibility, and competitive equity award levels for similar positions in comparable
companies. Equity forms a key part of the overall compensation for each named executive officer and will be considered each year as part of the annual performance review process and incentive
payout calculation.
We
do not have a formal policy regarding the granting of equity, or the purchase and retention of equity, by our named executive officers.
During
fiscal 2007, we made one stock option award in the aggregate amount of 45,000 shares of our Common Stock and one restricted stock award in the aggregate amount of 60,000 shares of
our Common Stock to our then newly-hired Senior Vice President, general counsel under our 2006 Stock Incentive Plan. The amount of the stock option grant and the restricted stock award was the result
of negotiations with the executive officer during the hiring process in order to both recruit the executive officer to his current position and incentivize him to increase stockholder value over the
life of the awards. The option was granted at the fair market value on the date of grant which is the closing price on the American Stock Exchange. The option and the shares of restricted stock vest
over a three-year period with one third vesting on each anniversary of the commencement date of employment. All equity awards to our employees, including named executive officers, and to
our directors have been granted and reflected in our consolidated financial statements, based upon the applicable accounting guidance, with the exercise price equal to the fair market value on the
grant date based on the valuation determined by the Compensation Committee of our Board of Directors.
In
fiscal 2007, we also amended the employment agreements and the related restricted stock agreements for two named executive officers establishing a positive net income performance
target for fiscal 2007 for the vesting of 75,000 shares of restricted stock for Steven S. Boss, our former Chief Executive Officer, and 15,000 shares of restricted stock for Lawrence Clayton, Jr., our
former Chief Financial Officer. In selecting such performance target, the Compensation Committee believed the target to be easily attainable. Pursuant to Mr. Boss' employment agreement, upon
joining the Company in August 2005, he was awarded 200,000 shares of restricted stock; 50,000 shares of which vested upon his first anniversary with us; and 150,000 shares which were to vest over the
next three years in 50,000 share increments based upon the achievement of performance targets for fiscal 2006, 2007 and 2008 established by the Compensation Committee. During fiscal 2006, the
Compensation Committee did not set any performance targets for vesting. The parties rectified the failure of one tranche of restricted shares to have the opportunity to vest by entering into the
amendment which provided that 75,000 shares of restricted stock shall vest if we achieved positive net income, as defined in GAAP, in fiscal 2007 and 75,000 shares of restricted stock shall vest based
upon the achievement of performance targets to be established by the Compensation Committee for fiscal 2008. For each tranche of restricted shares to vest, Mr. Boss must be our employee at the
time we file our respective annual reports on Form 10-K with the SEC. See "Employment Agreements".
Other Benefits.
We have a 401(k) Plan in which substantially all of our employees are entitled to participate. Employees
contribute their own funds, as salary deductions, on a pre-tax basis. Contributions may be made up to Plan limits, in accordance with government limitations. The Plan permits us to make
matching contributions if we choose and we have historically provided matching contributions of up to 3%, based on 50% of employees' contributions of up to 6% of defined compensation. We also offer an
Amended and Restated 2005 Employee Stock Purchase Plan, or the ESPP, which became effective in July 2006. The ESPP, which has been approved by our Board of Directors and our stockholders, provides for
eligible employees to purchase our Common Stock through payroll deductions. The ESPP generally allows employees to elect to purchase our Common Stock each month in an amount not to exceed an annual
rate of accrual of $25,000 per calendar year in fair value of our Common Stock at the lower of the first or last day's closing price for each month's offering period, less a discount of 15%. The ESPP
does not discriminate between executive and
25
non-executive
employees. We provide health care, dental, vision and life insurance, employee assistance plans and both short- and long-term disability, accidental death and
dismemberment benefits to all full-time employees, including our named executive officers. We believe these benefits are comparable with companies with which we compete for employees.
These benefits are available to all employees, subject to applicable laws. Certain of these plans require varying levels of employee contributions including deductibles and co-pays
depending on the plans chosen by the employee. These contributions are the same for all employees including our named executive officers, excluding Mr. Hipps who received health and disability
insurance through Tatum, LLC, at no cost to the Company.
Severance and Termination Protection
Employment and Letter Agreements.
Under their employment and letter agreements, respectively, Messrs. Boss and Ulry
are entitled to certain severance and change of control benefits, the terms of which are described in detail below under "Employment Contracts" and "Letter Agreements."
Acceleration of Vesting of Equity-Based Awards.
In the event of a change in control of us, certain provisions of our 1999
Equity Incentive Plan and the 2006 Stock Incentive Plan allow, at the discretion of the Compensation Committee for up to the full acceleration of unvested equity awards in the event an acquirer
neither assumes awards outstanding under these plans nor issues our award holders substitute equity awards. See "Employee Benefit Plans" below.
Accounting and Tax Considerations
Effective August 5, 2005, we adopted the fair value provisions of Financial Accounting Standards Board Statement No. 123(R) (revised 2004),
"Share-Based Payment," or SFAS 123(R). Under SFAS 123(R), we are required to estimate and record an expense for each award of equity compensation (including stock options) over the
vesting period of the award.
Internal
Revenue Code Section 162(m) limits the amount that we may deduct for compensation paid to our Chief Executive Officer and to each of our four most highly compensated
officers to $1,000,000 per person, unless certain exemption requirements are met. Exemptions to this deductibility limit may be made for various forms of "performance-based compensation." In the past,
annual cash compensation to our named executive officers has not exceeded $1,000,000 per person, so the compensation has been deductible. In addition to salary and bonus compensation, upon the
exercise of stock options that are not treated as incentive stock options, the excess of the current market price over the option price, or option spread, is treated as compensation, and accordingly,
in any year, such option exercise may cause an officer's total compensation to exceed $1,000,000. Under certain regulations, option spread compensation from options that meet certain requirements will
not be subject to the $1,000,000 cap on deductibility, and in the past we have granted options that met those requirements. The Compensation Committee has not yet established a policy for determining
which forms of incentive compensation awarded to our named executive officers shall be designed to qualify as "performance-based compensation." To maintain flexibility in compensating our named
executive officers in a manner designed to promote our objectives, the Compensation Committee has not adopted a policy that requires all compensation to be deductible. However, the Compensation
Committee intends to evaluate the effects of the compensation limits of Section 162(m) on any compensation it proposes to grant, and the Compensation Committee intends to provide future
compensation in a manner consistent with our best interests and those of our stockholders.
Financial Restatements
Our Compensation Committee does not have an established practice regarding the adjustment or recovery of awards or payment if the relevant performance measures
upon which they are based are restated or otherwise adjusted in a manner that would reduce the size of an award or payment
26
previously
made. The Board of Directors will determine whether to seek recovery of incentive compensation under the Bonus Program in the event of a financial restatement or similar event based on the
facts and circumstances surrounding a financial or similar event, should one occur. Among the key factors that the Compensation Committee will consider is whether the executive officer engaged in
fraud or misconduct that resulted in need for a restatement.
Compensation Committee Report
The Compensation Committee, comprised of independent directors, reviewed and discussed the foregoing "Compensation Discussion and Analysis for Named Executive
Officers" with the Company's management, and based on that review and discussion, the Compensation Committee recommended to the Board of Directors that the Compensation Discussion and Analysis be
included in the Proxy
Statement for our Annual Meeting of Stockholders relating to fiscal 2007 and included in our annual report on Form 10-K for fiscal 2007.
|
|
Commerce Energy Group, Inc.
Compensation Committee
|
|
|
Dennis R. Leibel, Chairman
Gary J. Hessenauer
Mark S. Juergensen
Robert C. Perkins
|
27
Summary Compensation Table
The following table provides information regarding the compensation earned during the fiscal year ended July 31, 2007 by our former Chief Executive
Officer, our former interim chief financial officer, our former chief financial officer and our three other most highly compensated executive officers who were employed by us as of July 31,
2007. We refer to these executive officers as our "named executive officers."
|
Name and Principal Position(s)
|
|
Fiscal
Year
|
|
Salary ($)
|
|
Bonus ($)
|
|
Stock
Awards ($)(1)
|
|
Option
Awards ($)(2)
|
|
Non-Equity
Incentive Plan
Compensation ($)(3)
|
|
All Other
Compensation ($)(4)
|
|
Total ($)
|
|
Steven S. Boss
Chief Executive Officer(5)
|
|
2007
|
|
$
|
412,000
|
|
|
|
$
|
100,084
|
|
$
|
141,120
|
|
$
|
111,242
|
|
|
|
$
|
764,446
|
|
Lawrence Clayton, Jr.
Chief Financial Officer
(6)
|
|
2007
|
|
$
|
334,274
|
(7)
|
|
|
$
|
24,730
|
(8)
|
$
|
14,083
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$
|
373,087
|
|
J. Robert Hipps
Interim Chief Financial Officer
(9)
|
|
2007
|
|
$
|
2,769
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$
|
2,769
|
|
Thomas L. Ulry
Senior Vice President, Sales and Marketing
|
|
2007
|
|
$
|
248,192
|
|
|
|
$
|
17,744
|
|
|
|
|
$
|
45,538
|
(10)
|
|
|
$
|
311,474
|
|
Nick Cioll
Vice President, Chief Risk Officer
|
|
2007
|
|
$
|
168,654
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$
|
26,392
|
(11)
|
|
|
$
|
195,046
|
|
Erik A. Lopez, Sr.
Senior Vice President, General Counsel
(12)
|
|
2007
|
|
$
|
86,635
|
|
|
|
$
|
17,675
|
|
$
|
9,628
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$
|
113,938
|
|
-
(1)
-
Amounts
reflect the amount of stock awards we recognized, or expensed, during fiscal 2007, calculated in accordance with SFAS No. 123(R). See Note 2 to the Notes to
Consolidated Financial Statements for a discussion of assumptions made in determining the grant date fair value and compensation expense of our restricted stock awards.
-
(2)
-
Amounts
reflect the amount of stock options expensed in 2007, based on the vesting of grants made during or prior to fiscal 2007 as compensation costs for financial reporting purposes
in accordance with SFAS No. 123R. See Note 2 to the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for a discussion of assumptions made in determining the grant date fair value and
compensation expense of our stock options.
-
(3)
-
Consisted
of bonus payments earned for fiscal 2007 under the Commerce Energy Group, Inc. Bonus Program. To receive the bonus amounts shown, each named executive officer had to
have been an active employee of the Company in good standing on the date the bonus was paid, which was November 9, 2007.
-
(4)
-
Under
the rules of the SEC, the Company is required to identify by type all perquisites and other personal benefits for a named executive officer only if the total value for that
individual equals or exceeds $10,000, and to report and quantify each perquisite or personal benefit only if the value thereof exceeds the greater of $25,000 or 10% of the total amount of perquisites
and personal benefits for that individual.
-
(5)
-
Mr. Boss
served as our Chief Executive Officer until February 20, 2008.
-
(6)
-
Mr. Clayton
served as our Chief Financial Officer until July 25, 2007.
-
(7)
-
Included
$59,274 in non-reimbursable, long-distance commuting expenses paid to Mr. Clayton.
