Unassociated Document
UNITED
STATES
SECURITIES
AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON,
D.C. 20549
SCHEDULE
14A
Proxy
Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of the Securities
Exchange
Act of 1934 (Amendment No. __)
Filed
by the registrant x |
Filed
by a party other than the registrant ¨ |
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Check
the appropriate box: |
o |
Preliminary
proxy statement |
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Confidential,
for use of the Commission only (as permitted by Rule
14a-6(e)(2)) |
x |
Definitive
proxy statement |
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Definitive
additional materials |
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Soliciting
material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 |
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Take-Two
Interactive Software, Inc.
(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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x |
No
fee required. |
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Fee
computed on table below per Exchange Act Rules 14a-6(i)(1) and
0-11. |
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Title
of each class of securities to which transaction applies: |
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Aggregate
number of securities to which transaction applies: |
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(3) |
Per
unit price or other underlying value of transaction computed pursuant to
Exchange
Act Rule 0-11 (Set forth the amount on which the filing fee is calculated
and state how it was determined). |
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(4) |
Proposed
maximum aggregate value of transaction: |
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(5) |
Total
Fee Paid: |
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Fee
paid previously with preliminary materials. |
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Check
box if any part of the fee is offset as provided by Exchange Act Rule
0-11(a)(2) and identify the filing for which the offsetting fee was paid
previously. Identify the previous filing by registration statement number,
or the form or schedule and the date of its
filing. |
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(1) |
Amount
previously paid: |
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Form,
Schedule or Registration Statement No.: |
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party: |
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May 10,
2005
Dear
Stockholders:
You are
cordially invited to attend the Annual Meeting of Stockholders of Take-Two
Interactive Software, Inc. (the "Company") that will be held on Thursday, June
16, 2005 at 10:00 A.M. local time at the Soho Grand Hotel, Chart Room, 310 West
Broadway between Canal and Grand Streets, New York, New York 10013.
The
Notice of Annual Meeting and Proxy Statement that follow describe the business
to be conducted at the meeting.
Your
Board of Directors unanimously believes that the election of the nominees as
directors and the amendments to the Company’s 2002 Stock Option Plan and the
Company’s Incentive Stock Plan are in the best interests of the Company and its
stockholders and, accordingly, recommends a vote "FOR" the nominees as directors
and “FOR” the amendments to the Company’s 2002 Stock Option Plan and Incentive
Stock Plan.
Whether
or not you plan to attend the meeting in person, it is important that your
shares be represented and voted. After reading the enclosed Notice of Annual
Meeting and Proxy Statement, I urge you to complete, sign, date and return the
enclosed proxy card in the envelope provided or cast your vote by telephone or
via the Internet. If the address on the accompanying material is incorrect,
please advise our Transfer Agent, American Stock Transfer & Trust Company,
in writing, at 59 Maiden Lane, New York, New York 10038.
Your vote
is very important, and we appreciate a prompt return of your signed proxy card.
We hope to see you at the meeting and appreciate your continued
support.
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Sincerely yours, |
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Paul Eibeler
Chief Executive Officer and
President |
TAKE-TWO
INTERACTIVE SOFTWARE, INC.
622
Broadway
New
York, New York 10012
____________________
NOTICE
OF ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS
TO
BE HELD THURSDAY, JUNE 16, 2005
____________________
To the
Stockholders of TAKE-TWO INTERACTIVE SOFTWARE, INC.:
NOTICE IS
HEREBY GIVEN that the Annual Meeting ("Annual Meeting") of Stockholders of
Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (the "Company") will be held on Thursday,
June 16, 2005, at 10:00 A.M. local time at the Soho Grand Hotel, Chart Room, 310
West Broadway between Canal and Grand Streets, New York, New York 10013 for the
following purposes:
1. To elect
seven (7) directors to hold office until the next Annual Meeting of Stockholders
and until their respective successors have been duly elected and qualified;
2. To
consider and vote on a proposal to amend the Company's 2002 Stock Option Plan to
increase the number of shares of Common Stock reserved for issuance under the
plan by 2,000,000 shares;
3. To
consider and vote on a proposal to amend the Company’s Incentive Stock Plan to
increase the number of shares of Common Stock reserved for issuance under the
plan by 1,000,000 shares; and
4. To
transact such other business as may properly come before the Annual Meeting or
any adjournment or adjournments thereof.
Only
stockholders of record at the close of business on May 9, 2005 are entitled to
notice of and to vote at the Annual Meeting or any adjournments
thereof.
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By Order of the Board of
Directors, |
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Paul Eibeler Chief Executive Officer and
President |
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May 10, 2005 |
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_________________________________________________________________
IF
YOU DO NOT EXPECT TO BE PRESENT AT THE MEETING:
PLEASE
FILL IN, DATE, SIGN AND RETURN THE ENCLOSED PROXY CARD IN THE ENVELOPE PROVIDED
FOR THAT PURPOSE, WHICH REQUIRES NO POSTAGE IF MAILED IN THE UNITED STATES. YOU
MAY ALSO VOTE BY TELEPHONE OR OVER THE INTERNET. YOUR PROXY MAY BE REVOKED AT
ANY TIME PRIOR TO EXERCISE, AND IF YOU ARE PRESENT AT THE MEETING YOU MAY, IF
YOU WISH, REVOKE YOUR PROXY AT THAT TIME AND EXERCISE THE RIGHT TO VOTE YOUR
SHARES PERSONALLY.
TAKE-TWO
INTERACTIVE SOFTWARE, INC.
622
Broadway
New
York, New York 10012
PROXY
STATEMENT
ANNUAL
MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS
TO
BE HELD ON THURSDAY, JUNE 16, 2005
This
proxy statement is furnished in connection with the solicitation of proxies by
the Board of Directors of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (the "Company")
for use at the Annual Meeting of Stockholders (the "Annual Meeting") to be held
on Thursday, June 16, 2005, including any adjournment or adjournments thereof,
for the purposes set forth in the accompanying Notice of Meeting.
Management
intends to mail this proxy statement and the accompanying form of proxy to
stockholders on or about May 16, 2005.
Proxies
in the accompanying form, duly executed and returned to the management of the
Company and not revoked, will be voted at the Annual Meeting. A proxy given
pursuant to such solicitation may be revoked by the stockholder at any time
prior to the voting of the proxy by a subsequently dated proxy, by written
notification to the Secretary of the Company, or by personally withdrawing the
proxy at the Annual Meeting and voting in person.
The
address and telephone number of the principal executive offices of the Company
are: 622 Broadway, New York, New York 10012, Telephone No.: (646)
536-2842.
The
following questions and answers provide important information about the Annual
Meeting and this proxy statement:
Q. What am I
voting on?
A.
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Election
of directors: Paul Eibeler, Oliver R. Grace, Jr., Robert Flug, Todd Emmel,
Mark Lewis, Steven Tisch and Barbara
Kaczynski. |
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A
proposal to amend the Company's 2002 Stock Option Plan to provide for an
additional 2,000,000 shares of common stock to be reserved for issuance
under the plan. |
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A
proposal to amend the Company’s Incentive Stock Plan to provide for an
additional 1,000,000 shares of common stock to be reserved for issuance
under the plan. |
Q. |
Who
is entitled to vote? |
A. |
Stockholders
as of the close of business on May 9, 2005 are entitled to vote at the
Annual Meeting. Each stockholder is entitled to one vote for each share of
common stock held. |
Q. How do
I vote?
A. |
You
may sign and date each paper proxy card you receive and return it in the
prepaid envelope. If you return your signed proxy but do not indicate your
voting preferences, we will vote on your behalf (1) FOR the election of
the directors; (2) FOR the adoption of the amendment to the Company’s 2002
Stock Option Plan; and (3) FOR the adoption of the amendment to the
Company’s Incentive Stock Plan. You have the right to revoke your proxy
any time before the meeting by (1) notifying the Company's Secretary, or
(2) returning a later-dated proxy. You may also revoke your proxy by
voting in person at the Annual Meeting. |
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You
may also vote by telephone or via the Internet. See Voting by Telephone or
via the Internet below for further details. Please note that there are
separate telephone and Internet voting arrangements depending upon whether
shares are registered in your name or in the name of a bank or
broker. |
Q. |
How
do I sign the paper proxy card? |
A. |
Sign
your name exactly as it appears on the proxy card. If you are signing in a
representative capacity (for example, as an attorney, executor,
administrator, guardian, trustee, or the officer or agent of a company),
you should indicate your name and title or capacity. If the stock is held
in custody for a minor (for example, under the Uniform Transfers to Minors
Act), the custodian should sign the proxy card, not the minor. If the
stock is held in joint ownership, both owners must sign.
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Q. |
What
does it mean if I receive more than one proxy
card? |
A. |
It
may mean that you hold shares registered in more than one account. Sign
and return all proxy cards to ensure that all your shares are voted. You
may call American Stock Transfer & Trust Company at 1-800-937-5449 if
you have any questions regarding the share information or your address
appearing on the paper proxy card. |
Q. |
Who
will count the votes? |
A. |
A
representative of American Stock Transfer & Trust Company will
tabulate the votes and act as independent inspector of election.
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Q. |
What
constitutes a quorum? |
A. |
A
majority of the outstanding shares present or represented by proxy
constitutes a quorum for the Annual Meeting. As of May 9, 2005, 71,201,424
shares of the Company's common stock were issued and outstanding. All
share and per share data in this Proxy Statement has been adjusted to give
effect to a 3-for-2 stock split in April
2005. |
Q. |
How
many votes are needed for the election of directors and the amendments to
the 2002 Stock Option Plan and the Incentive Stock
Plan? |
A. |
Directors
will be elected by a plurality of the votes cast at the Annual Meeting,
meaning the nominees receiving the highest number of votes will be elected
directors. Only votes cast for a nominee will be counted, except that a
properly executed proxy that does not specify a vote with respect to the
nominees will be voted for the Company’s nominees listed on the proxy
card. Abstentions and broker non-votes (as described below) will have no
effect on the election of directors. |
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The
proposals to amend the 2002 Stock Option Plan and the Incentive Stock Plan
will be approved if the votes cast for each proposal exceed those cast
against the proposal. Broker non-votes will not be counted as votes cast
either for or against the proposals. |
Q. |
What
is a "broker non-vote"? |
A. |
A
"broker non-vote" occurs when a broker submits a proxy that does not
indicate a vote for some of the proposals because the broker has not
received instructions from the beneficial owners of how to vote on such
proposals and does not have discretionary authority to vote in the absence
of instructions. |
Q. |
How
may I communicate with the Board of
Directors? |
A. |
Stockholders
wishing to send communications to the Board of Directors individually or
as a group may do so by writing to: The Board of Directors of Take-Two
Interactive Software, Inc. c/o Director of Corporate Communications, 622
Broadway, New York, New York 10012. You should identify your communication
as being from a stockholder of the Company. The Director of Corporate
Communications may require reasonable evidence that your communication or
other submission is made by a stockholder of the Company before
transmitting your communication to the Board of
Directors. |
OUTSTANDING
STOCK AND VOTING RIGHTS
Only
stockholders of record at the close of business on May 9, 2005 (the "Record
Date") are entitled to notice of and to vote at the Annual Meeting. As of the
Record Date, there were issued and outstanding 71,201,424 shares of the
Company's Common Stock, $.01 par value per share (the "Common Stock"). Each
share of Common Stock entitles the holder to one vote on each matter submitted
to a vote at the Annual Meeting.
VOTING
PROCEDURES AND PROXY INFORMATION
The
directors will be elected by the affirmative vote of a plurality of the shares
of Common Stock present in person or represented by proxy at the Annual Meeting,
provided a quorum exists. A quorum is established if, as of the Record Date, at
least a majority of the outstanding shares of Common Stock are present in person
or represented by proxy at the Annual Meeting. The amendments to the Company's
2002 Stock Option Plan and Incentive Stock Plan require the affirmative vote of
a majority of the votes cast by the holders of shares of Common Stock entitled
to vote on the matter at the Annual Meeting, provided a quorum exists. All other
matters at the meeting will be decided by the affirmative vote of a majority of
the shares of Common Stock present in person or represented by proxy at the
meeting and entitled to vote on the subject matter, provided a quorum exists.
Votes will be counted and certified by one or more Inspectors of Election who
are expected to be employees of American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, the
Company's transfer agent.
In
accordance with Delaware law, abstentions and "broker non-votes" (i.e., proxies
from brokers or nominees indicating that such persons have not received
instructions from the beneficial owner or other persons entitled to vote shares
as to a matter with respect to which the brokers or nominees do not have
discretionary power to vote) will be treated as present for purposes of
determining the presence of a quorum. For purposes of determining approval of a
matter presented at the meeting, abstentions will be deemed present and entitled
to vote and will, therefore, have the same legal effect as a vote "against" a
matter presented at the meeting. Broker non-votes will be deemed not entitled to
vote on the subject matter as to which the non-vote is indicated. Abstentions
and broker non-votes will have no effect on the election of directors. Broker
non-votes will have no effect on the proposals to amend the 2002 Stock Option
Plan or the Incentive Stock Plan.
The
enclosed proxies will be voted in accordance with the instructions thereon.
Unless otherwise stated, all shares represented by such proxy will be voted as
instructed. Proxies may be revoked as noted above.
The
entire cost of soliciting proxies, including the costs of preparing, assembling,
printing and mailing this Proxy Statement, the proxy and any additional
soliciting material furnished to stockholders, will be borne by the Company. The
Company has retained Innisfree M&A Incorporated, a proxy solicitation firm,
to solicit proxies for a fee not to exceed $15,000 and reimbursement of its
out-of-pocket expenses. Arrangements will be made with brokerage houses and
other custodians, nominees and fiduciaries to send proxies and proxy materials
to the beneficial owners of stock, and these entities may be reimbursed by the
Company for their expenses. Proxies also may be solicited by directors, officers
or employees of the Company in person or by telephone, telegram or other means.
No additional compensation will be paid to such individuals for these
services.
VOTING
BY TELEPHONE OR VIA THE INTERNET
For
Shares Registered in the Name of a Brokerage Firm or Bank. A number
of brokerage firms and banks are participating in a program provided through ADP
Investor Communication Services that offers telephone and Internet voting
options. This program is different than the program provided by American Stock
Transfer & Trust Company for shares registered in the name of the
stockholder. If your shares are held in an account at a brokerage firm or bank
participating in the ADP program, you may vote those shares telephonically by
calling the telephone number referenced on your voting form. If your shares are
held in an account at a brokerage firm or bank participating in the ADP program,
you are offered the opportunity to elect to vote via the Internet. Votes
submitted via the Internet through the ADP program must be received by 11:59
p.m. (EDT) on June 15, 2005. The giving of such proxy will not affect your right
to vote in person should you decide to attend the Annual Meeting.
For
Shares Directly Registered in the Name of the Stockholder.
Stockholders with shares registered directly with American Stock Transfer &
Trust Company may vote telephonically by calling American Stock Transfer &
Trust Company at 1-800-776-9437, or you may vote via the Internet at
www.voteproxy.com.
The
telephone and Internet voting procedures are designed to authenticate
stockholders’ identities, to allow stockholders to give their voting
instructions and to confirm that stockholders' instructions have been recorded
properly. Stockholders voting via the Internet through either American Stock
Transfer & Trust Company or ADP Investor Communication Services should
understand that there may be costs associated with electronic access, such as
usage charges from Internet access providers and telephone companies, that must
be borne by the stockholder.
ELECTION
OF DIRECTORS
At this
year's Annual Meeting of Stockholders, directors will be elected to hold office
for a term expiring at the Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be held in 2006. It
is the intention of the Board of Directors to nominate Paul Eibeler, Oliver R.
Grace, Jr., Robert Flug, Todd Emmel, Mark Lewis, Steven Tisch and Barbara
Kaczynski as directors. Each director will be elected to serve until a successor
is elected and qualified or until the director's earlier resignation or
removal.
At this
year's Annual Meeting of Stockholders, the proxies granted by stockholders will
be voted individually for the election, as directors of the Company, of the
persons listed below, unless a proxy specifies that it is not to be voted in
favor of a nominee for director. In the event any of the nominees listed below
shall be unable to serve, it is intended that the proxy will be voted for such
other nominees as are designated by the Board of Directors. Each of the persons
named below has indicated to the Board of Directors that he or she will be
available to serve. All of the nominees are incumbent directors except for Mr.
Eibeler and Ms. Kaczynski who were initially nominated by the Corporate
Governance Committee of the Board of Directors.
The
Board of Directors recommends that stockholders vote FOR the election of the
nominees named below.
