United States

Securities and Exchange Commission

Washington, D.C. 20549

SCHEDULE 14A

(Rule 14a-101)

Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of the

Securities Exchange Act of 1934

(Amendment No.    )

Filed by the Registrant  x

Filed by a Party other than the Registrant  ¨

Check the appropriate box:

eGain Corporation

(Name of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter)

 

(Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if other than the Registrant)

Payment of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box):

 

 

 

 

 

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eGAIN

CORPORATION

1252 Borregas Avenue

Sunnyvale, CA 94089

(408) 636-4500

October 2, 2014

Dear Stockholder:

You are cordially invited to attend the Annual Meeting of Stockholders of eGain Corporation that will be held on November 7, 2014, at 4:00 P.M., Pacific Time, at 1252 Borregas Avenue, Sunnyvale, California 94089.

The formal notice of the Annual Meeting and the Proxy Statement have been made a part of this invitation.

After reading the Proxy Statement, please mark, date, sign and return, at an early date, the enclosed proxy in the enclosed prepaid envelope, to ensure that your shares will be represented. YOUR SHARES MAY NOT BE VOTED WITH RESPECT TO EACH OF THE PROPOSALS UNLESS YOU SIGN, DATE AND RETURN THE ENCLOSED PROXY OR ATTEND THE ANNUAL MEETING IN PERSON.

A copy of eGain’s 2014 Annual Report to Stockholders on Form 10-K is also enclosed.

The Board of Directors and management look forward to seeing you at the meeting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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eGAIN CORPORATION

 

Notice of Annual Meeting of Stockholders

to be held November 7, 2014

 

To the Stockholders of eGain Corporation:

The Annual Meeting of Stockholders of eGain Corporation or eGain, a Delaware corporation will be held at 1252 Borregas Avenue, Sunnyvale, California 94089, on November 7, 2014, at 4:00 P.M., Pacific Time, for the following purposes:

Stockholders of record as of the close of business on September 9, 2014 are entitled to notice of and to vote at the Annual Meeting and any adjournment thereof. A complete list of stockholders entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting will be available at eGain’s offices, 1252 Borregas Avenue, Sunnyvale, California 94089, ten days prior to the meeting.

It is important that your shares are represented at this meeting. Even if you plan to attend the meeting, we hope that you will promptly mark, sign, date and return the enclosed proxy. This will not limit your right to attend or vote at the meeting.

 

Sunnyvale, California

October 2, 2014

Important Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materials

for the Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be held on November 7, 2014.

The Proxy Statement for our Annual Meeting and our 2014 Annual Report are available on our website at http://www.egain.com.

 

 

 

 

 

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eGAIN CORPORATION

1252 Borregas Avenue,

Sunnyvale, California 94089

 

PROXY STATEMENT

 

This Proxy Statement is furnished in connection with the solicitation by the Board of Directors of eGain Corporation, a Delaware corporation, referred to as eGain or the Company, of proxies in the accompanying form to be used at the Annual Meeting of Stockholders of eGain, or the Annual Meeting, to be held at 1252 Borregas Avenue, Sunnyvale, California 94089, on November 7, 2014, at 4:00 P.M., Pacific Time, and any postponement or adjournment thereof. The shares represented by the proxies received in response to this solicitation and not properly revoked will be voted at the Annual Meeting in accordance with the instructions therein. A stockholder who has given a proxy may revoke it at any time before it is exercised by filing with the Secretary of eGain a written revocation or a duly executed proxy bearing a later date or by voting in person at the Annual Meeting. On the matters coming before the Annual Meeting for which a choice has been specified by a stockholder by means of the ballot on the proxy, the shares will be voted accordingly. If no choice is specified, the shares will be voted in accordance with the recommendations of the Board of Directors set forth below.

The Board of Directors recommends that you vote:

“FOR” election of each of the nominated directors;

“FOR” approval of the amendment  and restatement of the 2005 Stock Incentive Plan;

“FOR” approval of the 2005 Management Stock Option Plan, as amended;

“FOR” approval, on a non-binding advisory basis, of the compensation of our executive officers;

“FOR” approval, on a non-binding advisory basis, as to the frequency of a non-binding stockholder vote on the compensation of our executive officers; and

“FOR” the appointment of Burr Pilger Mayer, Inc., as eGain’s independent registered accounting firm.

Stockholders of record at the close of business on September 9, 2014, or the Record Date, are entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting. As of the close of business on that date, eGain had 25,481,643 shares of Common Stock, $0.001 par value, or the Common Stock, outstanding. The presence in person or by proxy of the holders of a majority of eGain’s outstanding shares of Common Stock constitutes a quorum for the transaction of business at the Annual Meeting. Each holder of Common Stock is entitled to one vote for each share held as of the Record Date.

Directors are elected by a plurality vote. The four nominees for director who receive the most votes cast in their favor will be elected to serve as a directors. Other proposals submitted for stockholder approval at the Annual Meeting will be decided by the affirmative vote of the majority of the shares present in person or represented by proxy at the Annual Meeting and entitled to vote on such proposal. Abstentions with respect to any proposal are treated as shares present or represented and entitled to vote on that proposal and thus have the same effect as negative votes. If a broker which is the record holder of shares indicates on a proxy that it does not have discretionary authority to vote on a particular proposal as to such shares, or if shares are not voted in other circumstances in which proxy authority is defective or has been withheld with respect to a particular proposal, these non-voted shares will be counted for quorum purposes but are not deemed to be present or represented for purposes of determining whether stockholder approval of that proposal has been obtained.

The expense of printing, mailing proxy materials and solicitation of proxies will be borne by eGain. eGain will reimburse brokerage firms and others for their reasonable expenses in forwarding solicitation materials to beneficial owners of eGain’s Common Stock. No additional compensation will be paid to such persons for such solicitation.

This Proxy Statement, the accompanying form of proxy and the Annual Report to Stockholders on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2014, or the 2014 Annual Report, including our consolidated financial statements, are being mailed to stockholders on or about October 2, 2014.

 

 

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IMPORTANT

Please mark, sign and date the enclosed proxy and return it at your earliest convenience in the enclosed postage-paid return envelope so that, whether you intend to be present at the Annual Meeting or not, your shares can be voted. This will not limit your rights to attend or vote at the Annual Meeting.

 

 

 

 

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PROPOSAL 1

ELECTION OF DIRECTORS

Nominees

Our Board of Directors proposes the election of four directors of eGain to serve until the 2015 Annual Meeting of Stockholders and thereafter until their successors are elected and qualified. If any nominee is unable or declines to serve as a director at the time of the Annual Meeting, an event not now anticipated, proxies will be voted for any nominee designated by our Board of Directors to fill the vacancy.

Names of the nominees and certain biographical information about them are set forth below:

Ashutosh Roy, age 48, co-founded eGain and has served as Chief Executive Officer and a Director of eGain since September 1997 and as President and Chief Executive Officer since October 1, 2003. From May 1995 through April 1997, Mr. Roy served as Chairman of WhoWhere? Inc., an Internet-services company co-founded by Mr. Roy. From June 1994 to April 1995, Mr. Roy co-founded Parsec Technologies, a call center company based in New Delhi, India. From August 1988 to August 1992, Mr. Roy worked as a software engineer at Digital Equipment Corporation. Mr. Roy holds a B.S. in Computer Science from the Indian Institute of Technology, New Delhi, a Master’s degree in Computer Science from Johns Hopkins University and a M.B.A. from Stanford University. Mr. Roy’s qualifications to serve on our Board of Directors include his industry experience and deep knowledge of eGain from his position as a founder of our Company and as eGain’s Chief Executive Officer for over 15 years.

Gunjan Sinha, age 47, co-founded eGain and has served as a Director of eGain since inception in September 1997 and as President of eGain from January 1, 1998 until September 30, 2003. Since October 1, 2003, Mr. Sinha has served as Chairman of MetricStream Inc., a supplier of software applications for enterprise quality and compliance management. From May 1995 through April 1997, Mr. Sinha served as President of WhoWhere? Inc., an Internet-services company co-founded by Mr. Sinha. Prior to co-founding WhoWhere? Inc., Mr. Sinha was a hardware developer of multiprocessor servers at Olivetti Advanced Technology Center. In June 1994, Mr. Sinha co-founded Parsec Technologies, Inc. Mr. Sinha holds a degree in Computer Science from the Indian Institute of Technology, New Delhi, a Master’s degree in Computer Science from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and a Master’s degree in Engineering Management from Stanford University. Mr. Sinha’s qualifications to serve on our Board of Directors include his extensive experience founding, managing and investing in technology companies and deep knowledge of the Company gained from his position as a founder and as a former officer of the Company.

David S. Scott, age 35, has served as a Director of eGain since November 2009. Mr. Scott is a Principal of Oak Hill Capital Management, Inc., a private equity firm. Prior to joining OHCM in 2002, Mr. Scott worked at The Blackstone Group in their Mergers & Acquisitions Group from 2000 to 2002. He also serves on the Board of Directors of Intermedia.net, Inc., Pulsant Limited, Oversee.net and the Regional Council for the National Parks Conservation Association (Pacific Region). Mr. Scott holds a B.A. and a B.S. from the University of Pennsylvania. Mr. Scott’s qualifications to serve on our Board of Directors include his financial and business expertise, including a diversified background of investing in and working with technology companies and finance companies.

Phiroz P. Darukhanavala, age 67, has served as a member of eGain’s Board of Directors since September 2000. Dr. Darukhanavala has served in various capacities with BP Amoco p.l.c. and The British Petroleum Company since 1975, most recently as Vice President and Chief Technology Officer for Group Digital business. Before assuming his current position, Dr. Darukhanavala was Director of Global IT Services for the BP Group responsible for the rollout of the Common Operating Environment project worldwide and IT Functional Chief for BP-Exploration. Dr. Darukhanavala has also served as CIO of BP-Alaska and Director of BP-Exploration Business Systems. Dr. Darukhanavala holds a Ph.D. and M.S. degrees in Operations Research from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. Dr. Darukhanavala’s qualifications to serve on our Board of Directors include, business and financial expertise, including his extensive management experience.