-
(8)
-
In
connection with Mr. Clayton's departure, we remitted payment, at par value, to Mr. Clayton for the repurchase of the 30,000 shares of unvested restricted stock. The
repurchase transaction was closed in connection with the resolution of the employment dispute between Mr. Clayton and the Company. The vesting of all 30,000 shares would have been subject to
the achievement of performance targets. In fiscal 2007, the performance target for 15,000 shares was the Company's attainment of positive net income, a goal which it attained; for fiscal 2008, a
financial target had not been set by the Compensation Committee. Please see Note 2 to the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for a discussion regarding the valuation of such
performance-based shares.
-
(9)
-
Mr. Hipps
served as our Interim Chief Financial Officer between July 30, 2007 and January 28, 2008. Mr. Hipps' compensation arrangement is discussed below
under "Offer Letters with Other Executives."
-
(10)
-
Does
not include a discretionary bonus payment of $25,000 in fiscal 2007 awarded by the Compensation Committee to Mr. Ulry in recognition for superior performance during
fiscal 2006.
-
(11)
-
Does
not include a discretionary bonus payment of $20,000 that was awarded by the Compensation Committee to Mr. Cioll in recognition for superior performance during fiscal
2006.
-
(12)
-
Mr. Lopez
served as our Senior Vice President, General Counsel, between March 26, 2007 and October 5, 2007 at an annual base salary of $265,000.
28
Grants of Plan-Based Awards in Fiscal 2007
The following table presents information concerning grants of plan-based awards to each of the named executive officers during the year ended
July 31, 2007. The exercise price per share of each option granted to our named executive officers was equal to the fair market value of our Common Stock, as determined by our Compensation
Committee on the date of the grant.
|
|
|
|
|
Estimated Future Payouts Under Non-Equity Incentive Plan Awards(1)
|
|
|
|
Estimated Future Payouts Under Equity Incentive Plan Awards(2)
|
|
Name
|
|
Grant Date
|
|
Threshold
($)
|
|
Target I
($)
|
|
Target II
($)
|
|
Maximum
($)
|
|
Threshold
(#)
|
|
Target
(#)
|
|
Maximum
(#)
|
|
Steven S. Boss
|
|
1/25/2007
|
|
$
|
74,161
|
|
$
|
111,242
|
|
$
|
166,862
|
|
$
|
259,564
|
|
|
|
150,000
|
(3)
|
|
|
Lawrence Clayton, Jr.
|
|
1/25/2007
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
30,000
|
(4)
|
|
|
J. Robert Hipps
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Thomas J. Ulry
|
|
1/25/2007
|
|
$
|
20,359
|
|
$
|
45,538
|
|
$
|
68,248
|
|
$
|
101,196
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Nick Cioll
|
|
1/25/2007
|
|
$
|
17,594
|
|
$
|
26,392
|
|
$
|
36,655
|
|
$
|
58,648
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Erik A. Lopez, Sr.
|
|
3/27/2007
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Name
|
|
Grant Date
|
|
All Other
Stock Awards:
Number of
Shares of
Stock (#)
|
|
All Other
Option Awards:
Number of
Securities
Underlying
Options (#)
|
|
Exercise Price
per Share
($/Sh)
|
|
Grant Date
Fair Value of
Stock and
Option Awards
($)(5)
|
|
Steven S. Boss
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$
|
|
|
$
|
|
|
Lawrence Clayton, Jr.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
J. Robert Hipps
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Thomas J. Ulry
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Nick Cioll
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Erik A. Lopez, Sr.
|
|
3/27/2007
3/27/2007
|
|
60,000
|
(6)
|
45,000
|
(7)
|
$
$
|
2.56
2.56
|
|
$
$
|
153,600
83,745
|
|
-
(1)
-
Represents
awards under the Company's Bonus Program for fiscal 2007 under various scenarios. Pursuant to the terms of the Bonus Program, the bonus award for certain of the named
executive officers is calculated as the product of the named executive officer's base annual salary as of April 30, 2007, multiplied by (i) the named executive officer's potential bonus
percentage assigned by the Compensation Committee, and (ii) the named executive officer's earned bonus percentage. The potential bonus percentage is a factor based upon the Company's net
income. At the beginning of fiscal 2007, the Compensation Committee established four levels of net income targets and assigned potential bonus percentages applicable to the named executive officers
for each corresponding level. For the Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Boss, the potential bonus percentages for the Threshold, Target I, Target II and Maximum categories were 20%, 30%, 45% and
70%, and the potential bonus percentages for the other named executive officers were 12%, 18%, 25% and 40%. The earned bonus percentage is a factor based upon the attainment of certain individual
business goals assigned by the Compensation Committee. Based upon an evaluation of the attainment of such goals, the earned bonus percentages for Messrs. Boss, Ulry and Cioll were 90%, 100% and
85%, respectively. Amounts shown under the Threshold, Target I, Target II and Maximum columns correspond to the four levels of net
29
income
goals for fiscal 2007, which were, respectively, $1.35 million, $3.0 million, $4.0 million and $5.0 million. Amounts shown in each column reflect the bonus that
would have been earned by the respective named executive officer under the Bonus Program had the Company achieved the applicable net income target. We assumed that the earned bonus percentage for each
of the named executive officers in fiscal 2007 remained constant in each of the four target income scenarios. The Target I column sets forth the bonus amounts actually earned for fiscal 2007 based on
the Company's net income as defined in the Bonus Program of $3.6 million. Lawrence Clayton, Jr., J. Robert Hipps and Erik A. Lopez, Sr. each were not eligible to receive a bonus under the Bonus
Program. Messrs. Clayton and Lopez are no longer employees of the Company and thus were not entitled to receive a bonus because they did not meet the vesting requirements of the Bonus Program.
Mr. Hipps did not meet the eligibility requirements under the Bonus Program.
-
(2)
-
Represents
performance-based shares of restricted stock awarded under the Company's 1999 Equity Incentive Plan.
-
(3)
-
The
award, granted under the 1999 Equity Incentive Plan described herein, was exercisable with respect to 75,000 shares upon our achievement of net income for fiscal 2007 and
confirmation of such net income as set forth in our annual report on Form 10-K for fiscal 2007. Vesting for the remaining 75,000 shares was to be determined based on the achievement
of performance targets for fiscal 2008 that had not to date been set by the Compensation Committee; however, the Company has agreed to repurchase these shares from Mr. Boss at par value per
share pursuant to the terms of the Separation Agreement and General Release dated February 20, 2008, executed by the parties in connection with Mr. Boss' resignation as Chief Executive
Officer and as a director of the Company on February 20, 2008, and the 1999 Equity Incentive Plan.
-
(4)
-
Under
the terms of Mr. Clayton's amended employment agreement and amended restricted stock agreement, the award, granted under the 1999 Equity Incentive Plan, was exercisable
with respect to 15,000 shares upon our achievement of net income for fiscal 2007 and confirmation of such net income as set forth in our annual report on Form 10-K for fiscal 2007,
with vesting of the remaining 15,000 shares based on the achievement of performance targets for fiscal 2008 that had not been set by the Compensation Committee. Subsequent to Mr. Clayton's
departure from the Company on July 25, 2007, we remitted payment to Mr. Clayton for the repurchase of his 30,000 shares of restricted stock for $0.001 per share pursuant to the terms of
his restricted stock agreement. The repurchase transaction was closed in connection with the resolution of the employment dispute between Mr. Clayton and the Company.
-
(5)
-
Amounts
reflect the total fair value of stock awards or stock options granted in fiscal 2007, calculated in accordance with SFAS No. 123(R).
-
(6)
-
The
award, granted under the 2006 Stock Incentive Plan, vested as to 20,000 shares on March 26, 2008 and as to 20,000 on each of the first two anniversaries thereafter under
its original terms. Pursuant to a separation agreement and general release dated October 5, 2007; such vesting was amended as follows: 10,000 shares of such restricted stock were forfeited and
50,000 shares of restricted stock vested as of January 2, 2008.
-
(7)
-
The
options shares, granted under the 2006 Stock Incentive Plan, vested as to 15,000 shares on March 26, 2008 and as to 15,000 shares on each of the first two anniversaries
thereafter under its original terms. Under our separation agreement with Mr. Lopez, his option to purchase all such 45,000 shares was canceled.
30
Outstanding Equity Awards at July 31, 2007
The following table presents the outstanding equity awards held by each of the named executive officers as of the fiscal year ended July 31, 2007,
including the value of the stock awards.
|
|
|
Option Awards
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Stock Awards
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Equity
Incentive
Plan
Awards:
Market or
Payout
Value of
Unearned
Shares That
Have Not
Vested ($)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Equity
Incentive Plan
Awards:
Number of
Unearned
Shares That
Have Not
Vested (#)
|
|
|
Number of Securities
Underlying Unexercised
Options at July 31, 2007 (#)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Market
Value of
Shares of
Stock Not
Vested($)(1)
|
|
|
Option
Exercise
Price ($)
|
|
Option
Expiration
Date
|
|
Number of
Shares of
Stock Not
Vested (#)
|
|
|
|
Name
|
|
Exercisable
|
|
Unexercisable
|
|
Steven S. Boss
|
|
200,000
50,000
|
|
100,000
|
(2)
|
$
$
|
1.80
1.80
|
|
07/31/2015
07/22/2015
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
150,000
|
(3)
|
$
|
315,000
|
|
Lawrence Clayton, Jr.(4)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
J. Robert Hipps
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Thomas J. Ulry
|
|
100,000
|
|
|
|
$
|
3.50
|
|
03/02/2015
|
|
20,000
|
(5)
|
$
|
42,000
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Nick Cioll
|
|
85,000
|
|
|
|
$
|
1.92
|
|
07/27/2014
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Erik A. Lopez, Sr.(6)
|
|
|
|
45,000
|
|
$
|
2.56
|
|
03/27/2013
|
|
60,000
|
|
$
|
126,000
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
-
(1)
-
Market
value based on our Common Stock's closing price of $2.10 on July 31, 2007, the last day of fiscal 2007.
-
(2)
-
These
option shares became exercisable on August 1, 2007.
-
(3)
-
The
award was exercisable with respect to 75,000 shares upon our achievement of net income for fiscal 2007 and confirmation of such net income as set forth in our annual report on
Form 10-K for fiscal 2007. Vesting for the remaining 75,000 shares was to be determined based on the achievement of performance targets for fiscal 2008 that had not been set by the
Compensation Committee; however, the Company has agreed to repurchase these shares from Mr. Boss at par value per share pursuant to the terms of the Separation Agreement and General Release
dated February 20, 2008, executed by the parties in connection with Mr. Boss' resignation as Chief Executive Officer and as a director of the Company on February 20, 2008, and the
1999 Equity Incentive Plan.
-
(4)
-
Prior
to his departure on July 25, 2007, Mr. Clayton held options to purchase a total of 120,000 shares of our Common Stock, 40,000 of which were exercisable and 80,000
of which were not. As a result of Mr. Clayton's termination, all stock option shares held by Mr. Clayton, including those that were exercisable, were terminated. In addition,
subsequently, we have remitted payment to Mr. Clayton for the repurchase of 30,000 shares of unvested restricted stock previously held by Mr. Clayton. The repurchase transaction was
closed in connection with the resolution of the employment dispute between Mr. Clayton and the Company.
