UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
SCHEDULE 14A
Proxy
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Soliciting Material Pursuant to §240.14a-12 |
JOE'S JEANS INC. | ||||
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JOE'S JEANS INC.
2340 South Eastern Avenue
Commerce, California 90040
(323) 837-3700
September 13, 2010
Dear Stockholder:
You are cordially invited to attend the 2010 annual meeting of stockholders of Joe's Jeans Inc., or Joe's, which will be held at the Sofitel Hotel Los Angeles, 8555 Beverly Boulevard, Los Angeles, California 90048, on Tuesday, October 26, 2010. The 2010 annual meeting of stockholders will begin promptly at 9:00 a.m. local time.
The accompanying notice of annual meeting and proxy statement, which you are urged to read carefully, provides important information regarding the business to be conducted at the annual meeting.
You are requested to complete, date and sign the enclosed proxy card and promptly return it in the enclosed envelope, whether or not you plan to attend the annual meeting. If you do attend the meeting, you may vote in person even if you have previously submitted a proxy card. REGARDLESS OF THE NUMBER OF SHARES YOU OWN OR WHETHER YOU PLAN TO ATTEND THE ANNUAL MEETING, IT IS IMPORTANT THAT YOUR SHARES BE REPRESENTED AND VOTED. If you hold your shares in "street name" (that is, through a broker, bank or other nominee), please review the instructions on the proxy forwarded by your broker, bank or other nominee regarding the option, if any, to vote on the Internet or by telephone. If you plan to attend the meeting in person, please remember to bring a form of personal identification with you and, if you are acting as a proxy for another stockholder, please bring written confirmation from the record owner that you are acting as a proxy.
On behalf of the Board of Directors, I thank you for your support and continued interest in our company.
Sincerely,
Samuel
J. Furrow
CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
JOE'S JEANS INC.
This notice of annual meeting and proxy statement and proxy are first being mailed on or about September 15, 2010 to our common stockholders.
JOE'S JEANS INC.
2340 South Eastern Avenue
Commerce, California 90040
(323) 837-3700
NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS
TO BE HELD ON TUESDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2010
Time and Date | 9:00 a.m., local time on Tuesday, October 26, 2010 | |
Place | Sofitel Hotel Los Angeles, 8555 Beverly Boulevard, Los Angeles, California 90048 | |
Items of Business | (1) To elect seven directors to serve on the Board of Directors until the 2011 annual meeting of stockholders or until their respective successors are elected and qualified; | |
(2) To ratify the appointment of Ernst & Young LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending November 30, 2010; and | ||
(3) To transact such other business as may properly come before the annual meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof. | ||
Record Date | You can vote if, at the close of business on September 10, 2010, you were a holder of record of our common stock. | |
Proxy Voting | All stockholders are cordially invited to attend the Annual Meeting in person. However, to ensure your representation at the Annual Meeting, you are urged to vote promptly by signing and returning the enclosed proxy card, or if you hold your shares in street name using the voting instruction card provided by your broker, bank or nominee, or by accessing the worldwide website or toll-free number indicated on the voting instructions accompanying your proxy card to vote via the Internet or phone. |
The Board of Directors unanimously recommends that you vote to:
Pursuant to new rules promulgated by the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, we have elected to provide access to our proxy materials both by sending you this full set of proxy materials, including a proxy card, and by notifying you of the availability of our proxy materials on the Internet.
Important Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materials for the Annual Meeting of Stockholders to Be Held on October 26, 2010. This proxy statement and our 2009 Annual Report are available free of charge at http://www.joesjeans.com/2010proxy.
By
Order of the Board of Directors,
Samuel
J. Furrow
Chairman of the Board of Directors
Commerce, California
September 13, 2010
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PAGE | |
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STATEMENTS REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION |
1 | |
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT THE PROXY MATERIALS AND THE ANNUAL MEETING |
2 | |
PROPOSAL 1ELECTION OF DIRECTORS |
8 | |
PROPOSAL 2RATIFICATION OF SELECTION OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM |
15 | |
SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT |
16 | |
EXECUTIVE OFFICERS |
18 | |
EXECUTIVE OFFICER COMPENSATION |
19 | |
REPORT OF THE AUDIT COMMITTEE |
27 | |
RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS |
27 | |
SECTION 16 BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP REPORTING COMPLIANCE |
29 | |
FEES PAID TO THE INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM |
29 | |
OTHER BUSINESS TO BE TRANSACTED |
30 |
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STATEMENTS REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION
This proxy statement contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements relate to the financial condition, results of operations, cash flows, financing plans, business strategies, capital and other expenditures, competitive positions, growth opportunities for existing products, plans and objectives of management and other matters. Statements in this document that are not historical facts are identified as forward-looking statements for the purpose of the safe harbor provided by Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933.
When we use the words "anticipate," "estimate," "project," "intend," "expect," "plan," "believe," "should," "likely" and similar expressions, we are making forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are found at various places throughout this proxy statement and the other documents we incorporate by reference in this proxy statement. We caution you not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they were made. We do not undertake any obligation to publicly release any revisions to these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this proxy statement or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.
These forward-looking statements, including statements relating to future business prospects, revenues, working capital, liquidity, capital needs and income, wherever they occur in this proxy statement, are estimates reflecting our best judgment. These forward-looking statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those suggested by the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements should, therefore, be considered in light of various important factors, including those set forth in this proxy statement and those discussed from time to time in our Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, reports, including our annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended November 30, 2009 filed with the SEC on February 3, 2010 and our subsequently filed quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. You should read and consider carefully the information about these and other risks set forth under the caption "Risk Factors" in such filings.
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QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
ABOUT THE PROXY MATERIALS
AND THE ANNUAL MEETING
Although we encourage you to read the proxy statement in its entirety, we include these "Questions and Answers" to provide background information and brief answers to several questions that you may have about the proxy materials in general.
(1) To elect seven directors to serve on the Board of Directors until the 2011 annual meeting of stockholders or until their respective successors are elected and qualified;
(2) To ratify the appointment of Ernst & Young LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending November 30, 2010.
(3) Such other business as may properly come before the annual meeting of stockholders or any adjournment or postponement thereof.
We will also consider any other business that properly comes before the annual meeting.
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Common Stockholder of Record
If your shares are registered directly in your name with our transfer agent, Continental Stock Transfer and Trust Company, you are considered with respect to those shares the common stockholder of record and these proxy materials are being sent directly to you by us. As the common stockholder of record, you have the right to grant your voting proxy directly to us or to vote in person at the annual meeting. We have enclosed a proxy card for you to use.
Beneficial Owner
If your shares are held in a brokerage account or by a bank or other nominee, you are considered the beneficial owner of shares of our common stock held in street name, and these proxy materials are being forwarded to you by your broker, bank or nominee who is considered with respect to those shares the common stockholder of record. As the beneficial owner, you have the right to direct your broker, bank or other nominee on how to vote and are also invited to attend the annual meeting. However, since you are not the common stockholder of record, you may not vote these shares in person at the annual meeting unless you obtain a legal proxy from the broker, bank, or nominee that holds your shares giving you the right to vote the shares at the annual meeting. Your broker, bank or nominee has enclosed a voting instruction card for you to use in directing the broker or nominee regarding how to vote your shares. You may also be able to vote your shares by Internet or telephone as described below under "How can I vote my shares without attending the annual meeting?"
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common stockholder of record, you may vote by submitting a proxy card, which is accompanying this proxy statement. If you hold shares beneficially in street name, you may vote by submitting voting instructions to your broker, bank or nominee. For directions on how to vote, please refer to the instructions below and those included on your proxy card, or for shares held beneficially in street name, you may vote by submitting voting instructions to your broker, bank or nominee.
By MailOur common stockholders of record may submit proxies by completing, signing and dating their proxy cards and mailing them in the accompanying pre-paid, pre-addressed envelope. Our common stockholders who hold shares beneficially in street name may vote by mail by completing, signing and dating the voting instruction card provided by their broker, bank or nominee and mailing them in the accompanying pre-addressed envelope.
By InternetOur common stockholders of record or those who hold shares beneficially in street name may vote by accessing the website specified on the proxy cards provided by us or the voting instruction cards provided by their brokers, banks or nominees, respectively. Please check the voting instruction card for Internet voting availability, as applicable.
By TelephoneOur common stockholders of record or those who hold shares beneficially in street name or may vote by phone by calling the number specified on the proxy cards provided by us or the voting instruction cards provided by their brokers, banks or nominees, respectively. Please check the voting instruction card for telephone voting availability, as applicable.
Abstentions and broker non-votes are counted as present for the purpose of determining the existence of a quorum at the annual meeting.