Director Independence

The Board of Directors has determined that, except for Mr. Roy, each individual who currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors is an “independent director” within the meaning of the rules of The NASDAQ Stock Market and the Securities and Exchange Commission. Mr. Roy is not considered independent as he is employed by eGain as its Chief Executive Officer.

 

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Board Leadership

The Board of Directors does not have a policy regarding the separation of the roles of Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board, as the Board of Directors believes it is in the best interest of eGain and its stockholders to evaluate such roles from time to time based on the composition of the Board of Directors and on the input from the independent directors. The Board of Directors has determined that having eGain’s Chief Executive Officer serve as Chairman is in the best interest of the Company’s stockholders at this time. This structure makes the best use of the Chief Executive Officer’s extensive knowledge of the Company and its industry, as well as fosters greater communication between the Company’s management and the Board of Directors.

The Board of Directors has chosen not to appoint a lead independent director at this time in view of the active roles assumed by the independent directors.

Board of Directors - Risk Oversight

Companies, including eGain, face a variety of risks, including credit risk, liquidity risk, currency exchange risk and operational risk. For a detailed discussion of these risks, we encourage you to review the 2014 Annual Report. The Board of Directors believes an effective risk management system will timely identify the material risks that eGain faces and communicate necessary information with respect to material risks to senior executives. As appropriate, the Board of Directors or its relevant committees have in the past and will in the future implement risk management strategies consistent with the Company’s risk profile and integrate risk management into the Company’s decision-making.

The Board of Directors retains the ultimate oversight over the Company’s risk management. The Audit Committee takes an active role in overseeing Company-wide risk management and discusses risk management processes with the Board of Directors. The Compensation Committee also oversees the Company’s compensation policies and practices to ensure that the Company’s compensation policies and practices do not motivate imprudent risk taking. In addition, the Board of Directors encourages management to promote a corporate culture that incorporates risk management into the Company’s corporate strategy and day-to-day business operations. The Board of Directors, with the input of the Company’s executive officers, assesses likely areas of future risk for the Company on an on-going basis.

Board Meetings and Committees

The Board of Directors held six meetings during fiscal year 2014. Each director attended or participated in 75% or more of the meetings of the Board of Directors and of the committees on which such directors serve. Ashutosh Roy attended the 2013 annual meeting of stockholders. While we do not have a formal policy on attendance at the Annual Meeting, eGain encourages each of the members of its Board of Directors to attend the Company’s Annual Meeting of Shareholders.

The Board of Directors has appointed a Compensation Committee, a Stock Option Committee, a Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee and an Audit Committee.

The members of the Compensation Committee are independent directors Phiroz P. Darukhanavala, David S. Scott, and Gunjan Sinha. The Compensation Committee held one meeting during fiscal year 2014. The Compensation Committee’s functions are to assist in the implementation of, and provide recommendations with respect to, general and specific compensation policies and practices of eGain. The Compensation Committee operates under the Compensation Committee Charter adopted by the Board of Directors. The charter is available at the Company’s website at http://hd.egain.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/egain_compensation_charter.pdf.

The members of the Stock Option Committee are Ashutosh Roy and Gunjan Sinha. The Stock Option Committee held one meeting in fiscal year 2014. The Stock Option Committee’s functions are to grant options to eGain’s employees and other service providers, consistent with eGain’s compensation policies and practices.

The members of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee are independent directors Dr. Phiroz Darukhanavala, Gunjan Sinha, and David S. Scott. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee held one meeting during fiscal year 2014. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee’s primary functions are to seek and recommend to the Board of Directors qualified candidates for election to the Board of Directors and to oversee matters of corporate governance, including the evaluation of the Board of Directors’ performance and processes, and assignment and rotation of members of the committees established by the Board of Directors. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee operates under the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee Charter adopted by the Board of Directors. The charter is available at the Company’s website at http://hd.egain.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/egain_nominating_governance_charter.pdf.

 

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The members of the Audit Committee are independent directors Mr. Scott, Mr. Sinha and, Dr. Phiroz  Darukhanavala. David S. Scott is the Audit Committee financial expert, as defined by the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Audit Committee held four meetings during fiscal year 2014. The Audit Committee’s functions are to review the scope of the annual audit, monitor the independent registered public accounting firm’s relationship with eGain, advise and assist the Board of Directors in evaluating the independent registered public accounting firm’s examination, supervise eGain’s financial and accounting organization and financial reporting, and nominate, for approval of the Board of Directors, the independent registered public accounting firm whose duty it is to audit the financial statements of eGain for the fiscal year for which it is appointed. The Audit Committee operates under the Audit Committee Charter adopted by the Board of Directors. The charter is available at the Company’s website at http://hd.egain.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/egain_audit_charter.pdf.

Stockholder Communications with the Board of Directors

If you wish to communicate with the Board of Directors, you may send your communications in writing to: Secretary, eGain Corporation, 1252 Borregas Avenue, Sunnyvale, California 94089. You must include your name and address in the written communication and indicate whether or not you are a stockholder of the Company. The Secretary will review any communications received from a stockholder, and all material communications from stockholders will be forwarded to the appropriate director or directors or committee of the Board based on the subject matter.

Code of Ethics

The Board of Directors approved a code of ethics applicable to the Board of Directors, senior management including financial officers, and all other employees. The Code of Ethics and Business Conduct, or Code of Ethics, includes standards intended to deter wrongdoing and promote honest and ethical conduct, including the ethical handling of actual or apparent conflicts of interest between personal and professional relationships; full, fair, accurate, timely and understandable disclosure in reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission; compliance with laws; prompt internal reporting of violations of the Code of Ethics; and accountability for the adherence to the Code of Ethics. The Code of Ethics is available on the Company’s website at http://hd.egain.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/egain_code_ethics.pdf. Copies of the Code of Ethics are also available in print upon written request to Secretary, eGain Corporation, 1252 Borregas Avenue, Sunnyvale, California 94089.

Director Qualifications

The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee periodically reviews with the Board of Directors the appropriate skills and characteristics required of Board members given the current composition of the Board of Directors. Although we have no formal diversity policy for members of the Board of Directors, the Board of Directors and the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee believe that the Board of Directors should be comprised of individuals who have a diversity of backgrounds, leadership qualities, a record of success in their arena of activity and who can make substantial contributions to the operations of the Board of Directors. The assessment of Board candidates includes, but is not limited to, consideration of relevant industry experience, relevant financial experience, general business experience and compliance with independence and other qualifications necessary to comply with any applicable corporate and securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder. Specific consideration shall also be given to: contributions valuable to the business community; personal qualities of leadership, character, and judgment whether the candidate possesses and maintains throughout his or her service on the Board, a reputation in the community at large, of integrity, competence and adherence to the highest ethical standards; relevant knowledge and diversity of background and experience in such things as business, software development, manufacturing, technology, finance and accounting, marketing, international business, government and the like; or whether the candidate is free of conflicts and has the time required for preparation, participation and attendance at all meetings. Other than the foregoing, there are no stated minimum criteria for director nominees. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee does, however, believe it is appropriate for at least one, and preferably multiple, members of the Board to meet the criteria for an “audit committee financial expert” as defined by Securities and Exchange Commission rules, and that a majority of the members of the Board meet the definition of “independent director” under the rules of The NASDAQ Stock Market. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee also believes it is appropriate for certain members of management to serve on the Board of Directors. When evaluating a candidate for the Board of Directors, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee does not assign specific weight to any of these factors nor does it believe that all of the criteria necessarily apply to every candidate. A director’s qualifications in light of the above-mentioned criteria are considered at least each time the director is nominated or re-nominated for Board membership.

 

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Identifying and Evaluating Director Nominees

The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee considers candidates for Board membership suggested by Board members and management of eGain. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee will consider persons recommended by eGain’s stockholders in the same manner as a nominee recommended by Board members or management. A stockholder who wishes to suggest a prospective nominee for the Board should notify eGain’s Secretary or any member of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee in writing with any supporting material the stockholder considers appropriate. After completing the evaluation and review, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee makes a recommendation to the full Board of Directors as to the person who should be nominated to the Board of Directors, and the Board of Directors considers the nominee after evaluating the recommendation and report of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. Each director candidate recommended for election at this year’s Annual Meeting is an existing director, seeking re-election to the Board of Directors.

In addition, the Bylaws contain provisions that address the process by which a stockholder may nominate an individual to stand for election to the Board of Directors at the annual meeting of stockholders. In order to nominate a candidate for director, a stockholder must give timely notice in writing to the Secretary and otherwise comply with the provisions of the Bylaws. To be timely, the Bylaws provide that we must have received the stockholder’s notice not less than 120 days prior to any meeting called for the election of Directors; however, if we have not given 100 days’ notice, we must have received the stockholder’s notice not later than the close of business on the 7th day following the day on which notice was given. Information required by the Bylaws to be in the notice includes (a) the name, age, business address and, if known, residence address of each nominee proposed in such notice, (b) the principal occupation or employment of each such nominee, (c) the number of shares of the common stock which are beneficially owned by each such nominee and by the nominating stockholder, and (d) any other information concerning the nominee that must be disclosed of nominees in proxy solicitations regulated by Regulation 14A of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

Stockholder nominations must be made in accordance with the procedures outlined in, and include the information required by, the Bylaws and must be addressed to: Secretary, eGain Corporation, 1252 Borregas Avenue, Sunnyvale, California 94089. You can obtain a copy of the Bylaws by writing to the Secretary at this address.

Director Compensation

Directors of eGain do not currently receive any fees for service on the Board of Directors. Directors are reimbursed for their expenses for each meeting attended. Each non-employee director will receive, if elected or re-elected as a director at the Annual Meeting, an option to purchase 500 shares of Common Stock at an exercise price equal to the fair market value of the Common Stock on the date of grant. Such options will vest on the first anniversary of the grant and are nonqualified stock options.

