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
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Filed
by a Party other than the Registrant o
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Check
the appropriate box:
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Preliminary
Proxy Statement
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Confidential,
for Use of the Commission Only (as permitted by
Rule 14a-6(e)(2))
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Definitive
Proxy Statement
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Definitive
Additional Materials
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Soliciting
Material Pursuant to §240.14a-12
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MCF
CORPORATION
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(Name
of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter)
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(Name
of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if other than the
Registrant)
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Payment
of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box):
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No
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Fee
computed on table below per Exchange Act
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Per
unit price or other underlying value of transaction computed pursuant
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Persons
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MCF
CORPORATION
May
3,
2007
Dear
MCF
Corporation Stockholder:
You
are
cordially invited to attend MCF Corporation’s 2007 annual meeting of
stockholders to be held on Friday, June 8, 2007, at 1:30 p.m., Pacific
Standard Time, at 600 California Street, 9
th
Floor,
San Francisco, CA 94108.
An
outline of the business to be conducted at the meeting is given in the
accompanying Notice of Annual Meeting of Stockholders and Proxy Statement.
In
addition to the matters to be voted on, there will be a report on our progress
and an opportunity for stockholders to ask questions.
I
hope
you will be able to join us. To ensure your representation at the meeting,
I
encourage you to complete, sign and return the enclosed proxy card as soon
as
possible. Your vote is very important. Whether you own a few or many shares
of
stock, it is important that your shares be represented.
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Sincerely,
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D.
Jonathan Merriman
Chairman
and Chief Executive
Officer
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NOTICE
OF ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS
TO
THE
STOCKHOLDERS:
The
2007
annual meeting of stockholders of MCF Corporation will be held on Friday, June
8, 2007, at 1:30 p.m., Pacific Standard Time, at 600 California Street,
9
th Floor,
San Francisco, CA 94108. At the meeting, you will be asked:
1.
To elect
nine directors to serve until the 2008 annual meeting of
stockholders;
2.
To
approve the addition of shares of common stock to the 2003 Stock Option and
Incentive Plan; and
3.
To
transact such other business as may properly be presented at the annual
meeting.
The
foregoing items of business are more fully described in the proxy statement
accompanying this notice.
If
you
were a stockholder of record at the close of business on
April 20, 2007, you may vote at the annual meeting and any adjournment
or postponement.
We
invite
all stockholders to attend the meeting in person. If you attend the meeting,
you
may vote in person even if you previously signed and returned a
proxy.
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By
Order of the Board of Directors,
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Christopher L. Aguilar |
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Secretary |
San
Francisco, California
May
3,
2007
YOUR
VOTE IS IMPORTANT. TO ASSURE REPRESENTATION OF YOUR SHARES, PLEASE COMPLETE,
SIGN AND DATE THE ENCLOSED PROXY AND MAIL IT PROMPTLY IN THE ENCLOSED
ENVELOPE.
MCF
CORPORATION
600
California Street, 9th Floor
San
Francisco, California 94108
FOR
THE 2007 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS
General
The
Board
of Directors (the “Board”) of MCF Corporation (the “Company”), a Delaware
corporation, is soliciting this proxy to be voted at the 2007 annual meeting
of
stockholders to be held on Friday, June 8, 2007, at 1:30 p.m., Pacific
Standard Time, or at any adjournment or postponement thereof. The 2007 annual
meeting of stockholders will be held at MCF Corporation, headquarters, 600
California Street, 9
th Floor,
San Francisco, California 94108.
Method
of Proxy Solicitation
These
proxy solicitation materials were mailed on or about May 3, 2007, to all
stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting. The Company will pay the cost
of
soliciting these proxies. These costs include the expenses of preparing and
mailing proxy materials for the annual meeting and reimbursement paid to
brokerage firms and others for their expenses incurred in forwarding the proxy
materials. Directors, officers, and employees of the Company may also solicit
proxies, in person, or by mail, telephone, facsimile or email, without
additional compensation.
Voting
of Proxies
Your
shares will be voted as you direct on your signed proxy card. If you do not
specify on your proxy card how you want to vote your shares, we will vote signed
returned proxies:
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FOR
the election of the Board’s nine nominees for director;
and
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FOR
the approval of the addition of shares of common stock to the 2003
Stock
Option and Incentive Plan.
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We
do not
know of any other business that may be presented at the annual meeting. If
a
proposal other than those listed in the notice is presented at the annual
meeting, your signed proxy card gives authority to the persons named in the
proxy to vote your shares on such matters in their discretion.
Required
Vote
Record
holders of shares of the Company’s common stock at the close of business on
April 20, 2007, the voting record date, may vote at the meeting with
respect to the election of nine directors and approval of the addition of shares
of common stock to the 2003 Stock Option and Incentive Plan. Each share of
common stock outstanding on the record date has one vote. At the close of
business on March 30, 2007, there were 10,614,496 shares of common stock
issued and outstanding.
The
Company’s bylaws provide that a majority of the shares entitled to vote,
represented in person or by proxy, constitutes a quorum for transaction of
business. Assuming the presence of a quorum at the annual meeting, the vote
of
the holders of at least a plurality of the stock having voting power
present in person or represented by proxy is required to elect the nine
directors and approve the addition of shares of common stock to the 2003 Stock
Option and Incentive Plan. Cumulative voting is not permitted with respect
to
the election of directors. Each is tabulated separately. Abstentions and broker
non-votes are counted as present for purposes of establishing a quorum. Broker
non-votes, however, will not be considered as part of the voting power present
or represented at the annual meeting for purposes of any matter voted on at
the
meeting.
Revocability
of Proxies
You
may
revoke your proxy by giving written notice to the Secretary of the Company
or by
delivering a later proxy to the Secretary, either of which must be received
prior to the annual meeting, or by attending the meeting and voting in
person.
PROPOSAL
1: ELECTION OF DIRECTORS
The
Board
has nominated nine directors for election at the 2007 annual meeting. If you
elect them, they will hold office until the next annual meeting, until their
respective successors are duly elected and qualified, or until their earlier
resignation or removal.
Vote
Required
The
affirmative vote of the holders of at least a plurality of the stock having
voting power present in person or represented by proxy is required to elect
the
nine nominees of the Board as directors. Cumulative voting is not permitted
with
respect to the election of directors. Unless you specify otherwise, your
returned signed proxy will be voted in favor of each of the Board’s nominees. In
the event a nominee is unable to serve, your proxy may vote for another person
nominated by the Board. The Board has no reason to believe that any of the
nominees will be unavailable.
THE
BOARD OF DIRECTORS UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS THAT STOCKHOLDERS VOTE “FOR” EACH OF
THE BOARD’S NOMINEES LISTED BELOW.
Directors
Set
forth
below are the principal occupations of, and other information regarding, the
nine director nominees of the Board. Each of these persons is an incumbent
director.
D.
Jonathan Merriman,
46, has
served as our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer from February 2002. Prior
to
that period, Mr. Merriman was President and CEO of Ratexchange Corporation,
the
predecessor company to MCF Corporation. Mr. Merriman and his team engineered
the
transition of Ratexchange, a software trading platform company, into a
full-service institutional investment bank, MCF Corporation. From June 1998
to
October 2000, Mr. Merriman was Managing Director and Head of the Equity Capital
Markets Group and member of the Board of Directors at First Security Van Kasper.
In this capacity, he oversaw the Research, Institutional Sales, Equity Trading,
Syndicate and Derivatives Trading departments. From June 1997 to June 1998,
Mr.
Merriman served as Managing Director and Head of Capital Markets at The Seidler
Companies in Los Angeles, where he also served on the firm’s Board of Directors.
Before Seidler, Mr. Merriman was Director of Equities for
Dabney/Resnick/Imperial, LLC. In 1989, Mr. Merriman co-founded the hedge fund
company Curhan, Merriman Capital Management, Inc., which managed money for
high
net worth individuals and corporations. Before Curhan, Merriman Capital
Management, Inc., he worked in the Risk Arbitrage Department at Bear Stearns
& Co. as a trader. Prior to Bear Stearns, Mr. Merriman worked at Merrill
Lynch as a financial analyst and as an institutional equity salesman. Mr.
Merriman received his Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Dartmouth College
and
completed coursework at New York University’s Graduate School of Business. Mr.
Merriman has served on the Boards of several organizations and currently holds
seats on the Board of Directors of MCF Corporation, and Leading Brands,
Inc.
Patrick
H. Arbor,
70, has
served as a member of our Board of Director since February 2001 and has served
as a member of the audit committee since April 2001. Mr. Arbor is currently
Chairman of United Financial Holdings Inc., a bank holding company. Mr. Arbor
has been a principal of the trading firm of Shatkin-Arbor & Co. from 1997 to
the present time. He is a longtime member of the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT),
the world’s oldest derivatives exchange, serving as the organization’s Chairman
from 1993 to 1999. During that period, Mr. Arbor also served on the Board of
Directors of the National Futures Association. Prior to that, he served as
Vice
Chairman of the CBOT for three years and ten years as a Director. Mr. Arbor’s
other exchange memberships include the Chicago Board Options Exchange, the
Mid-America Commodity Exchange and the Chicago Stock Exchange. Mr. Arbor
received his undergraduate degree in business and economics from Loyola
University. Mr. Arbor is
independent under American Stock Exchange and NYSE Arca Exchange
guidelines.
Ronald
E. Spears,
58, has
served as a member of our Board of Directors from March 2000 to present and
served as a member of the Audit Committee from April 2001 to August 2003. Since
March 2002, Mr. Spears has served as President of AT&T’s Signature Client
Group, the sales organization that serves AT&T’s largest 325 Global
accounts. From October 1990 until joining AT&T in 2002, Mr. Spears served in
a number of early stage ventures primarily involved in the development and
sale
of technology solutions to large corporate enterprises. During this time, he
served as Chief Operating Officer of e.Spire Communications, an East Coast
CLEC;
Chief Executive Officer of CMGI Solutions, an Internet Professional Services
firm; and Chief Executive Officer of Vaultus, a wireless software company.
In
these roles, he led several successful equity and debt offerings for these
ventures. Mr. Spears also served in various capacities at MCI Communications
from 1979 to 1990; his last position was President of MCI’s Midwest Division
from 1984 to 1990. A pioneer of the competitive long distance industry, Mr.
Spears began his career in telecommunications as a manager at AT&T Long
Lines in 1978, following eight years as an
officer
in the United States Army. He is a graduate of the United States Military
Academy at West Point, and also holds a Master’s Degree in Public Service from
Western Kentucky University. Mr. Spears is independent under American Stock
Exchange and NYSE Arca Exchange guidelines.
Steven
W. Town,
46, has
served as a member of our Board of Directors from October 2000 to present and
has served as a member of the compensation committee since April 2001. Mr.
Town
has served as Co-Chief Executive Officer of the Amerex Natural Gas, Amerex
Power
and Amerex Bandwidth, Ltd. Mr. Town began his commodities career in 1987 in
the
retail futures industry prior to joining the Amerex Group of Companies. He
began
the Amerex futures and forwards brokerage group in natural gas in 1990, in
Washington D.C., and moved this unit of Amerex to Houston in 1992. During Mr.
Town’s tenure as Co-Chief Executive Officer, the Amerex companies have become
the leading brokerage organizations in their respective industries. Amerex
currently provides energy, power and bandwidth brokerage services to many of
the
energy companies. Mr. Town is a graduate of Oklahoma State University. Mr.
Town
is independent under American Stock Exchange and NYSE Arca Exchange
guidelines.
Raymond
J. Minehan,
66, has
served as a member of our Board of Directors and as a member of our audit
committee and compensation committee since August 2003. Since May 2005, Mr.
Minehan has served as Chief Financial Officer for the Conservation and
Liquidation Office of the State of California. From February 2002 to May 2005,
Mr. Minehan was retired. From February 2001 to February 2002, Mr. Minehan served
as the Chief Financial Officer at Memestreams, Inc., a startup company that
was
developing information management software. From January 1997 to August 2000,
he
served as the Chief Administrative Officer at Sutro & Co. where he was
responsible for all administrative functions including finance, management
information systems, telecommunications, operations, human resources and
facilities. From 1989 to 1997, he served as chief financial officer at Hambrecht
& Quist, Inc. From 1972 to 1989, Mr. Minehan served as a partner with Arthur
Andersen LLP. Mr. Minehan served in the United States Air Force as a navigator
assigned to the Strategic Air Command as B-52 navigator/electronic warfare
officer. He attained the rank of Captain. Mr. Minehan received his Bachelor
of
Arts degree in Finance from Golden Gate University. Mr. Minehan is independent
under American Stock Exchange and NYSE Arca Exchange guidelines.
Dennis
G. Schmal, 60,
has served as a member of our Board of Directors and as a member of our audit
committee since August 2003. From February 1972 to April 1999,
Mr. Schmal served as a partner in the audit practice at Arthur Andersen
LLP. From April 1999 to the present, Mr. Schmal has served as an
independent business consultant, and performed a variety of consulting services
for a number of companies. As a senior business advisor with
special expertise in finance, he has extensive knowledge of financial
reporting and holds the CPA designation. Besides serving chairman of the board
of a private company, Mr. Schmal also serves on the board of directors
for two additional public companies, Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates
, Inc. (VSEA) and North Bay Bancorp (NBAN). Mr. Schmal attended
California State University, Fresno where he received a Bachelor of Science
in
Business Administration- Finance and Accounting Option. Mr. Schmal is
independent under American Stock Exchange and NYSE Arca Exchange
guidelines.
Anthony
B. Helfet
, 61,
has been a director since February 2004. Since February 2006, Mr. Helfet has
been vice chairman to Merriman Curhan Ford & Co and co-head of Mergers and
Acquisitions. Mr. Helfet was a Special Advisor to UBS Warburg from September
2001 through December 2001. From 1991 to August 31, 2001, Mr. Helfet was a
Managing Director of Dillon, Read & Co. Inc. and its successor organization,
UBS Warburg. Mr. Helfet was also a Managing Director of the Northwest Region
of
Merrill Lynch Capital Markets from 1979 to 1989. Mr. Helfet received his A.B.
degree from Columbia College in 1966 and his M.B.A. from the graduate school
of
business at Columbia University in 1972. From 1967 until 1970, Mr. Helfet served
as an infantry officer in the United States Marine Corps and served in Vietnam
in 1968 and 1969. Mr. Helfet serves on the Board of Directors of Layne
Christensen Company and Alliance Imaging Inc.
Scott
Potter,
38,
became a Director of MCF Corporation in August 2004. From February 2005 until
the present, he has served as a Managing General Partner of San Francisco Equity
Partners (SFEP), a private equity firm focused on expansion stage companies
within the information technology, media, consumer, and service industries.
Prior to founding SFEP in February 2005, Mr. Potter served as Director of LMS
Capital, the venture capital arm of London Merchant Securities plc
(LON:LMSO) from January 2003 to February 2005, where Mr. Potter oversaw LMS’
North American Private Equity portfolio. Prior to joining LMS, Mr. Potter held
the position of Senior Vice President, Field Operations at Inktomi Corporation
from August 2002 to January 2003 where he had responsibility for Inktomi’s sales
force, business development, consulting services, and field offices. From
January 2000 to August 2002, Mr. Potter served as President and CEO of Quiver,
Inc., an enterprise software company funded by some of the world’s leading
Venture Capital firms. Under Mr. Potter’s leadership, Quiver became a leading
company in the Information Management space, and ultimately was acquired by
Inktomi in August of 2002. Prior to his tenure at Quiver, Mr. Potter was
Executive Vice President in charge of business development and corporate
development at Worldres, Inc., an online travel technology company. Mr. Potter’s
career began as an attorney for one of Silicon Valley’s leading law firms,
Venture Law Group. A frequent speaker at technology industry conferences and
investor forums, Mr. Potter holds a BA in Industrial Psychology from the
University of California at Berkeley and a JD Degree from UC Berkeley’s Boalt
Hall School of Law. Mr. Potter currently serves as Chairman of The Guild, Inc.
and serves on the board of directors of Luxury Link, Method Products, Penguin
Computing, and Rave Motion Pictures. Mr. Potter is independent under American
Stock Exchange and NYSE Arca Exchange guidelines.
William
J. Febbo,
37, has
been a Director of MCF Corporation since April 2007. Mr. Febbo was chief
executive officer and founder of MedPanel, Inc., an online medical market
intelligence firm, from January 1999 to April 2007. At MedPanel, Mr. Febbo
oversaw the company's sales, marketing, technology, finance and content
development organizations. In April 2007, MedPanel, Inc. was acquired by MCF
Corporation and became Panel Intelligence, LLC, where Mr. Febbo continues his
responsibilities. Mr. Febbo has been Treasurer on the board of the United
Nations of Greater Boston since November 2004. Prior to founding MedPanel,
Inc.,
Mr. Febbo was Chairman of the board of Pollone, a Brazilian manufacturing
venture in the automotive industry, from January 1998 to January 1999. From
January 1996 to January 1999, Mr. Febbo was with Dura Automotive working in
business development and mergers and acquisition overseas. Mr. Febbo received
his B.S. degree in International Studies with a focus on Economics and Spanish
from Dickinson College.