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If you hold your shares through a broker, bank or other nominee and you do not provide your broker with specific voting instructions, your broker may vote your shares on routine matters, but not on non-routine matters. As a result, your broker may not vote your shares without your instructions with respect to Proposal 1 (election of directors) because it is a non-routine matter, but may vote your shares without your instructions with respect to Proposal 2 (ratification of independent registered public accounting firm) because this matter is considered routine.
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our Board of Directors is not available as a candidate, the persons named as proxyholders will vote your proxy for such other candidate or candidates as may be nominated by the Board of Directors.
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Pursuant to Rule 14a-8 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, some stockholder proposals may be eligible for inclusion in our 2011 proxy statement. Any such stockholder proposals must be submitted in writing to and received by the Corporate Secretary of Joe's at 2340 South Eastern Avenue, Commerce, California 90040 no later than May 18, 2011. The submission of a stockholder proposal does not guarantee that it will be included in our proxy statement.
With respect to any stockholder proposal not submitted pursuant to SEC Rule 14a-8 under the Exchange Act in connection with the 2011 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, the proxy submitted or such meeting will confer discretionary authority to vote on such proposals unless we are notified of such proposal no later than August 1, 2011 and the proponent complies with the other requirements set forth in SEC Rule 14a-4(c) under the Exchange Act. No stockholder proposals were received for inclusion in the proxy statement.
Our common stockholders interested in submitting a proposal are advised to contact legal counsel with regard to the detailed requirements of applicable federal securities laws and the our bylaws, as applicable.
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JOE'S JEANS INC.
2340 SOUTH EASTERN AVENUE
COMMERCE, CALIFORNIA 90040
PROXY STATEMENT
ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS TO BE HELD ON TUESDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2010
PROPOSAL
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ELECTION OF DIRECTORS
Our bylaws provide that our Board of Directors will consist of not less than three directors, with the exact number of directors (subject to such minimum and any range of size established by our common stockholders) to be determined by resolution of our Board of Directors. Currently, the number of directors has been set at seven. At our annual meeting, seven directors will be elected to serve until the 2011 annual meeting of stockholders (which we expect to hold around late October of 2011) or until their respective successors are elected and qualified. Our Board of Directors' nominees for election are set forth below.
Name
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Age | Position | Year First Elected Director |
||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Samuel J. (Sam) Furrow |
68 | Chairman of the Board of Directors | 1998 | ||||||
Marc B. Crossman |
38 | Chief Executive Officer, President, and Director | 1999 | ||||||
Joe Dahan |
42 | Creative Director and Director | 2007 | ||||||
Kelly Hoffman(2)(3) |
52 | Director | 2004 | ||||||
Thomas O'Riordan(1)(2)(3) |
54 | Director | 2006 | ||||||
Suhail R. Rizvi(1)(2)(3) |
44 | Director | 2003 | ||||||
Kent Savage(1)(3) |
48 | Director | 2003 |
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Samuel J. (Sam) Furrow has served as Chairman of our Board of Directors since October 1998. Mr. Furrow became a member of our Board of Directors in April 1998 and served as our Chief Executive Officer from October 1998 until December 2000. Mr. Furrow also has been Chairman of the Board of Furrow Auction Company, a real estate and equipment sales company with its headquarters in Knoxville, Tennessee, since April 1968; Chairman of FurrowJustice Machinery Corporation, a six-branch industrial and construction equipment dealer, since 1983; owner of Knoxville Motor CompanyMercedes Benz and Land Rover of Knoxville since December 1980 and July 1997, respectively. Mr. Furrow received his undergraduate and J.D. degrees from the University of Tennessee. Sam Furrow is the father of our former Chief Executive Officer and Director, Samuel J. (Jay) Furrow, Jr. Due to Mr. Furrow's extensive background as a business owner and operator, he brings substantial business experience and leadership to the Board of Directors, as well as offering advice and guidance to our management team.
Marc B. Crossman has served as our Chief Executive Officer since January 2006, our President since September 2004 and a member of our Board of Directors since January 1999. From March 2003 until August 2007, Mr. Crossman served as our Chief Financial Officer. From January 1999 until March 2003, Mr. Crossman served as a Vice President and Equity Analyst with J.P. Morgan Securities Inc. From September 1997 until January 1999, Mr. Crossman served as a Vice President and Equity Analyst with CIBC Oppenheimer Corporation. Mr. Crossman received his B.S. degree in Mathematics from Vanderbilt University. With Mr. Crossman's background as an equity analyst and his tenure with the Company and a member of the Board of Directors since 1999, Mr. Crossman provides strategic guidance and experience for all aspects of our operations, including our capital and strategic matters.
Joe Dahan has served as the president and head designer for our Joe's Jeans subsidiary since its formation in February 2001, and as Creative Director and a member of our Board of Directors since October 2007. Mr. Dahan is responsible for the design, development and marketing of Joe's products. From 1996 until 2001, Mr. Dahan was the head designer for Azteca Production International, Inc., or Azteca, where he was responsible for the design, development and merchandising of product lines developed by Azteca, a manufacturer of branded and private label denim products. From 1989 until 1996, Mr. Dahan was engaged in the design and development of apparel products for a company of which he was an owner and operator. Mr. Dahan's significant experience in the apparel industry brings expertise related to the creative and strategic direction of our brand from season to season and our operational matters.
Kelly Hoffman has served as a member of our Board of Directors since June 2004. Since April 2008, Mr. Hoffman has served as President of Victory Park Resources, a privately held exploration and production company specializing in the acquisition of oil and gas producing properties in Oklahoma, Texas and New Mexico. From 1998 until September 2009, Mr. Hoffman served as Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer of Varsity Media Group Inc., a technology and new media company. From 1991 until 1998, Mr. Hoffman owned AOCO Operating, a company that raised capital for the acquisition of property in Texas, Louisiana and New Mexico. Mr. Hoffman began his oil and gas career at Amoco Production Company in Texas in various positions. Mr. Hoffman attended Texas Tech University and majored in Business Administration. Mr. Hoffman's experience with starting up and running various companies has provided us with practical knowledge and guidance on operations.
Thomas O'Riordan has served as a member of our Board of Directors since April 2006. Since January 2010, Mr. O'Riordan has served as Chief Operating Officer of CHEP USA, a global leader in pallet and container pooling services serving many of the world's largest companies. From
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August 2009 to January 2010 and from 1988 to 1995, Mr. O'Riordan served as President of Tom O'Riordan & Associates, a sales and marketing company focused on the athletic footwear, apparel and sporting goods industries. Prior to that, from March 2007 to July 2009, Mr. O'Riordan served as Chief Executive Officer of American Sporting Goods Corporation, a privately held manufacturer and retailer of athletic footwear with such brands as And1, Avia, Ryka, Yukon, Triple 5 Soul, NSS and Nevados. From 2004 to 2007, Mr. O'Riordan acted in an executive consulting and advisory capacity to the senior management team of Fila Holding Company, a publicly traded manufacturer and retailer of branded footwear, apparel and accessories, and to other investment advisors and funds in the retail and consumer products sector. From 1999 to 2004, Mr. O'Riordan served in various executive management capacities with Fila Holding Company, ultimately serving as Chief Executive Officer from 2003 to 2004. From 1995 until 1998, Mr. O'Riordan served as Director of Operations of Adidas America, a publicly traded manufacturer and retailer of branded athletic footwear, apparel and accessories. Mr. O'Riordan began his career in sales for Brooks Shoe Company. Mr. O'Riordan received his B.S. degree in Marketing and Management from Rider University. Mr. O'Riordan's retail, apparel and footwear industry knowledge enables him to offer advice and guidance to our management as we grow our operations and open retail stores.
Suhail R. Rizvi has served as a member of our Board of Directors since April 2003. Since 2004, Mr. Rizvi has served as founder and Chief Investment Officer of Rizvi--Traverse Management LLC and other related funds. Mr. Rizvi has over twenty years of private equity investing experience for his own account and as a fiduciary for institutional investors through various entities or funds as founder, principal or manager. Mr. Rizvi also serves on the Board of Directors of Summit Entertainment LLC, International Creative Management, Inc., Ziegler Capital Management and Key Air. Mr. Rizvi received his B.S. degree in Economics from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and sits on the Wharton Undergraduate Executive Board. Mr. Rizvi's experience as an executive and private equity investor brings strong financial and strategic expertise to our Board and management to assist in achieving stockholder value.