The following table details the compensation paid to non-employee directors for fiscal year 2014:

 

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The following table provides information on the outstanding option awards for each of the non-employee directors as of June 30, 2014:

 

Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation

Dr. Darukhanavala, Mr. Scott and Mr. Sinha, all of whom are non-employee directors, served as members of the Compensation Committee in fiscal year 2014. None of eGain’s executive officers serves as a member of the Board of Directors or Compensation Committee of any entity that has one or more of its executive officers serving as a member of eGain’s Board of Directors or Compensation Committee.

Our Board of Directors recommends a vote “FOR” election as director of each of the nominees set forth above.

 

 

 

 

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SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT

The following table sets forth information concerning the beneficial ownership of Common Stock of eGain as of September 9, 2014 for the following:

Unless otherwise noted, the address of each named beneficial owner is that of eGain.

The percentage ownership is based on 25,481,643, shares of eGain Common Stock outstanding as of September 9, 2014. In computing the number of shares beneficially owned by a person and the percentage ownership of that person, we deemed outstanding shares of Common Stock subject to options and warrants held by that person (and only that person) that are currently exercisable or exercisable within sixty (60) days after September 9, 2014. Unless otherwise indicated below, the persons and entities named in the table have sole voting and sole investment power with respect to all shares beneficially owned, subject to community property laws where applicable. In addition to our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, we had only two named executive officers during fiscal year 2014.

 

 

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Section 16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance

Under the securities laws of the United States, eGain’s directors, executive officers and any persons holding more than 10% of eGain’s Common Stock are required to report their initial ownership of eGain’s Common Stock and any subsequent changes in that ownership to the Securities and Exchange Commission. Specific due dates for these reports have been established and eGain is required to identify in this Proxy Statement those persons who failed to timely file these reports. To the Company’s knowledge, based solely on a review of such reports furnished to the Company and written representations that no other reports were required during the fiscal year ended June 30, 2014, all Section 16(a) filing requirements applicable to its officers and directors were met in a timely manner, except that Mr. Sinha, Mr. Narang, and Mr. Smit each filed a late Form 4, with each such Form 4 covering 3, 1, and 1 transactions, respectively.

 

 

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EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

Executive Officers

The following table sets forth information regarding eGain’s executive officers as of September 9, 2014:

 

Ashutosh Roy co-founded eGain and has served as Chief Executive Officer and a Director of eGain since September 1997 and President since October 2003. From May 1995 through April 1997, Mr. Roy served as Chairman of WhoWhere? Inc., an Internet-service company co-founded by Mr. Roy. From June 1994 to April 1995, Mr. Roy co-founded Parsec Technologies, a call center company based in New Delhi, India. From August 1988, to August 1992, Mr. Roy worked as a Software Engineer at Digital Equipment Corporation. Mr. Roy holds a B.S. in Computer Science from the Indian Institute of Technology, New Delhi, a Master’s degree in Computer Science from Johns Hopkins University and a M.B.A. from Stanford University.

Eric Smit has served as Chief Financial Officer since August 2002. From April 2001 to July 2002, Mr. Smit served as Vice President, Operations of eGain. From June 1999 to April 2001, Mr. Smit served as Vice President, Finance and Administration of eGain. From June 1998 to June 1999, Mr. Smit served as Director of Finance of eGain. From December 1996 to May 1998, Mr. Smit served as Director of Finance for WhoWhere? Inc., an Internet services company. From April 1993 to November 1996, Mr. Smit served as Vice President of Operations and Chief Financial Officer of Velocity Incorporated, a software game developer and publishing company. Mr. Smit holds a Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting from Rhodes University, South Africa.

Promod Narang has served as Senior Vice President of Products and Engineering of eGain since March 2000. Mr. Narang joined eGain in October 1998, and served as Director of Engineering prior to assuming his current position. Prior to joining eGain, Mr. Narang served as President of VMpro, a system software consulting company from September 1987 to October 1998. Mr. Narang holds a B.S. in Computer Science from Wayne State University.

AJ Berkeley was appointed as Senior Vice President of Worldwide Sales on August 4, 2014.  Mr. Berkeley served as eGain’s Director of Strategic Alliances from August 2011 until August 2014, and prior to joining eGain Mr. Berkeley was an independent consultant for three years. Mr. Berkeley started his career in sales at Hewlett Packard and has also served as CEO of various start-ups, including Interlink Computer Sciences Inc., a supplier of high-performance solutions for enterprise systems networking.

Compensation Discussion and Analysis

Company Philosophy on Compensation

The Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors is responsible for providing oversight and determining our executive compensation programs. To that end, our Compensation Committee reviews corporate performance relevant to the compensation of our executive officers and works with management to establish our executive compensation programs. The general philosophy of our executive compensation program is to:

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Our executive compensation program is designed to reward team accomplishments while promoting individual accountability. The combination of incentives is designed to balance annual operating objectives and eGain’s earnings’ performance with longer-term stockholder value creation.

Establishing Compensation

Recommendations for executive compensation are made by our Compensation Committee and approved by the independent members of our Board of Directors. The Compensation Committee may not delegate it’s authority in these matters to other persons. Our Compensation Committee typically reviews our executive officers’ compensation, including our named executive officers, on an annual basis. Our Compensation Committee determines the appropriate levels of compensation to recommend based primarily on:

To assist in the process of establishing executive compensation, our Compensation Committee reviews publicly available compensation information from a group of peer companies located in the Silicon Valley. Our Compensation Committee recommends compensation for our Chief Executive Officer, which was set at $24 per annum at his request beginning October 2003, as discussed below. With respect to our other named executive officers, our Compensation Committee reviews compensation that is recommended by our Chief Executive Officer.

Compensation Components

Our executive compensation program generally consists of three primary components: base salary, annual non-equity incentives and stock option awards. These primary compensation components are described in more detail below. Executive officers are also eligible to participate in all of our respective local employee benefits plans, such as medical insurance, life and disability insurance and our 401(k) retirement plan, in each case on the same basis as other employees.

We view the three primary components of executive compensation as related, but we do not believe that compensation should be derived entirely from one component, or that significant compensation from one component should necessarily reduce compensation from other components. Our Compensation Committee has not adopted a formal or informal policy for allocating compensation between long-term and current compensation or between cash and non-cash compensation.

 

Base Salary

We provide our named executive officers with a base salary to compensate them for services rendered during the fiscal year. We establish base salaries for our executives based on the scope of their responsibilities and experience and take into account competitive market compensation paid by companies in our peer group commensurate for similar responsibilities and positions. We believe that executive base salaries should be targeted to be within the range of salaries for similar positions at comparable companies, which is in line with our compensation philosophy, in order to best attract, retain and motivate our executives. In reviewing compensation of our peer companies, our Compensation Committee takes into account the annual revenues and market size of these companies and other relevant factors it deems appropriate. Our Compensation Committee attempts to establish compensation, particularly base salary, in the same comparable range that our revenues and market size fall when compared to these peer companies. In some cases, our executive compensation may rise above this range due to certain circumstances, such as a strong retention need or an extraordinary performance.

We note that the salary for our Chief Executive Officer, Ashutosh Roy, was set at a nominal amount of $24 per annum at his request beginning October 2003. Mr. Roy requested this reduction initially in connection with our cost reduction initiatives and more recently to assist in our investment efforts. As a significant stockholder, a substantial portion of Mr. Roy’s personal wealth is tied directly to the performance of eGain’s stock, which provides direct alignment with stockholder interest.

We attempt to review base salaries annually and adjust base salaries from time to time to ensure that our compensation programs remain competitive with market levels.

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The base salary for each of our named executive officers in fiscal year 2014 was:

 

Annual Non-Equity Incentive Plan Compensation

Currently most eGain employees participate in either a non-equity incentive plan tied primarily to revenue or bookings metrics or, in the case of sales representatives and managers, a commission plan tied primarily to revenue and bookings metrics. The plans are designed to provide awards to employees as an incentive to contribute to eGain’s continued growth.

Amounts paid to our named executive officers pursuant to our non-equity incentive plan are contingent upon the attainment of certain performance targets established by our Compensation Committee and Board of Directors and are made in accordance with our executive compensation strategy. For fiscal year 2014, approximately 30% of the target for each executive officer was tied to company performance and 70% to the individual performance of the executive officer and his team. The performance targets may include:

Amounts paid to our named executive officers pursuant to our commission plan are contingent upon the attainment of certain sales targets established by our Compensation Committee and Board of Directors and are made in accordance with our executive compensation strategy. The sales targets include financial metrics such as license revenue, new hosting bookings and professional services invoiced.

We anticipate that our Chief Executive Officer will present his recommendations for Mr. Smit and Mr. Narang’s non-equity incentive compensation for fiscal year 2014 to the Compensation Committee for approval in fiscal year 2015.

 

Stock Option Awards

We believe the use of stock-based awards for our named executive officers is a strong compensation tool that encourages officers to act in a manner that leads to long-term company success. We believe this type of compensation aligns our executive officers’ performance with the interest of our long-term investors by rewarding our officers through equity appreciation. The stock-based incentive program for the entire Company, including executive officers, currently consists of stock option grants only, but we may introduce different types of equity awards or instruments to remain competitive in the compensation we pay our employees.

Our Stock Option Committee approves grants of proposed stock options awards and administers our stock option plans consistent with the compensation policies and practices as set by our Compensation Committee. Proposed stock option awards to our executive officers are presented to our entire Board of Directors for consideration. The stock option committee normally grants options to executive officers upon the hiring of an executive officer, as part of an annual review, and as special circumstances arise. The exercise price of our stock option awards is based on the closing price of our Common Stock on the The NASDAQ Stock Market  on the date such stock option award is approved. Except with respect to new hire grants, proposals for significant stock option awards to our executive officers are not considered during our established “blackout period,” which commences 20 days prior to the end of each fiscal quarter and ends the trading day following the announcement of earnings for such fiscal quarter. Except for such proposed stock option awards to our executive officers, we intend to grant options in accordance with the foregoing procedures without regard to the timing of the release of material non-public information, such as an earnings announcement.

Other Supplemental Benefits

In addition to the compensation opportunities we describe above, we also provide our named executive officers and other employees with benefits, such as medical insurance, life and disability insurance and our 401(k) retirement plan, in each case on the same basis as other employees.