-
(5)
-
Of
these restricted stock shares, 10,000 were vested on January 1, 2008 and 10,000 will vest on January 1, 2009.
-
(6)
-
Under
the terms of a separation agreement with Mr. Lopez dated October 5, 2007, 10,000 shares of restricted stock were forfeited pursuant to their original terms. The
vesting relating to the remaining 50,000 shares of restricted stock was amended so that such shares vested as of January 2, 2008, and the option to purchase 45,000 shares of our Common Stock
was canceled pursuant to its terms.
31
Option Exercises in Fiscal 2007
The following table presents certain information concerning the exercise of options and the vesting of stock awards by each of our named executive officers during
fiscal 2007.
|
|
|
Option Awards
|
|
Stock Awards
|
|
|
|
|
|
Name
|
|
Number of
Shares
Acquired on
Exercise (#)
|
|
Value
Realized on
Exercise ($)
|
|
Number of
Shares
Acquired on
Exercise (#)
|
|
Value
Realized on
Vesting ($)
|
|
Steven S. Boss
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
50,000
|
|
$
|
69,500
|
|
Lawrence Clayton, Jr.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
15,000
|
|
$
|
24,300
|
|
J. Robert Hipps
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Thomas J. Ulry
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
10,000
|
|
$
|
14,600
|
|
Nick Cioll
|
|
15,000
|
|
$
|
15,600
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Erik A. Lopez, Sr.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Pension Benefits
None of our named executive officers participates in or has account balances in qualified or non-qualified defined benefit plans sponsored by us.
Nonqualified Contribution Plans
None of our named executive officers participate in or have account balances in non-qualified defined contribution plans maintained by us. The
Compensation Committee, which is comprised solely of "outside directors" as defined for purposes of Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or the Code, may elect to
provide our officers and other employees with non-qualified defined contribution benefits if the Compensation Committee determines that doing so is in our best interests.
Deferred Compensation
None of our named executive officers participates in or has account balances in deferred compensation plans or arrangements maintained by us.
Employment Agreements
On August 1, 2005, we entered into an employment agreement with Steven S. Boss, our former Chief Executive Officer, which was most recently amended on
January 25, 2007. The employment agreement, as amended, has no specific term and is subject to termination by either the Company or Mr. Boss without cause upon 60 days written
notice.
The
amended employment agreement sets forth Mr. Boss' base salary as $412,000 per year, which is subject to periodic review and to increase (but not decrease) by our Board of
directors or Compensation Committee. With respect to fiscal year 2006, the employment agreement provided for Mr. Boss' eligibility for consideration for an incentive bonus calculated between
50% and 150% of base salary based upon achievement of objectives established by the Compensation Committee. For fiscal 2007 and each fiscal year thereafter, Mr. Boss was eligible to participate
in the Company's Bonus Program.
32
Pursuant
to the employment agreement, Mr. Boss was granted an option to purchase 300,000 shares of our Common Stock at an exercise price equal to $1.80 per share, with vesting as
to 100,000 shares upon hire and as to 100,000 shares on each of the first two anniversaries thereafter. In addition, pursuant to an amendment to the employment agreement dated January 25, 2007,
and a restricted stock agreement dated August 1, 2005 and amended as of January 25, 2007, Mr. Boss was granted 200,000 shares of restricted stock, 50,000 shares of which vested
(the Company's right to repurchase terminated) on August 1, 2006. Pursuant to the amended employment agreement and the amended restricted stock agreement, an additional 75,000 shares vested
upon our achievement of net income for fiscal 2007 as confirmed in our annual report on Form 10-K for fiscal 2007 when it was filed with the SEC. The remaining 75,000 shares will
vest if the Company achieves the performance target(s) established by the Compensation Committee for fiscal 2008 as confirmed in our annual report on Form 10-K for fiscal 2008 once
it is filed with the SEC, subject to Mr. Boss' continued employment with the Company.
The
employment agreement provides that if Mr. Boss is terminated without cause (as defined below) or if he resigns for good reason (as defined below), Mr. Boss will be
entitled to severance equal to 12 months of his then-current base salary payable over a 12-month period, plus 12 months accelerated vesting of outstanding
unvested stock options and restricted stock, plus reimbursement of insurance premiums for health coverage for two months. If Mr. Boss is terminated for cause (as defined below), he would
receive earned but unpaid base salary and accrued but unpaid vacation, but no further compensation or severance payment of any kind.
For
purposes of Mr. Boss' agreement:
-
-
"cause"
generally means: (i) a material breach of the employment agreement, or of a Company policy or law applicable
to the Company, (ii) demonstrated and material neglect of duties or failure to perform material duties following written notice and a reasonable cure period, (iii) misconduct,
dishonesty, self-dealing, fraud or similar conduct, or (iv) conviction of a crime or plea of guilty or
nolo contendere
, with limited
exceptions.
-
-
"good reason"
generally means (i) a reduction in Mr. Boss' salary or benefits, except as part of a general
change in compensation benefits for similarly situated executives, (ii) a failure by us to comply with the material provisions of the employment agreement or (iii) within 180 days
of a change in control, as defined below;
provided
, that the Company has a period of 20 days after receipt of written notice from the executive
to cure an event or condition described in clause (i) or (ii).
-
-
A
"change in control"
generally means (i) the acquisition by any person or group of our securities, after which such
person or group owns more than 50% of our outstanding voting stock, (ii) a merger or consolidation involving the Company which results in the holders of the Company's outstanding voting
securities immediately prior to such transaction failing to hold more than 50% of the outstanding voting power of the corporation resulting from such merger or consolidation, or (iii) the
acquisition or sale of all or substantially all of our assets in a transaction or series of transactions.
Under
the employment agreement, Mr. Boss agreed not to solicit the Company's employees, customers, clients or suppliers during his employment and for a period of one year after
any period in which severance payments are received, and not to compete with the Company during his employment and any period in which severance payments are received. Further, the employment
agreement obligates Mr. Boss to refrain from disclosing any of our proprietary information received during the course of employment and, with some exceptions, to assign to us any inventions
conceived or developed during the course of employment. As a condition to Mr. Boss receiving severance benefits under the employment agreement, he would need to sign a release in a form
customarily used by the Company for such purposes, and reaffirm the confidentiality, non-solicitation and non-competition agreements
33
contained
in his employment agreement. Finally, pursuant to the employment agreement, we entered into our standard form of indemnification agreement with Mr. Boss.
On December 1, 2005, we entered into an employment agreement with Mr. Clayton, our former Chief Financial Officer, which was amended most recently
on January 25, 2007. Under the terms of the employment agreement, Mr. Clayton received an annual base salary of $275,000. With respect to fiscal year 2006, Mr. Clayton was
eligible to receive an incentive bonus for the fiscal 2006 if the Company reached certain financial objectives determined by the Board, and for fiscal 2007 and each fiscal year thereafter,
Mr. Clayton would have been eligible to participate in the Company's Bonus Program.
On
December 1, 2005, pursuant to the terms of the employment agreement and the stock option agreement, we granted to Mr. Clayton an option to purchase 120,000 shares of our
Common Stock, which option vests in equal amounts on each of the first three anniversaries of the date of the grant. In addition, pursuant to the amended employment agreement and a restricted stock
agreement dated December 1, 2005 and amended as of January 25, 2007, Mr. Clayton was granted 45,000 shares of restricted stock, 15,000 shares of which vested (the Company's right
to repurchase terminated) on December 1, 2006. Pursuant to the employment agreement and a stock agreement, each as amended, the remaining 30,000 shares vest as follows: (i) 15,000 of the
restricted shares would vest (the Company's right to repurchase shall terminate) upon the date on which the Company files its annual
report on Form 10-K with the SEC indicating that the Company achieved net income (defined in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles) for fiscal 2007 and
(ii) 15,000 of the restricted shares would vest (the Company's right to repurchase shall terminate) upon the date on which the Company files its annual report on Form 10-K
with the SEC indicating in the financial statements contained therein that the Company achieved the performance target(s) established by the Compensation Committee for fiscal 2008. Subsequent to
Mr. Clayton's departure from the Company on July 25, 2007, we remitted payment to Mr. Clayton for the repurchase of his 30,000 shares of restricted stock for $0.001 per share
pursuant to the terms of his restricted stock agreement and all options were forfeited.
The
employment agreement provided that if Mr. Clayton's employment was terminated by the Company without cause or if he resigned for good reason, Mr. Clayton would be
entitled to severance, as long as Mr. Clayton did not accept other employment, equal to 12 months base salary, payable in six equal installments commencing on the first business day
after six months from the date of the termination, or the severance period, plus reimbursement of the cost of continuation coverage under COBRA for 12 months and 12 months accelerated
vesting of outstanding options and restricted stock. If Mr. Clayton is terminated for cause (as defined below), he would receive earned but unpaid base salary and accrued but unpaid vacation,
but no further compensation or severance payment of any kind. For purposes of Mr. Clayton's employment agreement, the terms "cause" and "good reason" have the same meanings given above under
the description of Mr. Boss' employment agreement.
Under
the employment agreement, Mr. Clayton agreed not to solicit customers or employees of the Company during his employment with the Company and for a period of one year after
the end of the Severance Period. The employment agreement further provided that Mr. Clayton would not accept employment with, or otherwise engage in, any business that competes with the Company
during his employment or any period during which he is receiving severance payments from the Company. As a condition to Mr. Clayton receiving severance benefits under the employment agreement,
he would need to sign a release in a form customarily used by the Company for such purposes, and reaffirm the confidentiality, non-solicitation and non-competition agreements
contained in his employment agreement. Finally, in accordance with the employment agreement, we entered into our standard form of indemnification agreement with Mr. Clayton.
34
Pursuant
to his employment agreement, Mr. Clayton was awarded a relocation payment in the amount of $20,000, and reimbursement for documented relocation expenses up to an
additional $80,000. An amendment to the employment agreement dated November 30, 2006 clarified that reimbursements for any living expenses (including reasonable travel expenses) incurred by
Mr. Clayton in Southern California after January 1, 2007 would draw on the above-referenced $80,000 relocation expense provision.
On March 26, 2007, we entered into an employment agreement with Erik A. Lopez, Sr. The employment agreement has no specific term and is subject to
termination by either the Company or Mr. Lopez, Sr. without cause upon 60 days written notice.
The
employment agreement set forth Mr. Lopez's base salary as $265,000 per year, which is subject to periodic review and to increase (but not decrease) by our Board of Directors
or Compensation Committee. The employment agreement also provided for Mr. Lopez's eligibility to participate in the Company's Bonus Program beginning with fiscal 2007 and for each year
thereafter during the term of the employment agreement.