Kent Savage has served as a member of our Board of Directors since July 2003. Since June 2006, Mr. Savage has served as Founder and CEO of Famecast, Inc., a privately held interactive branded entertainment and contest management company. Beginning in June 2005, Mr. Savage consulted with Famecast, Inc. on all aspects of the company's founding. From January 2004 until June 2005, Mr. Savage served as Chief Executive Officer for Digital Lifestyles Group, Inc. (DLFG.PK), a publicly traded manufacturer and distributor of personal computers. Between February 2003 and January 2004, Mr. Savage served in various consulting capacities to start-up companies. From September 2002 until February 2003, Mr. Savage served as co-founder, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer for TippingPoint Technologies (NASDAQ: TPTI), which was acquired by 3Com. From February 1999 until August 2001, Mr. Savage served as co-founder, CEO and President for Netpliance, Inc. From April 1998 until February 1999, Mr. Savage served as General Manager, Broadband for Cisco Systems Inc. Service Provider Line of Business. From July 1996 until April 1998, Mr. Savage served as Vice President, Sales and Marketing for NetSpeed, Inc. Mr. Savage received his B.S. degree in Business from Oklahoma State University, attended University of Virginia's Executive Leadership Program, and received his M.B.A. degree from Southern Methodist University. Mr. Savage's extensive experience as an officer and director at other public companies brings valuable experience and insight regarding our financial and accounting matters to lead our Audit Committee.
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filled by a majority vote of the remaining Board of Directors. Our Board of Directors manages us through board meetings and through its committees. During fiscal 2009, our Board of Directors met or acted through written consent a total of eight times. No incumbent member of our Board of Directors who served as a director in fiscal 2009 attended in person or via teleconference less than 75% of all the meetings of our Board of Directors and the committees on which he served during fiscal 2009. Although we do not have a formal policy regarding attendance at our annual meeting of stockholders, we attempt to accommodate the schedules of each member of our Board of Directors in choosing a date for our annual meeting of stockholders and our annual meeting of our Board of Directors. In fiscal 2009, all of our members of our Board of Directors attended the annual meeting of our Board of Directors and our annual meeting of stockholders.
Audit Committee. The Audit Committee is currently comprised of Messrs. Savage, Rizvi, and O'Riordan. Mr. Savage serves as Chairman of the Audit Committee. The Audit Committee met or acted through written consent a total of seven times in fiscal 2009.
The Audit Committee has been established to: (a) assist our Board of Directors in its oversight responsibilities regarding (1) the integrity of our financial statements, (2) our compliance with legal and regulatory requirements, (3) the independent accountant's qualifications and independence and (4) the performance of the our internal audit function; (b) prepare the report required by the SEC for inclusion in the our annual proxy statement; (c) retain and terminate our independent accountant; (d) approve audit and non-audit services to be performed by the independent accountant; and (e) perform such other functions as our Board of Directors may from time to time assign to the Audit Committee. The Audit Committee has a charter that details its duties and responsibilities, which was adopted by our Board of Directors on May 22, 2003 and filed with our revised proxy statement for our last annual meeting on April 29, 2004. Our Audit Committee is also primarily responsible for overseeing our financial risks and management's approach to monitor and control exposure related to financial risks. Currently, all Audit Committee members are "independent" under NASDAQ listing standards and as such term is defined in the rules and regulations of the SEC, and Mr. Rizvi has also been designated to be an "audit committee financial expert" as such term is defined in the rules and regulations of the SEC. A copy of the Audit Committee charter can be found on our website at www.joesjeans.com under our Investor Relations heading.
Compensation and Stock Option Committee. Currently, the Compensation Committee is comprised of Messrs. O'Riordan, Hoffman, and Rizvi. Mr. O'Riordan serves as Chairman of the Compensation Committee. The Compensation and Stock Option Committee met or acted through written consent a total of two times in fiscal 2009.
The principal responsibilities of the Compensation and Stock Option Committee are to (a) assist our Board of Directors in ensuring that a proper system of long-term and short-term compensation is in place to provide performance-oriented incentives to management, and that compensation plans are appropriate and competitive and properly reflect the objectives and performance of management and the company; (b) discharge our Board of Director's responsibilities relating to compensation of our executive officers; (c) evaluate our Chief Executive Officer and set his remuneration package; (d) prepare an annual report on executive compensation for inclusion in our annual proxy statement; (e) make recommendations to our Board of Directors with respect to incentive-compensation plans and equity-based plans; and (f) perform such other functions as our Board of Directors may from time to time assign. The Compensation and Stock Option Committee has a charter that details its duties and responsibilities, which was adopted by our Board of
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Directors on May 22, 2003. Currently, all Compensation and Stock Option Committee members are "independent" under NASDAQ listing standards. A copy of the Compensation and Stock Option Committee charter can be found on our website at www.joesjeans.com under our Investor Relations heading.
Nominating and Governance Committee. The Nominating and Governance Committee is currently comprised of Messrs. Rizvi, Hoffman, O'Riordan, and Savage. Mr. Rizvi serves as Chairman of the Nominating and Governance Committee. The Nominating and Governance Committee met a total of one time in fiscal 2009 and met prior to the filing of this proxy statement to propose the above slate of nominees for election to our Board of Directors by our common stockholders for this annual meeting.
The principal responsibilities of the Nominating and Governance Committee are to (a) assist our Board of Directors in determining the desired experience, mix of skills and other qualities to assure appropriate Board of Directors composition, taking into account the current members and the specific needs of the company and the Board of Directors; (b) identify highly qualified individuals meeting those criteria to serve on our Board of Directors; (c) propose to our Board of Directors a slate of nominees for election by our common stockholders at the annual meeting of stockholders and prospective director candidates in the event of the resignation, death, removal or retirement of directors or a change in our Board of Directors composition requirements; (d) develop plans regarding the size and composition of our Board of Directors and its committees; (e) review management succession plans; (f) review the Corporate Governance Guidelines of our Board of Directors at least annually and monitor and make recommendations with respect to the corporate governance principles applicable to the company; and (g) perform such other functions as the Board of Directors may from time to time assign to the Nominating and Governance Committee.
The Nominating and Governance Committee has a charter that details its duties and responsibilities, which was adopted by our Board of Directors on May 22, 2003. Currently, all Nominating and Governance Committee members are "independent" under NASDAQ listing standards. There is no specific procedure outlined in the charter for the Nominating and Governance Committee to consider nominees to our Board of Directors that are recommended by our common stockholders, but such nominees will be considered in accordance with the principal responsibilities of the Nominating and Governance Committee, our bylaws and all applicable rules and regulations relating to such nominations by our common stockholders. Any recommendations by stockholders for nominations to our Board of Directors would be evaluated in a manner similar to how the Nominating and Governance Committee considers all directors. Please see our "Questions and Answers" beginning on page two for deadlines to propose actions for consideration at next year's annual meeting of stockholders or to nominate individuals to serve as directors. The Nominating and Governance Committee has the responsibility for developing criteria for the selection of new directors and nominees for vacancies. The members of the Nominating and Governance Committee have the discretion to choose candidates that have the desired experience, mix of skills and other qualities to assure appropriate composition while taking into account the current members and the specific needs of our company and our Board of Directors as well as diversity. However, we have no formal policy on diversity. To date, no more specific criteria has been developed than that set forth in the charter. A copy of the Nominating and Governance Committee charter can be found on our website at www.joesjeans.com under our Investor Relations heading.
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however, they are reimbursed for travel and business expenses associated with attending our annual meeting if the Board of Director's schedule permits such attendance. Attendance in person is not required, but we try to accommodate schedules in planning the date consistent with its past practices. In fiscal 2009, all directors attended our annual meeting in person. Consistent with its past practices, on October 8, 2009, the Compensation Committee of the Board approved grants of RSUs with a fair market value of $60,000 to each non-employee director, which the non-employee director had the option to elect all RSUs or 1/3 of the fair market value in cash the 2/3 in RSUs in order to pay certain personal income tax obligations that each would incur as a result of the grant. The following non-employee directors each received 85,716 RSUs: Sam Furrow, Kent Savage and Suhail Rizvi. The following non-employee directors each received 57,144 RSUs and $20,000 in cash: Kelly Hoffman and Tom O'Riordan. The RSUs vest and the cash amounts are paid on a quarterly basis over the course of 12 months. This amount was determined based upon the peer group analysis and was in the 50th percentile of peer group companies.
Name
|
Fees earned or paid in cash |
Stock Awards(1) | Total | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sam Furrow |
$ | | $ | 60,000 | $ | 60,000 | ||||
Kent Savage |
| 60,000 | 60,000 | |||||||
Tom O'Riordan |
20,000 | 40,000 | 60,000 | |||||||
Suhail Rizvi |
| 60,000 | 60,000 | |||||||
Kelly Hoffman |
20,000 | 40,000 | 60,000 | |||||||
|
$ | 40,000 | $ | 260,000 | $ | 300,000 | ||||
Members of our Board of Directors who are employees receive no additional compensation for service as members of our Board of Directors. Members of our Board of Directors who also serve on one or more committees of our Board of Directors do not receive any additional compensation for such service.