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Defined Pension Plan

None of our named executive officers participates in or have account balances in qualified or non-qualified defined benefit plans sponsored by us. We do not offer such qualified or non-qualified defined benefit plans to our executives because we believe that such defined benefit plans are not typical for similar companies in both our industry and geographic region. We may elect to adopt qualified or non-qualified defined benefit plans if our Compensation Committee and Board of Directors determine that doing so is in our best interest.

Change of Control Benefits

None of our named executive officers currently has agreements to receive benefits in the event of a change of control. To date, we have not had a significant reason to offer such benefits. We may elect to provide our officers and other employees with change of control agreements if our Compensation Committee and Board of Directors determine that doing so is in our best interest.

Non-qualified Deferred Compensation

None of our named executive officers participates in or have account balances in non-qualified defined contribution plans or other deferred compensation plans maintained by us. To date, we have not had a significant reason to offer such non-qualified defined contribution plans or other deferred compensation plans. We may elect to provide our officers and other employees with non-qualified defined contribution or deferred compensation benefits if our Compensation Committee and Board of Directors determine that doing so is in our best interest.

Section 162(m) Treatment Regarding Performance-Based Equity Awards

Under Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, we may not receive a federal income tax deduction for compensation paid to our Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer or up to three additional executive officers whose total compensation is required to be reported in our Proxy Statement to the extent that any of these persons receives more than $1,000,000 in compensation in the taxable year. We intend to preserve the deductibility of compensation payable to our executives, although deductibility will be only one of the many factors considered in determining appropriate levels or modes of compensation.

 

 

 

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COMPENSATION COMMITTEE REPORT

The following report of the Compensation Committee does not constitute soliciting material and shall not be deemed filed or incorporated by reference into any other filing by eGain under the Securities Act of 1933 or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

The Compensation Committee of our Board of Directors has reviewed and discussed the Compensation Discussion and Analysis with management. Based on this review and discussion, the Compensation Committee recommended to our Board of Directors that the Compensation Discussion and Analysis be included in this definitive proxy statement on Schedule 14A for our 2014 annual stockholders meeting, which is incorporated by reference in our 2014 Annual Report, each as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

 

 

 

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2014 Summary Compensation Table

The following table summarizes information concerning compensation earned by eGain’s Chief Executive Officer (principal executive officer), Chief Financial Officer and each person who served as an executive officer during the fiscal year ended June 30, 2014.. These individuals are referred to as the “named executive officers.” No other individuals served as executive officers during fiscal year 2014.

 

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Outstanding Equity Awards at Fiscal Year End

The following table provides information on the outstanding option awards held by each of our named executive officers as of June 30, 2014:

 

2014 Option Exercises

The following table sets forth the number of shares acquired upon exercise of options by each NEO during fiscal year 2014:

 

 

 

 

 

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PROPOSAL 2

APPROVAL OF THE AMENDMENT AND RESTATEMENT OF OUR

2005 Stock Incentive Plan

TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF SHARES OF COMMON STOCK RESERVED FOR

ISSUANCE THereunder

We are asking our stockholders to approve the amendment and restatement of our 2005 Stock Incentive Plan, the full text of which is attached to this Proxy Statement as Appendix A and in substantially the form in which it will take effect if this Proposal 2 is approved by the stockholders. On September 30, 2014, our Board approved the amendment and restatement of the 2005 Stock Incentive Plan, which, subject to stockholder approval, approved an increase in the number of shares of common stock reserved for issuance thereunder by 1,000,000 shares from 2,460,000 shares to 3,460,000 shares, extended the expiration date of the 2005 Stock Incentive Plan to September 30, 2024 (from March 11, 2015) and made certain other changes. We are seeking stockholder approval for these changes.

We established the 2005 Stock Incentive Plan effective on March 11, 2005. The 2005 Stock Incentive Plan was subsequently amended in February 2009, September 2011, and in September 2014. The purpose of the 2005 Stock Incentive Plan is to promote our long-term success and the creation of stockholder value by (a) encouraging our employees, outside directors and consultants to focus on critical long-range objectives, (b) encouraging the attraction and retention of employees, outside directors and consultants with exceptional qualifications and (c) linking our employees, outside directors and consultants directly to stockholder interests through increased stock ownership. The 2005 Stock Incentive Plan authorizes the issuance of options to purchase shares of common stock and the grant of restricted shares, stock units and stock appreciation rights.

The Board believes that the number of shares remaining available for issuance under the 2005 Stock Incentive Plan is inadequate to achieve the purpose of the 2005 Stock Incentive Plan to promote our long-term success and create stockholder value. Additionally, the 2005 Stock Incentive Plan is currently set to expire on March 11, 2015, without stockholder approval to extend the termination date to March 11, 2015. We believe equity incentive compensation is a critical component to our compensation practices and allows us to incent our employees and more closely align their efforts with the creation of long-term stockholder value. In order to continue with our equity compensation practices, we feel it is important for stockholders to approve the proposed increase in shares available for grant under our 2005 Stock Incentive Plan.

Key Data

As of September 9, 2014, eGain had outstanding options under the 2005 Stock Incentive Plan to purchase an aggregate of 1,654,726 shares of common stock at exercise prices ranging from $0.74 to $15.50 per share, or a weighted average per share exercise price of $4.99; the outstanding options had a weighted average remaining contractual life of 6.99 years; 2,972,850 shares of Common Stock have been issued under the 2005 Stock Incentive Plan; and 1,170,184 shares of Common Stock (including 1,000,000 shares subject to stockholder approval at the Annual Meeting) are available for future issuance under the 2005 Stock Incentive Plan. As of September 9, 2014, the price per share of eGain’s common stock was $6.29 as reported on The NASDAQ Stock Market. 

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Broad-based equity compensation is an essential and long-standing element of our culture and success. It continues to be critical to attracting and retaining the most talented employees and consultants. The table below sets out historical share usage under our 2005 Stock Incentive Plan for each of the last three fiscal years.

 

Summary of the 2005 Stock Incentive Plan

The following summary of the material features of the 2005 Stock Incentive Plan is qualified by reference to the terms of the 2005 Stock Incentive Plan, the full text of which is attached to this Proxy Statement as Appendix A in substantially the form in which it will take effect if this Proposal 3 is approved by the stockholders. The 2005 Stock Incentive Plan has also been filed electronically with the Securities and Exchange Commission together with this Proxy Statement, and can be accessed on the SEC’s website at www. sec.gov.

If stockholder approval of this proposal is not obtained, no additional grants of options to purchase shares of common stock, stock appreciation rights, restricted shares or stock units under the 2005 Stock Incentive Plan in excess of those authorized for issuance prior to the amendment and restatement would be made.

Administration. The compensation committee of our Board administers the 2005 Stock Incentive Plan, including the determination of the recipient of an award, the number of shares subject to each award, whether an option is to be classified as an incentive stock option or nonstatutory option, and the terms and conditions of each award, including the exercise and purchase prices and the vesting or duration of the award.

At the discretion of our Board, the compensation committee may consist solely of two or more “non-employee directors” within the meaning of Rule 16b-3 of the Exchange Act, or solely of two or more “outside directors” within the meaning of Section 162(m). Our Board may appoint one or more separate committees of our Board, each consisting of one or more members of our Board, to administer the 2005 Stock Incentive Plan with respect to employees who are not subject to Section 16 of the Exchange Act. Subject to applicable law, our Board may also authorize one or more officers to designate employees, other than employees who are subject to Section 16 of the Exchange Act, to receive awards under the 2005 Stock Incentive Plan and/or determine the number of such awards to be received by such employees subject to limits specified by our Board.

Eligibility. Our officers and employees and those of our subsidiaries are eligible to participate in the 2005 Stock Incentive Plan. Our directors and other persons that provide consulting services to us and our subsidiaries and affiliates are also eligible to participate in the 2005 Stock Incentive Plan. The term subsidiary is used in this summary to refer to any corporation, if we or one or more other subsidiaries own not less than 50% of the total combined voting power of all classes of outstanding stock of such corporation. The term affiliate is used in this summary to refer to any entity other than a subsidiary, we or one or more subsidiaries own not less than 50% of such entity. As of June 30, 2014, approximately 3 executive officers, 681 employees, and 3 non-employee directors were eligible to be considered for the grant of awards under the 2005 Stock Incentive Plan. Although consultants are eligible to receive awards under the 2005 Stock Incentive Plan, our current consulting arrangements do not provide for any equity awards.

Automatic Grants to Directors. On the first business day following each of our regularly-scheduled annual meetings of stockholders, beginning with the 2014 Annual Meeting, each non-employee director is automatically granted an option award to purchase 500 shares, provided the director has served on our Board for at least six months. The annual option vests on the first anniversary of the date of grant, or immediately prior to the next regular annual meeting of the Company’s stockholders following the date of grant, whichever is earlier. The options granted to non-employee directors will have a per-share exercise price equal to 100% of the fair market value of the underlying shares on the date of grant. These options will become fully vested if a change in control occurs.

Authorized Shares. Under the 2005 Stock Incentive Plan, 2,460,000 shares of our common stock are currently authorized for issuance, and if the stockholders approve this Proposal a total of 3,460,000 shares would be reserved for issuance.

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Shares subject to awards granted under the 2005 Stock Incentive Plan that expire unexercised, are forfeited or terminated before being exercised or settled, or are not delivered to the participant because such award is settled in cash will again become available for issuance under the 2005 Stock Incentive Plan. Shares tendered or withheld to satisfy the exercise price or tax withholding obligation related to an award will not again become available for issuance under the 2005 Stock Incentive Plan, and the full number of shares subject to a stock appreciation right settled by the issuance of shares shall be counted against the number of shares available for award under the 2005 Stock Incentive Plan, regardless of the number of shares actually issued upon settlement of the stock appreciation right. In addition, any shares granted in connection with stock options or stock appreciation rights will reduce the shares remaining available for issuance under the 2005 Stock Incentive Plan on a one-for-one basis.