Pursuant
to the employment agreement, Mr. Lopez was granted an option to purchase 45,000 shares of our Common Stock at an exercise price equal to $2.56 per share, with 15,000
shares subject to such option vesting on March 26, 2008, and 15,000 shares vesting on each of the first two anniversaries thereafter. In addition, pursuant to the employment agreement and a
restricted stock agreement, Mr. Lopez was granted 60,000 shares of restricted stock, with 20,000 shares vesting as of March 26, 2008, and 20,000 shares vesting on each of the first two
anniversaries thereafter.
The
employment agreement provided that if Mr. Lopez is terminated without cause or if he resigns for good reason, Mr. Lopez would be entitled to severance, as long as he
did not accept other employment, equal to 12 months of his then-current base salary, payable as to 50% of such amount six months after the termination date and the balance paid in
equal monthly installments thereafter, plus reimbursement of the cost of continuation coverage under COBRA for 12 months and 12 months accelerated vesting of outstanding unvested stock
options and restricted stock. If Mr. Lopez is terminated for cause (as defined below), he would receive earned but unpaid base salary and accrued but unpaid vacation, but no further
compensation or severance payment of any kind.
For
purposes of Mr. Lopez's agreement, "cause" generally means: (i) a material breach of the employment agreement, or of a Company policy or law applicable to the Company,
(ii) demonstrated and material neglect of duties or failure to perform material duties following written notice and a reasonable cure period, (iii) misconduct that is serious in nature,
dishonesty, self-dealing, fraud or similar conduct related to Mr. Lopez's conduct, (iv) having been convicted of or entered a plea of nolo contendere with respect to a felony
or a crime involving fraud, dishonesty or moral turpitude, or (v) having engaged in intentional misconduct which materially damages the Company under certain circumstances. With respect to
Mr. Lopez's employment agreement, the terms "good reason" and "change of control" have the same meanings set forth above under the description of Mr. Boss' employment agreement.
Under
the employment agreement, Mr. Lopez agreed not to solicit the Company's employees, customers, clients or suppliers during the term of his employment and for a period of one
year thereafter, and not to compete with the Company during the term of his employment and any period in which severance payments are received. Further, the employment agreement obligates
Mr. Lopez to refrain from disclosing any of our proprietary information received during the course of employment and, with some exceptions, to assign to us any inventions conceived or developed
during the course of employment. As a condition to Mr. Lopez receiving severance benefits under the employment agreement, he would need to sign a release in a form customarily used by the
Company for such
35
purposes,
and reaffirm the confidentiality, non-solicitation and non-competition agreements contained in his employment agreement. Finally, pursuant to the employment
agreement, we entered into our standard form of indemnification agreement with Mr. Lopez.
Separation Agreement and Standstill Agreement with Mr. Boss
The Company entered into a Separation Agreement and General Release with Mr. Boss dated February 20, 2008, which will become effective
February 28, 2008 (the "Separation Agreement"), unless it is revoked by Mr. Boss before that date (the "Effective Date"). Pursuant to the Separation Agreement, Mr. Boss is
entitled to (i) a severance payment of $446,333, equal to thirteen (13) months of Mr. Boss' base salary as of the resignation date, payable in a lump sum within one business day
after the Effective Date, and (ii) retain his group health coverage under COBRA for thirteen months at the Company's expense.
Under
the Separation Agreement, the Company has agreed to repurchase 75,000 shares of unvested restricted Common Stock held by Mr. Boss, pursuant to the terms of the Company's
1999 Equity Incentive Plan at par value per share, with payment for the repurchase being credited from the severance payment. In addition, Mr. Boss agreed to sell to the Company 166,000 shares
of Common Stock owned by him for a price of $1.26 per share, or $209,000 in the aggregate, payable to him one business day after the Effective Date.
Pursuant
to the Separation Agreement, Mr. Boss agreed not to solicit the Company's employees or contractors, and not to work in certain businesses, for a period of thirteen
(13) months after February 20, 2008. Mr. Boss also acknowledged under the Separation Agreement that certain provisions of his Employment Agreement shall extend beyond the
resignation date, including provisions relating to proprietary information obligations. The Separation Agreement contains a general release by Mr. Boss of all claims against the Company and its
affiliates and representatives.
The
Company and Mr. Boss also entered into a Voting and Standstill Agreement (the "Standstill Agreement") dated February 20, 2008. The Standstill Agreement limits the
activities of Mr. Boss until
April 1, 2009, with respect to exercising any voting rights that he might have by virtue of his ownership of shares of Common Stock held or subsequently acquired by him, restricts his ability
to enter into or participate in certain types of transactions involving or affecting the Company and limits his ability to resell Common Stock owned, or to be owned, by him.
Settlement Agreement with Mr. Clayton
Mr. Clayton's employment and position as the Company's Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Secretary was terminated, effective
July 25, 2007. As a result of a successful mediation of an outstanding dispute between Mr. Clayton and the Company regarding the basis for his termination, we entered into a settlement
agreement and general release dated November 29, 2007 with Mr. Clayton. Under the terms of the settlement agreement, we agreed to pay Mr. Clayton a lump-sum settlement
payment of $400,000 (of which $280,000 was reimbursed to us under an insurance policy), which was paid on January 2, 2008. Subsequent to Mr. Clayton's departure from the Company, we
remitted payment to Mr. Clayton for the repurchase of his 30,000 shares of restricted stock for par value per share pursuant to the terms of his restricted stock agreement and all shares were
forfeited. In addition, each party to the settlement agreement agreed to mutual general release of claims that the parties may have against each other.
Separation Agreement with Mr. Lopez
Effective October 5, 2007, Mr. Lopez resigned from his position as Senior Vice President and General Counsel and left the Company. In connection
with his departure, we entered into a separation agreement and general release dated October 5, 2007 with Mr. Lopez. Under the terms of the
36
separation
agreement, on October 9, 2007, we paid to Mr. Lopez a severance payment in the amount of $200,000, one business day after confirmation of Mr. Lopez's written
communication to the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) informing OSHA that all of his disputes with the Company have been fairly resolved and withdrawing his complaint filed with
OSHA. Mr. Lopez agreed to a general release of all claims against us and our representatives. Pursuant to the separation agreement, Mr. Lopez's option to purchase 45,000 shares of our
common stock was canceled. In addition, the parties agreed that 10,000 of the 60,000 shares of unvested restricted stock held by Mr. Lopez would be forfeited and that the remaining shares of
restricted stock vested on January 2, 2008. In order to facilitate the payment terms of the separation agreement, on October 5, 2007, we entered into an amendment to Mr. Lopez's
employment agreement to take into account recent changes under Internal Revenue Code Section 409A. On October 26, 2007, OSHA notified the Company that it was closing its investigation of
the OSHA complaint relating to Mr. Lopez.
Offer Letters with Other Executives
On July 27, 2007, we entered into an Interim Executive Services Agreement (or the "Services Agreement") with Tatum, LLC dated July 25, 2007
to engage Mr. Hipps as our Interim Chief Financial Officer. The Services Agreement provided that Mr. Hipps would become an employee of the Company, subject to the supervision and
direction of the Chief Executive Officer and the Board. Under the Services Agreement, Tatum had no control or supervision over Mr. Hipps, as long as he was performing services under the
Services Agreement. The term of the Services Agreement was for a minimum of three months, provided that either party could terminated it earlier with 30 days written notice to the other party,
and provided further that we may terminate the Services Agreement immediately for cause based on the performance of Mr. Hipps.
Pursuant
to the Services Agreement, we paid $37,500 per month, 80% of which was paid directly to Mr. Hipps as salary through the Company's payroll system and 20% of which was paid
to Tatum. The Services Agreement provided an option for us during its term to hire Mr. Hipps on a permanent basis, upon entering into another form of agreement with Tatum, which must provide
for the payment of additional placement fees to Tatum. In connection with entering into the Services Agreement, the Company entered into its standard form of Indemnification Agreement with
Mr. Hipps. Mr. Hipps tendered his resignation as Interim Chief Financial Officer and Secretary of the Company on January 25, 2008, effective January 28, 2008.
On May 31, 2005, we entered into an employment letter agreement with Thomas Ulry, our Senior Vice President, Sales and Marketing. The letter agreement set
Mr. Ulry's annual base salary at $225,000, and provided for a discretionary annual bonus, as determined by the Compensation Committee. In addition, the agreement provides for other standard
employee benefits including medical, dental and insurance benefits and the right to participate in our 401(k) Plan. Finally, the agreement provides that if we were to terminate Mr. Ulry without
cause during the first year after May 31, 2005, Mr. Ulry would be entitled to one year's annual base salary, and if we were to terminate him without cause at any time thereafter,
Mr. Ulry would be entitled to an amount equal to his monthly salary for up to six months or until he finds other employment, whichever is first to occur.
Pursuant
to the letter agreement, Mr. Ulry was awarded an option to purchase 100,000 shares of our Common Stock at an exercise price of $3.50 per share, vesting in equal annual
installments over four years. In addition, Mr. Ulry was awarded the right to reimbursement of actual relocation benefits not to exceed $40,000.
37
On
October 19, 2006, the Compensation Committee increased Mr. Ulry's annual base salary by $25,000 effective October 1, 2006.
Cash Bonus Program
On January 25, 2007, the Board, upon the recommendation of the Compensation Committee, adopted the Commerce Energy Group, Inc. Bonus Program, which
was amended and restated effective March 27, 2007 and January 25, 2008 (as amended and restated, the "Bonus Program").
Background.
We established the Plan to provide employees with an increased awareness and ongoing interest in our success. The
Plan is a broad-based plan designed to ensure that the executives, management and staff employees are appropriately awarded for both corporate and individual performance. In developing this Bonus
Program, consideration was given to the existing salary levels and total compensation of the executives and other employees. The structure of this cash bonus program was determined to be an efficient
employee incentive and appropriate to preserve shareholder interests.
Administration.
The Plan is administered by the Compensation Committee. The Compensation Committee has the right to construe
the Bonus Program, to interpret any provision of the Bonus Program, to make rules relating to the Plan and to determine any factual question arising in connection with the operation of the Bonus
Program.
Eligibility.
An employee must begin full-time employment with us within the first nine months of a fiscal year
(August 1 through April 30) to be eligible to participate in the Bonus Program for that fiscal year. Employees who participate in one or more of our commission incentive programs are
also eligible for a bonus under the Bonus Program, although reduced (but not below zero) by any amounts received under any of our commission incentive programs for the same fiscal year.
Part-time employees and contractors are not eligible to participate in the Bonus Program.
Determination of Bonus.
The Bonus Program is not effective with respect to any fiscal year in which we do not achieve
positive net income from operations (after deducting bonuses accrued under the Bonus Program). Pursuant to the terms of the Bonus Program, the bonus award for each participant is calculated based upon
the product of (i) the participant's base annual salary as of April 30, 2007; (ii) the participant's potential bonus percentage assigned by the Compensation Committee to five
levels of employee classification (
i.e.,
the chief executive officer, other executive officers; director (employee position) and VPs, management
and staff), and (iii) the participant's earned bonus percentage based upon the attainment of certain individual goals set by the Compensation Committee for the executives, the executives with
respect to the management and the executives and management with respect to the staff; then reduced (but not below zero) by any amounts from the Company's commission incentive plan.
