UNITED
STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington,
D.C. 20549
SCHEDULE
14A
(Rule 14a-101)
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Energy Resources, Inc. |
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TORCHLIGHT
ENERGY RESOURCES, INC.
5700 W. Plano Parkway, Suite 3600
Plano, Texas 75093
NOTICE
OF ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS
TO BE HELD OCTOBER 26, 2020
We
hereby give notice that the Annual Meeting of Stockholders of
Torchlight Energy Resources, Inc. will be held on October 26, 2020,
at 9:00 a.m. Central Time.
Due
to the public health impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and to support
the health and well-being of our employees and stockholders, the
Annual Meeting will be held in a virtual meeting format at
https://www.issuerdirect.com/virtual-event/trch.
In
addition to voting by submitting your proxy prior to the Annual
Meeting, you also will be able to vote your shares electronically
during the Annual Meeting. Further details regarding the virtual
meeting are included in the accompanying proxy statement. The
Annual Meeting will be held for the following purposes:
|
(1) |
To
elect five directors; |
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(2) |
To
ratify the selection of Briggs & Veselka Co as our independent
registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending
December 31, 2020; and |
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(3) |
To
transact such other business as may properly come before the
meeting. |
Under
Nevada law, only stockholders of record on the record date, which
is September 14, 2020, are entitled to notice of and to vote at the
Annual Meeting or any adjournment. It is important that your shares
be represented at this meeting so that the presence of a quorum is
assured.
Your
vote is important. Even if you plan to attend the meeting in
person, please date and execute the enclosed proxy and return it
promptly in the enclosed postage-paid envelope as soon as possible.
If you attend the meeting, you may revoke your proxy and vote your
shares in person.
IF
YOU PLAN TO ATTEND:
To
be admitted to the Annual Meeting at
https://www.issuerdirect.com/virtual-event/trch you must have your
control number available and follow the instructions found on your
proxy card or voting instruction form. You may vote during the
Annual Meeting by following the instructions available on the
meeting website during the meeting. Please allow sufficient time
before the Annual Meeting to complete the online check-in process.
Your vote is very important.
|
By
Order of the Board of Directors, |
|
 |
September
18, 2020 |
John
A. Brda |
|
President,
Chief Executive Officer and Director |
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Important
Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materials for the Annual
Meeting of Stockholders to be held October 26,
2020. |
|
The
Proxy Statement, form of proxy card and Annual Report are available
at: ir.torchlightenergy.com |
|
TORCHLIGHT
ENERGY RESOURCES, INC.
5700 W. Plano Parkway, Suite 3600
Plano, Texas 75093
PROXY
STATEMENT
FOR THE
2020 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS
To
be held on October 26, 2020
The
Board of Directors of Torchlight Energy Resources, Inc. is
soliciting your proxy to vote at the 2020 Annual Meeting of
Stockholders to be held on October 26, 2020, at 9:00 a.m. Central
Time, in a virtual format online by accessing
https://www.issuerdirect.com/virtual-event/trch and at any
adjournment thereof.
This
Proxy Statement contains information relating to the Annual
Meeting. This year’s Annual Meeting will be held as a virtual
meeting. Stockholders attending the virtual meeting will be
afforded the same rights and opportunities to participate as they
would at an in-person meeting. You will be able to attend and
participate in the Annual Meeting online via a live webcast by
visiting https://www.issuerdirect.com/virtual-event/trch. In
addition to voting by submitting your proxy prior to the Annual
Meeting, you also will be able to vote your shares electronically
during the Annual Meeting.
Whether
or not you expect to attend the Annual Meeting in person, we urge
you to vote your shares via proxy at your earliest convenience.
This will ensure the presence of a quorum at the Annual Meeting.
Promptly voting your shares will save us the expenses and extra
work of additional solicitation. Submitting your proxy now will not
prevent you from voting your shares at the Annual Meeting if you
desire to do so, as your proxy is revocable at your option. Your
vote is important, so please act today!
INFORMATION
CONCERNING THE ANNUAL MEETING
Mailing
and Solicitation. Proxies are being solicited on behalf of the
Board of Directors of Torchlight Energy Resources, Inc. This Proxy
Statement and accompanying form of proxy card will be sent on or
about September 18, 2020 to stockholders entitled to vote at the
Annual Meeting. The cost of the solicitation of proxies will be
paid by us. The solicitation is to be made primarily by mail but
may be supplemented by telephone calls and personal solicitation by
our officers and other employees.
Annual
Report on Form 10-K. A copy of our Annual Report on Form 10-K
for the year ended December 31, 2019, as filed with the Securities
and Exchange Commission, has been mailed with this Proxy Statement
to all stockholders entitled to vote at the Annual
Meeting.
Proxies.
Whether or not you plan to attend the Annual Meeting, we request
that you promptly submit the enclosed proxy card and vote your
shares pursuant to the voting instructions therein. A control
number, located on the proxy card, is designed to verify your
identity, allow you to vote your shares, and confirm that your
voting instructions have been properly recorded.
If
your shares are registered in the name of a bank, broker, or other
nominee, follow the proxy instructions on the form you receive from
the nominee. The availability of telephone and internet proxy will
depend on the nominee’s proxy processes. Under the rules of the New
York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”), brokers who hold shares in “street
name” for customers are precluded from exercising voting discretion
with respect to the approval of non-routine matters (so called
“broker non-votes”) where the beneficial owner has not given voting
instructions. With respect to the election of directors (see
Proposal 1), a broker is not entitled to vote the shares of common
stock unless the beneficial owner has given instructions. With
respect to the ratification of the appointment of Briggs &
Veselka Co as our independent registered public accounting firm
(see Proposal 2), a broker will have discretionary authority to
vote the shares of our stock if the beneficial owner has not given
instructions.
Revocation
of Proxies. The proxy may be revoked by the stockholder at any
time before a vote is taken by notifying our President in writing
at the address of Torchlight Energy Resources, Inc. given above; by
executing a new proxy bearing a later date or by submitting a new
proxy by telephone or internet; or by attending the Annual Meeting
and voting in person.
Voting
in Accordance with Instructions. The shares represented by your
properly completed proxy will be voted in accordance with your
instructions marked on it. If you properly sign, date, and deliver
to us your proxy but you mark no instructions on it, the shares
represented by your proxy will be voted for the election of all of
the director nominees as proposed (Proposal 1); and for the
ratification of Briggs & Veselka Co. as our independent
registered public accounting firm for 2020 (Proposal 2). The Board
of Directors is not aware of any other matters to be presented for
action at the Annual Meeting, but if other matters are properly
brought before the Annual Meeting, shares represented by properly
completed proxies received by mail will be voted in accordance with
the judgment of the persons named as proxies.