No participant in the 2005 Stock Incentive Plan can receive option grants or stock appreciation rights for more than an aggregate of 500,000 shares in any calendar year, except in the participant’s first year of employment in which the participant may receive stock options or stock appreciation rights for up to an aggregate of 1,000,000 shares. With respect to stock unit or restricted share awards intended to qualify as “performance-based compensation” under Section 162(m), no participant may receive awards under the 2005 Stock Incentive Plan that relate to an aggregate of more than 500,000 shares in any calendar year, or more than two times this amount in the first year of employment.

The closing price for our common stock on The NASDAQ Stock Market as of September 9, 2014, was $6.29 per share.

Types of Awards

 

 

 

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To qualify as “performance-based compensation,” the number of shares or other benefits granted, issued, retainable or vested under an award shall be subject to the attainment of pre-established, objective performance goals for a specified period of time relating to one or more of the following performance criteria, either individually, alternatively or in any combination, applied to either the individual or to us as a whole or to a business unit or subsidiary, either individually, alternatively or in any combination, and measured either annually or cumulatively over a period of years, or on the basis of any other specified period, on an absolute basis or relative to a pre-established target, to previous years’ results or to a designated comparison group or index, and subject to specified adjustments, in each case as specified by the compensation committee in the award:

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The compensation committee may appropriately adjust any evaluation of performance under a qualifying performance criteria to exclude any of the following:

 

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The compensation committee may also assume that any business divested by us achieved performance objectives at targeted levels during the balance of a performance period following such divestiture.

The compensation committee shall determine the qualifying performance criteria not later than the 90th day of the performance period, and shall determine and certify, for each participant, the extent to which the qualifying performance criteria have been met. The compensation committee may not in any event increase the amount of compensation payable under the 2005 Stock Incentive Plan upon the attainment of a pre-established qualifying performance goal to a participant who is a “covered employee” within the meaning of Section 162(m).

Amendment and Termination. The 2005 Stock Incentive Plan terminates on September 30, 2024. Our Board may amend or terminate the plan at any time, subject to stockholder approval where required by applicable law. Any amendment or termination may not impair the rights of holders of outstanding awards without their consent.

Plan Features. Under the 2005 Stock Incentive Plan:

 

 

 

 

Promotion of Good Corporate Governance Practices. The 2005 Stock Incentive Plan also includes a number of responsible corporate governance provisions. These include, but are not limited to, the following:

 

 

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Summary of Federal Income Tax Consequences

The following summary is intended only as a general guide to the material U.S. federal income tax consequences of participation in the 2005 Stock Incentive Plan. The summary is based on existing U.S. laws and regulations, and there can be no assurance that those laws and regulations will not change in the future. The summary does not purport to be complete and does not discuss the tax consequences upon a participant’s death, or the provisions of the income tax laws of any municipality, state or foreign country in which the participant may reside. As a result, tax consequences for any particular participant may vary based on individual circumstances.

Incentive Stock Options. An optionee recognizes no taxable income for regular income tax purposes as a result of the grant or exercise of an incentive stock option qualifying under Section 422 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. Optionees who neither dispose of their shares within two years following the date the option was granted nor within one year following the exercise of the option normally will recognize a capital gain or loss equal to the difference, if any, between the sale price and the purchase price of the shares. If an optionee satisfies such holding periods upon a sale of the shares, we will not be entitled to any deduction for federal income tax purposes. If an optionee disposes of shares within two years after the date of grant or within one year after the date of exercise (a “disqualifying disposition”), the difference between the fair market value of the shares on the exercise date and the option exercise price (not to exceed the gain realized on the sale if the disposition is a transaction with respect to which a loss, if sustained, would be recognized) will be taxed as ordinary income at the time of disposition. Any gain in excess of that amount will be a capital gain. If a loss is recognized, there will be no ordinary income, and such loss will be a capital loss. Any ordinary income recognized by the optionee upon the disqualifying disposition of the shares generally should be deductible by our Company for federal income tax purposes, except to the extent such deduction is limited by applicable provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.

The difference between the option exercise price and the fair market value of the shares on the exercise date is treated as an adjustment in computing the optionee’s alternative minimum taxable income and may be subject to an alternative minimum tax which is paid if such tax exceeds the regular tax for the year. Special rules may apply with respect to certain subsequent sales of the shares in a disqualifying disposition, certain basis adjustments for purposes of computing the alternative minimum taxable income on a subsequent sale of the shares and certain tax credits which may arise with respect to optionees subject to the alternative minimum tax.

Non-Qualified Stock Options. Options not designated or qualifying as incentive stock options will be non-qualified stock options having no special U.S. tax status. An optionee generally recognizes no taxable income as the result of the grant of such an option. Upon exercise of a non-qualified stock option, the optionee normally recognizes ordinary income equal to the amount that the fair market value of the shares on such date exceeds the exercise price. If the optionee is an employee, such ordinary income generally is subject to withholding of income and employment taxes. Upon the sale of stock acquired by the exercise of a non-qualified stock option, any gain or loss, based on the difference between the sale price and the fair market value on the exercise date, will be taxed as capital gain or loss. No tax deduction is available to our Company with respect to the grant of a non-qualified stock option or the sale of the stock acquired pursuant to such grant.

Restricted Stock Awards. A participant acquiring restricted stock generally will recognize ordinary income equal to the fair market value of the shares on the vesting date. If the participant is an employee, such ordinary income generally is subject to withholding of income and employment taxes. The participant may elect, pursuant to Section 83(b) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, to accelerate the ordinary income tax event to the date of acquisition by filing an election with the Internal Revenue Service no later than thirty days after the date the shares are acquired. Upon the sale of shares acquired pursuant to a restricted stock award, any gain or loss, based on the difference between the sale price and the fair market value on the date the ordinary income tax event occurs, will be taxed as capital gain or loss.

Restricted Stock Unit Awards. There are no immediate tax consequences of receiving an award of RSUs. A participant who is awarded RSUs generally will be required to recognize ordinary income in an amount equal to the fair market value of shares issued to such participant at the end of the applicable vesting period or, if later, the settlement date elected by the administrator or a participant. Any additional gain or loss recognized upon any later disposition of any shares received would be capital gain or loss.

Stock Appreciation Rights. In general, no taxable income is reportable when a stock appreciation right is granted to a participant. Upon exercise, the participant generally will recognize ordinary income in an amount equal to the fair market value of any

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shares of our common stock received. Any additional gain or loss recognized upon any later disposition of the shares would be capital gain or loss.

Section 409A

Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or Section 409A, provides certain requirements for non-qualified deferred compensation arrangements with respect to an individual’s deferral and distribution elections and permissible distribution events. Awards granted under the 2005 Stock Incentive Plan with a deferral feature will be subject to the requirements of Section 409A. If an award is subject to and fails to satisfy the requirements of Section 409A, the recipient of that award may recognize ordinary income on the amounts deferred under the award, to the extent vested, which may be prior to when the compensation is actually or constructively received. Also, if an award that is subject to Section 409A fails to comply with Section 409A’s provisions, Section 409A imposes an additional 20% federal income tax on compensation recognized as ordinary income, as well as interest on such deferred compensation. Certain states have enacted laws similar to Section 409A which impose additional taxes, interest and penalties on non-qualified deferred compensation arrangements. We will also have withholding and reporting requirements with respect to such amounts.

Tax Effect for our Company

We generally will be entitled to a tax deduction in connection with an award under the 2005 Stock Incentive Plan in an amount equal to the ordinary income realized by a participant and at the time the participant recognizes such income. Section 162(m) limits our compensation deduction to $1,000,000 paid in any tax year to any “covered employee” as defined under Section 162(m). This deduction limitation does not apply to certain types of compensation that qualify as performance-based compensation. The 2005 Stock Incentive Plan permits, but does not require, us to grant performance-based awards under the plan that qualify for the exemption from the tax deduction limitation. If, and to the extent that, the 2005 Stock Incentive Plan payments satisfy the requirements of Section 162(m) and otherwise satisfy the requirements for deductibility under federal income tax law, we will receive a deduction for the amount constituting ordinary income to the participant.

New Plan Benefits

The number of awards that an employee, director or consultant may receive under the 2005 Stock Incentive Plan is in the discretion of the administrator and therefore cannot be determined in advance, therefore the following table sets forth: (i) the aggregate number of shares of common stock subject to options granted under the 2005 Stock Incentive Plan and the 2005 Management Plan during 2014 to each of our NEOs; executive officers, as a group; directors who are not executive officers and consultants, as a group; and all employees who are not executive officers, as a group; and (ii) the average per share exercise price of such options.

 

 

 

For further information, see “Executive Compensation — 2014 Summary Compensation Table,” “— Outstanding Equity Awards at Fiscal Year-End,” “— 2014 Option Exercises” and Director Compensation.”

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Equity Compensation Plan Information

The following table summarizes our equity compensation plans as of June 30, 2014, which was the end of the Company’s fiscal year 2014. This table does not reflect an aggregate of 673,300 stock options that have been granted since the end of fiscal year 2014.

 

 

 As of June 30, 2014, 138,829 shares had been issued upon exercise of options granted under the 2005 Stock Incentive Plan, options to purchase 1,632,435 shares were outstanding, and 200,624 shares remained available for future grant. To date no RSUs have been issued under the 2005 Stock Incentive Plan.

Required Vote

Approval of the amendment and restatement of the 2005 Stock Incentive Plan requires the affirmative vote of a majority of the shares present and voting at the Annual Meeting in person or by proxy. Unless marked to the contrary, proxies received will be voted “FOR” approval of the amendment and restatement of the 2005 Stock Incentive Plan.

Our Board recommends a vote “FOR” the approval of the amendment and restatement of the 2005 Stock Incentive Plan to increase the number of shares of common stock reserved for issuance thereunder.