Under
the Bonus Program, a participant's potential bonus percentage is determined based upon the Company's net income. Net income under the Bonus Program means the Company's net income
from operations, including interest income and expense, for any fiscal year after bonus accruals under the Bonus Program are deducted. At the beginning of each fiscal year, the Compensation Committee
establishes levels of net income targets and assigns potential bonus percentages for each such corresponding level for each employee group, chief executive officer, executive officers, director and
vice presidents, management and staff.
In
determining the earned bonus percentage, the Compensation Committee assigned to the Chief Executive Officer and each of the other executive officers specific individual objectives in
several of the following categories: increase in overall Company financial performance; increase in investor awareness; financial risk management, peer and leadership development; and customer
maintenance and growth. Each category was assigned a specific percentage weight for fiscal 2007. In establishing the performance
38
objectives
of the executive officers, the Chief Executive Officer and members of the executive team make recommendations, which are approved by members of the Compensation Committee. Each executive,
including each executive officer, had individual objectives for the year which were designed to contribute to the achievement of our corporate objectives. For purposes of determining whether our
executive officers met each of the individual goals and objectives assigned to them, the Compensation Committee met with our Chief Executive Officer and then deliberated among them without the Chief
Executive Officer present. In determining the earned bonus percentage for management and staff personnel, a similar procedure occurs with their direct reports. Each employee has business goals and a
potential bonus payout commensurate with her or his level in the Company.
The
Compensation Committee, in its discretion, may establish a bonus pool to be allocated to non-executive eligible employees if we achieve net income from operations,
including interest income and expense, but fall short of our threshold financial target. In the event that we surpass our most aggressive financial target, the Compensation Committee may establish a
bonus pool to be allocated to employees in the discretion of the Compensation Committee, including the Chief Executive Officer and the other executive officers.
Timing of Payment and Vesting.
In fiscal years where bonuses are earned under the Bonus Program, payouts will be in a lump
sum payment after the fiscal year audit to which the bonus relates is completed and the individual evaluation process to determine the earned bonus percentage has been finalized. To receive a benefit
under the Bonus Program for a particular fiscal year, a participant must complete at least three months of service during the fiscal year, and must be an active employee in good standing on the date
the bonus is paid.
Amendment.
The Board or the Compensation Committee has the unilateral right to amend, suspend or terminate the Bonus Program
at any time with respect to all or some employees and with respect to any unearned or unvested bonus that is or could become payable. If such amendment or termination would have a material and adverse
affect on an employee's earned, but unvested bonus, the written consent of the affected employee is required.
Employee Benefit Plans
Commerce Energy Group, Inc. 2006 Stock Incentive Plan
Purpose.
The purpose of our 2006 Stock Incentive Plan, or the SIP, is to attract, retain and motivate select employees,
officers, directors and consultants of the Company and its affiliates and to provide incentives and rewards for superior performance.
Shares Subject to the SIP.
The SIP initially provided that no more than 1,453,334 shares (of which 248,334 shares remain
available for issue at February 22, 2008), of our Common Stock may be issued pursuant to awards under the SIP provided that we shall not make additional awards under the Commonwealth Energy
Corporation 1999 Equity Incentive Plan. These shares shall be authorized but unissued shares. The number of shares available for awards, as well as the terms of outstanding awards, is subject to
adjustment as provided in the SIP for stock splits, stock dividends, recapitalizations and other similar events. We have registered the shares of our Common Stock available for issuance under the SIP
on a registration statement on Form S-8 filed with the SEC.
Shares
of our Common Stock that are subject to any award that expires, or is forfeited, cancelled or becomes unexercisable will again be available for subsequent awards, except as
prohibited by law. In
addition, shares that the Company refrains from delivering pursuant to an award as payment of either the exercise price of an award or applicable withholding and employment taxes will be available for
subsequent awards.
39
Administration.
Either the Board of Directors or a committee appointed by the board is authorized to administer the SIP. The
Board of Directors and any committee exercising discretion under the SIP from time to time are referred to as the "Committee." The Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors currently acts as
the Committee for purposes of the SIP. The Board of Directors may at any time appoint additional members to the Committee, remove and replace members of the Committee with or without cause, and fill
vacancies on the Committee. To the extent permitted by law, the Committee may authorize one or more persons who are reporting persons for purposes of Rule 16b-3 under the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act, or other officers, to make awards to directors, officers or employees who are not reporting persons for purposes of Rule 16b-3
under the Exchange Act, or other officers whom we have specifically authorized to make awards. With respect to decisions involving an award intended to satisfy the requirements of
Section 162(m) of the Code, the Committee is to consist of two or more directors who are "outside directors" for purposes of that Code section.
Subject
to the terms of the SIP, the Committee has express authority to determine the directors, employees and consultants who will receive awards, the number of shares of our Common
Stock, units or share appreciation rights ("SARs") to be covered by each award, and the terms and conditions of awards. The Committee has broad discretion to prescribe, amend and rescind rules
relating to the SIP and its administration, and to interpret and construe the SIP and the terms of all award agreements. Within the limits of the SIP, the Committee may accelerate the vesting of any
award, allow the exercise of unvested awards, and may modify, replace, cancel or renew them. In addition, the Committee may under certain circumstances buy out options or SARs or, subject to
stockholder approval, reduce the exercise price for outstanding options or SARs.
The
SIP provides that we will indemnify members of the Committee and their delegates against any claims, liabilities or costs arising from the good faith performance of their duties
under the SIP. The SIP releases these individuals from liability for good faith actions associated with the SIP's administration.
Eligibility.
The Committee may grant options that are intended to qualify as incentive stock options, or ISOs, only to
employees, and may grant all other Awards to directors, employees and consultants. The SIP and the discussion below use the term "participant" to refer to a director, employee or consultants who has
received an award. The SIP provides that no more than 1,000,000 shares of our Common Stock may be issued during any calendar year to any participant under the SIP pursuant to options and SARs Awards
under the SIP.
Options.
Options granted under the SIP provide participants with the right to purchase shares of our Common Stock at a
predetermined exercise price. The Committee may grant options that are intended to qualify as ISOs or options that are not intended to so qualify, or Non-ISOs. The SIP also provides that
ISO treatment may not be available for options that become first exercisable in any calendar year to the extent the value of the underlying shares that are the subject of the option exceeds $100,000
(based upon the fair market value of the shares of our Common Stock on the option grant date).
Share Appreciation Rights (SARs).
A SAR generally permits a participant who receives it to receive, upon exercise, cash
and/or shares of our Common Stock equal in value to the excess of (i) the fair market value, on the date of exercise, of the shares of our Common Stock with respect to which the SAR is being
exercised, over (ii) the exercise price of the SAR for such shares. The Committee may grant SARs in tandem with options or independently of them. SARs that are independent of options may limit
the value payable on its exercise to a percentage, not exceeding 100%, of the excess value.
40
Exercise Price for Options and SARs.
The exercise price of ISOs, Non-ISOs, and SARS may not be less than 100% of
the fair market value on the grant date of the shares of our Common Stock subject to the award. The exercise price of ISOs may not be less than 110% of the fair market value on the grant date of the
underlying shares of our Common Stock subject to the award for participants who own more than ten percent of our shares of our Common Stock on the grant date. Neither the Company nor the Committee
shall, without shareholder approval, allow for a repricing within the meaning of the federal securities laws applicable to proxy statement disclosures.
Exercise of Options and SARs.
To the extent exercisable in accordance with the agreement granting them, an option or SAR may
be exercised in whole or in part, and from time to time during its term; subject to earlier termination relating to a holder's termination of employment or service. With respect to options, the
Committee has the discretion to accept payment of the exercise price in any of the following forms, or combination of them: cash or check in U.S. dollars, certain shares of our Common Stock, and
cashless exercise under a plan the Committee approves.
The
term over which participants may exercise options and SARs may not exceed ten years from the date of grant (five years in the case of ISOs granted to employees who, at the time of
grant, own more than 10% of the Company's outstanding shares of Common Stock).
Restricted Shares, Restricted Share Units, Unrestricted Shares and Deferred Share Units.
Under the SIP, the Committee may
grant restricted shares that are forfeitable until certain vesting requirements are met, may grant restricted share units which represent the right to receive shares of our Common Stock after certain
vesting requirements are met, and may grant unrestricted shares as to which the participant's
interest is immediately vested. For restricted awards, the SIP provides the Committee with discretion to determine the terms and conditions under which a participant's interests in such awards become
vested. The SIP provides for deferred share units in order to permit certain directors, consultants or select members of management to defer their receipt of compensation payable in cash or shares of
our Common Stock (including shares that would otherwise be issued upon the vesting of restricted shares and restricted share units). Deferred share units represent a future right to receive shares of
our Common Stock.
Whenever
shares of our Common Stock are released pursuant to these awards, the participant will be entitled to receive additional shares of our Common Stock that reflect any stock
dividends that the Company's stockholders received between the date of the award and issuance or release of the shares of our Common Stock. Likewise, a participant will be entitled to receive a cash
payment reflecting cash dividends paid to our stockholders during the same period. Such cash dividends will accrue interest, at 5% per annum, from their payment date to our stockholders until paid in
cash when the shares of our Common Stock to which they relate are either released from restrictions in the case of restricted shares or issued in the case of restricted share units.
Performance Awards.
The SIP authorizes the Committee to grant performance-based awards in the form of performance units that
the Committee may or may not designate as "performance compensation awards" that are intended to be exempt from Code section 162(m) limitations. In either case, performance awards vest and
become payable based upon the achievement, within the specified period of time, of performance objectives applicable to the individual, the Company or any affiliate. Performance awards are payable in
shares of our Common Stock, cash or some combination of the two, subject to an individual participant limit of 1,000,000 shares of our Common Stock and $1,000,000 in cash. The Committee decides the
length of performance periods, but the periods may not be less than one fiscal year of the Company.
With
respect to performance compensation awards, the SIP requires that the Committee specify in writing the performance period to which the Award relates, and an objective formula by
which to measure whether and the extent to which the award is earned on the basis of the level of performance
41
achieved
with respect to one or more performance measures. Once established for a performance period, the performance measures and performance formula applicable to the award may not be amended or
modified in a manner that would cause the compensation payable under the award to fail to constitute performance-based compensation under Code Section 162(m).
Under
the SIP, the possible performance measures for performance compensation awards include basic, diluted or adjusted earnings per share; sales or revenue; earnings before interest,
taxes and other adjustments (in total or on a per share basis); basic or adjusted net income; returns on equity, assets, capital, revenue or similar measure; economic value added; working capital;
total stockholder return; and product development, product market share, research, licensing, litigation, human resources, information services, mergers, acquisitions, and sales of assets of
affiliates or business units. Each
measure will be, to the extent applicable, determined in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles as consistently applied by us (or such other standard applied by the Committee) and,
if so determined by the Committee, and in the case of a performance compensation award, to the extent permitted under Code section 162(m), adjusted to omit the effects of extraordinary items,
gain or loss on the disposal of a business segment, unusual or infrequently occurring events and transactions and cumulative effects of changes in accounting principles. Performance measures may vary
from performance period to performance period and from participant to participant, and may be established on a stand-alone basis, in tandem or in the alternative.
