Title: Developments and Trends in Compensation Practices
1Practising Law Institute
- Developments and Trends in Compensation Practices
Aftermath of Enron
Jeffrey M. Kanter Max J. Schwartz Scott P. Spector
2Things Well Discuss
- The Environment
- Worst Practices
- Best Practices
- Possible Change Areas
3The Environment
- Enron/Andersen collapse
- Depressed market despite stronger earnings
- Continued investor dilution concerns
- New disclosure for stock plans
- Continued concern about stock plan approval
- Finalization of EITF 00-23, but IASB is here
- Options continue to be underwater
- Missed incentive goals
4Enron/Andersen Collapse
- Heavy scrutiny of stock options
- Distrust of financial disclosure
- Earnings comparisons less meaningful
- Whats in the numbers?
- Re-thinking director compensation
- Are options right?
5Continued Investor Concerns
- Higher average potential dilution from stock
plans - 1997 2001 change
- SP 500 10.0 13.7 37.0
- SP Mid Cap 10.5 15.6 48.5
- SP Small Cap 13.8 17.0 23.2
- Total Super 1500 11.6 14.1 21.6
- Continued scrutiny from institutional investors
Source Stock Plan Dilution, 2002 Overhang from
Stock Plans at SP Super 1,500 CompaniesInvestor
Responsibility Research Corp
6Continued Investor Concern
Source Stock Plan Dilution, 2002 Overhang from
Stock Plans at SP Super 1,500 CompaniesInvestor
Responsibility Research Corp
7Public Perceptions
- Executive greed and duplicity contributed to
Enron debacle - Mega-options drove management to falsify
accounting to keep stock prices high and rising - Executives used inside information to exercise
and sell options while price high - Stock option accounting contributed to the
speculative bubble in stocks by inflating the
growth rate in EPS - Stock options cause short-term behavior and are
misaligned with long-term interests of
shareholders
8New Financials
- EBIT Earnings Before Irregularities and
Tampering - ROIC Restated on Instructions of Counsel
- CFO Chief Fraud Officers
9Worst Practices
- Enron
- Philosophy to reward shareholder value creation
- Stock options and restricted stock (50/50)
- RS vesting accelerated based on TSR performance
- 4 year reduced to 1 year
- Large grants (Lay 1.3 million in 2000)
- Limited partnership interests
- Executive loans and repayments
10Worst Practices
- Tyco
- Loans
- Stock sales
- Actions without compensation committee knowledge
- 20 million to director
- Chair of Corporate Governance and Nominating
Committee - Reloads with 10-year terms
11Worst Practices
- E-Trade
- CEO loan settlement
- Forgiveness 15,000,000
- Tax Gross-Up 15,211,481
- 30,211,481
- For elimination of certain contractual
relocation benefits
12Worst Practices
- K-Mart
- Full recourse retention loans
- 2.5 - 5.0 million
- Made in 2000 2002
- Vest in 2004, i.e.,
- Forgiveness
- Tax gross-up
13Worst Practices
- WorldCom
- Stock options only
- Large grants (Ebbers 1.2-1.9 million per year)
- Loan arrangements
- Company guaranteed 195.6 million (B of A)
- Company paid at 198.7 million plus 35 million
for LC - Company direct loan of 165 million
- Why to avoid the need for Mr. Ebbers to sell
large quantities of WorldCom stock
14Worst Practices - Other
- GE
- 3,000,000 stock options and 850,000 RSUs (48
million) to Welch - 1 year vesting
- Recognize 20 years of service and developing and
implementing plans - Conseco
- 45 million cash signing bonus to Gary Wendt
15Worst Practices - Other
- Dell and Oracle
- 38 million options from 1996 to 1998 to Michael
Dell - Already owned 353 million shares
- 20 million options to Larry Ellison
- Already owned 700 million shares
- Dynergy
- CEO severance 2.99x base and incentive
compensation - But incentive compensation includes stock options
16Worst Practices
- Layoffs with big pay
- Pay Layoffs
- Disney 72.8 4,000
- Cisco Systems 28.7 8,500
- WorldCom 10 million 6,000
- stay bonus
17Best Practices (?)
- Coca-Cola
- Interesting approach
- Valuation better than FAS 123
18Best Practices (?)
Companies Expensing Options
Companies Considering Expensing Options
- Amazon.com
- AMB Property Corp.
- Bank One
- Boeing
- Coca-Cola
- Dole Foods
- Fannie Mae
- Freddie Mac
- iStar Financial
- Level 3 Communications
- Sovereign Bancorp
- Washington Post
- Winn-Dixie
- Delta Air Lines
- Heinz
- Target Stores
19Best Practices
- Pepsi
- Enrico reduced salary to 1
- Money went for scholarships for children of
front-line employees
20Best Practices
- Krispy Kreme
- Since 1937 public since early 2000
- Development rights agreements while private
- Also had franchise equity pool for management
- All pools and rights agreements terminated
- Return of original investment
- All sales through 10b5-1 plans
21Best Practices
- Ownership Guidelines
- 13 of Top 250
- Not a lot, but more considering
- Most use multiple of retainer
- 5x most common
- Comcast Ford multiple of retainer/fees
22Best Practices
- Ownership Guidelines
- Other examples
- Citigroup 75 of shares granted
- Pitney-Bowes 350k owned in order to sell stock
- PNC Bank must use ¼ of retainer to purchase
stock - Tribune 5x most recent stock grant
23Best Practices
- Director Performance Options
- Computer Associates based on ROE
- ADC Telecom grant only if 10 ROE
- SYSCO options granted only if 10 growth in EPS
- UP CapOne options vest on stock price
24Possible Change Areas
25Possible Change Areas
- 2. Annual and LTIP Design
- Relevant Metrics x
- Audit Confirmation of Formula Results x
- Negative Discretion x
- Strategic and Qualitative Factors x
- Recapture for Restatements x x
- Operational vs. Market Goals x
26Possible Change Areas
27Possible Change Areas
28Possible Change Areas
29Possible Change Areas
30Frederic W. Cook Co., Inc. provides management
compensation consulting services to business
clients. Formed in 1973, our firm has served
over 1,200 corporations in a wide variety of
industries from our offices in New York, Chicago,
and Los Angeles. Our primary focus is on
performance-based compensation programs which
help companies attract and retain key employees,
motivate and reward them for improved
performance, and align their interests with
shareholders. Our range of consulting services
encompasses the following areas
- Total Compensation Reviews
- Strategic Incentives
- Specific Plan Reviews
- Restructuring Services
- Competitive Comparisons
- Incentive Grant Guidelines
- Executive Ownership Programs
- All-Employee Plans
- Directors Compensation
- Equity Instruments
- Performance Measurement
- Globalization
- Privatization
- Compensation Committee Advisor
- Stock Option Enhancements
Our offices are located
New York 90 Park Avenue 35th
Floor New York, New York 10016 212-986-6330
phone 212-986-3836 fax
Chicago 19 South LaSalle Street Suite
400 Chicago, Illinois 60603 312-332-0910
phone 312-332-0647 fax
Los Angeles 2029 Century Park
East Suite 1130 Los Angeles, California
90067 310-277-5070 phone 310-277-5068 fax
Website address www.fwcook.com