 

 

 

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PROPOSAL 3

APPROVE eGAIN CORPORATION’S 2005 Management Stock Option PLAN, as amended

The Board of Directors has approved an amendment to the eGain Corporation 2005 Management Stock Option Plan (the “2005 Management Plan”), to increase the number of shares of common stock reserved for issuance thereunder, subject to the approval of the amended plan by eGain’s stockholders at the Annual Meeting. The following summary of the principal features of the 2005 Management Plan, as amended, is qualified by reference to the terms of the 2005 Management Plan, the full text of which is attached to this Proxy Statement as Appendix B and in substantially the form in which it will take effect if this Proposal 3 is approved by the stockholders. The 2005 Management Plan has also been filed electronically with the Securities and Exchange Commission together with this Proxy Statement, and can be accessed on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov.

Description of Amendment

The amendment to the 2005 Management Plan being submitted for stockholder approval, along with the 2005 Management Plan itself, consists of an increase in the number of shares of common stock reserved for issuance under the 2005 Management Plan from 1,962,400 shares to 2,962,400 shares.

eGain is also asking its stockholders to approve the 2005 Management Plan solely to preserve corporate income tax deductions that may otherwise be disallowed pursuant to Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (“Section 162(m)”). Section 162(m) limits a corporation’s income tax deduction for compensation paid to certain executive officers who are “covered employees” within the meaning of Section 162(m) to $1,000,000 per person per year unless the compensation qualifies as “performance-based compensation.” Among other conditions, the plan must be approved by eGain’s stockholders. The Board of Directors has determined that it is in the best interest of eGain to seek such stockholder approval at the Annual Meeting.

If stockholder approval of this proposal is not obtained, no additional grants of options to purchase shares of common stock, stock appreciation rights, restricted shares or stock units under the 2005 Management Plan will be made to eGain’s executive officers following the Annual Meeting. Additionally, if approval of this proposal is not obtained, options to purchase approximately 618,700 shares of common stock that were granted contingent upon stockholder approval of this proposal will be rescinded.

2005 Management Plan

The 2005 Management Plan was initially adopted by the Board of Directors in May 2005. The purpose of the 2005 Management Plan is to promote the long-term success of the Company and the creation of stockholder value by (a) encouraging Officers to focus on critical long-range objectives, (b) encouraging the retention of Officers with exceptional qualifications and (c) linking Officers directly to stockholder interests through increased stock ownership. The 2005 Management Plan seeks to achieve this purpose by providing for awards in the form of options.

The 2005 Management Plan provides for the direct award nonstatutory stock options, or NSOs, to purchase common stock that do not qualify for preferential tax treatment under Section 422 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). Employees (including officers) and directors of eGain, who are approved by eGain’s Board of Directors (“Officers”), are eligible to purchase shares of common stock and to receive awards of shares or grants of NSOs. As of June 30, 2014, 51 individuals were eligible to be considered for the grant of options under the 2005 Management Plan.

A total of 2,962,400 shares (including the most recent amendment) have been reserved for issuance under the 2005 Management Plan. If any option granted under the 2005 Management Plan expires or terminates for any reason without having been settled or exercised in full, then the unpurchased shares subject to that option or right will once again be available for additional award. If shares issued upon the exercise of options are forfeited, then such shares will once again be available for additional award.

As of September 9, 2014, eGain had outstanding options under the 2005 Management Plan to purchase an aggregate of 537,207 shares of common stock at exercise prices ranging from $0.64 to $5.28 per share, or a weighted average per share exercise price of $2.92; the outstanding options had a weighted average remaining contractual life of 4.78 years; 1,812,400 shares of Common Stock have been issued under the 2005 Management Plan; and 1,352,481 shares of Common Stock (including 1,000,000 shares subject to stockholder approval at the Annual Meeting) are available for future issuance under the 2005 Management Plan. As of September 9, 2014, the price per share of eGain’s common stock was $6.29 as reported on the Nasdaq Stock Market.

For historical share usage under our 2005 Management Plan, see “Proposal 2 — Key Data.”

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The Compensation Committee has not made any determination with respect to future awards under the 2005 Management Plan, and any allocation of such awards will be made only in accordance with the provisions of the 2005 Management Plan. eGain believes that the granting of options is necessary to attract the highest quality personnel as well as to reward and thereby retain existing key personnel. Moreover, the attraction and retention of such personnel is essential to the continued progress of eGain which ultimately is in the interests of eGain’s stockholders.

Administration

The 2005 Management Plan is administered by the Board of Directors and the Compensation Committee. Subject to the limitations set forth in the 2005 Management Plan, the Compensation Committee has the authority to determine, among other things, to whom options will be granted and shares will be sold, the number of shares subject to awards, the term during which an option may be exercised and the rate at which options may be exercised and awards may vest.

The Board of Directors has also appointed the Stock Option Committee to approve grants of proposed stock options awards and to administer eGain’s stock option plans consistent with the compensation policies and practices as set by the Compensation Committee.

Limitations

No one award recipient may receive options, stock appreciation rights, restricted shares or stock units under the 2005 Management Plan in any calendar year that relate to more than 250,000 shares.

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Stock Options

Stock Option Agreement. Each grant of an option under the 2005 Management Plan is evidenced by a stock option agreement between the optionee and eGain. This option will be subject to all applicable terms and conditions of the 2005 Management Plan and may be subject to any other terms and conditions which are not inconsistent with the 2005 Management Plan and which the Compensation Committee deems appropriate for inclusion in a stock option agreement. The stock option agreement will specify that the option is an NSO. The provisions of the various stock option agreements entered into under the 2005 Management Plan need not be identical.

Exercise Price. Each stock option agreement will specify the exercise price of such option as determined by the Board of Directors or the Compensation Committee. The exercise price of an NSO will not be less 100% of the fair market value of a share of eGain common stock on the date of grant. However, a stock option agreement may specify that the exercise price of an NSO may vary in accordance with a predetermined formula.

Exercisability and Term. Each stock option agreement will specify the date when all or any installment of the option is to become exercisable. The stock option agreement will also specify the term of the option; provided that the term of an option will in no event exceed five years from the date of grant. A stock option agreement may provide for accelerated exercisability in the event of the optionee’s death, disability, or retirement or other events and may provide for expiration prior to the end of its term in the event of the termination of the optionee’s service.

Exercise of Options Upon Termination of Service. Each stock option agreement will set forth the extent to which the optionee shall have the right to exercise the option following termination of the optionee’s service with eGain, and the right to exercise the option of any executors or administrators of the optionee’s estate or any person who has acquired such option directly from the optionee by bequest or inheritance.

Payment of Shares. Acceptable forms of consideration for the payment of the exercise price will be determined by the Compensation Committee, as applicable and may include cash, common stock previously owned by the optionee, payment through a broker assisted cashless exercise, full-recourse promissory note or other legal consideration approved by the Compensation Committee.

Transferability. Generally, an optionee may not transfer a stock option other than by will or the laws of descent or distribution, unless otherwise permitted under the terms of the applicable stock option agreement.

Performance Awards. The 2005 Management Plan provides that awards may be granted, issued, vested or retained based upon the attainment during a certain period of time of certain performance goals. The length of any performance period, the performance goals to be achieved during the performance period, and the measure of whether and to what degree such performance goals have been attained will generally be determined by the Compensation Committee.

Performance goals under the 2005 Management Plan shall be determined by the Compensation Committees, as applicable, based on or related to one or more of the following performance criteria:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Amendment and Termination

Unless sooner terminated by the Board of Directors, the 2005 Management Plan shall automatically terminate on May 27, 2015. The 2005 Management Plan may be amended or terminated at any time by the Board of Directors, subject to applicable laws. No amendment or termination of the 2005 Management Plan will affect an award recipient’s rights under outstanding awards without the award recipient’s consent. eGain will obtain stockholder approval of any amendment to the 2005 Management Plan if required by applicable law.

Effect of Certain Corporate Events

In the event of a subdivision of the outstanding common stock or a combination or consolidation of the outstanding common stock (by reclassification or otherwise) into a lesser number of shares, a spin-off or a similar occurrence, or declaration of a dividend payable in common stock, or in cash, the Compensation Committee will make adjustments in the number of shares reserved under the 2005 Management Plan (including share limits) and the number of shares and exercise price, if applicable, of all outstanding awards, as appropriate.

In the event of certain corporate transactions, all outstanding stock awards under the 2005 Management Plan may be assumed, continued or substituted for by any surviving entity. If the surviving entity elects not to assume, continue or substitute for such awards, the vesting or exercisability of such stock awards may be accelerated in full and then terminated, if and to the extent not exercised at or prior to the effective time of the corporate transaction, or we may terminate the stock awards upon payment of their intrinsic value in cash or cash equivalents.

California Law Compliance

The 2005 Management Plan contains provisions designed to make such Plan comply with the requirements of the California Corporations Code.

Certain Federal Income Tax Consequences of Options Under the 2005 Management Plan

The information set forth below is a summary only and does not purport to be complete. The information is based upon current federal income tax rules and therefore is subject to change when those rules change. Because the tax consequences to any recipient may depend on his or her particular situation, each recipient should consult the recipient’s tax adviser regarding the federal, state, local, and other tax consequences of the grant or exercise of an award or the disposition of stock acquired as a result of an award. The 2005 Management Plan is not qualified under the provisions of Section 401(a) of the Code, and is not subject to any of the provisions of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974. eGain’s ability to realize the benefit of any tax deductions described below depends on eGain’s generation of taxable income.

Nonstatutory Stock Options

Generally, there is no taxation upon the grant of an NSO where the option is granted with an exercise price equal to the fair market value of the underlying stock on the grant date. On exercise, an optionee will recognize ordinary income equal to the excess, if any, of the fair market value on the date of exercise of the stock over the exercise price. If the optionee is employed by eGain or any subsidiary, that income will be subject to withholding tax. The optionee’s tax basis in those shares will be equal to their fair market value on the date of exercise of the option, and the optionee’s capital gain holding period for those shares will begin on that date.

Subject to the requirement of reasonableness, the provisions of Section 162(m) of the Code and the satisfaction of a tax reporting obligation, eGain will generally be entitled to a tax deduction equal to the taxable ordinary income realized by the optionee.