To date, there have been no waivers under our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics. We intend to disclose any amendments to our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics and any waiver granted from a provision of such Code on a Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC within four business days following such amendment or waiver or on our website at www.joesjeans.com within the same time frame. The information contained or connected to our website is not incorporated
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by reference into this proxy statement and should not be considered a part of this or any other report that we file or furnish to the SEC.
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PROPOSAL 2
RATIFICATION OF SELECTION OF INDEPENDENT
REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
Our Board of Directors has appointed Ernst & Young LLP, or E&Y, as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending November 30, 2010, subject to ratification by our common stockholders at our annual meeting. Representatives of E&Y will be present at the annual meeting and will have the opportunity to make a statement if they so desire and will be available to respond to appropriate questions.
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SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT
The following table provides information as of September 13, 2010 concerning beneficial ownership of common stock held by (1) each person or entity known by us to beneficially own more than 5% of our outstanding common stock, (2) each of our directors and nominees for election as a director, (3) each of our named executive officers, and (4) all of our directors and executive officers as a group. The information as to beneficial ownership has been furnished by our respective common stockholders, directors and executive officers, and, unless otherwise indicated, each of our common stockholders has sole voting and investment power with respect to the shares beneficially owned. Beneficial ownership is determined under the rules of the SEC and generally includes voting or investment power with respect to securities.
Unless indicated below, to our knowledge, the persons and entities named in the table below have sole voting and sole investment power with respect to all shares beneficially owned, subject to community property laws where applicable. Pursuant to the rules of the SEC, certain shares of our common stock that a beneficial owner set forth in this table has a right to acquire within 60 days of the date hereof (pursuant to the exercise of options or warrants for the purchase of shares of common stock) are deemed to be outstanding for the purpose of computing the percentage ownership of that owner, but are not deemed outstanding for the purpose of computing percentage ownership of any other beneficial owner shown in the table. Percentages are calculated based on 63,647,231 shares outstanding as of September 13, 2010. The address for the officers and directors is our corporate office located at 2340 South Eastern Avenue, Commerce, California, 90040.
Beneficial Owner
|
Number of Shares Beneficially Owned |
Percentage of Common Stock |
|||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Marc B. Crossman |
1,458,238 | (1) | 2.28 | % | |||
Hamish Sandhu |
77,940 | (2) | * | ||||
Joseph M. Dahan |
12,224,366 | (3) | 19.21 | % | |||
Samuel J. (Sam) Furrow |
2,773,921 | (4) | 4.35 | % | |||
Kelly Hoffman |
101,579 | (5) | * | ||||
Tom O'Riordan |
145,489 | (6) | * | ||||
Suhail R. Rizvi |
92,858 | (7) | * | ||||
Kent Savage |
312,628 | (8) | * | ||||
MFC Global Investment Management (U.S.), LLC |
5,110,000 | (9) | 8.03 | % | |||
All directors and executive officers, as a group (8 persons) |
17,187,019 | 25.51 | % |
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common stock which vest ratably as follows: one-third on October 8, 2010; one-third on October 8, 2011; and one-third on October 8, 2012; and (c) 143,832 shares of restricted common stock which vest ratably as follows: one-third on November 6, 2010; one-third on November 6, 2011; and one-third on November 6, 2012; and (d) 260,182 RSUs which vest on November 6, 2010; (ii) 50,000 shares held for the accounts in trust for Mr. Crossman's minor children, which Mr. Crossman's father is the trustee; and (iii) 243,515 shares issuable upon the exercise of currently exercisable (or exercisable within 60 days) options held for Mr. Crossman's personal account. Mr. Crossman disclaims beneficial ownership of shares held for the accounts in trust for his minor children. Excludes the following shares not exercisable or vested within 60 days: (i) 260,182 RSUs which vest on November 6, 2011.
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Executive Officers
Our executive officers and age and position as of September 13, 2010 are as follows:
Name
|
Age | Position | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Marc B. Crossman |
38 | Chief Executive Officer, President and Director | |||
Hamish Sandhu |
47 | Chief Financial Officer | |||
Joe Dahan |
42 | Creative Director and Director |
Marc B. Crossman has served as our Chief Executive Officer since January 2006, our President since September 2004 and a member of our Board of Directors since January 1999. From March 2003 until August 2007, Mr. Crossman also served as our Chief Financial Officer. From January 1999 until March 2003, Mr. Crossman served as a Vice President and Equity Analyst with J.P. Morgan Securities Inc., New York City, New York. From September 1997 until January 1999, Mr. Crossman served as a Vice President and Equity Analyst with CIBC Oppenheimer Corporation. Mr. Crossman received his B.S. degree in Mathematics from Vanderbilt University.
Hamish Sandhu has served as our Chief Financial Officer since August 2007. From January 2006 until August 2007, Mr. Sandhu was Chief Financial Officer of California Tan, Inc., a consumer products company manufacturing and marketing lotion and equipment to the indoor tanning industry. From September 2001 until December 2005, Mr. Sandhu was Chief Financial Officer of Ancra International LLC, a manufacturer of aircraft cargo systems and trucking restraint products. Mr. Sandhu began his career at Deloitte & Touche LLP. Prior to that, Mr. Sandhu held various Chief Financial and Corporate Controller positions at other manufacturing and distribution based companies. Mr. Sandhu has a B.A. degree in Economics and Accounting from Australian National University and holds a Certified Public Accountant's license.
Joe Dahan has served as the president and head designer for our Joe's Jeans Subsidiary, Inc. since its formation in February 2001 and as our Creative Director and member of our Board of Directors since October 2007. Mr. Dahan is responsible for the design, development and marketing of Joe's products. From 1996 until 2001, Mr. Dahan was the head designer for Azteca Production International, Inc., or Azteca, where he was responsible for the design, development and merchandising of product lines developed by Azteca. Azteca, which is owned by two of our stockholders, is one of the world's largest manufacturers of denim related products. From 1989 until 1996, Mr. Dahan was engaged in the design and development of apparel products for a company of which he was an owner and operator.
Other Significant Employees
Elena Pickett (age 48) has served as our Senior Vice President of Sales since September 2005. From 2000 to 2005, Ms. Pickett served as the Director of Sales for wholesale apparel sales for Lucky Brand Jeans®, a division of Liz Claiborne Inc. From 1995 to 2000, Ms. Pickett served as the Sales Manager for the West Coast region for Just For Wraps, a junior apparel company based in Los Angeles. Prior to that, Ms. Pickett also held various sales positions at Pepe Clothing including West Coast Sales Manager for women's denim.
Director Compensation
Historically, our non-employee directors have been compensated for service through an equity grant. Our directors are not compensated in any other manner, however, they are reimbursed for travel and business expenses associated with attending our annual meeting if the Director's schedule permits such attendance. Attendance in person is not required, but we try to accommodate schedules in
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planning the date and encourage our directors and director nominees to attend the annual meeting of stockholders. In fiscal 2009, all directors attended our annual meeting in person. Consistent with its past practices, on October 8, 2009, the Compensation Committee of the Board approved grants of RSUs with a fair market value of $60,000 to each non-employee director, which the non-employee director had the option to elect all RSUs or 1/3 of the fair market value in cash the 2/3 in RSUs in order to pay certain personal income tax obligations that each would incur as a result of the grant. The following non-employee directors each received 85,716 RSUs: Sam Furrow, Kent Savage and Suhail Rizvi. The following non-employee directors each received 57,144 RSUs and $20,000 in cash: Kelly Hoffman and Tom O'Riordan. The RSUs vest and the cash amounts are paid on a quarterly basis over the course of 12 months. This amount was determined based upon the peer group analysis and was in the 50th percentile of peer group companies.
Name
|
Fees earned or paid in cash |
Stock Awards(1) | Total | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sam Furrow |
$ | | $ | 60,000 | $ | 60,000 | ||||
Kent Savage |
| 60,000 | 60,000 | |||||||
Tom O'Riordan |
20,000 | 40,000 | 60,000 | |||||||
Suhail Rizvi |
| 60,000 | 60,000 | |||||||
Kelly Hoffman |
20,000 | 40,000 | 60,000 | |||||||
|
$ | 40,000 | $ | 260,000 | $ | 300,000 | ||||
Executive Officer Compensation
The following table provides certain summary information concerning the compensation earned by our Named Executive Officers in the position of the Principal Executive Officer, Principal Financial Officer, and Creative Director for services rendered in all capacities to us for the fiscal year ended November 30, 2009.