Following
is information with respect to the nominees for directors:
Paul
Eibeler, age 49,
has been Chief Executive Officer of the Company since January 2005 and President
and a director of the Company since April 2004. Mr. Eibeler was President of the
Company from July 2000 to June 2003 and a director from December 2000 to
February 2003. Prior to that, Mr. Eibeler was a consultant for Microsoft’s Xbox
launch team. From July 2003 to October 2003, Mr. Eibeler was President and Chief
Operating Officer of Acclaim North America and, from 1998 to 1999, Mr. Eibeler
served as Acclaim North America’s Executive Vice-President and General Manager.
Acclaim filed a petition under a liquidating chapter 11 of the federal
bankruptcy code in August 2004. During the seven years prior to that, Mr.
Eibeler held various executive positions with Impact, Inc., a leading supplier
of licensed toys and school supplies. Mr. Eibeler is a director of Dwango North
America Corp., a publicly held developer and distributor of entertainment
content and applications for mobile phones. Mr. Eibeler received a B.A. degree
from Loyola College in 1978.
Oliver
R. Grace, Jr., age 51,
has been a director of the Company since April 1997. Since 1990, Mr. Grace, a
private investor, has been the Chairman of the Board of Moscow Cablecom Corp.
(formerly known as Anderson Group, Inc.), which provides broadband cable
services to the city of Moscow. Mr. Grace is a general partner of Anglo American
Security Fund, L.P., a private investment fund. Mr. Grace received a B.A. in
Business Administration from Vanderbilt University.
Robert
Flug, age 57,
has been a director of the Company since February 1998. Mr. Flug has been the
President and Chief Operating Officer of S.L. Danielle, a women's apparel
company, since September 1987. Mr. Flug received a B.S. in Business
Administration from New York University.
Todd
Emmel, age 42,
has been a director of the Company since February 2002. Mr. Emmel served as
Chairman of the Audit Committee from April 2004 to July 2004. Since August 2003,
Mr. Emmel has served as Director, Structured Products for John Hancock Financial
Services. From November 1999 until June 2002, Mr. Emmel was a First Vice
President at Ambac Assurance Corporation, a financial insurance company. From
May 1999 to November 1999, Mr. Emmel was Chief Credit Officer at Structured
Credit Partners, a private credit arbitrage firm. From March 1998 to May 1999,
Mr. Emmel was a Managing Director of DVI Private Capital Group, a private equity
fund. From April 1990 to March 1998, Mr. Emmel held various positions at Union
Bank of Switzerland, most recently as a Managing Director. Prior to this, Mr.
Emmel was an Associate at both Drexel Burnham Lambert, from June 1988 to
February 1990, and at E.F. Hutton from July 1987 to February 1988. Mr. Emmel
received an M.B.A. from Carnegie Mellon University and a B.S. in accounting from
Miami University.
Mark
Lewis, age 55,
has been a director of the Company since May 2001. For the fifteen years prior
to February 2001, Mr. Lewis held various positions with Electronic Arts, Inc.,
most recently as Senior Vice President of International Operations. Mr. Lewis
has been a director of Muse Communications Corp., a broadband technology
company, since November 1997. Mr. Lewis received a B.A. in English and graduated
Cum Laude from Yale University.
Steven
Tisch, age 56,
has been a director of the Company since April 2002. Since 1986, Mr. Tisch has
been an independent motion picture producer. Mr. Tisch is the Oscar Award
winning producer of Forrest
Gump, the
1994 winner for Best Picture. Since May 2000, Mr. Tisch has been a partner of
Escape Artists, a private independent film company, and a director of Classic
Media, an owner of franchise entertainment properties. Since June 2002, Mr.
Tisch has been a director of Film Roman, Inc., a publicly held television and
motion picture production company. From 1976 to 1986, Mr. Tisch was a principal
of Tisch/Avnet Productions, a production company with credits such as
Risky
Business. Mr.
Tisch is a member of the Board of Directors of the Tisch School of the Arts at
New York University and The Geffen Theatre in Los Angeles. Mr. Tisch received a
B.A. in Sociology from Tufts University.
Barbara
Kaczynski, age 46, has been a director of the Company and Chair of the Audit
Committee since July 2004. Since June 2003, Ms. Kaczynski has been Managing
Director of Red Birch Partners, LLC, a privately held firm engaged in providing
operational, strategic and business advisory services to companies in the fields
of finance, technology, media and entertainment. Previously she served as Chief
Financial Officer of the National Football League from March 2001 to February
2003. Prior thereto, and from February 2000 to September 2000, Ms. Kaczynski was
Chief Financial Officer of Tipping Point Technologies, Inc. (formerly
Netpliance, Inc.), a company engaged at that time in providing easy Internet
access and network-based applications and technologies; from April 1999 to
November 1999, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer of Adsmart
Corporation, a company engaged in Internet advertising; and from June 1987 to
December 1996, served in various capacities at Time, Inc., most recently as Vice
President of Finance and Controller from September 1993 to December 1996. Ms.
Kaczynski was Senior Accountant at Price Waterhouse from 1980 to 1983. She
serves on the board of the Ritz Chamber Music Society, parent of the Ritz
Chamber Players. Ms. Kaczynski received an MBA in Finance from New York
University’s Stern School of Business Administration.
Following
is information with respect to certain of the Company's executive officers not
listed above:
Gary
Lewis, age 42,
has been Global Chief Operating Officer of the Company since April 2004. From
February 2001 to April 2004, Mr. Lewis was International Managing Director of
the Company, and has served in various international management roles with the
Company since 1997.
Karl
H. Winters, age 46,
has been Chief Financial Officer of the Company since February 2002. From April
2000 to June 2001, Mr. Winters was the Chief Financial Officer of ModelWire,
Inc., a company engaged in marketing imaging database products. From September
1993 to December 1999, Mr. Winters served in various positions, most recently as
Vice President of Trace International Holdings, Inc., a private holding company
that held significant interests in United Auto Group, Inc., a consolidator of
new car dealerships, and Foamex International Inc., a manufacturer of
polyurethane products. From 1993 to 1999, Mr. Winters held executive positions
at United Auto and Foamex, most recently as United Auto’s Chief Financial
Officer and Executive Vice President. Trace International filed a petition under
Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code in July 1999. From 1983 to 1993,
Mr. Winters was a Senior Audit Manager for Coopers & Lybrand. Mr. Winters is
a C.P.A. and received an M.B.A. from the University of Michigan and a B.A. in
business economics with a concentration in accounting from Calvin College.
Samuel
A. Judd, age 47,
has been Senior Vice President of Planning & Administration of the Company
since July 2004. Prior to joining the Company, and since 1993, Mr. Judd was
employed by Viacom, Inc., serving initially as Vice President of Administration
& Strategic Planning and, from June 1998 to December 2003, as Chief
Financial Officer and Senior Vice President of Operations of Viacom’s Simon
& Schuster division. Prior to that, Mr. Judd was employed in Finance and
Business Planning for IBM and PepsiCo, and spent several years in strategy
consulting. Mr. Judd graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a B.A.
in Economics from Cornell University and received an M.B.A. from the
University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business.
Section
16(a) Beneficial Ownership Compliance. Based
solely on a review of Forms 3, 4 and 5 furnished to the Company with respect to
its most recent fiscal year, the Company believes that all reporting persons
currently required to file forms under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 filed
such reports on a timely basis.
Meetings
of Directors. The Board
of Directors holds regularly scheduled meetings during the year, and holds
additional meetings as necessary or desirable. During the fiscal year ended
October 31, 2004, the Board of Directors held twenty-two meetings. In addition,
the Board took other action by unanimous written consent.
Independent
Directors. The
Board has determined that Messrs. Grace, Flug, Emmel, Lewis and Tisch and Ms.
Kaczynski are “independent” directors as defined under the rules of the NASD.
During the fiscal year ended October 31, 2004, the independent directors met in
executive session (outside the presence of management) seven times. The Board
has established three committees, the Compensation Committee, the Corporate
Governance Committee and the Audit Committee, each of which is comprised of
independent directors and is governed by a written charter.
Compensation
Committee. The
Company has established a Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors,
currently comprised of Messrs. Flug (Chairman), Grace, Tisch and Lewis. The
function of the Compensation Committee is to review compensation policies and
procedures of the Company, evaluate the executive officers' compensation and
make recommendations to the Board of Directors regarding executive compensation.
The Compensation Committee held five meetings during the fiscal year ended
October 31, 2004. See “Report on Executive Compensation.”
Corporate
Governance Committee. The
Company has established a Corporate Governance Committee, currently comprised of
Messrs. Emmel (Chairman), Grace and Lewis and Ms. Kaczynski. This committee is
responsible for creating and maintaining overall corporate governance policies
for the Company and identifying, screening and recruiting director candidates to
the Board of Directors. This Committee held three meetings during the fiscal
year ended October 31, 2004.
The
Corporate Governance Committee Charter is attached to this Proxy Statement as
Exhibit A. The Corporate Governance Committee Charter is not available on the
Company’s website, but is available to stockholders who make a written request
to the Director of Corporate Communications of Take-Two Interactive Software,
Inc., 622 Broadway, New York, New York 10012.
The
Corporate Governance Committee will consider nominees recommended by
stockholders, provided that the recommendation contains sufficient information
for the Committee to assess the suitability of the candidate. Candidates
recommended by stockholders that comply with these procedures will receive the
same consideration that candidates recommended by the committee
receive.
When
selecting directors, the Board will review and consider many factors, including
experience, diversity, age, skills and independence. It will also consider
ethical standards and integrity. It considers recommendations primarily from
members of the Board and management. The Committee conducts interviews with
candidates who meet the Board’s criteria, and has full discretion in considering
its nominations to the Board.
A
stockholder wishing to nominate a candidate for election to the Board at the
next Annual Meeting in 2006 is required to give written notice addressed to the
Director of Corporate Communications of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc., 622
Broadway, New York, New York 10012 of an intention to make such a nomination by
no later than January 12, 2006.
The
notice of nomination is required to contain information about both the nominee
and the stockholder making the nomination, including the name and address of the
stockholder making the nomination and the person or persons nominated; a
representation that the stockholder is a holder of record of capital stock of
the Company entitled to vote at such meeting and intends to appear in person or
by proxy at the meeting to vote for the person or persons nominated; a
description of all arrangements and understandings between the stockholder and
each nominee and any other person or persons (naming such person or persons)
pursuant to which the nomination was made by the stockholder; such other
information regarding each nominee proposed by such stockholder as would be
required to be included in a proxy statement filed pursuant to the proxy rules
of the SEC had the nominee been nominated by the Board of Directors; and the
consent of each nominee to serve as a director of the Company if so
elected.
Information
regarding the recommended candidate relevant to a determination of whether the
recommended candidate would be barred from being considered independent under
applicable NASD Marketplace rules to companies whose securities are quoted on
NASDAQ, or, alternatively, a statement that the recommended candidate would not
be so barred should also be provided. A nomination that does not comply with the
above requirements will not be considered.
Audit
Committee. The
Company has established an Audit Committee of the Board of Directors, currently
comprised of Ms. Kaczynski (Chair) and Messrs. Grace, Flug and Emmel. The
Company’s Board has determined that Ms. Kaczynski qualifies as a “financial
expert” under federal securities laws. The Audit Committee held fifteen meetings
during the fiscal year ended October 31, 2004. See “Audit Committee Report.”
Director
Training. Mr.
Emmel, Chair of the Governance Committee, completed a training session at
Harvard Business School in “Making Corporate Boards More Effective.” Mr. Flug,
Chair of the Compensation Committee, completed a training session presented by
the National Association of Corporate Directors in “Effective Compensation
Committees.”
Code
of Ethics. In March
2002, the Company adopted a written code of ethics, as amended, that applies to
the Company's employees, including the Company’s principal executive officer,
principal financial officer, principal accounting officer or controller and
any persons performing similar functions. The Company will provide a
copy of its code of ethics to any person without charge upon written request
addressed to Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc., 622 Broadway, New York, New
York 10012, Attention: Director of Corporate Communications.
Attendance
at Stockholder Meetings. It is
currently anticipated that Board members will attend the Annual Meeting of
Stockholders. Richard Roedel and Paul Eibeler attended the prior year’s annual
meeting.
Audit
Committee Report
The Audit
Committee oversees the accounting and financial reporting processes of the
Company and audits of the financial statements of the Company, and is directly
responsible for the appointment and oversight of the Company’s independent
auditors. The Board of Directors has adopted a written charter for the Audit
Committee, which is attached to this Proxy Statement as Exhibit B.
The Audit
Committee is responsible for, among other things, reviewing the Company’s
quarterly and annual financial statements prior to filing with the Securities
and Exchange Commission; hiring and reviewing the performance of the Company’s
independent auditors; consulting with the Company’s independent auditors
regarding the adequacy of the Company’s internal controls and the accuracy of
the Company’s financial statements; and assessing the independence of the
Company’s auditors.
In
connection with the audit of the Company’s financial statements for the fiscal
year ended October 31, 2004, the Audit Committee has reviewed and discussed the
contents of the Company’s audited financial statements with management and the
Company’s independent auditors. The Committee has discussed with the independent
auditors the matters required to be discussed by SAS 61, including the quality
and effectiveness of the Company’s financial reporting process and controls, as
well as the scope and plan for the annual audit. The Audit Committee also
received the written disclosures required by the Independent Standards Board
Standard No. 1, discussed with the auditors their independence from the Company
and management and considered the provision of non-audit related services by
such auditors. The Audit Committee has retained the Company’s independent
auditors to perform non-audit related tax services. See the caption “Independent
Auditors” below for information relating to audit fees for the year ended
October 31, 2004.
Based on
such review and discussions, the Audit Committee recommended to the Board of
Directors that the audited financial statements be included in the Company’s
Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended October 31, 2004 filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission.
|
AUDIT COMMITTEE |
|
|
|
Barbara Kaczynski
Todd Emmel Oliver R. Grace, Jr. Robert
Flug |
EXECUTIVE
COMPENSATION
The
following table sets forth the cash compensation paid by the Company during the
fiscal years ended October 31, 2002, 2003 and 2004 to its Chief Executive
Officer and four most highly compensated executive officers other than its Chief
Executive Officer, each of whom was serving at the end of the fiscal year ended
October 31, 2004 and whose salary and bonus exceeded $100,000 (the "Named
Executives"):
Summary
Compensation Table
|
|
Annual
Compensation |
|
Long-Term
Compensation Awards(1) |
|
Name
and Principal Position |
|
Year Ended October
31, |
|
Salary($) |
|
Bonus($) |
|
Other
Annual Compensation(2) |
|
Restricted
Stock Awards ($)(3) |
|
Securities
Underlying Options(#) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Richard
Roedel Chairman(4) |
|
|
2004 |
|
|
360,000 |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
229,250 |
|
|
72,000
|
|
Paul
Eibeler
Chief
Executive Officer and President(5) |
|
|
2004
2003
2002 |
|
|
330,000
296,153
430,385 |
|
|
300,000
650,000
112,500 |
|
|
—
—
— |
|
|
—
—
— |
|
|
450,000
75,000
75,000 |
|
Karl
H. Winters
Chief
Financial Officer |
|
|
2004
2003
2002 |
|
|
325,000
326,250
222,115 |
|
|
15,000
265,000
207,500 |
|
|
—
—
— |
|
|
—
—
— |
|
|
—
—
300,000 |
|
Gary
Lewis
Global
Chief Operation Officer(6) |
|
|
2004
2003
2002 |
|
|
450,883
258,027
182,705 |
|
|
500,000
503,580
132,923 |
|
|
— |
|
|
638,000
—
— |
|
|
217,500
30,000
— |
|
Samuel
Judd
Senior
Vice President of Planning and Administration(7) |
|
|
2004 |
|
|
97,731 |
|
|
55,000 |
|
|
— |
|
|
468,000 |
|
|
135,000 |
|
Ryan
A. Brant
Publishing
Director of 2K Games(8) |
|
|
2004
2003
2002 |
|
|
750,000
752,884
641,058 |
|
|
1,600,000
2,909,500
1,993,330 |
|
|
—
—
— |
|
|
1,808,000
3,432,750
— |
|
|
—
450,000
300,000 |
|
Jeffrey
Lapin(9) |
|
|
2004
2003 |
|
|
290,000
542,500 |
|
|
470,000
200,000 |
|
|
—
— |
|
|
—
—
|
|
|
—
600,000(10 |
) |
Kelly
Sumner(11) |
|
|
2004
2003
2002 |
|
|
625,000
607,019
473,910 |
|
|
—
1,862,500
450,000 |
|
|
—
— |
|
|
—
— |
|
|
—
150,000
150,000 |
|
(1) Except
for options granted to Mr. Eibeler in fiscal 2004, all securities listed in the
table were issued under stockholder approved plans.