Section 162 Limitations

Section 162(m) would render non-deductible to eGain certain compensation in excess of $1,000,000 received in any year by certain executive officers unless such excess is “performance-based compensation” (as defined in the Code) or is otherwise exempt

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from Section 162(m). The availability of the exemption for awards of performance-based compensation depends upon obtaining approval of the calendar year award recipient share limit by eGain’s stockholders. Assuming stockholder approval of the limit and subject to compliance with other requirements of Section 162(m). Grants of options to purchase shares of common stock and stock appreciation rights, and grants of restricted shares and stock units conditioned on attainment of one or more performance goals set forth in the 2005 Management Plan, may qualify as performance-based compensation and be exempt from Section 162(m).

Equity Compensation Plan Information

For a summary of our equity compensation plans as of June 30, 2014, see “Proposal 2 — Equity Compensation Plan Information”.

 

 

New Plan Benefits

For further information, see “Executive Compensation – 2014 Summary Compensation Table”

The number of awards that an employee, director or consultant may receive under the 2005 Management Plan is in the discretion of the administrator and therefore cannot be determined in advance, however see “Plan 2 — New Plan Benefits” for more information including a chart setting forth: (i) the aggregate number of shares of common stock subject to options granted under the 2005 Stock Incentive Plan and the 2005 Management Plan during 2014 to each of our NEOs; executive officers, as a group; directors who are not executive officers and consultants, as a group; and all employees who are not executive officers, as a group; and (ii) the average per share exercise price of such options.

Required Vote

Approval of the 2005 Management Plan requires the affirmative vote of a majority of the shares present and voting at the Annual Meeting in person or by proxy. Unless marked to the contrary, proxies received will be voted “FOR” approval of the 2005 Management Plan.

The Board of Directors recommends a vote “FOR” approval of eGain’s 2005 Management Plan and adoption of the amendment thereto.

 

 

 

 

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PROPOSAL 4

Non-binding Advisory Vote on executive compensation

In accordance with the requirements of Section 14A of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (which was added by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and the related rules of the SEC), we are asking stockholders to approve, on an advisory basis, the compensation of our named executive officers as described in the Compensation Discussion and Analysis section, accompanying compensation tables and narrative disclosure set forth in this proxy statement. This vote is not intended to address any specific item of compensation or the compensation of any particular named executive officer, but rather the overall compensation of our named executive officers as well as the philosophy and objectives of our executive compensation programs.

As described in the Compensation Discussion and Analysis, our executive compensation program is designed to reward team accomplishments while promoting individual accountability. Our compensation takes into account competitive practices and internal consistency and fairness. Please read the Compensation Discussion and Analysis for additional details about our executive compensation programs, including information about the compensation of our named executive officers in fiscal year 2014.

Our Board of Directors asks that you indicate your support of the compensation of our named executive officers as disclosed in the Compensation Discussion and Analysis and Executive Compensation sections of this Proxy Statement. Accordingly, we ask our stockholders to vote “For” the following resolution at the Annual Meeting:

“RESOLVED, that the Company’s stockholders approve, on a non-binding advisory basis, the compensation of the named executive officers, as disclosed in the Company’s Proxy Statement for the 2014 Annual Meeting of Stockholders pursuant to the compensation disclosure rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the Compensation Discussion and Analysis, compensation tables and narrative discussions.”

Although the vote is non-binding, our Board of Directors and the Compensation Committee will review the voting results. To the extent there is any significant negative vote on this proposal, we would attempt to consult directly with stockholders to better understand the concerns that influenced the vote. Our Board of Directors and the Compensation Committee would consider constructive feedback obtained through this process in making future decisions about executive compensation programs.

Required Vote

This vote, which is commonly referred to as the “say-on-pay vote,” is not binding on the Company, our Compensation Committee or our Board of Directors, however we value the opinions of our stockholders, and the Compensation Committee will take into account the result of the vote on this proposal when determining future executive compensation.

Our Board of Directors recommends a vote “FOR” this proposal.

 

 

 

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PROPOSAL 5

NON-BINDING ADVISORY VOTE ON THE FREQUENCY OF A NON-BINDING ADVISORY VOTE ON EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

In accordance with the requirements of Section 14A of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (which was added by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and the related rules of the SEC), we are asking stockholders to vote, on an advisory basis, on how frequently they would like to hold an advisory vote on our executive compensation of our named executive officers. By voting on this Proposal 3, stockholders may indicate whether they would prefer an advisory vote on our executive compensation once every one, two or three years.

After careful consideration, our Board of Directors recommends holding an advisory vote on our named executive officer compensation once every three years (a “triennial” vote). We believe that a triennial vote will be the most effective means for conducting and responding to a say-on-pay vote. An advisory vote held every three years will provide our Board of Directors and the Compensation Committee with sufficient time to thoughtfully evaluate and respond to stockholder input and effectively implement desired changes to compensation programs. The results of a say-on-pay vote received at our Annual Meeting will be considered by our management and our Board as we develop our compensation policies for the coming fiscal year. Accordingly, we believe that a triennial vote is appropriate as it allows time for any changes to incentive programs to be designed, implemented, and for the results to be evaluated and reported to stockholders. A triennial vote will also provide stockholders with sufficient time to evaluate the effectiveness of incentive programs, compensation strategies and our performance. Because our executive compensation programs do not generally change significantly from year to year, a triennial vote avoids the cost of including an additional proposal and vote in the annual meeting proxy statement more frequently.

You may cast your vote on your preferred voting frequency by choosing the option of one year, two year, three years or abstain from voting when you vote on the following resolution at the Annual Meeting:

“RESOLVED, that the Company’s stockholders hereby approve that the option of once every one year, two years or three years that received the highest number of votes cast for this resolution will be considered, on an advisory basis, to be the preferred frequency with which the Company is to hold a stockholder vote to approve the compensation of its named executive officers, as disclosed pursuant to the Securities and Exchange Commission’s compensation disclosure rules (which disclosure shall include the Compensation Discussion and Analysis, and the Executive Compensation).”

Required Vote

Because this proposal seeks the input of our stockholders and provides our stockholders with the option to vote to hold a say-on-pay vote once every one, two or three years, there is no minimum vote requirement for this proposal. Although our Board of Directors recommends holding a say-on-pay vote once every three years, you have the option to specify one of four choices for this proposal on the proxy card: one year, two years, three years or abstain. You are not voting to approve or disapprove of the Board of Director’s recommendation. Notwithstanding the Board of Director’s recommendation and the outcome of the stockholder vote on this Proposal 3, the Board of Directors may, in the future, decide to conduct advisory votes on a more or less frequent basis and may vary its practice based on factors such as discussions with stockholders and the adoption of material changes to compensation programs.

Our Board of Directors recommends a vote for holding the say-on-pay advisory vote every 3 YEARS.

 

 

 

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PROPOSAL 6

RATIFICATION OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

Upon the recommendation of the Audit Committee, the Board of Directors has appointed the firm of Burr Pilger Mayer, Inc., or BPM, as eGain’s independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2015, subject to ratification by the stockholders. BPM audited eGain’s consolidated financial statements for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2014. Representatives of BPM are expected to be present at eGain’s Annual Meeting. They will have an opportunity to make a statement, if they desire to do so, and will be available to respond to appropriate questions.

Principal Accounting Fees and Services

The aggregate fees for professional services by BPM the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm in fiscal year 2014 and fiscal year 2013 for these various services to the Company and its subsidiaries were:

Audit Fees

The aggregate audit fees and expenses billed by BPM for professional services rendered for the audit of the Company’s annual consolidated financial statements and the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting, reviews of the company’s unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements included in the Company’s quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and services that were provided in connection with statutory and regulatory filings, including Form 8-K filings, were approximately $552,705 for fiscal year 2014 and $614,838 for fiscal year 2013.

Audit-Related Fees

There were $23,000 of fees for services related to due diligence associated with business combinations completed in 2014.

Tax Fees

There were no aggregate fees billed or to be billed by BPM for professional services related to tax advice, tax compliance tax auditing, tax planning and foreign tax matters for fiscal years 2014 and 2013.

All Other Fees

There were no fees billed to the Company by BPM for the fiscal years 2014 and 2013 other than those reported in the categories above.

Policy on Pre-Approval of Retention of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

The engagement of BPM for non-audit accounting and tax services performed for the Company is limited to those circumstances where these services are considered integral to the audit services that it provides or in which there is another compelling rationale for using its services. Pursuant to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, all audit and permitted non-audit services for which the Company engages BPM require pre-approval by the Audit Committee. The Audit Committee has established a policy to pre-approve all audit and permissible non-audit services provided by the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm. The percentage of Audit Fees, Audit-Related Fees, Tax Fees and All Other Fees, out of all fees paid to BPM and all as approved by the Audit Committee in accordance with the policy, was 100% for fiscal year 2014.

 Required Vote

Ratification will require the affirmative vote of a majority of the shares present and voting at the meeting in person or by proxy. In the event ratification is not provided, the Board of Directors will review its future selection of eGain’s independent registered public accounting firm but will not be required to select a different independent registered public accounting firm. Even if the selection is ratified, the Audit Committee in its discretion may direct the appointment of a different independent registered public accounting firm at any time during the year if the Audit Committee determines that such a change would be in the best interest of our company and our stockholders.

Our Board of Directors recommends a vote “FOR” ratification of Burr Pilger Mayer, Inc. as eGain’s independent registered public accounting firm.

 

 

 

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REPORT OF THE AUDIT COMMITTEE OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

The following report of the Audit Committee does not constitute soliciting material and shall not be deemed filed or incorporated by reference into any other filing by eGain under the Securities Act of 1933 or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

The Audit Committee of the Board of Directors, or the Audit Committee, operates under a written charter adopted by the Board of Directors. The current members of the Audit Committee are David S. Scott, Dr. Phiroz Darukhanavala and Gunjan Sinha, each of whom meets the independence standards established by The NASDAQ Stock Market.

The Audit Committee performs the following activities:

The Audit Committee reviewed and discussed the audited consolidated financial statements contained in the 2014 Annual Report with eGain’s management and its independent registered public accounting firm. Management is responsible for the consolidated financial statements and the reporting process, including the system of internal controls. The independent registered public accounting firm is responsible for expressing an opinion on the material conformity of those consolidated financial statements with accounting principles generally acceptable in the United States.