Summary Compensation Table
Name and Principal Position
|
Year | Salary | Bonus | Stock awards(1) |
Option awards(2) |
All other compensation(3) |
Total | |||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Marc Crossman |
2009 | $ | 429,000 | $ | 375,000 | $ | 527,000 | (8) | $ | | $ | 58,000 | $ | 1,389,000 | ||||||||||
Chief Executive Officer |
2008 | 429,000 | (5) | 325,000 | 429,000 | (7) | | 55,000 | 1,238,000 | |||||||||||||||
and President |
2007 | 375,000 | 300,000 | (4) | 375,000 | (6) | | 73,000 | 1,123,000 | |||||||||||||||
Hamish Sandhu |
2009 |
255,000 |
|
108,000 |
(11) |
|
27,000 |
390,000 |
||||||||||||||||
Chief Financial Officer |
2008 | 207,000 | | 82,000 | (10) | | 11,000 | 300,000 | ||||||||||||||||
|
2007 | 51,000 | (9) | | | 123,000 | (12) | | 174,000 | |||||||||||||||
Joseph Dahan |
2009 |
300,000 |
|
319,000 |
(15) |
|
1,711,000 |
(16) |
2,330,000 |
|||||||||||||||
Creative Director |
2008 | 300,000 | | 300,000 | (14) | | 1,625,000 | (16) | 2,225,000 | |||||||||||||||
|
2007 | 104,000 | (13) | | | | 161,000 | (16) | 265,000 |
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in Accounting Standards Codification 718, or ASC 718. For a discussion on the assumptions made regarding the valuation of the stock awards and option awards, please see "Note 8Stockholders' EquityStock Incentive Plans" in our Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.
Name and principal position |
Year | Benefit of company paid health insurance(a) |
Benefit of company paid life insurance(a) |
Unused vacation payout(b) |
401(k) match | Contingent consideration(c) |
Total | ||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Marc Crossman |
2009 | $ | 15,000 | $ | 7,000 | $ | 31,000 | $ | 5,000 | $ | | $ | 58,000 | ||||||||||
|
2008 | 15,000 | | 35,000 | 5,000 | | 55,000 | ||||||||||||||||
|
2007 | 21,000 | | 46,000 | 6,000 | | 73,000 | ||||||||||||||||
Hamish Sandhu |
2009 |
16,000 |
|
6,000 |
5,000 |
|
27,000 |
||||||||||||||||
|
2008 | 4,000 | | 3,000 | 4,000 | | 11,000 | ||||||||||||||||
|
2007 | | | | | | | ||||||||||||||||
Joseph Dahan |
2009 |
15,000 |
|
32,000 |
|
1,664,000 |
1,711,000 |
||||||||||||||||
|
2008 | 10,000 | | 17,000 | | 1,598,000 | 1,625,000 | ||||||||||||||||
|
2007 | 30,000 | | 5,000 | | 126,000 | 161,000 |
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Bonuses
Historically, the Compensation Committee has not granted a bonus to our Chief Executive Officer. Recognizing the importance of this element of compensation, in fiscal 2008, the Compensation Committee included in Mr. Crossman's employment agreement a bonus provision which targeted his bonus at 50 percent of his base salary based upon certain discretionary performance measures. The Compensation Committee discussed the formal criteria for Mr. Crossman's 2008 performance measures noting that the performance measures set for this fiscal year would be utilized in future fiscal years. The Committee discussed various methods of measurement noting that the following were drivers to our overall performance. Those methods of measurement included Earnings Before Income, Taxes and Depreciation (EBITDA), net profits, store performance, net sales, gross margins and inventory. After this discussion, the Compensation Committee decided to utilize EBITDA and net sales weighted equally as the performance measures for Mr. Crossman's bonus for fiscal 2009. Based upon these performance measures, the Compensation Committee noted that Mr. Crossman had exceeded expectations on both EBITDA and net sales and thus the bonus target of 50 percent was increased to 75 percent and his bonus for fiscal 2009 was $375,000.
Long-Term Incentive Compensation
Our Compensation Committee administers our 2004 Stock Incentive Plan and believes that the long-term commitment of our employees, including our Named Executive Officers, is an important factor in our future performance. The primary element used to promote the long-term performance and commitment of our Named Executive Officers is long-term incentive compensation through grants of stock options and restricted stock. In fiscal 2007, the Compensation Committee shifted from its past practice of granting options to purchase shares of our common stock to granting restricted common stock. This decision to change past practices was in part due to fluctuations in the market price of our common stock and the decision to re-price out-of-the-money incentive stock options in fiscal 2006 as part of a retention incentive. The Compensation Committee believes that equity grants with time-based vesting restrictions aid in retention and better align the interests of our Named Executive Officers with those of our stockholders. Further, the equity grants motivate our Named Executive Officers to make long-term decisions that are in our best interest and to provide incentive to maximize stockholder value.
We do not coordinate the timing of equity award grants with the release of financial results or other material announcements by us and generally, we have made annual equity grants to our Chief Executive Officer and non-employee directors in connection with our annual meeting of stockholders.
We believe that providing Named Executive Officers who have responsibility for our management and growth with an opportunity to increase their stock ownership aligns the interests of the executive officers with those of our stockholders. Accordingly, the Compensation Committee also considers equity grants to be an important aspect in compensating and providing incentives to management and employees. The Compensation Committee determines the number of shares for each stock incentive grant based upon the executive officer's role and responsibilities, the executive officer's base salary, the recommendation of our Chief Executive Officer of the job performance of the individual. For the equity grants to our Chief Executive Officer and our non-employee directors, the Compensation Committee also utilized the data presented and compared with comparable awards to individuals in similar positions in our industry.
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Based upon this data, Mr. Crossman's employment agreement contained a provision which set forth his long-term incentive compensation through a grant of restricted stock or restricted stock units pursuant to the 2004 Incentive Plan with a fair market value equal to 100 percent of his base salary. For fiscal 2009, Mr. Crossman received two separate grants of restricted stock in the amount of 469,454 shares and 143,832 shares that each vest 1/3 on each anniversary date of the grant in 2010, 2011 and 2012, respectively. Mr. Dahan and Mr. Sandhu, our other Named Executive Officers, each received a grant of restricted stock units, or RSUs, in the amount of 455,000 and 155,000, respectively, that vest in an amount equal to 1/8 of the total grant on June 18, 2010 and thereafter every six months until the RSUs are fully vested on December 18, 2013.
Executive Management's Involvement in Compensation Policies
Our Compensation Committee determines the compensation of our Chief Executive Officer and directors and reviewed and approved our compensation of our Creative Director and Chief Financial Officer based upon the recommendation from our Chief Executive Officer regarding expected contributions, long term goals and other factors appropriate to the respective positions. Our Compensation Committee approves all grants of equity compensation, including the pool for non-officer employees. All equity compensation grants to persons other than the Board of Directors or our Chief Executive Officer are approved based upon a recommendation from our Chief Executive Officer.
Engagement of Compensation Consultant
In September 2007, our Compensation Committee engaged a compensation consultant, Mercer Human Resources Consulting, to serve as an independent advisor to the Compensation Committee to conduct a review of the compensation for our Chief Executive Officer and non-employee Directors, examine the pay level and practices of a group of peer companies similar in terms of size and industry, highlight trends in such compensation and provide recommendations regarding our practices. Mercer prepared for our Compensation Committee a competitive analysis of compensation utilizing comparable company compensation data, including size and industry appropriate survey data and advice around short and long-term incentive programs. The information prepared by Mercer provided the Compensation Committee with data to allow them to evaluate and determine an appropriate amount for a bonus and equity award grant for our Chief Executive Officer for fiscal 2007 and compensation for non-employee directors. More particularly, this information provided the basis for discussion of compensation for fiscal 2008 for our Chief Executive Officer.