(2) The
aggregate value of benefits to be reported under the “Other Annual Compensation”
column did not exceed the lesser of $50,000 or 10% of the total of annual salary
and bonus reported for the Named Executives.
(3) The
amounts shown in this column represent the dollar value of the restricted stock
on the date of grant. In fiscal 2003, Messrs. Lewis and Brant received
restricted stock awards of 6,000 and 225,000 shares, respectively. In fiscal
2004, Messrs. Roedel, Lewis, Judd and Brant received restricted stock awards of
10,500, 30,000, 22,500 and 90,000 shares, respectively. At October 31, 2004, the
number of shares of restricted stock held by Messrs. Roedel, Lewis, Judd and
Brant was 10,500, 30,000, 22,500 and 162,970 shares, respectively, and the value
of such shares was $230,720, $659,200, $494,400 and $3,581,005, respectively.
Mr. Roedel’s shares were granted in March 2004, one-third of which vest on March
13, 2005 and the balance vest ratably during the twelve months ending January
31, 2006. Mr. Lewis’ shares were granted in April 2004 and vest as to one-half
of the shares on each of April 14, 2005 and 2006. Mr. Judd’s shares were granted
in July 2004 and vest as to one-third of the shares on each of July 30, 2005,
2006 and 2007. Of the 225,000 shares granted to Mr. Brant in fiscal 2003,
112,500 shares were granted in January 2003 and 112,500 were granted in May
2003, all of which vested as of January 31, 2005. The shares granted to Mr.
Brant in May 2004 vest on May 1, 2005. During the restricted period, all shares
are entitled to receive dividends paid on the common stock.
(4) Mr.
Roedel became Chief Executive Officer in June 2004 and resigned from that
position in January 2005.
(5) Mr.
Eibeler rejoined the Company as President in April 2004, and became Chief
Executive Officer in January 2005.
(6) Mr. Lewis
became Global Chief Operating Officer in April 2004.
(7) Mr. Judd
became Senior Vice President in July 2004.
(8) Mr. Brant
resigned as Chairman in March 2004, and has since been employed by the Company
in a non-executive capacity.
(9) Mr. Lapin
resigned as Chief Executive Officer in April 2004.
(10) Of such
options, 400,000 options were forfeited upon Mr. Lapin’s
resignation.
(11) Mr.
Sumner served in an executive capacity prior to January 2003, and served in a
non-executive capacity until his resignation in November 2004.
The
following table sets forth information concerning options granted in the fiscal
year ended October 31, 2004 to the Named Executives:
|
|
|
Option
Grants in Fiscal Year Ended October 31, 2004 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Individual
Grants(1) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Name |
|
|
Number
of
Securities
Underlying Options
Granted
(#) |
|
|
Percent
of Total Options Granted to Employees in Fiscal
Year(%) |
|
|
Exercise
Price
($/Sh) |
|
|
Expiration
Date |
|
|
Potential
Realizable
Value
at Assumed
Annual
Rates of Stock
Price
Appreciation for Option Term (2) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
5%($) |
|
|
10%($) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Richard
Roedel |
|
|
72,000 |
|
|
2 |
|
|
21.28 |
|
|
04/13/09 |
|
|
423,308 |
|
|
935,399 |
|
Paul
Eibeler |
|
|
450,000 |
|
|
15 |
|
|
21.28 |
|
|
04/13/09 |
|
|
2,645,672 |
|
|
5,846,244 |
|
Karl
Winters |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
Gary
Lewis |
|
|
217,500 |
|
|
7 |
|
|
21.28 |
|
|
04/13/09 |
|
|
1,278,742 |
|
|
2,825,684 |
|
Samuel
Judd |
|
|
135,000 |
|
|
5 |
|
|
20.83 |
|
|
07/27/09 |
|
|
776,793 |
|
|
1,716,510 |
|
Ryan
A. Brant |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
Jeffrey
C. Lapin |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
Kelly
Sumner |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
(1) |
All
of the options have a term of five years and vest at various times over
the term of the options. |
(2) The
potential realizable value columns of the table illustrate values that might be
realized upon exercise of the options immediately prior to their expiration,
assuming the common stock appreciates at the compounded rates specified over the
term of the options. These numbers do not take into account provisions of
certain options providing for termination of the option following termination of
employment or non—transferability of the options and do not make any provision
for taxes associated with exercise. Because actual gains will depend upon, among
other things, future performance of the common stock, there can be no assurance
that the amounts reflected in this table will be achieved.
The
following table sets forth information concerning the value of options exercised
during the fiscal year ended October 31, 2004 and the value of unexercised stock
options held by the Named Executives as of October 31, 2004:
|
|
Aggregated
Option Exercises and Year End Values |
|
Name |
|
Shares
Acquired on Exercise
(#) |
|
Value
Realized
($) |
|
Number
of Securities
Underlying
Unexercised
Options
at
October 31, 2004 (#) |
|
Value
of Unexercised
In-the-Money
Options
at
October 31, 2004 ($)* |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Exercisable |
|
Unexercisable |
|
Exercisable |
|
Unexercisable |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Richard
Roedel |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
88,500 |
|
|
36,000 |
|
|
276,260 |
|
|
24,960 |
|
Paul
Eibeler |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
75,000 |
|
|
375,000 |
|
|
52,000 |
|
|
260,000 |
|
Karl
Winters |
|
|
7,500 |
|
|
79,700 |
|
|
240,000 |
|
|
— |
|
|
2,364,800 |
|
|
—
|
|
Gary
Lewis |
|
|
7,500 |
|
|
103,413 |
|
|
60,000 |
|
|
180,000 |
|
|
271,156 |
|
|
124,800 |
|
Samuel
Judd |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
135,000 |
|
|
— |
|
|
154,800 |
|
Ryan
A. Brant |
|
|
84,784 |
|
|
998,519 |
|
|
3,969 |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
Jeffrey
C. Lapin |
|
|
199,999 |
|
|
257,610 |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
*Year-end
values for unexercised in-the-money options represent the positive spread
between the exercise price of such options and the fiscal year-end market value
of the common stock, which was $21.97 on October 31, 2004.
Director
Compensation
For the
fiscal year ended October 31, 2004, each non-employee director received a cash
retainer of $60,000 (pro rated in the case of Mr. Roedel and Ms. Kaczynski).
During the year, Mr. Roedel received $63,125 for serving as a non-employee
director, including as Chair of the Audit Committee until April 2004. Ms.
Kaczynski received $27,708 and options to purchase 37,500 shares for serving as
a non-employee director, including as Chair of the Audit Committee since July
2004. In addition to cash retainers, Mr. Flug received $25,000 for serving as
the Chairman of the Compensation Committee and $55,000 for serving on an Interim
Executive Committee of the Board; Mr. Emmel received $20,000 for serving as
Chairman of the Corporate Governance Committee; and Mr. Lewis received $30,000
for serving on an Interim Executive Committee of the Board. Each member of the
Audit Committee also received $10,000. For the fiscal year ended October 31,
2004, each non-employee director received a restricted stock award of 6,000
shares (Mr. Roedel received 10,500 shares) vesting over a three-year period.
Employment
Agreements
The
Company has entered into a one-year agreement with Richard W. Roedel, which
expires January 31, 2006 and provides for annual compensation of $665,000 for
serving as Chairman of the Board and a consultant. The agreement may be
terminated by either party after June 1, 2005, provided that the Company is
obligated to continue to compensate Mr. Roedel through the remaining term.
The
Company has entered into a three-year agreement with Paul Eibeler expiring May
2008. The agreement provides that Mr. Eibeler is entitled to receive an annual
salary of $750,000 and an annual bonus equal to 100% of such salary, provided
that Mr. Eibeler and the Company achieve certain qualitative and quantitative
performance criteria. The Company also granted Mr. Eibeler 75,000 shares of
restricted stock under the Incentive Stock Plan, subject to stockholder approval
of Proposal II.
The
Company has entered into an agreement with Gary Lewis for a two-year term
commencing April 2004. The Agreement provides that Mr. Lewis is entitled to
receive an annual salary of $600,000 and an annual bonus of $600,000, provided
that Mr. Lewis and the Company achieve certain quantitative and qualitative
performance criteria.
The
Company has entered into an employment agreement with Karl H. Winters, which
expires in February 2006. The agreement provides that Mr. Winters is entitled to
an annual salary of $325,000 and a bonus based on Mr. Winters’ performance in
implementing certain objectives of the Audit Committee of the Board of
Directors.
The
Company entered into a three-year agreement with Sam Judd commencing July 2004.
The agreement provides that Mr. Judd is entitled to an annual salary of $385,000
and an annual bonus of $275,000, provided that Mr. Judd and the Company achieve
certain qualitative and quantitative performance criteria.
The
Company has entered into an employment agreement, as amended, with Ryan A.
Brant, which expires in March 2008. The agreement provides that Mr. Brant will
serve as Publishing Director of 2K Games, a non-executive position, and is
entitled to receive an annual salary of $750,000 and a bonus of $650,000.
Each
agreement provides that if employment is terminated under certain circumstances,
including in the event of a change of control, the executive will be entitled to
certain severance compensation. The employment agreements also contain
confidentiality and non-competition provisions.
Compensation
Committee Interlocks And Insider Participation
The
Company has a Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors comprised of
independent directors and currently consisting of Messrs. Flug, Grace, Tisch and
Lewis. The Board of Directors makes decisions relating to executive compensation
based primarily upon the recommendations made by such committee. The Board of
Directors (which includes such individuals) has not rejected any recommendations
of the Compensation Committee as to the compensation of the Company's executive
officers. During the fiscal year ended October 31, 2004, none of the executive
officers of the Company has served on the Board of Directors or the Compensation
Committee of any other entity, any of whose officers serves on the Company's
Board of Directors or Compensation Committee.
Report
On Executive Compensation
As noted
above, the Board of Directors determines executive compensation based on
recommendations made by the Compensation Committee. There is no formal
compensation policy for the Company's executive officers, other than the
employment agreements described above. Compensation for executive officers
consists of base salary, bonus and stock-based compensation awards.
Base
Salary. The base
salary of the Company's executives is fixed pursuant to the terms of their
respective employment agreements with the Company. The Compensation Committee
reviews the salary of executive officers for reasonableness based on job
responsibilities and a review of compensation practices for comparable positions
at corporations that compete with the Company in its business or are of
comparable size and scope of operations. The Committee's recommendations to the
Board of Directors are based primarily on informal judgments reasonably believed
to be in the best interests of the Company. In determining the base salaries of
the Company's executives, the Committee considered the Company's significant and
rapid growth. Salaries are re-evaluated by the Committee each year to determine
whether such salaries are reasonable in light of each executive's expected
duties.
Bonuses. The
Committee determines bonuses based on the Company's overall performance,
profitability, and other qualitative and quantitative measurements. In
determining the amount of bonuses awarded, the Committee considers the Company's
revenues and profitability for the applicable period and each executive's
contribution to the success of the Company. The Company's executive officers
received bonuses that were deemed appropriate based upon the Company's operating
results during the fiscal year.
Stock-based
Compensation Awards. Stock
option and “restricted stock” awards are intended to attract, retain and
motivate personnel by affording them an opportunity to receive additional
compensation based upon the performance of the Company's Common Stock. Such
awards are granted by the Compensation Committee on an informal, subjective
basis, after taking into account the relative responsibilities and contributions
of the individual executives. The number or value of options or "restricted
stock" currently held by an executive is not taken into account in determining
the number of stock options or restricted stock granted.
Compensation
for the Company’s Chief Executive Officer is generally determined as discussed
above. Mr. Roedel became Chief Executive Officer of the Company in April 2004
and served pursuant to a letter agreement that specified Mr. Roedel’s base
salary and other compensation. In determining Mr. Roedel’s compensation, the
Committee considered the compensation of Chief Executives of comparable
companies, Mr. Roedel’s experience in general and his skills as an executive in
particular, and his prior responsibilities and performance, as well as the
Company’s expected size and performance, including its forecasted revenue growth
and the global scope of the Company's operations. Mr. Roedel’s salary, bonus and
stock option awards for the year ended October 31, 2004 were based on the
Company's overall performance, with no component of such compensation based on
any particular measure of performance. Mr. Eibeler assumed the role of Chief
Executive Officer in January 2005 and in May 2005 entered into a three-year
employment agreement with the Company described above.
|
COMPENSATION COMMITTEE |
|
|
|
Robert Flug Oliver R. Grace, Jr. Steven
Tisch |
STOCK
PERFORMANCE GRAPH
The
following line graph compares, from November 1, 1999, through October 31, 2004,
the cumulative total stockholder return on the Company's Common Stock with the
cumulative total return on the stocks comprising the NASDAQ Market Value Index
and the stocks comprising a Peer Group Index consisting of Acclaim
Entertainment, Inc., Activision, Inc., Eidos PLC, Electronic Arts, Inc., Atari,
Inc., Interplay Entertainment Corp., Midway Games Inc. and THQ Inc. The
comparison assumes $100 was invested on November 1, 1999 in the Company's Common
Stock and in each of the foregoing indices and assumes reinvestment of all cash
dividends, if any, paid on such securities. The Company has not paid any cash
dividends and, therefore, the cumulative total return calculation for the
Company is based solely upon stock price appreciation and not upon reinvestment
of cash dividends. Historical stock price is not necessarily indicative of
future stock price performance.
|
|
10/31/99 |
|
10/31/00 |
|
10/31/01 |
|
10/31/02 |
|
10/31/03 |
|
10/31/04 |
|
Take-Two
Interactive |
|
$ |
100.00 |
|
$ |
191.35 |
|
$ |
214.31 |
|
$ |
369.62 |
|
$ |
610.92 |
|
$ |
317.69 |
|
Peer
Group Index |
|
|
100.00 |
|
|
170.50 |
|
|
201.99 |
|
|
208.40 |
|
|
304.19 |
|
|
60.00 |
|
NASDAQ
Market Index |
|
|
100.00 |
|
|
194.13 |
|
|
97.35 |
|
|
78.33 |
|
|
113.76 |
|
|
145.70 |
|
VOTING
SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF
CERTAIN
BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT
The
following table sets forth certain information as of the Record Date, relating
to the beneficial ownership of shares of the Company’s common stock by (i) each
person or entity who is known by the Company to own beneficially 5% or more of
the outstanding common stock, (ii) each director, (iii) each of the Named
Executives and (iv) all directors and executive officers as a
group.
Name
and
Address
of Beneficial Owner(1) |
|
Number
of Shares of Common Stock Beneficially Owned(2) |
|
Percentage
of Outstanding Common Stock
Beneficially
Owned |
|
|
|
|
|
FMR
Corp (3) |
|
10,108,170 |
|
14.2%
|
Oppenheimer
Funds, Inc. (3) |
|
10,037,280 |
|
14.1 |
Wellington
Management Company, LLP (3) |
|
8,249,445 |
|
11.6 |
J
& W Seligman & Co. Incorporated (3) |
|
8,019,150 |
|
11.3 |
Oliver
R. Grace, Jr. (4)
|
|
708,319 |
|
* |
Robert
Flug (5) |
|
143,047 |
|
* |
Mark
Lewis (6) |
|
31,999 |
|
* |
Todd
Emmel (7) |
|
44,419 |
|
* |
Steven
Tisch (8)
|
|
54,499 |
|
* |
Richard
W. Roedel (9) |
|
115,999 |
|
* |
Karl
H. Winters (10) |
|
72,000 |
|
* |
Paul
Eibeler (10) |
|
75,000 |
|
* |
Barbara
Kaczynski |
|
— |
|
* |
Gary
Lewis (11) |
|
136,500 |
|
* |
Samuel
Judd |
|
— |
|
* |
Ryan
Brant (12) |
|
255,360 |
|
* |
Kelly
Sumner |
|
— |
|
* |
All
directors and executive officers as a group (eleven persons) (13) |
|
1,381,782 |
|
1.9% |
*
Less than
1%.
(1) Unless
otherwise indicated, the address of each beneficial owner is Take-Two
Interactive Software, Inc., 622 Broadway, New York, New York 10012.