Quorum
and Voting Rights. The presence in person or by proxy of a
majority of the outstanding shares entitled to vote on the record
date constitutes a quorum for purposes of voting on a particular
matter and conducting business at the meeting. We currently have
one class of stock issued and outstanding, common stock. Each share
of common stock entitles its holder to one vote.
Required
Vote. A plurality of the shares present in person or
represented by proxy at the Annual Meeting will elect as directors
the nominees proposed (Proposal 1). The affirmative vote of a
majority of the shares entitled to vote, present in person or
represented by proxy is required for the ratification of Briggs
& Veselka Co. as our independent registered public accounting
firm for 2020 (Proposal 2). Abstentions and broker non-votes will
be counted for purposes of determining the presence or absence of a
quorum. Abstentions and broker non-votes will not be counted as
having voted either for or against a proposal.
Record
Date. The close of business on September 14, 2020 has been
fixed as the record date of the Annual Meeting, and only
stockholders of record at that time will be entitled to vote. As of
September 14, 2020, there were 99,170,297 shares of common stock
issued and outstanding and entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting.
Only record holders and beneficial owners who held shares of our
common stock on the record date, or their duly authorized proxies,
may attend the Annual Meeting.
No
Dissenters’ Rights. Under the Nevada Revised Statutes,
stockholders are not entitled to dissenters’ rights with respect to
the matters to be voted on at the Annual Meeting.
Questions
and Answers about Virtual Meeting Format:
How
do I attend the Annual Meeting?
The
Annual Meeting will be held on October 26, 2020, at 9:00 a.m.
Central Time in a virtual format online by accessing
https://www.issuerdirect.com/virtual-event/trch.
How
Do I Vote?
The
enclosed proxy card contains instructions on how to vote your
shares by mail, facsimile, Internet or telephone, in advance of the
Annual Meeting. The voting instructions you receive may be
different depending on whether you are a registered stockholder or
a “street name” stockholder. If you are a street name stockholder,
your broker or nominee firm is the legal, registered owner of the
shares, and the voting instructions allow you to instruct your
broker or nominee how to vote your shares.
Additionally,
if you are a registered stockholder, you will be able to vote your
shares electronically during the Annual Meeting. If you are a
street name stockholder, please check your proxy card and voting
instructions or contact your broker or other nominee to determine
whether, if you attend the live webcast of the Annual Meeting, you
will be able to vote your shares electronically during the
meeting.
PROPOSAL
1 - ELECTION OF DIRECTORS
General
Information
Under
our bylaws, the number of members of our Board of Directors is to
be determined from time to time by resolution adopted by a majority
of the Board of Directors or by the stockholders, but in no event
will be less than one or more than 15. Each director is elected to
hold office until the next annual or special meeting of
stockholders and until such director’s successor has been elected
and qualified, or until his or her earlier resignation or removal.
As of the date hereof, the Board of Directors consists of five
members. The Board of Directors has approved and recommended to
stockholders the election of five nominees to serve on the Board.
The recommended nominees are John Brda, Gregory McCabe, Robert
Lance Cook, Michael J. Graves and Alexandre Zyngier. All the
nominees presently serve as members of our Board of Directors and
are accordingly standing for re-election. There are no family
relationships among any of our directors, nominees or executive
officers.
The
persons named in the enclosed Proxy (“Proxy”) have each been
selected by the Board of Directors to serve as proxy and will vote
the shares represented by valid proxies at the Annual Meeting and
adjournments thereof. Unless otherwise instructed or unless
authority to vote is withheld, the enclosed Proxy will be voted for
the election of the nominees listed below. Each duly elected
director will hold office until his successor shall have been
elected and qualified. Although our Board of Directors does not
contemplate that any of the nominees will be unable to serve, if
such a situation arises prior to the Annual Meeting, the person
named in the enclosed Proxy will vote for the election of such
other person(s) as may be nominated by the Board of
Directors.
Information
Regarding Nominees
The
names of the nominees for election to the Board, their principal
occupations and certain other information follow:
John
A. Brda – age 55 – Mr. Brda has been our Chief Executive
Officer since December 2014 and our President, Secretary and a
member of the Board of Director since January 2012. He has been the
Managing Member of Brda & Company, LLC since 2002, which
provided consulting services to public companies—with a focus in
the oil and gas sector—on investor relations, equity and debt
financings, strategic business development and securities
regulation matters, prior to him becoming President of the
company.
We
believe Mr. Brda is an excellent fit to our Board of Directors and
management team based on his extensive experience in transaction
negotiation and business development, particularly in the oil and
gas sector as well as other non-related industries. He has
consulted with many public companies in the last ten years, and we
believe that his extensive network of industry professionals and
finance firms will contribute to our success.
Gregory
McCabe – age 59 – Mr. McCabe has been a member of our Board of
Directors since July 2016 and was appointed Chairman of the Board
in October 2016. He is an experienced geologist who brings over 36
years of oil and gas experience to our company. He is a principal
of numerous oil and gas focused entities including McCabe Petroleum
Corporation, Manix Royalty, Masterson Royalty Fund and GMc
Exploration. He has been the President of McCabe Petroleum
Corporation from 1986 to the present. Mr. McCabe has been involved
in numerous oil and gas ventures throughout his career and has a
vast experience in technical evaluation, operations and
acquisitions and divestitures. Mr. McCabe is also our largest
stockholder and provided entry for us into our two largest assets,
the Hazel Project in the Midland Basin and the Orogrande Project in
Hudspeth County, Texas.
We
believe that Mr. McCabe’s background in geology and his many years
in the oil and gas industry compliments the Board of
Directors.
Robert
Lance Cook – age 64 – Mr. Cook has been a member of our Board
of Directors since February 2019. He is currently the Vice
President of Production Operations of WellsX Corp., a position he
has held since July 2018. WellsX provides hydraulic fracturing and
related oilfield services. Additionally, he has been the Managing
Partner of Metis Energy LLC since January 2017, which owns and
operates oil and gas wells in Texas as well as holds proprietary
intellectual properties. Further, he is the President of Sage
Geosystems LLC, a company founded in Texas in 2020 which has
developed a proprietary geothermal process which is currently
seeking funding for field trials. Prior to holding these positions,
Mr. Cook worked for Shell Oil Company and its subsidiaries for over
36 years, retiring from the company in September 2016. He held
numerous management and engineering positions for Shell, including
most recently Chief Scientist for Wells and Production Technology
and Chief Operations Officer for SWMS JV with Great Wall Drilling
Company from January 2012 until his retirement. He holds a Bachelor
of Science in Petroleum Engineering from the University of
Texas.
We
believe Mr. Cook’s wide-ranging experience in operating exploration
and production companies makes him an excellent fit to the Board of
Directors.
Michael
J. Graves – age 52 – Mr. Graves has served on the Board of
Directors since August 17, 2017. He is a Certified Public
Accountant, and since 2005 he has been a managing shareholder of
Fitch & Graves in Sioux City, Iowa, which provides accounting
and tax, financial planning, consulting and investment services.
Since 2008, he has also been a registered representative with
Western Equity Group where he has worked in investment sales. He is
also presently a shareholder in several businesses involved in
residential construction and property rentals. Previously, he
worked at Bill Markve & Associates, Gateway 2000 and Deloitte
& Touche. He graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of
South Dakota with a B.S. in Accounting.
With
Mr. Graves’ extensive background in accounting and investment
businesses, we believe his understanding of financial statements,
business valuations, and general business performance are a
valuable asset to the Board.
Alexandre
Zyngier – age 51 – Mr. Zyngier has served on our Board of
Directors since June 2016. He has been the Managing Director of
Batuta Advisors since founding it in August 2013. The firm pursues
high return investment and advisory opportunities in the distressed
and turnaround sectors. Mr. Zyngier has over 20 years of
investment, strategy, and operating experience. He is currently a
director of Atari SA and Applied Minerals, Inc. and certain other
private entities. Before starting Batuta Advisors, Mr. Zyngier was
a portfolio manager at Alden Global Capital from February 2009
until August 2013, investing in public and private opportunities.
He has also worked as a portfolio manager at Goldman Sachs &
Co. and Deutsche Bank Co. Additionally, he was a strategy
consultant at McKinsey & Company and a technical brand manager
at Procter & Gamble. Mr. Zyngier holds an MBA in Finance and
Accounting from the University of Chicago and a BS in Chemical
Engineering from UNICAMP in Brazil.
We
believe that Mr. Zyngier’s investment experience and his experience
in overseeing a broad range of companies will greatly benefit the
Board of Directors.
On
August 12, 2019, LootCrate Inc. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in
Delaware. Mr. Zyngier is an independent director of LootCrate, Inc.
and oversaw the company’s filing.
OUR
BOARD OF DIRECTORS RECOMMENDS A VOTE “FOR” THE ELECTION
OF THE NOMINEES LISTED ABOVE.
Information
Regarding Executive Officers
Executive
officers are appointed to serve at the discretion of the Board.
These individuals are referred to collectively as our “named
executive officers.”
Our
named executive officers are as follows:
Name |
|
Age |
|
Position(s) and Office(s) |
John A. Brda |
|
55 |
|
President, Chief
Executive Officer, Secretary and Director |
Roger N. Wurtele |
|
74 |
|
Chief Financial Officer |
|
|
|
|
|
See
“Information Regarding Nominees” above for biographical information
of Mr. Brda.
Roger
N. Wurtele – Mr. Wurtele has served as our Chief Financial
Officer since September 2013. He is a versatile, experienced
finance executive that has served as Chief Financial Officer for
several public and private companies. He has a broad range of
experience in public accounting, corporate finance and executive
management. Mr. Wurtele previously served as CFO of Xtreme Oil
& Gas, Inc. from February 2010 to September 2013. From May 2013
to September 2013 he worked as a financial consultant for us. From
November 2007 to January 2010, Mr. Wurtele served as CFO of Lang
and Company LLC, a developer of commercial real estate projects. He
graduated from the University of Nebraska and has been a Certified
Public Accountant for 40 years.
CORPORATE
GOVERNANCE MATTERS
Meetings
of the Board
All
directors are expected to make every effort to attend meetings of
the Board, meetings of any Board committees on which such director
serves, and annual meetings of stockholders. The Board held eight
meetings during the year ended December 31, 2019. The Board of
Directors also executed seven written consents to action in lieu of
a meeting during the year ended December 31, 2019, which consents
were each approved unanimously. We currently have an Audit
Committee, a Compensation Committee and a Nominating Committee.
During 2019, the Audit Committee held five meetings, the
Compensation Committee held two meetings and the Nominating
Committee held two meetings. Of our current directors, during 2019,
all attended no fewer than 75 percent of (i) the total number of
meetings of the Board of Directors (including consents to action in
lieu of a meeting) held during the period for which he has been a
director, and (ii) the total number of meetings held by all
committees of the Board on which he served during the periods that
he served. All five of the then members of the Board of Directors
attended the 2019 Annual Meeting of Stockholders.
Stockholder
Communications with Directors
Any
stockholder desiring to contact the Board, or any specific
director(s), may send written communications to: Board of Directors
(Attention: (Name(s) of director(s), as applicable)), c/o
President, 5700 W. Plano Parkway, Suite 3600, Plano, Texas 75093.
Any communication so received will be processed and conveyed to the
member(s) of the Board named in the communication or to the Board,
as appropriate, except for junk mail, mass mailings, product or
service complaints or inquiries, job inquiries, surveys, business
solicitations or advertisements, or patently offensive or otherwise
inappropriate material.
Director
Independence
Currently
three of our five directors are independent, including Robert Lance
Cook, Alexandre Zyngier and Michael J. Graves. The definition of
“independent” used is based on the independence standards of The
NASDAQ Stock Market LLC. The Board performed a review to determine
the independence of Messrs. Cook, Zyngier and Graves and made a
subjective determination as to each of these individuals that no
transactions, relationships or arrangements exist that, in the
opinion of the Board, would interfere with the exercise of
independent judgment in carrying out the responsibilities of a
director of Torchlight Energy Resources, Inc. In making these
determinations, the Board reviewed information provided by these
individuals with regard to each individual’s business and personal
activities as they may relate to us and our management.
Board
Leadership Structure and Role in Risk Oversight
Our
Board is currently composed of five directors, with Gregory McCabe
holding the title of “Chairman.” Mr. McCabe is not an officer of
the company, but presently he is not deemed to be an independent
director. In addition to serving on the Board, John Brda also
currently serves as President and Chief Executive Officer.
Accordingly, there is often little separation in Mr. Brda’s role as
principal executive officer and his role as a director. To mitigate
any apparent conflicts our leadership structure may create, we
maintain a Board of Directors consisting of a majority of
independent directors. We believe this allows the Board to better
oversee and manage risk. None of our independent directors holds
the title of “lead” independent director. Accordingly, all of our
independent directors have an equal role in the leadership of the
Board. We believe that our overall leadership structure is
appropriate based on our current size.
As a
part of its oversight function, the Board of Directors monitors how
management operates the company. Risk is an important part of
deliberations at the Board level throughout the year. The Board of
Directors as a whole considers risks affecting us. The Board
considers, among other things, the relevant risks to the company
when granting authority to management and approving business
strategies. Through this risk oversight process, the Board reserves
the right to make changes to our leadership structure in the future
if it deems such changes are appropriate and in the best interest
of our stockholders.
Audit
Committee
We
maintain a separately-designated standing audit committee. The
Audit Committee currently consists of three independent directors,
including Michael J. Graves, Robert Lance Cook and Alexandre
Zyngier. Mr. Zyngier is the Chairman of the Audit Committee, and
the Board of Directors has determined that he is an audit committee
financial expert as defined in Item 407(d)(5) of Regulation S-K.
The primary purpose of the Audit Committee is to oversee our
accounting and financial reporting processes and audits of our
financial statements on behalf of the Board of Directors. The Audit
Committee meets privately with our management and with our
independent registered public accounting firm and evaluates the
responses by our management both to the facts presented and to the
judgments made by our outside independent registered public
accounting firm. Our Audit Committee has reviewed and discussed our
audited financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2019
with our management.
In
November 2013, our Board adopted a charter for the Audit Committee.
A copy of the Charter of the Audit Committee can be found on our
website at www torchlightenergy.com. The Charter establishes the
independence of our Audit Committee and sets forth the scope of the
Audit Committee’s duties. All members of the Audit Committee must
be independent. The Audit Committee is objective and reviews and
assesses the work of our independent registered public accounting
firm and our internal accounting.
Report
of the Audit Committee
The
Audit Committee has reviewed and discussed with management the
audited financial statements of Torchlight Energy Resources, Inc.
for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019. The Audit Committee
has discussed with Briggs & Veselka Co., our independent
auditors, the matters required to be discussed by the statement on
Auditing Standards No. 61, as amended (AICPA, Professional
Standards, Vol. 1, AU section 380), as adopted by the Public
Company Accounting Oversight Board in Rule 3200T. The Audit
Committee has received the written disclosures and the letter from
Briggs & Veselka Co. required by applicable requirements of the
Public Company Accounting Oversight Board regarding Briggs &
Veselka Co.’s communications with the Audit Committee concerning
independence, and has discussed with Briggs & Veselka Co. the
independence of Briggs & Veselka Co.
Based
on the review and discussions referred to in the paragraph above,
the Audit Committee recommended to the Board of Directors that the
audited financial statements be included in our annual report on
Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019. This report
is furnished by the Audit Committee of our Board of Directors,
whose members were (at the time this report was
furnished):
Robert
Lance Cook;
Michael J. Graves; and
Alexandre Zyngier.
All
information within this “Audit Committee” section of the Proxy
Statement, including but not limited to the Report of the Audit
Committee, shall not be deemed to be “soliciting material,” or to
be “filed” with the SEC or subject to Regulation 14A or 14C (17 CFR
240.14a-1 through 240.14b-2 or 240.14c-1 through 240.14c-101) or to
the liabilities of section 18 of the Exchange Act. Such information
will not be deemed to be incorporated by reference into any filing
under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act.
Compensation
Committee
We
have a Compensation Committee whose members are Robert Lance Cook,
Michael J. Graves and Alexandre Zyngier. In November 2013, our
Board adopted a charter for the Compensation Committee. A copy of
the Charter of the Compensation Committee can be found on our
website at www.torchlightenergy.com. The primary purposes of the
Compensation Committee are to discharge the Board of Directors’
responsibilities relating to the evaluation and compensation of our
Chief Executive Officer, President and other senior executives. Our
executive compensation program are designed to: (1) attract, retain
and motivate skilled and knowledgeable individuals; (2) ensure that
compensation is aligned with our corporate strategies and business
objectives; (3) promote the achievement of key strategic and
financial performance measures by linking short-term and long-term
cash and equity incentives to the achievement of measurable
corporate and individual performance goals; and (4) align
executives’ and directors’ incentives with the creation of
stockholder value. To achieve these objectives, our Compensation
Committee evaluates our executive compensation program with the
goal of setting compensation at levels it believes will allow us to
attract and retain qualified executives and directors. The
Compensation Committee will take under consideration
recommendations from executive officers and directors regarding its
executive compensation program. The Compensation Committee also has
the authority to obtain advice and assistance from external
advisors, including compensation consultants, although the
Compensation Committee did not elect to retain a compensation
consultant to assist with determining executive compensation during
2019.
Nominating
Committee
We
have a Nominating Committee whose members are Robert Lance Cook,
Michael Graves and Alexandre Zyngier. In November 2013, our Board
adopted a charter for the Nominating Committee. A copy of the
Charter of the Nominating Committee can be found on our website at
www torchlightenergy.com. The Nominating Committee’s primary duties
are identify individuals qualified to become Board members and to
recommend to the Board director nominees for election at the Annual
Meeting of Stockholders or for election by the Board to fill open
seats between annual meetings. See “Procedures for Director
Nominations” below for the criteria it uses to evaluate nominee
candidates. Its Charter provides for the Nominating Committee to
review qualifications of individuals suggested as potential
candidates for director of the company, including candidates
suggested by stockholders, and consider for nomination any of such
individuals who are deemed qualified. For information regarding the
procedures for stockholder nominations to the Board, see
“Procedures for Director Nominations” below.
Procedures
for Director Nominations
Members
of the Board are expected to collectively possess a broad range of
skills, industry and other knowledge and expertise, and business
and other experience useful for the effective oversight of our
business. All candidates must meet the minimum qualifications and
other criteria established from time to time by the Board and
Nominating Committee. In considering possible candidates for
election as director, the Board and Nominating Committee are guided
by the following standards:
|
(1) |
Each
director should be an individual of the highest character and
integrity; |
|
(2) |
Each
director should have substantial experience that is of particular
relevance to us; |
|
(3) |
Each
director should have sufficient time available to devote to the
affairs of the company; and |
|
(4) |
Each
director should represent the best interests of the stockholders as
a whole. |
We
also consider the following criteria, among others, in our
selection of directors:
|
(1) |
Technical,
scientific, academic, financial and other expertise, skills,
knowledge and achievements useful to the oversight of our business,
especially relating to the oil and gas industry; |
|
(2) |
Diversity
of viewpoints, backgrounds, experiences and other demographics;
and |
|
(3) |
The
extent to which the interplay of the candidate’s expertise, skills,
knowledge and experience with that of other Board members will
build a Board that is effective, collegial and responsive to the
needs of the company. |
The
Nominating Committee and Board of Directors evaluates suggestions
concerning possible candidates for election to the Board submitted
to us, including those submitted by Board members (including
self-nominations) and stockholders. All candidates, including those
submitted by stockholders, will be similarly evaluated by the
Nominating Committee and Board of Directors using the Board
membership criteria described above and in accordance with
applicable procedures, including such procedures prescribed by the
SEC. Once candidates have been identified, the Nominating Committee
and Board will determine whether such candidates meet our
qualifications for director nominees and select nominees
accordingly.
As
noted above, the Nominating Committee and Board of Directors will
consider qualified director nominees recommended by stockholders
when such recommendations are submitted in accordance with
applicable SEC requirements and any other applicable law, rule or
regulation regarding director nominations. When submitting a
nomination to us for consideration, a stockholder must provide
certain information that would be required under applicable SEC
rules, including the following minimum information for each
director nominee: full name and address; age; principal occupation
during the past five years; current directorships on publicly held
companies and registered investment companies; and number of shares
of our common stock owned, if any. No candidates for director
nominations were submitted to us by any stockholder in connection
with the 2020 Annual Meeting.
COMPENSATION
DISCUSSION
The
following table provides summary information for the years of 2019
and 2018 concerning cash and non-cash compensation paid or accrued
to or on behalf of certain executive officers.
Summary
Executive Compensation Table
Name and
Principal
Position |
|
Year |
|
Salary
($) |
|
|
Bonus
($) |
|
|
Stock
Awards
($) |
|
|
Option
Awards
($)
(A)
(1) |
|
|
Non-Equity
Incentive
Plan
Compensation
($) |
|
|
Change in
Pension
Value
and
Nonqualified
Deferred
Compensation
($) |
|
|
All Other
Compensation
($) |
|
|
Total
($) |
|
John A. Brda |
|
2019 |
|
$ |
375,000 |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
$ |
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
$ |
375,000 |
|
CEO/Secretary/Director |
|
2018 |
|
$ |
375,000 |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
$ |
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
$ |
375,000 |
|
Roger Wurtele |
|
2019 |
|
$ |
225,000 |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
$ |
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
$ |
225,000 |
|
CFO |
|
2018 |
|
$ |
225,000 |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
$ |
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
$ |
225,000 |
|
|
(A) |
Stock/Option
Value as applicable is determined using the Black Scholes
Method. |
Setting
Executive Compensation
We
fix executive base compensation at a level we believe enables us to
hire and retain individuals in a competitive environment and to
reward satisfactory individual performance and a satisfactory level
of contribution to our overall business goals. We also take into
account the compensation that is paid by companies that we believe
to be our competitors and by other companies with which we believe
we generally compete for executives.
In
establishing compensation packages for executive officers, numerous
factors are considered, including the particular executive’s
experience, expertise, and performance, our company’s overall
performance, and compensation packages available in the marketplace
for similar positions. In arriving at amounts for each component of
compensation, our Compensation Committee strives to strike an
appropriate balance between base compensation and incentive
compensation. The Compensation Committee also endeavors to properly
allocate between cash and non-cash compensation (including without
limitation stock and stock option awards) and between annual and
long-term compensation.
Employment
Agreements
On
July 15, 2020, we entered into new one-year employment agreements
with each of John Brda, our President and Chief Executive Officer,
and Roger Wurtele, our Chief Financial Officer. Their previous
employment agreements expired in June 2020. Under the new
agreements, Messrs. Brda and Wurtele will continue to receive their
same annual salaries of $375,000 and $225,000, with 36% and 20% of
the salaries, respectively, continuing to accrue unpaid until such
time as the Board of Directors believes there is adequate cash for
such payment, or as otherwise contemplated in the employment
agreement. Each individual will be eligible for a bonus at the
Compensation Committee’s discretion. Each agreement provides that
if there is a “change of control” in the company (as defined in the
agreement), the employee will be paid in one lump sum any amounts
owed to the employee under the agreement that are accrued and
unpaid plus his salary that would be earned through the end of the
term of the agreement. Each employment agreement has a covenant not
to compete and provides for expense reimbursement, four weeks of
vacation and certain other benefits.
Additionally,
as part of their employment compensation, the Compensation
Committee granted Mr. Brda an option to purchase a total of up to
2,250,000 shares of common stock, including up to 375,000 shares at
an exercise price of $0.50 per share and up to 1,875,000 shares at
an exercise price of $1.00 per share, and granted Mr. Wurtele an
option to purchase a total of up to 750,000 shares of common stock,
including up to 375,000 shares at an exercise price of $0.50 per
share and up to 375,000 shares at an exercise price of $1.00 per
share. The options were granted under our Amended and Restated 2015
Stock Option Plan. The options of both executives will vest upon
either (a) the closing of a change of control occurring prior to
July 15, 2021, or (b) the company entering into a letter of intent
with a third party prior to July 15, 2021 that contemplates a
change of control, and the change of control transaction closes
with that third party (or an affiliate(s) of that third party) at a
date not later than July 15, 2022; subject, however, to
acceleration and earlier vesting of all of the options in the event
of (i) the termination of employment by the employee for “good
reason” under his employment agreement or (ii) a determination of
the Compensation Committee, at its discretion. In the event of the
death or disability of the employee prior to vesting or if the
company terminates the employee’s employment for reasons other than
for “cause” under the employment agreement prior to vesting, the
option will still vest upon the occurrence of the events described
under clauses (a) or (b) above. The options, to the extent such
options have not been exercised, will terminate and become null and
void on July 15, 2025, if and only if the options vest as described
above, or on July 15, 2021, if the options do not vest as described
above, subject to the occurrence of the events contemplated under
clause (b) above whereby the options would not terminate until July
15, 2022.
Outstanding
Equity Awards at Fiscal Year End
The
following table details all outstanding equity awards held by our
named executive officers at December 31, 2019:
|
|
Option
Awards |
|
|
|
|
|
Equity
Incentive |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Number
of |
|
|
Number
of |
|
|
Plan
Awards: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Securities |
|
|
Securities |
|
|
Number
of |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Underlying |
|
|
Underlying |
|
|
Securities |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Unexercised |
|
|
Unexercised |
|
|
Underlying |
|
|
Option |
|
|
|
|
|
Options |
|
|
Options |
|
|
Unexercised |
|
|
Exercise |
|
|
Option |
|
|
(#) |
|
|
(#) |
|
|
Unearned
Options |
|
|
Price |
|
|
Expiration |
Name |
|
Exercisable |
|
|
Unexercisable |
|
|
(#) |
|
|
($) |
|
|
Date |
John
A. Brda |
|
|
3,000,000 |
(1) |
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
$ |
1.57 |
|
|
6/11/2020 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Roger
Wurtele |
|
|
1,500,000 |
(1) |
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
$ |
1.57 |
|
|
6/11/2020 |
|
(1) |
The
options were awarded on June 11, 2015. The options were granted
under our 2015 Stock Option Plan which plan was approved by
stockholders on September 9, 2015. These option expired in June
2020. |
Compensation
of Directors
We
have no standard arrangement pursuant to which directors are
compensated for any services they provide or for committee
participation or special assignments. We anticipate, however,
implementing more standardized director compensation arrangements
in the near future.
Summary
Director Compensation Table
Compensation
to directors during the year ended December 31, 2019 was as
follows:
|
|
Fees
Earned |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Nonqualified |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Paid |
|
|
|
|
|
Option
Awards |
|
|
Non-Equity |
|
|
Deferred |
|
|
All |
|
|
|
|
|
|
in |
|
|
Stock |
|
|
Option |
|
|
Incentive
Plan |
|
|
Compensation |
|
|
Other |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash |
|
|
Awards |
|
|
Awards |
|
|
Compensation |
|
|
Earnings |
|
|
Compensation |
|
|
Total |
|
Name |
|
($) |
|
|
($) |
|
|
($)(A) |
|
|
($) |
|
|
($) |
|
|
($) |
|
|
($) |
|
Alexandre
Zyngier |
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
$ |
60,500 |
(1) |
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
$ |
60,500 |
|
Robert
Lance Cook |
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
$ |
84,250 |
(1)(2) |
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
$ |
84,250 |
|
Michael
Graves |
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
$ |
60,500 |
(1) |
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
$ |
60,500 |
|
|
(A) |
Stock
Value as applicable is determined using the Black Scholes
Method. |
|
(1) |
On
November 13, 2019, this director was granted 200,000 stock options
under the 2015 Stock Option
Plan as director compensation. 100,000 of the stock options vested
immediately, and the remaining 100,000 stock options vest on
November 13, 2020. |
|
(2) |
On
February 7, 2019, this director was granted 100,000 stock options
under the 2015 Stock Option Plan as director compensation. All
100,000 of the stock options vested immediately. |
Compensation
Policies and Practices as they Relate to Risk
Management
We
attempt to make our compensation programs discretionary, balanced
and focused on the long term. We believe goals and objectives of
our compensation programs reflect a balanced mix of quantitative
and qualitative performance measures to avoid excessive weight on a
single performance measure. Our approach to compensation practices
and policies applicable to employees and consultants is consistent
with that followed for its executives. Based on these factors, we
believe that our compensation policies and practices do not create
risks that are reasonably likely to have a material adverse effect
on us.
Section
16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance
Section
16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 requires our directors
and executive officers, and persons who own beneficially more than
ten percent of our common stock, to file reports of ownership and
changes of ownership with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Based solely upon a review of Forms 3, 4 and 5 furnished to us
during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019, we believe that the
directors, executive officers, and greater than ten percent
beneficial owners have complied with all applicable filing
requirements during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019, except
for the late filings of a Form 4 by our directors Alexandre
Zyngier, Michael Graves and Robert Lance Cook in November 2019 and
the late filings of a Form 3 and Form 4 by Mr. Cook in February
2019.
Certain
Relationships and Related Transactions
On
August 13, 2020, our subsidiaries Torchlight Energy, Inc. and
Torchlight Hazel, LLC (collectively, “Torchlight”) entered into an
option agreement (the “Option Agreement”) with Masterson Hazel
Partners, LP (“MHP”) and McCabe Petroleum Corporation. Under the
agreement, MHP is obligated to drill and complete, or cause to be
drilled and completed, at its sole cost and expense, a new lateral
well (the “Well”) on our Hazel Project, sufficient to satisfy
Torchlight’s continuous development obligations on the southern
half of the prospect no later than September 30, 2020. In the event
MHP exercises it option to purchase the entire Hazel Project under
the Option Agreement, McCabe Petroleum Corporation, which is owned
by our chairman Gregory McCabe, has agreed to reduce its
reversionary interest in the Hazel Project from 20% to not more
than 12.5%.
On
July 25, 2018, Torchlight Energy Resources, Inc. and our
wholly-owned subsidiary, Hudspeth Oil Corporation, entered into a
Settlement & Purchase Agreement (the “Settlement Agreement”)
with Founders Oil & Gas, LLC, Founders Oil & Gas Operating,
LLC, Wolfbone Investments, LLC (a wholly-owned company of Gregory
McCabe, our Chairman) and McCabe Petroleum Corporation (also a
wholly-owned company of Mr. McCabe), which agreement provides for
Hudspeth Oil and Wolfbone Investments to each immediately pay
$625,000 and for Hudspeth Oil or the Company and Wolfbone
Investments or McCabe Petroleum to each pay another $625,000 on
July 20, 2019, as consideration for Founders Oil & Gas
assigning all of its working interest in the oil and gas leases of
the Orogrande Project to Hudspeth Oil and Wolfbone Investments
equally. The assignments to Hudspeth Oil and Wolfbone Investments
will be made when the first payments are made, and the payments to
Founders Oil & Gas due in 2019 are not securitized. After this
assignment (for which Hudspeth Oil’s total consideration is
$1,250,000), Hudspeth Oil’s working interest will increase to
72.5%. Additionally, the Settlement Agreement provides that the
Founders parties will assign to the Company, Hudspeth Oil, Wolfbone
Investments and McCabe Petroleum their claims against certain
vendors for damages, if any, against such vendors for negligent
services or defective equipment. Further, the Settlement Agreement
has a mutual release and waivers among the parties.
On
October 17, 2018, we sold to certain investors in a private
transaction 16% Series C Unsecured Convertible Promissory Notes
with a total principal amount of $6,000,000. Interest and principal
were due and payable on the notes in one balloon payment at
maturity on April 17, 2020. The notes were convertible, at the
election of the holders, into an aggregate 6% working interest in
certain oil and gas leases in Hudspeth County, Texas, known as our
“Orogrande Project.” The notes allowed us to redeem them early only
upon the event of a fundamental transaction, such as a merger or
sale of substantially all our assets. The notes provided that the
noteholders may accelerate and declare any and all of the
obligations under the notes to be immediately due and payable in
the event of default, such as nonpayment, failure to perform
required conversions, failure to perform any covenant or agreement
under the notes, an insolvency event, or certain defaults or
judgments. As part of the sale of the of the notes, the noteholders
required that McCabe Petroleum Corporation, a Texas corporation
owned by our Chairman Gregory McCabe (“MPC”), provide them a put
option whereby they had the right to have MPC purchase from them
any unpaid principal amount due on the notes. Additionally, the
notes provided that if there was a fundamental transaction, Mr.
McCabe would be required to pay a fee to each noteholder that
elects not to convert or require MPC to purchase the principal
amount under the note, which fee would be equal to such
noteholder’s pro-rata share of a total fee amount of $1,500,000. We
received total proceeds of $6,000,000 from the sale of the notes,
of which $3,000,000 was used to pay back the promissory note issued
to MPC on December 1, 2017, which note was due on December 31,
2020. We used the remaining proceeds for working capital and
general corporate purposes, which included, without limitation,
drilling and lease acquisition capital. Prior to entering into the
above transactions, our Board of Directors formed a special
committee composed of independent directors to analyze and
authorize the transactions on behalf of Torchlight Energy
Resources, Inc. and determine whether the transactions are fair to
the company. In this role, the special committee engaged an
independent financial consulting firm which rendered a fairness
opinion deeming that the transactions were fair to the company,
from a financial point of view, and contained terms no less
favorable to the company than those that could be obtained in arm’s
length transactions. On March 9, 2020, each of the noteholders
entered into a Conversion Agreement with us and our subsidiary
Hudspeth Oil Corporation (“Hudspeth”), under which the noteholders
elected to convert the notes, in accordance with their terms, into
an aggregate 6% working interest (of all such holders) in the
Orogrande Project. Upon the conversion, MPC’s put option obligation
along with Mr. McCabe’s obligation in connection with a fundamental
transaction were both effectively eliminated.