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Outstanding Equity Award at Fiscal Year-End
The following table sets forth information regarding outstanding equity awards held by our Named Executive Officers during our fiscal year ended November 30, 2009:
|
Option awards | Stock awards | |
||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Number of securities underlying unexercised options |
Number of securities underlying unexercised options |
Option exercise price |
Option expiration date |
Number of shares or units of stock that have not vested |
Market value of shares or units of stock that have not vested |
Equity incentive plan awards: |
Equity incentive plan awards: |
|||||||||||||||||
Name
|
Exercisable | Unexercisable | |
|
|
|
Number of unearned shares, units or other rights that have not vested |
Market or payout value of unearned shares, units or other rights that have not vested |
|||||||||||||||||
Marc Crossman |
| | | | | | 613,286 | (1) | $ | 791,139 | |||||||||||||||
|
| | | | | | 520,364 | (2) | $ | 671,270 | |||||||||||||||
|
| | | | | | 78,617 | (3) | $ | 101,416 | |||||||||||||||
|
25,641 | (4) | | $ | 0.39 | 13-Dec-10 | | | | | |||||||||||||||
|
10,000 | (4) | | $ | 1.00 | 17-Apr-12 | | | | | |||||||||||||||
|
7,874 | (4) | | $ | 1.27 | 27-Nov-12 | | | | | |||||||||||||||
|
1,000,000 | (4) | | $ | 1.02 | 22-May-13 | | | | | |||||||||||||||
|
200,000 | (4) | | $ | 1.63 | 3-Sep-14 | | | | | |||||||||||||||
|
250,000 | (4) | | $ | 1.02 | 13-Jun-15 | | | | | |||||||||||||||
Hamish Sandhu |
| | | | | | 155,000 | (5) | $ | 199,950 | |||||||||||||||
|
| | | | | | 131,250 | (6) | $ | 169,313 | |||||||||||||||
|
| | | | | | 62,500 | (7) | $ | 80,625 | |||||||||||||||
Joseph Dahan |
| | | | | | 455,000 | (5) | $ | 586,950 | |||||||||||||||
|
| | | | | | 477,750 | (6) | $ | 616,298 | |||||||||||||||
|
200,000 | (8) | $ | 1.02 | 4-Aug-15 | | | | |
Option Exercises and Stock Vested
There were no option exercises by our Named Executive Officers in our fiscal year ended November 30, 2009. During fiscal 2009, 450,798 shares of restricted stock or RSUs vested for our Named Executive Officers.
Name
|
Number of shares acquired on Exercise (#) |
Value Realized on Exercise ($) |
|||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Marc Crossman |
338,798 | $ | 412,000 | ||||
Hamish Sandhu |
43,750 | $ | 30,000 | ||||
Joseph Dahan |
68,250 | $ | 55,000 |
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Benefits
Benefits offered to our Named Executive Officers are substantially the same as those offered to all our regular employees and generally include medical insurance, dental insurance, 401(k) plan, disability insurance, life insurance and flexible spending account. For our Named Executive Officers, we pay all premiums associated with such benefits as described in the footnote 10 to the Summary Compensation Table.
Pension Benefits
We do not provide any pension benefits to any of our Named Executive Officers or employees.
Nonqualified Deferred Compensation
We do not provide any non-qualified deferred compensation to any of our Named Executive Officers or employees.
Employment Contracts and Termination of Employment and Change in Control Arrangements
Change in Control Provisions
Our Chief Executive Officer, our Creative Director and our Chief Financial Officer have change in control provisions in each person's employment agreement and employment offer letter, respectively. These provisions provide these Named Executive Officers with certain compensation arrangements in the event that a change in control occurs. In addition, our 2004 Stock Incentive Plan contains a change in control provision which provides for the immediate vesting in full of all grants or lapse of all restrictions for all grantees, including our Named Executive Officers, in the event a change in control occurs.
Marc Crossman
On May 30, 2008, we entered into an Executive Employment Agreement, or the Crossman Employment Agreement, with Mr. Crossman to serve as our President and Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Crossman has been serving as our President since September 2004 and as Chief Executive Officer since January 2006 under an employment at-will arrangement. In connection with the execution of the Crossman Employment Agreement, Mr. Crossman received the second payment of his bonus for fiscal 2007 in the amount of $150,000, as described above.
Under the terms of the Crossman Employment Agreement, Mr. Crossman receives an annual salary of $429,300 and is entitled to receive other cash and non-cash compensation, including an annual discretionary bonus targeted at 50% of his base salary based upon the achievement of financial and other performance criteria as set forth in the Crossman Employment Agreement, an annual grant of equity compensation pursuant to the 2004 Stock Incentive Plan, and life and disability insurance policies paid on his behalf. The Crossman Employment Agreement is effective as of December 1, 2007, the commencement of our 2008 fiscal year, and had an initial term of two years, which automatically renewed for another two year period on December 1, 2009. The Crossman Employment Agreement automatically renews for additional two year periods if neither Joe's nor Mr. Crossman provide 180 days' advanced notice of non-renewal prior to the end of the term or upon the occurrence of a change in control.
In the event that Mr. Crossman's employment is terminated by us other than for cause, terminated by Mr. Crossman for good reason, terminated by us within 18 months following a change in control and without cause, or terminated by Mr. Crossman within 18 months following a change in control and for good reason, Mr. Crossman will be entitled to certain severance payments and benefits, including an amount equal to 24 months of his prior year's base salary and bonus in exchange for his execution of a
24
release of claims. Mr. Crossman will not be entitled to severance benefits if he dies during the term of his employment, he is terminated for cause or due to disability, he terminates his employment for a reason other than a good reason, or revokes his agreement to release us from any and all claims related to his employment.
Mr. Crossman is subject to confidentiality, non-solicitation and non-competition restrictions during the term of his employment and is subject to the confidentiality and non-solicitation provisions for a period of two years following termination of his employment.
Joseph M. Dahan
In connection with the completion of a merger between us, our Joe's Subsidiary and JD Holdings, Mr. Dahan's employment agreement automatically became effective for service as our Creative Director.
Under the employment agreement, the initial term of employment is five years with automatic renewals for successive one year periods thereafter, unless terminated earlier. Mr. Dahan is entitled to an annual salary of $300,000 and other discretionary benefits that the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors may deem appropriate in its sole and absolute discretion.
Under the terms of the employment agreement, we may terminate Mr. Dahan for Cause or if he becomes Disabled. "Cause" is defined as (i) a conviction, plea of guilty or nolo contendere to a felony or a crime of moral turpitude; (ii) a material breach of any provision of the employment agreement that is not cured within 45 days of receipt of written notice of such breach; (iii) the solicitation, persuasion or attempt at persuasion for any employee, consultant, contractor, customer or potential customer to engage in an act prohibited by the employment agreement; or (iv) a violation of any of our policies in our handbook or code of ethics and such violation constitutes a breach of the Code of Ethics or warrants termination. "Disability" is defined as inability to perform duties for 180 consecutive days or shorter periods aggregating 270 days during any 12 month period.
Should we terminate Mr. Dahan's employment for Cause or Disability, we would only be required to pay him through the date of termination. We may terminate Mr. Dahan's employment without Cause at any time upon two weeks' notice, provided that we pay him the present value of the annual salary amounts otherwise due to him for the remainder of the initial term of employment or any renewal term. Mr. Dahan may terminate his employment for Good Reason at any time within 30 days written notice. "Good Reason" is defined as (i) a material breach of the employment agreement by us that is not cured within 30 days of written notice; or (ii) Mr. Dahan's decision to terminate employment at any time after 18 months following a Change in Control. A "Change in Control" is defined as (i) the sale or disposal of all or substantially all of the assets; (ii) the merger or consolidation with another company provided that our stockholders as a group no longer own at least 50 percent of the voting power of the surviving corporation; (iii) any person or entity becoming the beneficial owner of 50 percent or more of our combined voting power; or (iv) the approval by our stockholders to liquidate or dissolve. In the event that Mr. Dahan terminates his employment for Good Reason, then he will be entitled to the present value of the annual salary amounts otherwise due to him for the remainder of the initial term of employment or any renewal term. Further, Mr. Dahan may terminate his employment for any reason upon ten business days' notice and only be entitled to his salary as of the date of termination on a pro rata basis.
The employment agreement contains customary terms and conditions related to confidentiality of information, ownership by us of all intellectual property, including future designs and trademarks, alternative dispute resolution and Mr. Dahan's duties and responsibilities to us as Creative Director.
In addition, pursuant to the merger agreement, Mr. Dahan is entitled to, for 120 months following October 25, 2007, irrespective of his employment status, the following additional payments based upon
25
our achievement of certain gross profit thresholds on sales from our Joe's® brand products. If our gross profit is less than $11,250,000 in the applicable fiscal year, then Mr. Dahan does not receive any additional payment. If our gross profit is from $11,251,000 to $22,500,000, then Mr. Dahan receives a payment of 11.33% of the gross profit earned in the applicable fiscal year. Thereafter, he earns (i) three percent of the gross profit from $22,501,000 to $31,500,000; (ii) two percent of the gross profit from $31,501,000 to $40,500,000; and (iii) one percent of the gross profit above $40,501,000 in the applicable fiscal year. We account for these contingent payments as compensation expense.