Executive
Officers
Gregory
S. Curhan,
45, has
served as our Executive Vice President from January 2002 to present and served
as Chief Financial Officer from January 2002 to January 2004. Previously, he
served as Chief Financial Officer of WorldRes.com from May 1999 through June
2001. Prior to joining WorldRes.com, Mr. Curhan served as Director of Global
Technology Research Marketing and Managing Director Specialty Technology
Institutional Equity Sales at Merrill Lynch & Co. from May 1998 to May 1999.
Prior to joining Merrill Lynch, Mr. Curhan was a partner in the investment
banking firm of Volpe Brown Whelan & Co., serving in various capacities
including Internet research analyst and Director of Equities from May 1993
to
May 1998. Mr. Curhan was a founder and principal of the investment advisor
Curhan, Merriman Capital Management from July 1988 through December 1992. Prior
to founding Curhan, Merriman, Mr. Curhan was a Vice President institutional
equity sales for Montgomery Securities from June 1985 through June 1988. From
August 1983 to May 1985, Mr. Curhan was a financial analyst in the investment
banking group at Merrill Lynch. Mr. Curhan earned his Bachelor of Arts degree
from Dartmouth College.
Robert
E. Ford,
46, had
served as President and Chief Operating Officer for MCF Corporation since
February 2001. He brings 20 years of executive and operations experience to
the
Company. Prior to joining MCF Corporation from February 2000 to February 2001,
Mr. Ford was a co-Founder and CEO of Metacat, Inc., a content management ASP
that specialized in enabling supplier catalogs for Global 2000 private exchanges
and eMarketplaces. From June 1996 to December 1999, he was President/COO and
on
the founding team of JobDirect.com, a leading resume and job matching service
for university students, which was acquired by Korn Ferry International.
Previously, Mr. Ford co-founded and managed an education content company from
September 1994 to 1996. Prior to that, from May 1992 to
August
1994, he headed up a turnaround and merger as General Manager of a 65 year-old
manufacturing and distribution company. Mr. Ford started his career as VP of
Business Development at Lazar Enterprises, a technology-consulting firm he
helped operate from June 1989 to February 1992. He earned his Masters in
International Business and Law from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy
in
1989 at Tufts University and a BA with high distinction from Dartmouth College
in 1982.
John
D. Hiestand,
39,
joined MCF Corporation as the Controller in January 2002 and became Chief
Financial Officer in January 2004. From December 2000 to November 2001, he
served as the Controller of the Metro-Switching Division at CIENA Corporation.
Mr. Hiestand had come to CIENA through the merger with Cyras Systems, Inc.,
where he served as the Controller from March 2000 to December 2000. Prior to
joining Cyras Systems, Inc., Mr. Hiestand served as a Senior Manager in the
audit practice at KPMG LLP in San Francisco. Mr. Hiestand received a Bachelor
of
Arts in Business from California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo
in 1991, and holds the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and Chartered Financial
Analyst (CFA) designations.
Christopher
L. Aguilar,
44, has
served as General Counsel of MCF Corporation from March 2000 to present and
serves as General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer of Merriman Curhan Ford
& Co. He brings 15 years of legal and regulatory experience to the Company.
From August 1995 to March 2000, Mr. Aguilar was a partner at Bradley, Curley
& Asiano, a San Francisco law firm, where he represented the interests of
public and private corporations, small businesses and individuals in commercial
litigation. Mr. Aguilar has also worked for the San Francisco City Attorney
and
Alameda County District Attorney’s offices. Mr. Aguilar received his juris
doctorate degree from the University of California, Hastings College of the
Law.
He also attended Oxford University as an undergraduate and received his Bachelor
of Arts degree from the Integral Program at St. Mary’s College of California
where he was included in Who’s Who among American Colleges and
Universities.
Brock
Ganeles,
40, has
served as Director of Equities since February 2003. Previously, he served
as a Director in the Institutional Sales Group at Credit Suisse First Boston
from October 2000 to February 2003. At CSFB, Mr. Ganeles focused
on Technology products and covered both tier one and hedge accounts. In
addition, he managed the firm’s training program for institutional salespeople.
Mr. Ganeles had come to CSFB through the merger with Donaldson,
Lufkin & Jenrette, where he spent nine months covering west coast
institutions and hedge funds. Prior to his bulge bracket experience at CSFB
/
DLJ, Mr. Ganeles was a partner at Volpe Brown Whelan & Co, a
technology and healthcare boutique in San Francisco, from 1995 to 1999. Prior
to
Volpe, he was a partner at the Carson Group, an Investor Relations Consulting
Firm based in New York City, from 1991 to 1995. Mr. Ganeles holds a
Bachelor of Arts in Government from Wesleyan.
Board
Meetings and Committees
In
2006,
the Board of Directors held four regular meetings of the Board and two special
meetings. During 2006, no incumbent director attended fewer than 75% of the
aggregate of (a) the total number of meetings of the Board of Directors
held during the period for which he has been a director and (b) the total
number of meetings held by all committees of the Board of Directors on which
he
served during the period that he served. MCF has the following Board
committees:
Audit
Committee.
The principal functions of the Audit Committee are to engage our independent
accounting firm, to consult with our auditors concerning the scope of the audit
and to review with them the results of their examination, to approve the
services performed by the independent auditors, to review and approve any
material accounting policy changes affecting our operating results and to review
our financial control procedures and personnel. The following Board members
served as Audit Committee members during 2006: Patrick Arbor, Raymond
Minehan and Dennis Schmal. Mr. Schmal serves as the Chairman of the Audit
Committee and is a Financial Expert in satisfaction of the Sarbanes-Oxley and
the American Stock Exchange requirements. Raymond Minehan has also been
identified as a Financial Expert. The Audit Committee held five meetings in
2006. The Audit Committee approves the engagement of and the services to be
performed by the Company’s independent accountants and reviews the Company’s
accounting principles and its system of internal accounting controls. The Board
has determined that all members of the Audit Committee are “independent” as that
term is defined in Rule 121(A) of the listing standards of
the American Stock Exchange and NYSE Arca Exchange.
The
Audit
Committee is committed to upholding the highest legal and ethical conduct in
fulfilling its responsibilities and expects the Company’s directors, as well as
its officers and employees, to act ethically at all times and to acknowledge
their adherence to the Company’s policies. The Company’s Board of Directors has
adopted a written charter for the Audit Committee. The Audit Committee charter
is available at www.mcfco.com.
Compensation
Committee.
The
Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors has exclusive authority to
establish the level of compensation paid to the Company’s executive officers and
certain employees and administers the Company’s stock option plans. The
following Board members served as Compensation Committee members during 2006:
Donald Sledge, Steve Town, Dennis Schmal and Ray Minehan. Mr. Sledge served
as the Chairman of the Committee until November 2006 when he resigned. Mr.
Schmal joined the committee in Mr. Sledge’s place. Mr. Town became Chairman of
the Committee in November 2006. It is a fully independent committee, consistent
with American Stock Exchange and NYSE Arca Exchange guidelines. The Compensation
Committee held six meetings in 2006. The Compensation Committee charter is
available at www.mcfco.com.
Nominations
and Corporate Governance Committee.
This committee is responsible for identifying qualified individuals to become
Board members, make recommendations that the Board select director nominees,
develop and recommend corporate governance principles to the Board and take
a
leadership role in corporate governance. The following Board members served
as
Nominations and Corporate Governance Committee members during 2006: Scott
Potter, Dennis Schmal and Steve Town. Mr. Potter serves as the Chairman of
the Committee. The committee has approved a Charter and each member is
independent, consistent with American Stock Exchange and NYSE Arca Exchange
guidelines. The Committee will consider qualified and timely stockholder
nominees on the same basis that it considers other nominees. Stockholders who
wish to submit nominations to the Board should submit such nominates to the
Company’s Secretary no later than January 3, 2008. The Board has no specific
minimum qualifications for nominating directors to the Board, but the Board
seeks to nominate the most qualified candidates from whatever source. The Board
has no formal process for evaluating nominations for directors. When an opening
arises on the Board, the Board considers all qualified candidates. The committee
met twice in 2006. The Nominations and Corporate Governance Committee charter
is
available at www.mcfco.com.
Stockholder
Communications with the Board of Directors.
Stockholders interested in communicating with our Board of Directors may do
so
by writing to our General Counsel, Christopher Aguilar, at 600 California
Street, 9
th Floor,
San Francisco, CA 94108. Our General Counsel will review all stockholder
communications. Those that appear to contain subject matter reasonably related
to matters within the purview of our Board of Directors will be forwarded to
the
entire Board or the individual Board member to whom the communication was
addressed. Obscene, threatening or harassing communications will not be
forwarded. We encourage the members of our Board to attend our annual meeting
of
stockholders, although attendance is not mandatory.
AUDIT
COMMITTEE REPORT
The
information contained in this report shall not be deemed to be “soliciting
material” or “filed” or incorporated by reference in future filings with the
Securities and Exchange Commission, or subject to the liabilities of
Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, except to the extent
that the Company specifically incorporates it by reference into a document
filed
under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or Securities Exchange Act of
1934, as amended.
The
Audit
Committee reviews our financial reporting process on behalf of the Board of
Directors. In fulfilling its responsibilities, the Audit Committee has reviewed
and discussed the audited financial statements contained in the 2006 Annual
Report on Form 10-K with MCF’s management and the independent registered
public accounting firm.
Management is responsible for the financial statements and the reporting
process, including the system of internal controls. The independent registered
public accounting firm is responsible for expressing an opinion on the
conformity of those audited financial statements with generally accepted
accounting principles.
The
Audit
Committee discussed with the independent registered public accountants the
matters required to be discussed by Statement on Auditing Standards
No. 61,
Communication with Audit Committees,
as
amended. The audit committee has also received written disclosures and the
letter from the independent registered public accounting firm required by
Independence Standards Board Standard No. 1 Independence Discussions with
Audit Committees (which relates to the accountant’s independence from the
Company and its related entities) and has discussed with the independent
registered public accounting firm their independence from the
Company.
In
reliance on the reviews and discussions referred to above, the Audit Committee
recommended to the board the inclusion of the audited financial statements
in
MCF’s 2006 Annual Report on Form 10-K for filing with the Securities and
Exchange Commission.
AUDIT
COMMITTEE
Dennis
G.
Schmal, Chairman
Raymond
J. Minehan
Patrick
H. Arbor
EXECUTIVE
COMPENSATION
Compensation
Discussion and Analysis
The
Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors, or the “Committee” in this
Compensation Discussion and Analysis, is responsible for establishing,
implementing and monitoring compliance with the Company’s compensation programs,
policies and philosophy. The Committee monitors whether the compensation paid
to
the Company’s executive officers, Messrs. Merriman, Curhan, Ford, Hiestand and
Aguilar, is fair, reasonable and competitive and is substantially tied to the
performance of the Company. These individuals are referred to as the “named
executive officers” here and elsewhere in this registration
statement.
Compensation
Objectives
The
Company’s executive compensation program is designed to attract, retain and
motivate talented individuals who will execute our business plan so that the
Company can succeed. Our program is simple in its design and easy to communicate
to employees. An executive officer can earn substantial cash compensation above
salary to the extent that the Company achieves performance goals consistent
with
its business plan. The Company does not automatically target compensation levels
at a certain percentage of compensation paid by a peer group to comparable
executives.
Compensation
Committee Process
The
first
step the Committee takes each year in setting executive compensation is to
discuss the short-term and long-term business objectives of the Company with
the
executive officers and the Board of Directors. The Committee defines measurable
milestones and performance metrics to be used in the compensation program.
The
Committee identifies which elements of compensation that it will award to the
executive officers and the amount of cash compensation that will be paid if
the
Company achieves its business plan for the upcoming year. The Committee
generally meets during the fourth quarter of the year immediately prior to
the
beginning of the upcoming performance year to begin this process. Once the
general terms and parameters have been established, the Committee solicits
comments and suggested changes to proposed compensation levels from the Board
of
Directors.
Selected
members of management assist the Committee where necessary and appropriate.
For
example, the Committee may request the Chief Financial Officer to model the
financial objectives and milestones against established annual budgets to show
the impact of annual cash incentives on each of the officer’s compensation.
Members of management may also be requested to draft the proposed compensation
plans under the Committee’s supervision. The Committee works closely with the
Board of Directors and with management when finalizing compensation plans.
The
Committee, however, has ultimate decision making authority with respect to
establishing and administrating the Company’s executive compensation
programs.
The
Committee historically had not engaged its own compensation consultant. Earlier
this year, the Committee engaged the services of Compensia LLC as its
compensation consultant to assist it in reviewing the Company’s executive
compensation plans for 2007. The compensation consultant has been retained
to
advise the Committee on how competitive the Company is with respect to executive
officer pay levels (base salary, annual cash awards and equity compensation),
the design of the annual cash incentive, the design and timing of equity
compensation grants and the process for reviewing executive
compensation.
Elements
of Executive Compensation
The
Company’s executive compensation program consists of the following elements:
|
·
|
equity
compensation (in the form of stock options and restricted
stock)
|
|
·
|
post-termination
compensation
|
The
Company does not have any deferred compensation programs or retirement programs
other than our 401(k) and Employee Stock Purchase Programs that are generally
available to all employees. The Company enrolls all salaried employees in its
health and life insurance programs.
Each
of
these elements of executive compensation is addressed separately
below.
Base
Salary
Base
salary is provided in order to retain executives consistent with the Company’s
industry and the geographic location when we do not improve financial
performance. In 2005, base salary for our named executive officers listed in
this filing was $150,000. In February 2006, the Committee determined that these
salary levels were relatively low by San Francisco area standards after
negotiations with the executive officers. As adjusted, base salaries for the
named executive officers ranged between $225,000 and $250,000 for 2006. Base
salaries paid to executive officers were fully deductible in 2006.
Annual
Cash Award
Annual
cash awards under our Executive and Management Bonus Plan (“EMB”) are designed
to focus our named executive officers on the corporate level objectives
designated by the Committee as part of the Company’s business plan for a
particular year. For 2006, executive officers were eligible to receive an annual
cash award based on the Company’s performance in three separate areas - overall
revenue, incremental revenue growth over the prior year and profitability,
as
measured by the Company’s earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and
amortization (EBITDA). This approach is intended to maximize shareholder value
by growing revenues and growing earnings, with greater emphasis being given
to
earnings growth.
In
February 2006, the Committee approved the 2006 EMB and the award opportunity
under the EMB for each of the named executive officers. The award opportunity
is
expressed as a fixed percentage of the Company’s overall revenue, incremental
revenue growth over the prior year and EBITDA. The Committee selected these
percentages in order to provide an annual cash award opportunity that would
be
weighted 65% to EBITDA, 20% to incremental revenue growth and 15% for gross
revenue if the Company were to have achieved its 2006 business plan. The actual
cash award earned by each named executive officer for 2006 is computed by
multiplying the fixed percentage set forth below by the Company’s actual
financial results in each of the following areas:
Name
|
|
Percentage
of
Gross
Revenue
|
|
Percentage
of
Incremental
Revenue
Growth
|
|
Percentage
of
EBITDA
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
D.
Jonathan
Merriman
|
|
|
0.124
|
%
|
|
0.607
|
%
|
|
5.373
|
%
|
Gregory
S. Curhan
|
|
|
0.099
|
%
|
|
0.485
|
%
|
|
4.298
|
%
|
Robert
E. Ford
|
|
|
0.075
|
%
|
|
0.364
|
%
|
|
3.22
|
%
|
John
D. Hiestand
|
|
|
0.037
|
%
|
|
0.182
|
%
|
|
1.612
|
%
|
Christopher
L. Aguilar
|
|
|
0.037
|
%
|
|
0.182
|
%
|
|
1.612
|
%
|
If
the
Company had achieved its 2006 business plan with respect to each of these
financial criteria, the named executive officers would have received most of
their cash compensation through annual cash awards, as reflected in the
following chart:
Name
|
|
Salary
|
|
Annual
Cash Award upon Achieving 2006 Business Plan
|
|
Percentage
of At Risk Compensation
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
D.
Jonathan Merriman
|
|
$
|
250,000
|
|
$
|
500,000
|
|
|
67
|
%
|
Gregory
S. Curhan
|
|
$
|
250,000
|
|
$
|
400,000
|
|
|
62
|
%
|
Robert
E. Ford
|
|
$
|
250,000
|
|
$
|
300,000
|
|
|
55
|
%
|
John
D. Hiestand
|
|
$
|
225,000
|
|
$
|
150,000
|
|
|
40
|
%
|
Christopher
L. Aguilar
|
|
$
|
225,000
|
|
$
|
150,000
|
|
|
40
|
%
|
Mr.