(2) Unless
otherwise indicated, the Company believes that all persons named in the table
have sole voting and investment power with respect to all shares beneficially
owned by them. A person is deemed to be the beneficial owner of securities that
may be acquired by such person within 60 days from the Record Date upon the
exercise of options. Each beneficial owner's percentage ownership is determined
by assuming that options that are held by such person (but not those held by any
other person) and which are exercisable within 60 days of the Record Date have
been exercised. This table does not include shares of unvested restricted stock
held by the persons named in the table.
(3) Based on
Schedules l3G filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
(4) Represents
572,820 shares owned of record by Anglo American Security Fund, L.P., of which
Mr. Grace is a general partner, 1,999 shares of restricted stock held by Mr.
Grace and 133,500 shares underlying options held by Mr. Grace.
(5) Represents
35,400 shares held by S/L/ Danielle, Inc., 1,999 shares of restricted stock held
by Mr. Flug and 105,648 shares underlying options held by Mr. Flug.
(6) Includes
19,395 shares underlying options.
(7) Includes
42,420 shares underlying options.
(8) Includes
52,500 shares underlying options.
(9) Includes
112,500 shares underlying options.
(10) Represents
shares underlying options.
(11) Includes
127,500 shares underlying options.
(12) Includes
3,969 shares underlying options.
(13) Includes
740,463 shares underlying options.
PROPOSAL
I
AMENDMENT
TO THE COMPANY’S 2002 STOCK OPTION PLAN
The Board
of Directors unanimously proposes that the stockholders approve an amendment to
the Company’s 2002 Stock Option Plan, increasing by 2,000,000, the number of
shares of Common Stock reserved for issuance under such plan. Under the Option
Plan currently in effect, which was adopted by stockholders in June 2002,
9,000,000 shares of Common Stock have been reserved for issuance in connection
with the grant of options. As of the Record Date, 92,820 shares remained
available for issuance under the 2002 Stock Option Plan. The Board of Directors
believes that the proposed increase in the number of shares available for
issuance under the 2002 Stock Option Plan is necessary in order to continue the
effectiveness of the 2002 Stock Option Plan in attracting, motivating and
retaining outside directors, officers and key employees with appropriate
experience and ability to increase the grantees’ alignment of interest with the
Company’s Stockholders.
The
following summary of the 2002 Stock Option Plan does not purport to be complete
and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the 2002 Stock
Option Plan, a copy of which is attached hereto as Exhibit C.
Summary
of the 2002 Stock Option Plan
Pursuant
to the 2002 Stock Option Plan, officers, directors, employees and consultants of
the Company are eligible to receive incentive stock options and non-qualified
stock options to purchase up to an aggregate of 9,000,000 shares of Common
Stock. The number of shares of Common Stock that may be granted and the timing
of grants to executive officers and non-executive officers of the Company under
the 2002 Stock Option Plan is subject to the discretion of the Board of
Directors or a Committee of the Board that administers the plan. The Plan is
currently administered by the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors.
No options have been granted under the 2002 Option Plan that are subject to the
approval of this proposal to amend the plan. On May 9, 2005, the closing price
of the Company’s Common Stock as reported by NASDAQ was $25.69.
The 2002
Stock Option Plan provides that it will be administered by the Board or a
Committee appointed by the Board. The Board or Committee will determine, among
other things, the persons to whom options will be granted, the types of options
granted, the number of shares subject to options and the exercise price,
provided that the exercise price of all incentive stock options (“Incentive
Stock Options”) and non-qualified stock options granted must be at least equal
to 100% of the fair market value of the Common Stock on the date of grant (110%
in the case of incentive options granted to stockholders who own more than 10%
of the outstanding Common Stock) or earlier as determined by the Board or
Committee or as otherwise set forth in the plan. The Board or Committee also
determines the term of each option, the restrictions or limitations thereof and
the manner in which each option may be exercised. Options granted under the plan
will expire not later than the tenth anniversary of the date of grant (the fifth
anniversary in the case of incentive options granted to stockholders who own
more than 10% of the outstanding Common Stock). With certain limited exceptions,
in the event that an option holder ceases to be employed by the Company, such
option holder's options terminate. Pursuant to the provisions of the 2002 Stock
Option Plan, the aggregate fair market value, determined as of the date(s) of
grant, for which incentive stock options are first exercisable by an option
holder during any calendar year cannot exceed $100,000.
In June
2002, the Plan was amended to prohibit the “re-pricing” of an option at an
exercise price below the original exercise price of the option.
As of the
Record Date, options to purchase 8,907,180 shares of Common Stock were
outstanding under the 2002 Stock Option Plan, and options to purchase an
additional 92,820 shares were available for future grant.
Equity
Compensation Plans
The
following table provides certain information with respect to all of the
Company’s equity compensation plans in effect as of October 31, 2004.
|
|
(a) |
|
(b) |
|
(c) |
|
Plan
Category |
|
Number
of securities to be issued upon exercise of outstanding options, warrants
and rights |
|
Weighted-average
exercise price of outstanding options, warrants and rights |
|
Number
of securities remaining for future issuance under equity compensation
plans (excluding securities reflected in column (a)) |
|
Equity
compensation plans approved by security holders |
|
|
5,983,888(1 |
|
|
17.27 |
|
|
2,557,525 |
|
Equity
compensation plans not approved by security holders |
|
|
2,268,363(2 |
) |
|
12.66 |
|
|
— |
|
Total |
|
|
8,252,251
|
|
$ |
16.00 |
|
|
2,557,525 |
|
(1)
Includes 507,889 shares of restricted stock under the Incentive Stock
Plan.
(2)
Represents shares of common stock underlying individual option grants. The
options are five years in duration, expire at various dates between 2005 and
2009, contain anti-dilution provisions providing for adjustments of the exercise
price under certain circumstances and have termination provisions similar to
options granted under our stockholder approved plans.
Certain
Federal Income Tax Consequences of the 2002 Stock Option
Plan
The
following is a brief summary of the Federal income tax aspects of grants made
under the 2002 Stock Option Plan based upon statutes, regulations and
interpretations in effect on the date hereof. This summary is not intended to be
exhaustive, and does not describe state or local tax consequences.
Incentive
Stock Options. The
participant will recognize no taxable income upon the grant or exercise of an
Incentive Stock Option. Upon a disposition of the shares after the later of two
years from the date of grant and one year after the transfer of the shares to
the participant, (i) the participant will recognize the difference, if any,
between the amount realized and the exercise price as long-term capital gain or
long-term capital loss (as the case may be) if the shares are capital assets in
his or her hands; and (ii) the Company will not qualify for any deduction in
connection with the grant or exercise of the options. The excess, if any, of the
fair market value of the shares on the date of exercise of an Incentive Stock
Option over the exercise price will be treated as an item of adjustment for his
or her taxable year in which the exercise occurs and may result in an
alternative minimum tax liability for the participant. In the case of a
disposition of shares in the same taxable year as the exercise where the amount
realized on the disposition is less than the fair market value of the shares on
the date of exercise, there will be no adjustment since the amount treated as an
item of adjustment, for alternative minimum tax purposes, is limited to the
excess of the amount realized on such disposition over the exercise price which
is the same amount included in regular taxable income.
If Common
Stock acquired upon the exercise of an Incentive Stock Option is disposed of
prior to the expiration of the holding periods described above, (i) the
participant will recognize ordinary compensation income in the taxable year of
disposition in an amount equal to the excess, if any, of the lesser of the fair
market value of the shares on the date of exercise or the amount realized on the
disposition of the shares, over the exercise price paid for such shares; and
(ii) the Company will qualify for a deduction equal to any such amount
recognized, subject to the requirements of Section 162(m) of the Internal
Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”) and that the compensation be
reasonable. The participant will recognize the excess, if any, of the amount
realized over the fair market value of the shares on the date of exercise, if
the shares are capital assets in his or her hands, as short-term or long-term
capital gain, depending on the length of time that the participant held the
shares, and the Company will not qualify for a deduction with respect to such
excess.
Subject
to certain exceptions for disability or death, if an Incentive Stock Option is
exercised more than three months following the termination of the participant's
employment, the option will generally be taxed as a Non-Qualified Stock Option.
Non-Qualified
Stock Options. With
respect to Non-Qualified Stock Options (i) upon grant of the option, the
participant will recognize no income; (ii) upon exercise of the option (if the
shares are not subject to a substantial risk of forfeiture), the participant
will recognize ordinary compensation income in an amount equal to the excess, if
any, of the fair market value of the shares on the date of exercise over the
exercise price, and the Company will qualify for a deduction in the same amount,
subject to the requirements of Section 162(m) of the Code and that the
compensation be reasonable; (iii) the Company will be required to comply with
applicable Federal income tax withholding requirements with respect to the
amount of ordinary compensation income recognized by the participant; and (iv)
on a sale of the shares, the participant will recognize gain or loss equal to
the difference, if any, between the amount realized and the sum of the exercise
price and the ordinary compensation income recognized. Such gain or loss will be
treated as short-term or long-term capital gain or loss if the shares are
capital assets in the participant's hands depending upon the length of time that
the participant held the shares.
The
Board believes that the proposed Amendment to the 2002 Stock Option Plan will
help the Company attract and retain qualified officers, directors and key
employees. Accordingly, the Board believes that the Amendment to the 2002 Stock
Option Plan is in the best interest of the Company and unanimously recommends a
vote FOR its approval.
PROPOSAL
II
AMENDMENT
TO THE COMPANY’S INCENTIVE STOCK PLAN
The Board
of Directors unanimously proposes that the stockholders approve an amendment to
the Company’s Incentive Plan, increasing by 1,000,000 the number of shares of
the Common Stock reserved for issuance under such plan. Under the Incentive
Stock Plan currently in effect, which was adopted by the Board of Directors in
June 2003 with an amendment to the plan approved by Stockholders in June 2004,
1,500,000 shares of Common Stock have been reserved for issuance. As of the
Record Date, 17,038 shares remained available for issuance under the Incentive
Stock Plan. The Board of Directors believes that the proposed increase in the
number of shares available for issuance under the Incentive Stock Plan is
necessary in order to continue the effectiveness of the Incentive Stock Plan in
attracting, motivating and retaining outside directors, officers and key
employees with appropriate experience and ability to increase the grantees’
alignment of interest with the Company’s Stockholders.
The
Incentive Stock Plan provides that it will be administered by the Compensation
Committee of the Board. The Committee will determine, among other things, the
directors, officers and other employees of the Company to whom “restricted
stock”, “deferred stock” or “other stock-based awards” will be granted. The
Committee also determines the amounts and other terms and conditions of each
award, the restrictions and limitations thereof, including vesting and
forfeiture provisions. To date, no awards have been made under the Incentive
Stock Plan that are subject to this proposal to amend the plan, except a
proposed award of 75,000 shares of restricted stock to Mr. Eibeler.
The
Incentive Stock Plan was amended in June 2004 to provide a minimum pro rata
vesting period of three years with respect to outright grants and a minimum
vesting period of one year with respect to performance based
grants.
The
summary of the Incentive Stock Plan does not purport to be complete and is
qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the Incentive Stock
Plan, a copy of which is attached hereto as Exhibit D.
Certain
Federal Income Tax Consequences of the Incentive Stock
Plan
Stock
Awards. Unless a
participant otherwise elects to be taxed upon receipt of shares of restricted or
deferred stock under the Incentive Stock Plan, the participant must include in
his or her taxable income the difference between the fair market value of the
shares and the amount paid, if any, for the shares as of the first date the
participant’s interest in the shares is no longer subject to substantial risk of
forfeiture or such shares become transferable. A participant’s rights in stock
awarded under the Incentive Stock Plan are subject to a substantial risk of
forfeiture if the rights to full enjoyment of the shares are conditioned,
directly or indirectly, upon the future performance of substantial services by
the participant. Where shares of stock received under the Incentive Stock Plan
are subject to a substantial risk of forfeiture, the participant can elect to
report the difference between the fair market value of the shares on the date of
receipt and the amount paid, if any, for the stock as ordinary income in the
year of receipt. To be effective, the election must be filed with the Internal
Revenue Service within 30 days after the date the shares are transferred to the
participant. The Company is entitled to a federal income tax deduction equal to
the amount includable as compensation in the gross income of the participant,
subject to the requirements that the compensation be reasonable and not limited
under Section 162(m) of the Code. The amount of taxable gain arising from a
participant’s sale of shares of restricted stock acquired pursuant to the
Incentive Stock Plan is equal to the excess of the amount realized on such sale
over the sum of the amount paid, if any, for the stock and the compensation
element included by the participant in taxable income.
Other
Tax Matters. If
unmatured installments of awards are accelerated as a result of a Change of
Control (as defined in the Incentive Stock Plan), any amounts received from the
exercise by a participant of a stock option, the lapse of restrictions on
restricted stock or the deemed satisfaction of conditions of performance-based
awards may be included in determining whether or not a participants has received
an “excess parachute payment” under Section 280G of the Code, which could result
in (a) the imposition of a 20% federal excise tax (in addition to federal income
tax) payable by the participant on certain payments of Common Stock or cash
resulting from such exercise or deemed satisfaction of conditions of performance
awards or, in the case of restricted stock, on all or a portion of the fair
market value of the shares on the date the restrictions lapse and (b) the loss
by the Company of a compensation deduction.
The
Board believes that the proposed Amendment to the Incentive Stock Plan will help
the Company attract and retain qualified officers, directors and key employees.
Accordingly, the Board believes that the Amendment to the Incentive Stock Plan
is in the best interest of the Company and unanimously recommends a vote FOR its
approval.
INDEPENDENT
REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
PricewaterhouseCoopers
LLP is the Company's independent registered public accounting firm who reported
on the financial statements of the Company for the fiscal years ended October
31, 2002, 2003 and 2004. It is currently anticipated that PricewaterhouseCoopers
LLP will be selected by the Board of Directors to examine and report on the
financial statements of the Company for the year ending October 31, 2005. It is
anticipated that a representative of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP will be present
at the Annual Meeting and will have an opportunity to make a statement if he or
she desires to do so and will be available to respond to appropriate questions.
The
aggregate fees billed by the Company’s independent registered public accounting
firm for the fiscal years ended October 31, 2004 and 2003 are set forth below.
The Audit Committee believes that the services performed by the Company’s
independent registered public accounting firm were compatible with maintaining
such auditor’s independence.
|
|
2004 |
|
2003 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Audit
(1) |
|
$ |
1,904,000 |
|
$ |
2,927,929 |
|
Audit
Related (2) |
|
|
44,000 |
|
|
35,089 |
|
Tax
(3) |
|
|
833,000 |
|
|
1,852,054 |
|
All
Other |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
|
$ |
2,781,000 |
|
$ |
4,815,072 |
|
(1)
Includes financial statement and statutory audits. Fiscal 2003 fees also include
amounts relating to financial statement restatement.
(2)
Includes benefit plan audits.
|
(3)
Includes tax compliance, advice and audit assistance. Fiscal 2003 includes
additional fees relating to tax planning and
compliance. |
All
services provided to the Company by its independent auditor must be pre-approved
by the Audit Committee. None of the Audit Related, Tax or All Other services
listed above was approved by the Audit Committee under a "de minimis" exemption
from pre-approval provided by applicable law.
STOCKHOLDER
PROPOSALS FOR NEXT ANNUAL MEETING
Stockholders
who wish to present proposals appropriate for consideration at the Company's
Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be held in 2006 must submit the proposal in
proper form and in satisfaction of the conditions established by the Securities
and Exchange Commission, to the Company at its address set forth on the first
page of this Proxy Statement not later than January 12, 2006 in order for the
proposal to be considered for inclusion in the Company's proxy statement and
form of proxy relating to such annual meeting. Any such proposals, as well as
any questions related thereto, should be directed to the Secretary of the
Company.
After the
January 12, 2006 deadline, for any proposal that is not submitted for inclusion
for next year’s proxy statement (as described in the preceding paragraph) but is
instead sought to be presented directly at next year’s annual meeting of
stockholders, rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission permit management
of the Company to vote proxies in its discretion if (a) the Company does not
receive notice of the proposal before the close of business on April 3, 2006 and
advises stockholders in next year’s proxy statement about the nature of the
matter and how management intends to vote or (b) does not receive notice of the
proposal prior to the close of business on April 3, 2006.
OTHER
INFORMATION
A COPY OF
THE COMPANY'S ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED OCTOBER 31, 2004 IS BEING
FURNISHED HEREWITH TO EACH STOCKHOLDER OF RECORD AS OF THE CLOSE OF BUSINESS ON
MAY 9, 2005. COPIES OF THE COMPANY'S ANNUAL REPORT ON FORM 10-K WILL BE PROVIDED
FOR A NOMINAL CHARGE UPON WRITTEN REQUEST TO:
TAKE-TWO
INTERACTIVE SOFTWARE, INC.