Hamish Sandhu
In connection with Mr. Sandhu's appointment as CFO, we entered into a written offer letter whereby Mr. Sandhu agreed to serve as our CFO. Under the terms of the offer letter, Mr. Sandhu's annual base salary was $205,000, which was increased to $255,000 in November 2008. In addition, Mr. Sandhu received a grant on August 27, 2007, pursuant to our 2004 Stock Incentive Plan, to purchase up to 100,000 shares of our common stock at an exercise price equal to the closing price of our common stock on that date. The option was forfeited in connection with a subsequent grant of RSUs in December 2007. We also agreed to pay the full cost of participation in our health insurance plan for Mr. Sandhu and his family. Mr. Sandhu will also be entitled to six months of his monthly base salary as a severance payment in the event that a Change in Control occurs during the four years following August 27, 2007 and his employment is subsequently terminated. For purposes of the offer letter, a "Change in Control" shall be deemed to have occurred upon the closing of a transaction which: (i) we sell or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of our assets; or (ii) there is a merger or consolidation of us with any other corporation or corporations, provided that our shareholders, as a group, do not hold, immediately after such event, at least 50 percent of the voting power of the surviving or successor corporation. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary, Mr. Sandhu is an employee at-will and has not entered into an employment agreement with us.
On December 18, 2007, we entered into a Restricted Stock Unit Agreement, or RSU Award whereby we granted Mr. Sandhu an award of restricted stock units representing the right to receive 100,000 shares of our common stock, or the Restricted Stock Units, pursuant to the 2004 Stock Incentive Plan. The Restricted Stock Units are scheduled to vest every six months over a four year period. In conjunction with this award, Mr. Sandhu agreed to terminate his employee stock option to purchase 100,000 shares of our common stock granted pursuant to the 2004 Stock Incentive Plan on August 27, 2007. Mr. Sandhu agreed to forfeit the 100,000 shares he was entitled to acquire under the terms of the stock option, which was scheduled to vest on a monthly basis over a two year period.
2004 Stock Incentive Plan, Restricted Stock Agreement and Restricted Stock Unit Awards
Under the terms of the 2004 Stock Incentive Plan, all unvested awards accelerate and immediately vest upon the occurrence of a Change in Control for all grantees. Further, Mr. Crossman's Restricted Stock Agreement and each RSU Award contains certain provisions regarding the terms and conditions of the grant. Each vests upon the earliest to occur of the participant's Death, Disability (each as defined in the Plan), or separation from service by us without Just Cause (as defined below). Upon a separation from service for any other reason (including, without limitation, termination by us for Just Cause or by participant for any reason) prior to the date that participant becomes 100 percent vested in the award, the unvested units or shares are forfeited immediately. Under the award agreements, "Just Cause" means (a) a conviction for, or a plea of guilty or nolo contendere to, a felony or any other crime which involves fraud, dishonesty or moral turpitude, or (b) a material breach of any written employment policies or rules, including the our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics.
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In accordance with the written charter of the Audit Committee, which was adopted by our Board of Directors on May 22, 2003, the Audit Committee assists the Board of Directors in oversight of the quality and integrity of our accounting, auditing, and financial reporting practices. In addition, the Audit Committee recommends to the full Board of Directors the selection of the independent auditors.
Currently, all Audit Committee members are "independent" under NASDAQ listing standards and as such term is defined in the rules and regulations of the SEC and Mr. Rizvi has also been designated to be an "audit committee financial expert" as such term is defined in the rules and regulations of the SEC.
In performing its oversight function, the Audit Committee reviewed and discussed our audited consolidated financial statements as of and for the year ended November 30, 2009 with management and our independent auditors. The Audit Committee also discussed with our independent auditors all matters required by generally accepted auditing standards, including those described in Statement on Auditing Standards No. 61, "Communication with Audit Committees" as amended and adopted by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, or PCAOB, in Rule 3200T, and, with and without management present, discussed and reviewed the results of the independent auditors' examination of the financial statements.
The Audit Committee obtained from the independent auditors a formal written statement describing all relationships between the independent auditors and us that might bear on the independent auditors' independence consistent with PCAOB Rule 3520. The Audit Committee discussed with the independent auditors any relationships that may have an impact on their objectivity and independence and satisfied itself that the non-audit services provided by the independent accountants are compatible with maintaining their independence.
Based on the above-mentioned review and discussions with management and the independent auditors, the Audit Committee recommended to the Board of Directors that our audited consolidated financial statements be included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended November 30, 2009 for filing with the SEC.
The Audit Committee:
Kent
Savage, Chairman of the Audit Committee
Suhail R. Rizvi
Tom O'Riordan
Our Audit Committee charter provides that that all transactions between us and persons or entities affiliated with our officers, directors or principal common stockholders must be approved by our Audit Committee. We believe that this policy requiring that any material transaction between us and such related parties be approved by our Audit Committee ensures that such transactions are on terms no less favorable to us than reasonably could have been obtained in arms' length transactions with independent third parties.
Our Audit Committee charter provides that that all transactions between us and persons or entities affiliated with our officers, directors or principal common stockholders must be approved by our Audit Committee. We believe that this policy requiring that any material transaction between us and such related parties be approved by our Audit Committee ensures that such transactions are on terms no less favorable to us than reasonably could have been obtained in arms' length transactions with independent third parties.
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Joe Dahan/JD Holdings Inc.
On February 7, 2001, we acquired a license for the rights to the Joe's® brand from JD Design LLC, which was subsequently merged with and into JD Holdings. Joe Dahan, our Creative Director and member of the Board of Directors was the sole stockholder of JD Holdings. Under the license agreement, JD Holdings was entitled to a royalty of three percent on net sales of licensed products. In October 2005, we granted JD Holdings the right to develop the children's branded apparel line under an amendment to its master license agreement in exchange for a five percent royalty on net sales of those products. On October 25, 2007, in connection with the acquisition of JD Holdings by us, the license agreement terminated.
As part of the consideration paid in connection with the merger, Mr. Dahan is entitled to a certain percentage of the gross profit earned by us in any applicable fiscal year until October 2017. Mr. Dahan will be entitled to the following: (i) 11.33 percent of the gross profit from $11,251,000 to $22,500,000; (ii) 3 percent of the gross profit from $22,501,000 to $31,500,000; (iii) 2 percent of the gross profit from $31,501,000 to $40,500,000; and (iv) 1 percent of the gross profit above $40,501,000.
For fiscal 2009, 2008 and 2007, the following table sets forth payments made to Mr. Dahan or his related entities.
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2009 | 2008 | 2007 | ||||||||
Expense (income): |
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Contigent consideration payments |
$ | 1,672 | $ | 1,723 | $ | | |||||
Joe's Jeans royalty expense |
| | 1,647 | ||||||||
Joes Kids license, royalty income |
| | (88 | ) |
Victor Dahan
Victor Dahan, brother of Joe Dahan, is the managing member of Shipson LLC, or Shipson, and Joe's previously outsourced its E-shop on the Joe's Jeans website to his company. Joe's ceased doing business with Shipson in February 2008. As of the termination date of the relationship, Shipson owed Joe's approximately $192,000, for outstanding purchase orders that were fully reserved for in Joe's yearend financial statements for fiscal 2008. During May 2009, Shipson returned $51,000 in goods and agreed to pay $141,000 for the outstanding purchase orders pursuant to a settlement agreement.
Albert Dahan
In April 2009, Joe's has entered into a commission-based sales agreement with Albert Dahan, brother of Joe Dahan, for the sale of its products into the off-price channels of distribution. Under the agreement, Mr. Albert Dahan is entitled to a commission for purchase orders entered into by Joe's where he acts as a sales person for Joe's. The agreement may be terminated at any time for any reason or no reason with or without notice. As of November 30, 2009, payments made to Mr. Albert Dahan under this arrangement totaled $413,000.
Effective as of June 1, 2009, Joe's entered into a license agreement for the license of the children's product line with Kids Jeans LLC, or Kids LLC, an entity which Mr. Albert Dahan holds an interest where he has voting control over the entity. Under the terms of the license, Kids LLC has an exclusive right to produce, distribute and sell children's products bearing the Joe's® brand on a worldwide basis, subject to certain limitations on the channels of distribution. In exchange for the license, Kids LLC will pay to Joe's a royalty payment of 20 percent on the first $5,000,000 in net sales and 10 percent thereafter. The initial term of the agreement is for three years until June 30, 2012 and is subject to certain guaranteed minimum net sales and royalty payment requirements during the initial term and for renewal. Kids LLC advanced $1,000,000 as a payment against the first year's guaranteed minimum
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royalties. This amount has been reflected under the caption of "Deferred Licensing Revenue" on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets. Joe's expects to recognize the royalty revenue based upon a percentage as set forth in the agreement of the licensees actual net sales or minimum net sales, whichever is greater. Payments received in consideration of the grant of the license or advanced royalty payments are recognized ratably as revenue over the term of the license agreement. The revenue recognized ratably over the term of the license agreement will not exceed royalty payments received. The unrecognized portion of the upfront payments are included in deferred royalties and accrued expenses depending on the long or short term nature of the payments to be recognized. As of November 30, 2009, $450,000 of the advanced payment has been recognized as income.