Merriman, our Chief Executive Officer, and Mr. Curhan, our Executive Vice
President, received a greater opportunity to earn an annual cash award than
the
other named executive officers due to their greater ability to affect the
Company’ financial results. EMB payments are made at the end of the annual
performance period except of the portion of the annual incentive that’s based on
gross revenue, which is payable monthly.
In
2006,
the Company did not have positive EBITDA and, as a result, the executives’ bonus
amounts were less than they were in 2005. Annual cash incentives were paid
only
with respect to overall revenue and incremental revenue growth. The reduced
payments reflect how a change in corporate performance can impact executive
compensation under our pay for performance philosophy. The amounts paid as
annual cash awards to the named executive officers is reported in the
“Non-Equity Incentive Compensation” column of the Summary Compensation Table.
Equity
Compensation
Equity
compensation in the form of stock options and restricted stock under the
stockholder-approved 1999 Stock Option Plan, 2000 Stock Option and Incentive
Plan, 2001 Stock Option and Incentive Plan and 2003 Stock Option and Incentive
Plan focus executive officers’ efforts on actions that they believe are required
for the Company’s long-term success as reflected in increases to the Company’s
stock price over the long-term. In 2006, the Company did not grant any form
of
equity compensation to its named executive officers due to prior ownership
levels and the annual cash award opportunity. The Committee does consider equity
to be an important element of executive compensation. Except as noted below
with
respect to determining option exercise prices and the delegation of authority
to
award options, the Committee is reconsidering all aspects of its equity
compensation program with the assistance of its consultant, including the amount
and timing of equity awards to executive officers.
The
Committee’s practice when granting stock options had been to use the closing
price of the Company’s stock on the trading day immediately prior to the date of
the grant as the exercise price. Effective February 2007, the Committee
determined to set the exercise price for stock options using the closing price
of the Company’s common stock on the day of the grant. The Company has not and
does not time the grant of stock options around the disclosure of non-public
information or back date stock options.
The
Board
of Directors has delegated its authority to grant equity awards to non-executive
employees to the Chief Executive Officer, so long as an award to a non-executive
officer does not exceed 17,857 shares (125,000 shares prior to the Company’s
reverse stock split of 1 for 7 shares on November 15, 2006). The Chief Executive
Officer will also consult with the other executive officers when determining
the
nature and size of equity awards to non-executive employees. The Chief Executive
Officer is required to inform the Board on a quarterly basis of all awards
he
has made under this delegation authority.
On
January 1, 2006, the Company began accounting for stock-based payments including
its grants of stock options and grants of restricted stock in accordance with
the requirements of FASB Statement 123(R).
Post-Termination
Compensation
Three
of
the named executive officers, Messrs. Merriman, Curhan and Ford, were parties
to
employment agreements with the Company during 2006. The term of these agreements
expired in January 2007. The agreements were entered into to retain these
individuals and to provide them with certain protections in the event that
their
employment was involuntarily terminated (other than for cause) or by them with
good reason. In addition, the agreements set forth specified benefits (a cash
payment and the acceleration of equity) to be paid or provided upon a change
of
control of the company. The Committee felt that it was appropriate to protect
the equity interests of the executives in the event of a change in control
and
also, given the important role that they would play in any corporate transaction
resulting in a change in control, to provide them with additional compensation
should such a transaction occur. The amount of benefits that each executive
would potentially earn under these contracts upon a covered termination of
employment and a change in control is described and quantified below under
“Potential Payments upon Termination of Employment or Change in
Control.”
Compensation
Committee Report
The
Committee has reviewed and discussed the Compensation Discussion and Analysis
with the management of the Company. Based on such review and discussion, it
recommended to the Board of Directors inclusion of the Compensation Discussion
and Analysis in this Proxy Statement and, through incorporation by reference
from this Proxy Statement, the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year
ended December 31, 2006.
|
|
|
|
Compensation
Committee:
|
|
|
Steven
W. Town, Chairman
|
|
|
Raymond
J. Minehan
|
|
|
Dennis
G. Schmal
|
SUMMARY
COMPENSATION TABLE
The
following table sets forth the compensation earned by our Chief Executive
Officer, Chief Financial Officer, and our three most other highly compensated
executive officers during the year ended December 31, 2006, whom we refer to
as
our named executive officers.
Name
and principal position (a)
|
|
Year
(b)
|
|
Salary
($)
(c)
|
|
Stock
Awards
($)
(d)(1)
|
|
Option
Awards
($)
(e)(1)
|
|
Non-Equity
Incentive
Plan
Compensation
($)
(f)(2)
|
|
Total
($)
(h)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
D.
Jonathan Merriman
Chairman
and Chief
Executive
Officer
|
|
|
2006
|
|
|
250,000
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
1,204
|
|
|
119,007
|
|
|
370,211
|
|
Gregory
S. Curhan
Executive
Vice President
|
|
|
2006
|
|
|
250,000
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
683
|
|
|
95,047
|
|
|
345,730
|
|
Robert
E. Ford
President
and Chief
Operating
Officer
|
|
|
2006
|
|
|
250,000
|
|
|
61,875
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
71,703
|
|
|
383,578
|
|
John
D. Hiestand
Chief
Financial Officer
|
|
|
2006
|
|
|
225,000
|
|
|
75,092
|
|
|
678
|
|
|
35,588
|
|
|
336,358
|
|
Christopher
L. Aguilar
General
Counsel
|
|
|
2006
|
|
|
225,000
|
|
|
68,833
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
35,588
|
|
|
329,421
|
|
(1)
|
The
amounts included in columns (d) and (e) are the dollar amounts recognized
for financial statement reporting purposes for the fiscal year ended
December 31, 2006 and consist entirely of amounts from awards granted
prior to 2006. The Company did not grant any stock options, restricted
stock or other equity-based awards to the named executive officers
in
2006. The value of options reported in column (e) was calculated
using the
Black-Scholes model, with the following assumptions: volatility,
81%;
average expected term (years), 4.4; risk-free interest rate, 4.75%;
and no
dividend yield. For further information, see the note to the financial
statements included in the Company’s 10-K entitled “Fair Value and
Assumptions Used to Calculate Fair Value under SFAS 123(R) and SFAS
123.”
There were no forfeitures of stock options or other equity-based
awards by
the named executive officers in
2006.
|
(2) |
The
amounts included in column (f) are performance-based annual incentive
awards earned by the named executive officers under the Company’s
Executive and Management Bonus Program during 2006. There were no
discretionary bonuses awarded to the named executive officers in
2006.
These awards are more fully described under the “Grants of Plan-Based
Awards” table.
|
Narrative
to the Summary Compensation Table:
As
of
December 31, 2006, each of Messrs. Merriman, Curhan and Ford were parties to
employment agreements with the Company. These agreements expired on January
1,
2007. Messrs. Hiestand and Aguilar do not have employment agreements with the
Company. The following is a summary of certain terms contained in the employment
agreements with Messrs. Merriman, Curhan and Ford, as in effect on December
31,
2006.
Base
Salary.
Each
employment agreement provides the executive with a minimum amount of base
salary, which cannot be decreased during the term of the agreement.
Bonus.
Under
the agreements, each executive is entitled to receive an annual bonus based
upon
the performance of the Company. The amount and terms of the bonus are approved
by the Compensation Committee. The annual bonus amount is a certain percentage
of pre-defined corporate performance metrics.
Benefit
Plans; Equity.
Each
executive is entitled to participate in the Company’s benefit and equity plans
on the same basis as other executive employees of the Company. In addition,
pursuant to Company policy, the Company provides Messrs. Merriman, Curhan and
Ford with parking at the Company’s principal offices.
GRANTS
OF PLAN-BASED AWARDS
The
following table contains information about grants of plan-based awards under
the
Company’s 2006 Executive and Management Bonus Program (EMB). No stock options or
other equity-based awards were granted to the named executive officers in the
fiscal year ended December 31, 2006.
Name
(a)
|
|
Grant
Date
(b)
|
|
Estimated
Payouts
Under
Non-Equity
Incentive
Plan Awards
($)
(c)(1)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
D.
Jonathan Merriman
|
|
|
5/4/06
|
|
|
500,000
|
|
Gregory
S. Curhan
|
|
|
5/4/06
|
|
|
400,000
|
|
Robert
E. Ford
|
|
|
5/4/06
|
|
|
300,000
|
|
John
D. Hiestand
|
|
|
5/4/06
|
|
|
150,000
|
|
Christopher
L. Aguilar
|
|
|
5/4/06
|
|
|
150,000
|
|
(1)
|
Represents
amounts awarded under the EMB, which was approved by the Compensation
Committee of the Board of Directors. The EMB is a performance-based
bonus
plan under which certain Company employees are eligible to earn annual
cash payments based on achieving pre-established financial objectives.
For
each executive officer, the actual bonus award is calculated by
multiplying a fixed, set percentage by the amount of the Company’s
revenue, revenue growth and profitability with respect to the fiscal
year.
The 2006 financial objectives for earning an award under the EMB
are
described in the Compensation Discussion and Analysis. The amounts
in this
column represent amounts that would have been paid had the Company
achieved its business plan for
2006.
|
OUTSTANDING
EQUITY AWARDS AT FISCAL YEAR-END
The
table
below sets forth the equity awards that were outstanding as of December 31,
2006.
|
|
OPTIONS
AWARDS
|
|
|
|
STOCK
AWARDS
|
|
Name
(a)
|
|
Number
of Securities Underlying Unexercised Options (#)
Exercisable
(b)(1)
|
|
Option
Exercise Price ($/Sh)
(d)
|
|
Option
Expiration Date
(e)
|
|
Number
of Shares or Units of Stock That Have Not Vested (#)
(f)
|
|
Market
Value of Shares or Units of Stock That Have Not Vested
($)
(g)(2)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
D.
Jonathan Merriman
|
|
|
209,807
|
|
|
22.33
|
|
|
10/5/2010
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
|
55,357
|
|
|
2.87
|
|
|
3/20/2012
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
142,858
|
|
|
2.87
|
|
|
3/20/2012
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
714,286
|
|
|
3.29
|
|
|
6/23/2013
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
4,286
|
|
|
5.18
|
|
|
12/31/2011
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
14,286
|
|
|
49.00
|
|
|
2/24/2010
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gregory
S. Curhan
|
|
|
142,858
|
|
|
3.71
|
|
|
1/8/2012
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
|
442,858
|
|
|
3.29
|
|
|
6/23/2013
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Robert
E. Ford
|
|
|
2,858
|
|
|
9.80
|
|
|
4/5/2011
|
|
|
32,143
|
(3)
|
|
152,679
|
|
|
|
|
21,429
|
|
|
14.35
|
|
|
4/5/2011
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
21,429
|
|
|
28.00
|
|
|
4/5/2011
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
14,286
|
|
|
2.38
|
|
|
9/19/2011
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
39,286
|
|
|
11.55
|
|
|
7/16/2014
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
57,143
|
|
|
2.59
|
|
|
1/1/2012
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
38,611
|
|
|
4.55
|
|
|
1/1/2012
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
71,429
|
|
|
3.29
|
|
|
6/23/2013
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
42,857
|
|
|
2.38
|
|
|
9/19/2011
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1,785
|
|
|
5.18
|
|
|
12/31/2011
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
John
D. Hiestand
|
|
|
3,572
|
|
|
1.47
|
|
|
7/25/2012
|
|
|
12,992
|
(4)
|
|
61,712
|
|
|
|
|
3,572
|
|
|
2.10
|
|
|
12/31/2012
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
7,143
|
|
|
3.71
|
|
|
1/29/2012
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Christopher
L. Aguilar
|
|
|
2,571
|
|
|
15.33
|
|
|
12/29/2010
|
|
|
12,278
|
(5)
|
|
58,321
|
|
|
|
|
1,785
|
|
|
9.80
|
|
|
4/5/2011
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
14,287
|
|
|
2.38
|
|
|
9/19/2011
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2,857
|
|
|
2.10
|
|
|
12/31/2012
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1,785
|
|
|
5.18
|
|
|
12/31/2011
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(1)
|
All
stock options granted to the named executive officers were vested
as of
December 31, 2006. The exercise price for all stock options included
in
this table is equal to the closing price of the Company’s stock price on
the day immediately before the grant date.
|
(2) |
Amounts
in this column have been calculated by multiplying the closing price
of a
share of the Company’s common stock on December 29, 2006, the last
business day in the 2006 fiscal year, by the number of restricted
shares
that were unvested on such date.
|
(3) |
Restricted
shares vest in full on July 16,
2007.
|
(4) |
10,715
of the restricted shares vested on January 1, 2007, 312 of the shares
vested on February 15, 2007, 313 of the shares vest on May 15, 2007,
312
of the shares vest on each of August 15 and November 15, 2007, 313
of the
shares vest on each of February 15 and May 15, 2008, 312 of the shares
vest on August 15, 2008 and 90 of the shares vest on November 15,
2008.
|
(5) |
10,715
of the restricted shares vested on January 1, 2007, 223 of the shares
vest
on each of February 15 and May 15, 2007, 224 of the shares vest on
August
15, 2007, 223 of the shares vest on each of November 15, 2007 and
February
15 and May 15, 2008 and 224 of the shares vest on August 15,
2008.
|
OPTIONS
EXERCISED AND STOCK VESTED
The
following table sets forth information about the vesting of stock awards during
the fiscal year ended December 31, 2006. The named executive officers did not
exercise any stock options during 2006.
|
|
STOCK
AWARDS
|
|
Name
(a)
|
|
Number
of
Shares
Acquired
on
Vesting
(#)
(b)(1)
|
|
Value
Realized
on
Vesting
($)
(c)(1)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
D.
Jonathan Merriman
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
Gregory
S. Curhan
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Robert
E. Ford
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
John
D. Hiestand
|
|
|
19,107
|
|
|
101,512
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Christopher
L. Aguilar
|
|
|
15,179
|
|
|
80,551
|
|
(1)
|
Column
(b) reflects the number of shares of restricted stock that vested
during
2006. The amounts in Column (c) are calculated by multiplying the
closing
price of a share of the Company’s common stock on the day that the
restricted stock vested by the number of shares that vested on such
day.
|
Potential
Payments upon Termination of Employment or Change in
Control
As
of
December 31, 2006, each of Messrs. Merriman, Curhan and Ford were parties to
employment agreements with the Company. These agreements expired on January
1,
2007. Under the agreements, each executive was entitled to receive certain
payments upon a termination without cause or with good reason (as such terms
are
defined in the agreements) or in the event that there was a change of control
of
the Company. Non-renewal of the employment agreements did not trigger an
obligation to pay severance benefits. The Compensation Committee is in
negotiation with Messrs. Merriman, Curhan and Ford to renew these agreements.
New employment agreements with our named executive officers will be disclosed
promptly on a Form 8-K once finalized.
Termination
of Employment
The
following benefits would have been payable if the Company had terminated the
employment of Messrs. Merriman, Curhan or Ford without cause or if the
executives had terminated their employment with good reason on December 29,
2006
(the last business day of 2006):
|
·
|
twelve
months continuation of base salary (six months in the case of Mr.
Curhan)
|
|
·
|
earned
but unpaid bonus and other benefits prior to termination and all
other
benefits and compensation
|
|
·
|
accelerated
vesting of all previously unvested stock
options
|
Mr.
Ford
would also be entitled to an additional payment equal to 50% of his base salary.
If
the
executive’s employment were terminated due to his death or disability, he would
be entitled to receive earned but unpaid base salary and that portion of any
annual bonus that previously had been approved by the Company but that was
unpaid at the time of his death or disability, subject to his execution of
a
release of claims in favor of the Company.
The
amounts reported in the table below assume that events triggering the
post-termination compensation occurred on the last business day of the Company’s
fiscal year (December 29, 2006).
Named
Executive Officer (a)
|
|
Without
Cause/ With Good Reason
($)
(b)(1)
(2)
|
|
|
|
|
|
D.
Jonathan Merriman
|
|
|
255,348
|
|
Gregory
S. Curhan
|
|
|
131,041
|
|
Robert
E. Ford
|
|
|
383,827
|
|
(1)
|
Represents
(a) base salary continuation payments during the severance period
as
described above, (b) Company-paid health, dental, vision and other
insurance premiums during the severance period and, (c) for Mr. Ford,
an additional payment equal to 50% of his annual base salary. Does
not
include the value associated with vested options. Information about
stock
options that are vested as of December 31, 2006 is included in the
“Outstanding Equity Awards At 2006 Fiscal Year-End”
table.
|
(2) |
Assumes
that all earned benefits under the EMB and other compensatory plans,
programs and arrangements were paid prior to year
end.
|
Change
in Control
The
following benefits would be payable upon the occurrence of a change in control
of the Company while the executive is employed by the Company during the term
of
the employment agreement or during the period that the executive is receiving
salary continuation payments:
|
·
|
$1,000,000
for Mr. Merriman
|
|
·
|
$500,000
for Messrs. Curhan and Ford.
|
In
addition, all unvested stock options granted to the named executive officer
under the terms of the employment agreement would vest in full. If these
payments and benefits would cause the amounts to be subject to an excise tax
under Section 4999 of the Internal Revenue Code, then the amounts will be
reduced so that no excise tax is due.
The
amounts reported in the table below assume that events triggering the change
in
control related compensation occurred on the last business day of the Company’s
fiscal year (December 29, 2006) and that there is no required reduction under
the employment agreements to avoid excise taxes under Section 4999 of the
Code.
Named
Executive Officer(a)
|
|
Without
Cause/ With Good Reason
($)
(b)
|
|
|
|
|
|
D.
Jonathan Merriman
|
|
|
1,000,000
|
|
Gregory
S. Curhan
|
|
|
500,000
|
|
Robert
E. Ford
|
|
|
500,000
|
|
The
amounts included in this table with respect to change in control would be in
addition to any severance amounts Messrs. Merriman, Curhan or Ford may be
entitled to under the terms of their employment agreements.
Restrictive
Covenants
The
employment agreements with Messrs. Merriman, Curhan and Ford all contain
provisions regarding maintaining the confidentiality of Company information.
In
addition, Messrs. Merriman and Ford have agreed not to compete with us or
solicit our employees or customers during the term of his employment and for
one
year thereafter and Mr. Curhan is subject to the same restrictions during his
employment and for six months thereafter.
DIRECTOR
COMPENSATION
The
following table sets forth information about the compensation earned by
non-management members of our Board of Directors during the fiscal year ended
December 31, 2006. Mr. Merriman, our Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive
Officer, did not receive any compensation for his service as a
director.
Name(a)
|
|
Stock
Awards
($)
(b)(1)(2)
|
|
Total
($)
(c)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Patrick
H. Arbor
|
|
|
30,625
|
|
|
30,625
|
|
Anthony
B. Helfet (3)
|
|
|
30,625
|
|
|
30,625
|
|
Raymond
J. Minehan
|
|
|
30,625
|
|
|
30,625
|
|
Scott
Potter
|
|
|
30,625
|
|
|
30,625
|
|
Dennis
G. Schmal
|
|
|
30,625
|
|
|
30,625
|
|
Donald
H. Sledge
|
|
|
30,625
|
|
|
30,625
|
|
Ronald
E. Spears
|
|
|
30,625
|
|
|
30,625
|
|
Steven
W. Town
|
|
|
30,625
|
|
|
30,625
|
|
(1)
|
For
the fiscal year 2006, directors did not receive any compensation
in the
form of cash fees, stock option awards, participation in non-equity
incentive or pension plans, or any other form of compensation other
than
awards of stock. Under our director compensation program, each of
our
non-management directors was awarded 1,250 shares (split adjusted)
of
stock for each quarterly meeting attended. These shares were fully
vested
upon grant. In 2006, there were four quarterly meetings of the Board
of
Directors scheduled. Additional meetings (whether by phone or in
person)
were scheduled as necessary but no additional shares were awarded
to the
directors in connection with these meetings. The amounts in this
column
reflect the value of the shares of common stock awarded, calculated
by
multiplying the closing price of a share of our common stock on the
applicable grant date by the number of shares awarded on such date.
All
grants were made on the day of the Board
meeting.
|
(2) |
As
of December 31, 2006, the following directors had the following aggregate
number of stock options outstanding: Mr. Arbor, 17,858; Mr. Helfet,
40,715; Mr. Sledge, 20,000; Mr. Spears, 42,858; and Mr. Town,
39,715.
|
(3) |
Anthony
B. Helfet, one of our directors, is also an non-management employee
of the
Company. As an employee, he received additional compensation that
is not
included in this table.
|
The
Board
of Directors annually reviews the Company’s director compensation
program.
EQUITY
COMPENSATION PLAN INFORMATION
The
following table gives information about the Company’s common stock that may be
issued upon the exercise of options and warrants under all of our existing
equity compensation plans as of December 31, 2006 including the 1999 Stock
Option Plan, the 2000 Stock Option and Incentive Plan, the 2001 Stock Option
and
Incentive Plan, the 2003 Stock Option and Incentive Plan, 2006 Directors’ Stock
Option and Incentive Plan and the 2002 Employee Stock Purchase Plan.
Plan Category
|
|
Number of
Securities to
be Issued
Upon
Exercise of
Outstanding
Options and
Warrants
|
|
Weighted
Average
Exercise
Price of
Outstanding
Options and
Warrants
|
|
Number of
Securities
Remaining
Available For
Future
Issuance
Under Equity
Compensation
Plans
|
|
Equity
compensation plans approved by stockholders:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1999
Stock Option Plan
|
|
|
361,973
|
|
$
|
3.93
|
|
|
22,428
|
|
2000
Stock Option and Incentive Plan
|
|
|
598,029
|
|
$
|
12.27
|
|
|
28,698
|
|
2001
Stock Option and Incentive Plan
|
|
|
528,234
|
|
$
|
3.02
|
|
|
34,033
|
|
2003
Stock Option and Incentive Plan
|
|
|
2,291,852
|
|
$
|
4.09
|
|
|
17,703
|
|
2006
Directors’ Stock Option and Incentive Plan
|
|
|
—
|
|
$
|
—
|
|
|
110,000
|
|
2002
Employee Stock Purchase Plan
|
|
|
—
|
|
$
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
Equity
compensation not approved by stockholders
|
|
|
96,431
|
|
$
|
24.42
|
|
|
157,142
|
|
Equity
compensation not approved by stockholders includes shares in a Non-Qualified
option plan approved by the Board of Directors of Ratexchange Corporation (now
know as MCF Corporation) in 1999 and a Non-Qualified option plan that is
consistent with the American Stock Exchange Member Guidelines, Rule 711,
approved by the Board of Directors in 2004. The American Stock Exchange
guidelines require that grants from the option plan be made only as an
inducement to a new employee, that the grant be approved by a majority of the
independent member so the Compensation Committee and that a press release is
issued promptly disclosing the terms of the option grant.
COMPARATIVE
STOCK PERFORMANCE CHART
The
following graph compares our stockholder returns since December 31, 2001,
with the AMEX Market Value (US) and the NASDAQ Financial index. The graph
assumes an investment of $100 in each of MCF and the AMEX Composite and the
NASDAQ Financial indices on December 31, 2001, including reinvestment of
dividends.
*
$100
invested on 12/31/01 in stock or index-including reinvestment of
dividends.
Fiscal
year ending December 31.
The
points on the graph represent the following numbers:
|
|
December 31,
2001
|
|
December 31,
2002
|
|
December 31,
2003
|
|
December 31,
2004
|
|
December 31,
2005
|
|
December 31,
2005
|
|
MCF
Corporation
|
|
|
100.00
|
|
|
47.30
|
|
|
120.27
|
|
|
256.76
|
|
|
141.89
|
|
|
91.70
|
|
AMEX
Composite
|
|
|
100.00
|
|
|
100.08
|
|
|
144.57
|
|
|
178.46
|
|
|
220.35
|
|
|
262.17
|
|
NASDAQ
Financial
|
|
|
100.00
|
|
|
98.84
|
|
|
130.51
|
|
|
148.01
|
|
|
156.43
|
|
|
181.94
|
|
CERTAIN
RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS
During
2001, the Company renegotiated the severance terms included in its employment
agreement with Donald Sledge, the former Chairman and CEO of the Company. Upon
his leaving the Company in May 2001, the Company issued to Mr. Sledge
a 7% convertible note, in an aggregate principal amount of $400,000, due
May 2003. Interest was payable at the maturity of the two-year term. In
May 2003, the Company and Mr. Sledge agreed to convert the principal
and interest due at maturity into a fully amortizing note payable over five
years using an effective interest rate of 4.0%. As of December 31, 2006,
the remaining principal amount of the note payable was $138,571. Mr. Sledge
was a member of the Company’s Board of Directors in 2006, but he resigned from
the board on March 29, 2007.
William
J. Febbo, has been a Director of MCF Corporation since April 2007 and is a
nominee for Director at the 2007 Annual Meeting.. Mr. Febbo was chief executive
officer and founder of MedPanel, Inc., or MedPanel, an online medical market
intelligence firm, from January 1999 to April 2007. At MedPanel, Mr. Febbo
oversaw the company's sales, marketing, technology, finance and content
development organizations. Mr. Febbo also owns approximately 18% of the common
stock of MedPanel on a fully diluted basis. In April 2007, MedPanel, was
acquired by MCF Corporation pursuant to an Agreement and Plan of Merger, a
binding agreement which was signed in November 2006, and became Panel
Intelligence, LLC, where Mr. Febbo continues his responsibilities. One of the
terms of the Agreement and Plan of Merger was that the Company would use its
best efforts to cause Mr. Febbo to be elected to the Company’s Board of
Directors. Under the terms of this Agreement
and Plan of Merger,
the
Company paid $6.5 million in common stock for MedPanel. The selling stockholders
of MedPanel will be entitled to additional consideration on the third
anniversary from the closing which is based upon MedPanel achieving specific
revenue and profitability milestones. The payment of the incentive consideration
will be 50% in cash and 50% in the Company’s common stock and may not exceed
$11,455,000.
It
is the
policy for the Board to review all related party transactions and to secure
approval by a majority of disinterested directors. Applying such policy is
the
responsibility of each disinterested director for each transaction. Such policy
regarding related party transactions is not in writing; as such, the General
Counsel is responsible for advising on the application of such
policies.
For
certain other transactions with directors see, “Compensation Committee
Interlocks and Insider Participation.”
COMPENSATION
COMMITTEE INTERLOCKS AND INSIDER PARTICIPATION
During
2006, the following directors served as compensation committee members: Raymond
J. Minehan, Donald Sledge, Steve Town and Dennis Schmal. Mr. Schmal joined
in
November 2006. The committee is fully independent consistent with the American
Stock Exchange and NYSE Arca Exchange guidelines.
During
fiscal 2006, there were no Compensation Committee interlocks that were required
to be reported under the rules and regulations of the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934. Mr. Sledge was employed as our executive from
September 1999 to May 2001.
The
Board
has adopted, subject to stockholder approval, amendments to the Company’s 2003
Stock Option and Incentive Plan to increase by 600,000 the number of shares
of
Common Stock available for issuance pursuant to awards granted under the 2003
Stock Option and Incentive Plan and to extend the term of the 2003 Stock Option
and Incentive Plan for an additional one-year period, until March 7, 2017.
As of March 31, 2007, 19,638 shares remained available for grant under
the 2003 Stock Option and Incentive Plan. The market price of the Company’s
Common Stock as of the close of trading on March 30, 2007 was $4.40. The
2003 Stock Option and Incentive Plan was initially adopted by the Board on
March 7, 2003 and approved by stockholders on June 20,
2003.
Any
employee, Officer, director, consultant, or advisor of the Company or any
subsidiary of the Company is eligible to receive awards under the 2003 Stock
Option and Incentive Plan. The Company estimates that approximately 175
individuals were eligible to participate in the 2003 Stock Option and Incentive
Plan as of March 31, 2007.
The
Board
believes that stock options have been, and will continue to be, an important
compensation element in attracting, motivating, and retaining key employees.
The
granting of incentive stock options to employees is consistent with the
Company’s past practices and practices in the industry, and is a factor in
promoting the long-term development of the Company. The Board believes that
the
increase in authorized shares is necessary because of the need to continue
to
make awards under the Plan to attract, motivate, and retain key
employees.
Description
of the Plan
A
description of the provisions of the 2003 Stock Option and Incentive Plan,
as
amended, is set forth below. This summary is qualified in its entirety by the
detailed provisions of the 2003 Stock Option and Incentive Plan, as amended,
a
copy of which is attached as
Annex A
to this
proxy statement.
Administration.
The
Compensation Committee of the Board administers the 2003 Stock Option and
Incentive Plan. Subject to the terms of the plan, the Compensation Committee
may
select participants to receive awards, determine the types of awards and terms
and conditions of awards and interpret provisions of the plan.
Common
Stock Reserved for Issuance under the Plan.
The
common stock to be issued under the 2003 Stock Option and Incentive Plan
consists of authorized but unissued shares. If any shares covered by an award
are not purchased or are forfeited, or if an award otherwise terminates without
delivery of any common stock, then the number of shares of common stock counted
against the aggregate number of shares available under the plan with respect
to
the award will, to the extent of any such forfeiture or termination, again
be
available for making awards under the 2003 Stock Option and Incentive
Plan.
Eligibility.
Awards
may be made under the 2003 Stock Option and Incentive Plan to our directors,
employees of or consultants to the Company or any of the Company’s subsidiaries
or affiliates, including any such employee who is an officer or director of
the
Company or of any subsidiary or affiliate.
Amendment
or Termination of the Plan.
The
Board may terminate or amend the plan at any time and for any reason. Unless
amended, the 2003 Stock Option and Incentive Plan will terminate ten years
after
its effective date. Amendments will be submitted for stockholder approval to
the
extent required by the Internal Revenue Code or other applicable
laws.
Options.
The 2003
Stock Option and Incentive Plan permits the granting of options to purchase
shares of common stock intended to qualify as incentive stock options under
the
Internal Revenue Code and stock options that do not qualify as incentive stock
options.
In
the
case of incentive stock options, the exercise price of each stock option may
not
be less than 100% of the fair market value of the Company’s common stock on the
date of grant. In the case of certain 10% stockholders who receive incentive
stock options, the exercise price may not be less than 110% of the fair market
value of the common stock on the date of grant. An exception to these
requirements is made for options that the Company grants in substitution for
options held by employees of companies that the Company acquires. In such a
case
the exercise price is adjusted to preserve the economic value of the employee’s
stock option from his or her former employer. In no event will the exercise
price be less than the par value of a share of common stock on the date of
grant.
The
term
of each stock option is fixed by the Compensation Committee and may not exceed
10 years from the date of grant. Options may be made exercisable in
installments. The Compensation Committee may accelerate the exercisability
of
options.
Unless
the Compensation Committee provides otherwise in the applicable option
agreement, unvested options will expire immediately and vested options will
expire 90 days after a grantee terminates employment with the Company for a
reason other than for death or disability. Unless the Compensation Committee
provides otherwise in the applicable option agreement, in the case of a
termination of employment due to death or disability, options will fully vest
and remain exercisable for a period of one year following termination of
employment. In the case of a termination for cause, the Company may cancel
the
options upon the grantee’s termination.
In
general, a grantee may pay the exercise price of an option by cash, certified
check, by tendering shares of common stock (which if acquired from the Company
have been held by the grantee for at least six months), or by means of a
broker-assisted cashless exercise.
Stock
options granted under the 2003 Stock Option and Incentive Plan may not be sold,
transferred, pledged or assigned other than by will or under applicable laws
of
descent and distribution. However, the Company may permit limited transfers
of
non-qualified options for the benefit of immediate family members of grantees
to
help with estate planning concerns or to co-workers or employees of
grantees.
Other
Awards.
The
Compensation Committee also may award:
·
restricted stock, which are shares of common stock subject to
restrictions.
·
restricted stock units, which are common stock units subject to
restrictions.
Effect
of Certain Corporate Transactions.
Certain
change of control transactions involving the Company, such as a sale of MCF
Corporation, may cause awards granted under the 2003 Stock Option and Incentive
Plan to vest, unless the awards are continued or substituted for in connection
with the change of control transaction.
Adjustments
for Stock Dividends and Similar Events.
The
Compensation Committee will make appropriate adjustments in outstanding awards
and the number of shares available for issuance under the 2003 Stock Option
and
Incentive Plan, including the individual limitations on options, to reflect
common stock dividends, stock splits and other similar events.
Section 162(m) of
the Internal Revenue Code.
Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code limits publicly-held
companies such as Ratexchange to an annual deduction for federal income tax
purposes of $1 million for compensation paid to their covered employees.
However, “performance-based compensation” is excluded from this limitation. The
2003 Stock Option and Incentive Plan is designed to permit the Compensation
Committee to grant options that qualify as performance-based for purposes of
satisfying the conditions of Section 162(m).
To
qualify as performance-based:
(a)
the
compensation must be paid solely on account of the attainment of one or more
pre-established, objective performance goals;
(b)
the
performance goal under which compensation is paid must be established by a
compensation committee comprised solely of two or more directors who qualify
as
outside directors for purposes of the exception;
(c)
the
material terms under which the compensation is to be paid must be disclosed
to
and subsequently approved by stockholders of the Company before payment is
made
in a separate vote; and
(d)
the
Compensation Committee must certify in writing before payment of the
compensation that the performance goals and any other material terms were in
fact satisfied.
In
the
case of compensation attributable to stock options, the performance goal
requirement (summarized in (a) above) is deemed satisfied, and the
certification requirement (summarized in (d) above) is inapplicable, if the
grant or award is made by the Compensation Committee; the plan under which
the
option is granted states the maximum number of shares with respect to which
options may be granted during a specified period to an employee; and under
the
terms of the option, the amount of compensation is based solely on an increase
in the value of the common stock after the date of grant. The maximum number
of
shares of common stock subject to options that can be awarded under the 2003
Stock Option and Incentive Plan to any person is 5,000,000 shares per
year.
Federal
Income Tax Consequences
Incentive
Stock Options.
The
grant of an option will not be a taxable event for the grantee or for the
Company. A grantee will not recognize taxable income upon exercise of an
incentive stock option (except that the alternative minimum tax may apply),
and
any gain realized upon a disposition of the common stock received pursuant
to
the exercise of an incentive stock option will be taxed as long-term capital
gain if the grantee holds the shares of common stock for at least two years
after the date of grant and for one year after the date of exercise (the
“holding period requirement”). The Company will not be entitled to any business
expense deduction with respect to the exercise of an incentive stock option,
except as discussed below.
For
the
exercise of an option to qualify for the foregoing tax treatment, the grantee
generally must be the Company’s employee or an employee of the Company’s
subsidiary from the date the option is granted through a date within three
months before the date of exercise of the option.
If
all of
the foregoing requirements are met except the holding period requirement
mentioned above, the grantee will recognize ordinary income upon the disposition
of the common stock in an amount generally equal to the excess of the fair
market value of the common stock at the time the option was exercised over
the
option exercise price (but not in excess of the gain realized on the sale).
The
balance of the realized gain, if any, will be capital gain. The Company will
be
allowed a business expense deduction to the extent the grantee recognizes
ordinary income, subject to the Company’s compliance with
Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code and to certain reporting
requirements.
Non-Qualified
Options.
The
grant of an option will not be a taxable event for the grantee or for the
Company. Upon exercising a non-qualified option, a grantee will recognize
ordinary income in an amount equal to the difference between the exercise price
and the fair market value of the common stock on the date of exercise. Upon
a
subsequent sale or exchange of shares acquired pursuant to the exercise of
a
non-qualified option, the grantee will have taxable gain or loss, measured
by
the difference between the amount realized on the disposition and the tax basis
of the shares of common stock (generally, the amount paid for the shares plus
the amount treated as ordinary income at the time the option was
exercised).
If
the
Company complies with applicable reporting requirements and with the
restrictions of Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code, the
Company will be entitled to a business expense deduction in the same amount
and
generally at the same time as the grantee recognizes ordinary
income.
A
grantee
who has transferred a non-qualified stock option to a family member by gift
will
realize taxable income at the time the non-qualified stock option is exercised
by the family member. The grantee will be subject to withholding of income
and
employment taxes at that time. The family member’s tax basis in the shares of
common stock will be the fair market value of the shares of common stock on
the
date the option is exercised. The transfer of vested non-qualified stock options
will be treated as a completed gift for gift and estate tax purposes. Once
the
gift is completed, neither the transferred options nor the shares acquired
on
exercise of the transferred options will be includable in the grantee’s estate
for estate tax purposes.
Restricted
Stock.
A
grantee who is awarded restricted stock will not recognize any taxable income
for federal income tax purposes in the year of the award, provided that the
shares of common stock are subject to restrictions (that is, the restricted
stock is nontransferable and subject to a substantial risk of forfeiture).
However, the grantee may elect under Section 83(b) of the Internal
Revenue Code to recognize compensation income in the year of the award in an
amount equal to the fair market value of the common stock on the date of the
award, determined without regard to the restrictions. If the grantee does not
make such a Section 83(b) election, the fair market value of the
common stock on the date the restrictions lapse will be treated as compensation
income to the grantee and will be taxable in the year the restrictions lapse.
If
the Company complies with applicable reporting requirements and subject to
the
restrictions of Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code, the
Company will be entitled to a business expense deduction in the same amount
and
generally at the same time as the grantee recognizes ordinary
income.
Restricted
Stock Units.
There
are no immediate tax consequences of receiving an award of restricted stock
units under the 2003 Stock Option and Incentive Plan. A grantee who is awarded
restricted stock units will be required to recognize ordinary income in an
amount equal to the fair market value of shares issued to such grantee at the
end of the restriction period or, if later, the payment date. If the Company
complies with applicable reporting requirements and subject to the restrictions
of Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code, the Company will be
entitled to a business expense deduction in the same amount and generally at
the
same time as the grantee recognizes ordinary income.
Vote
Required
The
affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the stock having voting power
present in person or represented by proxy at the Annual Meeting is required
to
approve the amendments to the 2003 Stock Option and Incentive Plan. Unless
otherwise indicated, properly executed proxies will be voted in favor of
Proposal 2 to approve the amendments to the 2003 Stock Option and Incentive
Plan.
THE
BOARD OF DIRECTORS RECOMMENDS THAT STOCKHOLDERS VOTE “FOR” THE APPROVAL OF THE
AMENDMENTS TO THE 2003 STOCK OPTION AND INCENTIVE PLAN.
The
following table sets forth information regarding beneficial ownership of each
class of our voting securities as of March 30, 2007, by (a) each
person who is known by us to own beneficially more than five percent of each
of
our outstanding classes of voting securities, (b) each of our directors,
(c) each of the named executive officers and (d) all directors and
executive officers as a group.
Name and Address of Beneficial Owner
|
|
|
Common Stock
Beneficially Owned
|
|
|
Percent(1)
|
|
Christopher
L. Aguilar(2)
|
|
|
26,751
|
|
|
*
|
|
Patrick
Arbor(3)
|
|
|
83,733
|
|
|
*
|
|
Gregory
S. Curhan(4)
|
|
|
613,573
|
|
|
5.5
|
%
|
Robert
E. Ford(5)
|
|
|
332,423
|
|
|
3.0
|
%
|
Brock
Ganeles(6)
|
|
|
303,286
|
|
|
2.8
|
%
|
Anthony
B. Helfet(7)
|
|
|
112,803
|
|
|
1.1
|
|
John
D. Hiestand(8)
|
|
|
39,058
|
|
|
*
|
|
D.
Jonathan Merriman(9)
|
|
|
1,562,304
|
|
|
13.3
|
%
|
Raymond
J. Minehan(10)
|
|
|
26,424
|
|
|
*
|
|
Scott
Potter(11)
|
|
|
14,720
|
|
|
*
|
|
Dennis
G. Schmal(12)
|
|
|
31,884
|
|
|
*
|
|
Ronald
E. Spears(13)
|
|
|
67,063
|
|
|
*
|
|
Steven
W. Town(14)
|
|
|
57,783
|
|
|
*
|
|
All
directors and executive officers as a group [13
persons](15)
|
|
|
3,271,805
|
|
|
25.3
|
%
|
San
Francisco Equity Partners(16)
575
Market Street
Suite 1975
San
Francisco, CA 94105
|
|
|
908,513
|
|
|
8.6
|
%
|
Highfields
Capital Management L.P.(17)
John
Hancock Tower
200
Clarendon Street
Boston,
Massachusetts 02116
|
|
|
1,063,798
|
|
|
9.99
|
%
|
*
Less
than one percent.
(1) |
Applicable
percentage ownership is based on 10,614,496 shares of common stock
outstanding as of March 30, 2007. Pursuant to the rules of the
Securities and Exchange Commission, shares shown as “beneficially” owned
include all shares of which the persons listed have the right to
acquire
beneficial ownership within 60 days of March 30, 2007, including
(a) shares subject to options, warrants or any other rights
exercisable within 60 days March 30, 2007, even if these shares are
not currently outstanding, (b) shares attainable through conversion
of other securities, even if these shares are not currently outstanding,
(c) shares that may be obtained under the power to revoke a trust,
discretionary account or similar arrangement and (d) shares that may
be obtained pursuant to the automatic termination of a trust,
discretionary account or similar arrangement. This information is
not
necessarily indicative of beneficial ownership for any other purpose.
Our
directors and executive officers have sole voting and investment
power
over the shares of common stock held in their names, except as noted
in
the following footnotes.
|
(2) |
Includes
Mr. Aguilar’s option to purchase 2,571 shares of common stock at
$15.33 per share, an option to purchase 2,858 shares of common stock
at
$9.80 per share, an option to purchase 1,785 shares of common stock
at
$5.18 per share, an option to purchase 422 shares of common stock
at $2.10
per share, and an option to purchase 720 shares of common stock at
$2.10
per share, all of which are currently exercisable. Also includes
Mr. Aguilar’s 16,456 shares of restricted common stock, currently
eligible to have their restriction
lifted.
|
(3) |
Includes
Mr. Arbor’s currently exercisable option to purchase 17,858 shares of
common stock at $2.87 per share. Also includes Mr. Arbor’s 19,361 shares
of restricted common stock, currently eligible to have their restriction
lifted.
|
(4) |
Includes
Mr. Curhan’s option to purchase 71,319 shares of common stock at
$3.71 per share, an option to purchase 71,539 shares of common stock
at
$3.71 per share, and an option to purchase 442,858 shares of common
stock
at $3.29 per share, all of which are currently
exercisable.
|
(5) |
Includes
Mr. Ford’s option to purchase 2,858 shares of common stock at $9.80
per share, an option to purchase 21,429 shares of common stock at
$14.35
per share, an option to purchase 21,429 shares of common stock at
$28.00
per share, an option to purchase 42,857 shares of common stock at
$2.38
per share, an option to purchase 14,286 shares of common stock at
$2.38
per share, an option to purchase 1,784 shares of common stock at
$5.18 per
share, an option to purchase 57,143 shares of common stock at $2.59
per shares common stock, an option to purchase 29,891 shares of common
stock at $4.55 per share, an option to purchase 8,720 shares of common
stock at $4.55 per share, an option to purchase 65,629 shares of
common
stock at $3.29 per share, an option to purchase 5,800 shares of common
stock at $3.29 per share, and an option to purchase 39,286 shares
of
common stock at $11.55, all of which are currently exercisable.
Mr. Ford also holds 32,143 shares of restricted common, eligible for
removal of the restriction in
July 2007.
|
(6) |
Includes
Mr. Ganeles’ option to purchase 114,286 shares of common stock at
$1.68 per share, an option to purchase 10,714 shares of common stock
at
$9.45 per share, an option to purchase 170 shares of common stock
at $8.12
per share, an option to purchase 35,544 shares of common stock at
$8.12
per share, an option to purchase 1,488 shares of common stock at
$5.04 per
share, and an option to purchase 1,190 shares of common stock at
$5.04 per
share, all of which are currently exercisable. Also includes Mr.
Ganeles’
7,143 shares of restricted common stock, currently eligible to have
their
restriction lifted.
|
(7) |
Includes
Mr. Helfet’s option to purchase 10,714 shares of common stock at
$7.21 per share, an option to purchase 1,773 shares of common stock
at
$9.94 per share, an option to purchase 3,227 shares of common stock
at
$9.94 per share, an option to purchase 1,488 shares of common stock
at
$4.90 per share, and an option to purchase 1,191 shares of common
stock at
$4.90 per share, all of which are currently exercisable. Also includes
Mr.
Helfet’s 14,881 shares of restricted common stock received for his board
of director services to MCF Corporation which are currently eligible
to
have their restriction lifted.
|
(8) |
Includes
Mr. Hiestand’s option to purchase 7,143 shares of common stock at
$3.71 per share, an option to purchase 3,572 shares of common stock
at
$1.47 per share, and an option to purchase 3,572 shares of common
stock at
$2.10 per share, all of which are currently exercisable. Also includes
Mr. Hiestand’s 20,207 shares of restricted common stock that are
currently eligible to have their restriction
lifted.
|
(9) |
Includes
Mr. Merriman’s option to purchase 14,286 shares of common stock at
$49.00 per share, an option to purchase 17,912 shares of common stock
at
$22.33 per share, an option to purchase 191,894 shares of common
stock at
$22.33 per share, an option to purchase 4,286 shares of common stock
at
$5.18 per share, an option to purchase 55,356 shares of common stock
at
$2.87 per share, an option to purchase 1 share of common stock at
$2.87
per share, an option to purchase 142,858 shares of common stock at
$2.87
per share, an option to purchase 653,496 shares of common stock at
$3.29
per share, and an option to purchase 60,790 shares of common stock
at
$3.29 per share, all of which are currently
exercisable.
|
(10) |
Includes
Mr. Minehan’s 19,995 restricted shares of common stock received
for his service on the Board of Directors, all of which are currently
eligible to have their restriction
lifted.
|
(11) |
Includes
Mr. Potter’s 14,291 restricted shares of common stock received for
his service on the Board of Directors, all of which are currently
eligible
to have their restriction
lifted.
|
(12) |
Includes
Mr. Schmal’s 19,455 restricted shares of common stock received for
his service on the Board of Directors, all of which are currently
eligible
to have their restriction
lifted.
|
(13) |
Includes
Mr. Spears’ option to purchase 14,286 shares of common stock at
$49.00 per share, and an option to purchase 28,572 shares of common
stock
at $2.87 per share, all of which are currently exercisable. Also
includes
Mr. Spears’ 20,276 restricted shares of common stock received for his
service on the Board of Directors, all of which are currently eligible
to
have their restriction lifted.
|
(14) |
Includes
Mr. Town’s option to purchase 14,286 shares of common stock at $10.92
per share, and an option to purchase 16,429 shares of common stock
at
$2.87 per share, all of which are currently exercisable. Also includes
Mr. Town’s 20,818 restricted shares of common stock received for his
service on the Board of Directors, all of which are currently eligible
to
have their restriction lifted.
|
(15) |
The
total for directors and executive officers as a group includes 3,324,473
shares subject to outstanding stock options that are currently exercisable
and 14,286 shares subject to outstanding warrants that are currently
exercisable.
|
(16) |
Includes
a currently exercisable warrant to purchase 197,803 shares of common
stock
at $10.36 per share.
|
(17) |
According
to Schedule 13G/A dated February 14, 2007, Highfields Capital Management,
LP is the investment manager to each of three funds: Highfields Capital I,
LP, Highfields Capital II, LP, and Highfields Capital III, LP
(collectively the “Funds”). The Funds directly own 1,063,789 shares of
common stock. These funds also own, in the aggregate, warrants to
purchase
178,571 shares of common stock at $2.10 per share which are not currently
exercisable according to their terms. These funds also hold convertible
promissory notes, due April 30, 2008, with an aggregate principle
amount
of $200,000 and convertible into shares of common stock at $1.40
per
share. These convertible promissory notes are not currently convertible
according tot heir terms. According to their terms, the warrants
and
promissory notes may not be exercised if Highfields Capital Management,
LP
would own 10% or more of the Company at the time of exercise or
conversion. Highfields Capital Management, LP; Highfields GP, LLC,
the
general partner of Highfields Capital Management, LP; Highfields
Associates, LLC, the general partner of the Funds; Jonathon S. Jacobson,
a
Managing Member of Highfields GP and a Senior Managing Member of
Highfields Associates; Richard L. Grubman, a Managing Member of Highfields
GP and a Senior Managing Member of Highfields Associates are each
members
of a voting group that have voting power over the shares. Highfields
Capital III, LP, a Cayman Islands, B.W.I., has voting power over
744,657
of the shares. The securities were acquired from the Company as part
of a
private placement closed on April 3,
2003.
|
Section 16(a) of
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 required the Company’s directors and
executive officers to file reports with the SEC on Forms 3, 4 and 5 for the
purpose of reporting their ownership of and transactions in the Company’s equity
securities. During 2006, D. Jonathan Merriman, filed one report on Form 4
late.
INDEPENDENT
REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS FEES
Ernst &
Young, LLP served as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm
for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2006 and 2005 and are serving in
such capacity for the current fiscal year. Ernst & Young was first
engaged to serve as our auditors for the fiscal year ended December 31,
2002. Representatives of Ernst & Young are expected to be available at
the Annual Meeting. Such representatives will have an opportunity to make a
statement if they so desire and will be available to respond to appropriate
questions.
The
aggregate fees billed by Ernst & Young LLP for professional services to
the Company were $513,191 in 2005 and $658,870 in 2006.
Audit
Fees.
The
aggregate fees billed by Ernst & Young for professional services
rendered for the audit of the Company’s annual financial statements, the review
of the Company’s quarterly financial statements, the audit of management’s
report on the effectiveness of our company’ s internal controls over financial
reporting, as required by Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, and
services that are normally provided in connection with statutory and regulatory
filings or engagements was approximately $489,427 in 2005 and $528,000 in
2006.
Audit
Related Fees.
The
aggregate fees billed by Ernst & Young LLP for professional assurance
and related services reasonably related to the performance of the audit of
the
Company’s financial statements, but not included under Audit Fees, resulted
primarily from review of registration statements filed by the company. The
aggregate fees were $0 in 2005 and $129,370 in 2006.
Tax
Fees.
The
aggregate fees billed by Ernst & Young LLP for professional services
for tax compliance, tax advice and tax planning were $22,357 in 2005 and $0
in
2006. These fees primarily related to consultation for the preparation of the
Company’s Federal, state and local tax returns. These fees also related to
assisting the Company with analyzing shifts in the ownership of the Company’s
stock for purposes of determining the application of Section 382 of the
Internal Revenue Code to the Company.
All
Other Fees.
The
aggregate fees for all other services rendered by Ernst & Young LLP
were $1,410 in 2005 and $1,500 in 2006. The 2005 and 2006 amounts represented
a
subscription to an online accounting and auditing information database provided
by Ernst & Young LLP.
The
Audit
Committee has formal policies and procedures in place with regard to the
approval of all professional services provided to the Company by
Ernst & Young LLP. With regard to audit fees, the Audit Committee
reviews the annual audit plan and approves the estimated annual audit budget
in
advance. With regard to tax services, the Audit Committee reviews the
description and estimated annual budget for tax services to be provided by
Ernst & Young LLP in advance. During 2006, Audit Committee approved all
of the independent registered public accountants’ fees in advance.
STOCKHOLDER
PROPOSALS FOR 2008 ANNUAL MEETING
If
you
wish to submit proposals to be included in MCF Corporation’s 2008 proxy
statement, we must receive them on or before January 3, 2008. Please address
your proposals to the Corporate Secretary.
If
you
wish to raise a matter before the stockholders at the year 2008 annual meeting,
you must notify the Secretary in writing by not later than March 19, 2008.
If
you do not notify us before March 19, 2008, our management will have
discretionary authority to vote all shares for which it has proxies in
opposition to the matter. Please note that this requirement relates only to
matters you wish to bring before your fellow stockholders at the annual meeting.
It is separate from the SEC’s requirements to have your proposal included in
next year’s proxy statement.
ANNUAL
REPORT ON FORM 10-K
Our
2006
Annual Report to Stockholders was prepared on an integrated basis with our
Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2006, and
accompanies this proxy statement. Stockholders may obtain a copy of the exhibits
to the Company’s Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2006, upon
payment of a reasonable fee by writing to MCF Corporation, 600 California
Street, 9th Floor,
San Francisco, California 94108, Attention: Corporate Secretary.
By
Order
of the Board of Directors
Christopher
L. Aguilar
Secretary
AMENDED
2003 STOCK OPTION AND INCENTIVE PLAN
MCF
Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), sets forth herein the terms
of its 2003 Stock Option and Incentive Plan (the “Plan”) as
follows:
1.
PURPOSE
The
Plan
is intended to enhance the Company’s and its subsidiaries’ (as defined herein)
ability to attract and retain highly qualified officers, directors, key
employees, and other persons, and to motivate such officers, directors, key
employees, and other persons to serve the Company and its affiliates and to
expend maximum effort to improve the business results and earnings of the
Company, by providing to such officers, key employees, and other persons an
opportunity to acquire or increase a direct proprietary interest in the
operations and future success of the Company. To this end, the Plan provides
for
the grant of stock options, restricted stock, and restricted stock units in
accordance with the terms hereof. Stock options granted under the Plan may
be
non-qualified stock options or incentive stock options, as provided
herein.
2.
DEFINITIONS
For
purposes of interpreting the Plan and related documents (including Award
Agreements), the following definitions shall apply:
2.1
|
“Affiliate”
of, or person “affiliated” with, a person means any company or other trade
or business that controls, is controlled by, or is under common control
with such person within the meaning of Rule 405 of Regulation C under
the Securities Act, including, without limitation, any
Subsidiary.
|
|
|
2.2
|
“Award
Agreement” means the stock option agreement, restricted stock agreement,
restricted stock unit agreement, or other written agreement between
the
Company and a Grantee that evidences and sets out the terms and conditions
of a Grant.
|
|
|
2.3
|
“Benefit
Arrangement” shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 14
hereof.
|
|
|
2.4
|
“Board”
means the Board of Directors of the Company.
|
|
|
2.5
|
“Change
of Control” means (i) the dissolution or liquidation of the Company
or a merger, consolidation, or reorganization of the Company with
one or
more other entities in which the Company is not the surviving entity,
(ii) a sale of substantially all of the assets of the Company to
another entity, or (iii) any transaction (including without
limitation a merger or reorganization in which the Company is the
surviving entity) which results in any person or entity (other than
persons who are stockholders or affiliates of the Company at the
time the
Plan is approved by the Company’s stockholders) owning 50% or more of the
combined voting power of all classes of stock of the
Company.
|
|
|
2.6
|
“Code”
means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as now in effect or as hereafter
amended.
|
|
|
2.7
|
“Committee”
means a committee of, and designated from time to time by resolution
of,
the Board.
|
|
|
2.8
|
“Company”
means MCF Corporation.
|
|
|
2.9
|
“Effective
Date” means March 7, 2003, the date the Plan was approved by the
Board.
|
2.10
|
“Exchange
Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as now in effect or as
hereafter amended.
|
|
|
2.11
|
“Fair
Market Value” means the closing price of the Stock on the American Stock
Exchange or the Nasdaq Stock Market on the Grant Date or such other
determination date (or if there is no such reported closing price,
the
Fair Market Value shall be the mean between the highest bid and lowest
asked prices or between the high and low sale prices on such trading
day)
or, if no sale of Stock is reported for such trading day, on the
next
preceding day on which any sale shall have been
reported.
|
|
|
2.12
|
“Family
Member” means a person who is a spouse, child, stepchild, grandchild,
parent, stepparent, grandparent, sibling, niece, nephew, mother-in-law,
father-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, brother-in-law, or
sister-in-law, including adoptive relationships, of the Grantee,
any
person sharing the Grantee’s household (other than a tenant or employee),
a trust in which these persons have more than fifty percent of the
beneficial interest, a foundation in which these persons (or the
Grantee)
control the management of assets, and any other entity in which these
persons (or the Grantee) own more than fifty percent of the voting
interests.
|
|
|
2.13
|
“Grant”
means an award of an Option, Restricted Stock, or Restricted Stock
Unit
under the Plan.
|
|
|
2.14
|
“Grant
Date” means, as determined by the Board or authorized Committee,
(i) the date as of which the Board or such Committee approves a
Grant, (ii) the date on which the recipient of a Grant first becomes
eligible to receive a Grant under
Section 6
hereof, or (iii) such other date as may be specified by the Board or
such Committee.
|
|
|
2.15
|
“Grantee”
means a person who receives or holds an Option, Restricted Stock,
or
Restricted Stock Unit under the Plan.
|
|
|
2.16
|
“Incentive
Stock Option” means an “incentive stock option” within the meaning of
Section 422 of the Code, or the corresponding provision of any
subsequently enacted tax statute, as amended from time to
time.
|
|
|
2.17
|
“Option”
means an option to purchase one or more shares of Stock pursuant
to the
Plan.
|
|
|
2.18
|
“Option
Period” means the period during which Options may be exercised as set
forth in
Section 10
hereof.
|
|
|
2.19
|
“Option
Price” means the purchase price for each share of Stock subject to an
Option.
|
|
|
2.20
|
“Other
Agreement” shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 14
hereof.
|
|
|
2.21
|
“Plan”
means this 2003 Stock Option and Incentive Plan.
|
|
|
2.22
|
“Reporting
Person” means a person who is required to file reports under
Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act.
|
|
|
2.23
|
“Restricted
Period” means the period during which Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock
Units are subject to restrictions or conditions pursuant to
Section 12.2
hereof.
|
|
|
2.24
|
“Restricted
Stock” means shares of Stock, awarded to a Grantee pursuant to
Section 12
hereof, that are subject to restrictions and to a risk of
forfeiture.
|
|
|
2.25
|
“Restricted
Stock Unit” means a unit awarded to a Grantee pursuant to
Section 12
hereof, which represents a conditional right to receive a share of
Stock
in the future, and which is subject to restrictions and to a risk
of
forfeiture.
|
2.26
|
“Securities
Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as now in effect or as hereafter
amended.
|
|
|
2.27
|
“Stock”
means the common stock of the Company.
|
|
|
2.28
|
“Subsidiary”
means any “subsidiary corporation” of the Company within the meaning of
Section 424(f) of the
Code.
|
3.
ADMINISTRATION OF THE PLAN
3.1
Board.
The
Board, or a committee thereof, shall have such powers and authorities related
to
the administration of the Plan as are consistent with the Company’s certificate
of incorporation and by-laws and applicable law. The Board shall have full
power
and authority to take all actions and to make all determinations required or
provided for under the Plan, any Grant, or any Award Agreement, and shall have
full power and authority to take all such other actions and make all such other
determinations not inconsistent with the specific terms and provisions of the
Plan that the Board deems to be necessary or appropriate to the administration
of the Plan, any Grant, or any Award Agreement. All such actions and
determinations shall be by the affirmative vote of a majority of the members
of
the Board present at a meeting or by unanimous consent of the Board executed
in
writing in accordance with the Company’s certificate of incorporation and
by-laws and applicable law. The interpretation and construction by the Board
of
any provision of the Plan, any Grant, or any Award Agreement shall be final
and
conclusive.
3.2
Committee.
The
Board
from time to time may delegate to a Committee such powers and authorities
related to the administration and implementation of the Plan, as set forth
in
Section 3.1
above
and in other applicable provisions, as the Board shall determine, consistent
with the certificate of incorporation and by-laws of the Company and applicable
law. In the event that the Plan, any Grant, or any Award Agreement entered
into
hereunder provides for any action to be taken by or determination to be made
by
the Board, such action may be taken by or such determination may be made by
the
Committee if the power and authority to do so has been delegated to the
Committee by the Board as provided for in this Section. Unless otherwise
expressly determined by the Board, any such action or determination by the
Committee shall be final, binding, and conclusive.
3.3
Grants.
Subject
to the other terms and conditions of the Plan, the Board shall have full and
final authority (i) to designate Grantees, (ii) to determine the type
or types of Grant to be made to a Grantee, (iii) to determine the number of
shares of Stock to be subject to a Grant, (iv) to establish the terms and
conditions of each Grant (including, but not limited to, the exercise price
of
any Option, the nature and duration of any restriction or condition (or
provision for lapse thereof) relating to the vesting, exercise, transfer, or
forfeiture of a Grant or the shares of Stock subject thereto, and any terms
or
conditions that may be necessary to qualify Options as Incentive Stock Options),
(v) to prescribe the form of each Award Agreement evidencing a Grant, and
(vi) to amend, modify, or supplement the terms of any outstanding Grant.
Such authority specifically includes the authority, in order to effectuate
the
purposes of the Plan but without amending the Plan, to modify Grants to eligible
individuals who are foreign nationals or are individuals who are employed
outside the United States to recognize differences in local law, tax policy,
or
custom. As a condition to any Grant, the Board shall have the right, at its
discretion, to require Grantees to return to the Company Grants previously
awarded under the Plan. Subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan, any
such subsequent Grant shall be upon such terms and conditions as are specified
by the Board
at
the
time the new Grant is made. The Company may retain the right in an Award
Agreement to cause a forfeiture of the gain realized by a Grantee on account
of
actions taken by the Grantee in violation or breach of or in conflict with
any
non-competition agreement, any agreement prohibiting solicitation of employees
or clients of the Company or any affiliate thereof or any confidentiality
obligation with respect to the Company or any affiliate thereof or otherwise
in
competition with the Company, to the extent specified in such Award Agreement
applicable to the Grantee. Furthermore, the Company may annul a Grant if the
Grantee is an employee of the Company or an affiliate thereof and is terminated
“for cause” as defined in the applicable Award Agreement. The Board may permit
or require the deferral of any award payment, subject to such rules and
procedures as it may establish, which may include provisions for the payment
or
crediting of interest or dividend equivalents, including converting such credits
into deferred Stock equivalents.
3.4
No Liability.
No
member
of the Board or of the Committee shall be liable for any action or determination
made in good faith with respect to the Plan or any Grant or Award
Agreement.
4.
STOCK SUBJECT TO THE PLAN
Subject
to adjustment as provided in
Section 17
hereof,
the number of shares of Stock available for issuance under the Plan shall be
three million one hundred eighty-five thousand seven hundred fourteen
(3,185,714) [post reverse split of November 2006]. Stock issued or to be issued
under the Plan shall be authorized but unissued shares. If any shares covered
by
a Grant are not purchased or are forfeited, or if a Grant otherwise terminates
without delivery of any Stock subject thereto, then the number of shares of
Stock counted against the aggregate number of shares available under the Plan
with respect to such Grant shall, to the extent of any such forfeiture or
termination, again be available for making Grants under the Plan.
5.
EFFECTIVE DATE AND TERM OF THE PLAN
5.1
Effective Date.
The
Plan
shall be effective as of the Effective Date, subject to approval of the Plan
within one year of the Effective Date, by the stockholders of the Company in
accordance with Section 422(b) of the Code and the regulations
thereunder. Upon approval of the Plan by the stockholders of the Company as
set
forth above, all Grants made under the Plan on or after the Effective Date
shall
be fully effective as if the stockholders of the Company had approved the Plan
on the Effective Date. If the stockholders fail to approve the Plan within
one
year after the Effective Date, any Grants made hereunder shall be null and
void
and of no effect.
5.2
Term.
The
Plan
shall terminate on the tenth anniversary of the Effective Date.
6.
OPTION GRANTS
6.1
Employees or Consultants.
Grants
(including Grants of Incentive Stock Options, subject to
Section 7.1)
may be
made under the Plan to any employee, officer or director of, or any consultant
or advisor to, the Company or any Subsidiary, as the Board shall determine
and
designate from time to time.
6.2
Successive Grants.
An
eligible person may receive more than one Grant, subject to such restrictions
as
are provided herein.
7.
LIMITATIONS ON GRANTS
7.1
Limitations on Incentive Stock Options.
An
Option
shall constitute an Incentive Stock Option only (i) if the Grantee of such
Option is an employee of the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company;
(ii) to the extent specifically provided in the related Award Agreement;
and (iii) to the extent that the aggregate Fair Market Value (determined at
the time the Option is granted) of the shares of Stock with respect to which
all
Incentive Stock Options held by such Grantee become exercisable for the first
time during any calendar year (under the Plan and all other plans of the
Grantee’s employer and its affiliates) does not exceed $100,000. This limitation
shall be applied by taking Options into account in the order in which they
were
granted.
8.
AWARD AGREEMENT
Each
Grant pursuant to the Plan shall be evidenced by an Award Agreement, in such
form or forms as the Board shall from time to time determine. Award Agreements
granted from time to time or at the same time need not contain similar
provisions but shall be consistent with the terms of the Plan. Each Award
Agreement evidencing a Grant of Options shall specify whether such Options
are
intended to be non-qualified stock options or Incentive Stock Options, and
in
the absence of such specification such options shall be deemed non-qualified
stock options.
9.
OPTION PRICE
The
Option Price of each Option shall be fixed by the Board and stated in the Award
Agreement evidencing such Option. In the case of an Incentive Stock Option
the
Option Price shall be the Fair Market Value on the Grant Date of a share of
Stock;
provided
,
however
, that
in the event that a Grantee would otherwise be ineligible to receive an
Incentive Stock Option by reason of the provisions of Sections
422(b)(6) and 424(d) of the Code (relating to ownership of more than
ten percent of the Company’s outstanding shares of Stock), the Option Price of
an Option granted to such Grantee that is intended to be an Incentive Stock
Option shall be not less than the greater of the par value or 110 percent of
the
Fair Market Value of a share of Stock on the Grant Date. In no case shall the
Option Price of any Option be less than the par value of a share of
Stock.
10.
VESTING, TERM AND EXERCISE OF OPTIONS
10.1
Vesting and Option Period.
Subject
to
Sections 10.2
and
17.3
hereof,
each Option granted under the Plan shall become exercisable at such times and
under such conditions as shall be determined by the Board and stated in the
Award Agreement. For purposes of this
Section 10.1
,
fractional numbers of shares of Stock subject to an Option shall be rounded
down
to the next nearest whole number. The period during which any Option shall
be
exercisable shall constitute the “Option Period” with respect to such
Option.
10.2
Term.
Each
Option granted under the Plan shall terminate, and all rights to purchase shares
of Stock thereunder shall cease, upon the expiration of ten years from the
date
such Option is granted, or under such circumstances and on such date prior
thereto as is set forth in the Plan or as may be fixed by the Board and stated
in the Award Agreement relating to such Option;
provided
,
however
, that
in the event
that
the
Grantee would otherwise be ineligible to receive an Incentive Stock Option
by
reason of the provisions of Sections 422(b)(6) and 424(d) of the Code
(relating to ownership of more than ten percent of the outstanding shares of
Stock), an Option granted to such Grantee that is intended to be an Incentive
Stock Option shall not be exercisable after the expiration of five years from
its Grant Date.
10.3
Acceleration.
Any
limitation on the exercise of an Option contained in any Award Agreement may
be
rescinded, modified or waived by the Board, in its sole discretion, at any
time
and from time to time after the Grant Date of such Option, so as to accelerate
the time at which the Option may be exercised. Notwithstanding any other
provision of the Plan, no Option shall be exercisable in whole or in part prior
to the date the Plan is approved by the stockholders of the Company as provided
in
Section 5.1
hereof.
10.4
Termination of Employment or Other Relationship.
Unless
otherwise provided by the Board, upon the termination of a Grantee’s employment
or other relationship with the Company or any Subsidiary other than by reason
of
death or “permanent and total disability” (within the meaning of
Section 22(e)(3) of the Code), any Option or portion thereof held by
such Grantee that has not vested in accordance with the provisions
of
Section 10.1
hereof
shall terminate immediately, and any Option or portion thereof that has vested
in accordance with the provisions of
Section 10.1
hereof
but has not been exercised shall terminate at the close of business on the
90th
day following the Grantee’s termination of employment or other relationship (or,
if such 90th day is a Saturday, Sunday or holiday, at the close of business
on
the next preceding day that is not a Saturday, Sunday or holiday). Upon
termination of an Option or portion thereof, the Grantee shall have no further
right to purchase shares of Stock pursuant to such Option or portion thereof.
Whether a termination of employment or other relationship shall have occurred
for purposes of the Plan shall be determined by the Board, which determination
shall be final and conclusive. For purposes of the Plan, a termination of
employment, service or other relationship shall not be deemed to occur if the
Grantee is immediately thereafter a director of the Company or an
affiliate.
10.5
Rights in the Event of Death.
Unless
otherwise provided by the Board, if a Grantee dies while employed by or
providing services to the Company or Subsidiary, all Options granted to such
Grantee shall fully vest on the date of death, and the executors or
administrators or legatees or distributees of such Grantee’s estate shall have
the right, at any time within one year after the date of such Grantee’s death
and prior to termination of the Option pursuant to
Section 10.2
above,
to exercise any Option held by such Grantee at the date of such Grantee’s
death.
10.6
Rights in the Event of Disability.
Unless
otherwise provided by the Board, if a Grantee’s employment or other relationship
with the Company or Subsidiary is terminated by reason of the “permanent and
total disability” (within the meaning of Section 22(e)(3) of the Code)
of such Grantee, all Options granted to such Grantee shall fully vest on the
date of permanent and total disability, and the Grantee shall have the right,
at
any time within one year after the date of such Grantee’s permanent and total
disability and prior to termination of the Option pursuant to
Section 10.2
above,
to exercise any Option held by such Grantee. Whether a termination of employment
or service is to be considered by reason of “permanent and total disability” for
purposes of the Plan shall be determined by the Board, which determination
shall
be final and conclusive.
10.7
Limitations on Exercise of Option.
Notwithstanding
any other provision of the Plan, in no event may any Option be exercised, in
whole or in part, prior to the date the Plan is approved by the stockholders
of
the Company as provided herein, or after ten years following the date upon
which
the Option is granted, or after the occurrence of an event referred to
in
Section 17
hereof
which results in termination of the Option.
10.8
Method of Exercise.
An
Option
that is exercisable may be exercised by the Grantee’s delivery to the Company of
written notice of exercise on any business day, at the Company’s principal
office, addressed to the attention of the Board. Such notice shall specify
the
number of shares of Stock with respect to which the Option is being exercised
and shall be accompanied by payment in full of the Option Price of the shares
for which the Option is being exercised. The minimum number of shares of Stock
with respect to which an Option may be exercised, in whole or in part, at any
time shall be the lesser of (i) 100 shares or such lesser number set forth
in the applicable Award Agreement and (ii) the maximum number of shares
available for purchase under the Option at the time of exercise. Payment of
the
Option Price for the shares purchased pursuant to the exercise of an Option
shall be made (i) in cash or in cash equivalents acceptable to the Company;
(ii) to the extent permitted by law and at the Board’s discretion, through
the tender to the Company of shares of Stock, which shares, if acquired from
the
Company, shall have been held for at least six months at the time of tender
and
which shall be valued, for purposes of determining the extent to which the
Option Price has been paid thereby, at their Fair Market Value on the date
of
exercise; or (iii) to the extent permitted by law and at the Board’s
discretion, by a combination of the methods described in (i) and (ii). In
addition and unless the Board provides otherwise in the Award Agreement, payment
in full of the Option Price need not accompany the written notice of exercise
provided that the notice of exercise directs that the certificate or
certificates for the shares of Stock for which the Option is exercised be
delivered to a licensed broker acceptable to the Company as the agent for the
individual exercising the Option and, at the time such certificate or
certificates are delivered, the broker tenders to the Company cash (or cash
equivalents acceptable to the Company) equal to the Option Price for the shares
of Stock purchased pursuant to the exercise of the Option plus the amount (if
any) of federal and/or other taxes which the Company may in its judgment, be
required to withhold with respect to the exercise of the Option. An attempt
to
exercise any Option granted hereunder other than as set forth above shall be
invalid and of no force and effect. Unless otherwise stated in the applicable
Award Agreement, an individual holding or exercising an Option shall have none
of the rights of a stockholder (for example, the right to receive cash or
dividend payments or distributions attributable to the subject shares of Stock
or to direct the voting of the subject shares of Stock) until the shares of
Stock covered thereby are fully paid and issued to such individual. Except
as
provided in
Section 17
hereof,
no adjustment shall be made for dividends, distributions, or other rights for
which the record date is prior to the date of such issuance.
10.9
Delivery of Stock Certificates.
Promptly
after the exercise of an Option by a Grantee and the payment in full of the
Option Price, such Grantee shall be entitled to the issuance of a stock
certificate or certificates evidencing such Grantee’s ownership of the shares of
Stock subject to the Option.
11.
TRANSFERABILITY OF OPTIONS
11.1
Transferability of Options.
Except
as
provided in
Section 11.2,
during
the lifetime of a Grantee, only the Grantee (or, in the event of legal
incapacity or incompetency, the Grantee’s guardian or legal representative) may
exercise an
Option.
Except as provided in
Section 11.2,
no
Option shall be assignable or transferable by the Grantee to whom it is granted,
other than by will or the laws of descent and distribution.
11.2
Transfers.
A.
Family Transfers
If
authorized in the applicable Award Agreement, a Grantee may transfer, not for
value, all or part of an Option which is not an Incentive Stock Option to any
Family Member. For the purpose of this
Section 11.2
, a “not
for value” transfer is a transfer which is (i) a gift, (ii) a transfer
under a domestic relations order in settlement of marital property rights;
or
(iii) a transfer to an entity in which more than fifty percent of the
voting interests are owned by Family Members (or the Grantee) in exchange for
an
interest in that entity. Following a transfer under this
Section 11.2
, any
such Option shall continue to be subject to the same terms and conditions as
were applicable immediately prior to transfer. Subsequent transfers of
transferred Options are prohibited except to Family Members of the original
Grantee in accordance with this
Section 11.2
or by
will or the laws of descent and distribution. The events of termination of
employment or other relationship of
Section 10.4
hereof
shall continue to be applied with respect to the original Grantee, following
which the Option shall be exercisable by the transferee only to the extent,
and
for the periods specified in
Sections 10.4
,
10.5
,
or
10.6
.
12.
RESTRICTED STOCK AND RESTRICTED STOCK UNITS
12.1
Grant of Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Units.
The
Board
may from time to time grant Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Units to
persons eligible to receive Grants under
Section 6
hereof,
subject to such restrictions, conditions and other terms as the Board may
determine.
12.2
Restrictions.
At
the
time a Grant of Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Units is made, the Board
shall establish a period of time (the “Restricted Period”) applicable to such
Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Units. Each Grant of Restricted Stock
or
Restricted Stock Units may be subject to a different Restricted Period. The
Board may, in its sole discretion, at the time a Grant of Restricted Stock
or
Restricted Stock Units is made, prescribe restrictions in addition to or other
than the expiration of the Restricted Period, including the satisfaction of
corporate or individual performance objectives, which may be applicable to
all
or any portion of the Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Units. Such
performance objectives shall be established in writing by the Board prior to
the
ninetieth day of the year in which the Grant is made and while the outcome
is
substantially uncertain. Performance objectives shall be based on a number
of
factors including, but not limited to, Stock price, market share, sales,
earnings per share, return on equity or costs. Performance objectives may
include positive results, maintaining the status quo or limiting economic
losses. Subject to the fourth sentence of this
Section 12.2
, the
Board also may, in its sole discretion, shorten or terminate the Restricted
Period or waive any other restrictions applicable to all or a portion of the
Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Units. Neither Restricted Stock nor
Restricted Stock Units may be sold, transferred, assigned, pledged or otherwise
encumbered or disposed of during the Restricted Period or prior to the
satisfaction of any other restrictions prescribed by the Board with respect
to
such Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Units.
12.3
Restricted Stock Certificates.
The
Company shall issue, in the name of each Grantee to whom Restricted Stock has
been granted, stock certificates representing the total number of shares of
Restricted Stock granted to the Grantee, as soon as reasonably practicable
after
the Grant Date. The Board may provide in an Award Agreement that
either
(i) the Secretary of the Company shall hold such certificates for the
Grantees’ benefit until such time as the Restricted Stock is forfeited to the
Company
,
or the
restrictions lapse, or (ii) such certificates shall be delivered to the
Grantee, provided, however, that such certificates shall bear a legend or
legends that complies with the applicable securities laws and regulations and
makes appropriate reference to the restrictions imposed under the Plan and
the
Award Agreement.
12.4
Rights of Holders of Restricted Stock.
Unless
the Board otherwise provides in an Award Agreement, holders of Restricted Stock
shall have the right to vote such Stock and the right to receive any dividends
declared or paid with respect to such Stock. The Board may provide that any
dividends paid on Restricted Stock must be reinvested in shares of Stock, which
may or may not be subject to the same vesting conditions and restrictions
applicable to such Restricted Stock. All distributions, if any, received by
a
Grantee with respect to Restricted Stock as a result of any stock split, stock
dividend, combination of shares or other similar transaction shall be subject
to
the restrictions applicable to the original Grant.
12.5
Rights of Holders of Restricted Stock Units.
Unless
the Board otherwise provides in an Award Agreement, holders of Restricted Stock
Units shall have no rights as stockholders of the Company. The Board may provide
in an Award Agreement evidencing a Grant of Restricted Stock Units that the
holder of such Restricted Stock Units shall be entitled to receive, upon the
Company’s payment of a cash dividend on its outstanding Stock, a cash payment
for each Restricted Stock Unit held equal to the per-share dividend paid on
the
Stock. Such Award Agreement may also provide that such cash payment will be
deemed reinvested in additional Restricted Stock Units at a price per unit
equal
to the Fair Market Value of a share of Stock on the date that such dividend
is
paid.
12.6
Termination of Employment or Other Relationship.
Unless
otherwise provided by the Board, upon the termination of a Grantee’s employment
or other relationship with the Company or Subsidiary other than by reason of
death or “permanent and total disability” (within the meaning of
Section 22(e)(3) of the Code), any shares of Restricted Stock or
Restricted Stock Units held by such Grantee that have not vested, or with
respect to which all applicable restrictions and conditions have not lapsed,
shall immediately be deemed forfeited. Upon forfeiture of Restricted Stock
or
Restricted Stock Units, the Grantee shall have no further rights with respect
to
such Grant, including but not limited to any right to vote Restricted Stock
or
any right to receive dividends with respect to shares of Restricted Stock or
Restricted Stock Units. Whether a termination of employment or other
relationship shall have occurred for purposes of the Plan shall be determined
by
the Board, which determination shall be final and conclusive. For purposes
of
the Plan, a termination of employment, service or other relationship shall
not
be deemed to occur if the Grantee is immediately thereafter a director of the
Company or an affiliate.
12.7
Rights in the Event of Death.
Unless
otherwise provided by the Board, if a Grantee dies while employed by the Company
or Subsidiary, all Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Units granted to such
Grantee shall fully vest on the date of death, and the shares of Stock
represented thereby shall be deliverable in accordance with the terms of the
Plan to the executors, administrators, legatees or distributees of the Grantee’s
estate.
12.8
Rights in the Event of Disability.
Unless
otherwise provided by the Board, if a Grantee’s employment or other relationship
with the Company or Subsidiary is terminated by reason of the “permanent and
total disability” (within the meaning of Section 22(e)(3) of the Code)
of such Grantee, such Grantee’s Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Units shall
continue to vest in accordance with the applicable Award Agreement for a period
of one year after such termination of employment or service, subject to the
earlier forfeiture of such Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Units in
accordance with the terms of the applicable Award Agreement. Whether a
termination of employment or service is to be considered by reason of “permanent
and total disability” for purposes of the Plan shall be determined by the Board,
which determination shall be final and conclusive.
12.9
Delivery of Stock and Payment Therefor.
Upon
the
expiration or termination of the Restricted Period and the satisfaction of
any
other conditions prescribed by the Board, the restrictions applicable to shares
of Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Units shall lapse, and, unless otherwise
provided in the Award Agreement, upon payment by the Grantee to the Company,
in
cash or by check, of the greater of (i) the aggregate par value of the
shares of Stock represented by such Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Units
or (ii) the purchase price, if any, specified in the Award agreement
relating to such Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Units, a stock certificate
for such shares shall be delivered, free of all such restrictions, to the
Grantee or the Grantee’s beneficiary or estate, as the case may be.
13.
CERTAIN PROVISIONS APPLICABLE TO AWARDS
13.1
Stand-Alone, Additional, Tandem, and Substitute Grants.
Grants
under the Plan may, in the discretion of the Board, be granted either alone
or
in addition to, in tandem with or in substitution or exchange for, any other
Grant or any award granted under another plan of the Company, any affiliate
or
any business entity to be acquired by the Company or an affiliate, or any other
right of a Grantee to receive payment from the Company or any affiliate. Such
additional, tandem and substitute or exchange Grants may be awarded at any
time.
If a Grant is awarded in substitution or exchange for another Grant, the Board
shall require the surrender of such other Grant in consideration for the new
Grant. In addition, Grants may be made in lieu of cash compensation, including
in lieu of cash amounts payable under other plans of the Company or any
affiliate, in which the value of Stock subject to the Grant is equivalent in
value to the cash compensation (for example, Restricted Stock), or in which
the
exercise price, grant price or purchase price of the Grant in the nature of
a
right that may be exercised is equal to the Fair Market Value of the underlying
Stock minus the value of the cash compensation surrendered (for example, Options
granted with an exercise price “discounted” by the amount of the cash
compensation surrendered).
13.2
Term of Grant.
The
term
of each Grant shall be for such period as may be determined by the Board;
provided that in no event shall the term of any Option exceed a period of ten
years (or such shorter term as may be required in respect of an Incentive Stock
Option under Section 422 of the Code).
13.3
Form and Timing of Payment Under Grants; Deferrals.
Subject
to the terms of the Plan and any applicable Award Agreement, payments to be
made
by the Company or an affiliate upon the exercise of an Option or other Grant
may
be made in such forms as the Board shall determine, including, without
limitation, cash, Stock, other Grants or other property, and may be made in
a
single payment or transfer, in installments, or on a deferred basis. The
settlement of any
Grant
may
be accelerated, and cash paid in lieu of Stock in connection with such
settlement, in the discretion of the Board or upon occurrence of one or more
specified events. Installment or deferred payments may be required by the Board
or permitted at the election of the Grantee on terms and conditions established
by the Board. Payments may include, without limitation, provisions for the
payment or crediting of a reasonable interest rate on installment or deferred
payments or the grant or crediting of dividend equivalents or other amounts
in
respect of installment or deferred payments denominated in Stock.
14.
PARACHUTE LIMITATIONS
Notwithstanding
any other provision of this Plan or of any other agreement, contract, or
understanding heretofore or hereafter entered into by a Grantee with the Company
or any affiliate, except an agreement, contract, or understanding hereafter
entered into that expressly modifies or excludes application of this paragraph
(an “Other Agreement”), and notwithstanding any formal or informal plan or other
arrangement for the direct or indirect provision of compensation to the Grantee
(including groups or classes of participants or beneficiaries of which the
Grantee is a member), whether or not such compensation is deferred, is in cash
or is in the form of a benefit to or for the Grantee (a “Benefit Arrangement”),
if the Grantee is a “disqualified individual,” as defined in
Section 280G(c) of the Code, any Option, Restricted Stock or
Restricted Stock Unit held by that Grantee and any right to receive any payment
or other benefit under this Plan shall not become exercisable or vested
(i) to the extent that such right to exercise, vesting, payment or benefit,
taking into account all other rights, payments, or benefits to or for the
Grantee under this Plan, all Other Agreements and all Benefit Arrangements,
would cause any payment or benefit to the Grantee under this Plan to be
considered a “parachute payment” within the meaning of
Section 280G(b)(2) of the Code as then in effect (a “Parachute
Payment”)
and
(ii) if, as a result of receiving a Parachute Payment, the aggregate
after-tax amounts received by the Grantee from the Company under this Plan,
all
Other Agreements and all Benefit Arrangements would be less than the maximum
after-tax amount that could be received by the Grantee without causing any
such
payment or benefit to be considered a Parachute Payment. In the event that
the
receipt of any such right to exercise, vesting, payment or benefit under this
Plan, in conjunction with all other rights, payments or benefits to or for
the
Grantee under any Other Agreement or any Benefit Arrangement would cause the
Grantee to be considered to have received a Parachute Payment under this Plan
that would have the effect of decreasing the after-tax amount received by the
Grantee as described in clause (ii) of the preceding sentence, then the
Grantee shall have the right, in the Grantee’s sole discretion, to designate
those rights, payments or benefits under this Plan, any Other Agreements and
any
Benefit Arrangements that should be reduced or eliminated so as to avoid having
the payment or benefit to the Grantee under this Plan be deemed to be a
Parachute Payment.
15.
REQUIREMENTS OF LAW
15.1
General.
The
Company shall not be required to sell or issue any shares of Stock under any
Grant if the sale or issuance of such shares would constitute a violation by
the
Grantee, any other individual exercising a right emanating from such Grant,
or
the Company of any provision of any law or regulation of any governmental
authority, including without limitation any federal or state securities laws
or
regulations. If at any time the Company shall determine, in its discretion,
that
the listing, registration or qualification of any shares subject to a Grant
upon
any securities exchange or under any governmental regulatory body is necessary
or desirable as a condition of, or in connection with, the issuance or purchase
of shares hereunder, no shares of Stock may be issued or sold to the Grantee
or
any other individual exercising an Option pursuant to such Grant unless such
listing, registration, qualification, consent or approval shall have been
effected or obtained free of any conditions not acceptable to the Company,
and
any delay caused thereby shall in no
way
affect the date of termination of the Grant. Specifically, in connection with
the Securities Act, upon the exercise of any right emanating from such Grant
or
the delivery of any shares of Restricted Stock or Stock underlying Restricted
Stock Units, unless a registration statement under such Act is in effect with
respect to the shares of Stock covered by such Grant, the Company shall not
be
required to sell or issue such shares unless the Board has received evidence
satisfactory to it that the Grantee or any other individual exercising an Option
may acquire such shares pursuant to an exemption from registration under the
Securities Act. Any determination in this connection by the Board shall be
final, binding and conclusive. The Company may, but shall in no event be
obligated to, register any securities covered hereby pursuant to the Securities
Act. The Company shall not be obligated to take any affirmative action in order
to cause the exercise of an Option or the issuance of shares of Stock pursuant
to the Plan to comply with any law or regulation of any governmental authority.
As to any jurisdiction that expressly imposes the requirement that an Option
shall not be exercisable until the shares of Stock covered by such Option are
registered or are exempt from registration, the exercise of such Option (under
circumstances in which the laws of such jurisdiction apply) shall be deemed
conditioned upon the effectiveness of such registration or the availability
of
such an exemption.
15.2
Rule 16b-3.
During
any time when the Company has a class of equity security registered under
Section 12 of the Exchange Act, it is the intent of the Company that Grants
pursuant to the Plan and the exercise of Options granted hereunder will qualify
for the exemption provided by Rule 16b-3 under the Exchange Act. To the
extent that any provision of the Plan or action by the Board does not comply
with the requirements of Rule 16b-3, it shall be deemed inoperative to the
extent permitted by law and deemed advisable by the Board, and shall not affect
the validity of the Plan. In the event that Rule 16b-3 is revised or
replaced, the Board may exercise its discretion to modify this Plan in any
respect necessary to satisfy the requirements of, or to take advantage of any
features of, the revised exemption or its replacement.
16.
AMENDMENT AND TERMINATION OF THE PLAN
The
Board
may, at any time and from time to time, amend, suspend or terminate the Plan
as
to any shares of Stock as to which Grants have not been made;
provided
,
however
, that
the Board shall not, without approval of the Company’s stockholders, amend the
Plan such that it does not comply with the Code. Except as permitted under
this
Section 16
or
Section 17
hereof,
no amendment, suspension or termination of the Plan shall, without the consent
of the Grantee, alter or impair rights or obligations under any Grant
theretofore awarded under the Plan.
17.
EFFECT OF CHANGES IN CAPITALIZATION
17.1
Changes in Stock.
If
the
number of outstanding shares of Stock is increased or decreased or the shares
of
Stock are changed into or exchanged for a different number or kind of shares
or
other securities of the Company on account of any recapitalization,
reclassification, stock split, reverse split, combination of shares, exchange
of
shares, stock dividend or other distribution payable in capital stock, or other
increase or decrease in such shares effected without receipt of consideration
by
the Company occurring after the Effective Date, the number and kinds of shares
for which Grants of Options, Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units may
be
made under the Plan shall be adjusted proportionately and accordingly by the
Company. In addition, the number and kind of shares for which Grants are
outstanding shall be adjusted proportionately and accordingly so that the
proportionate interest of the Grantee immediately following such event shall
be,
to the extent practicable, the same as immediately before such event. Any such
adjustment in outstanding Options shall not change the aggregate Option Price
payable with respect to shares that are subject to the unexercised portion
of an
Option outstanding but shall include a corresponding
proportionate adjustment in the Option Price per share. The conversion of any
convertible securities of the Company shall not be treated as an increase in
shares effected without receipt of consideration.
17.2
Reorganization in Which the Company Is the Surviving Entity and in Which No
Change of Control Occurs.
Subject
to
Section 17.3
hereof,
if the Company shall be the surviving entity in any reorganization, merger
or
consolidation of the Company with one or more other entities and in which no
Change of Control occurs, any Option theretofore granted pursuant to the Plan
shall pertain to and apply to the securities to which a holder of the number
of
shares of Stock subject to such Option would have been entitled immediately
following such reorganization, merger or consolidation, with a corresponding
proportionate adjustment of the Option Price per share so that the aggregate
Option Price thereafter shall be the same as the aggregate Option Price of
the
shares remaining subject to the Option immediately prior to such reorganization,
merger or consolidation. Subject to any contrary language in an Award Agreement
evidencing a Grant of Restricted Stock, any restrictions applicable to such
Restricted Stock shall apply as well to any replacement shares received by
the
Grantee as a result of the reorganization, merger or consolidation.
17.3
Reorganization, Sale of Assets or Sale of Stock Which Involves a Change of
Control.
Subject
to the exceptions set forth in the last sentence of this
Section 17.3,
(i) upon the occurrence of a Change of Control, all outstanding shares of
Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units shall be deemed to have vested,
and
all restrictions and conditions applicable to such shares of Restricted Stock
and Restricted Stock Units shall be deemed to have lapsed, immediately prior
to
the occurrence of such Change of Control, and (ii) fifteen days prior to
the scheduled consummation of a Change of Control, all Options outstanding
hereunder shall become immediately exercisable and shall remain exercisable
for
a period of fifteen days. Any exercise of an Option during such fifteen-day
period shall be conditioned upon the consummation of the event and shall be
effective only immediately before the consummation of the event. Upon
consummation of any Change of Control, the Plan and all outstanding but
unexercised Options shall terminate. The Board shall send written notice of
an
event that will result in such a termination to all individuals who hold Options
not later than the time at which the Company gives notice thereof to its
stockholders. This
Section 17.3
shall
not apply to any Change of Control to the extent that (A) provision is made
in writing in connection with such Change of Control for the assumption of
the
Options, Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units theretofore granted, or
for
the substitution for such Options, Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units
of new options, restricted stock and restricted stock units covering the stock
of a successor entity, or a parent or subsidiary thereof, with appropriate
adjustments as to the number and kinds of shares or units and exercise prices,
in which event the Plan and Options, Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock
Units
theretofore granted shall continue in the manner and under the terms so provided
or (B) a majority of the full Board determines that such Change of Control
shall not trigger application of the provisions of this
Section 17.3
.
17.4
Adjustments.
Adjustments
under this
Section 17
related
to shares of Stock or securities of the Company shall be made by the Board,
whose determination in that respect shall be final, binding and conclusive.
No
fractional shares or other securities shall be issued pursuant to any such
adjustment, and any fractions resulting from any such adjustment shall be
eliminated in each case by rounding downward to the nearest whole
share.
17.5
No Limitations on Company.
The
making of Grants pursuant to the Plan shall not affect or limit in any way
the
right or power of the Company to make adjustments, reclassifications,
reorganizations or changes of its capital or business structure or to merge,
consolidate, dissolve or liquidate, or to sell or transfer all or any part
of
its business or assets.
18.
DISCLAIMER OF RIGHTS
No
provision in the Plan or in any Grant or Award Agreement shall be construed
to
confer upon any individual the right to remain in the employ or service of
the
Company or any affiliate, or to interfere in any way with any contractual or
other right or authority of the Company either to increase or decrease the
compensation or other payments to any individual at any time, or to terminate
any employment or other relationship between any individual and the Company.
In
addition, notwithstanding anything contained in the Plan to the contrary, unless
otherwise stated in the applicable Award Agreement, no Grant awarded under
the
Plan shall be affected by any change of duties or position of the Grantee,
so
long as such Grantee continues to be a director, officer, consultant or employee
of the Company or any affiliate. The obligation of the Company to pay any
benefits pursuant to this Plan shall be interpreted as a contractual obligation
to pay only those amounts described herein, in the manner and under the
conditions prescribed herein. The Plan shall in no way be interpreted to require
the Company to transfer any amounts to a third party trustee or otherwise hold
any amounts in trust or escrow for payment to any participant or beneficiary
under the terms of the Plan. No Grantee shall have any of the rights of a
stockholder with respect to the shares of Stock subject to an Option except
to
the extent the certificates for such shares of Stock shall have been issued
upon
the exercise of the Option.
19.
NONEXCLUSIVITY OF THE PLAN
Neither
the adoption of the Plan nor the submission of the Plan to the stockholders
of
the Company for approval shall be construed as creating any limitations upon
the
right and authority of the Board to adopt such other incentive compensation
arrangements (which arrangements may be applicable either generally to a class
or classes of individuals or specifically to a particular individual or
particular individuals) as the Board in its discretion determines desirable,
including, without limitation, the granting of stock options otherwise than
under the Plan.
20.
WITHHOLDING TAXES
The
Company or any affiliate, as the case may be, shall have the right to deduct
from payments of any kind otherwise due to a Grantee any Federal, state or
local
taxes of any kind required by law to be withheld with respect to the vesting
of
or other lapse of restrictions applicable to Restricted Stock or Restricted
Stock Units or upon the issuance of any shares of Stock upon the exercise of
an
Option. At the time of such vesting, lapse or exercise, the Grantee shall pay
to
the Company or affiliate, as the case may be, any amount that the Company or
affiliate may reasonably determine to be necessary to satisfy such withholding
obligation. Subject to the prior approval of the Company or the affiliate,
which
may be withheld by the Company or the affiliate, as the case may be, in its
sole
discretion, the Grantee may elect to satisfy such obligations, in whole or
in
part, (i) by causing the Company or the affiliate to withhold shares of
Stock otherwise issuable to the Grantee in an amount equal to the statutory
withholding amount or (ii) by delivering to the Company or the affiliate
shares of Stock already owned by the Grantee. The shares of Stock so delivered
or withheld shall have an aggregate Fair Market Value equal to such withholding
obligations. The Fair Market Value of the shares of Stock used to satisfy such
withholding obligation shall be determined by the Company or the affiliate
as of
the date that the amount of tax to be withheld is to be determined. A Grantee
who has made an election pursuant to this
Section 20
may
satisfy his or her
withholding
obligation only with shares of Stock that are not subject to any repurchase,
forfeiture, unfulfilled vesting or other similar requirements.
21.
CAPTIONS
The
use
of captions in this Plan or any Award Agreement is for the convenience of
reference only and shall not affect the meaning of any provision of the Plan
or
such Award Agreement.
22.
OTHER PROVISIONS
Each
Grant awarded under the Plan may contain such other terms and conditions not
inconsistent with the Plan as may be determined by the Board, in its sole
discretion.
23.
NUMBER AND GENDER
With
respect to words used in this Plan, the singular form shall include the plural
form, the masculine gender shall include the feminine gender, etc., as the
context requires.
24.
SEVERABILITY
If
any
provision of the Plan or any Award Agreement shall be determined to be illegal
or unenforceable by any court of law in any jurisdiction, the remaining
provisions hereof and thereof shall be severable and enforceable in accordance
with their terms, and all provisions shall remain enforceable in any other
jurisdiction.
25.
POOLING
In
the
event any provision of the Plan or the Award Agreement would prevent the use
of
pooling of interests accounting in a corporate transaction involving the Company
and such transaction is contingent upon pooling of interests accounting, then
that provision shall be deemed amended or revoked to the extent required to
preserve such pooling of interests. The Company may require in an Award
Agreement that a Grantee who receives a Grant under the Plan shall, upon advice
from the Company, take (or refrain from taking, as appropriate) all actions
necessary or desirable to ensure that pooling of interests accounting is
available.
26.
GOVERNING LAW
The
validity and construction of this Plan and the instruments evidencing the Grants
awarded hereunder shall be governed by the laws of the State of Delaware
(excluding the choice of law rules thereof).
PROXY
MCF
CORPORATION
ANNUAL
MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS TO BE HELD JUNE 8, 2007
THIS
PROXY IS SOLICITED ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
The
undersigned hereby appoints D. Jonathan Merriman and Robert E. Ford and each
of
them, as proxies, with full power of substitution, and hereby authorizes them
to
represent and vote, as designated on the reverse, all shares of common stock
of
MCF Corporation, a Delaware corporation, held of record by the undersigned,
on
April 20, 2007, at the 2007 annual meeting of stockholders to be held
on Friday, June 8, 2007, at 1:30 p.m., Pacific Standard Time, at Merriman
Curhan Ford & Co., headquarters, 600 California Street, 9
th Floor,
San Francisco, California 94108, or at any adjournment or postponement thereof,
upon the matters set forth on the reverse, all in accordance with and as more
fully described in the accompanying Notice of Annual Meeting of Stockholders
and
Proxy Statement, receipt of which is hereby acknowledged.
1. To
elect
nine directors.
o FOR
all
nominees listed (except as marked to the contrary below)o WITHHOLD
AUTHORITY
to vote
for all nominees listed
Nominees:
D. Jonathan Merriman, Patrick Arbor, Ronald Spears, Steven W. Town, Raymond
Minehan, Dennis Schmal, Anthony B. Helfet, Scott Potter, and William J.
Febbo.
(INSTRUCTION:
To withhold authority to vote for any individual nominee, write that nominee’s
name on the space provided below:
2. To
approve the amendment to the 2003 Stock Option and Incentive Plan.
3. In
their
discretion, the proxies are authorized to vote upon such other business as
may
properly come before the annual meeting or any adjournment or postponement
thereof.
THIS
PROXY, WHEN PROPERLY EXECUTED, WILL BE VOTED IN THE MANNER DIRECTED HEREIN
BY
THE UNDERSIGNED STOCKHOLDER. IF NO DIRECTION IS MADE, THIS PROXY WILL BE VOTED
“FOR” THE ELECTION OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS’ NINE NOMINEES NAMED ON THE REVERSE
AND FOR EACH OF THE PROPOSALS LISTED ABOVE. PLEASE COMPLETE, SIGN AND DATE
THIS
PROXY WHERE INDICATED AND RETURN PROMPTLY IN THE ACCOMPANYING PREPAID
ENVELOPE.
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Signature
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Date:
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Signature
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Date:
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Note:
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Please
sign above exactly as the shares are issued. When shares are held
by joint
tenants, both should sign. When signing as an attorney, executor,
administrator, trustee or guardian, please give full title as such.
If a
corporation, please sign in full corporate name by president or other
authorized officer. If a partnership, please sign in partnership
name by
authorized person.
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PLEASE
MARK, SIGN, DATE AND RETURN THIS PROXY CARD IN THE ENCLOSED
ENVELOPE.