Transferability.
Awards may not be sold, pledged, assigned, hypothecated, transferred or disposed of other than by will or
the laws of descent and distribution, except to the extent the Committee permits lifetime transfers to charitable institutions, certain family members or related trusts or as otherwise approved by the
Committee.
Certain Corporate Transactions.
The Committee shall equitably adjust the number of shares covered by each outstanding award,
and the number of shares that have been authorized for issuance under the SIP but as to which no awards have yet been granted or that have been returned to the SIP upon cancellation, forfeiture or
expiration of an award, as well as the price per share covered by each such outstanding award, to reflect any increase or decrease in the number of issued shares resulting from a stock split, reverse
stock split, stock dividend, combination, recapitalization or reclassification of the shares of our Common Stock, or any other increase or decrease in the number of issued shares effected without
receipt of consideration by us. In the event of any such transaction or event, the Committee may provide in substitution for any or all outstanding options under the SIP such alternative consideration
(including securities of any surviving entity) as it may in good faith determine to be equitable under the circumstances and may require in connection therewith the surrender of all options so
replaced. In any case, such substitution of securities will not require the consent of any person who is granted options pursuant to the SIP.
In
addition, in the event or in anticipation of a change in control (as defined in the SIP), the Committee may at any time in its sole and absolute discretion and authority, without
obtaining the approval or consent of our stockholders or any participant with respect to his or her outstanding awards (except to the extent an award provides otherwise), take one or more of the
following actions: (a) arrange for or otherwise provide that each outstanding award will be assumed or substituted with a substantially equivalent award by a successor corporation or a parent
or subsidiary of such successor corporation; (b) accelerate the vesting of awards for any period (and may provide for termination of unexercised options and SARs at the end of that period) so
that awards shall vest (and, to the extent applicable, become exercisable) as to the shares of our Common Stock that otherwise would have been unvested and provide that repurchase rights of the
Company with respect to shares of our Common Stock issued upon exercise of an award shall lapse as to the shares of our Common Stock subject to such repurchase right; (c) arrange or otherwise
provide for payment of cash or other consideration to participants in exchange for the satisfaction and cancellation of outstanding awards; or (d) terminate upon the consummation of the
transaction, provided that the Committee may in its sole discretion
42
provide
for vesting of all or some outstanding awards in full as of a date immediately prior to consummation of the change of control. To the extent that an award is not exercised prior to
consummation of a transaction in which the award is not being assumed or substituted, such award shall terminate upon such consummation.
Notwithstanding
the above, in the event a participant holding an award assumed or substituted by the successor corporation in a change in control is involuntarily terminated (as defined
in the SIP) by the successor corporation in connection with, or within 12 months following consummation of, the change in control, then any assumed or substituted award held by the terminated
participant at the time of termination shall accelerate and become fully vested (and exercisable in full in the case of options and SARs), and any repurchase right applicable to any shares of our
Common Stock shall lapse in full. The acceleration of vesting and lapse of repurchase rights provided for in the previous sentence shall occur immediately prior to the effective date of the
Participant's termination.
In
the event of any distribution to our stockholders of securities of any other entity or other assets (other than dividends payable in cash or our stock) without receipt of
consideration by us, the Committee may, in its discretion, appropriately adjust the price per share covered by each outstanding award to reflect the effect of such distribution. Finally, if we
dissolve or liquidate, all awards will immediately terminate, subject to the ability of the Board to exercise any discretion that the board may exercise in the case of a change in control.
Term of SIP; Amendments and Termination.
The term of the SIP is ten years from the date of stockholder approval. The Board of
Directors may from time to time, amend, alter, suspend, discontinue or terminate the SIP; provided that no amendment, suspension or termination of the SIP shall materially and adversely affect awards
already granted unless it relates to an adjustment pursuant to certain transactions that change our capitalization or it is otherwise mutually agreed between the participant and the Committee. In
addition, the Committee may not cancel an outstanding option that is underwater for the purpose of reissuing the option to the participant at a lower exercise price or granting a replacement award of
a different type. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Committee may
amend the SIP to eliminate provisions which are no longer necessary as a result of changes in tax or securities laws or regulations, or in the interpretation thereof.
Termination, Rescission and Recapture.
Each award under the SIP is intended to align the participant's long-term
interest with our interests. If the participant engages in certain activities (such as disclosure of confidential or proprietary information without appropriate authorization, breaches certain
agreements relating to the protection of our intellectual property, solicits our non-administrative employees to leave the Company or renders services to an organization or business which
is, or working to become, competitive to us), either during employment or after employment with us terminates for any reason, the participant is deemed to be acting contrary to our
long-term interests. In such cases, except as otherwise expressly provided in the award Agreement, we may terminate any outstanding, unexercised, unexpired, unpaid, or deferred awards,
rescind any exercise, payment or delivery pursuant to the award, or recapture any shares of our Common Stock (whether restricted or unrestricted) or proceeds from the participant's sale of Shares
issued pursuant to the award.
Internal Revenue Code Section 409A Requirements.
Certain awards under the SIP may be considered "nonqualified deferred
compensation" for purposes of Section 409A of the Code, or Section 409A, which imposes certain requirements on compensation that is deemed under Section 409A to involve
nonqualified deferred compensation. Among other things, the requirements relate to the timing of elections to defer, the timing of distributions and prohibitions on the acceleration of distributions.
Failure to comply with these requirements (or an exception from such requirements) may result in the immediate taxation of all amounts deferred under the nonqualified deferred compensation plan for
the taxable year and all preceding taxable years, by or for any participant with respect to whom the failure relates, the imposition of an additional 20% income tax on the participant for the
43
amounts
required to be included in gross income and the possible imposition of penalty interest on the unpaid tax. Generally, Section 409A does not apply to incentive awards that are paid at
the time the award vests. Likewise, Section 409A typically does not apply to restricted stock. Section 409A may, however, apply to incentive awards the payment of which is delayed beyond
the calendar year in which the award vests. Treasury regulations generally provide that the type of awards provided under the SIP will not be considered nonqualified deferred compensation. However, to
the extent that Section 409A applies to an award issued under the SIP, the SIP and all such awards will, to the extent practicable, be construed in accordance with Section 409A. Under
the SIP, the Committee has the discretion to grant or to unilaterally modify any award issued under the SIP in a manner that conforms with the requirements of Section 409A with respect to
deferred compensation or voids any participant election to the extent it would violate Section 409A. The Committee also has sole discretion to interpret the requirements of the Code, including
Section 409A, for purposes of the SIP and all awards issued under the SIP.
1999 Equity Incentive Plan
In connection with our 2004 merger with Commonwealth Energy Corporation, or Commonwealth, we assumed the Commonwealth Energy Corporation 1999 Equity Incentive
Plan, which Commonwealth amended and restated effective May 9, 2003 (as amended and restated, the "EIP").
Background.
The purpose of the EIP is to provide incentives to attract, retain and motivate employees, officers, directors,
consultants, independent contractors and advisors whose present and potential contributions are important to our success, by offering them an opportunity to participate in our future performance
through awards of options, restricted stock awards and stock bonuses.
Shares Subject to the EIP.
The EIP provides that no more than 7,000,000 shares of our Common Stock may be issued pursuant to
awards under the EIP. Although we still have awards outstanding under the EIP, we agreed not to issue any additional awards under the EIP when our stockholders approved the SIP on January 26,
2006. The number of shares available for awards, as well as the terms of outstanding awards, is subject to adjustment for stock splits, stock dividends, recapitalizations and other similar events. We
have registered the shares of our Common Stock available for issuance under the EIP on a registration statement on Form S-8 filed with the SEC.
Administration.
Either the Board or our Compensation Committee may administer the EIP. Subject to the terms of the EIP, the
Board has express authority to determine who will receive awards, the number of shares of our Common Stock or other consideration subject to each Award, and the terms and conditions of the awards. The
Board of Directors has broad discretion to prescribe, amend and rescind rules relating to the EIP and its administration, to interpret and construe the EIP and the terms of all award agreements, and
to take all actions necessary or advisable to administer the EIP. The Board may cancel certain awards and grant in substitution new awards covering the same or different number of shares but with an
exercise price per share based on the fair market value per share of our Common Stock on the new option grant date. The Board may also buy back a previously granted award from a participant.
Eligibility.
The Board may grant ISOs only to employees, including officers and directors who are employees, and may grant
all other awards to officers, directors, consultants, independent contractors and advisors. The EIP and the discussion below use the term "participant" to refer to each such person who has received an
award.
Options.
Options granted under the EIP provide participants with the right to purchase shares of our Common Stock at a
predetermined exercise price. The Board may grant options that are intended to qualify as ISOs or Non-ISOs. The EIP also provides that ISO treatment may not be available for options that
become first exercisable in any calendar year to the extent the value of the underlying
44
shares
that are the subject of the option exceeds $100,000 (based upon the fair market value of the shares of our Common Stock on the option grant date).
The
exercise price for Non-ISOs shall not be less than 85% of the underlying Common Stock's fair market value on the grant date. The exercise price for ISOs shall not be less
than 100% of the underlying Common Stock's fair market value on the grant date. However, with respect to any Award to a participant owning more than 10% of our Common Stock on the grant date (a "10%
Holder"), the exercise price of ISOs may not be less than 110% of the underlying Common Stock's fair market value on the grant date.
Options
shall be exercisable within the times set forth in the agreement granting such option subject to the following limitations: (i) no option will be exercisable after the
expiration of 10 years from the option's grant date; (ii) options other than Non-ISOs granted to our officers, consultants, or members of the board or any of our
subsidiaries' boards, shall be exercisable at the rate of at least 20% per year of the shares granted under the option over five years from the date the option is granted, with the initial vesting to
occur one year after the option's grant date; and (iii) no ISO granted to a 10% holder will be exercisable after the expiration of five years from the date the ISO is granted.
To
the extent exercisable in accordance with the agreement granting them and subject to earlier termination relating to the termination of a participant's employment or service, options
may be exercised only by delivery to us of the purchase price and a written stock option exercise agreement in a form approved by the board, stating the number of shares being purchased, any
restrictions imposed on the shares to be purchased, and such representations and agreements regarding participant's investment intent, access to information and such other matters that we may require
or desire to comply with securities laws. The Board may specify a reasonable minimum number of shares that may be purchased on any exercise of an option, provided such minimum will not prevent a
participant from exercising the option for the full number of shares for which it is then exercisable.
Following
the termination of a participant's employment or service, we may extend the period of time that an option is exercisable and allow such terminated participant to exercise
options that had not vested at the time such participant was terminated.
The
Board may modify, extend or renew outstanding options and authorize the grant of new options, except to the extent such action impairs without participant's consent such
participant's rights under a
previously issued option. The Board may by written notice to affected participants without their consent reduce the exercise price of outstanding options.