Director Independence
Currently, the following members of our Board of Directors are considered "independent" under NASDAQ listing standards and as such term is defined in the rules and regulations of the SEC:
In making its determination that the foregoing directors are independent, the Board considered all relevant facts and circumstances. The Board considered historical transactions with various Board members and concluded that they do not have any impact on the respective member's independence. We do not have any past or present members serving on our Audit Committee, Compensation and Stock Option Committee and Nominating and Governance Committee that are not considered to be independent.
SECTION 16 BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP REPORTING COMPLIANCE
Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act, as amended, requires our directors, officers and persons who beneficially own more than ten percent of a registered class of our equity securities, to file reports of ownership and changes in ownership with the SEC on a timely basis. Directors, officers and greater than ten percent beneficial owners are required by the SEC's regulations to furnish us with copies of all Section 16(a) forms they file.
Based solely on a review of copies of such forms furnished to us and certain of our internal records, or upon written representations from officers, directors and greater than ten percent beneficial owners that no Form 5 was required, we believe that during the year ended November 30, 2009, all Section 16(a) filing requirements applicable to our directors, officers and greater than ten percent beneficial owners were satisfied on a timely basis, except for one Form 4 for Kelly Hoffman related to four sale transactions on October 22, 2009 that was inadvertently filed late on October 30, 2009.
FEES PAID TO THE INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
For the fiscal years ended November 30, 2009 and 2008, E&Y billed the approximate fees as described below.
Audit Fees
Fees for audit services totaled approximately $532,000 for the year ended November 30, 2009 and $528,000 for the year ended November 30, 2008, including fees associated with the annual audit,
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reviews of our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, and assistance with and review of registration statements filed with the SEC including consents and comfort letters related to registration statements for equity issuances and our stock incentive plan.
Audit-Related Fees
There were no fees for audit-related services for the years ended November 30, 2009 and 2008.
Tax Fees
Fees for tax services, including tax compliance and return preparation, tax advice, and tax planning, totaled approximately $148,000 for the year ended November 30, 2009 and $137,000 for the year ended November 30, 2008.
All Other Fees
There were no other fees for the years ended November 30, 2009 and November 30, 2008.
The Audit Committee has adopted a policy which requires the Audit Committee's pre-approval of audit and non-audit services performed by the independent auditor to assure that the provision of such services does not impair the auditor's independence. The Audit Committee approves such services on an on-going basis prior to the incurrence of any such audit and non-audit services. The Audit Committee pre-approved all of the audit and non-audit services rendered by E&Y listed above.
The Audit Committee has determined that the services provided by E&Y were compatible with maintaining E&Y's independence.
OTHER BUSINESS TO BE TRANSACTED
As of the date of this proxy statement, the Board of Directors knows of no other business which may come before the annual meeting. If any other business is properly brought before the annual meeting, it is the intention of the proxy holders to vote or act in accordance with their best judgment with respect to such matters.
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(continued from other side)
I/We hereby revoke any other proxy to vote at the Annual Meeting, and hereby ratify and confirm all that said attorneys and proxies, and each of them, may lawfully do by virtue hereof. With respect to matters not known at the time of the solicitation hereof, said proxies are authorized to vote in accordance with their best judgment.
THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS A VOTE "FOR" THE NOMINEES LISTED IN PROPOSAL 1 AND "FOR" PROPOSAL 2.
I/We hereby acknowledge prior receipt of the notice of annual meeting of stockholders and proxy statement dated September 13, 2010, the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended November 30, 2009 and hereby revoke any proxy or proxies heretofore given. This proxy may be revoked at any time before it is voted by delivering to the Secretary of the Company either a written revocation of proxy or a duly executed proxy bearing a later date, or by appearing at the 2010 annual meeting of stockholders and voting in person.
If you receive more than one proxy card, please sign and return all cards in the accompanying envelope.
^ FOLD AND DETACH HERE AND READ THE REVERSE SIDE ^ |
JOE'S JEANS INC.
PROXY FOR ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS
TO BE HELD ON TUESDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2010
IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING THE AVAILABILITY OF PROXY
MATERIALS
The Notice of Meeting, proxy statement and proxy card
are available at http://www.joesjeans.com/2010proxy.
THIS PROXY IS BEING SOLICITED ON BEHALF OF
THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
The stockholder (whose signature appears in the reverse side of this proxy card) of Joe's Jeans Inc., or the Company, hereby appoints Marc B. Crossman with full power of substitution, as proxy to cast all votes, as designated below, which the undersigned stockholder is entitled to cast at the 2010 annual meeting of stockholders to be held on Tuesday, October 26, 2010, at 9:00 a.m. (local time) at the Sofitel Hotel Los Angeles, 8555 Beverly Boulevard, Los Angeles, California 90048 upon the following matters and any other matter as may properly come before the 2010 annual meeting of stockholders or any adjournments thereof.
(continued and to be dated and signed on reverse side.)
VOTE BY TELEPHONE OR INTERNET
QUICK * * * EASY * * * IMMEDIATE
Joe's Jeans, Inc.
Voting by telephone or Internet is quick, easy and immediate. As a Joe's Jeans Inc. stockholder, you have the option of voting your shares electronically through the Internet or on the telephone, eliminating the need to return the proxy card. Your electronic vote authorizes the named proxies to vote your shares in the same manner as if you marked, signed, dated and returned the proxy card. Votes submitted electronically over the Internet or by telephone must be received by 7:00 p.m., Eastern Daylight Saving Time, on October 25, 2010.
To Vote Your Proxy By Internet
www.continentalstock.com
Have your proxy card available when you access the above website. Follow the prompts to vote your shares.
To Vote Your Proxy By Phone
1-866-894-0537
Use any touch-tone telephone to vote your proxy. Have your proxy card available when you call. Follow the voting instructions to vote your shares.
PLEASE DO NOT RETURN THE CARD BELOW IF YOU ARE VOTING ELECTRONICALLY OR BY PHONE.
To Vote Your Proxy By Mail
Mark, sign and date your proxy card below, detach it and return it in the postage-paid envelope provided.
^ FOLD AND DETACH HERE AND READ THE REVERSE SIDE ^
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Please mark your votes like this |
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THIS PROXY IS SOLICITED ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
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1. Election of seven directors to serve on the Board of Directors until the 2011 annual meeting of stockholders or until their respective successors are elected and qualified: (Instruction: to withhold authority to vote for any individual nominee, strike that nominee's name from the list above.) |
FOR all the nominees listed above except as marked to the contrary below). |
WITHHOLD AUTHORITY to vote for all the nominees listed above. |
2. Proposal to ratify the appointment of Ernst & Young LLP as the independent registered public accounting firm of the Company for the fiscal year ending November 30, 2010. |
FOR o |
AGAINST o |
ABSTAIN o |
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(1) Samuel J.Furrow (4) Kelly Hoffman (7) Kent Savage |
(2) Marc B. Crossman (5) Thomas O'Riordan |
(3) Joe Dahan (6) Suhail R. Rizvi |
o | o | ||||||||||||
This proxy, when properly executed, will be voted as directed by the undersigned stockholder and in accordance with the best judgment of the proxies as to other matters. IF NO DIRECTION IS GIVEN, THIS PROXY WILL BE VOTED "FOR" THE NOMINEES LISTED IN PROPOSAL 1 AND"FOR" PROPOSAL 2 AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE BEST JUDGMENT OF THE PROXIES AS TO OTHER MATTERS. o I PLAN TO ATTEND THE OCTOBER 26, 2010 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS. PLEASE COMPLETE, DATE AND SIGN THIS PROXY AND RETURN IT PROMPTLY TO ENSURE A QUORUM AT THE MEETING. IT IS IMPORTANT WHETHER YOU OWN FEW OR MANY SHARES. DELAY IN RETURNING YOUR PROXY MAY SUBJECT THE COMPANY TO ADDITIONAL EXPENSE. |
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COMPANY ID: PROXY NUMBER: ACCOUNT NUMBER: |
Signature of Stockholder or Authorized Representative Date , 2010.
Please date and sign exactly as name appears hereon. Each executor, administrator, trustee, guardian, attorney-in-fact and other fiduciary should sign and indicate his or her full title. In the case of stock ownership in the name of two or more persons, all persons should sign.