In
December 2018, we paid WellsX Corp. a total of $173,000 for
performing hydraulic fracturing services on a well at our Orogrande
Project in Hudspeth County, Texas. Robert Lance Cook, a member of
our Board of Directors, holds a 19% beneficial ownership in WellsX
Corp. and is its Vice President of Production
Operations.
Security
Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and
Management
The
following table sets forth information, as of September 14, 2020,
concerning, except as indicated by the footnotes below, (i) each
person whom we know beneficially owns more than 5% of our common
stock, (ii) each of our directors, (iii) each of our named
executive officers, (iv) all of our directors and executive
officers as a group and (v) each of our nominees for election to
the Board of Directors. Unless otherwise noted below, the address
of each beneficial owner listed in the table is c/o Torchlight
Energy Resources, Inc., 5700 W. Plano Parkway, Suite 3600, Plano,
Texas 75093. We have determined beneficial ownership in accordance
with the rules of the SEC. Except as indicated by the footnotes
below, we believe, based on the information furnished to us, that
the persons and entities named in the table below have sole voting
and investment power with respect to all shares of common stock
that they beneficially own, subject to applicable community
property laws. Applicable percentage ownership is based on
99,170,297 shares of common stock outstanding at September 14, 2020
(which amount excludes the 262,001 restricted shares of common
stock held by our director Alexandre Zyngier). In computing the
number of shares of common stock beneficially owned by a person and
the percentage ownership of that person, we deemed outstanding
shares of common stock subject to stock options or warrants held by
that person that are currently exercisable or exercisable within 60
days of September 14, 2020 and shares of common stock issuable upon
conversion of other securities held by that person that are
currently convertible or convertible within 60 days of September
14, 2020. We did not deem these shares outstanding, however, for
the purpose of computing the percentage ownership of any other
person. Unless otherwise noted, stock options and warrants
referenced in the footnotes below are currently fully vested and
exercisable. Beneficial ownership representing less than 1% is
denoted with an asterisk (*).
Shares Beneficially Owned |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Common Stock |
|
Name of beneficial owner |
|
Shares |
|
|
% of Class |
|
John A. Brda |
|
|
2,318,322 |
(1) |
|
|
2.34 |
|
President, CEO, Secretary and
Director |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gregory McCabe |
|
|
13,648,390 |
(2) |
|
|
13.75 |
|
Director (Chairman of the Board) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Roger N. Wurtele |
|
|
10,000 |
|
|
|
* |
|
Chief Financial Officer |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Robert Lance Cook |
|
|
300,000 |
(3) |
|
|
* |
|
Director |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Michael J. Graves |
|
|
745,000 |
(4) |
|
|
* |
|
Director |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Alexandre Zyngier |
|
|
600,000 |
(5) |
|
|
* |
|
Director |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
All directors and executive officers
as a group (6 persons) |
|
|
17,621,712 |
|
|
|
17.49 |
|
|
(1) |
Includes
2,318,322 shares of common stock held by the John A. Brda Trust
(the “Trust”). Mr. Brda is the settlor of the Trust and reserves
the right to revoke the Trust without the consent of another
person. Further, he is the trustee of the Trust and exercises
investment control over the securities held by the
Trust. |
|
(2) |
Includes
(a) 10,264,335 shares of common stock held individually by Mr.
McCabe; (b) securities held by G Mc Exploration, LLC (“GME”),
including (i) 797,099 shares of common stock and (ii) 86,956 shares
issuable upon exercise of warrants; and (c) 2,500,000 shares of
common stock beneficially owned by McCabe Petroleum Corporation
(“MPC”). Mr. McCabe may be deemed to hold beneficial
ownership of securities held by GME as a result of his ownership of
50% of the outstanding membership interests of GME. Mr. McCabe may be deemed to hold
beneficial ownership of securities held by MPC as a result of his
ownership of 100% of the outstanding shares of capital stock of
MPC. |
|
(3) |
Includes
stock options that are exercisable into 300,000 shares of common
stock held by Mr. Cook. |
|
(4) |
Includes
145,000 shares of common stock and stock options that are
exercisable into 600,000 shares of common stock held by Mr.
Graves. |
|
(5) |
Includes
stock options that are exercisable into 600,000 shares of common
stock held by Mr. Zyngier. |
PROPOSAL
2 – RATIFICATION OF SELECTION OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC
ACCOUNTING FIRM
The
Audit Committee of the Board of Directors has selected Briggs &
Veselka Co. as our independent registered public accounting firm
for the current fiscal year. Briggs & Veselka Co. has served as
our independent registered public accounting firm continuously
since January 2017. We wish to obtain from the stockholders a
ratification of the Audit Committee’s action in selecting Briggs
& Veselka Co. for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2020.
Such ratification requires the affirmative vote of a majority of
the shares of common stock present or represented by proxy and
entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting. A representative of Briggs
& Veselka Co. is expected to be present at the Annual Meeting
with the opportunity to make a statement if he or she so desires
and to respond to appropriate questions.
Although
not required by law or otherwise, the selection is being submitted
to the stockholders for their approval as a matter of good
corporate practice. In the event the selection of Briggs &
Veselka Co. as our independent registered public accounting firm is
not ratified by the stockholders, the adverse vote will be
considered as a direction to the Audit Committee to reconsider
whether or not to retain that firm as independent registered public
accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2020. Even
if the selection is ratified, the Board of Directors in its
discretion may direct the selection of a different independent
accounting firm at any time during or after the year if it
determines that such a change would be in the best interests of us
and our stockholders.
OUR
BOARD OF DIRECTORS RECOMMENDS A VOTE “FOR” RATIFICATION OF THE
SELECTION OF Briggs &
Veselka Co. AS OUR INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING
FIRM FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 31, 2020.
Disclosure
about Fees
The
following table sets forth the fees paid or accrued by us for the
audit and other services provided by our auditor, Briggs &
Veselka Co. and our independent consultant during the years ended
December 31, 2019 and 2018.