622
BROADWAY
NEW YORK,
NEW YORK 10012
ATTENTION:
JAMES ANKNER, DIRECTOR OF CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS
The Board
of Directors is aware of no other matters, except for those incident to the
conduct of the Annual Meeting, that are to be presented to stockholders for
formal action at the Annual Meeting. If, however, any other matters properly
come before the Annual Meeting or any adjournments thereof, it is the intention
of the persons named in the proxy to vote the proxy in accordance with their
judgment.
|
By order of the Board of
Directors, |
|
|
|
Paul Eibeler Chief Executive Officer and
President |
|
|
|
|
May 10, 2005 |
|
EXHIBIT
A
TAKE-TWO
INTERACTIVE SOFTWARE, INC.
CORPORATE
GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE CHARTER
This
Corporate Governance Committee Charter (this “Charter”) has been adopted by the
Board of Directors (the “Board”) of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (the
“Company”).
I. Purpose
The
purpose of the Corporate Governance Committee (the “Committee”) is to assist the
Board in fulfilling its responsibilities with respect to Board and committee
membership, shareholder proposals and corporate governance matters and
practices. In furtherance of such purpose and as set forth below, the Committee
shall: (a) identify individuals qualified to become members of the Board,
consistent with criteria developed by the Committee, and select, or recommend
that the Board select, director nominees for each annual meeting of
shareholders; (b) make recommendations to the Board regarding corporate
governance matters and practices; (c) oversee the evaluation of the Board and
Board committees; and (d) take such other actions within the scope of this
Charter as the Committee or the Board deems necessary or appropriate.
II. Membership
The
Committee shall be comprised of three or more members, all of whom must qualify
as independent directors (“Independent Directors”) under the listing standards
of the Nasdaq Stock Market, Inc. (“Nasdaq”) and applicable law (subject to any
exceptions allowed thereunder and any waivers granted by Nasdaq).
The
members of the Committee will be appointed by and serve at the discretion of the
Board. Except as provided in this Charter, Committee members will be appointed
annually for a term of one year or until their successors have been duly
appointed and qualified. Committee members may be removed at any time, and
vacancies will be filled, by a majority vote of the Board’s independent
directors.
Unless a
Chairperson is appointed by the Board, the members of the Committee shall
designate a Chairperson by majority vote of the full Committee.
A member
shall promptly notify the Committee and the Board if the member is no longer an
Independent Director, and such member shall be removed from the Committee unless
the Board determines that an exception to the Independent Director requirement
is available under the Nasdaq rules and applicable law with respect to such
member’s continued membership on the Committee and should be made.
III. Meetings
and Procedures
• The
Committee shall fix its own rules of procedure, which shall be consistent with
the Bylaws of the Company and this Charter. In the event the Committee fails to
adopt any particular rule of procedure, the comparable provision set forth in
the Company’s Bylaws applicable to Board committees (or if no such provision
exists, applicable to the Board) shall apply to the Committee.
• The
Committee shall meet at least two times annually and more frequently as
circumstances require, one of which shall be an Annual Meeting.
• The
Chairperson of the Committee or a majority of the members of the Committee may
call special meetings of the Committee.
• The
Chairperson, shall set the length of each meeting and the agenda of items to be
addressed at each meeting and shall, if practicable, circulate the agenda to
each member of the Committee in advance of each meeting (at least three days in
advance in the case of the annual meeting).
• A
majority of the members of the Committee shall constitute a quorum.
• The
Committee may form subcommittees for any purpose that the Committee deems
appropriate and may delegate to such subcommittees such power and authority as
the Committee deems appropriate.
• The
Committee may request that any directors, officers or employees of the Company,
or other persons whose advice and counsel are sought by the Committee, attend
any meeting of the Committee, meet with any Committee members or representatives
of the Committee’s counsel, officers or experts and/or provide such pertinent
information as the Committee requests.
• Following
each of its meetings, the Committee shall report on the meeting to the Board,
which report shall include a description of all significant actions taken by the
Committee at the meeting.
• The
Committee shall keep written minutes of its meetings, which minutes shall be
maintained with the books and records of the Company.
IV. Responsibilities
and Duties
The
Committee shall have the following duties and responsibilities:
• Evaluate
the size and composition of the Board and develop criteria for Board membership
(including the types of skills and characteristics required of directors) based
upon the needs of the Company from time to time, and evaluate the independence
of existing and prospective directors.
• Actively
seek and evaluate qualified individuals to become new directors as needed.
• Establish
procedures to review and recommend, if appropriate, potential director nominees
proposed by the Company’s shareholders.
• Conduct
background and qualifications checks respecting such persons as it wishes to
approve as nominees to recommend to either the Company’s shareholders as
candidates or to the Board to fill vacancies.
• Review
the suitability of each Board member for continued service when his or her term
expires and when he or she has a significant change in status.
• Approve
the slate of nominees of directors to be proposed for election by the Company’s
shareholders and to be considered by the Board to fill vacancies.
• Evaluate
the nature, structure and operations of other Board committees.
• Make
recommendations to the Board as to the qualifications of members of the Board’s
committees, committee member appointments and removals, and committee reporting
to the Board.
• Develop
and recommend to the Board for approval such corporate governance policies and
guidelines as the Committee deems appropriate (which may include, without
limitation, policies to enhance the Board’s effectiveness, including with
respect to the distribution of information to Board members, and the frequency
and structure of Board meetings), review them at least annually to ensure that
they are appropriate for the Company and comply with applicable laws,
regulations and listing standards, and recommend any desirable changes to the
Board.
• Be
involved with management in reviewing director and officer insurance needs and
the means of satisfying them.
• Develop
with management and monitor an orientation program for new directors and
continuing education programs for directors.
• Sponsor
and oversee performance evaluations for the Board and committees of the
Board.
• Annually
evaluate the performance of the Committee, including by reviewing the
Committee’s compliance with this Charter.
• Review
and reassess the adequacy of this Charter annually and recommend to the Board
any appropriate changes. Publish this Charter as required by applicable law and
as otherwise deemed advisable by the Committee.
• Report
regularly to the Board and other committees, as applicable, with respect to
nominating and corporate governance matters, policies and practices of the
Company or any of the foregoing matters, and make recommendations to the Board
or such committees, as appropriate.
• Perform
such other activities or functions and adopt such other policies and procedures
consistent with this Charter, the Company’s Bylaws and governing law as the
Committee or the Board deems necessary or appropriate.
V. Investigations
and Studies; Outside Advisors; Reliance
• The
Committee may conduct or authorize investigations into or studies of matters
within the scope of the Committee’s duties and responsibilities, and may retain,
at the Company’s expense, such experts and other professionals as it deems
necessary or appropriate to carry out its duties. Without limiting the
foregoing, the Board delegates to the Committee the sole authority, in its
discretion, to decide whether to retain a search firm to assist the Committee in
identifying, screening and attracting director candidates. If the Committee
decides to retain such a firm, the Board delegates to the Committee the sole
authority to approve the search firm’s fees and other retention terms, with such
fees to be borne by the Company, and to terminate the firm at any time.
• In
carrying out its duties, the Committee will act in reliance on management, the
independent public accountants, internal auditors, internal and outside counsel
and such other outside advisors and experts as it deems necessary or
appropriate.
Adopted
on September 22, 2004.
EXHIBIT
B
TAKE-TWO
INTERACTIVE SOFTWARE, INC.
AUDIT
COMMITTEE CHARTER
1.
Purpose;
Limitations on Duties. The
purpose of the Audit Committee (the “Committee”) of the Board of Directors (the
“Board”) of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (the “Company”) is to oversee
the accounting and financial reporting processes of the Company and audits of
the financial statements of the Company and to
prepare the annual report of the Audit Committee required by applicable
Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) disclosure rules.
While the
Committee has the responsibilities and powers set forth in this Charter, it is
not the duty of the Committee to plan or conduct audits or to determine that the
Company’s financial statements and disclosures are complete and accurate and are
in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) and
applicable rules and regulations. These are the responsibilities of management
and the independent auditor.
2.
Membership;
Appointment; Financial Expert. The
Committee will consist of three or more directors of the Company’s Board. All
members of the Committee must be directors who meet the knowledge requirements
and the independence requirements of applicable law and the rules of the SEC and
the NASDAQ in effect from time to time (subject to any exceptions allowed by
such rules and any waivers granted by such authorities). No Audit Committee
member shall simultaneously serve on the audit committees of more than two other
public companies. The members of the Committee will be appointed by and serve at
the discretion of the Board, following the recommendations of the Company’s
Corporate Governance Committee. The Chairperson of the Committee will be
appointed by the Board. If practicable, at least one member of the Committee
must qualify as an “audit committee financial expert” (as defined by the SEC).
The Company will disclose in its annual report required by Section 13(a) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “1934 Act”) whether or not it has at least
one member who is an audit committee financial expert. In any event, the
Committee must include at least one member who has past employment experience in
finance or accounting, requisite professional certification in accounting, or
any other comparable experience or background that results in the individual’s
financial sophistication, such as being or having been a chief executive
officer, chief financial officer or other senior officer with financial
oversight responsibilities.
3.
Specific
Responsibilities and Duties. The
Board delegates to the Committee the express responsibility and authority
to:
3.1
Independent
Auditor
(a) Selection;
Fees. Be solely
and directly responsible for the appointment, compensation, retention,
evaluation, and oversight of the work of the independent auditor (including
resolution of disagreements between management and the independent auditor
regarding financial reporting) for the purpose of preparing or issuing an audit
report or performing other audit, review or attest services for the Company and,
where appropriate, the termination and replacement of such firm. Such
independent auditor shall report directly to and be ultimately accountable to
the Committee. The Committee has the ultimate authority to approve all audit
engagement fees and terms, with the costs of all engagements to be borne by the
Company.
(b) Rotation
of Independent Auditor. Consider
whether there should be regular rotation of the independent
auditor.
(c) Scope
of Audit. Review,
evaluate and approve the annual engagement proposal of the independent auditor
(including the proposed scope and approach of the annual audit).
(d) Lead
Audit Partner Review, Evaluation and Rotation. Review
and evaluate the lead partner of the independent auditor. Ensure
that the lead audit partner having primary responsibility for the audit and the
reviewing audit partner of the independent auditor are rotated at least every
five years and that other audit partners (as defined by the SEC) are rotated at
least every seven years.
(e) Pre-Approval
of Audit and Non-Audit Services. Pre-approve
all audit services and all non-audit services permitted to be performed by the
independent auditor. Such pre-approval may be given as part of the Committee’s
approval of the scope of the engagement of the independent auditor or on an
engagement-by-engagement basis or pursuant to pre-established policies. In
addition, the authority to pre-approve non-audit services may be delegated by
the Committee to one or more of its members, but such member’s or members’
non-audit service approval decisions must be reported to the full Committee at
the next regularly scheduled meeting. The Company shall disclose in its Annual
Reports on Form 10-K and its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q any approval of
non-audit services during the period covered by the applicable
report.
(f) Auditor
Independence.
(i) Obtain
Written Statement. At least
annually, obtain and review a formal written statement from the independent
auditors delineating all relationships between the independent auditors and the
Company, consistent with Independence Standards Board Standard No. 1.
(ii) Engage
in Active Dialogue. Actively
engage in a dialogue with the independent auditors with respect to any disclosed
relationships or services that may impact the objectivity and independence of
the independent auditors and take, or recommend that the Board take, appropriate
action to oversee the independence of the outside auditors.
(g) Review
Problems.
Review
with the independent auditor any audit problems or difficulties the independent
auditor may have encountered in the course of its audit work, and management’s
responses, including: (i) any restrictions on the scope of activities or access
to requested information and (ii) any significant disagreements with
management.
(h) Related
Party Transactions. Conduct
an appropriate review of all proposed related-party transactions (which term
refers to transactions that would be required to be disclosed pursuant to SEC
Regulation S-K, Item 404). Management shall not cause the Company to enter into
any new related party transaction unless the Committee approves such
transaction.
(i) Material
Communications. Discuss
with the independent auditor any communications between the audit team and the
independent auditor’s national office regarding auditing or accounting issues
that the engagement presented.
(j) Accounting
Adjustments. Discuss
with the independent auditor any accounting adjustments that were noted or
proposed by the independent auditor but were passed on.
(k) Internal
Audit Function. Discuss
with the independent auditor the responsibilities, budget and staffing of the
Company’s internal audit function.
(l) Management
or Internal Control Letters. Discuss
with the independent auditor any “management” or “internal control” letter
issued, or proposed to be issued, by the independent auditor to the
Company.
3.2
Financial
Reporting
(a) Annual
Financials. Review
and discuss with management and the independent auditor the Company’s annual
audited financial statements, (including the Company’s disclosures under
“Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of
Operations”), including any unusual or non-recurring items, the adequacy of
internal controls and other matters that the Committee deems material, prior to
the public release of such information.
(b) Quarterly
Financials.
Review
and discuss with management and the independent auditor the Company’s quarterly
financial statements (including the Company disclosure under “Management’s
Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations”), the
results of the independent auditor’s reviews of the quarterly financial
statements, and other matters that the Committee deems material prior to the
public release of such information.
(c) Accounting
Principles.
At least
annually, review with management and the independent auditor major issues
regarding accounting principles and financial statement presentations, including
any material changes in the selection or application of the principles followed
in prior years and any items required to be communicated by the independent
auditor in accordance with AICPA Statement of Auditing Standards (“SAS”)
61.
(d) Judgments.
Review
reports prepared by management or by the independent auditor relating to
significant financial reporting issues and judgments made in connection with the
preparation of the Company’s financial statements, including an analysis of the
effect of alternative GAAP methods on the Company’s financial statements and a
description of any transaction as to which management obtained an SAS 50
letter.
(e) Press
Releases. Discuss
earnings press releases with management (including the type and presentation of
information to be included in earnings press releases), as well as financial
information and earnings guidance provided to analysts.
(f) Regulatory
and Accounting Developments. Review
with management and the independent auditor the effect of regulatory and
accounting initiatives, as well as off-balance sheet structures, on the
Company’s financial statements.
3.3
Internal
Audit and Risk Management.
(a) Internal
Audit. With
respect to the Company’s internal audit function,
(i) review
the budget, qualifications, activities, effectiveness and organizational
structure of the internal audit function;
(ii) review
and recommend to the Board action with respect to the appointment and
replacement of the director of internal audit;
(iii) review
and approve the internal audit charter and any proposed amendments
thereto;
(iv) review
the performance of the director of internal audit;
(v) review
and approve the annual internal audit plan for the upcoming year and discuss
with the director of internal audit, the independent auditor and management
internal audit department responsibilities (including reporting
responsibilities), and any recommended changes in the internal audit plan;
and
(vi) review
summaries of significant internal audit reports and management’s
responses.
The
director of internal audit shall report jointly to the Committee and to the
chief executive officer of the Company. The principal and administrative
reporting responsibilities of the internal audit function shall be reviewed from
time to time by the Committee and the Board.
(b) Risk
Assessment and Risk Management.
Discuss
policies with respect to risk assessment and risk management periodically with
the management, internal auditors, and independent auditor, and the Company’s
plans or processes to monitor, control and minimize such risks and
exposures.
3.4
Financial
Reporting Processes; CEO and CFO Certifications.
(a) Internal
and External Controls. Review
with management, the Company and the independent auditor, as appropriate,
financial controls.
(b) Consider
Changes. Review
major issues as to the adequacy of the Company’s internal controls and any
special audit steps adopted in light of material control
deficiencies.
(c) Reporting
Systems. Receive
reports from each of (i) management, (ii) the independent auditor and
(iii) the internal auditors regarding any significant judgments made in
management’s preparation of the financial statements and the view of each as to
appropriateness of such judgments.
(d) Reports
from independent auditor. Obtain and
review timely reports from the independent auditor regarding:
(i) all
critical accounting policies and practices to be used by the Company;
(ii) all
alternative treatments of financial information within GAAP that have been
discussed with management, ramifications of the use of such alternative
disclosures and treatments, and the treatment preferred by the independent
auditor; and
(iii) all other
material written communications between the independent auditor and management,
including any management letter or schedule of unadjusted
differences.
Such
reports may be oral or in writing, but must be provided to the Committee before
any auditor’s report is filed with the SEC.
(e) CEO
and CFO Certifications. Discuss
with the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer the processes
involved in and any material required as a result of the Form 10-K and 10-Q
certification process concerning deficiencies in design or operation of internal
controls or any fraud involving management or employees with a significant role
in the Company’s internal controls.
3.5
Legal
and Regulatory Compliance
(a) SEC
Report. Prepare
the annual report included in the Company’s proxy statement as required by the
proxy rules under the 1934 Act.
(b) Code
of Conduct; Waivers. Approve
the Company’s code of conduct or ethics required by applicable law or exchange
listing standards and covering the conduct and ethical behavior of directors,
officers and employees and any proposed amendments thereto; receive periodic
reports from the Company’s Compliance Officer regarding the Company’s monitoring
of compliance with such code; approve in advance any waivers of it for senior
financial officers who are neither directors nor executive officers; and
recommend to the Board for approval any waivers of such code for directors and
executive officers.
(c) Complaints.
Establish procedures for:
(i) the
receipt, retention and treatment of complaints received by the Company regarding
accounting, internal accounting controls, or auditing matters, and
(ii) the
confidential, anonymous submission by Company employees of concerns regarding
questionable accounting or auditing matters.
3.6
Annual
Evaluation of Committees and Charter.
(a) Evaluation
of Committee.
Annually
evaluate the performance of the Committee.
(b) Review
and Publication of Charter. Review
and reassess the adequacy of this Charter at least annually and recommend any
proposed changes to the Board, as appropriate, and publish this Charter as
required by applicable law.
4.
Reports
to Board; Meetings, Minutes.
4.1
Recommendations;
Reports. Regularly
report to the Board on the Committee’s activities, and its conclusions with
respect to the independent auditor, and make appropriate recommendations to the
Board.
4.2
Executive
Sessions. The
Committee shall meet periodically (with such frequency as it determines) with
each of the independent auditor, internal auditors (or other personnel
responsible for the Company’s internal audit function) and management in
separate executive sessions to
discuss any matters that the Committee or these groups believe should be
discussed privately.
4.3
Other
Meetings. Other
meetings will be with such frequency, and at such times, as its Chairperson, or
a majority of the Committee, determines, but the Committee shall meet at least
quarterly. Special meetings of the Committee may be called by the Chairperson
and will be called promptly upon the request of any two Committee members. The
agenda of each meeting will be prepared by the Chairperson and circulated, if
practicable, to each member prior to the meeting date. Unless the Committee or
the Board adopts other procedures, the provisions of the Company’s By-Laws
applicable to meetings of Board committees will
govern meetings of the Committee.
4.4
Minutes.
Minutes
of each meeting will be kept.
5.
Subcommittees.
The
Committee has the power to appoint and delegate matters to subcommittees, but no
subcommittee will have any final decision-making authority on behalf of the
Board or the Committee (except as permitted pursuant to Section 3.1(e)
above).
6.
Advisors
and Counsel; Reliance; Investigations; Cooperation.
6.1
Retention
of Advisors and Counsel. The
Committee has the power, in its sole discretion, to obtain advice and assistance
from, and to retain at the Company’s expense, such independent or outside legal
counsel, accounting or other advisors and experts as it determines necessary or
appropriate to carry out its duties, and in connection therewith to receive
appropriate funding, determined by it, from the Company.
6.2
Determine
Administrative Expenses. The
Committee has the power to determine the level and cost of ordinary
administrative expenses necessary or appropriate in carrying out its duties,
with such costs to be borne by the Company.
6.3
Reliance
Permitted. The
Committee will act in reliance on management, the Company’s independent auditor,
internal auditors, and advisors and experts, as it deems necessary or
appropriate.
6.4
Investigations.
The
Committee has the power, in its discretion, to conduct any investigation it
deems necessary or appropriate to enable it to carry out its
duties.
6.5
Required
Participation of Employees. The
Committee shall have unrestricted access to the Company’s employees, independent
auditor, internal auditors, internal and outside counsel, and may require any
employee of the Company or representative of the Company’s outside counsel or
independent auditor to attend meetings of the Committee or to meet with any
members of the Committee or representative of the Committee’s counsel, advisors
or experts.
7.
Rules
and Procedures. Except as
expressly set forth in this Charter or the Company’s By-Laws or Corporate
Governance Guidelines, or as otherwise provided by law or the rules of NASDAQ,
the Committee shall establish its own rules and procedures.
Adopted
on September 22, 2004.
EXHIBIT
C
2002
STOCK OPTION PLAN
OF
TAKE-TWO
INTERACTIVE SOFTWARE, INC.
(As
Amended in June 2002, April 2003 and June 2004 and as adjusted for a 3-for-2
stock split in April 2005)
I. Purpose
Take-Two
Interactive Software, Inc. (the "Company") desires to attract and retain the
best available talent and encourage the highest level of performance in order to
continue to serve the best interests of the Company, and its stockholders. By
affording key personnel and other persons who are expected to contribute to the
success of the Company the opportunity to acquire proprietary interests in the
Company and by providing them incentives to put forth maximum efforts for the
success of the Company, the 2002 Stock Option Plan of the Company (the "2002
Plan") is expected to contribute to the attainment of those
objectives.
The word
"Subsidiary" or "Subsidiaries", as used herein, shall have the meaning set forth
in Section 424(f) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”),
or any successor thereto.
The word
“Parent” as used herein, shall have the meaning set forth in Section 424(e) of
the Code, or any successor thereto.
2. Scope
and Duration
Options
under the 2002 Plan may be granted in the form of incentive stock options
("Incentive Options") as provided in Section 422 of the Code, or in the form of
nonqualified stock options ("Non-Qualified Options"). (Unless otherwise
indicated, references in the 2002 Plan to "options" include Incentive Options
and Non-Qualified Options.) The maximum aggregate number of shares as to which
options may be granted from time to time under the 2002 Plan is 9,000,000 shares
of the common stock of the Company ("Common Stock"), which shares may be, in
whole or in part, authorized but unissued shares or shares reacquired by the
Company. The maximum number of shares with respect to which options may be
granted under the 2002 Plan to any individual employee of the Company or a
subsidiary of the Company during the term of the 2002 Plan is 500,000. If an
option shall expire, terminate or be surrendered for cancellation for any reason
without having been exercised in full, the shares represented by the option or
portion thereof not so exercised shall (unless the 2002 Plan shall have been
terminated) become available for subsequent option grants under the 2002 Plan.
As provided in Paragraph 13 hereof, the 2002 Plan shall become effective on
April 25, 2002, and unless terminated sooner pursuant to Paragraph 14 hereof,
the 2002 Plan shall terminate on April 24, 2012, and no option shall be granted
hereunder after that date.
3. Administration
The 2002
Plan shall be administered by the Board of Directors of the Company, or, at
their discretion, by a committee which is appointed by the Board of Directors to
perform such function (the "Committee"). The Committee shall consist solely of
at least two members of the Board of Directors, each of whom shall serve at the
pleasure of the Board of Directors and shall be a "Non-Employee Director" as
defined in Rule l6b-3 pursuant to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the
"Act") or any successor rule and, if practicable, shall be "outside directors"
as defined in Section 162(m) of the Code. Vacancies occurring in the membership
of the Committee shall be filled by appointment by the Board of
Directors.
The Board
of Directors or the Committee, as the case may be, shall have plenary authority
in its sole discretion, subject to and not inconsistent with the express
provisions of the 2002 Plan, to grant options, to determine the purchase price
of the Common Stock covered by each option, the term of each option, the persons
to whom, and the time or times at which, options shall be granted and the number
of shares to be covered by each option; to designate options as Incentive
Options or Non-Qualified Options; to interpret the 2002 Plan; to prescribe,
amend and rescind rules and regulations relating to the 2002 Plan; to determine
the terms and provisions of the option agreements (which need not be identical)
entered into in connection with options under the 2002 Plan; and to make all
other determinations deemed necessary or advisable for the administration of the
2002 Plan. The Board of Directors or the Committee, as the case may be, may
delegate to one or more of its members or to one or more agents such
administrative duties as it may deem advisable, and the Board of Directors or
the Committee, as the case may be, or any person to whom it has delegated duties
as aforesaid may employ or engage one or more persons to render advice with
respect to any responsibility the Board of Directors or the Committee, as the
case may be, or such person may have under the 2002 Plan.
4. Eligibility;
Factors to be Considered in Granting Options
Incentive
Options shall be limited to persons who are employees of the Company or its
present and future Subsidiaries or, if applicable, its present and future Parent
and at the date of grant of any option are in the employ of the Company or its
present and future Subsidiaries or Parent. In determining the employees to whom
Incentive Options shall be granted and the number of shares to be covered by
each Incentive Option, the Board of Directors or the Committee, as the case may
be, shall take into account the nature of employees' duties, their present and
potential contributions to the success of the Company and such other factors as
it shall deem relevant in connection with accomplishing the purposes of the 2002
Plan. An employee who has been granted an option or options under the 2002 Plan
may be granted an additional option or options, subject, in the case of
Incentive Options, to such limitations as may be imposed by the Code on such
options. Except as provided below, a Non-Qualified Option may be granted to any
person, including, but not limited to, employees, independent agents,
consultants, attorneys and advisors, who the Board of Directors or the
Committee, as the case may be, believes has contributed, or will contribute, to
the success of the Company.
5. Option
Price
The
purchase price of the Common Stock covered by each option shall be determined by
the Board of Directors or the Committee, as the case may be, and shall not be
less than 100% of the Fair Market Value (as defined in Paragraph 15 hereof) of a
share of the Common Stock on the date on which the option is granted. Such price
shall be subject to adjustment as provided in Paragraph 12 hereof. The Board of
Directors or the Committee, as the case may be, shall determine the date on
which an option is granted; in the absence of such a determination, the date on
which the Board of Directors or the Committee, as the case may be, adopts a
resolution granting an option shall be considered the date on which such option
is granted.
6. Term
of Options
The term
of each option shall be not more than 10 years from the date of grant, as the
Board of Directors or the Committee, as the case may be, shall determine,
subject to earlier termination as provided in Paragraphs 10 and 11
hereof.
7. Exercise
of Options
(a) Subject
to the provisions of the 2002 Plan, options granted under the 2002 Plan shall
become exercisable as determined by the Board of Directors or Committee, as the
case may be. In its sole discretion, the Board of Directors or the Committee, as
the case may be, may, in any case or cases, prescribe that options granted under
the 2002 Plan become exercisable in installments or provide that an option may
be exercisable in full immediately upon the date of its grant or at a later
date. The Board of Directors or the Committee, as the case may be, may, in its
sole discretion, also provide that an option granted pursuant to the 2002 Plan
shall immediately become exercisable in full upon the happening of any of the
following events or such other events as the Board of Directors or the
Committee, as the case may be, determines: (i) a "change in control" of the
Company as hereafter defined; or (ii) with respect to an employee, on his 65th
birthday. In the event of a question or controversy as to whether or not any of
the events hereinabove described has taken place, a determination by the Board
of Directors or the Committee, as the case may be, that such event has or has
not occurred shall be conclusive and binding upon the Company and participants
in the 2002 Plan.
(b) For
purposes of the 2002 Plan, a "change in control of the Company" shall be deemed
to occur, unless previously consented to in writing by the optionee or any
person entitled to act under Paragraph 11 hereof, upon (i) the actual
acquisition or the execution of an agreement to acquire 50% or more of the
voting securities of the Company by any person or entity not affiliated with the
grantee, or any person entitled to act under Paragraph 11 hereof (other than
pursuant to a bona fide underwriting agreement relating to a public distribution
of securities of the Company), (ii) the commencement of a tender or exchange
offer for more than 50% of the voting securities of the Company by any person or
entity not affiliated with the grantee, or any persons entitled to act under
Paragraph 11 hereof, (iii) the commencement of a proxy contest against the
management for the election of a majority of the Board of Directors of the
Company if the group conducting the proxy contest owns, has or gains the power
to vote at least 50% of the voting securities of the Company, (iv) a vote by the
Board of Directors to merge, consolidate, sell all or substantially all of the
assets of the Company to any person or entity not affiliated with the grantee,
or any persons entitled to act under Paragraph 11 hereof, or (v) the election of
directors constituting a majority of the Board of Directors who have not been
nominated or approved by the Company; provided,
however, for
purposes of the 2002 Plan, it shall not be deemed a change in control of the
Company if such person or entity acquires 50% or more of the voting securities
of the Company (A) as a result of a combination of the Company or a wholly-owned
subsidiary of Company with another entity owned or controlled by such persons or
entity (whether effected by a merger, sale of assets or exchange of stock or
otherwise) (the "Combination") and (B) after completion of the Combination and
for a continuous period of not less than twelve (12) months thereafter (I)
executive officers of the Company (as designated in the Company's most recent
Annual Report on Form 10-K or its most recent Proxy Statement filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission with respect to its Annual Meeting of
Stockholders) immediately prior to the Combination constitute not less than 50%
of the executive officers of the Company after the Combination or (II) the
members of the Board of Directors of Company immediately prior to the
Combination constitute not less than 50% of the membership of the Board of
Directors of the Company after the Combination. For purposes of calculating the
executive officers of the Company after the Combination, those executive
officers who are terminated by the Company for cause or who terminate their
employment without good reason, as determined by the Board of Directors or
Committee shall be excluded from the calculation entirely.
(c) Any
option at any time granted under the 2002 Plan may contain a provision to the
effect that the optionee (or any persons entitled to act under Paragraph 11
hereof) may, at any time at which Fair Market Value is in excess of the exercise
price and prior to exercising the option, in whole or in part, request that the
Company purchase all or any portion of the option as shall then be exercisable
at a price equal to the difference between (i) an amount equal to the option
price multiplied by the number of shares subject to that portion of the option
in respect of which such request shall be made and (ii) an amount equal to such
number of shares multiplied by the fair market value of the Company's Common
Stock (within the meaning of Section 422 of the Code and the treasury
regulations promulgated thereunder) on the date of purchase. The Company shall
have no obligation to make any purchase pursuant to such request, but if it
elects to do so, such portion of the option as to which the request is made
shall be surrendered to the Company. The purchase price for the portion of the
option to be so surrendered shall be paid by the Company, less any applicable
withholding tax obligations imposed upon the Company by reason of the purchase,
at the election of the Board of Directors or the Committee, as the case may be,
either in cash or in shares of Common Stock (valued as of the date and in the
manner provided in clause (ii) above), or in any combination of cash and Common
Stock, which may consist, in whole or in part, of shares of authorized but
unissued Common Stock or shares of Common Stock held in the Company's treasury.
No fractional share of Common Stock shall be issued or transferred and any
fractional share shall be disregarded. Shares covered by that portion of any
option purchased by the Company pursuant hereto and surrendered to the Company
shall not be available for the granting of further options under the 2002 Plan.
All determinations to be made by the Company hereunder shall be made by the
Board of Directors or the Committee, as the case may be.
Any
option granted under the 2002 Plan may also contain a provision to the effect
that the payment of the exercise price may be made by delivery to the Company by
the optionee of an executed exercise form together with irrevocable instructions
to a broker-dealer to sell or margin a sufficient portion of the shares sold or
margined and deliver the sale or margin loan proceeds directly to the Company to
pay for the exercise price.
(d) An option
may be exercised, at any time or from time to time (subject, in the case of
Incentive Options, to such restrictions as may be imposed by the Code), as to
any or all full shares as to which the option has become exercisable until the
expiration of the period set forth in Paragraph 6 hereof, by the delivery to the
Company, at its principal place of business, of (i) written notice of exercise
in the form specified by the Board of Directors or the Committee, as the case
may be, specifying the number of shares of Common Stock with respect to which
the option is being exercised and signed by the person exercising the option as
provided herein, (ii) payment of the purchase price; and (iii) in the case of
Non-Qualified Options, payment in cash of all withholding tax obligations
imposed on the Company by reason of the exercise of the option. Upon acceptance
of such notice, receipt of payment in full, and receipt of payment of all
withholding tax obligations, the Company shall cause to be issued a certificate
representing the shares of Common Stock purchased. In the event the person
exercising the option delivers the items specified in (i) and (ii) of this
Subsection (d), but not the item specified in (iii) hereof, if applicable, the
option shall still be considered exercised upon acceptance by the Company for
the full number of shares of Common Stock specified in the notice of exercise
but the actual number of shares issued shall be reduced by the smallest number
of whole shares of Common Stock which, when multiplied by the Fair Market Value
of the Common Stock as of the date the option is exercised, is sufficient to
satisfy the required amount of withholding tax.
(e) If the
payment of the purchase price is to be made in cash, the cash purchase price of
the shares as to which an option is exercised shall be paid in full at the time
of exercise. Payment shall be made in cash, which may be paid by check or other
instrument acceptable to the Company; in addition, subject to compliance with
applicable laws and regulations and such conditions as the Board of Directors or
the Committee, as the case may be, may impose, the Board of Directors or the
Committee, as the case may be, in its sole discretion, may on a case-by-case
basis elect to accept payment in shares of Common Stock of the Company which are
already owned by the option holder and have been owned by the option holder for
at least six months (or such other period as the Board or Committee, as the case
may be, determines), valued at the Fair Market Value thereof (as defined in
Paragraph 15 hereof) on the date of exercise; provided, however, that with
respect to Incentive Options, no such discretion may be exercised unless the
option agreement permits the payment of the purchase price in that
manner.
(f) Except as
provided in Paragraphs 10 and 11 hereof, no option granted to an employee may be
exercised at any time by such employee unless such employee is then an employee
of the Company or a Subsidiary or Parent.
8. Incentive
Options
(a) With
respect to Incentive Options granted, the aggregate Fair Market Value
(determined in accordance with the provisions of Paragraph 15 hereof at the time
the Incentive Option is granted) of the Common Stock or any other stock of the
Company or its current or future Subsidiaries or Parent with respect to which
incentive stock options, as defined in Section 422 of the Code, are exercisable
for the first time by any employee during any calendar year (under all incentive
stock option plans of the Company and its parent and subsidiary corporations, as
those terms are defined in Section 424 of the Code) shall not exceed
$100,000.
(b) No
Incentive Option may be awarded to any employee who immediately prior to the
date of the granting of such Incentive Option owns more than 10% of the combined
voting power of all classes of stock of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries
unless the exercise price under the Incentive Option is at least 110% of the
Fair Market Value of the Common Stock on the date of grant and the option
expires within 5 years from the date of grant.
(c) In the
event of amendments to the Code or applicable regulations relating to Incentive
Options subsequent to the date hereof, the Company may amend the provisions of
the 2002 Plan, and the Company and the employees holding options may agree to
amend outstanding option agreements, to conform to such amendments.
9. Non-Transferability
of Options
Except as
may be otherwise provided by the Board or Committee at or after the date of
grant with respect to a Non-Qualified Option, options granted under the 2002
Plan shall not be transferable otherwise than by will or the laws of descent and
distribution, and options may be exercised during the lifetime of the optionee
only by the optionee. No transfer of an option by the optionee by will or by the
laws of descent and distribution shall be effective to bind the Company unless
the Company shall have been furnished with written notice thereof and a copy of
the will and such other evidence as the Company may deem necessary to establish
the validity of the transfer and the acceptance by the transferor or transferees
of the terms and conditions of such option.
10. Termination
of Employment
In the
event that the employment of an employee to whom an option has been granted
under the 2002 Plan shall be terminated (except as set forth below or in
Paragraph 11 hereof), such option may be, subject to the provisions of the 2002
Plan, exercised (to the extent that the employee was entitled to do so at the
termination of his employment) at any time within ninety (90) days after such
termination (or such longer or shorter period as may be determined by the Board
or Committee, as the case may be, at or at any time after the date of grant of
the option), but not later than the date on which the option terminates;
provided, however, that any option which is held by an employee whose employment
is terminated for cause or voluntarily without the consent of the Company (for
purposes of the 2002 Plan termination due to retirement at or after age 65 shall
be deemed to be with the consent of the Company) shall, to the extent not
theretofore exercised, automatically terminate as of the date of termination of
employment. As used herein, "cause" shall mean conduct amounting to fraud,
dishonesty, negligence, or engaging in competition or solicitations in
competition with the Company and breaches of any applicable employment agreement
between the Company or any Subsidiary or Parent and the optionee. Options
granted to employees under the 2002 Plan shall not be affected by any change of
duties or position so long as the holder continues to be a regular employee of
the Company or any of its current or future Subsidiaries. Any option agreement
or any rules and regulations relating to the 2002 Plan may contain such
provisions as the Board of Directors or the Committee, as the case may be, shall
approve with reference to the determination of the date employment terminates
and the effect of leaves of absence. The Board of Directors, or Committee, as
the case may be, shall, in its sole discretion, determine for purposes of the
2002 Plan whether the Company has consented to the departure of an employee who
voluntarily leaves the employ of the Company.
Notwithstanding
the foregoing, the Board of Directors or Committee, as the case may be, either
at or any time after the date of grant of an option, may, in its discretion,
provide for longer or shorter periods than the ninety (90) day period specified
above during which an option held by an employee may be exercised by the
employee after the employee ceases to be employed by the Company or a Subsidiary
or Parent. Any such determination shall be based upon such factors as the Board
of Directors or the Committee, as the case may be, shall determine, provided,
however, that no such discretion shall be exercised with respect to an employee
whose employment with the Company or Subsidiary or Parent has been terminated
for cause.
11. Death
or Disability of Employee
If an
employee to whom an option has been granted under the 2002 Plan shall die while
employed by the Company or a Subsidiary or Parent or within ninety (90) days (or
such longer or shorter period as the Board of Directors, or the Committee, as
the case may be, shall determine at or any time after the date of grant of the
option) after the termination of such employment (other than termination for
cause or voluntary termination without the consent of the Company), such option
may be exercised, to the extent exercisable by the employee on the date of
death, by a legatee or legatees of the employee under the employee's last will,
or by the employee's personal representative or distributees, at any time within
one year after the date of the employee's death, but not later than the date on
which the option terminates. In the event that the employment of an employee to
whom an option has been granted under the 2002 Plan shall be terminated as the
result of a disability (the determination of which shall be made by the Board of
Directors or Committee, as the case may be), such option may be exercised, to
the extent exercisable by the employee on the date of such termination, at any
time within one year after the date of such termination, but not later than the
date on which the option terminates.
Notwithstanding
the foregoing, the Board of Directors, or Committee, as the case may be, either
at or at any time after the date of grant of an option, may, in its discretion,
provide for longer or shorter periods than the one year period specified above
in which an option held by an employee who ceases to be employed by the Company
as a result of death or disability may be exercised. Any such determination
shall be based upon such factors as the Board or the Committee, as the case may
be, shall determine, provided, however, that no such discretion shall be
exercised with respect to an employee who dies after the employee's employment
with the Company or Parent or Subsidiary has been terminated for
cause.
12. Adjustments
Upon Changes in Capitalization, Etc.
Notwithstanding
any other provision of the 2002 Plan, the Board of Directors or the Committee,
as the case may be, may, at any time, make or provide for such adjustments to
the 2002 Plan, to the number and class of shares issuable thereunder or to any
outstanding options as it shall deem appropriate to prevent dilution or
enlargement of rights, including adjustments in the event of changes in the
outstanding Common Stock by reason of stock dividends, split-ups,
recapitalizations, mergers, consolidations, combinations or exchanges of shares,
separations, reorganizations, liquidations and the like. In the event of any
offer to holders of Common Stock generally relating to the acquisition of their
shares, the Board of Directors or the Committee, as the case may be, may make
such adjustment as it deems equitable in respect of outstanding options and
rights, including in its sole discretion revision of outstanding options and
rights so that they may be exercisable for the consideration payable in the
acquisition transaction. Any such determination by the Board of Directors or the
Committee, as the case may be, shall be conclusive and binding upon the Company
and the participants in the 2002 Plan. Any fractional shares resulting from such
adjustments shall be eliminated.
13. Effective
Date
The 2002
Plan shall become effective on April 25, 2002, the date of adoption by the Board
of Directors of the Company, subject to approval by the stockholders of the
Company on or before April 24, 2003.
14. Termination
and Amendment
The Board
of Directors of the Company may suspend, terminate, modify or amend the 2002
Plan, provided that any amendment that would increase the aggregate number of
shares which may be issued under the 2002 Plan, materially modify the
requirements as to eligibility for participation in the 2002 Plan or increase
the benefits under the Plan, shall be subject to the approval of the Company's
stockholders, except that any such increase or modification that may result from
adjustments authorized by Paragraph 12 hereof does not require such approval. No
suspension, termination, modification or amendment of the 2002 Plan may, without
the consent of the person to whom an option shall theretofore have been granted,
adversely affect the rights of such person under such option.
15. Miscellaneous
As said
term is used in the 2002 Plan, the "Fair Market Value" of a share of Common
Stock on any day means: (a) if the principal market for the Common Stock is a
national securities exchange or the National Association of Securities Dealers
Automated Quotations System ("NASDAQ), the closing sales price of the Common
Stock on such day as reported by such exchange or market system, or on a
consolidated tape reflecting transactions on such exchange or market system, or
(b) if the principal market for the Common Stock is not a national securities
exchange and the Common Stock is not quoted on NASDAQ, the mean between the
highest bid and lowest asked prices for the Common Stock on such day as reported
by the National Quotation Bureau, Inc.; provided that if clauses (a) and (b) of
this paragraph are both inapplicable, or if no trades have been made or no
quotes are available for such day, the Fair Market Value of the Common Stock
shall be determined by the Board of Directors or the Committee, as the case may
be, and shall be conclusive as to the Fair Market Value of the Common
Stock.
In the
event the Company is the subject of an acquisition, merger or consolidation or
similar transaction where the Company is not the surviving entity, the Board or
Committee, as the case may be, may in its sole discretion, but shall not be
required to, request that as a condition of the transaction the surviving entity
assume the obligations of the Company with respect to the options then
outstanding under the 2002 Plan.
The Board
of Directors or the Committee, as the case may be, may require, as a condition
to the exercise of any options granted under the 2002 Plan, that to the extent
required at the time of exercise, (i) the shares of Common Stock reserved for
purposes of the 2002 Plan shall be duly listed, upon official notice of
issuance, upon stock exchange(s) on which the Common Stock is listed, (ii) a
Registration Statement under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, with
respect to such shares shall be effective, and/or (iii) the person exercising
such option deliver to the Company such documents, agreements and investment and
other representations as the Board of Directors or the Committee, as the case
may be, shall determine to be in the best interests of the Company.
During
the term of the 2002 Plan, the Board of Directors or the Committee, as the case
may be, in its sole discretion, may offer one or more option holders the
opportunity to surrender any or all unexpired options for cancellation or
replacement. If any options are so surrendered, the Board of Directors or the
Committee, as the case may be, may then grant new Non-Qualified or Incentive
Options to such holders for the same or different numbers of shares at higher or
the same exercise prices than the surrendered options. Such new options may have
a different term and shall be subject to the provisions of the 2002 Plan the
same as any other option.
Anything
herein to the contrary notwithstanding, the Board of Directors or the Committee,
as the case may be, may, in its sole discretion, impose more restrictive
conditions on the exercise of an option granted pursuant to the 2002 Plan,
including the ability of an option holder to exercise an option after cessation
of employment; however, any and all such conditions shall be specified in the
option agreement limiting and defining such option. The Board of Directors or
the Committee, as the case may be, may also amend the terms of any option
previously granted under the 2002 Plan, provided that the terms of any such
amended option are not inconsistent with any provisions of the 2002 Plan and
that no such amendment shall adversely affect the rights of the person to whom
the option has been granted without the consent of such person or, if
applicable, the permitted transferee of such optionee or any person entitled to
act under Paragraph 11 hereof.
NOTHING
IN THE 2002 PLAN OR IN ANY OPTION GRANTED PURSUANT TO THE 2002 PLAN SHALL CONFER
UPON ANY EMPLOYEE ANY RIGHT TO CONTINUE IN THE EMPLOY OF THE COMPANY OR ANY OF
ITS SUBSIDIARIES OR PARENT OR AFFILIATED COMPANIES OR INTERFERE IN ANY WAY WITH
THE RIGHT OF THE COMPANY OR ANY SUCH SUBSIDIARY OR PARENT OR AFFILIATED
COMPANIES TO TERMINATE SUCH EMPLOYMENT AT ANY TIME.
16. Compliance
with SEC Regulations.
It is the
Company's intent that the 2002 Plan comply in all respects with Rule 16b-3 of
the Act or any successor rule and any regulations promulgated thereunder. If any
provision of the 2002 Plan is later found not to be in compliance with said
Rule, the provisions shall be deemed null and void.
EXHIBIT
D
TAKE-TWO
INTERACTIVE SOFTWARE, INC.
Incentive
Stock Plan
(as
adjusted for 3-for-2 stock split in April 2005)
Section
1. Purpose
The
purpose of the Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. Incentive Stock Plan is to
enable Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (the “Company”) to offer to those of
its employees and to the employees of its Subsidiaries who are expected to
contribute to the success of the Company, long term equity interests in the
Company, thereby enhancing its ability to attract, retain and reward such key
employees, and to increase the mutuality of interests between those employees
and the shareholders of the Company.
Section
2. Administration
The Plan
shall be administered by the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors
(the “Board”), the membership of which shall consist solely of two or more
members of the Board, each of whom shall serve at the pleasure of the Board and
shall be a "Non-Employee Director," as defined in Rule 16b-3 under the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and, if practicable, shall also be an "outside
director," as defined in Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code, and shall
be at all times constituted so as not to adversely affect the compliance of the
Plan with the requirements of Rule 16b-3 or with the requirements of any other
applicable law, rule or regulation.
The
Committee shall have the authority to grant, pursuant to the terms of the Plan,
to directors (other than directors serving as members of the Committee),
officers and other employees shares of the Company’s Common Stock (“Stock”)
pursuant to: (i) Section 5 (“Restricted Stock”), (ii) Section 6 (“Deferred
Stock”) and/or (iii) Section 7 (“Other Stock-Based Awards”). Notwithstanding
anything in the Plan to the contrary, (i) Stock granted under this Plan shall be
subject to a minimum pro rata vesting period of three years with respect to
outright grants and a minimum vesting period of one year with respect to
performance based grants. The Board reserves the right to make and set the terms
of and to interpret the terms of any grant of Stock under the Plan to directors
who are members of the Committee.
For
purposes of illustration and not of limitation, the Committee shall have the
authority (subject to the express provisions of the Plan):
|
(i) |
to
select the directors, officers and other employees of the Company or any
Subsidiary to whom Restricted Stock, Deferred Stock and/or Other
Stock-Based Awards may be from time to time granted
hereunder; |
|
(ii) |
to
determine the Restricted Stock, Deferred Stock and/or Other Stock-Based
Awards, or any combination thereof, if any, to be granted hereunder to one
or more eligible persons; |
|
(iii) |
to
determine the number of shares of Stock to be covered by each award
granted hereunder; |
|
(iv) |
to
determine the terms and conditions, not inconsistent with the terms of the
Plan, of any award granted hereunder (including, but not limited to, share
price, any restrictions or limitations, and any vesting acceleration
and/or forfeiture provisions); |
|
(v) |
to
determine the terms and conditions under which awards granted hereunder
are to operate on a tandem basis and/or in conjunction with or apart from
other awards made by the Company or any Subsidiary outside of the Plan;
and |
|
(vi) |
to
determine the extent and circumstances under which Stock and other amounts
payable with respect to an award hereunder shall be deferred.
|
Subject
to Section 9 hereof, the Committee shall have the authority to (i) adopt, alter
and repeal such administrative rules, guidelines and practices governing the
Plan as it shall, from time to time, deem advisable, (ii) interpret the terms
and provisions of the Plan and any award issued under the Plan (and to determine
the form and substance of all agreements relating thereto), and (iii) to
otherwise supervise the administration of the Plan.
Subject
to the express provisions of the Plan, all decisions made by the Committee
pursuant to the provisions of the Plan shall be made in the Committee's sole and
absolute discretion and shall be final and binding upon all persons, including
the Company, its Subsidiaries and the Plan participants.
Section
3. Stock Subject to Plan
The total
number of shares of Stock reserved and available for distribution under the Plan
shall be 1,500,000 shares, and shall include Restricted Stock previously granted
by the Committee and Board. Such shares may consist, in whole or in part, of
authorized and unissued shares or treasury shares.
If any
shares of Stock that are subject to any Restricted Stock, Deferred Stock or
Other Stock-Based award are forfeited, such shares shall again be available for
distribution under the Plan.
In the
event of any merger, reorganization, consolidation, recapitalization, stock
dividend, stock split, extraordinary distribution with respect to the Stock or
other change in corporate structure affecting the Stock, such substitution or
adjustments shall be made in the aggregate number of shares of Stock reserved
for issuance under the Plan.
Subject
to the provisions of the immediately preceding paragraph, the maximum numbers of
shares subject to Restricted Stock, Deferred Stock and other Stock-Based awards
to (i) all of the Company’s directors and officers (as determined in accordance
with Rule 16a-1(f) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) as a group or (ii)
each of the Company's chief executive officer and the four other highest
compensated executive officers who are employed by the Company on the last day
of any taxable year of the Company, shall be 375,000 shares during the term of
the Plan.
Section
4. Eligibility
Directors,
officers and other employees of the Company or any Parent or Subsidiary (but
excluding any person whose eligibility would adversely affect the compliance of
the Plan with the requirements of Rule 16b-3) who are at the time of the grant
of an award under the Plan employed by the Company or any Subsidiary and who are
responsible for or contribute to the management, growth and/or profitability of
the business of the Company or any Parent or Subsidiary, are eligible to be
granted awards under the Plan. Eligibility under the Plan shall be determined by
the Committee.
The
Committee may, in its sole discretion, include additional conditions and
restrictions in connection with awards under the Plan. The grant of an award
under the Plan, and any determination made in connection therewith, shall be
made on a case by case basis and can differ among grantees. The grant of an
award under the Plan is a privilege and not a right and the determination of the
Committee can be applied on a non-uniform (discretionary) basis.
Section
5. Restricted Stock
|
(a) |
Grant
and Exercise. Shares
of Restricted Stock may be issued either alone or in addition to or in
tandem with other awards granted under the Plan. The Committee shall
determine the eligible persons to whom, and the time or times at which
grants of Restricted Stock will be made, the number of shares to be
awarded, the price (if any) to be paid by the recipient, the time or times
within which such awards may be subject to forfeiture (the "Restriction
Period"), the vesting schedule and rights to acceleration thereof, and all
other terms and conditions of the awards. The Committee may condition the
grant of Restricted Stock upon the attainment of such factors as the
Committee may determine. |
|
(b) |
Terms
and Conditions.
Each Restricted Stock award shall be subject to the following terms and
conditions: |
|
(i) |
Restricted
Stock, when issued, will be represented by a stock certificate or
certificates registered in the name of the holder to whom such Restricted
Stock shall have been awarded. During the Restriction Period, the
Restricted Stock shall be subject to such restrictions, terms and
conditions as may be established by the Committee.
|
|
(ii) |
Restricted
Stock shall constitute issued and outstanding shares of Common Stock for
all corporate purposes, and the issuance thereof shall be made for at
least the minimum consideration (if any) necessary to permit the shares of
Restricted Stock to be deemed to be fully paid and nonassessable. The
holder will have the right to vote such Restricted Stock, to receive and
retain all regular cash dividends and other cash equivalent distributions
as the Board may in its sole discretion designate, pay or distribute on
such Restricted Stock and to exercise all other rights, powers and
privileges of a holder of Stock with respect to such Restricted Stock,
with the exceptions that (A) other than regular cash dividends and other
cash equivalent distributions as the Board may in its sole discretion
designate, pay or distribute, the Company will retain custody of all
distributions ("Retained Distributions") made or declared with respect to
the Restricted Stock (and such Retained Distributions will be subject to
the same restrictions, terms and conditions as are applicable to the
Restricted Stock) until such time, if ever, as the Restricted Stock with
respect to which such Retained Distributions shall have been made, paid or
declared shall have become vested and with respect to which the
Restriction Period shall have expired; (B) the holder may not sell,
assign, transfer, pledge, exchange, encumber or dispose of the Restricted
Stock or any Retained Distributions during the Restriction Period; and (C)
a breach of any of the restrictions, terms or conditions contained in the
Plan or any agreement referred to in Section 5(b)(iv) below, or otherwise
established by the Committee with respect to any Restricted Stock or
Retained Distributions will cause a forfeiture of such Restricted Stock
and any Retained Distributions with respect thereto. Notwithstanding
anything to the contrary in this Plan, the Committee may grant Restricted
Stock awards outright, without any restrictions and conditions, except
those restrictions under federal securities
laws. |
|
(iii) |
Upon
the expiration of the Restriction Period with respect to each award of
Restricted Stock and the satisfaction of any other applicable
restrictions, terms and conditions (A) all or part of such Restricted
Stock shall become vested in accordance with the terms of any agreement
referred to in Section 5(b)(iv) below or as otherwise established by the
Committee, and (B) any Retained Distributions with respect to such
Restricted Stock shall become vested to the extent that the Restricted
Stock related thereto shall have become vested. Any such Restricted Stock
and Retained Distributions that do not vest shall be forfeited to the
Company and the holder shall not thereafter have any rights with respect
to such Restricted Stock and Retained Distributions that shall have been
so forfeited. |
|
(iv) |
Restricted
Stock awards may be confirmed by, and may be subject to the terms of, an
agreement executed by the Company and the
participant. |
Section
6. Deferred Stock
|
(a) |
Grant
and Exercise.
Deferred Stock may be awarded either alone or in addition to or in tandem
with other awards granted under the Plan. The Committee shall determine
the eligible persons to whom and the time or times at which Deferred Stock
shall be awarded, the number of shares of Deferred Stock to be awarded to
any person, the duration of the period (the "Deferral Period") during
which, and the conditions under which, receipt of the Deferred Stock will
be deferred, and all the other terms and conditions of the awards. The
Committee may condition the grant of the Deferred Stock upon the
attainment of such factors or criteria as the Committee shall
determine. |
|
(b) |
Terms
and Conditions.
Each Deferred Stock award shall be subject to the following terms and
conditions: |
|
(i) |
Subject
to the provisions of the Plan, any agreement referred to in Section
6(b)(vii) below and any conditions otherwise established by the Committee,
Deferred Stock awards may not be sold, assigned, transferred, pledged or
otherwise encumbered during the Deferral Period. At the expiration of the
Deferral Period (or the Additional Deferral Period referred to in Section
6(b)(vi) below, where applicable), share certificates shall be delivered
to the participant, or his legal representative, in a number equal to the
shares of Stock covered by the Deferred Stock
award. |
|
(ii) |
As
determined by the Committee at the time of award, amounts equal to any
dividends declared during the Deferral Period (or the Additional Deferral
Period referred to in Section 6(b)(vi) below, where applicable) with
respect to the number of shares covered by a Deferred Stock award may be
paid to the participant currently or deferred and deemed to be reinvested
in additional Deferred Stock. |
|
(iii) |
Subject
to the provisions of any agreement referred to in Section 6(b)(vii) below
and this Section 6 and Section 11(g) below, upon termination of a
participant's employment with the Company or any Parent or Subsidiary for
any reason during the Deferral Period (or the Additional Deferral Period
referred to in Section 6(b)(vi) below, where applicable) for a given
award, the Deferred Stock in question will vest or be forfeited in
accordance with the terms and conditions established by the Committee at
the time of grant. |
|
(iv) |
The
Committee may, after grant, accelerate the vesting of all or any part of
any Deferred Stock award and/or waive the deferral limitations for all or
any part of a Deferred Stock award. |
|
(v) |
In
the event of hardship or other special circumstances of a participant
whose employment with the Company or any Parent or Subsidiary is
involuntarily terminated (other than for cause), the Committee may waive
in whole or in part any or all of the remaining deferral limitations
imposed hereunder or pursuant to any agreement referred to in Section
6(b)(vii) below with respect to any or all of the participant's Deferred
Stock. |
|
(vi) |
A
participant may request to, and the Committee may at any time, defer the
receipt of an award (or an installment of an award) for an additional
specified period or until a specified period or until a specified event
(the "Additional Deferral Period"). Subject to any exceptions adopted by
the Committee such request must be made at least one year prior to
expiration of the Deferral Period for such Deferred Stock award (or such
installment). |
|
(vii) |
Deferred
Stock awards may be confirmed by, and may be subject to the terms of, an
agreement executed by the Company and the
participant. |
Section
7. Other Stock-Based Awards
|
(a) |
Grant
and Exercise.
Other Stock-Based Awards, which may include performance shares and shares
valued by reference to the performance of the Company or any Subsidiary,
may be granted either alone or in addition to or in tandem with Restricted
Stock or Deferred Stock. The Committee shall determine the eligible
persons to whom, and the time or times at which, such awards shall be
made, the number of shares of Stock to be awarded pursuant to such awards,
and all other terms and conditions of the awards. The Committee may also
provide for the grant of Stock under such awards upon the completion of a
specified performance period. |
|
(b) |
Terms
and Conditions.
Each Other Stock-Based Award shall be subject to the following terms and
conditions: |
|
(i) |
Shares
of Stock subject to an Other Stock-Based Award may not be sold, assigned,
transferred, pledged or otherwise encumbered prior to the date on which
the shares are issued, or, if later, the date on which any applicable
restriction or period of deferral lapses. |
|
(ii) |
The
recipient of an Other Stock-Based Award shall be entitled to receive,
currently or on a deferred basis, dividends or dividend equivalents with
respect to the number of shares covered by the award, as determined by the
Committee at the time of the award. The Committee may provide that such
amounts (if any) shall be deemed to have been reinvested in additional
Stock. |
|
(iii) |
Any
Other Stock-Based Award and any Stock covered by any Other Stock-Based
Award shall vest or be forfeited to the extent so provided in any
agreement referred to in Section 7(b)(v) below or as otherwise determined
by the Committee. |
|
(iv) |
In
the event of the participant's retirement, disability or death, or in
cases of special circumstances, the Committee may waive in whole or in
part any or all of the limitations imposed hereunder (if any) with respect
to any or all of an Other Stock-Based
Award. |
|
(v) |
Other
Stock-Based Awards may be confirmed by, and may be subject to the terms
of, an agreement executed by the Company and by the
participant. |
Section
8. Change of Control Provisions
(a) A "Change
of Control" shall be deemed to have occurred on the tenth day
after:
|
(i) |
any
individual, corporation or other entity or group (as defined in Section
13(d)(3) of the Exchange Act), becomes, directly or indirectly, the
beneficial owner (as defined in the General Rules and Regulations of the
Securities and Exchange Commission with respect to Sections 13(d) and
13(g) of the Exchange Act) of more than 50% of the then outstanding shares
of the Company's capital stock entitled to vote generally in the election
of directors of the Company; or |
|
(ii) |
the
commencement of, or the first public announcement of the intention of any
individual, firm, corporation or other entity or of any group (as defined
in Section 13(d)(3) of the Exchange Act) to commence, a tender or exchange
offer subject to Section 14(d)(1) of the Exchange Act for any class of the
Company's capital stock; or |
|
(iii) |
the
shareholders of the Company approve (A) a definitive agreement for the
merger or other business combination of the Company with or into another
corporation pursuant to which the shareholders of the Company do not own,
immediately after the transaction, more than 50% of the voting power of
the corporation that survives, or (B) a definitive agreement for the sale,
exchange or other disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of
the Company, or (C) any plan or proposal for the liquidation or
dissolution of the Company; |
provided,
however, that a "Change of Control" shall not be deemed to have taken place if
beneficial ownership is acquired (A) directly from the Company, other than an
acquisition by virtue of the exercise or conversion of another security unless
the security so converted or exercised was itself acquired directly from the
Company, or (B) by, or a tender or exchange offer is commenced or announced by,
the Company, any profit-sharing, employee ownership or other employee benefit
plan of the Company; or any trustee of or fiduciary with respect to any such
plan when acting in such capacity.
|
(b) |
In
the event of a "Change of Control" as defined in Section 8(a) above, all
restrictions and deferral limitations contained in Restricted Stock,
Deferred Stock and Other Stock-Based Awards granted under the Plan shall
lapse, unless the provisions of this Section 8 are suspended or terminated
by an affirmative vote of a majority of the Board prior to the occurrence
of such a "Change of Control." |
Section
9. Amendments and Termination
The Board
may at any time, and from time to time, amend any of the provisions of the Plan,
and may at any time suspend or terminate the Plan; provided, however, that any
amendment that would increase the number of shares which may be issued under the
Plan, materially modify the requirements as to eligibility under the Plan or
increase the benefits under the Plan, shall be subject to stockholder approval.
Subject to the preceding sentence, the Committee may amend the terms of any
award heretofore granted under the Plan; provided, however, that subject to
Section 3 above, no such amendment may be made by the Committee which in any
material respect impairs the rights of the participant without the participant's
consent, except for such amendments which are made to cause the Plan to qualify
for the exemption provided by Rule 16b-3.
Section
10. Unfunded Status of Plan
The Plan
is intended to constitute an "unfunded" plan for incentive and deferred
compensation. With respect to any payments not yet made to a participant by the
Company, nothing contained herein shall give any such participant any rights
that are greater than those creditor of the Company.
Section
11. General Provisions
|
(a) |
The
Committee may require each person acquiring shares of Stock pursuant to an
award under the Plan to represent to and agree with the Company in writing
that the participant is acquiring the shares for investment without a view
to distribution thereof. |
All
certificates for shares of Stock delivered under the Plan shall be subject to
such stop transfer orders and other restrictions as the Committee may deem to be
advisable under the rules, regulations, and other requirements of the Securities
and Exchange Commission, any stock exchange or association upon which the Stock
is then listed or traded, any applicable Federal or state securities law, and
any applicable corporate law, and the Committee may cause a legend or legends to
be put on any such certificates to make appropriate reference to such
restrictions.
|
(b) |
Nothing
contained in the Plan shall prevent the Board from adopting such other or
additional incentive arrangements as it may deem desirable, including, but
not limited to, the granting of stock options and the awarding of stock
and cash otherwise than under the Plan; and such arrangements may be
either generally applicable or applicable only in specific
cases. |
|
(c) |
Nothing
contained in the Plan or in any award hereunder shall be deemed to confer
upon any employee of the Company or any Parent or Subsidiary any right to
continued employment with the Company or any Parent or Subsidiary, nor
shall it interfere in any way with the right of the Company or any Parent
or Subsidiary to terminate the employment of any of its employees at any
time. |
|
(d) |
No
later than the date as of which an amount first becomes includable in the
gross income of the participant for Federal income tax purposes with
respect to any award under the Plan, the participant shall pay to the
Company, or make arrangements satisfactory to the Committee regarding the
payment of, any Federal, state and local taxes of any kind required by law
to be withheld or paid with respect to such amount. If permitted by the
Committee tax withholding or payment obligations may be settled with
Stock, including Stock that is part of the award that gives rise to the
withholding requirement. The obligations of the Company under the Plan
shall be conditional upon such payment or arrangements, and the Company
shall, to the extent permitted by law, have the right to deduct any such
taxes from any payment of any kind otherwise due to the participant from
the Company or any Parent or Subsidiary. |
|
(e) |
The
Plan and all awards made and actions taken thereunder shall be governed by
and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York
(without regard to choice of law
provisions). |
|
(f) |
Any
award made under the Plan shall not be deemed compensation for pur-poses
of computing benefits under any retirement plan of the Company or any
Parent or Subsidiary and shall not affect any benefits under any other
benefit plan now or subsequently in effect under which the availability or
amount of benefits is related to the level of compensation (unless
required by specific reference in any such other plan to awards under the
Plan). |
|
(g) |
A
leave of absence, unless otherwise determined by the Committee prior to
the commencement thereof, shall not be considered a termination of
employment. Any awards made under the Plan shall not be affected by any
change of employment, so long as the holder continues to be an employee of
the Company or any Parent or Subsidiary. |
|
(h) |
Except
as otherwise expressly provided in the Plan or in any agreement, no right
or benefit under the Plan may be alienated, sold, assigned, hypothecated,
pledged, exchanged, transferred, encumbranced or charged, and any attempt
to alienate, sell, assign, hypothecate, pledge, exchange, transfer,
encumber or charge the same shall be void. No right or benefit hereunder
shall in any manner be subject to the debts, contracts or liabilities of
the person enti-tled to such benefit. |
|
(i) |
The
obligations of the Company with respect to all awards under the Plan shall
be subject to (A) all applicable laws, rules and regulations, and such
approvals by any governmental agencies as may be required, and (B) the
rules and regulations of any securities exchange or association on which
the Stock may be listed or traded. |
|
(j) |
If
any of the terms or provisions of the Plan conflicts with the requirements
of Rule 16b-3 as in effect from time to time, or with the requirements of
any other applicable law, rule or regulation, then such terms or
provisions shall be deemed inoperative to the extent they so conflict with
the requirements of said Rule 16b-3. |
Section
12. Effective Date of Plan
The Plan
shall be effective as of the date of the approval and adoption thereof at a
meeting of the Board, provided that the Plan shall cover Restricted Stock
previously granted by the Committee and Board.
Section
13. Term of Plan
No award
shall be granted pursuant to the Plan after the tenth anniversary of the
effective date of the Plan, but awards granted on or prior to such tenth
anniversary may extend beyond that date.