Restricted Stock.
Under the EIP, the board may grant awards of restricted stock that are forfeitable until certain
requirements are met. The Board has discretion with respect to the vesting of restricted stock. The purchase price for the restricted stock grants shall not be less than 85% of the fair market value
on the grant date, except that the purchase price for any restricted stock Award granted to a 10% holder will not be less than 110% of the fair market value on the grant date. The participant will not
be able to sell, transfer, pledge or assign the restricted stock during a restriction period established by the board. The Board may provide for the lapse of such restrictions in installments and may
accelerate or waive the restrictions, in whole or in part, based upon the completion of a specified number of years of service, subject to any requirements under law. Except with respect to the
transfer restrictions, the participant will have all the rights of a shareholder, including the right to vote the shares and receive cash dividends.
Except
as otherwise provided or in the Board's discretion, upon the participant's termination, (i) we shall have the right for 90 days following the termination, to
repurchase restricted stock that is unvested or still subject to restriction for the same price paid by participant for such shares; provided however that our right to repurchase at the price paid by
the participant shall lapse at the rate of at
45
least
20% of the restricted stock per year over five years from the date the Award is granted, and (ii) any other restricted stock will be forfeited.
Stock Bonuses.
A "stock bonus" is an award of shares, which may consist of restricted stock, for service rendered. A stock
bonus will be awarded pursuant to an Award agreement and will comply with the terms and conditions of the EIP. Stock bonuses may be awarded pursuant to a "performance stock bonus agreement," whereby
the board will agree to grant a stock bonus of a certain number of shares upon the completion of certain performance goals that the Board may adjust to account for changes in law, accounting and tax
rules and to reflect the impact of extraordinary or unusual items, events or circumstances to avoid windfalls or hardships. We may pay the stock bonuses in cash or whole shares, either in lump sums or
installments, with interest or dividend equivalent, and all as the board determines.
Payment for Share Purchases.
Payment for shares purchased pursuant to the EIP may be in cash, by check or, subject to certain
conditions in the EIP, where expressly approved by the board and permitted by law (i) by cancellation of indebtedness, (ii) by surrender of shares, (iii) by tender of full
recourse promissory note, (iv) by waiver of compensation due or accrued to a participant for service rendered, (v) with respect only to purchase upon exercise of an option, and provided
a public market for our shares exists, through a "same day sale" commitment or through a "margin" commitment, or (vi) by any combination of the foregoing. We may help a participant (other than
an executive officer or a member of our board) pay for shares purchased by guaranteeing a loan by a participant to a third party lender.
Transferability.
Awards granted under the EIP, and any interests therein, will not be transferable or assignable by
participant, and may not be made subject to execution, attachment or similar process, otherwise than by will or by the laws of descent and distribution. During the participant's lifetime, only the
participant will be eligible to exercise an award.
Certain Corporate Transactions.
In the event of certain change in control "Corporate Transactions" (as defined in the EIP),
the EIP and any Award under the EIP shall terminate after the Participant has been given, for the period of 10 days before the effective date of the Corporate Transaction, the right to exercise
any unexpired Award in full or in part, but only to the extent such Award has vested or then vests and has not previously been exercised. However, the EIP and the Awards under the EIP shall not
terminate or accelerate if the successor corporation or a parent or subsidiary thereof (a "Successor Corporation") assumes the Awards. Nothing in the EIP or any Award shall be construed to limit our
ability to enter into Corporate Transactions or reorganize, adjust or liquidate our capital or business structure.
The
Board may at the time the award is granted or at any time while the award is outstanding, provide for the award's automatic acceleration (in whole or in part) upon a Corporate
Transaction, including the vesting and termination of our repurchase right. Any accelerated ISO, shall only remain an ISO to the extent the $100,000 limitation is not exceeded. With respect to any
amounts above the $100,000 limitation, the award shall be a Non-ISO.
Amendment or Termination of EIP.
Unless the board elects to terminate the EIP sooner, the EIP will terminate 10 years
from the date the Board approved the EIP, effective May 9, 2003. The Board may at any time amend the plan in any respect.
Potential Payments upon Termination or Change in Control
Set forth below are descriptions and quantitative summaries of the elements of compensation that would be paid to our named executive officers who were employed
by the Company at the end of fiscal 2007 and entitled to such benefits under post-employment and change in control scenarios. Also summarized below are arrangements relating to former
executive officers.
46
As
of July 31, 2007, several of our named executive officers were subject to agreements which contained severance provisions. Mr. Boss' employment agreement provided that
if Mr. Boss was terminated without
"cause" or if he resigned for "good reason," (as those terms are defined above under his "Employment Agreement"), Mr. Boss would be entitled to severance equal to 12 months of his
then-current base salary payable over a 12-month period, plus 12 months accelerated vesting of outstanding unvested stock options and restricted stock, plus
reimbursement of insurance premiums for health coverage for two months. On February 20, 2008, Mr. Boss resigned as our Chief Executive Officer and as a director. The table below reflects
Mr. Boss' change of control benefit as of July 31, 2007.
Mr. Lopez's
employment agreement provided as of July 31, 2007 that if Mr. Lopez was terminated without "cause" or if he resigned for "good reason," (as those terms
are defined above under his "Employment Agreement"), Mr. Lopez would be entitled to severance equal to 12 months of his then-current base salary payable in a lump sum on the
first business day after 6 months from the termination date and the remaining 50% payable in six equal monthly installments starting on the first business day after seven months from the
termination date, plus 12 months accelerated vesting of outstanding unvested stock options and restricted stock, plus reimbursement of insurance premiums for health coverage pursuant to the
provisions of COBRA for 12 months. On October 5, 2007, the Company entered into a separation agreement and general release with Mr. Lopez the terms of which are set forth below
under the caption "Arrangements with Former Executive Officers." The table below reflects Mr. Lopez's change of control benefit as of July 31, 2007.
Under
the terms of our employment letter agreement with Mr. Ulry, he would be entitled to an amount equal to his monthly salary for up to six months (or until he finds other
employment, if earlier), if we were to terminate him without cause.
The
tables below estimates amounts of (i) salary and benefits payable and (ii) the acceleration of options and restricted stock outstanding for our named executive
officers, in each case assuming that a hypothetical termination or change in control occurred on July 31, 2007. We have estimated the market value of the stock options and restricted stock in
the tables below based on the closing price of $2.10 per share on July 31, 2007.
|
Executive Officer
|
|
Benefit Upon Termination
|
|
Termination by Us Without Cause/ Resignation by Executive for Good Reason
|
|
Steven S. Boss
|
|
Salary Cash Payment
|
|
$
|
412,000
|
|
|
Continuation of Benefits
|
|
$
|
2,934
|
|
|
Accelerated Vesting of Options
|
|
$
|
30,000
|
|
|
Accelerated Vesting of Restricted Stock
|
|
$
|
157,500
|
|
|
Total
|
|
$
|
602,434
|
|
Erik A. Lopez, Sr.
|
|
Salary Cash Payment
|
|
$
|
265,000
|
|
|
Continuation of Benefits
|
|
$
|
17,606
|
|
|
Accelerated Vesting of Options
|
|
$
|
|
|
|
Accelerated Vesting of Restricted Stock
|
|
$
|
42,000
|
|
|
Total
|
|
$
|
324,606
|
|
Thomas J. Ulry
|
|
Salary Cash Payment
|
|
$
|
126,500
|
|
47
|
Executive Officer
|
|
Acceleration of
Vesting Upon
Change in
Control Under
Equity Benefit
Plans(1)
|
|
Change in
Control in
which
Compensation
Committee
Accelerates
Options
|
|
Change in
Control in
which
Compensation
Committee
Does Not
Accelerate
Options
|
|
Change in
Control in
which
Compensation
Committee
Accelerates
Restricted
Stock
|
|
Change in
Control in
which
Compensation
Committee
Does Not
Accelerate
Restricted
Stock
|
|
Steven S. Boss
|
|
Accelerated Vesting of Restricted Stock
|
|
$
|
105,000
|
|
$
|
75,000
|
|
$
|
315,000
|
|
$
|
157,500
|
|
Thomas J. Ulry
|
|
Accelerated Vesting of Restricted Stock
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$
|
42,000
|
|
|
|
|
Erik A. Lopez, Jr.
|
|
Accelerated Vesting of Restricted Stock
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$
|
126,000
|
|
$
|
42,000
|
|
-
(1)
-
For
Mr. Boss and Mr. Ulry, benefits related to awards granted under the 1999 Equity Incentive Plan. For Mr. Lopez, benefits relate to awards granted under the
2006 Stock Incentive Plan.
Arrangements with Former Executive Officers
The Company entered into a Separation Agreement and General Release with Mr. Boss dated February 20, 2008, which will become effective
February 28, 2008 (the "Separation Agreement"), unless it is revoked by Mr. Boss before that date (the "Effective Date"). Pursuant to the Separation Agreement, Mr. Boss is
entitled to (i) a severance payment of $446,333, equal to thirteen (13) months of Mr. Boss' base salary as of the resignation date, and (ii) retain his group health
coverage under COBRA for thirteen months at the Company's expense. Under the Separation Agreement, the Company has agreed to repurchase 75,000 shares of unvested restricted stock held by
Mr. Boss, pursuant to the terms of the Company's 1999 Equity Incentive Plan at par value per share, with payment for the repurchase being credited from the severance payment. In addition,
Mr. Boss agreed to sell to the Company 166,000 shares of Common Stock owned by him for a price of $1.26 per share, or $209,000 in the aggregate, payable to him one business day after the
Effective Date. The Separation Agreement contains a general release by Mr. Boss of all claims against the Company and its affiliates and representatives.
The
Company and Mr. Boss also entered into a Voting and Standstill Agreement (the "Standstill Agreement") dated February 20, 2008. The Standstill Agreement limits the
activities of Mr. Boss until April 1, 2009, with respect to exercising any voting rights that he might have by virtue of his ownership of shares of Common Stock held or subsequently
acquired by him, restricts his ability to enter into or participate in certain types of transactions involving or affecting the Company and limits his ability to resell Common Stock owned, or to be
owned, by him.
Mr. Clayton's
employment and position as the Company's Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Secretary were terminated, effective July 25, 2007. As a result of
a successful mediation of an outstanding dispute between Mr. Clayton and the Company regarding the basis for his termination, we entered into a settlement agreement and general release dated
November 29, 2007 with Mr. Clayton. Under the terms of the settlement agreement, we agreed to pay Mr. Clayton a lump-sum settlement payment of $400,000 (of which
$280,000 was reimbursed to us under an insurance policy),
which was paid on January 2, 2008. In addition, each party to the settlement agreement agreed to mutual general release of claims that the parties may have against each other.