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|
2019 |
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|
2018 |
|
Audit Fees(1) |
|
$ |
162,309 |
|
|
$ |
159,253 |
|
Audit Related Fees(2) |
|
|
46,473 |
|
|
|
107,186 |
|
Tax Fees(3) |
|
|
47,000 |
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|
|
20,400 |
|
All Other
Fees |
|
|
438 |
|
|
|
41,959 |
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|
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|
|
Total Fees |
|
$ |
256,220 |
|
|
$ |
328,798 |
|
|
(1) |
Audit
Fees: This category represents the aggregate fees billed for
professional services rendered by the principal independent
accountant for the audit of our annual financial statements and
review of financial statements included in our Form 10-K and
services that are normally provided by the accountant in connection
with statutory and regulatory filings or engagements for the fiscal
years. |
|
(2) |
Audit
Related Fees: This category consists of the aggregate fees billed
for SOX 404 Internal Control compliance services and assurance and
related services by our independent consultant that are reasonably
related to the performance of the audit or review of our financial
statements and are not reported under “Audit Fees.” |
|
(3) |
Tax
Fees: This category consists of the aggregate fees billed for
professional services rendered by the principal independent
consultant for tax compliance, tax advice, and tax
planning. |
Pre-Approval
of Audit and Non-Audit Services
For
the fiscal years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018, all audit
services and audit-related services, as described above, were
provided to us based upon prior approval of our Audit
Committee.
INTERESTS
OF CERTAIN PERSONS IN OR OPPOSITION TO
MATTERS TO BE ACTED UPON
None
of the persons who have served as our executive officers or
directors since the beginning of our last fiscal year, or any
associates of such persons, have any substantial interest, direct
or indirect, in any of the proposals set forth herein, other than
elections to office described under Proposal 1.
OTHER
MATTERS WHICH MAY BE PRESENTED FOR ACTION AT THE
MEETING
The
Board of Directors does not intend to present for action at this
Annual Meeting any matter other than those specifically set forth
in the Notice of Annual Meeting. If any other matter is properly
presented for action at the Annual Meeting, it is the intention of
persons named in the proxy to vote thereon in accordance with their
judgment pursuant to the discretionary authority conferred by the
proxy.
PROPOSALS
FOR 2021 ANNUAL MEETING
Under
SEC regulations, any stockholder desiring to make a proposal
pursuant to Rule 14a-8 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
as amended, to be acted upon at the 2021 Annual Meeting of
Stockholders must present the proposal to us at our principal
executive offices at 5700 W. Plano Parkway, Suite 3600, Plano,
Texas 75093, Attention: President, by May 21, 2021 for the proposal
to be eligible for inclusion in our proxy statement. Notice of a
stockholder proposal submitted outside the processes of Rule 14a-8
for the 2020 Annual Meeting of Stockholders will be considered
untimely unless received by us no later than 45 days before the
date on which we first sent our proxy materials for this year’s
Annual Meeting.
MISCELLANEOUS
We
file annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and
other documents with the SEC electronically. The SEC maintains an
Internet site that contains reports, proxy and information
statements, and other information regarding issuers that file
electronically with the SEC. You can access the electronic versions
of these filings on the SEC’s website found at
www.sec.gov.
|
By
Order of the Board of Directors, |
|
 |
|
John
A. Brda |
Dated:
September 18, 2020 |
President,
Chief Executive Officer and Director |
TORCHLIGHT
ENERGY RESOURCES, INC.
THIS PROXY IS SOLICITED ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF
DIRECTORS
annual meeting OF STOCKHOLDERS – OCTOBER 26, 2020 at 9:00 AM
CT
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CONTROL
ID: |
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REQUEST
ID: |
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The
undersigned stockholder of TORCHLIGHT ENERGY RESOURCES, INC., a
Nevada corporation (the “Company”, “Orgenesis”, “we”, or “us”),
hereby appoints each of John A. Brda and Roger N. Wurtele (the
“Proxies”) as proxies on behalf and in the name of the undersigned,
to represent the undersigned at the 2020 Annual Meeting of
Stockholders of the Company, to be held on October 26, 2020 at 9:00
a.m. Central Time online at www.isuerdirect.com/virtual-event/trch,
and at any adjournment or adjournments thereof, and to vote all
shares of the Company that the undersigned would be entitled to
vote if then and there personally present, on the matters set forth
on the reverse side, and all such other business as may properly
come before the meeting. |
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(CONTINUED
AND TO BE SIGNED ON REVERSE SIDE.) |
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VOTING
INSTRUCTIONS |
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If
you vote by phone, fax or internet, please DO NOT mail your proxy
card. |
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MAIL: |
Please
mark, sign, date, and return this Proxy Card promptly using the
enclosed envelope. |
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FAX: |
Complete
the reverse portion of this Proxy Card and Fax to
202-521-3464. |
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INTERNET: |
https://www.iproxydirect.com/TRCH |
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PHONE: |
1-866-752-VOTE(8683) |
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ANNUAL
MEETING OF THE STOCKHOLDERS OF
TORCHLIGHT ENERGY RESOURCES, INC. |
PLEASE
COMPLETE, DATE, SIGN AND RETURN PROMPTLY IN THE ENCLOSED
ENVELOPE.
PLEASE MARK YOUR VOTE IN BLUE OR BLACK INK AS SHOWN
HERE: x |
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PROXY
SOLICITED ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS |
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Proposal
1 |
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à |
FOR |
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WITHHOLD |
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Election
of Directors |
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John
A. Brda |
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o |
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o |
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Gregory
McCabe |
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o |
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o |
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Control ID: |
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Robert
Lance Cook |
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o
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o |
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REQUEST
ID: |
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Michael
J. Graves |
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o |
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o |
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Alexandre
Zyngier |
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o |
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o |
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Proposal
2 |
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à |
FOR |
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AGAINST |
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ABSTAIN |
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To
ratify the selection of Briggs & Veselka Co as our independent
registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending
December 31, 2020. |
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o |
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o |
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o |
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In
their discretion, the proxies are authorized to vote upon such
other business that may properly come before the Annual
Meeting. |
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MARK
“X” HERE IF YOU PLAN TO ATTEND THE MEETING:
o |
THE
BOARD UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS A VOTE “FOR” THE ELECTION AS DIRECTORS
IN PROPOSAL 1 AND “FOR” PROPOSAL 2. |
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MARK
HERE FOR ADDRESS CHANGE o New
Address (if applicable):
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
IMPORTANT:
Please sign exactly as your name or names appear on this Proxy.
When shares are held jointly, each holder should sign. When signing
as executor, administrator, attorney, trustee or guardian, please
give full title as such. If the signer is a corporation, please
sign full corporate name by duly authorized officer, giving full
title as such. If signer is a partnership, please sign in
partnership name by authorized person.
Dated:
________________________, 2020
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(Print
Name of Stockholder and/or Joint Tenant) |
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(Signature
of Stockholder) |
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(Second
Signature if held jointly) |