DEF 14A
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
SCHEDULE 14A
Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934 (Amendment No. )
Filed by the Registrant þ
Filed by a Party other than the Registrant o
Check the appropriate box:
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Preliminary Proxy Statement |
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Confidential, for Use of the Commission Only (as permitted by Rule 14a-6(e)(2)) |
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Definitive Proxy Statement |
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Definitive Additional Materials |
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Soliciting Material Pursuant to §240.14a-12 |
PMC Commercial Trust
(Name of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter)
Not Applicable
(Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if other than the Registrant)
Payment of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box):
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No fee required. |
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Fee computed on table below per Exchange Act Rules 14a-6(i)(1) and 0-11. |
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Per unit price or other underlying value of transaction computed pursuant to Exchange Act
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Proposed maximum aggregate value of transaction: |
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Fee paid previously with preliminary materials. |
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Check box if any part of the fee is offset as provided by Exchange Act Rule 0-11(a)(2)
and identify the filing for which the offsetting fee was paid previously. Identify the
previous filing by registration statement number, or the Form or Schedule and the date of its
filing. |
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Amount Previously Paid: |
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Form, Schedule or Registration Statement No.: |
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Date Filed: |
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PMC COMMERCIAL TRUST
17950 Preston Road, Suite 600
Dallas, Texas 75252
NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS
Dear Shareholder:
You are invited to attend the Annual Meeting of Shareholders of PMC Commercial Trust (the
Meeting), to be held at 17950 Preston Road, Suite 600, Dallas, Texas, on Saturday, June 12, 2010,
at 8:00 a.m., Central Daylight Time. The purpose of the Meeting is to vote on the following
proposals:
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Proposal 1: To elect the five trust managers nominated in the proxy
statement to serve for a one-year term, and until their
successors are elected and qualified. |
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Proposal 2: To ratify the selection of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as our
independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal
year ending December 31, 2010. |
In addition, we will ask you to consider and vote on one shareholder proposal for an
independent Chairman of the Board that is opposed by our Board of Trust Managers, as described on
pages 33-34 in the accompanying Proxy Statement.
The Board of Trust Managers has fixed the close of business on April 16, 2010 as the record
date for determining shareholders entitled to notice of and to vote at the Meeting. A form of proxy
card and a copy of our annual report to shareholders for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2009
are enclosed with this notice of Meeting and proxy statement.
Your proxy vote is important to us and our business. I encourage you to complete, date, sign
and return the accompanying proxy whether or not you plan to attend the Meeting. If you plan to
attend the Meeting to vote in person and your shares are in the name of a broker or bank, you must
secure a proxy from the broker or bank assigning voting rights to you for your shares.
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Sincerely,
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/s/ Lance B. Rosemore
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Lance B. Rosemore |
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Chief Executive Officer and President |
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April 29, 2010
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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(i)
PROXY STATEMENT
ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS
Saturday, June 12, 2010
PMC Commercial Trust
17950 Preston Road, Suite 600
Dallas, Texas 75252
The Board of Trust Managers (the Board) of PMC Commercial Trust (the Company, us, we
or our) is soliciting proxies to be used at the 2010 Annual Meeting of Shareholders to be held at
17950 Preston Road, Suite 600, Dallas, Texas, on Saturday, June 12, 2010, at 8:00 a.m., Central
Daylight Time (the Meeting). This proxy statement, accompanying proxy and annual report to
shareholders for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2009 are first being mailed to shareholders on
or about April 16, 2010. Although the annual report is being mailed to shareholders with this proxy
statement, it does not constitute part of this proxy statement.
Only shareholders of record as of the close of business on April 16, 2010 are entitled to
notice of and to vote at the Meeting. As of April 16, 2010, we had 10,548,354 common shares of
beneficial interest (the Shares) outstanding. Each holder of record of Shares on the record date
is entitled to one vote on each matter properly brought before the Meeting for each Share held.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT THE MEETING AND VOTING
1. What is a proxy?
It is your legal designation of another person to vote the Shares you own. That other person
is called a proxy. If you designate someone as your proxy in a written document, that document also
is called a proxy or a proxy card. We have designated two of our officers, Jan F. Salit and Barry
N. Berlin, as proxies for the Meeting.
2. What is a proxy statement?
It is a document that Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) regulations require us to
give you when we ask you to sign a proxy card designating Jan F. Salit and Barry N. Berlin as
proxies to vote on your behalf.
3. |
What is the difference between a shareholder of record and shareholder who holds Shares in
street name? |
If your Shares are registered in your name, you are a shareholder of record. If your Shares
are held in the name of your broker or bank, your Shares are held in street name and you are a
beneficial owner.
4. How do I attend the Meeting? What do I need to bring?
If you are a shareholder of record, you will need to bring a photo ID with you to the Meeting.
If you own Shares in street name, bring your most recent brokerage statement with you to the
Meeting. We can use your statement to verify your ownership of Shares and admit you to the Meeting;
however, you will not be able to vote your Shares at the Meeting without a legal proxy, as
described in question 5. You will also need to bring a photo ID.
Please note that cameras, sound or video recording equipment, cellular telephones or other
similar equipment, electronic devices, large bags, briefcases or packages will not be allowed at
the Meeting.
5. How can I vote at the Meeting if I own Shares in street name?
You will need to ask your broker or bank for a legal proxy. You will need to bring the legal
proxy with you to the Meeting. You will not be able to vote your Shares at the Meeting without a
legal proxy.
Please note that if you request a legal proxy, any previously executed proxy will be revoked,
and your vote will not be counted unless you appear at the Meeting and vote in person or legally
appoint another proxy to vote on your behalf.
If you do not receive the legal proxy in time, you can follow the procedures described in
question 4 to attend the Meeting. However, you will not be able to vote your Shares at the Meeting.
Page | 1
6. What Shares are included on the proxy card?
If you are a shareholder of record on April 16, 2010, you will receive one proxy card for all
the Shares you hold in each single account, regardless of whether you hold them:
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In certificate form, or |
If you receive more than one proxy card it generally means you hold Shares registered in more
than one account. Please sign and return all of the proxy cards you receive to ensure that your
Shares are voted.
7. What constitutes a quorum?
The presence, in person or represented by proxy, of a majority of the Shares (at least
5,274,178) entitled to vote at the Meeting is necessary to constitute a quorum at the Meeting.
However, if a quorum is not present at the Meeting, the chairman of the Meeting or the shareholders
entitled to vote at the Meeting, present in person or represented by proxy, have the power to
adjourn the Meeting until a quorum is present or represented.
8. What different methods can I use to vote?
By Written Proxy. All shareholders can vote by written proxy card received with this proxy
statement.
In Person. All shareholders of record may vote in person at the Meeting. Street name holders
may vote in person at the Meeting if they have a legal proxy, as described in question 5.
9. What is the record date and what does it mean?
The record date for the meeting is April 16, 2010. The record date is established by the Board
as allowed by the Texas Business Organizations Code (Texas Law). Owners of record of Shares at
the close of business on the record date are entitled to:
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receive notice of the Meeting; and |
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vote at the Meeting and any adjournments or postponements of the Meeting. |
10. What can I do if I change my mind after I return my proxy card?
Returning your proxy card will in no way limit your right to vote at the Meeting if you later
decide to attend in person.
Shareholders can revoke a proxy prior to the completion of voting at the Meeting by:
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giving written notice of revocation to the Corporate Secretary of the Company; |
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delivering a later-dated proxy; or |
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voting in person at the Meeting (unless you are a street name holder without a
legal proxy, as described in question 5). |
11. Are votes confidential? Who counts the votes?
We will continue our long-standing practice of holding the votes of all shareholders in
confidence from trust managers, officers and employees except:
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as necessary to meet applicable legal requirements and to assert or defend
claims for or against the Company; |
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in case of a contested proxy solicitation; |
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if a shareholder makes a written comment on the proxy card or otherwise
communicates his or her vote to management; or |
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to allow inspectors of election to certify the results of the vote. |
We will also continue, as we have for many years, to retain an independent tabulator to
receive and tabulate the proxies and inspectors of election to certify results.
Page | 2
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12. |
What are my voting choices when voting for trust manager nominees, and what vote is needed to
elect trust managers? |
In the vote on the election of five trust manager nominees to serve until the 2011 Annual
Meeting of Shareholders, until their successor has been duly elected and qualified, or until the
earliest of their death, resignation or retirement, shareholders may;
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vote in favor of all nominees; |
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vote in favor of specific nominees; |
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vote against all nominees; |
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vote against specific nominees; |
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abstain from voting with respect to all nominees; or |
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abstain from voting with respect to specific nominees. |
The affirmative vote of two-thirds of the votes cast at the Meeting is required to elect trust
managers.
The Board recommends a vote FOR each of the nominees.
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What are my voting choices when voting on the ratification of the appointment of
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as the independent registered public accounting firm, and what vote
is needed to ratify their appointment? |
In the vote on the ratification of the appointment of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as our
independent registered public accounting firm, shareholders of record may:
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vote in favor of the ratification; |
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vote against the ratification; or |
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abstain from voting on the ratification. |
The affirmative vote of a majority of the votes cast at the Meeting is required to ratify the
selection of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm.
The Board recommends a vote FOR the ratification of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as our
independent registered public accounting firm.
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What are my choices when voting on the shareholder proposal, and what vote is needed to adopt
the proposal? |
In the vote on the shareholder proposal presented in the proxy statement, shareholders of
record may:
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vote in favor of the shareholder proposal; |
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vote against the shareholder proposal; or |
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abstain from voting on the shareholder proposal. |
The affirmative vote of a majority of the votes cast at the Meeting is required to adopt the
shareholder proposal.
The Board recommends a vote AGAINST the shareholder proposal.
15. What if I do not specify a choice for a matter when returning a proxy?
Shareholders should specify their choice for each matter on the enclosed proxy card. If no
specific instructions are given, proxies that are signed and returned will be voted:
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FOR the election of all trust manager nominees; |
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FOR the proposal to ratify the appointment of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as our
independent registered public accounting firm; and |
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AGAINST the shareholder proposal. |
Page | 3
16. How are abstentions and broker non-votes counted?
If on the record date your shares were held through a broker, bank or other agent and not in
your name, then you are a beneficial owner. If you are a beneficial owner, your shares are held
in street name, as is the case for most of the Companys shareholders. As a beneficial owner, you
should have received a form with the voting instructions from the organization holding your
account, rather than from the Company, and you have the right to direct how the shares in your
account are to be voted. Please complete and mail the voting instruction form as instructed to
ensure your vote is counted. Alternatively, you may vote by telephone or over the Internet if
permitted by your bank, broker or other agent by following the instructions provided in the Notice
of Availability of Proxy Materials or voting instruction form. As a beneficial owner, you are also
invited to attend the annual meeting. However, since you are not a shareholder of record, you may
not vote your shares in person at the annual meeting unless you request and obtain a valid proxy
from your bank, broker or other agent. Follow the instructions from your broker, bank or other
agent included with the proxy materials, or contact your bank, broker or other agent to request
such form of proxy.
If you are a beneficial owner and the organization holding your account does not receive
instructions from you as to how to vote those shares, under the rules of the New York Stock
Exchange (the NYSE), that organization may exercise discretionary authority to vote on routine
proposals (such as the proposal to ratify the selection of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as the
Companys independent registered public accounting firm) but may not vote on non-routine proposals
(such as the election of trust managers). As a beneficial owner, you will not be deemed to have
voted on such non-routine proposals. The shares which cannot be voted by banks, brokers or other
agents on non-routine matters are called broker non-votes. Broker non-votes will be deemed present
at the annual meeting for purposes of determining whether a quorum exists for the annual meeting.
Broker non-votes will make a quorum more readily obtainable, but will not be counted as votes cast.
Abstentions will be counted as Shares that are present and entitled to vote for the purpose of
determining the presence of a quorum and will be treated as present and a vote against any matter
described herein.
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Does the Company have a policy regarding trust managers attendance at the Annual Meeting of
Shareholders? |
The Company does not have a policy regarding trust managers attendance at Annual Meetings of
Shareholders. All of the trust managers attended the 2009 Annual Meeting of Shareholders.
18. Can I access the Notice of Annual Meeting, Proxy Statement and Annual Report on the Internet?
The Notice of Annual Meeting and Proxy Statement are available on our website at
www.pmctrust.com/proxy and our Annual Report for the year ended December 31, 2009 is available at
www.pmctrust.com/annualreport.
19. How are proxies solicited and what is the cost?
We will bear all expenses incurred in connection with the solicitation of proxies. We have not
engaged any solicitor to assist with the solicitation of proxies. In accordance with SEC rules, we
will reimburse brokers, fiduciaries and custodians for their costs in forwarding proxy materials to
the beneficial owners of Shares.
Our trust managers, officers and employees may solicit proxies by mail, telephone and personal
contact. They will not receive any additional compensation for these activities.
IMPORTANT: If your shares are held in the name of a brokerage firm, bank, nominee or other
institution, you should provide instructions to your broker, bank, nominee or other institution on
how to vote your shares. Please contact the person responsible for your account and give
instructions for a proxy to be completed for your shares.
Page | 4
GOVERNANCE OF THE COMPANY
Board of Trust Managers
Pursuant to our Declaration of Trust and our Bylaws, our business, property and affairs are
managed under the direction of our Board. Members of the Board are kept informed of the Companys
business through discussions with the Chairman of the Board and executive officers, by reviewing
materials provided to them and by participating in meetings of the Board and its committees. Board
members have complete access to the Companys management team and the independent registered public
accounting firm. The Board and each of the key committees Audit, Compensation and Nominating and
Corporate Governance also have authority to retain, at the Companys expense, outside counsel,
consultants or other advisors in the performance of their duties. The Companys Corporate
Governance Guidelines require that a majority of the Board be independent within the meaning of
standards established by the stock exchange on which the Companys Shares are traded. The Companys
Shares are currently traded on the NYSE Amex.
Board Leadership Structure; Board Role in Risk Oversight
Leadership Structure. Our Board does not have a formal policy regarding the leadership
structure of the Company but instead believes that the leadership structure of a company may be
determined based on a number of different factors and circumstances including, the companys
position, history, size, culture, board size and composition. Since the Companys formation in
1993, Mr. Lance B. Rosemore has served as our Chief Executive Officer and as our Chairman of the
Board since June 2008. At this time, our Board believes that Mr. Rosemores combined role as Chief
Executive Officer and the Chairman of our Board enables the Company to benefit from Mr. Rosemores
significant institutional and industry knowledge and experience while at the same time promoting
unified leadership and direction for our Board and executive management without duplication of
effort and cost.
Given our history, position, Board composition and the relatively small size of our company
and management team, at this time, our Board believes the Company and its shareholders are best
served by our current leadership structure. Our Board believes that it is able to provide
effective independent oversight of the Companys business and affairs, including risks facing the
Company, through the leadership of our lead independent trust manager, the independent committees
of our Board and the other corporate governance structures and processes the Company has in place.
We have a lead independent trust manager, Mr. Nathan G. Cohen, who plays an active role on our
Board and is vested with significant responsibilities that an independent chairman of the board
would otherwise perform. These responsibilities include, without limitation:
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ability to call meetings or executive sessions of the Board; |
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presiding at meetings of the Board at which the Chairman is not present; |
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calling, developing the agenda for and presiding over executive sessions of the
independent trust managers, and taking the lead role in communicating any feedback
to the Chairman, as appropriate; |
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serving as principal liaison between the independent trust managers and the
Chairman; |
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facilitating communication between the independent trust managers and
management; |
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communicating with trust managers between meetings when appropriate; |
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consulting with the Chairman regarding information, agenda and schedules of the
meetings of the Board; |
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being available, when necessary or appropriate, for consultation and direct
communication with shareholders and other external constituencies; |
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serving as a contact for shareholders who wish to communicate with the Board
other than through the Chairman; and |
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oversight of our Sarbanes-Oxley compliance employee. |
Page | 5
Four of our five currently serving trust managers are non-management trust managers, and three
of these trust managers are independent under the NYSE Amex listing standards. All of our trust
managers are free to call a meeting or executive session of our Board, suggest the inclusion of
items on the agenda for meetings of our Board or raise subjects that are not on the agenda for that
meeting. In addition, our Board and each committee have complete and open access to any member of
management and the authority to retain independent legal, financial and other advisors as they deem
appropriate without consulting or obtaining the approval of any member of management. Our Board
also holds executive sessions of only non-management trust managers in order to promote discussion
among the non-management trust managers and assure independent oversight of management. Our lead
independent trust manager presides over these executive sessions.
Moreover, our Board has three committees: Audit Committee, Compensation Committee and
Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, all of which are comprised entirely of independent
directors and also perform oversight functions independent of management. Among various other
responsibilities set forth in committee charters, (i) the Compensation Committee oversees the
annual performance evaluation of the Companys Chairman and Chief Executive Officer and other
executive officers, (ii) the Nominating Committee monitors the size and composition of the Board
and its committees and adopts criteria for recommending candidates for election or re-election to
the Board and its committees and (iii) the Audit Committee oversees the accounting and financial
reporting processes as well as legal, compliance and risk management matters. The chair of each of
these committees is responsible for directing the work of the committee in fulfilling these
responsibilities.
The Board, through the Nominating and Governance Committee, annually evaluates the Board
leadership structure in light of the Companys changing requirements and circumstances to ensure
that it remains the most appropriate structure for the Company and its shareholders. At this time,
the Company continues to believe its current leadership structure consisting of a Chairman who also
serves as Chief Executive Officer, a lead independent trust manager and three Board committees
separately chaired by and comprised solely of independent members of our Board remains the most
appropriate leadership structure for the Company and its shareholders.
Risk Oversight. Companies are exposed to a variety of risks. The primary risks that we are
exposed to are liquidity risk, real estate risk and interest rate risk. Our entire Board oversees
risk management, however, the Audit Committee exercises primary responsibility for overseeing the
Companys risk management control.
Our Board exercises its risk oversight function through (i) the review and discussion of
reports to the Board and its committees on topics relating to the risks that the Company faces,
including, among others, market conditions, liquidity availability, foreclosure activity,
compliance with debt covenants, access to debt and equity capital markets, existing and potential
legal claims and various other matters relating to the Companys business and financial condition,
(ii) the required approval by the Board (or a committee thereof) of significant transactions and
other decisions, including, among others, acquisitions and dispositions of properties and new
credit facilities, (iii) the direct oversight of specific areas of the Companys business by the
Compensation, Audit and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committees and (iv) regular reports
from the Companys auditors and other outside consultants regarding various areas of potential
risk. The entire Board also regularly discusses the identified risks the Company faces and the
implementation of strategies to minimize such risks. The Board may also refer a specific risk to
one of the Boards committees for particular oversight if the risk falls within the committees
specific area of responsibility or oversight. Examples include:
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the Audit Committee reviews the financial and internal control over financial
reporting risks; and |
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the Compensation Committee considers the primary risks associated with the
Companys compensation programs to make sure such programs do not encourage
excessive risk taking. |
The Board also relies on management to bring significant matters to its attention. The Company
has a risk management program overseen by Jan F. Salit, the Companys Chief Operating Officer, who
reports directly to the Board. Material operating and other risks are identified an prioritized by
management and reported to the Board for oversight of the risk.
The Board believes that the Companys current leadership structure, including the independent
committee oversight function and the open access of the Board to the Companys Chief Operating
Officer, Chief Financial Officer and other officers as the Board determines is appropriate,
supports the oversight role of the Board in the Companys risk management.
Page | 6
Statement on Corporate Governance
The Company is dedicated to establishing and maintaining high standards of corporate
governance. The Board has implemented many corporate governance measures designed to serve the
long-term interests of our shareholders and further align the interests of trust managers and
management with the Companys shareholders.
Executive Sessions. Pursuant to the Companys Corporate Governance Guidelines, the
non-management trust managers meet in separate executive sessions at least three times a year.
These trust managers may invite the Chief Executive Officer or others, as they deem appropriate, to
attend a portion of these sessions.
Contacting the Board. The Board welcomes your questions and comments. If you would like to
communicate directly with the Board, or if you have a concern related to the Companys business
ethics or conduct, financial statements, accounting practices or internal controls, then you may
submit your correspondence to the Secretary of the Company or you may call the Ethics Hotline at
1-800-292-4496. All communications will be forwarded to the chairman of our Audit Committee and/or
the Assistant Secretary of the Company, as appropriate, provided that advertisements, solicitations
for periodical or other subscriptions, and similar communications generally are not forwarded.
Code of Business Conduct and Ethics. The Board has adopted a Code of Business Conduct and
Ethics that applies to all trust managers, officers and employees, including the Companys
principal executive officer and principal financial and accounting officer and a Code of Ethical
Conduct for Senior Financial Officers (collectively, the Codes of Conduct). The purposes of the
Codes of Conduct are to:
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promote honest and ethical conduct, including the ethical handling of actual or
apparent conflicts of interest between personal and professional relationships; |
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promote full, fair, accurate, timely and understandable disclosure in periodic
reports required to be filed by the Company; and |
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promote compliance with all applicable rules and regulations that apply to the
Company and its officers and trust managers. |
If the Board amends any provisions of either Code of Conduct that applies to the Companys
Chief Executive Officer or senior financial officers or grants a waiver in favor of any such
persons, the Company intends to satisfy its disclosure requirements by promptly publishing the text
of the amendment or the specifics of the waiver on its website at www.pmctrust.com.
The Company intends to continue to act promptly to incorporate not only the actual
requirements of rules adopted with respect to corporate governance matters but also additional
voluntary measures it deems appropriate. Charters for the Audit, Compensation and Nominating and
Corporate Governance Committees and the Companys Corporate Governance Guidelines and Codes of
Conduct may be viewed on the Companys website at www.pmctrust.com under the Corporate Governance
section. In addition, the Company will mail copies of the Corporate Governance Guidelines to
shareholders upon their written request.
Page | 7
BOARD OF TRUST MANAGERS
General Meetings
During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2009, the Board held four general meetings. In
addition, for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2009, there was one independent committee meeting.
Each of the trust managers attended all meetings held by the Board and all meetings of each
committee of the Board on which such trust manager served during the fiscal year ended December 31,
2009. The Companys policy is to encourage members of the Board to attend the meetings in person.
All members of the Board attended the 2009 Annual Meeting of Shareholders.
Committees
During the 2009 fiscal year, the Board had three standing committees: an Audit Committee,
Compensation Committee and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee.
Audit Committee. The Audit Committee currently consists of Mr. Nathan G. Cohen (chairman),
Mr. Barry A. Imber and Mr. Irving Munn. The Audit Committee is comprised entirely of trust managers
who meet the independence and financial literacy requirements of the NYSE Amex listing standards as
well as the standards established under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. In addition, the Board has
determined that Mr. Imber qualifies as an audit committee financial expert as defined in SEC
rules.
The Audit Committees responsibilities include providing assistance to the Board in fulfilling
its responsibilities with respect to oversight of the integrity of the Companys financial
statements, the Companys compliance with legal and regulatory requirements, the independent
registered public accounting firms qualifications, performance and independence, and the
performance of the Companys internal audit function. In accordance with its charter, the Audit
Committee has sole authority to appoint and replace the independent registered public accounting
firm, who report directly to the Committee, approve the engagement fee of the independent
registered public accounting firm and pre-approve the audit services and any permitted non-audit
services they may provide to the Company. In addition, the Audit Committee reviews the scope of
audits as well as the annual audit plan and evaluates matters relating to the audit and internal
controls of the Company. The Audit Committee holds separate executive sessions, outside the
presence of executive management, with the Companys independent registered public accounting firm.
The Audit Committee held four regular quarterly meetings and one other meeting during the fiscal
year ended December 31, 2009.
Compensation Committee. The Compensation Committee currently consists of Mr. Irving Munn
(chairman), Mr. Barry A. Imber and Mr. Nathan G. Cohen. The Compensation Committee is comprised
entirely of trust managers who meet the independence requirements of the NYSE Amex listing
standards. The Compensation Committees responsibilities include:
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establishing the Companys general compensation philosophy; |
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overseeing the Companys compensation programs and practices, including
incentive and equity-based compensation plans; |
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reviewing and approving executive compensation plans in light of corporate goals
and objectives; |
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evaluating the performance of the Chief Executive Officer in light of these
criteria and establishing the Chief Executive Officers compensation level based on
such evaluation; |
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evaluating the performance of the other executive officers and their salaries,
bonus and incentive and equity compensation; |
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administration of the Companys equity and benefit plans; |
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reviewing the adequacy of the Companys succession planning and organizational
effectiveness; and |
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reviewing and making recommendations concerning proposals by management
regarding compensation, bonuses, employment agreements and other benefits and
policies with respect to such matters for employees of the Company. |
Page | 8
The Compensation Committee has the authority to retain counsel and other experts or
consultants including the sole authority to select and retain a compensation consultant and to
approve the fees and other retention terms of any consultant. The Compensation Committee met three
times during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2009.
Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. The Nominating and Corporate Governance
Committee (the Nominating Committee) currently consists of Mr. Barry A. Imber (chairman), Mr.
Nathan G. Cohen and Mr. Irving Munn. The Nominating Committees duties include adopting criteria
for recommending candidates for election or re-election to the Board and its committees and
considering issues and making recommendations regarding the size and composition of the Board. The
Nominating Committee will also consider nominees for trust manager suggested by shareholders in
written submissions to the Companys Secretary in compliance with the nomination procedures set
forth below. The Nominating Committee met two times during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2009.
Trust Manager Nomination Procedures
Trust Manager Qualifications. The Companys Nominating Committee has established policies for
the desired attributes of the Board as a whole. The Board will ensure that a majority of its
members are independent under NYSE Amex listing standards. Each trust manager generally may not
serve as a member of more than six other public company boards. Each member of the Board must
possess the individual qualities of integrity and accountability, informed judgment, financial
literacy, high performance standards and must be committed to representing the long-term interests
of the Company and its shareholders. In addition, trust managers must be committed to devoting the
time and effort necessary to be responsible and productive members of the Board. The Board does not
have a formal policy with regard to the consideration of diversity in identifying trust manager
nominees. However, the Board values diversity, in its broadest sense, reflecting, but not limited
to, profession, geography, gender, ethnicity, skills and experience and strives to nominate trust
managers so that as a group, the Board will possess the appropriate talent, skills and expertise to
oversee the Companys business.
Identifying and Evaluating Nominees. The Nominating Committee periodically assesses the
appropriate number of trust managers comprising the Board, and whether any vacancies on the Board
are expected due to retirement or otherwise. The Nominating Committee may consider those factors it
deems appropriate in evaluating trust manager candidates including judgment, skill, diversity,
strength of character, experience with businesses and organizations comparable in size or scope to
the Company, experience and skill relative to other board members and specialized knowledge or
experience. Depending upon the current needs of the Board, certain factors may be weighed more or
less heavily by the Nominating Committee. In considering candidates for the Board, the Nominating
Committee evaluates the entirety of each candidates credentials and, other than the eligibility
requirements established by the Nominating Committee, does not have any specific minimum
qualifications that must be met by a nominee. The Nominating Committee considers candidates for the
Board from any reasonable source, including current board members, shareholders, professional
search firms or other persons. The Nominating Committee does not evaluate candidates differently
based on who has made the recommendation. The Nominating Committee has the authority under its
charter to hire and pay a fee to consultants or search firms to assist in the process of
identifying and evaluating candidates.
Shareholder Nominees. The Nominating Committee will consider properly submitted shareholder
nominees for election to the Board and will apply the same evaluation criteria in considering such
nominees as it would to persons nominated under any other circumstances. Such nominations may be
made by a shareholder entitled to vote who delivers written notice along with any other additional
information and materials reasonably required by the Company to the Secretary of the Company not
later than the close of business on the 90th day, and not earlier than the close of business on the
120th day, prior to the anniversary of the preceding years meeting. For the Companys annual
meeting of shareholders in 2011, the Secretary must receive this notice not earlier than
February 12, 2011, and prior to the close of business on March 14, 2011.
Any shareholder nominations proposed for consideration by the Nominating Committee should
include the nominees name and sufficient biographical information to demonstrate that the nominee
meets the qualification requirements for board service as set forth under Trust Manager
Qualifications. The nominees written consent to the nomination should also be included with the
nomination submission, which should be addressed to: PMC Commercial Trust, 17950 Preston Road,
Suite 600, Dallas, Texas 75252, Attn: Secretary.
Page | 9
Independence of Trust Managers
Pursuant to the Companys Corporate Governance Guidelines, which require that a majority of
our trust managers be independent within the meaning of the NYSE Amex corporate governance
standards, the Board undertook a review of the independence of trust managers nominated for
election at the Meeting. In making independence determinations, the Board observes all criteria for
independence established by the SEC, the NYSE Amex and other governing laws and regulations. During
this review, the Board considered transactions and relationships between each trust manager or any
member of his or her immediate family and the Company, including (if applicable) those reported
under Related Person Transactions. As provided in the Corporate Governance Guidelines, the
purpose of this review was to determine whether any such relationships or transactions were
inconsistent with a determination that the trust manager is independent.
As a result of this review, the Board affirmatively determined that all of the trust managers
nominated for election at the Meeting are independent of the Company and its management with the
exception of the management member of the Board, Mr. Lance B. Rosemore, and his sister, Dr. Martha
R. Greenberg.
Qualifications of Directors
The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, in recommending the nominees for election
as trust managers, considered the knowledge, experience, integrity and judgment of each nominee;
the potential contribution of each nominee to the diversity of backgrounds, experience and
competencies which the Board desires to have represented; and each nominees ability to devote
sufficient time and commitment to his or her duties as a trust manager. The Nominating and
Corporate Governance Committee also took into account an understanding of the Companys business
and the specific core competencies or technical expertise necessary to staff Board committees.
Since each nominee for trust manager is currently on our Board, the Nominating and Corporate
Governance Committee also considered the significant contributions that each such individual has
made to our Board and its committees during his or her tenure as a trust manager. The Nominating
and Governance Committee evaluates each individual in the context of the Board as a whole, with the
objective of recommending a group which can best serve the Companys business and financial
interests and represent the shareholder interests through the exercise of sound judgment and
diversity of experience. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee believes that each of
the nominees possesses the knowledge, experience, integrity and judgment necessary to make
independent decisions and a willingness to devote adequate time to Board duties. In addition, the
Corporate Governance Committee believes that each of the nominees brings his or her own particular
experiences and set of skills, giving the Board, as a whole, competence and experience to perform
its obligations and responsibilities.
Additional biographical and other information concerning the trust managers can be found on
page 11. Set forth below is a summary description of the experiences, qualifications, attributes
and skills that led the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee to the conclusion that each
such person is qualified to serve as a trust manager.
Nathan G. Cohen has held various executive positions and responsibilities for over 30 years.
Mr. Cohen is proficient in preparing and analyzing financial information and working with
independent accountants. Mr. Cohen is experienced in finance and establishing and maintaining
banking relationships and credit facilities. He has been a trust manager for 16 years and has
extensive knowledge of the companys business and operations. Mr. Cohen has also held numerous
leadership positions with various civic organizations and has served on the boards of directors or
executive committees and as president of several other professional and community organizations.
Currently, he is also able to devote substantial time and focus to the matters requiring the
attention of the lead independent trust manager and in such capacity has committed significant time
and effort to the oversight of the internal control, financial disclosure responsibilities of the
Board and serving as primary liaison between management and the independent members of the Board.
Martha R. Greenberg has owned and operated three professional optometric offices, which has
given her extensive experience in executive and employee management and a variety of other skills
necessary to own and operate a business. In addition, Dr. Greenberg brings significant leadership
skills from being a managing partner of a company that provides services to over 85 nursing homes.
As a founder and board member of the Companys prior investment manager in 1979 and as a trust
manager since May 1996, Dr. Greenberg also brings extensive knowledge of the companys business and
operations.
Page | 10
Barry A. Imber has owned and operated an accounting and advisory practice since 1982. In
addition, from 2007 to 2009, he performed trustee responsibilities including oversight of the
operation of an auto dealership in South Florida. In addition to possessing the skills required to
own and operate an accounting practice, his qualifications include an extensive understanding of
the preparation and analysis of financial statements. In addition, Mr. Imber has an extensive
background in advising clients in the areas of accounting and financial services. Mr. Imber has
also served as president and on the boards of directors of various professional and community
organizations. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Accountants and the Florida
Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Mr. Imbers experience has led our Board to determine
that he is an audit committee financial expert as that term is defined in SEC rules.
Irving Munn is a certified public accountant and has owned and operated a public accounting
firm since 1990. He is also a certified financial planner and has also owned and operated a
financial planning and investment advisory firm. In addition to possessing the skills required to
own and operate businesses, he also has expertise in the preparation and analysis of financial
statements, strategic planning, profitability analysis and other elements of business management.
Mr. Munns advisory experience has given him knowledge regarding a variety of financial issues.
Lance B. Rosemore, our President and Chief Executive Officer, carries out the strategic plans
and policies established by the Board and provides direction and leadership toward the achievement
of our goals and objectives. Mr. Rosemore has served as our President and Chief Executive Officer
since our inception in 1993. In addition, during his tenure, he also has had oversight
responsibility for business development, human resources, quality assurance, regulatory compliance,
corporate compliance and public relations. Mr. Rosemores experience has given him in-depth
knowledge of our operations and significant experience in financial and executive management,
strategic planning, business integration and in dealing with the many regulatory aspects of our
business.
Page | 11
PROPOSAL ONE ELECTION OF TRUST MANAGERS
At the Meeting, five trust managers will be elected by the shareholders, each trust manager to
serve for a one year term, until his or her successor has been duly elected and qualified, or until
the earliest of his or her death, resignation or retirement. The affirmative vote of two-thirds of
the votes cast at the Meeting is required to elect trust managers.
The persons named in the enclosed proxy will vote your Shares as you specify on the enclosed
proxy form. If you return your properly executed proxy but fail to specify how you want your Shares
voted, the Shares will be voted in favor of the nominees listed below. The Board has proposed the
following nominees for election as trust managers at the Meeting. All nominees are currently
serving as trust managers whose term will expire at the Meeting. No trust manager was selected
for nomination at the 2010 Meeting as a result of any arrangement or understanding between that
trust manager and any other person. The biographical description below for each nominee includes
the specific experience, qualifications, attributes and skills that led to the conclusion by the
Board that such person should serve as a trust manager of the Company.
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Trust Manager |
Nominees Name |
|
Age |
|
Principal Occupation |
|
Since |
Nathan G. Cohen
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64 |
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Mr. Cohen was the
Chief Financial
Officer of
Institution Solutions
LLC, a third person
administrator, from
June 2005 through
December 2006. He
remains President,
since August 2001, of
Consultants
Unlimited, a
management and
financial consulting
firm. From
November 1984 to
2001, he was the
Controller of Atco
Rubber Products, Inc.
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May 1994 |
Martha R. Greenberg
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58 |
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Dr. Greenberg has
practiced optometry
for 32 years in
Russellville, Alabama
and is the President
of the Alabama
Optometric
Association.
Dr. Greenberg was a
director of PMC
Capital Inc. (PMC
Capital), our
affiliate, from 1984
to February 2004.
Dr. Greenberg is the
sister of Mr. Lance
B. Rosemore.
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May 1996 |
Barry A. Imber
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63 |
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Mr. Imber has been a
principal of Imber
and Company,
Certified Public
Accountants, or its
predecessor, since
1982. Mr. Imber was
previously a trust
manager of PMC
Commercial from
September 1993 to
March 1995 and a
director of PMC
Capital from
March 1995 to
February 2004.
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February 2004 |
Irving Munn
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61 |
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Mr. Munn has been the
President of Munn &
Morris Financial
Advisors, Inc. since
July 1999. He has
been a registered
representative with
Raymond James
Financial Services
since 1997. Mr. Munn
was a principal of
Kaufman, Munn and
Associates, P.C., a
public accounting
firm, from 1991 to
November 2000 and
President from 1993
to November 2000. He
is currently the
President of Gummer,
Munn & Associates
LLC, a public
accounting firm.
Mr. Munn is a
certified public
accountant and
certified financial
planner.
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September 1993 |
Lance B. Rosemore
|
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|
61 |
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Mr. Rosemore has been
President, Chief
Executive Officer and
Secretary of PMC
Commercial since June
1993 and Chairman of
the Board of Trust
Managers since
June 2008. He was the
Chief Executive
Officer of PMC
Capital from May 1992
to February 2004 and
President of PMC
Capital from 1990 to
February 2004. Mr.
Rosemore was a
director and the
Secretary of PMC
Capital from 1983 to
February 2004. Mr.
Rosemore is the
brother of Dr. Martha
R. Greenberg.
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June 1993 |
The Board unanimously recommends that you vote FOR the election of each trust manager as set
forth in Proposal One. Proxies solicited by the Board will be so voted unless you specify otherwise
in your proxy.
Page | 12
EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
Other than Dr. Martha Greenberg being the sister of Lance Rosemore, there is no family
relationship among any of the trust managers or executive officers. No executive officer was
selected as a result of any arrangement or understanding between that executive officer and any
other person. All executive officers are elected annually by, and serve at the discretion of, the
Board. The following table sets forth the current executive officers of the Company.
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|
|
Name |
|
Age |
|
Current Title |
Lance B. Rosemore |
|
61 |
|
President, Chief Executive Officer and Secretary |
Barry N. Berlin |
|
49 |
|
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer |
Jan F. Salit |
|
59 |
|
Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer, |
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Chief Investment Officer and Treasurer |
Business Experience
For the business experience of Mr. Lance B. Rosemore, see Proposal One Election of Trust
Managers.
Barry N. Berlin has been Executive Vice President of the Company since October 2008 and Chief
Financial Officer of the Company since June 1993. Mr. Berlin was also Chief Financial Officer of
PMC Capital from November 1992 to February 2004. From August 1986 to November 1992, he was an audit
manager with Imber and Company, Certified Public Accountants. Mr. Berlin is a certified public
accountant.
Jan F. Salit has been Chief Operating Officer and Treasurer of the Company since October 2008,
Executive Vice President of the Company since June 1993, and Chief Investment Officer and Assistant
Secretary since January 1994. He was also Executive Vice President of PMC Capital from May 1993 to
February 2004 and Chief Investment Officer and Assistant Secretary of PMC Capital from March 1994
to February 2004. From 1979 to 1992, Mr. Salit was employed by Glenfed Financial Corporation and
its predecessor company Armco Financial Corporation, a commercial finance company, holding various
positions including Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer.
Page | 13
SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF TRUST MANAGERS AND EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
The following table sets forth certain information regarding the beneficial ownership of our
Shares as of April 16, 2010 by (1) each person known by us to own beneficially more than 5% of our
outstanding Shares, (2) all current trust managers, (3) each current named executive officer and
(4) all current trust managers and current executive officers as a group. Unless otherwise
indicated, the Shares listed in the table are owned directly by the individual, or by both the
individual and the individuals spouse. Except as otherwise noted, the individual had sole voting
and investment power as to Shares shown or, the voting power is shared with the individuals
spouse. All individuals set forth below have the same principal business address as the Company.
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Percent of |
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|
|
|
|
|
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Unexercised |
|
|
Common |
|
|
Common |
|
|
|
Common |
|
|
Options |
|
|
Shares Owned |
|
|
Shares Owned |
|
Name |
|
Shares Owned |
|
|
Exercisable |
|
|
Beneficially |
|
|
Beneficially |
|
Lance B. Rosemore(1) |
|
|
201,115 |
|
|
|
10,800 |
|
|
|
211,915 |
|
|
|
2.0 |
% |
Barry N. Berlin(2) |
|
|
25,011 |
|
|
|
8,700 |
|
|
|
33,711 |
|
|
|
* |
|
Jan F. Salit(3) |
|
|
21,637 |
|
|
|
8,700 |
|
|
|
30,337 |
|
|
|
* |
|
Nathan G. Cohen(4) |
|
|
12,870 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
12,870 |
|
|
|
* |
|
Martha R. Greenberg(5) |
|
|
349,872 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
349,872 |
|
|
|
3.3 |
% |
Barry A. Imber(6) |
|
|
23,802 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
23,802 |
|
|
|
* |
|
Irving Munn(7) |
|
|
11,570 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
11,570 |
|
|
|
* |
|
Trust Managers and Executive
Officers as a group (7 persons) |
|
|
645,877 |
|
|
|
28,200 |
|
|
|
674,077 |
|
|
|
6.4 |
% |
|
|
|
* |
|
Less than 1%. |
|
(1) |
|
Includes 7,601 Shares held in the name of his children, 79,414 Shares held jointly with his
spouse, 4,786 Shares held in an IRA, 14,755 Shares held in trust for the benefit of Mr.
Rosemore and his children, 2,442 Shares held by a partnership for the benefit of Mr. Rosemore
and his children, 1,569 Shares held in an IRA by Mr. Rosemores spouse and 3,473 restricted
shares. |
|
(2) |
|
Includes 211 Shares held in the name of his child, 6,823 Shares held jointly with his spouse
and 3,472 restricted shares. |
|
(3) |
|
Includes 612 Shares held in an IRA and 3,472 restricted shares.
|
|
(4) |
|
Includes 1,700 Shares held in the name of his spouse and 1,750 restricted shares. |
|
(5) |
|
Includes 77,495 Shares held in an IRA, 14,171 Shares held in a trust for the benefit of Dr.
Greenberg, 5,845 Shares held individually and 1,750 restricted shares. All remaining Shares
are held by a partnership of which Dr. Greenberg is the sole manager. |
|
(6) |
|
Includes 3,274 Shares held in an IRA for the benefit of his child, 1,122 Shares held in an
IRA for the benefit of his spouse, 1,202 Shares held in an IRA and 1,750 restricted shares. |
|
(7) |
|
Includes 1,750 restricted shares. |
Page | 14
COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
General
The Compensation Committees philosophy for compensating named executive officers is that an
incentive-based compensation system reflecting the Companys financial performance and shareholder
return and encouraging ownership of our shares by the named executive officers will best align the
interests of its named executive officers with the objectives of the Company and its shareholders.
The Compensation Committee designed the Companys compensation program to meet its objective of
rewarding performance measured by the creation of value for shareholders. In accordance with this
philosophy, the Compensation Committee oversees the implementation of the compensation system
designed to promote the Companys financial and operational success by attracting, motivating and
assisting in the retention of key employees who demonstrate the highest levels of ability and
talent by making a portion of an executive officers compensation dependent upon the Companys and
such executives performance. The Companys executive compensation program includes the
following compensation elements:
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Base salary. The salaries for the named executive officers are determined
following an assessment of each executives level of responsibility and experience,
individual performance and contributions to the Company. |
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Annual Cash Bonus Incentives. Annual incentives are determined by the
performance of the executive, the executives department, as applicable, and the
financial performance of the Company as a whole based on profitability and balance
sheet metrics and in relation to its peers. |
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|
|
Long-Term Equity Incentives. Grants of restricted shares and/or share options
are designed to motivate individuals to enhance the long-term profitability of the
Company and the value of its shares. Awards of long-term incentive compensation
require the executives to focus on the Companys long-term strategic growth and
prospects, as well as to require the executives to share the risk of poor
performance with our shareholders. |
The Compensation Committee does not allocate a fixed percentage to each of these elements, but
works with management to design an overall compensation structure that best serves its goals and
appropriately motivates the executives to provide outstanding service to the Company. In addition,
even though a portion of the executives compensation is influenced by the Companys performance,
the Compensation Committee has a general philosophy of providing some consistency in amounts of
compensation provided by each of the three elements. This philosophy results in less significant
increases or decreases in the amount of compensation paid from year-to-year and lessens the
immediate effect of the Companys performance on executive compensation from year-to-year. In
addition, the Compensation Committee assessed the reasonableness of the compensation package as a
whole provided to each named executive officer, and considers whether the amount of total
compensation is excessive given the Companys performance, current economic trends, and the
compensation paid to executive officers of other public real estate investment trusts (REITs).
In 2009, the Compensation Committee evaluated the compensation of Mr. Berlin and Mr. Salit,
and administered all employee benefit plans established by the Company. In 2009, the Compensation
Committee recommended and approved the base salary of Mr. Rosemore and recommended to the Board the
compensation of Mssrs. Berlin and Salit. The Board made all final compensation decisions regarding
Mssrs. Berlin and Salit, after receiving the Compensation Committees recommendations.
Page | 15
Compensation Policies and Practices and Risk Management
In 2009, the Compensation Committee conducted an analysis of the Companys compensation
practices and policies to determine whether such policies and practices encourage imprudent risk
taking by our executive officers and employees in an effort to maximize their compensation. The
Compensation Committee determined that the Companys compensation policies and practices do not
encourage improper risk taking. In making such determination, the committee considered:
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A portion of the Companys annual incentive compensation is equity-based
long-term compensation that vests over a period of two years. This vesting period
encourages officers to focus on sustaining our long-term performance. These grants
are made annually, so officers always have unvested awards that could decrease
significantly in value if our business is not managed for the long-term. |
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The Company does not offer significant short-term incentives to its officers or
employees that might incentivize excessive risk taking at the expense of long-term
company value. While commissions are paid to our business development officers as
part of their compensation packages, payment of the full commission is contingent
upon certain criteria being satisfied. These commissions are also a smaller
percentage of total compensation than commissions paid by certain other lenders. |
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As discussed above, the Compensation Committees general philosophy is based on
consistency, which results in less significant increases or decreases in the amount
of compensation paid from year-to-year and lessens the immediate effect of the
Companys performance on executive compensation from year-to-year, which encourages
long-term sustained performance and does not encourage excessive risk taking
motivated by short-term performance. |
The Companys compensation policies and practices have been evaluated to make sure they do not
encourage our officers and employees to take risks that are not in our long-term best interest.
Based upon this review, the Company believes that its compensation policies and practices achieve a
balance between compensating its officers and employees for their performance while minimizing
excessive risk taking.
Identification of Named Executive Officers
The Companys named executive officers for whom compensation information is disclosed in this
proxy statement are Lance B. Rosemore, Barry N. Berlin and Jan F. Salit.
Role of Management in the Compensation-Setting Process
Certain of the Companys named executive officers play a role in the compensation-setting
process. In 2009, our Chief Executive Officer made recommendations to the Compensation Committee
concerning the compensation of Mssrs. Berlin and Salit. The Chief Executive Officers
recommendations to the Compensation Committee influence the base salary, potential annual bonus,
and the granting of long-term equity incentive compensation to each of these executive officers.
While the Compensation Committee gives much weight to the Chief Executive Officers opinion, the
Compensation Committee makes its own recommendation for each element of these executive officers
compensation. The final decision for all elements of the Companys compensation to Mssrs. Berlin
and Salit is ultimately made by the Board based upon the recommendations of the Compensation
Committee. The Compensation Committee is responsible for approving all compensation to Mr.
Rosemore.
In 2009, the Compensation Committee also consulted the Chief Financial Officer as to his
judgment of the Companys financial status as a whole before making final decisions concerning
salary and long-term equity incentive awards. Both the Chief Financial Officer and the Chief
Operating Officer provided input to the Compensation Committee regarding the Companys financial
status prior to the establishment of the aggregate cash bonus pool.
Our Chief Executive Officer provides to each named executive officer, at least annually, an
informal evaluation and review of the individual contributions of the executive to the business of
the Company. The Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer do not conduct individual
evaluations of other executives.
Page | 16
Chief Executive Officer Compensation
Mr. Rosemores current annual salary, as established by his employment agreement, was set by
the Compensation Committee at $425,618 on July 1, 2009. Also, during 2009 he was awarded a cash
bonus of $60,000 which was paid in December 2009.
Use of Independent Consultants
The Compensation Committee reviews the overall compensation program to assure that it is
reasonable and, in consideration of all the facts, including practices of comparably sized REITs,
adequately recognizes performance tied to creating shareholder value and meets overall Company
compensation and business objectives. The Compensation Committee has historically not utilized the
services of an independent advisor or other compensation consultant when determining the
appropriate compensation packages for the Companys named executive officers. Instead, the
Compensation Committee believes that it may rely upon the Companys accounting and human resource
departments to provide sufficient information necessary to make the compensation decisions. The
Company has relied upon its own internal resources to compile publicly available information
concerning peer companies and the practices and trends in its industry, and anticipates continuing
to do so. The group of peer companies consists of other specialty finance REITs, hospitality
companies and other REITs that are comparable in size to the Company. These companies include:
Anworth Mortgage Asset Corporation; Ashford Hospitality Trust; Capital Lease Funding, Inc.; Capital
Trust, Inc.; Deerfield Capital Corp.; Dynex Capital, Inc.; Medallion Financial; New York Mortgage
Trust; NorthStar Realty Finance Corp.; Resource Capital Corp. and Supertel Hospitality. If the
Compensation Committee determines that using an independent consultant in the future is desirable,
however, the Compensation Committees Charter does allow for the use of such a consultant and the
Compensation Committee is empowered to contract this work to an appropriate third party.
Base Salary
The Compensation Committee meets mid-year, typically in May, to review the base salary and
long-term incentives provided to our named executive officers for the twelve-month period ending on
June 30 of that year. At that meeting, the Compensation Committee typically reviews and to the
extent deemed appropriate may change the base salary of all or some of the named executive officers
for the upcoming twelve month period beginning July 1.
The predominant factors considered by the Compensation Committee in recommending base salaries
for the applicable named executive officers are: (1) the performance of the Company, measured by
both financial and non-financial objectives, (2) individual accomplishments, (3) the
responsibilities of the officer and any planned change of responsibilities for the forthcoming year
and (4) the salary required to retain the named executive officer. The Compensation Committee also
considers the following factors, which may vary in weight from year-to-year: (1) salaries paid for
similar positions within the real estate and REIT industry as disclosed in public filings, and
(2) the proposed base salary relative to that of other of the Companys executive officers. The
Compensation Committee does not directly tie salaries to those paid by comparable companies; the
information relating to the peer companies is one of several guidelines used to assess the
reasonableness of the compensation paid by the Company. Base salaries paid in calendar year 2009
are quantified below in the Summary Compensation Table.
In May 2009, the Compensation Committee reviewed and recommended to the Board a 3% cost of
living increase in the base salary of Mr. Rosemore, which the Board approved. The Compensation
Committee discussed the current economic conditions, the Companys performance, and whether given
the general economic outlook, any additional raise in salary was appropriate. During 2009, employee
salaries were generally increased for 3% cost of living adjustments.
The Compensation Committee also recommended 3% increases in the base salaries for
Mssrs. Berlin and Salit in amounts intended to approximate the increase in the cost of living,
which the Board also approved. The Compensation Committee believed it was appropriate, consistent
with Mr. Rosemore and the companys employees, to approve these increases in base salary.
Page | 17
Annual Management Cash Bonus Incentive
The Compensation Committee administers the Companys annual cash bonus arrangements which are
designed to compensate key management personnel for reaching certain performance milestones and to
aid the Company in attracting, retaining and motivating personnel required for the Companys
continued performance. The Compensation Committees general philosophy of providing some
consistency in compensation amounts, and avoiding significant changes in the amount of compensation
paid from year-to-year, results in less significant increases or decreases in the amount of cash
bonuses than might otherwise be paid and has the effect of moderating the extent to which the
annual cash bonus is tied to the Companys performance. For 2009, bonuses of $180,000 were approved
for the named executive officers, Mssrs. Rosemore, Berlin and Salit. The aggregate of the bonus
earned by these three officers in 2007 was $178,000 and in 2008 was $150,000. In light of current
economic conditions and the performance of the executives with regard to their increase in
responsibilities as a result of the Companys cost reduction initiatives, the Compensation
Committee determined that the total amount of bonuses to be earned by the named executive officers
in 2009 should be more than the amount earned in 2008, based on the factors set forth below,
including the relative performance of the Company compared to its peers, and the total compensation
earned by each named executive officer. Therefore, the Compensation Committee approved a bonus of
$60,000 for Mr. Rosemore and established a pool of $120,000 for cash bonuses for 2009, for Mssrs.
Berlin and Salit, which was approved by the Board. The Compensation Committee recommended that the
bonus pool should be divided evenly between Mssrs. Berlin and Salit. The Compensation Committee
made this same recommendation to the Board, which ultimately approved a $60,000 cash bonus for each
named executive officer. This approach resulted in each executive officer earning approximately
$10,000 more than the bonus he earned in 2008. The bonus arrangements for all other employees
differ in that the Compensation Committee only approves the aggregate amount of bonuses payable to
all other employees. The aggregate amount approved with respect to the bonus arrangement for all
other employees is then approved by the Chief Executive Officer.
Although determinations with respect to base salary and long-term incentives are typically
made with respect to the twelve-month period beginning July 1, annual cash bonus incentives are
instead earned and paid with respect to the calendar year. Therefore, the Compensation Committee
meets in the last quarter of each year to review the performance of each of the named executive
officers for the year and the performance of the Company in the preceding three quarters (and the
Companys anticipated performance in the fourth quarter of the year). At that meeting the
Compensation Committee determines the amount of annual bonuses to be recommended to the Board. The
annual bonuses for the named executive officers approved by the Board are paid in either December
of the year approved or January of the following year at the discretion of the named executive
officer. Annual bonuses paid with respect to calendar years 2007, 2008 and 2009 are quantified
below in the Summary Compensation Table.
Bonuses are discretionary. To the extent paid, bonuses for the named executive officers are
primarily based upon a review of earnings per share with respect to the Companys shares for the
calendar year, the base salary change for each named executive officer during the calendar year, if
any, and the annual bonus paid to the named executive officer for the prior year. In addition,
changes in responsibilities of the named executive officer, if any, factor into the determination
of bonus for the named executive officer. The Chief Executive Officer may also recommend an
increase or decrease to the annual bonus for each named executive officer based upon the
performance of the executive and the Company during the calendar year and, to some extent, the
relative performance of the Company compared to its peers.
Long-term Equity Incentives
The Compensation Committee is responsible for administration of the 2005 Equity Incentive Plan
(the Plan), and establishes the number of options granted and restricted shares awarded. The
purpose of the Plan is to encourage and enable the named executive officers, employees and certain
non-employee Board members to acquire a proprietary interest in the Company, thus furthering their
interest in stimulating the growth and prosperity of the Company. In keeping with the Compensation
Committees philosophy to provide long-term equity incentives to named executive officers and other
key employees, it is anticipated that restricted share awards and share options will be granted to
named executive officers and other key employees on a periodic basis.
The number of shares available under the Plan was initially 500,000, though this number is
subject to adjustment upon the occurrence of corporate transactions such as recapitalizations or
share splits. As of December 31, 2009, there were 342,200 shares available for grant under the
Plan. The Compensation Committee has the authority to select the eligible recipients, the number of
shares to be granted, to modify an award from time to time, and to set the rules and guidelines of
administration for the Plan. The Compensation Committee also has the
sole discretion to impose forfeiture provisions upon certain terminations, or accelerated
vesting upon a change in control.
Page | 18
At the mid-year meeting of the Compensation Committee, it reviews the long-term incentives
currently held by the Companys named executive officers and determines the terms of new long-term
equity incentives to be awarded to executives of the Company. The awards are then presented to the
Board for approval at the Board meeting immediately following the Annual Meeting of Shareholders.
In 2009, when determining the number of restricted shares to be granted to each of Mssrs.
Rosemore, Berlin and Salit, the Compensation Committee was primarily influenced by its objective
for the grant date fair value of the restricted share awards to be equal to a fixed dollar amount.
This objective results in more shares being granted when the Companys share price is relatively
low, and fewer shares being granted when the Companys share price is relatively high. The
Compensation Committee does not use the number of restricted shares granted as an incentive in
itself, but views the granting of equity as an incentive for the named executive officers to manage
the Company such that its share price will appreciate, thereby benefiting all of the Companys
shareholders. Because the restricted shares vest over a two-year period, the Compensation Committee
believes that the shares are an incentive for the named executive officers to maximize the
Companys financial performance over the long term.
During 2009, each of the named executive officers received 3,333 or 3,334 restricted shares,
each with a grant date of June 13, 2009. The terms of these awards are described in greater detail
in the narrative following the Grants of Plan-Based Awards in 2009 table. Individual grants were
made by the Compensation Committee based upon recommendations of the Chief Executive Officer and
the Compensation Committees own deliberations as to the individuals overall level of
compensation.
The Company generally grants equity awards in the form of restricted shares, instead of share
options, and expects to continue to do so in the future. This practice was adopted in part because
it aligned the Company with its peers, and in part because restricted shares result in equity
ownership by the named executive officer, thereby aligning the executives interest with the
Companys other shareholders, instead of simply giving the executives an interest in share price
appreciation, which is the effect of the granting of share options.
Severance and Change in Control Agreements
The Compensation Committee believes that severance and, in select circumstances, change in
control arrangements, are necessary to attract and retain the talent necessary for our long-term
success. However, the Compensation Committee does not view severance programs for named executive
officers as an additional element of compensation. Rather, the Compensation Committee believes that
severance programs allow the Companys named executive officers to focus on duties at hand and
provide security should their employment be terminated through no fault of their own. Currently,
all of the named executive officers are covered by severance provisions in their employment
agreements.
Each of our named executive officers has entered into an agreement with the Company (which is
discussed under Executive CompensationEmployment Agreements) pursuant to which he is granted
enhanced severance benefits. The Compensation Committee believes that these arrangements are
appropriate and consistent with similar provisions agreed upon between comparable sized public
companies and their executive officers. The employment agreements are discussed in greater detail
below in the section entitled Executive CompensationPotential Payments Upon Termination or Change
in Control.
Page | 19
Other Compensation Plans
The Company maintains a profit sharing plan that includes a defined contribution plan (the
401(k) Plan) and a discretionary plan (the Profit Sharing Plan) that is intended to satisfy the
tax qualification requirements of Section 401(a) of the Internal Revenue Code. The Companys full
time employees, including the Companys named executive officers, are eligible to participate in
the 401(k) Plan and are permitted to contribute a portion of their eligible compensation for
purposes of the 401(k) plan (subject to the applicable statutory limits of $16,500, or $22,000 for
eligible participants over the age of 50, in calendar year 2009). All amounts deferred by a
participant under the 401(k) Plans salary reduction feature vest immediately in the participants
account. While the Company may (but is not required to) make matching contributions under the
401(k) Plan, none were made during fiscal 2009. In lieu of 401(k) matching contributions,
pursuant to the Profit Sharing Plan, the Board elected to make a discretionary contribution of
approximately $199,000 during the plan year ended December 31, 2009, $208,000 during the plan year
ended October 31, 2008 and $256,000 during the plan year ended October 31, 2007. Contributions to
the Profit Sharing Plan are available to all full-time employees who meet the eligibility
requirements of the plan. In general, vesting in the Profit Sharing Plan occurs ratably between
years two to six of employment.
Indemnification Agreements
We have entered into an indemnification agreement with each of our trust managers and named
executive officers. These agreements provide for the Company to, among other things, indemnify such
persons against certain liabilities that may arise by reason of their status or service as trust
managers or named executive officers, to advance their expenses incurred as a result of a
proceeding as to which they may be indemnified and to cover such person under any trust managers
and officers liability insurance policy the Company chooses, in its discretion, to maintain. These
indemnification agreements are intended to provide indemnification rights to the fullest extent
permitted under applicable indemnification rights statutes in the State of Texas and shall be in
addition to any other rights the individual may have under the Companys Declaration of Trust,
Bylaws and applicable law. Management believes these indemnification agreements enhance the
Companys ability to attract and retain knowledgeable and experienced executives and independent,
non-management trust managers.
Tax Considerations
Code Section 162(m) places a limit of $1,000,000 on the amount of compensation that the
Company may deduct for federal income tax purposes in any one year with respect to the Companys
Chief Executive Officer, and the next three highest paid executives. However, performance-based
compensation that meets certain requirements is excluded from the $1,000,000 limitation. The
Compensation Committee is aware of this tax law, but believes that none of the executive officers
currently receives compensation at or near the $1,000,000 maximum. The Compensation Committee will
continue to keep this provision in mind for future compensation decisions, and will take measures
to preserve the deductibility of compensation payments and benefits to the extent reasonably
practicable and to the extent consistent with its other compensation objectives.
COMPENSATION COMMITTEE REPORT
The Compensation Committee has (1) reviewed and discussed the foregoing Compensation
Discussion and Analysis (CD&A) with the Companys Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial
Officer; and (2) based upon the review and discussion, recommended to the Board that the CD&A be
included in this proxy statement and incorporated by reference into the Companys Annual Report on
Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2009.
This report is submitted by the following members of the Compensation Committee:
Irving Munn (Chair)
Barry A. Imber
Nathan G. Cohen
Page | 20
EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
Summary Compensation Table
The table below sets forth information concerning compensation earned for services rendered to
the Company by each of our named executive officers for the three calendar years ended December 31,
2009. The Company has entered into employment agreements with the named executive officers, which
are described below under Employment Agreements.
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Name and Principal |
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Share |
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Option |
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All Other |
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Position |
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Year |
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Salary(1) |
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Bonus(1) |
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Awards(2)(3) |
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Awards |
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Compensation(4) |
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Total |
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Lance B. Rosemore |
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|
2009 |
|
|
$ |
418,903 |
|
|
$ |
60,000 |
|
|
$ |
27,839 |
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
$ |
67,284 |
|
|
$ |
574,026 |
|
Chief Executive Officer |
|
|
2008 |
|
|
|
408,103 |
|
|
|
50,000 |
|
|
|
28,687 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
40,790 |
|
|
|
527,580 |
|
|
|
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2007 |
|
|
|
387,891 |
|
|
|
74,000 |
|
|
|
29,421 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
50,866 |
|
|
|
542,178 |
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Barry N. Berlin |
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2009 |
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$ |
282,329 |
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$ |
59,500 |
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|
$ |
27,831 |
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$ |
|
|
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$ |
44,194 |
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$ |
413,854 |
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Chief Financial Officer |
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2008 |
|
|
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267,621 |
|
|
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50,000 |
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|
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28,687 |
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|
|
|
|
|
|
41,882 |
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|
|
388,190 |
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|
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2007 |
|
|
|
257,949 |
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|
|
52,000 |
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|
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29,421 |
|
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|
|
|
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41,216 |
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380,586 |
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Jan F. Salit |
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2009 |
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$ |
282,329 |
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$ |
59,500 |
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$ |
27,831 |
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$ |
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$ |
43,792 |
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$ |
413,452 |
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Chief Operating and |
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2008 |
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267,621 |
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50,000 |
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28,687 |
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|
|
|
|
|
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41,255 |
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|
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387,563 |
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Investment Officer |
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2007 |
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257,949 |
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52,000 |
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29,421 |
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40,550 |
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379,920 |
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(1) |
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During 2009, salary and bonus as a percentage of total compensation was approximately 83% for
each of the named executive officers |
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(2) |
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As described in the CD&A, the Compensation Committee grants share and option awards on a
discretionary basis. The terms of the share awards provide for dividends on non-vested Shares
to be paid to the holder. |
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(3) |
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Represents the grant date fair value of stock awards for the applicable fiscal year in
accordance with Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) Topic 718, Compensation Stock
Compensation (formerly known as Statement of Financial Accounting Standards (SFAS) 123.
See the Grants of Plan-Based Awards table for information on awards made in 2009. These
amounts do not correspond to the actual value that will be recognized as compensation by the
named executive officers. |
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(4) |
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See table below for a breakdown of all other compensation. Other than Mr. Rosemore, the
Company has determined that the amounts of perquisites and other personal benefits paid to
each of the named executive officers does not exceed $10,000. The Other column below
represent reimbursement of membership dues at a country club for Mr. Rosemore, reimbursement
of cell phone usage and reimbursement for medical insurance for his child who is a full-time
student and qualifies for reimbursement pursuant to Mr. Rosemores employment agreement. |
All other compensation consisted of the following during 2009:
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Tax Qualified Deferred |
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Car |
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Name |
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Unused Vacation Pay |
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Compensation Plan |
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Allowance |
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Other |
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Total |
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Lance B. Rosemore |
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$ |
24,412 |
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$ |
23,802 |
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$ |
6,600 |
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$ |
12,470 |
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$ |
67,284 |
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Barry N. Berlin |
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13,792 |
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23,802 |
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6,600 |
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44,194 |
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Jan F. Salit |
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13,390 |
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23,802 |
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6,600 |
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43,792 |
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Page | 21
Grants of Plan-Based Awards in 2009
The following table provides information concerning each grant of restricted shares and each
grant of share options made to our named executive officers pursuant to our 2005 Equity Incentive
Plan during 2009.
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All Other Option |
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All Other Shares |
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Awards: |
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Grant Date |
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Awards: |
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Number of |
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Exercise or |
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Fair Value of |
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Number of |
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Securities |
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Base price of |
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Share and |
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Shares or |
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Underlying |
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Option Awards |
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Option |
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Name |
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Grant Date |
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Units(#) (1) |
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Options (#) |
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($/SH) |
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Awards ($)(2) |
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Lance B. Rosemore |
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06/13/09 |
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3,334 |
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$ |
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$ |
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$ |
27,839 |
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Barry N. Berlin |
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06/13/09 |
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3,333 |
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27,831 |
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Jan F. Salit |
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06/13/09 |
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3,333 |
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27,831 |
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(1) |
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Represents a grant of restricted shares to the named executive officers in the amount
specified. The terms of these restricted share awards are described below in the section
entitled Equity Incentive Plan Compensation. |
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(2) |
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Represents the grant date fair value of the restricted shares or share options, as the case
may be, for purposes of ASC Topic 718, Compensation-Stock Compensation. The grant date fair
value of the restricted shares is based on the per share closing price of our common shares on
June 12, 2009, which was $8.35. |
Employment Agreements
We have entered into employment agreements, as amended, with each of our named executive
officers, dated June 17, 2009, for employment terms that extend until the earlier of (1) the named
executive officers 70th birthday, or (2) June 30, 2012 (the Term). The Term of the employment
agreements are automatically extended for consecutive one-year periods unless either party provides
written notice of non-renewal at least sixty (60) days prior to the end of the Term. Each of these
employment agreements is substantially similar and provides for at least annual reviews by the
Board of the base salaries contained therein, with a minimum salary equal to the executives
compensation on July 1, 2009. In addition to base salary, the employment agreements provide for the
following:
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the opportunity to earn annual cash bonuses in amounts that may vary from year
to year and that are based upon our performance and the performance of the
executive, such bonuses to be awarded at the Boards discretion; and |
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|
the same benefits and perquisites that our other officers and employees are
entitled to receive. |
The employment agreements authorize Mssrs. Rosemore, Berlin and Salit to incur reasonable
expenses for the promotion of our business. We will reimburse the executives for all such
reasonable expenses incurred upon the presentation by each executive, from time to time, of an
itemized account of such expenditures. The executives are entitled to such additional and other
fringe benefits as the Board shall from time to time authorize, including but not limited to health
insurance coverage for the executive and the executives spouse and dependent children, and a
monthly automotive allowance of $550, which the executive is to use to obtain an automobile to be
available for business purposes as needed. All operating expenses related to the automobile such as
maintenance, insurance and fuel (excluding fuel for business-related travel) are the responsibility
and expense of the executive.
Each employment agreement also contains severance provisions, which are discussed below in the
section entitled Potential Payments Upon Termination or Change in Control. The employment
agreements further provide that the Company will indemnify and hold the executive harmless from any
loss for any corporate undertaking, as contemplated per the employment agreement, whereby a claim,
allegation or cause of action shall be made against the executive in the performance of his
contractual duties except for willful illegal misconduct. Said indemnification shall include but
not be limited to reasonable costs incurred in defending the executive in his faithful performance
of contractual duties.
Page | 22
Equity Incentive Plan Compensation
The restricted share and share option awards made to the named executive officers on June 13,
2009 were granted under our 2005 Equity Incentive Plan. Under the terms of the restricted share
awards, 3,333 or 3,334 restricted awards as detailed in Grants of Plan Based Awards were granted to
each of our named executive officers on June 13, 2009. One-third of the restricted shares were
vested on the date of grant, one-third of the restricted shares will vest on June 13, 2010 and the
remaining one-third of the restricted shares will vest on June 13, 2011, provided the recipient
continues employment with us through the applicable vesting dates. The 2005 Equity Incentive Plan
provides for the accelerated vesting of equity awards such as the restricted share awards in the
event of a change in control. These acceleration provisions are described below in the section of
this proxy entitled Potential Payments Upon Termination or Change in Control. Dividends are
payable on the restricted shares at the same rate and at the same time that dividends are paid to
shareholders.
Outstanding Equity Awards at Fiscal Year End
The following table provides information on the outstanding share option and restricted share
awards held by the named executive officers as of December 31, 2009. Each equity grant is shown
separately for each named executive officer.
|
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Options Award |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Number of |
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Share Awards |
|
|
|
Securities |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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|
|
|
|
Market value |
|
|
|
Underlying |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Number of Shares |
|
|
of Shares or |
|
|
|
Unexercised |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Option |
|
|
or Units of Stock |
|
|
Units of Stock |
|
|
|
Options |
|
|
Option Exercise |
|
|
Expiration |
|
|
That Have Not |
|
|
That Have |
|
Name |
|
Exercisable (1) |
|
|
Price |
|
|
Date |
|
|
Vested |
|
|
Not Vested(4) |
|
Lance B. Rosemore |
|
|
5,300 |
|
|
$ |
14.54 |
|
|
|
06/11/2010 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
5,500 |
|
|
|
12.72 |
|
|
|
06/10/2011 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1,250 |
(2) |
|
$ |
9,750 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2,223 |
(3) |
|
|
17,339 |
|
Barry N. Berlin |
|
|
4,200 |
|
|
$ |
14.54 |
|
|
|
06/11/2010 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
4,500 |
|
|
|
12.72 |
|
|
|
06/10/2011 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1,250 |
(2) |
|
$ |
9,750 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2,222 |
(3) |
|
|
17,332 |
|
Jan F. Salit |
|
|
4,200 |
|
|
$ |
14.54 |
|
|
|
06/11/2010 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
4,500 |
|
|
|
12.72 |
|
|
|
06/10/2011 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1,250 |
(2) |
|
$ |
9,750 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2,222 |
(3) |
|
|
17,332 |
|
|
|
|
(1) |
|
The outstanding share option awards reported in this table were fully vested on the date of
grant. Options expire five years from the date of grant. |
|
(2) |
|
Represents awards of restricted shares made to each of the named executive officers indicated
above on June 14, 2008 which will vest on June 14, 2010, provided the named executive officer
is still employed with us on that date. The vesting of these restricted shares may be
accelerated as described in the Potential Payments Upon Termination or Change in Control
section below. |
|
(3) |
|
Represents awards of restricted shares made to each of the named executive officers indicated
above on June 13, 2009. The vesting dates of these awards are described above in the narrative
entitled Equity Incentive Plan Compensation. |
|
(4) |
|
Based on the per share closing market price of $7.80 of our Shares on December 31, 2009. |
Page | 23
Option Exercises and Shares Vested in 2009
The following table sets forth, for each of the named executive officers, information
regarding the value of restricted share awards that vested during the fiscal year ended December
31, 2009.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Share Awards |
|
|
|
Number of Shares Acquired on |
|
|
Value Realized on |
|
Name |
|
Vesting (#)(1) |
|
|
Vesting ($)(2) |
|
Lance B. Rosemore |
|
|
3,061 |
|
|
$ |
25,594 |
|
Barry N. Berlin |
|
|
3,061 |
|
|
|
25,594 |
|
Jan F. Salit |
|
|
3,061 |
|
|
|
25,594 |
|
|
|
|
(1) |
|
Based on the following awards: (a) 700 restricted shares granted on June 9, 2007 which vested
on June 9, 2009, (b) 1,250 restricted shares granted on June 14, 2008 which vested on June 14,
2009, and (c) 1,111 restricted shares granted on June 13, 2009, which immediately vested. The
per share market price of the restricted shares were $8.40 on June 9, 2009, $8.35 on June 14,
2009, and $8.35 on June 13, 2009, the three vesting dates. |
|
(2) |
|
Calculated as the aggregate market value on the date of vesting of the restricted shares with
respect to which restrictions lapsed during 2009 (calculated before payment of any applicable
withholding or other income taxes). |
Pension Benefits
We do not sponsor or maintain any plans that provide for specified retirement payments or
benefits, such as tax-qualified defined benefit plans or supplemental executive retirement plans,
for our named executive officers.
Non-qualified Deferred Compensation
We do not have any non-qualified deferred compensation plans or arrangements in which our
named executive officers participate.
Potential Payments Upon Termination or Change in Control
The Company has entered into employment agreements, as amended, with each of our named
executive officers that contain the following terms and provisions:
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|
|
Cause. The Company cannot terminate the employment agreements except for:
(1) the intentional, unapproved material misuse of corporate funds;
(2) professional incompetence or (3) willful neglect of duties or responsibilities
in either case not otherwise related to or triggered by the occurrence of any event
or events described in the other employment agreement items detailed in this
section. |
|
|
|
Death. If the named executive officer dies during the term of employment and has
not attained the age of seventy years, the Company or any third person insurance
provided by the Company, through a coordination of benefits, shall pay the estate
of the named executive officer a death benefit equal to two times the named
executive officers current annual base salary at the time of death. In the event
the named executive officers estate receives death benefits payable under any
group life insurance policy issued to the Company, the Companys liability will be
reduced by the amount of the death benefit paid under such policy, so amounts
actually paid could be less than those shown in the table below. The Company shall
pay any remaining death benefits to the estate of the named executive officer over
the course of 12 months in the same manner and under the same terms as the named
executive officer would have been paid if he had still been working for the
Company. In addition, no later than one month from the date of death, the estate of
the named executive officer will be paid any accumulated vacation pay. |
|
|
|
Disability. If unable to perform services for the Company by reason of illness
or total incapacity, based on standards similar to those utilized by the U.S.
Social Security Administration, the named executive officer shall receive his total
annual compensation for one year of total incapacity through coordination of
benefits with any existing disability insurance program provided by the Company (a
reduction in salary by that amount paid by any Company provided insurance). Should
the named executive officer be totally incapacitated beyond a one-year period, so
that he is not able to devote full time to his employment with the Company, then
the employment agreement shall terminate. |
Page | 24
|
|
|
Constructive Discharge. The named executive officers will incur a constructive
discharge upon the occurrence of any of the following: (1) a named executive
officers base salary is reduced below the Minimum Rate (as defined in the
Employment Agreement section above), (2) a material reduction in a named
executive officers job function, authority, duties or responsibilities, or other
similar change that violates the spirit of the employment agreement, (3) a required
relocation to a location more than 35 miles from the named executive officers job
location at the time of the employment agreements execution, or excessive travel
in comparison to other executives in similar situations or (4) any breach of the
employment agreement that is not cured within 14 days following a written notice to
the Company describing the situation. If the named executive officers job
responsibilities are substantially modified as a result of one of the previous
conditions, the named executive officer could resign and be entitled to be paid the
Constructive Discharge Settlement in an amount equal to 2.99 times the average of
the last three years total annual compensation paid to the named executive officer.
All amounts payable due to a constructive discharge shall be paid to the named
executive officer in a lump sum cash payment in accordance with the terms of the
employment agreement, as amended. |
|
|
|
Change in Control. If (1) there is a Change in Control (hereinafter defined)
during a named executives employment period, and within 12 months following the
Change in Control, the Company (or its successor) terminates the named executives
employment without Cause as described above or the named executive terminates his
employment due to Constructive Discharge as described above, (2) the Company
terminates the named executives employment without Cause while the Company is
negotiating a transaction that reasonably could result in a Change in Control or
(3) the Company terminates the named executives employment without Cause and a
Change in Control occurs within three (3) months following the date the named
executive is terminated, the named executive shall be entitled to receive
compensation equal to 2.99 times the average of the last three years total annual
compensation paid to the named executive officer. All amounts payable due to a
Change in Control shall be paid to the named executive officer in a lump sum cash
payment in accordance with the terms of the employment agreement, as amended. |
A change in control (a Change in Control) would be deemed to occur as a result of:
|
|
|
the ownership or acquisition (whether by a merger or otherwise) by any
Person (as defined in the employment agreement), in a single transaction
or a series of related or unrelated transactions, of beneficial ownership of
more than fifty percent (50%) of the Companys then outstanding voting
securities; |
|
|
|
the merger or consolidation of the Company with or into any other Person,
if, immediately following the effectiveness of such merger or consolidation,
Person(s) who did not beneficially own then outstanding voting securities
immediately before the effectiveness of such merger or consolidation
directly or indirectly beneficially own more than fifty percent (50%) of the
outstanding shares of voting stock of the surviving entity of such merger or
consolidation; |
|
|
|
any one or a series of related sales or conveyances to any Person(s)
(including a liquidation) of all or substantially all of the assets of the
Company; |
|
|
|
the complete liquidation or dissolution of the Company; or |
|
|
|
incumbent trust managers cease to be a majority of the members of the
Board where an Incumbent Trust Manager is (1) an individual who is a
member of the Board on the date of the employment agreement or (2) any new
trust manager whose appointment by the Board was approved by a majority of
the persons who were already incumbent trust managers at the time of such
appointment, election or approval, other than any individual who assumes
office initially as a result of an actual or threatened election contest
with respect to the election or removal of trust managers or other actual or
threatened solicitation of proxies or consents by or on behalf of a Person
other than the Board or as a result of an agreement to avoid or settle such
a contest or solicitation. |
Page | 25
Each of the employment agreements also contains a provision governing the disclosure of
information. The named executive officers are prevented, both during and following the term of the
employment agreement, from disclosing information on the operating procedures or service techniques
of the Company, the Companys customer lists, or similar valuable and unique Company information.
The breach or threatened breach by the named executive officer of this obligation will result in
the Company being entitled to an injunction restraining such breach, and the Company may also seek
the recovery of damages from the named executive officer.
The equity awards that are granted to each of the named executive officers are not governed by
the employment agreements, but rather through the 2005 Equity Incentive Plan and the accompanying
award agreements for each grant. The 2005 Equity Incentive Plan provides that upon either (1) the
dissolution or liquidation of the Company; (2) a sale of the Companys assets; (3) a merger,
consolidation or reorganization where the outstanding shares are converted into a different kind of
security or for the successor entitys securities or (4) the sale of all the Companys shares to an
unrelated party, all unvested share options shall receive accelerated vesting. While each of the
named executive officers held share options on December 31, 2009, the share options will only hold
value if the option exercise price is below the current value of the shares on the date of
exercise. As disclosed in the Outstanding Equity Awards at December 31, 2009 table above, the
exercise price for each of the executives options would be above $7.80, and thus no value is
reported in the table below for the acceleration of equity awards.
The following table sets forth the amount of the Companys payment obligation if each of the
named executive officers incurred a termination on December 31, 2009 as a result of the applicable
scenario. All vacation days are assumed to have been taken, and all reasonable business expenses
are assumed to have been previously reimbursed for purposes of the following table. Each of the
amounts in the table is the Companys best estimate of the amounts that the executives would
receive upon a termination or a change in control, but the precise amount would not be determinable
until an actual termination occurred.
|
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|
|
|
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Change in Control/ |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Constructive |
|
|
Employment |
|
Name |
|
Death(1) |
|
|
Disability(2) |
|
|
Discharge(3) |
|
|
Agreement(4) |
|
Lance B. Rosemore |
|
$ |
851,000 |
|
|
$ |
562,000 |
|
|
$ |
1,617,000 |
|
|
$ |
1,644,000 |
|
Barry N. Berlin |
|
|
574,000 |
|
|
|
414,000 |
|
|
|
1,179,000 |
|
|
|
1,206,000 |
|
Jan F. Salit |
|
|
574,000 |
|
|
|
413,000 |
|
|
|
1,177,000 |
|
|
|
1,204,000 |
|
|
|
|
(1) |
|
Amounts in this column approximates two times the annual base salary of each of the named
executive officers in effect as of December 31, 2009. |
|
(2) |
|
Amounts in this column approximate the amount reported above in the Total column of the
Summary Compensation Table with respect to the year ended December 31, 2009. |
|
(3) |
|
The amounts shown in this column are based upon the product of the three-year average total
annual compensation and 2.99. Total annual compensation with respect to the calendar years
ended December 31, 2009, 2008 and 2007 are reported above in the Total column of the
Summary Compensation Table. |
|
(4) |
|
Includes the compensation due for Constructive Discharge plus the accelerated vesting of the
3,473 unvested restricted shares held by Mr. Rosemore and 3,472 shares held by each of
Mssrs. Berlin and Salit as of December 31, 2009 pursuant to the 2005 Equity Incentive Plan
upon a change in control transaction. Values were calculated based on a per share closing
market price of $7.80 on December 31, 2009. |
COMPENSATION COMMITTEE INTERLOCKS AND INSIDER PARTICIPATION
The Compensation Committee consists of members of the Board who are neither former nor current
officers or employees of the Company or any of its subsidiaries. The Compensation Committee of the
Board for 2009 consisted of Mr. Irving Munn, Mr. Barry A. Imber and Mr. Nathan G. Cohen.
No member of the Compensation Committee has any interlocking relationship with any other
company that requires disclosure under this heading. No executive officer of the Company served as
a director or member of the compensation committee of any entity that has one or more executive
officers serving as a member of the Companys Board or of the Compensation Committee.
Page | 26
SECTION 16(A) BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP REPORTING COMPLIANCE
Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, requires our trust managers
and executive officers and persons who own more than 10% of a registered class of our equity
securities, to file reports of holdings and transactions in our securities with the SEC. Executive
officers, trust managers and greater than 10% beneficial owners are required by applicable
regulations to furnish us with copies of all Section 16(a) forms they file with the SEC.
Based solely upon a review of these reports, during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2009 we
believe that all SEC filing requirements applicable to our trust managers, executive officers and
beneficial owner of more than 10% of the Shares were satisfied on a timely basis in 2009.
RELATED PERSON TRANSACTIONS
Approval of Related Person Transactions
The Board has adopted the following written related person transaction policy:
A Related Person Transaction is a transaction, arrangement or relationship (or any series of
similar transactions, arrangements or relationships) in which the Company (including any of its
subsidiaries) was, is or will be a participant and the amount involved exceeds $5,000, and in which
a related person had, has or will have a direct or indirect material interest.
A Related Person is:
Any person who was in any of the following categories during the applicable period:
|
|
|
a trust manager or nominee for trust manager; |
|
|
|
any executive officer; or |
|
|
|
any immediate family member of a trust manager or executive officer, or of any
nominee for trust manager, which means any child, stepchild, parent, stepparent,
spouse, sibling, mother-in-law, father-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law,
brother-in-law, or sister-in-law of the trust manager, executive officer, or
nominee for trust manager and any person (other than a tenant or employee) sharing
the household of such security holder. |
Any person who was in any of the following categories when a transaction in which such person
had a direct or indirect material interest occurred or existed:
|
|
|
any person who is known to the Company to be the beneficial owner of more than
5% of the Shares; and |
|
|
|
any immediate family member of any such security holder, which means any child,
stepchild, parent, stepparent, spouse, sibling, mother-in-law, father-in-law,
son-in-law, daughter-in-law, brother-in-law, or sister-in-law of such security
holder and any person (other than a tenant or employee) sharing the household of
such security holder. |
A person who has a position or relationship within a firm, corporation or other entity that
engages in a transaction with the Company will not be deemed to have an indirect material
interest within the meaning of Related Person Transaction when:
The interest arises only:
|
|
|
from such persons position as a director of another corporation or organization
that is a party to the transaction; or |
|
|
|
from the direct or indirect ownership by such person and all other persons
specified in the definition of Related Person in the aggregate of less than 10%
equity interest in another person (other than a partnership) which is a party to
the transaction; or |
|
|
|
from both such position and ownership; or |
|
|
|
from such persons position as a limited partner in a partnership in which the
person and all other persons specified in the definition of Related Person have
an interest of less than 10%, and the person is not a general partner of and does
not hold another position in the partnership. |
Each of the Companys executive officers is encouraged to help identify any potential Related
Person Transaction.
Page | 27
As part of the Companys efforts to identify potential Related Person Transactions, the
Companys customary Trust Managers and Executive Officers Questionnaires will request information
regarding potential Related Person Transactions, and the following information to identify
affiliations of such persons:
|
|
|
a list of entities for which the trust manager or trust manager nominee is an
employee, director or executive officer; |
|
|
|
a list of entities for which the executive officer is a director; |
|
|
|
each entity where an immediate family member of the trust manager, the trust
manager nominee or an executive officer is an executive officer; |
|
|
|
each firm, corporation or other entity in which the trust manager, trust manager
nominee or an immediate family member of the trust manager or trust manager nominee
is a partner or principal or in a similar position or in which such person has a 5%
or greater beneficial ownership interest; |
|
|
|
each firm, corporation or other entity in which the executive officer or an
immediate family member is a partner or principal or in a similar position or in
which such person has a 5% or greater beneficial ownership interest; |
|
|
|
each charitable or non-profit organization where the trust manager, trust
manager nominee or an immediate family member of the trust manager or trust manager
nominee is an employee, executive officer, director or trustee; and |
|
|
|
each charitable or non-profit organization where the executive officer or an
immediate family member is an employee, executive officer, director or trustee. |
If a new Related Person Transaction is identified, it will initially be brought to the
attention of the Chief Financial Officer, who will then prepare a recommendation to the Board
and/or a committee thereof regarding whether the proposed transaction is reasonable and fair to the
Company.
A committee comprised solely of independent trust managers, who are also independent of the
Related Person Transaction in question, will determine whether to approve a Related Person
Transaction. In general, the committee will only approve or ratify a Related Person Transaction if
it determines that the Related Person Transaction is reasonable and fair to the Company. In making
its determination, the committee may consider, among other things, the recommendation of the
individuals directly involved in the transaction and the recommendation of the Chief Financial
Officer.
Consulting Agreement with Dr. Andrew S. Rosemore
Dr. Andrew S. Rosemore is the brother of our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Lance B.
Rosemore, and one of our trust managers, Martha R. Greenberg. To facilitate a smooth transition of
Dr. Rosemores responsibilities as Chief Operating Officer, the Company and Dr. Rosemore entered
into a consulting agreement in October 2008 pursuant to which he provided services as a consultant
to the Company. Payments under the consulting agreement (excluding health benefits) totaled
approximately $50,000 during 2009. The consulting agreement terminated on April 1, 2010. As the
Companys prior Chief Operating Officer, Dr. Rosemore previously had an employment agreement with
the Company; however, in October 2008, in connection with the Companys cost reduction initiatives,
the Company and Dr. Rosemore entered into a separation agreement regarding the terms of his
termination. Pursuant to the separation agreement, the Company agreed to pay and paid Dr. Rosemore
one lump sum payment in the gross amount of $1,388,000 on April 23, 2009, subject to applicable
taxes and lawful deductions. This amount is more than the amount that would have been paid under
Dr. Rosemores employment agreement, partially because the payment was deferred instead of being
paid immediately, as provided in his employment agreement. Pursuant to the consulting agreement
referred to below, the Company further agreed to continue, to the same extent provided to
Dr. Rosemore during his employment, health and dental insurance coverage for Dr. Rosemore and his
dependents for a period ending on the earlier of (1) the termination of his consulting agreement as
a result of his breach of the confidentiality provisions therein; (2) his 66th birthday; (3) the
date he obtains health and dental insurance coverage through subsequent employment or work or
(4) the date the Company elects to no longer provide health and/or dental coverage for its
executives or reimbursement for such coverage (in any form, including a stipend or compensatory
salary increase). The provision of medical benefits was not contemplated by his employment
agreement. The total amount of severance incurred relating to Dr. Rosemores severance was
$1,573,154, which includes the lump sum cash payment as well as the amount recognized as expense in
the Companys financial statements related to the provision of health benefits.
Page | 28
TRUST MANAGER COMPENSATION
Compensation of Trust Managers
The Company uses a combination of cash and share-based compensation to attract and retain
qualified candidates to serve on the Board. In setting Board compensation, the Board considers,
among other things, the substantial time commitment on the part of trust managers in fulfilling
their duties as well as the skill level it requires of trust managers. In addition, the
non-employee trust managers are reimbursed by the Company for their expenses related to attending
board or committee meetings.
During the year ended December 31, 2009, we compensated our non-employee trust managers
according to the following schedule:
|
|
|
|
|
Annual Board retainer |
|
$ |
22,000 |
|
Fee for each quarterly Board meeting attended |
|
|
1,500 |
|
Fee for each other Board meeting attended |
|
|
1,000 |
|
Annual audit committee chairman retainer |
|
|
5,000 |
|
Annual compensation committee and nominating committee chairman retainer |
|
|
3,000 |
|
Annual audit committee member retainer |
|
|
4,800 |
|
Fee for each committee meeting attended |
|
|
1,000 |
|
The annual Board retainer, annual audit committee chairman retainer and annual audit committee
member retainer are payable quarterly. If any special committee was formed and conducted official
business, each member would receive $2,500 per meeting and the chairperson would receive an annual
retainer of $5,000. Effective for 2010, the Annual Board Retainer was increased to $26,000. There
were no other changes to the compensation structure.
In addition, the Companys 2005 Equity Incentive Plan allows for the issuance of share awards
at the discretion of the Compensation Committee in accordance with the plan. All share awards
granted to the non-employee trust managers vested as follows: one-third on the date of grant,
one-third on the first anniversary date and the remaining one-third on the second anniversary date.
Compensation for the non-employee trust managers for the year ended December 31, 2009 was as
follows:
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Fees Earned or |
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Name |
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Paid in Cash |
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Share Awards(1) |
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Total |
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Nathan G. Cohen* |
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$ |
47,800 |
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$ |
17,535 |
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$ |
65,335 |
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Martha R. Greenberg |
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28,000 |
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17,535 |
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45,535 |
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Barry A. Imber* |
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45,800 |
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17,535 |
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63,335 |
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Irving Munn* |
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45,800 |
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17,535 |
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63,335 |
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* |
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Independent Director. |
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(1) |
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The dollar amount reported is the aggregate grant date fair value of awards granted during
the year computed in accordance with defined ASC Topic 718, Compensation-Stock Compensation.
Assumptions used in the calculation of these amounts are included in note 14 to the audited
financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2009 included in the Companys Annual
Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2009. As of December 31, 2009, our
non-employee trust managers held the following numbers of unvested share awards: |
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Name |
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Unvested Share Awards |
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Nathan G. Cohen |
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1,750 |
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Martha R. Greenberg |
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1,750 |
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Barry A. Imber |
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1,750 |
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Irving Munn |
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1,750 |
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Page | 29
AUDIT COMMITTEE REPORT
Since inception, the Companys Audit Committee has been composed entirely of independent trust
managers. The members of the Audit Committee meet the independence and experience requirements of
Section 803 of the NYSE Amex Listing Standards and those established by the SEC. In 2009, the Audit
Committee held four regular meetings and one other meeting. The Audit Committee operates under a
written charter adopted by the Board. The Audit Committee reviews and assesses the adequacy of its
charter on an annual basis. The Audit Committee charter is available on the corporate governance
section of the Companys website at www.pmctrust.com.
During 2009, at each of its regularly scheduled meetings, the Audit Committee met with the
senior members of the Companys financial management team. Additionally, the Audit Committee,
either through separate private sessions or during its regularly scheduled meetings with the
independent registered public accounting firm and the manager of internal control testing, had
candid discussions regarding financial management, legal, accounting, auditing and internal control
issues.
The Audit Committee has been provided with quarterly updates on managements process to assess
the adequacy of the Companys system of internal control over financial reporting, the framework
used to make the assessment and managements conclusions on the effectiveness of the Companys
internal control over financial reporting. The updates include discussions with the independent
registered public accounting firm about the Companys internal control assessment process and the
independent registered public accounting firms evaluation of the Companys system of internal
control over financial reporting.
The Audit Committee reviewed with executive management, and the manager of internal control
testing, (1) the Companys policies and procedures with respect to risk assessment and risk
management and (2) the overall adequacy and effectiveness of the Companys legal, regulatory and
ethical compliance programs, including the Codes of Conduct.
The Audit Committee recommended to the Board the engagement of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as
the independent registered public accounting firm for the year ended December 31, 2009, and
reviewed with senior members of the Companys financial management team and the independent
registered public accounting firm, the overall audit scope and plans, the results of internal and
external audit examinations, evaluations by management and the independent registered public
accounting firm of the Companys internal controls over financial reporting and the quality of the
Companys financial reporting. The Audit Committee has the sole authority to appoint the
independent registered public accounting firm. Nonetheless, as it has historically done, the Audit
Committee will continue the practice of recommending a shareholder vote, at the Companys annual
meeting, to ratify their appointment of the independent registered public accounting firm.
The Audit Committee has reviewed and discussed the audited financial statements in the
Companys Annual Report on Form 10-K with management including a discussion of the accounting
principles, the reasonableness of significant accounting judgments and estimates, and the clarity
of disclosures in the financial statements.
The Audit Committee also discussed with the independent registered public accounting firm, who
are engaged to audit and report on the consolidated financial statements of the Company and
subsidiaries and the effectiveness of the Companys internal control over financial reporting,
those matters required to be discussed by the auditors with the Audit Committee under the PCAOB
Auditing Standard Section 380, as adopted by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board. The
Audit Committee has received the written disclosures and the letter from the independent accountant
required by the applicable requirements of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board regarding
the independent accountants communications with the Audit Committee concerning independence, and
has discussed with the independent accountant the independent accountants independence for 2009.
Page | 30
In performing all of these functions, the Audit Committee acts in an oversight capacity. The
Audit Committee reviews the Companys quarterly and annual reports on Form 10-Q and Form 10-K prior
to filing with the SEC. In its oversight role, the Audit Committee relies on the work and
assurances of the Companys management, which has the primary responsibility for establishing and
maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting and for preparing the financial
statements, and other reports.
In reliance on these reviews and discussions, and the reports of the independent registered
public accounting firm, the Audit Committee has recommended to the Board, and the Board has
approved, that the audited financial statements be included in the Companys Annual Report on Form
10-K for the year ended December 31, 2009, for filing with the SEC.
The Audit Committee also recommended the appointment of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as the
independent registered public accounting firm for 2010 and the Board concurred with such
recommendation.
This section of the proxy statement is not deemed filed with the SEC and is not incorporated
by reference into the Companys Annual Report on Form 10-K.
This report is submitted by the following members of the Audit Committee:
Nathan G. Cohen (Chair)
Barry A. Imber
Irving Munn
Page | 31
PROPOSAL TWO RATIFICATION OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
Based upon the recommendation of the Audit Committee, the shareholders are urged to ratify the
appointment by the Audit Committee of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as our independent registered
public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2010. PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP has
served as our independent registered public accounting firm since June 1993 and is familiar with
the Companys affairs and financial procedures. A representative of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP is
expected to be present at the Meeting to respond to appropriate questions and will have an
opportunity to make a statement if he or she desires to do so.
Principal Accounting Firm Fees
Aggregate fees billed to the Company for the years ended December 31, 2009 and 2008 by the
Companys principal accounting firm, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, were as follows:
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2009 |
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2008 |
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Audit Fees(a) |
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$ |
565,000 |
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$ |
638,000 |
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Audit Related Fees (b) |
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30,000 |
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12,000 |
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Tax Fees(c) |
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84,000 |
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100,000 |
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All Other Fees |
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2,000 |
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2,000 |
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Total |
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$ |
681,000 |
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$ |
752,000 |
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Audit fees consisted of professional services performed in connection with (i) the audit of
the Companys annual financial statements and internal control over financial reporting and
(ii) review of financial statements included in its quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. |
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(b) |
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Consists of fees incurred in connection with the Companys compliance with the minimum
servicing standards identified in the Mortgage Bankers Association of Americas Uniform Single
Attestation Program (USAP) and for 2009 includes fees for assistance in responding to a
comment letter received from the SEC regarding our 2008 Annual Report on Form 10-K and Annual
Proxy. |
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(c) |
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Tax fees consisted principally of assistance with matters related to tax compliance, tax
planning, tax advice and the performance of a transfer pricing analysis. |
Pre-Approval Policies
The Companys Audit Committee, pursuant to its exclusive authority, has reviewed and approved
the Companys engagement of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as its independent registered public
accounting firm, and the incurrence of all of the fees described above, for 2009. The Audit
Committee has selected PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as independent registered public accounting firm
for 2010, subject to review and approval of the final terms of its engagement as such and its audit
fees. The Audit Committee has also adopted Pre-Approval Policies for all other services
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP may perform for the Company in 2010. The Pre-Approval Policies detail
with specificity the services that are authorized within each of the above-described categories of
services and provide for aggregate maximum dollar amounts for such pre-approved services. Any
additional services not described or otherwise exceeding the maximum dollar amounts prescribed by
the Pre-Approval Policies for 2010 will require the further advance review and approval of the
Audit Committee. For each proposed service, the independent registered public accounting firm is
required to provide detailed back-up documentation at the time of approval to permit the Audit
Committee to make a determination whether the provision of such services would impair the
independent registered public accounting firms independence. The Audit Committee has delegated the
authority to grant any such additional required approval to its Chairman between meetings of the
Audit Committee, provided that the Chairman reports the details of the exercise of any such
delegated authority at the next meeting of the Audit Committee.
Ratification of the appointment of the independent registered public accounting firm requires
the affirmative vote of a majority of the votes cast at the Annual Meeting of Shareholders. If the
shareholders do not ratify the appointment of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, the Audit Committee will
reconsider the appointment.
The Board unanimously recommends that you vote FOR this proposal. Proxies solicited by the
Board will be so voted unless you specify otherwise in your proxy.
Page | 32
PROPOSAL THREE SHAREHOLDER PROPOSAL
The Company has been notified that a shareholder intends to present a proposal for
consideration at the Annual Meeting. The shareholder making this proposal has presented the
proposal below, and the Company is presenting the proposal as it was submitted to the Company. The
Company does not necessarily agree with the statements contained in the proposal, but we have
limited our responses to the most important points and have not attempted to address all the
statements with which we disagree. The following proposal and statement in support of the proposal
were submitted by Gerald R. Armstrong, 910 Sixteenth Street, No. 412, Denver, Colorado 80202-2917.
As of December 21, 2009, Mr. Armstrong owned 805.341 Shares.
Resolution
That the shareholders of PMC COMMERCIAL TRUST request our Board of Trust Managers to take all
of the necessary steps to adopt a policy that requires that the Chairman of our Board of Trust
Managers shall be an independent trust manager, who has not previously served as an executive
officer of our Trust, and furthermore, to prohibit the Chairman of the Board from serving as its
president or Chief Executive Officer.
Statement
The primary purpose of the Board of Trust Managers is to protect the shareholders interests
by providing independent oversight of our management, including the Trust Manager serving as
President and Chief Executive Officer.
In the proponents view, this independent oversight is missing as one person, Lance B.
Rosemore, is holding both the position of Chairman of our Board and President and the Board is
lacking a method of accountability of him. Not only does he serve in these two positions, he is
also serving as the Trust Secretary, allowing him to attest Trust documents which could conceivably
be signed by himself as President.
The separation of these roles will promote greater accountability to our Board and afford
greater protections for shareholders interests.
Our company has suffered multiple years of a declining loan portfolio, diminishing net income
and reduced dividends. The share price today is less than 50% of the $16.40 share price in
February, 2004, the time of the merger that created the company as it operates today.
This shows there is need for improvement. Shareholders of PMC Commercial Trust require an
independent leader on the board to ensure that our management acts in the best interests of our
Company. There is, in the proponents opinion, an urgent need for the board to engage in an
objective and independent evaluation of our Companys current position and plans going forward.
By setting the agenda for, and leading discussions of, strategic issues for our Company, the
position of Chairman is critical to shaping our boards work.
The Conference Boards report on corporate governance state: The roles of Chairman and CEO
would be performed by two separate individuals, and the Chairman would be one of the independent
directors.
Another independent research firm, The Corporate Library, concludes, A board that retains the
dual role out of a reluctance to challenge a CEO may not be a stronger protector of shareholder
interests in other regards.
An independent trust manager serving as Chairman can best insure the objective functioning of
an effective board.
Please encourage our board to responded positively to this proposal for an Independent
Chairman by voting FOR this proposal.
Page | 33
Board of Trust Managers Response
The Board recommends that you vote against the above shareholder proposal. As discussed in
the Governance of the Company section above (see Governance of the CompanyBoard Leadership
Structure; Board Role in Risk OversightLeadership Structure), given our history, position, board
composition and the relatively small size of our company and management team, at this time, our
Board believes the Company and its shareholders are best served by our current leadership
structure. Our Board believes that it is able to provide effective
independent oversight of the Companys business and affairs, including risks facing the
Company, through the leadership of our lead independent trust manager, the independent committees
of our Board and the other corporate governance structures and processes the Company has in place.
Although the Board has determined that, under current circumstances, it is appropriate to have
the same person serving as the Companys Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, the Board believes
that it should be able to exercise its judgment to determine what the appropriate leadership
structure for the Company should be at any particular point in time, including determining who
should serve as Chairman in light of the Companys then-current and anticipated future position and
circumstances. The proposed bylaw or Board policy would dictate a particular structure regardless
of the Companys then-current circumstances and permanently deprive the Board of its flexibility
and judgment to organize its functions and conduct its business in the manner it deems most
efficient and in the best interests of the Companys shareholders.
The Board has been, and continues to be, a strong proponent of Board independence. Currently,
a majority of the members of the Board, including each member of the Boards Audit, Compensation,
and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committees, are independent directors under the
independence standards of the NYSE Amex. The Board believes that the Companys corporate
governance policies, which are available on the Companys website, ensure that strong and
independent trust managers will continue to oversee effectively the Companys management,
long-range business plans, long-range strategic issues and risks, and integrity.
As noted above, we have a lead independent trust manager who is vested with significant
responsibilities that an independent Chairman of the Board would otherwise perform. In addition,
all of our trust managers are free to call a meeting or executive session of our Board, suggest
the inclusion of items on the agenda for meetings of our Board or raise subjects that are not on
the agenda for that meeting. In addition, our Board and each committee have complete and open
access to any member of management and the authority to retain independent legal, financial and
other advisors as they deem appropriate without consulting or obtaining the approval of any member
of management. Our Board also holds executive sessions of only non-management trust managers in
order to promote discussion among the non-management trust managers and assure independent
oversight of management. Our lead independent trust manager presides over these executive
sessions.
The Board believes the Companys corporate governance structures and principles and processes
that the Company currently has in place provide the appropriate flexibility for the selection of a
Chairman of the Board and that this proposal imposes an unnecessary restriction that is not in the
best interests of the Company and its shareholders.
The affirmative vote of a majority of the votes cast at the Meeting will be required for
approval of the proposal. Abstentions will be counted as represented and entitled to vote and will
have the effect of a negative vote on all proposals. Broker non-votes (as described in question 16
in Questions and Answers about the Meeting and Voting) will not be considered entitled to vote on
these proposals and will not be counted in determining the number of shares necessary for approval
of the proposal.
The Board unanimously recommends that you vote AGAINST this proposal. Proxies solicited by the
Board will be so voted unless you specify otherwise in your proxy.
Page | 34
SHAREHOLDER PROPOSALS FOR THE 2011 ANNUAL MEETING
To be included in the proxy statement, any proposals of holders of Shares intended to be
presented at the annual meeting of shareholders of the Company to be held in 2011 must be received
by the Company, addressed to Mr. Lance B. Rosemore, Secretary of the Company, 17950 Preston Road,
Suite 600, Dallas, Texas, 75252, no later than December 30, 2010, and must otherwise comply with
the requirements of Rule 14a-8 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. In addition, to be
considered timely in accordance with the advance notice provisions of our Bylaws, a proposal sought
to be presented directly at the 2011 Annual Meeting must be received no earlier than February 12,
2011 and no later than the close of business March 14, 2011. Assuming that the 2011 Annual Meeting
is held within 30 days of the anniversary of the 2010 Annual Meeting, as to all matters which the
Company does not have notice on or prior to March 14, 2011, discretionary authority shall be
granted to the persons designated in the Companys proxy related to the 2011 Annual Meeting to vote
on such proposal.
ANNUAL REPORT
We have provided without charge a copy of the annual report to shareholders for fiscal year
2009, which includes a copy of the Form 10-K as filed with the SEC (excluding exhibits) to each
person being solicited by this proxy statement. Upon the written request by any person being
solicited by this proxy statement, we will provide without charge a copy of the Annual Report on
Form 10-K as filed with the SEC (excluding exhibits, for which a reasonable charge shall be
imposed). All requests should be directed to the Companys Investor Relations Department at 17950
Preston Road, Suite 600, Dallas, Texas 75252.
REDUCE DUPLICATE MAILINGS
The SEC has adopted rules that permit companies and intermediaries (for example, brokers) to
satisfy the delivery requirements for proxy statements and annual reports with respect to two or
more shareholders sharing the same address by delivering a single proxy statement or Notice of
Availability of Proxy Materials addressed to those shareholders. A number of brokers with account
holders who are shareholders of the Company household the Companys proxy materials in this
manner. If you have received notice from your broker that it will be householding communications
to your address, householding will continue until you are notified otherwise or until you revoke
your consent. If, at any time, you no longer wish to participate in householding and would prefer
to receive a separate proxy statement, annual report or Notice of Availability of Proxy Materials,
please follow the instructions described below and notify your broker or the Companys transfer
agent in writing or by telephone. If you currently receive multiple copies of the Notice of
Availability of Proxy Materials or proxy statement at your address and would like to request
householding of your communications, please contact your broker.
Shareholders of record should contact our transfer agent, American Stock Transfer and Trust,
at
59 Maiden Lane
Plaza Level
New York, NY 10038
(800) 937-5449
Shareholders who hold their shares in street name should contact their broker.
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BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF TRUST MANAGERS
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/s/ Lance B. Rosemore
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Lance B. Rosemore |
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Chairman of the Board and Secretary |
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Page | 35
o
n
THIS PROXY IS SOLICITED ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF TRUST MANAGERS OF
PMC COMMERCIAL TRUST
The undersigned hereby appoints Barry N. Berlin and Jan F. Salit, and each of them, with power to act without the other and with power of substitution, as proxies and attorneys-in-fact and hereby
authorizes them to represent and vote, as designated on the reverse side, all the common shares of beneficial interest (each a "Share") of PMC Commercial Trust ("PMC Commercial") which the
undersigned is entitled to vote, and, in their discretion, to vote upon such other business as may properly come before the Annual Meeting of shareholders of PMC Commercial to be held at 8:00 a.m.
Central time, on Saturday, June 12, 2010 or any adjournment thereof, with all powers which the undersigned would possess if present at the Meeting.
(Continued and to be signed on the reverse side)
ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS OF
PMC COMMERCIAL TRUST
June 12, 2010
NOTICE OF INTERNET AVAILABILITY OF PROXY MATERIAL:
The Notice of Meeting, proxy statement and proxy card
are available at www.pmctrust.com/proxy
Please sign, date
and mail
your proxy card in the
envelope provided as soon
as possible.
ê Please detach along perforated line and mail in the
envelope provided. ê
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20530003000000000000 1 |
061210 |
PLEASE
SIGN, DATE AND RETURN PROMPTLY IN THE ENCLOSED ENVELOPE. PLEASE MARK YOUR VOTE
IN BLUE OR BLACK INK AS SHOWN HERE x
Item 1. |
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To consider and elect five members of PMC Commercials board of trust
managers, each to hold office until the next annual meeting of shareholders
and until their respective successors have been elected and qualified. |
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NOMINEES: |
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FOR ALL NOMINEES |
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¡ ¡ |
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Nathan G. Cohen Martha R. Greenberg |
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WITHHOLD AUTHORITY FOR ALL NOMINEES |
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Barry A. Imber Irving Munn |
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FOR ALL EXCEPT (See instructions below) |
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Lance B. Rosemore |
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The Board recommends
you vote FOR each of the trust manager nominees. |
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INSTRUCTIONS:
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To withhold authority to vote for any individual
nominee(s), mark FOR ALL EXCEPT and fill in the circle next to
each nominee you wish to withhold, as shown here: l |
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To change the address on your account, please check the
box at right and indicate your new address in the address space above.
Please note that changes to the registered name(s) on the account may not
be submitted via this method. |
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FOR |
AGAINST |
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Item 2. |
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To consider and ratify the appointment of PricewaterhouseCoopers
LLP as the independent registered public accounting firm of PMC Commercial for the
year ending December 31, 2010.
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The Board recommends you vote FOR the
appointment of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. |
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FOR |
AGAINST |
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ABSTAIN |
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Item 3. |
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To consider the Shareholder Proposal regarding an
independent Chairman of the Board. |
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The Board recommends you vote AGAINST the
Shareholder Proposal.
THIS PROXY WILL BE VOTED AS DIRECTED, OR IF
NO DIRECTION IS INDICATED, WILL BE VOTED AS RECOMMENDED BY THE BOARD. THIS
PROXY IS SOLICITED ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF TRUST MANAGERS.
If any other business is presented at the Meeting, this
proxy will be voted by the proxies in their best judgment.
Please mark, sign and return this proxy in the enclosed
envelope or by facsimile. The undersigned acknowledges receipt from PMC
Commercial of a Notice of Annual Meeting of Shareholders and a proxy
statement. |
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Signature of Shareholder |
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Date: |
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Signature of Shareholder |
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Note: |
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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. |
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