48
In
connection with Mr. Lopez's resignation from the Company, we entered into a separation agreement and general release with him dated October 5, 2007. Under the terms of
the separation agreement, on October 9, 2007, we paid to Mr. Lopez a severance payment in the amount of $200,000, after confirmation of Mr. Lopez's written communication to the
Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) informing OSHA that all his disputes with the Company had been fairly resolved. In addition, pursuant to the separation agreement, the vesting
terms relating to 60,000 shares of unvested restricted stock held by Mr. Lopez were amended such that 10,000 of the 60,000 shares were forfeited and the remaining 50,000 shares of restricted
stock will vest on January 2, 2008. On October 26, 2007, OSHA notified the Company that it was closing its investigation of the OSHA complaint relating to Mr. Lopez.
401(k) Plan
We maintain a retirement plan, the 401(k) Plan, which is intended to be a tax-qualified retirement plan. The 401(k) Plan covers substantially all of
our employees. Participants may elect to defer a percentage of their eligible pretax earnings each year up to the maximum contribution permitted by the Code. Each participant's interests in his or her
deferrals are 100% vested when contributed. The 401(k) Plan permits us to make matching contributions if we choose and we have historically provided matching contributions of up to three percent,
based on 50% of the employees' contributions of up to 6% of defined compensation. The 401(k) Plan is intended to qualify under Sections 401(a) and 501(a) of the Code. As such, contributions to
the 401(k) Plan and earnings on those contributions are not taxable to participants until distributed from the 401(k) Plan, and our contributions are deductible by us when made.
49
TRANSACTIONS WITH MANAGEMENT AND OTHERS
Transactions with Related Persons, Promoters and Certain Control Persons.
In October 2007, we entered into a separation agreement and general release with Erik A. Lopez, Sr., our former Senior Vice President and General Counsel and at
the same time amended our employment agreement with Mr. Lopez. Please see the discussion herein under the caption "Executive CompensationSeparation Agreement with
Mr. Lopez."
In
November 2007, we entered into a settlement agreement and general release with Lawrence Clayton, Jr., our former Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Secretary of the
Company. Please see the discussion herein under the caption, "Executive CompensationSettlement Agreement with Mr. Clayton."
On
January 23, 2008, we entered into an Interim Executive Services Agreement (or the "Interim Services Agreement") with Tatum, LLC ("Tatum") dated January 14, 2008 to engage C. Douglas
Mitchell as our Interim Chief Financial Officer. Pursuant to the Interim Services Agreement, Mr. Mitchell has become an employee of the Company, subject to the supervision and direction of the
Chief Executive Officer and the Board. Under the Interim Services Agreement, Tatum has no control or supervision over Mr. Mitchell, as long as he is performing services under the Interim Services
Agreement. The term of the Interim Services Agreement is for a minimum of three months, provided that either party can terminate it earlier with 30 days written notice to the other party, and provided
further that we may terminate the Interim Services Agreement immediately for cause based on the performance of Mr. Mitchell.
Pursuant
to the Interim Services Agreement, we pay $37,500 per month, 70% of which is paid directly to Mr. Mitchell as salary through the Company's payroll system and 30% of which is
paid to Tatum. The Interim Services Agreement also provides that if, during Mr. Mitchell's service to the Company, the Company institutes a cash or equity based retention or similar plan, Mr. Mitchell
will be entitled to
be included in such plan on a basis consistent with senior management, on either an equity, or at the Company's option, cash-equivalent basis. The Interim Services Agreement provides an option for us
during its term to hire Mr. Mitchell on a permanent basis, upon entering into another form of agreement with Tatum, which must provide for the payment of additional placement fees to Tatum. In
connection with entering into the Interim Services Agreement, the Company entered into an indemnification agreement with Mr. Mitchell.
In
February 2008, Steven S. Boss resigned as our Chief Executive Officer and as a director, and we entered into a separation agreement and general release with Mr. Boss. At that
time, we also entered into a Voting and Standstill Agreement with Steven S. Boss. Please see the discussion herein under the caption "Executive CompensationSeparation Agreement and
Standstill Agreement with Mr. Boss."
On
February 20, 2008, the Board appointed Gregory L. Craig as the Company's Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer and a Class III Director. Pursuant to an employment
agreement with Mr. Craig dated February 20, 2008 (the "Employment Agreement"), Mr. Craig will receive an annual base salary of $450,000 and is eligible to participate in all
executive bonus and compensation plans of the Company, including the Bonus Program. In connection with his employment, Mr. Craig was granted on February 20, 2008 a
non-qualified stock option to purchase 250,000 shares of Common Stock (the "Option") at an exercise price equal to $1.26 per share, equal to 100% of the fair market value of a share of
Common Stock on the date of grant, as defined in the Company's 2006 Stock Incentive Plan. The Option was fully vested on the date of grant. Mr. Craig also was awarded on February 20,
2008, 500,000 shares of restricted stock, 300,000 shares of which vested on the date of the award, with the remaining 200,000 shares vesting in two equal installments of 100,000 shares each on the
next two anniversary dates of the award. The Employment Agreement has no specific term and is subject to termination by either the Company or Mr. Craig without cause upon 60 days written
notice.
50
In
the event of a change in control (as defined in the Employment Agreement), Mr. Craig will be entitled to receive a sale bonus in an amount equal to two percent (2%) of the
amount by which the Company's market capitalization on the date of the Change in Control exceeds $91,126,854.
The
Employment Agreement provides that if Mr. Craig is terminated without cause or if he resigns for good reason, Mr. Craig will be entitled to a severance payment equal to
twelve 12 months of his then current base salary payable over a 12-month period, plus 12 months continued vesting of outstanding unvested stock options and restricted stock.
In the event of a change of control of the Company, Mr. Craig may resign for good reason, as defined in the Employment Agreement. Finally, in accordance with the Employment Agreement, the
Company entered into an indemnification agreement with Mr. Craig.
On
February 21, 2008, in connection with the appointment of Rohn Crabtree as a Class I Director, the Company entered into an indemnification agreement with Mr. Crabtree.
Indemnification Agreements
We have entered into indemnification agreements with each of our directors and executive officers, in addition to the indemnification provided for in our
Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws. These indemnification agreements generally require us to indemnify each director and executive officer to the fullest extent authorized, permitted or required
by the provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, our Certificate of Incorporation, our Bylaws and the Delaware General Corporation Law, as the same may be amended from time
to time. In addition, we generally have agreed to indemnify our directors and executive officers against expenses, judgments and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred in
connection with any threatened, pending or completed proceeding, subject to certain limitations.
Review, Approval or Ratification of Transactions with Related Persons.
As provided by our Audit Committee charter, our Audit Committee must review and approve in advance any related party transaction. In approving or rejecting a
proposed related party transaction, our Audit Committee shall consider the relevant facts and circumstances available and deemed relevant to the Audit Committee, including, but not limited to the
risks, costs and benefits to us, the terms of the transaction, the availability of other sources for comparable services or products, if applicable, and the impact on a director's independence. Our
Audit Committee shall approve only those related party transactions that, in light of known circumstances, are in, or are not inconsistent with, our best interests, as our Audit Committee determines
in the good faith exercise of its discretion. All of our directors, officers and employees are required to report to our Audit Committee any such related party transaction for approval prior to its
completion.
Section 16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance
Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act requires our directors and executive officers, and persons who beneficially own more than 10% of a registered class of
our equity securities to file with the SEC initial reports of ownership and reports of changes in ownership of our Common Stock and other equity securities. Officers, directors and beneficial owners
of more than 10% of our Common Stock are required by SEC regulations to furnish us with copies of all Section 16(a) forms they file.
To
our knowledge, based solely on our review of the copies of such reports furnished to us and written representations that no other reports were required during fiscal 2007, and except
as disclosed in the following paragraph, our officers, directors and beneficial owners of more than 10% of our Common Stock complied with all Section 16(a) filing requirements during fiscal
2007.
Each
of the following non-employee directors made one late filing of a Form 4 under Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act that related to the award of the shares of
restricted stock regarding director compensation in January 2007: Charles E. Bayless, Mark S. Juergensen, Dennis R. Leibel and Robert C. Perkins.
51
RATIFICATION OF THE APPOINTMENT OF
INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
(PROPOSAL 2)
The accounting firm of Hein & Associates LLP ("Hein & Associates") served as the Company's independent registered public accounting firm for
fiscal 2007 and the Audit Committee has again selected Hein & Associates to act as the Company's independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending July 31, 2008.
The Audit Committee has requested that the Board submit such selection for ratification by the stockholders at the Annual Meeting. Representatives of Hein & Associates are expected to be
present at the Annual Meeting, will have the opportunity to make a statement if they desire to do so and are expected to be available to respond to appropriate questions.
Stockholder
ratification of the selection of Hein & Associates as the Company's independent registered public accounting firm is not required by the Company's Bylaws or otherwise.
The Audit Committee believes that submitting the selection of Hein & Associates to the stockholders for ratification is advisable as a matter of good corporate practice. If the stockholders
fail to ratify the selection, the Audit Committee will reconsider whether or not to retain Hein & Associates; however, the Audit Committee may retain Hein & Associates notwithstanding
the failure of the stockholders to ratify the selection. If the appointment of Hein & Associates is ratified, the Audit Committee will continue to conduct an ongoing review of Hein &
Associates' scope of engagement, pricing and work quality, among other factors, and will retain the right to replace Hein & Associates at any time.
The Board of Directors unanimously recommends that you vote "FOR" the ratification of the appointment of Hein & Associates as the Company's independent
registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending July 31, 2008. The affirmative vote of a majority of the votes cast by holders of the shares of Common Stock present in person or
represented by proxy at the Annual Meeting and entitled to vote on this proposal is required for the adoption of this proposal.
Relationship of the Company with the Independent Registered Public Accountants
The following table sets forth the fees billed to us by our independent registered public accounting firms for each of the last two fiscal years, respectively.
|
|
Fiscal Year
|
|
|
2007
|
|
2006
|
Audit Fees
|
|
$
|
463,000
|
|
$
|
454,000
|
Audit-Related Fees
|
|
|
8,000
|
|
|
|
Tax Fees
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
All Other Fees
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$
|
471,000
|
|
$
|
454,000
|
|
|
|
|
|
Audit Fees.
This category includes the audit of our annual consolidated financial statements, the review of financial
statements included in our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and services that are normally provided by the independent registered public accounting firm in connection with statutory
and regulatory filings or engagements for those fiscal years.
Audit Related Fees.
This category consists of assurance and related services that were reasonably related to the performance
of the audit or review of our financial statements and which are not reported above under "Audit Fees."
Tax Fees.
This category consists of professional services rendered for tax services, including tax compliance, tax advice and
tax planning.
52
All Other Fees.
This category consists of fees for other advisory services.
The
Audit Committee has established a policy regarding the pre-approval of audit and non-audit services to be provided by our independent registered public
accounting firm. From time to time, consistent with the policy, the Audit Committee has delegated to the Chairman of the Audit Committee the authority to pre-approve audit-related and
permissible non-audit services and associated fees within pre-approved limits set forth by the Committee, provided that the Chairman shall report any such decisions to the
Committee at or before its next meeting. We are in compliance with applicable SEC rules relating to pre-approval policies and procedures.