The Audit Committee met privately with the independent registered public accounting firm, and discussed issues deemed significant by the independent registered public accounting firm, including those required by Statement on Auditing Standards No. 114, “The Auditor’s Communication with Those Charged with Governance,” as adopted by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States), or PCAOB, in Rule 3200T. In addition, the Audit Committee discussed with the independent registered public accounting firm their independence from eGain and its management, including the matters in the written disclosures required by PCAOB Rule 3526 (Communications with Audit Committees Concerning Independence). The Audit Committee also considered BPM’s provision of non-audit services to eGain and determined that such provision of such services was compatible with maintaining the independence of BPM. BPM has provided the Audit Committee the written disclosures and the letter required by PCAOB Rule 3526.

In reliance on the reviews and discussions outlined above, the Audit Committee recommended to the Board of Directors that the audited consolidated financial statements be included in the 2014 Annual Report, for filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

 

 

 

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RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

Repayment of Indebtedness

We had an interest bearing subordinated loan, or the Note, from our Chief Executive Officer, Ashutosh Roy, which originated in 2002 and previously had a maturity date of March 31, 2012. On March 31, 2012, we entered into Amendment No.1 to the Note agreement with Mr. Roy. Pursuant to the Amendment and subject to the terms and conditions contained therein, we agreed that (i) the maturity date of the Note would be extended 90 days to June 29, 2012; (ii) as of April 1, 2012 the “Face Amount” of the Note would be $5.6 million, which includes $109,000 of interest for the 90 day extension. The face amount of $5.6 million reflected the reduced interest rate on the Note of 8% beginning April 1, 2012, prior to which the interest rate was 12%; and (iii) we could prepay the Note in full or in part at any time prior to the maturity date without interest penalty.

On June 29, 2012, we entered into Amendment No. 2 to the Note with Mr. Roy. Pursuant to the Amendment and subject to the terms and conditions contained therein, we agreed to extend the maturity date of the Note to July 31, 2013. We could prepay the Note in full or in part at any time prior to the maturity date without interest penalty. The interest expense on the related party notes was $19,000, $334,000 and $588,000 for fiscal years 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively.

On July 31, 2013, we repaid the outstanding amounts of $2.9 million to Mr. Roy. Such amounts equaled $2.9 million.

Procedures for Approval of Related Party Transactions

It is eGain’s current policy that all transactions between eGain and its officers, directors, 5% stockholders and eGain’s affiliates will be entered into only if these transactions are approved by a majority of the disinterested directors, are on terms no less favorable to eGain than could be obtained from unaffiliated parties and are reasonably expected to benefit eGain.

 

 

 

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STOCKHOLDER PROPOSALS FOR THE 2015 ANNUAL MEETING

Proposals of stockholders of eGain that are intended to be presented by such stockholders at eGain’s 2015 Annual Meeting must be received by the Secretary of eGain no later than June 16, 2015 in order that they may be included in eGain’s proxy statement and form of proxy relating to that meeting.

A stockholder proposal not included in the eGain proxy statement for the 2015 Annual Meeting will be ineligible for presentation at the meeting unless the stockholder gives timely notice of the proposal in writing to the Secretary of eGain at the principal executive offices of eGain and otherwise complies with the provisions of its Bylaws. To be timely, eGain’s Bylaws provide that eGain must have received the stockholder’s notice not less than 50 days or more than 75 days prior to the scheduled date of such meeting. However, if notice or prior public disclosure of the date of the annual meeting is given or made to stockholders less than 65 days prior to the meeting date, eGain must receive the stockholder’s notice by the close of business on the 15th day after the earlier of the day eGain mailed notice of the annual meeting date or provided such public disclosure of the meeting date.

OTHER MATTERS

eGain knows of no other business that will be presented at the Annual Meeting. If any other business is properly brought before the Annual Meeting, it is intended that proxies in the enclosed form will be voted in accordance with the judgment of the persons voting the proxies.

eGain has adopted a process for mailing the 2014 Annual Report and Proxy Statement called “householding,” which has been approved by the Securities and Exchange Commission. Householding means that stockholders who share the same last name and address will receive only one copy of the 2014 Annual Report and Proxy Statement, unless eGain receives contrary instructions from any stockholder at that address. eGain will continue to mail a proxy card to each stockholder of record.

If you prefer to receive multiple copies of the 2014 Annual Report and Proxy Statement at the same address, additional copies will be provided to you upon request. If you are a stockholder of record, you may contact us by writing to Eric N. Smit, eGain Corporation, 1252 Borregas Avenue, Sunnyvale, California 94089 or by calling (408) 636-4500. Eligible stockholders of record receiving multiple copies of the 2014 Annual Report and Proxy Statement can request householding by contacting eGain in the same manner. eGain has undertaken householding to reduce printing costs and postage fees, and we encourage you to participate.

If you are a beneficial owner, you may request additional copies of the 2014 Annual Report and Proxy Statement or you may request householding by notifying your broker, bank or nominee.

Current and prospective investors can also access free copies of our 2014 Annual Report, Proxy Statement and other financial information on our Investor Relations section of our web site at http://www.egain.com/company/investors/.

 

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ANNUAL REPORT ON FORM 10-K

A copy of eGain’s 2014 Annual Report accompanies this proxy statement. An additional copy will be furnished without charge to beneficial stockholders or stockholders of record upon request to Chief Financial Officer, eGain Corporation, 1252 Borregas Avenue, Sunnyvale, California 94089. The Company will provide copies of exhibits to the 2014 Annual Report, but may charge a reasonable fee per page to any requesting stockholder entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting.

Whether you intend to be present at the Annual Meeting or not, we urge you to return your signed proxy promptly.

 

 

October 2, 2014

 

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eGAIN CORPORATION

AMENDED AND RESTATED 2005 STOCK INCENTIVE PLAN

(Adopted by the Board of Directors on September 30, 2014)

 

 

 

 

eGAIN CORPORATION

Amended & Restated 2005 Stock Incentive Plan

 

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Table of Contents

 

 

eGAIN CORPORATION

Amended & Restated 2005 Stock Incentive Plan

A - i

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eGAIN CORPORATION

Amended & Restated 2005 Stock Incentive Plan

A - ii

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eGAIN CORPORATION

Amended & Restated 2005 Stock Incentive Plan

A - iii

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eGAIN CORPORATION

Amended & Restated 2005 Stock Incentive Plan

A - iv

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EGAIN CORPORATION

AMENDED AND RESTATED 2005 STOCK INCENTIVE PLAN

SECTION 1.  ESTABLISHMENT AND PURPOSE.

The Plan was adopted by the Board of Directors effective March 11, 2005 (the “Effective Date”) and was subsequently amended and restated on September 10, 2009 and on September 30, 2014. The purpose of the Plan is to promote the long-term success of the Company and the creation of stockholder value by (a) encouraging Employees, Outside Directors and Consultants to focus on critical long-range objectives, (b) encouraging the attraction and retention of Employees, Outside Directors and Consultants with exceptional qualifications and (c) linking Employees, Outside Directors and Consultants directly to stockholder interests through increased stock ownership. The Plan seeks to achieve this purpose by providing for Awards in the form of restricted shares, stock units, options (which may constitute incentive stock options or nonstatutory stock options), or stock appreciation rights.

SECTION 2.  DEFINITIONS.

(a)    “Affiliate” shall mean any entity other than a Subsidiary, if the Company and/or one or more Subsidiaries own not less than 50% of such entity.

(b)    “Award” shall mean any award of an Option, a SAR, a Restricted Share or a Stock Unit under the Plan.

(c)    “Award Agreement” shall mean the agreement between the Company and the recipient of an Award which contains the terms, conditions and restrictions pertaining to such Award.

(d)    “Board of Directors” or “Board” shall mean the Board of Directors of the Company, as constituted from time to time.

(e)    “Change in Control” shall mean the occurrence of any of the following events:

 

eGAIN CORPORATION

Amended & Restated 2005 Stock Incentive Plan

A - 1

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For purposes of subsection (d)(i) above, the term “look-back” date shall mean the later of (1) the Effective Date or (2) the date 24 months prior to the date of the event that may constitute a Change in Control.

For purposes of subsection (d)(ii) above, the term “person” shall have the same meaning as when used in Sections 12(d) and 13(d) of the Exchange Act but shall exclude (1) a trustee or other fiduciary holding securities under an employee benefit plan maintained by the Company or a Parent or Subsidiary and (2) a corporation owned directly or indirectly by the stockholders of the Company in substantially the same proportions as their ownership of the Stock.

Any other provision of this Section 2(d) notwithstanding, a transaction shall not constitute a Change in Control if its sole purpose is to change the state of the Company’s incorporation or to create a holding company that will be owned in substantially the same proportions by the persons who held the Company’s securities immediately before such transaction, and a Change in Control shall not be deemed to occur if the Company files a registration statement with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission for the public offering of securities or debt of the Company to the public.

(f)    “Code” shall mean the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.

(g)    “Committee” shall mean the Compensation Committee as designated by the Board of Directors, which is authorized to administer the Plan, as described in Section 3 hereof.

(h)    “Company ” shall mean eGain Corporation, a Delaware corporation.

(i)    “Consultant” shall mean a consultant or advisor who provides bona fide services to the Company, a Parent, a Subsidiary or an Affiliate as an independent contractor (not including service as a member of the Board of Directors) or a member of the board of directors of a Parent or a Subsidiary, in each case who is not an Employee.

(j)    “Employee” shall mean any individual who is a common-law employee of the Company, a Parent, a Subsidiary or an Affiliate.

(k)    “Exchange Act” shall mean the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

(l)    “Exercise Price” shall mean, in the case of an Option, the amount for which one Share may be purchased upon exercise of such Option, as specified in the applicable Stock Option Agreement. “Exercise Price,” in the case of a SAR, shall mean an amount, as specified in the applicable SAR Agreement, which is subtracted from the Fair Market Value of one Share in determining the amount payable upon exercise of such SAR.

(m)    “Fair Market Value” with respect to a Share, shall mean the market price of one Share, determined by the Committee as follows: