Cogdell Spencer Inc.
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
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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 |
Cogdell Spencer Inc.
(Name of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter)
(Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if other than the
Registrant)
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Fee computed on table below per Exchange Act
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Title of each class of securities to which transaction applies: |
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Aggregate number of securities to which transaction applies: |
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Per unit price or other underlying value of transaction computed
pursuant to Exchange Act
Rule 0-11 (set
forth the amount on which the filing fee is calculated and state
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Fee paid previously with preliminary materials. |
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Check box if any part of the fee is offset as provided by
Exchange Act
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and identify the filing for which the offsetting fee was paid
previously. Identify the previous filing by registration
statement number, or the Form or Schedule and the date of its
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(1) |
Amount Previously Paid: |
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Form, Schedule or Registration Statement No.: |
COGDELL SPENCER INC.
4401 Barclay Downs Drive, Suite 300
Charlotte, NC 28209-4670
April 10, 2006
Dear Stockholder:
We cordially invite you to attend the 2006 Annual Meeting of
Stockholders of Cogdell Spencer Inc. (the Company).
The meeting will be held on Thursday, May 4, 2006, at
9:00 a.m., local time, at Embassy Suites Hotel, 337 Meeting
Street, Charleston, SC 29403. The matters expected to be acted
upon at the meeting are described in detail in the attached
Notice of Annual Meeting of Stockholders and Proxy Statement. We
encourage you to read these materials carefully and to take part
in the affairs of our Company by voting on matters described in
the accompanying proxy statement.
Your vote is very important. Whether you plan to attend the
meeting or not, please complete the enclosed proxy card and
return it as promptly as possible in the envelope provided. If
you attend the meeting, you may continue to have your shares of
common stock voted as instructed in the proxy or you may
withdraw your proxy at the meeting and vote your shares of
common stock in person. We look forward to seeing you at the
meeting.
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Sincerely, |
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James W. Cogdell |
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Chairman |
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Frank C. Spencer |
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President and Chief Executive Officer |
NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS
To Be Held May 4, 2006
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Annual Meeting of Stockholders
(the Annual Meeting) of Cogdell Spencer Inc. (the
Company), a Maryland corporation, will be held at
the Embassy Suites Hotel, 337 Meeting Street, Charleston, SC
29403 on Thursday, May 4, 2006 at 9:00 a.m. local
time, for the following purposes as further described in the
accompanying proxy statement:
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1. To elect seven members to the Board of Directors, each
to serve until the 2007 Annual Meeting of Stockholders. The
nominees to the Board of Directors are the following: James W.
Cogdell, Frank C. Spencer, John R. Georgius, Richard B.
Jennings, Christopher E. Lee, Richard C. Neugent, and Randolph
D. Smoak, MD; |
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2. To ratify the appointment of Deloitte & Touche
LLP as the Companys independent registered public
accounting firm for the year ending December 31,
2006; and |
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3. To transact such other business as may properly come
before the meeting or any adjournments or postponements thereof. |
Our Board of Directors has fixed the close of business on
Wednesday, March 22, 2006 as the record date for
determination of stockholders entitled to receive notice of and
to vote at the Annual Meeting, or any adjournments or
postponements of the meeting. Only holders of record of the
Companys common stock at the close of business on that day
will be entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting, or any
adjournments or postponements of the meeting.
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Charles M. Handy |
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Secretary |
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Charlotte, NC |
WHETHER OR NOT YOU EXPECT TO ATTEND THE ANNUAL MEETING, TO
ENSURE YOUR REPRESENTATION AT THE ANNUAL MEETING, PLEASE MARK,
SIGN, DATE AND RETURN THE ENCLOSED PROXY CARD AS PROMPTLY AS
POSSIBLE IN THE POSTAGE PREPAID ENVELOPE ENCLOSED FOR THAT
PURPOSE. YOU MAY STILL VOTE IN PERSON IF YOU ATTEND THE ANNUAL
MEETING. IF YOU ATTEND THE MEETING, YOU MAY CONTINUE TO HAVE
YOUR SHARES OF COMMON STOCK VOTED AS INSTRUCTED IN THE PROXY OR
YOU MAY WITHDRAW YOUR PROXY AT THE MEETING AND VOTE YOUR SHARES
OF COMMON STOCK IN PERSON.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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GENERAL INFORMATION
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ABOUT THE MEETING
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ITEMS TO BE VOTED ON BY STOCKHOLDERS
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INFORMATION ABOUT THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND ITS COMMITTEES
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EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND OTHER OFFICERS
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REPORT OF THE AUDIT COMMITTEE
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CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
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EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
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SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT
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EXHIBIT A COGDELL SPENCER INC. AUDIT COMMITTEE
CHARTER
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COGDELL SPENCER INC.
4401 Barclay Downs Drive, Suite 300
Charlotte, NC 28209-4670
PROXY STATEMENT
ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS
To Be Held May 4, 2006
GENERAL INFORMATION
The accompanying proxy is solicited by the Board of Directors
(the Board) of Cogdell Spencer Inc. (the
Company), a Maryland corporation, for use at the
Annual Meeting of Stockholders of the Company (the Annual
Meeting), and at any adjournments or postponements
thereof, to be held at the Embassy Suites Hotel, 337 Meeting
Street, Charleston, SC 29403, on Thursday, May 4, 2006 at
9:00 a.m. local time. The purposes of the meeting are:
(1) to elect seven members to the Board of Directors, each
to serve until the 2007 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, the
nominees to the Board of Directors being James W. Cogdell, Frank
C. Spencer, John R. Georgius, Richard B. Jennings, Christopher
E. Lee, Richard C. Neugent and Randolph D. Smoak, MD;
(2) to ratify the appointment of Deloitte & Touche
LLP, as the Companys independent registered public
accounting firm for the year ending December 31, 2006; and
(3) to transact such other business as may properly come
before the meeting or any adjournments or postponements thereof.
This proxy statement is accompanied by a copy of the
Companys Annual Report to Stockholders for the year ended
December 31, 2005.
ABOUT THE MEETING
Record Date
The Board of Directors has fixed the close of business on
Wednesday, March 22, 2006 as the record date (the
Record Date) for determination of stockholders
entitled to notice of, and to vote at, the Annual Meeting. Each
share of the Companys common stock, $0.01 par value
per share (Common Stock), is entitled to one vote
for each matter to be voted upon. As of the Record Date, there
were 8,000,374 shares of common stock outstanding and
entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting.
Quorum; Voting
The presence, in person or by proxy, of the holders of a
majority of the outstanding shares of Common Stock which are
entitled to vote is necessary to constitute a quorum for the
transaction of business at the Annual Meeting. If a quorum is
not present or represented at the Annual Meeting, the
stockholders entitled to vote, whether present in person or
represented by proxy, have the power to adjourn the Annual
Meeting from time to time, without notice other than
announcement at the Annual Meeting, until a quorum is present or
represented. At any such adjourned Annual Meeting at which a
quorum is present or represented, any business may be transacted
that might have been transacted at the Annual Meeting as
originally noticed.
Each stockholder is entitled to one vote for each share of
Common Stock registered in the stockholders name on the
Record Date. A plurality vote of the outstanding Common Stock is
required for the election of directors. An affirmative vote, of
a majority of the votes, cast at the meeting by holders of
the Companys Common Stock at which a quorum is present is
required for the approval and ratification of each other matter.
If you properly execute a proxy in the accompanying form, and if
we receive it prior to voting at the Annual Meeting, the shares
that the proxy represents will be voted in the manner specified
on the proxy. If no specification is made, abstentions will not
be counted as votes cast and will have no effect on the result
of the vote.
Election Inspectors
Votes cast by proxy or in person at the Annual Meeting will be
tabulated by the election inspectors appointed for the meeting,
who will determine whether or not a quorum is present. The
election inspectors will treat abstentions as shares that are
present and entitled to vote for purposes of determining the
presence of a quorum but as unvoted for purposes of determining
the approval of any matter submitted to the stockholders for a
vote. If a broker indicates on the proxy that it does not have
discretionary authority as to certain shares to vote on a
particular matter, those shares will not be considered as
present and entitled to vote with respect to that matter.
Shares Held in Street Name
Under New York Stock Exchange (the NYSE) rules, if
your shares are held in street name, your broker
may, without instructions from you, vote your shares on all
proposals set forth in this proxy statement.
If you cast a vote by proxy, you may revoke it at any time
before it is voted by:
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giving written notice to the Companys Secretary at our
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expressly revoking the proxy, by signing and forwarding to us a
proxy dated later, or |
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by attending the Annual Meeting and personally voting the common
stock owned of record by you. |
Costs of Soliciting Proxies
The Company will bear the entire costs of soliciting proxies for
the Annual Meeting. In addition to solicitation by mail, certain
of the Companys directors, officers and regular employees
may solicit the return of proxies by telephone, facsimile,
personal interview or otherwise without being paid additional
compensation. Continental Stock Transfer & Trust
Company, the transfer agent and registrar for the Company, will
assist in the distribution of proxy materials and tabulation of
votes. The Company will also reimburse brokerage firms and other
persons representing the beneficial owners of the Companys
shares for their reasonable expenses in forwarding proxy
solicitation material to the beneficial owners in accordance
with the proxy solicitation rules and regulations of the
Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC) and the
NYSE.
Delivery of Materials
The rules of the SEC allow for householding, which is the
delivery of a single copy of an annual report and proxy
statement to any address shared by two or more stockholders.
This combined mailing just be addressed to the security holders
as group. Duplicate mailings can be eliminated by allowing
stockholders to consent to such elimination, or through implied
consent if: (1) it is believed that the stockholders are
members of the same family, (2) the stockholders are
notified that householding is to be used and (3) the
stockholders do not request continuation of duplicate mailings.
If you own shares of Common Stock in your own name as a holder
of record, householding will not apply to your shares. If your
shares of Common Stock are held in street name, depending upon
the practices of your broker, bank or other nominee, you may
need to contact them directly to discontinue duplicate mailings
to your address. If you wish to revoke your consent to
householding, and instead want mailings made to each individual
at the shared address, you must contact your broker, bank or
other nominee.
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If you wish to request extra copies free of charge of our annual
report or proxy statement, please either send your request in
writing to Cogdell Spencer Inc., 4401 Barclay Downs Drive,
Suite 300, Charlotte, North Carolina 28209, Attn: Investor
Relations; make your request by calling (704) 940-2900; or
find our materials available by visiting our website at
www.cogdellspencer.com.
ITEMS TO BE VOTED ON BY STOCKHOLDERS
ITEM 1 ELECTION OF DIRECTORS
In accordance with the provisions of the Companys Amended
and Restated Articles of Incorporation and By-laws, each member
of the Board of Directors is elected at the Annual Meeting. Each
member of the Board elected will serve for a term expiring at
the 2007 Annual Meeting of Stockholders and until his successor
has been elected and qualified, or until his earlier resignation
or removal. Messrs. James W. Cogdell, Frank C. Spencer,
John R. Georgius, Richard B. Jennings, Christopher E. Lee,
Richard C. Neugent and Randolph D. Smoak, MD are the
Boards nominees for election.
Proxies in the accompanying form that are properly executed and
returned will be voted at the Annual Meeting, and any
adjournments or postponements thereof in accordance with the
directions on such proxies. If no directions are specified, such
proxies will be voted FOR the election of the seven
persons specified as nominees for directors, each of whom will
serve until the 2007 Annual Meeting of Stockholders. The Company
has no reason to believe that any of the nominees will be unable
or unwilling to serve if elected. However, should any director
nominee named herein become unable or unwilling to serve if
elected, it is intended that the proxies will be voted for the
election, in his stead, of such other person as the Board of the
Company may nominate, unless the Board of Directors reduces the
size of the membership of the Board prior to the Annual Meeting
to eliminate the position of any such nominee.
The Board has affirmatively determined that
Messrs. Georgius, Lee, Neugent and Dr. Smoak are
independent within the standards prescribed by the NYSE.
Nominees for Directors
The following table sets forth the name, age and the position(s)
with us, if any, currently held by each person nominated as a
director:
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James W. Cogdell
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64 |
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Chairman |
Frank C. Spencer
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Chief Executive Officer |
John R. Georgius(1)(2)
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61 |
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Director |
Richard B. Jennings
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Director |
Christopher E. Lee(2)(3)
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Director |
Richard C. Neugent(1)(3)
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62 |
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Director |
Randolph D. Smoak, MD(1)(2)(3)
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72 |
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Director |
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Member of Audit Committee |
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Member of Compensation Committee |
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Member of Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee |
The following are biographical summaries for our nominees for
election as directors of the Company:
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James W. Cogdell, Chairman of the Board. Since 1972
Mr. Cogdell has served as the Chairman and Chief Executive
Officer of Cogdell Spencer Advisors, Inc. and has served as
Chairman of the Board of the Company since its inception in
2005. Mr. Cogdell was named Entrepreneur of the Year by the
Charlotte Chamber of Commerce for the large companies category
in 2002. He is an eight-year chairman of the Citizens Capital
Budget Advisory Committee for Mecklenburg County, |
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North Carolina. In addition, Mr. Cogdell is a member of
Catawba Lands Conservancy. Mr. Cogdell has been recognized
with the Outstanding Layman Award for 2004 by the North Carolina
Division of Soil and Water Conservation. He is an activist on
civic and cultural development organizations ranging from public
schools and child advocacy, to conservation, scouting and the
arts. Mr. Cogdell is a member of the United States Eventing
Association, the U.S. Equestrian Federation and formerly
served on the Board of Directors for the Carolina Horse Park
Foundation and as President of the Irish Draught Horse Society
of North America. Mr. Cogdell has developed more than 70
healthcare real estate properties valued at over
$400 million during his career. |
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Frank C. Spencer, Chief Executive Officer, President and
Director. Frank C. Spencer, Chief Executive Officer of the
Company, has served as one of our directors since the
Companys inception in 2005. Since 1998, Mr. Spencer
has served as President of Cogdell Spencer Advisors, Inc. and
prior to that in other executive capacities with Cogdell Spencer
Advisors, Inc. since joining us in 1996. Prior to his employment
with Cogdell Spencer Advisors, Inc. Mr. Spencer was Executive
Director of The Childrens Services Network, a non-profit
organization, from 1993 to 1996. He began his real estate career
with the Crosland Group, where he was Corporate Vice President
responsible for portfolio management, marketing and advisory
services. Mr. Spencer was named to the 40 under 40
list for top young business executives by the Charlotte
Business Journal in 2000. He has had works published in
Urban Land Magazine and the Institutional Real Estate
Letter on Real Estate Finance. Mr. Spencer has been an
instructor at the Healthcare Financial Management
Associations state, regional and national meetings, a
member of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte Real
Estate Program Board of Advisors, an instructor at Montreat
College and a full member of the Urban Land Institute and is a
member of the board of directors of The Mountain Retreat
Association. Mr. Spencer was instrumental in the
establishment of McCreesh Place, a permanent residence for 64
formerly homeless men in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, led
a mission group for Habitat for Humanity to Malawi, Africa and
has served as Vice Chairman of the Transitional Families Program
for the Charlotte Mecklenburg Housing Authority.
Mr. Spencer received a B.A. with honors in German from the
University of North Carolina where he was a Morehead Scholar and
received an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School with high
distinction and was designated as a Baker Scholar. |
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John R. Georgius, Director. John R. Georgius has served
as one of our directors since the Companys inception in
2005. He is an advisory member of the CEO Council of Council
Ventures, LP, a technology-focused venture capital fund in which
he is a founding investor. From 1975 to December 1999,
Mr. Georgius served in various executive positions at First
Union Corporation including President and Chief Operating
Officer, Vice Chairman, President of First Union National Bank
and Senior Vice President and head of the trust division. Over
his 37-year banking
career, Mr. Georgius directed or otherwise participated in
more than 140 acquisitions in the financial services arena.
Mr. Georgius has served as a director of First Union
Corporation, First Union National Bank, VISA USA, and VISA
International. He currently serves as a director for Alex-Lee
Corporation, has been a member of its audit and compensation
committees and serves as Chairman of the Investment Committee
for the Board of Trustees at Presbyterian College and of the
N.C. Waterfowl Association. Mr. Georgius received a B.B.A.
in accounting and corporate finance from Georgia State
University and is a graduate of the American Bankers Association
National Graduate Trust School at Northwestern University. |
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Richard B. Jennings, Director. Richard B. Jennings has
served as one of our directors since the Companys
inception in 2005. He is President of Realty Capital
International Inc., a real estate investment banking firm, that
he founded in 1991, and is President of Jennings Securities LLC,
a National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc.
(NASD) member securities firm since 1995. From 1990 to
1991, Mr. Jennings served as Senior Vice President of
Landauer Real Estate Counselors, and from 1986 to 1989,
Mr. Jennings served as Managing Director of Real Estate
Finance at Drexel Burnham Lambert. From 1969 to 1986,
Mr. Jennings oversaw the REIT investment banking business
at Goldman, Sachs & Co. During his tenure at Goldman,
Sachs & Co., Mr. Jennings founded and managed the
Mortgage Finance Group from 1979 to 1986. Mr. Jennings also
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the board of directors of Commercial Net Lease Realty, Inc. and
Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc. He is a licensed NASD
Principal and New York real estate broker. Mr. Jennings
received a B.A. in economics, Phi Beta Kappa and Magna Cum
Laude, from Yale University, and received an M.B.A. from Harvard
Business School. |
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Christopher E. Lee, Director. Christopher E. Lee served
as one of our directors since the Companys inception in
2005. He is President and Chief Executive Officer of
CEL & Associates, Inc., one of the nations
leading real estate advisory firms. For the past 27 years,
Mr. Lee has provided a variety of strategic, compensation,
organizational and performance benchmarking services to hundreds
of real estate firms nationwide. Mr. Lee is a frequent
speaker at national real estate conferences, a regular
contributor to various real estate publications and is the
editor of the national real estate newsletter, Strategic
Advantage. Prior to his consulting career, Mr. Lee
worked for the Marriott and Boise Cascade corporations.
Mr. Lee serves on the Advisory Board for the Business
School and the Real Estate School at San Diego State
University. Mr. Lee received a B.A. from San Diego
State University, an M.S. degree from San Jose State
University, and a Ph.D. in Organizational Development from
Alliant International University. |
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Richard C. Neugent, Director. Richard C. Neugent served
as one of our directors since the Companys inception in
2005. He is President of RCN Healthcare Consulting Inc., a firm
that he formed in 2003 which develops business for a national
healthcare consulting practice in strategic and operational
improvement services for hospitals, health systems and academic
medical centers in the southeastern United States.
Mr. Neugent has been involved in the healthcare industry
for over 37 years. He was President and Chief Executive
Officer of Bon Secours-St. Francis Health System in Greenville,
South Carolina from 1981 to 2003. Prior to that time, he was
Chief Operating Officer of Rapides Regional Medical Center in
Alexandria, Louisiana. Mr. Neugent also served as a Captain in
the Medical Service Corps of the U.S. Air Force where he
oversaw the construction of hospitals and dispensaries. Mr.
Neugent constructed the first womens hospital in the state
of South Carolina. Mr. Neugent was named the 2001
Greenville Magazines Nelson Mullins Business Person of
the Year. In 2003, Mr. Neugent was presented with the
Order of the Palmetto, the state of South Carolinas
highest civilian award. Mr. Neugent has served on the
advisory boards of Clemson University, The University Center in
Greenville and First Union National Bank. In addition, he has
served on the board of the United Way and has held leadership
positions in several United Way annual campaigns. He also served
on the Greenville Chamber of Commerce board. Mr. Neugent
consults with the Christian Blind Mission International, USA
located in Greenville, South Carolina. Mr. Neugent received
a B.S. from Alabama College and received an M.S. from The
University of Alabama in Hospital Administration. |
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Randolph D. Smoak, M.D., Director. Dr. Randolph
D. Smoak served as one of our directors since the Companys
inception in 2005. He is a clinical professor of surgery and is
a former president of the American Medical Association (AMA),
having served from 2000 to 2001. Dr. Smoak also served as a
member of the Board of Trustees with the AMA from 1992 through
2002. Since his retirement, he has served on various boards
including The Hollins Cancer Center Advisory Board, The Tobacco
Free Kids Board, The Orangeburg Calhoun Technical College
Foundation Board and The Greenville Family Partnership Board. He
was the lead spokesperson for the AMAs anti-smoking
campaign, representing the Department of Health and Human
Services Interagency Committee on Smoking and Health. Dr. Smoak
was a member of Orangeburg Surgical Associates from 1967 through
2001. Dr. Smoak served as president and chairman of South
Carolina Medical Association as well as president of the South
Carolina Division of the American Cancer Society. He is a
founding member of the South Carolina Oncology Society,
completed two terms as Governor from South Carolina to the
American College of Surgeons, and served as chairman of the
board of directors of the World Medical Association.
Dr. Smoak received a B.S. from The University of South
Carolina and received an M.D. from The Medical University of
South Carolina. |
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Recommendation Regarding the Election of Directors
The Board of Directors recommends that you vote
FOR the election of the seven named nominees.
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ITEM 2 |
RATIFICATION OF APPOINTMENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED
PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM |
The Audit Committee of the Board has appointed
Deloitte & Touche LLP as the Companys independent
registered public accounting firm for the year ending
December 31, 2006. The Company has been advised by
Deloitte & Touche LLP that it is a registered public
accounting firm with the Public Company Accounting Oversight
Board (the PCAOB) and complies with the auditing,
quality control and independence standards and rules of the
PCAOB and the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company
expects that representatives of Deloitte &Touche LLP
will be present at the Annual Meeting to make a statement if
they desire to do so. They will also be available to answer
appropriate questions from stockholders. The Companys
Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation and By-laws do
not require that stockholders ratify the appointment of the
independent registered public accounting firm. The Company is
submitting the appointment for ratification because the Board of
Directors believes it is a matter of good corporate practice.
Recommendation Regarding Ratification of the Appointment of
Deloitte & Touche LLP
The Board of Directors recommends that you vote
FOR ratification of this appointment.
INFORMATION ABOUT THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND ITS
COMMITTEES
Board Meetings
The Board intends to hold at least four regularly scheduled
meetings per year and additional special meetings as necessary.
Each director is expected to attend scheduled and special
meetings, unless unusual circumstances make attendance
impractical. The Board of Directors may also take action from
time to time by written consent. For the period from
November 1, 2005 (the closing date of the Companys
initial public offering) through Tuesday, February 21,
2006, the Board of Directors conducted a total of two meetings.
Each director attended 100% of the meetings of the Board of
Directors and of any committees on which he served during this
period. The Company expects each director to attend both
regularly scheduled and special meetings, except if unusual
circumstances make attendance impractical.
Executive Sessions of Non-Management Directors
It is the policy of the Board that the independent members of
the Board meet separately without management (including
management directors) at least twice per year during regularly
scheduled Board meetings in order to discuss such matters as the
independent directors consider appropriate. The lead independent
director will assume the responsibility of chairing the meetings
of independent directors and shall bear such further
responsibilities which the independent directors as a whole or
the Board might designate from time to time. The Companys
independent auditors, finance staff, legal counsel, other
employees and other outside advisers may be invited to attend
these meetings.
The Board will periodically appoint a chair. Both independent
and management directors, including the CEO, are eligible for
appointment as the chair. The chair, or if the chair is not an
independent director, the Chairman of the Nominating and
Corporate Governance Committee shall serve as the lead
independent director. The lead independent director is
responsible for coordinating the activities of the other
independent directors, including scheduling and conducting
separate meetings of the independent directors and for such
other duties as are assigned from time to time by the Board.
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Board Committees
The Board has three standing committees: an Audit Committee, a
Compensation Committee and a Nominating and Corporate Governance
Committee. Each of these committees have at least three
directors and are composed exclusively of independent directors,
by reference to the rules, regulations and listing standards of
the NYSE, the national exchange on which our Common Stock is
traded.
Committee Charters
The Companys Audit Committee, Compensation Committee and
Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee charters meet the
standards that have been established by the NYSE. Copies of
these charters are available on the Companys website at
www.cogdellspencer.com or will be provided to any stockholder
upon request.
Audit Committee
The Audit Committee helps to ensure the integrity of our
financial statements, the qualifications and independence of our
independent auditors and the performance of our internal audit
function and independent auditors. The audit committee selects,
assists and meets with the independent auditors, oversees each
annual audit and quarterly review, monitors our systems of
internal controls and prepares the report that U.S. federal
securities laws require to be included in our annual proxy
statement. John R. Georgius chairs our Audit Committee and
serves as our audit committee financial expert, as that term is
defined by the SEC, and Richard C. Neugent and Randolph D.
Smoak, M.D. serve as members of this committee. The Audit
Committee met two times in 2005.
Compensation
Committee
The Compensation Committee reviews and approves the compensation
and benefits of our executive officers, administers and makes
recommendations to our board of directors regarding our
compensation and stock incentive plans and produce an annual
report on executive compensation for inclusion in our proxy
statement. Christopher E. Lee chairs our Compensation Committee
and John R. Georgius and Randolph D. Smoak, M.D. serve as
members of this committee. The Compensation Committee met one
time in 2005.
Nominating and Corporate
Governance Committee
The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee develops and
recommends to our Board a set of corporate governance
principles, adopts a code of ethics, adopts policies with
respect to conflicts of interest, monitors our compliance with
corporate governance requirements of state and U.S. federal
law and the rules and regulations of the NYSE, establishes
criteria for prospective members of our board of directors,
conducts candidate searches and interviews, oversees and
evaluates our board of directors and management; evaluates from
time to time the appropriate size and composition of our board
of directors, recommends, as appropriate, increases, decreases
and changes in the composition of our board of directors and
formally proposes the slate of directors to be elected at each
annual meeting of our stockholders. Richard C. Neugent chairs
our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee and
Christopher E. Lee and Randolph D. Smoak, M.D. serve as
members of this committee. The Nominating and Corporate
Governance Committee met one time in 2005.
The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee will consider
recommendations made by stockholders. Under the Companys
By-Laws, and as SEC rules permit, stockholders must follow
certain procedures to nominate a person for election as a
director at an annual or special meeting, or to introduce an
item of business at an annual meeting. A stockholder must notify
the Secretary of the Company in writing of the director nominee
or the other business. The notice must include the required
information (as set forth below on page 20, Other
Matters Stockholder Proposals and Nominations for
the Board) and be delivered to the Secretary at the
principal executive offices of the Company not earlier than the
150th day and not later than 5:00 p.m., Eastern time,
on the 120th day prior to the first anniversary of the date
of mailing of the notice for the preceding years Annual
Meeting.
7
If the date of the Annual Meeting is advanced or delayed by more
than 30 days from the first anniversary of the date of the
preceding years annual meeting, notice by the stockholder
must be delivered as described above not earlier than the
150th day prior to the date of mailing of the notice for
such annual meeting and not later than 5:00 p.m., Mountain
time, on the later of the 120th day prior to the date of
such annual meeting or the 10th day following the day on
which disclosure of the date of such meeting is first made. The
public announcement of a adjournment or postponement of an
annual meeting does not change or create a new opportunity for
notice as described above.
Director Compensation
Each non-employee member of our Board is entitled to receive
annual compensation for his services as a director as follows:
$25,000 per year, $1,000 per meeting attended,
$500 per committee meeting attended and $500 per
teleconference or committee meeting attended. The chairperson of
the audit committee will be entitled to receive an additional
$10,000 annually and the chairperson of each other committee
will be entitled to receive an additional $2,500 annually in
compensation.
Upon joining our Board, each non-employee director received
2,500 shares of restricted stock, all of which vested on
the date of grant. Directors who are employees of the Company
will not receive any compensation for their services as
directors. Each member of our Board will be reimbursed for
out-of-pocket expenses
associated with service on our behalf and associated with
attendance at or participation in board meetings or committee
meetings.
EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND OTHER OFFICERS
Information for James W. Cogdell and Frank C. Spencer is
contained above under the heading Item 1
Election of Directors. Information with respect to some of
the Companys other key officers is set forth below. All of
the Companys officers are appointed as officers at the
annual organizational meeting of the Board held at the time of
each annual meeting of stockholders.
Charles M. Handy, Chief Financial Officer, Senior Vice
President and Secretary. Charles M. Handy has served as the
Companys Chief Financial Officer, Senior Vice President
and Secretary since the Companys inception in 2005. Prior
to that, Mr. Handy had served as the Chief Financial
Officer, Treasurer and Corporate Secretary for Cogdell Spencer
Advisors, Inc. since 1997. Formerly, Mr. Handy was
Corporate Controller for Faison & Associates, Inc., a
commercial real estate management and development firm
headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, and began his career
at Ernst & Whinney. Mr. Handy has more than
18 years of experience in commercial real estate,
accounting, finance and operations. Mr. Handy is a member
of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and
the North Carolina Association of Certified Public Accountants.
He has also acted as the compliance officer for Cogdell Spencer
Advisors, Inc.s licensing and regulation process.
Mr. Handy is a licensed real estate broker in North
Carolina and
broker-in-charge for
us. Mr. Handy received an associates degree from Lees-McRae
College, a B.S.B.A. in accounting and real estate from
Appalachian State University and received an M.B.A. from Wake
Forest University.
Devereaux Gregg, Vice President Development.
Mr. Gregg has served as the Companys Vice
President Development since the Companys
inception in 2005. Prior to that, Mr. Gregg had served as
Vice President Development for Cogdell Spencer
Advisors, Inc. since 1997. From 1993 until 1997, Mr. Gregg
was Director of Leasing and Property Management with Norcom
Development, a real estate development firm, where he was
responsible for a portfolio of 30 commercial properties located
in North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia. Prior to that
time, Mr. Gregg acted as Director of Commercial Development
and later as Vice President of Commercial Operations at The
Paragon Group, a real estate development firm, based in
Charlotte, North Carolina, from 1988 through 1993.
Mr. Gregg received a B.B.A. and an M.B.A. from Southern
Methodist University.
8
Matthew Nurkin, Vice President Acquisitions.
Mr. Nurkin has served as the Companys Vice
President Acquisitions since the Companys
inception in 2005. Prior to that, Mr. Nurkin served as the
Vice President Acquisitions for Cogdell Spencer
Advisors, Inc. since 2001. Since 1996, Mr. Nurkin has been
responsible for expanding Cogdell Spencer Advisors
activities in ownership and debt restructuring of existing
hospital and physician-owned facilities. Prior to joining our
Company, Mr. Nurkin was employed at The Shelton Company,
Bank of America and First Union Capital Markets in various
banking and investment analyst positions. Mr. Nurkin
received a B.A. in English literature from Wake Forest
University, completed graduate studies at St. Peters College,
Oxford University, and expects to receive an M.B.A. from Belk
College of Business, University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
Rex A. Noble, Vice President Management.
Mr. Noble has served as the Companys Vice
President Management since the Companys
inception in 2005. In 1996, Mr. Noble joined Cogdell Spencer
Advisors, Inc. as a Property Manager; became Assistant Regional
Vice President of the Upstate Region in 1997 and served as the
Vice President Management for Cogdell Spencer
Advisors, Inc. from 1999 until 2005. Prior to joining our
Company, Mr. Noble was employed with GB&S Corp. as part
of its management team. He is currently licensed by the North
and South Carolina Real Estate Commissions. Mr. Noble
received a B.S. from Francis Marion University.
Mary J. Surles, Vice President Management.
Ms. Surles has served as the Companys Vice
President Management since the Companys
inception in 2005. Prior to that, Ms. Surles served as an
Asset Manager, and later as a Vice President for Cogdell Spencer
Advisors, Inc. Since 1985, Ms. Surles has been involved in
all areas of the Companys activities with an emphasis on
property management and leasing. Some of Ms. Surles
activities include sale or resyndication of properties,
refinancing, coordinating the transfer of partnership interests,
and contracting for space retrofits. Ms. Surles holds South
Carolina broker and North Carolina salesman licenses.
Ms. Surles completed coursework at Midlands Technical
College and Horry Georgetown Technical College.
REPORT OF THE AUDIT COMMITTEE
The Audit Committee assists the Board in fulfilling its
responsibility for oversight of the quality and integrity of the
Companys accounting, auditing and financial reporting
practices, and the Companys compliance with laws,
regulations and corporate policies, and the independent
registered public accounting firms qualifications,
performance, and independence. Consistent with this oversight
responsibility, the Audit Committee has reviewed and discussed
with management the audited financial statements for the year
ended December 31, 2005 and their assessment of internal
control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2005.
Deloitte & Touche LLP, the Companys independent
registered public accountants, issued their unqualified report
on the Companys financial statements.
The Audit Committee also has discussed and reviewed with
Deloitte & Touche LLP the matters required to be
discussed in accordance with Statement on Auditing Standards
No. 61, Communication with Audit Committees, as
amended. The Audit Committee also has received the written
disclosures and the letter from Deloitte & Touche LLP
required by Independence Standards Board Standard No. 1,
Independence Discussions with Audit Committees, as
amended, and has conducted a discussion with Deloitte &
Touche LLP relative to its independence. The Audit Committee has
considered whether Deloitte & Touche LLPs
provision of non-audit services is compatible with its
independence.
As set forth in the Charter of the Audit Committee, management
of the Company is responsible for the preparation, presentation
and integrity of the Companys financial statements.
Management is also responsible for maintaining appropriate
accounting and financial reporting principles and policies and
internal controls and procedures that provide for compliance
with accounting standards and applicable laws and regulations.
The Companys independent registered public accounting firm
are responsible for planning and carrying out a proper audit of
the Companys annual financial statements, and reviews of
the Companys quarterly financial statements prior to the
filing of each Quarterly Report on
Form 10-Q. The
members of the Audit Committee are not full-time employees of
the Company and are not performing the functions of auditors or
accountants. As such, it is not the duty or responsibility of
the Audit Committee
9
or its members to conduct field work or other types
of auditing for accounting reviews or procedures or to set
auditor independence standards. All members of the Audit
committee have been affirmatively determined by the Board to be
independent within the standards prescribed by the NYSE and the
applicable rules promulgated by the SEC.
Based on these reviews and discussions, the Audit Committee
recommended to the Board that the Companys audited
financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2005
be included in the Companys Annual Report on
Form 10-K for
filing with the SEC.
Respectfully submitted by the members of the Audit Committee:
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John R. Georgius, Chairman |
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Richard C. Neugent |
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Randolph D. Smoak, M.D. |
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE MATTERS
Corporate Governance Guidelines
The Companys Board of Directors, in its role of overseeing
the conduct of the Companys business, is guided by the
Companys Corporate Governance Guidelines. The Guidelines
reflect the NYSE listing standards. Among other things, the
Guidelines contain categorical standards for determining
director independence in accordance with the NYSE listing
standards. The full Guidelines are available on the
Companys website at www.cogdellspencer.com.
Director Independence
The Guidelines provide that a majority of our directors serving
on our Board must be independent as required by the listing
standards of the NYSE and the applicable rules promulgated by
the SEC. The Companys Board has affirmatively determined,
based upon its review of all relevant facts and circumstances,
that each of the following directors has no direct or indirect
material relationship with us and is independent under the
listing standards of the NYSE and the applicable rules
promulgated by the SEC: Messrs. Georgius, Lee, Neugent and
Dr. Smoak. The Board has determined that Mr. Cogdell,
the Chairman of the Board, Mr. Spencer, the Companys
CEO (the CEO) and Mr. Jennings are not
independent because they are also executive officers of the
Company or have or have had direct or indirect material
relationships with the Company. Pursuant to an engagement letter
entered into on December 1, 2004, we engaged Realty Capital
International Inc., an affiliate of Mr. Jennings, to
provide advisory services to us relating to the structure and
terms of the Companys formation transactions and the
initial public offering. As part of this engagement, the Company
paid $10,000 in cash per month in fees for Realty Capital
International Inc.s role as adviser throughout the course
of the Offering. Upon the closing of the Offering, Realty
Capital International Inc. also received a success fee equal to
0.5% of the gross offering proceeds, including any
over-allotment proceeds.
Whistleblowing and Whistleblower Protection Policy
The Audit Committee has established procedures for: (1) the
receipt, retention and treatment of complaints received by the
Company regarding accounting, internal accounting controls or
auditing matters, and (2) the confidential and anonymous
submission by the Companys employees of concerns regarding
questionable accounting or auditing matters. If you wish to
contact the Audit Committee to report complaints or concerns
relating to the financial reporting of the Company, you may do
so by (i) calling the Compliance Hotline at
1-800-595-5573,
(ii) emailing the Companys Compliance Email
Box at whistleblower@cogdellspencer.com, or
(iii) delivering the report via regular mail, which may be
mailed anonymously, to c/o Audit Committee, Cogdell Spencer
Inc., 4401 Barclay Downs Drive, Suite 300, Charlotte, NC
28209-4670. A copy of the policy is available on the
Companys website at www.cogdellspencer.com.
10
Code of Business Conduct and Ethics
The Companys Code of Business Conduct and Ethics (the
Code) documents the principles of conduct and ethics
to be followed by its employees, officers and directors,
including the Companys principal executive officer,
financial officer and accounting officer. The purpose of the
Code is to promote honest and ethical conduct, including the
ethical handling of actual or apparent conflicts of interest
between personal and professional relationships; promote
avoidance of conflicts of interest, including disclosure to an
appropriate person or committee of any material transaction or
relationship that reasonably could be expected to give rise to
such a conflict; promote full, fair, accurate, timely and
understandable disclosure in reports and documents that the
Company files with, or submits to, the Securities and Exchange
Commission and in other public communications made by the
Company; promote compliance with applicable governmental laws,
rules and regulations; promote the prompt internal reporting to
an appropriate person or committee of violations of the Code;
promote accountability for adherence to the Code; provide
guidance to employees, officers and directors to help them
recognize and deal with ethical issues; provide mechanisms to
report unethical conduct; and help foster the Companys
longstanding culture of honesty and accountability. A copy of
the Code has been provided to, and signed by each of the
Companys directors, officers and employees. A copy of the
Code may be found on the Companys website at
www.cogdellspencer.com. and has been included as an exhibit to
the Companys Annual Report on
Form 10-K for the
year ended December 31, 2005 and can be provided to any
stockholder upon request.
Disclosure Committee
The Company maintains a Disclosure Committee consisting of
members of its executive management and senior staff. The
Disclosure Committee meets at least monthly. The purpose of the
Disclosure Committee is to bring together executive management
and employees involved in the preparation of the Companys
financial statements so that the group can discuss any issues or
matters of which the members are aware that should be considered
for disclosure in the Companys public SEC filings. The
Disclosure Committee reports to the Companys Chief
Executive Officer and, as appropriate, to the Companys
Audit Committee. The Disclosure Committee has adopted a written
charter to formalize the Committees purpose and procedures.
Communications with Stockholders
The Company provides the opportunity for stockholders to
communicate with the members of the Board. They may communicate
with the independent Board members, non-management directors or
the Chairperson of any of the Boards committees by email
or regular mail. All communications should be sent to:
stockholdercommunications@cogdellspencer.com, or to the
attention of the Independent Directors, the Audit Committee
Chairman, the Compensation Committee Chairman or the Nominating
and Corporate Governance Committee Chairman at 4401 Barclay
Downs Drive, Suite 300, Charlotte, NC 28209. The means of
communication with members of the Board may also be found on the
Companys website under Stockholder Communication
Policy at www.cogdellspencer.com.
EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
Compensation Committee Report on Executive Compensation
The executive compensation philosophy, policies, plans, and
programs of the Company are under the supervision of the
Compensation Committee, which is composed of the Non-Management
Directors named below, each of whom has been determined by the
Board of Directors to be independent under the applicable rules
of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the NYSE listing
standards. The Compensation Committee has furnished the
following report on executive compensation.
The Company completed its initial public offering on
November 1, 2005. The information regarding executive
compensation as described in the Companys registration
statement on
Form S-11 served
as the basis for the Companys executive compensation
policies, practices, and programs during 2005.
11
The basic philosophy underlying the Companys executive
compensation policies, plans, and programs is that executive and
stockholder financial interests should be aligned as closely as
possible, and that compensation should be based on delivering
pay commensurate with performance. Accordingly, the executive
compensation program for the Companys CEO and the other
officers of the Company has been structured to:
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Provide compensation that attracts, retains, and motivates key
executives. |
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Reinforce a results-oriented management culture with executive
pay that varies according to overall Company and individual
performance against business goals and core behavioral standards. |
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Place more emphasis on variable performance-based compensation,
commensurate with an executives increasing
responsibilities. |
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Align the interests of the Companys executives and
stockholders by implementing and maintaining compensation
programs that provide for the acquisition and retention of
significant equity interests in the Company by senior executives. |
Based on these objectives, the executive compensation program
has been designed to assist the Company in attracting,
motivating and retaining executives to help the Company achieve
its performance goals. The program is structured to provide the
Companys executives with base salaries, annual cash
incentive awards, long-term incentive awards, and stock
ownership opportunities.
All executive employment agreements were initiated and became
effective with the closing of the Companys initial public
offering. A description of these agreements is set forth under
the heading Agreements with Executive Officers on
page 12 in this Proxy Statement.
The executive compensation plan has been structured to provide
short and long-term incentives that promote continuing
improvements in the Companys financial results and returns
to stockholders. The elements of the Companys executive
compensation, as provided for in the executives employment
agreements, are primarily comprised of three elements designed
to complement each other.
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Base salaries. Base salaries are paid for ongoing
performance throughout the year. The Companys base
salaries of executive officers and guaranteed portions of annual
incentive bonuses are designed to be competitive with those of
executives of other equity REITs, which compete with the
Company, while also taking into account the executive
officers performance; |
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Annual Incentive Bonus. The Company expects to provide
for the payment of cash incentive bonuses based on the
Companys performance in relation to predetermined
objectives and individual executive performance. |
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Long-Term Incentives. The Companys expects to
provide a long-term incentive program allowing for awards of
stock options, grants of restricted stock or LTIP units, the
exact numbers of which vary, depending on the position and
salary of the executive. These equity based awards will be
designed to link executive compensation to the Companys
long-term common share performance and expect to be issued in
accordance with the description set forth in the Companys
registration statement on
Form S-11. |
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Chairman and CEO Compensation |
James W. Cogdell served as the Companys Chairman of
the Board during 2005. Mr. Cogdells employment agreement
was initiated on October 21, 2005 and sets an annual salary
of $430,000 and an annual bonus award as determined by the
Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors.
12
Frank C. Spencer served as the Companys Chief
Executive Officer during 2005. Mr. Spencers
employment agreement was initiated on October 21, 2005 and
sets an annual salary of $430,000 and an annual bonus award as
determined by Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors.
Mr. Spencer also received $1,400,001 in LTIP units based on
the initial public offering price of $17.00 per share.
These LTIP units were granted concurrently and vested
immediately with the closing of the offering.
Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as
amended, limits the deductibility on the Companys income
tax return to compensation of $1 million for certain
executive officers unless, in general, the compensation is paid
pursuant to a plan that is performance based, nondiscretionary
and has been approved by the Companys shareholders. This
regulation did not apply to the Company prior to the time it
became a public company in October 2005. The Committees
policy with respect to Section 162(m) since the initial
public offering is to make reasonable efforts to ensure that
compensation is deductible to the extent permitted, while
simultaneously providing the Companys executives with
appropriate rewards for their performance.
Respectfully submitted by the members of the Compensation
Committee:
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Christopher E. Lee, Chairman |
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John R. Georgius |
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Randolph D. Smoak, M.D. |
Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider
Participation
There are no Compensation Committee interlocks and none of the
Companys employees participate on the Compensation
Committee.
Executive Compensation
The following table sets forth the annual base salary and other
compensation paid or earned in 2004 and 2005, to our Chairman,
Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer. These
executive officers are referred to herein collectively as the
named executive officers.
Summary Compensation Table
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Annual | |
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Compensation | |
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Long-Term Compensation | |
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Base Salary | |
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Long-Term | |
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Securities | |
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and Other | |
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Other Annual | |
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Incentive Unit | |
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Underlying | |
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All Other | |
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Benefits | |
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Compensation | |
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Awards | |
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Options | |
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Compensation | |
Name and Principal Position |
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Year |
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($) | |
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($) | |
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($) | |
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($) | |
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($) | |
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James W. Cogdell
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2005 |
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432,000 |
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Chairman |
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2004 |
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430,000 |
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Frank C. Spencer
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2005 |
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445,000 |
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1,400,001 |
(1) |
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Chief Financial Officer |
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2004 |
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325,000 |
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and President |
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Charles M. Handy
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2005 |
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278,000 |
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1,078,480 |
(1) |
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Chief Financial Officer, |
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2004 |
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201,000 |
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Senior Vice President and Secretary |
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(1) |
Value based upon the initial public offering price of
$17.00 per share indicated on the cover page of this
prospectus. All of such LTIP units were granted concurrently
with the closing of the offering and vested immediately. |
13
Section 16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting
Compliance
Under federal securities laws, the Companys directors,
executive officers and holders of 10% or more of the
Companys Common Stock are required to report, within
specified monthly and annual due dates, their initial ownership
in the Companys Common Stock and all subsequent
acquisitions, dispositions or other transfers of beneficial
interests therein, if and to the extent reportable events occur
which require reporting by such due dates. Based solely on
representations and information provided to the Company by the
persons required to make such filings, the Company believes that
all filing requirements were complied with during the last
fiscal year.
Agreements with Executive Officers
The Company entered into written employment agreements with its
named executive officers that became effective upon the closing
of the initial public offering, pursuant to which
Messrs. Cogdell, Spencer and Handy are expected to agree to
serve, respectively, as our Chairman, Chief Executive Officer
and President, and Chief Financial Officer, Senior Vice
President and Secretary. The employment agreements require the
executives to devote substantially all of their business time
and effort to the Companys affairs.
The employment agreements with Messrs. Cogdell and Spencer
are each for a five-year term and Mr. Handys is for a
three-year term; provided, however, that the terms will be
automatically extended for successive one-year periods unless,
not later than three months prior to the termination of the
existing term, either party provides written notice to the other
party of its intent not to further extend the term. The
employment agreements provide for an initial base salary of
$430,000, $430,000 and $225,000 to each of Messrs. Cogdell,
Spencer and Handy, respectively, and for bonus and other
incentive eligibility (as determined by the Compensation
Committee of the Board) and participation in employee benefit
plans and programs. The Company shall also make available to
each of Messrs. Cogdell, Spencer and Handy, use of a
Company car.
The compensation otherwise payable to Messrs. Cogdell and
Spencer shall be subject to reduction as follows:
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In the event that during the term of their employment agreements
or any extension thereof, the average annual combined net
operating income for East Jefferson Medical Office Building and
East Jefferson Medical Specialty Building for any of the years
ended December 31, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010 declines by
more than 15% from their combined estimated 2006 net
operating income, which is estimated to be $2.15 million,
an amount equal to such additional decline (up to the next 15%
of such shortfall) (which is referred to in the employment
agreements as the captured shortfall amount) shall
off-set the compensation otherwise payable to each such
executive in the next calendar year following such measurement
period by an amount equal to 50% of such captured shortfall
amount. |
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Upon the termination of an executive officers employment
either by us for cause or by the executive officer
without good reason during the term of his
employment agreement, such executive officer will be entitled to
receive his annual base salary and other benefits accrued
through the date of termination of the executive officers
employment. |
The term cause as used in the employment agreements
is generally defined to mean:
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(i) conviction of, or formal admission to, a felony; |
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(ii) engagement in the performance of the executives
duties, or otherwise to the material and demonstrable detriment
of the Company, in willful misconduct, willful or gross neglect,
fraud, misappropriation or embezzlement; |
|
|
(iii) repeated failure to adhere to the directions of the
board of directors of the Company, or to adhere to the
Companys policies and practices; |
14
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|
(iv) willful and continued failure to substantially perform
the executives duties properly assigned to him (other than
any such failure resulting from his disability) after demand for
substantial performance is delivered by the Company specifically
identifying the manner in which the Company believes the
executive has not substantially performed such duties; |
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|
(v) breach of any of the provisions of the covenants of the
executives employment agreement; or |
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|
(vi) breach in any material respect of the terms and
provisions of the executives employment agreement and
failure to cure such breach within 90 days following
written notice from the Company specifying such breach. |
The term good reason as used in the employment
agreements is generally defined to mean:
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|
(i) the material reduction of the executives
authority, duties and responsibilities, the failure to continue
the executives appointment in his given position, or the
assignment to the executive of duties materially inconsistent
with the executives position or positions with the Company; |
|
|
(ii) a reduction in annual salary of the executive; |
|
|
(iii) the relocation of the executives office to more
than 50 miles from Charlotte, North Carolina; |
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|
(iv) the Companys material and willful breach of the
executives employment agreement; or |
|
|
(v) a decision by the Company, over the reasonable
objection of the executive acting in good faith, materially to
change the Companys business plan so as to effect a
fundamental change to the primary business purpose of the
Company. |
Upon the termination of an executive officers employment
either by us without cause or by the executive
officer for good reason, or, in the case of
Messrs. Cogdell and Spencer, any non-renewal of the
executive officers employment agreement by us, the
executive officer will be entitled under his employment
agreement to the following severance payments and benefits:
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|
annual base salary, bonus and other benefits accrued through the
date of termination; |
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|
a lump-sum cash payment equal to 1.99 multiplied by the sum of
(1) the executive officers then-current annual base
salary and (2) the greater of (A) the average bonus
paid to the executive officer over the previous two years and
(B) the maximum bonus payable to the executive officer for
the fiscal year in which the termination occurs; |
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|
for three years after termination of employment, continuing
coverage under the group health plans the executive officer
would have received under his employment agreement, as would
have applied in the absence of such termination; and |
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|
full vesting of all outstanding equity-based awards held by the
executive officer. |
Upon a change of control (as defined in the employment
agreements), while the executive officer is employed, all
outstanding unvested equity-based awards (including stock
options and restricted stock) shall fully vest and become
immediately exercisable, as applicable. In addition if, after a
change of control, the executive officer terminates his
employment with us within one year of the change in control,
such termination shall be deemed a termination by the executive
officer for good reason The term change of control
as used in the employment agreements is generally defined to
mean:
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|
(i) any transaction by which any person or group becomes
the beneficial owner, either directly or indirectly, of our
securities representing 50% or more of either (A) the
combined voting power of our then outstanding securities or
(B) the then outstanding shares of our common stock; or |
|
|
(ii) any consolidation or merger where our stockholders,
immediately prior to the consolidation or merger, would not,
immediately after the consolidation or merger, beneficially own,
directly or indirectly, shares representing in the aggregate 50%
or more of the combined voting power of the |
15
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|
|
securities of the corporation issuing cash or securities in the
consolidation or merger (or of its ultimate parent corporation,
if any); or |
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|
(iii) there shall occur (A) any sale, lease, exchange
or other transfer of all or substantially all of our assets, or
(B) the approval by our stockholders of any plan or
proposal for the liquidation or dissolution of the
Company; or |
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|
(iv) the members of our board of directors, at the
beginning of any consecutive 24-calendar-month period cease for
any reason other than due to death to constitute at least a
majority of the members of the board. |
With respect to Mr. Handy, in the event of any notice of
non-renewal of the employment agreement by us, the executive
officer will be entitled under his employment agreement to the
same payments and benefits as if terminated other than for
cause, except that the executive officers lump-sum cash
payment will equal the sum of (1) the executive
officers then-current annual base salary; and (2) the
maximum bonus payable to the executive officer for the fiscal
year in which the termination occurs.
Upon the termination of the executive officers employment
due to the death or disability (generally meaning a condition
rendering the executive officer unable to perform substantially
and continually the duties assigned to him) of the executive
officer, the executive officer (or his estate) will be entitled
under his employment agreement to his annual base salary, bonus
and other benefits accrued through the date of termination and
full vesting of all outstanding equity-based awards held by the
executive officer.
In the event that any amount payable to an executive officer is
determined to be an excess parachute payment under
Section 280G of the Code, we have also agreed to make a
gross-up payment to the
executive equal to the excise tax imposed on the executive under
Section 4999 of the Code. The amount of
gross-up payment (which
is also treated as an excess parachute payment) shall be equal
to the sum of the excise taxes payable by the executive by
reason of receiving the parachute payments plus the amount
necessary to put the executive in the same after-tax position as
if no excise taxes had been imposed on the executive (taking
into account any and all applicable federal, state and local
excise, income or other taxes at the highest applicable rates).
The excise taxes shall be payable by the executive officer and
we must withhold the excise tax as if the payment constituted
wages to the executive officer. In addition, we are not entitled
to an income tax deduction related to any excess parachute
payments or related
gross-up payments.
The Company has also agreed to provide Mr. Cogdells
personal accountant with an office at the Companys
headquarters building provided that Mr. Cogdell shall
reimburse us for the use of such office space and for any and
all benefits that we provide to this person.
Upon termination of the executive officers employment, if
the Company elects to subject the executive officer to the
non-competition, confidentiality and non-solicitation provisions
described below, the executive officer will be entitled to a
cash payment equal to the sum of (1) the executive
officers then-current annual base salary and (2) the
greater of (A) the average bonus paid to the executive
officer over the previous two years and (B) the maximum
bonus payable to the executive officer for the fiscal year in
which the termination occurs. Pursuant to the terms of the
non-competition provisions, the executive is prohibited for a
one-year period following termination from, directly or
indirectly, whether as an owner, partner, shareholder,
principal, agent, employee, consultant or in any other
relationship or capacity, engaging in any element of the
Companys business or otherwise competing with the Company
or its affiliates, rendering any services to any person,
corporation, partnership or other entity engaged in competition
with the Company or its affiliates, or providing financial
assistance to or otherwise obtaining an ownership interest in a
competitor of the Company or its affiliates within a restricted
territory encompassing several states in the Southeast.
The executive officer is required to keep secret and retain in
strictest confidence, and not use for his benefit or the benefit
of others, except in connection with the business and affairs of
the Company and its affiliates, all confidential matters
relating to the Companys business and the business of any
of its affiliates and to the Company and any of its affiliates,
learned by the executive officer directly or indirectly
16
from the Company or any of its affiliates, and is not to
disclose such confidential information to anyone outside of the
Company except with the Companys express written consent
and except for confidential information which is at the time of
receipt, or thereafter becomes, publicly known through no
wrongful act of the executive officer, or is received from a
third party not under an obligation to keep such information
confidential and without breach of the executive officers
employment agreement.
Finally, the executive officer is prohibited from, directly or
indirectly, knowingly soliciting or encouraging to leave the
employment or other service of the Company, or any of its
affiliates, any employee or independent contractor thereof or
hiring any employee or independent contractor who has left the
employment or other service of the Company or any of its
affiliates within the one-year period which follows the
termination of such employees or independent
contractors employment or other service with the Company
and its affiliates.
Indemnification Agreements
The Company expects to enter into customary indemnification
agreements with each of its executive officers and directors.
Stock Price Performance Graph
Prior to October 27, 2005, the Company was not publicly
traded and there was no public market for the Companys
securities. The following graph compares the cumulative total
return on the Companys Common Stock with that of the
Standard and Poors 500 Stock Index (S&P 500
Index) and the National Association of Real Estate
Investment Trusts Equity Index (NAREIT Equity Index)
from October 27, 2005 (the date that the
Companys Common Stock began to trade publicly) through
December 31, 2005. The stock price performance graph
assumes that an investor invested $100.00 in each of the Company
and to the indices, and the reinvestment of any dividends. The
comparisons in the graph are provided in accordance with the SEC
disclosure requirements and are not intended to forecast or be
indicative of the future performance of the Companys
shares of Common Stock.
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| |
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27-Oct-05 |
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Oct-05 |
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Nov-05 |
|
Dec-05 | |
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| |
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| |
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| |
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| |
Cogdell Spencer Inc.
|
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$ |
100.00 |
|
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$ |
100.24 |
|
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$ |
97.12 |
|
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$ |
99.35 |
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NAREIT Equity
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$ |
100.00 |
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$ |
103.57 |
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$ |
107.93 |
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$ |
107.72 |
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Russell 2000 Index
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$ |
100.00 |
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$ |
103.63 |
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$ |
108.66 |
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$ |
108.16 |
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17
Accounting Fees and Services
The following table presents aggregate fees billed to the
Company for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2005 by the
Companys principal accounting firm, Deloitte &
Touche LLP, the member firms of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu,
and their respective affiliates (collectively,
Deloitte & Touche).
|
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2004 |
Type of Fees |
|
2005 | |
|
(N/A) |
|
|
| |
|
|
Audit Fees
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Audits of the 2004, 2003 and 2002 combined financial statements
of the Companys predecessor, including comfort letter
procedures and issuance, review of unaudited stub period
financial statements and review of the Registration Statement on
Form S-11 and amendments thereto
|
|
$ |
1,786,000 |
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
Audit of the Companys and the Companys predecessor
financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2005
and quarterly review procedures
|
|
|
528,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subtotal
|
|
|
2,314,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
Audit-Related
Fees(1)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Tax Fees
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Tax compliance for the Company and the Companys
predecessor entities for the fiscal year ended December 31,
2005
|
|
|
375,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Tax advice, planning and research in connection with the
Companys formation transactions and initial public offering
|
|
|
874,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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|
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Subtotal
|
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|
1,249,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
All other fees
|
|
|
|
|
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|
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Total
|
|
$ |
3,563,000 |
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(1) |
Audit-Related Fees are for assurance and related services that
are reasonably related to the performance of the audit or review
of the financial statements or that are traditionally performed
by the independent auditor. |
Audit Committee Pre-Approval of Services by the Independent
Auditor
In accordance with its charter and applicable rules and
regulations adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission,
the Companys Audit Committee reviews and pre-approves any
engagement of the independent registered public accounting firm
to provide audit, review, or attest services or non-audit
services and the fees for any such services. The Audit Committee
annually considers and, if appropriate, approves the provision
of audit services by the independent registered public
accounting firm. In addition, the Audit Committee periodically
considers and, if applicable, approves the provision of any
additional audit and non-audit services by the Companys
independent registered public accounting firm that are neither
encompassed by the Audit Committees annual pre-approval
nor prohibited by applicable rules and regulations of the SEC.
The Audit Committee has delegated to the chairman of the Audit
Committee, Mr. Georgius, the authority to pre-approve, on a
case-by-case basis, any such additional audit and non-audit
services to be performed by our independent registered public
accounting firm. Mr. Georgius reports any decision to
pre-approve such services to the Audit Committee at its next
regular meeting.
18
SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND
MANAGEMENT
The following table sets forth the beneficial ownership of our
Common Stock, as of March 22, 2006, for: (i) each
person known to us to be the beneficial owner of more than 5% of
our outstanding Common Stock, (ii) each of our directors
and nominees for director, (iii) each of our named
executive officers who is not a director and (iv) our
directors, nominees for director and executive officers as a
group. Except as otherwise described in the notes below, the
following beneficial owners have sole voting power and sole
investment power with respect to all shares of Common Stock set
forth opposite their respective names.
In accordance with SEC rules, each listed persons
beneficial ownership includes:
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all shares the investor actually owns beneficially or of record; |
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all shares over which the investor has or shares voting or
dispositive control (such as in the capacity as a general
partner of an investment fund); and |
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all shares the investor has the right to acquire within
60 days (such as upon exercise of options that are
currently vested or which are scheduled to vest within
60 days). |
Unless otherwise indicated, all shares are owned directly and
the indicated person has sole voting and investment power.
Except as indicated below, the business address of the
stockholders listed below is the address of our principal
executive office, 4401 Barclay Downs Drive, Suite 300,
Charlotte,
NC 28209-4670.
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Number of | |
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Shares and | |
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Percent of | |
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Units | |
|
Percent of | |
|
All | |
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|
Beneficially | |
|
All | |
|
Shares and | |
Name of Beneficial Owner |
|
Owned(1) | |
|
Shares(2) | |
|
Units(3) | |
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| |
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| |
Goldman Sachs Asset Management,
L.P.(4)
|
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|
759,904 |
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9.5 |
% |
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6.1 |
% |
|
32 Old Slip
New York, NY 10005 |
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Teachers Insurance And Annuity Association of America
(TIAA)(5)
|
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746,400 |
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9.3 |
% |
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6.0 |
% |
|
730 Third Avenue
New York, NY 10017 |
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JPMorgan Chase &
Co.(6)
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614,584 |
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7.7 |
% |
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5.0 |
% |
|
270 Park Avenue
New York, NY 10017 |
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U.S. Bancorp(7)
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491,750 |
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6.1 |
% |
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|
4.0 |
% |
|
800 Nicollet Mall
Minneapolis, MN 55402 |
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Directors
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James W.
Cogdell(8)
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2,145,801 |
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|
|
24.1 |
% |
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|
17.4 |
% |
Frank C.
Spencer(9)(10)
|
|
|
453,477 |
|
|
|
5.5 |
% |
|
|
3.7 |
% |
John R.
Georgius(11)
|
|
|
29,000 |
|
|
|
* |
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|
|
* |
|
Richard B.
Jennings(12)
|
|
|
15,690 |
|
|
|
* |
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|
* |
|
Christopher E.
Lee(13)
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|
|
4,500 |
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|
|
* |
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|
* |
|
Richard C.
Neugent(14)
|
|
|
4,500 |
|
|
|
* |
|
|
|
* |
|
Randolph D. Smoak,
MD(15)
|
|
|
8,347 |
|
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|
* |
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* |
|
Nondirector Named Executive Officer
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Charles M.
Handy(16)
|
|
|
79,567 |
|
|
|
1.0 |
% |
|
|
* |
|
Directors and Executive Officers as a Group (8 persons)
|
|
|
2,740,882 |
|
|
|
29.7 |
% |
|
|
22.2 |
% |
19
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|
(1) |
Beneficial ownership is determined in accordance with rule
13d-3 of the Exchange
Act. A person is deemed to be the beneficial owner of any shares
of common stock if that person has or shares voting power or
investment with respect to those shares, or has the right to
acquire beneficial ownership at any time within 60 days of
the date of the table. As used herein, voting power
is the power to vote or direct the voting of shares and
investment power is the power to dispose or direct
the disposition of shares. |
|
(2) |
Assumes a total of 8,000,374 shares of the Companys
Common Stock are outstanding as of March 22, 2006. In
addition, amounts listed for each individual assume that all
units, including vested long-term incentive units, beneficially
owned by such individual are exchanged for shares of the
Companys Common Stock, and amounts for all directors and
officers as a group assume all vested long-term incentive units
held by them are exchanged for shares of our Common Stock, but
none of the units held by other persons are exchanged for shares
of the Companys Common Stock. |
|
(3) |
Assumes a total of 12,365,413 shares of the Companys
Common Stock and OP units, including vested LTIP units, are
outstanding as of March 22, 2006 comprised of
8,000,374 shares of Common Stock and 4,365,039 OP units
which may be exchanged for cash or, at our option, shares of
Common Stock beginning 12 months after the closing of the
initial public offering. |
|
(4) |
Information based on a Schedule 13G filed with the SEC on
February 6, 2006 by Goldman Sachs Asset Management, L.P.
Goldman Sachs Asset Management, L.P. has sole voting and
dispositive power over 759,904 shares of Common Stock. |
|
(5) |
Information based on a Schedule 13G filed with the SEC on
February 13, 2006 by TIAA. TIAA has sole voting and
dispositive power over 746,400 shares of Common Stock. |
|
(6) |
Information based on a Schedule 13G filed with the SEC on
February 10, 2006 by JPMorgan Chase & Co. JPMorgan
Chase & Co. has sole voting and dispositive power of
614,584 shares of Common Stock. |
|
(7) |
Information based on a Schedule 13G filed with the SEC on
January 31, 2006 by U.S. Bancorp. U.S. Bancorp
has sole voting and dispositive power over 491,750 shares
of Common Stock. |
|
(8) |
Includes 1,244,503 shares of Common Stock and 901,298 OP
units. |
|
(9) |
Frank C. Spencer is the CEO of the Company. This number includes
219,618 shares of Common Stock and 233,859 OP units
(including 82,353 OP units issuable upon conversion of 82,353
LTIP units outstanding at March 22, 2006). |
|
|
(10) |
Frank C. Spencer is co-trustee of James W. Cogdells estate
and would thus assume voting power of the shares of
Mr. Cogdells estate in the event of
Mr. Cogdells death. |
|
(11) |
Includes 2,500 shares of restricted stock. |
|
(12) |
Includes 2,500 shares of restricted stock. |
|
(13) |
Includes 2,500 shares of restricted stock. |
|
(14) |
Includes 2,500 shares of restricted stock. |
|
(15) |
Includes 5,847 OP units and 2,500 shares of restricted
stock. |
|
(16) |
Charles M. Handy is Chief Financial Officer, Senior Vice
President and Secretary of the Company. This number includes
100 shares of Common Stock and 79,467 OP units (including
63,440 OP units issuable upon conversion of 63,440 LTIP units to
be outstanding at March 22, 2006). |
Certain Relationships and Related Transactions
Pursuant to an engagement letter entered into on
December 1, 2004, we engaged Realty Capital International
Inc., an affiliate of Mr. Jennings, to provide advisory
services to us relating to the structure and terms of the
Companys formation transactions and the initial public
offering. As part of this engagement, the Company paid $10,000
in cash per month in fees for Realty Capital International
Inc.s role as adviser throughout the course of the
Offering. Upon the closing of the Offering, Realty Capital
20
International Inc. also received a success fee equal to 0.5% of
the gross offering proceeds, including any over-allotment
proceeds.
Other Matters
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|
|
Stockholder Proposals and Nominations for the Board |
Under SEC rules, proposals from the Companys eligible
stockholders for presentation for action at the 2007 Annual
Meeting of Stockholders must be received by the Company no later
than January 10, 2007 in order to be considered for
inclusion in the Proxy Statement and Proxy for that Annual
Meeting. Any such proposals, as well as any questions relating
thereto, should be directed to the Secretary of the Company at
the Companys principal executive offices.
Under the Companys By-Laws, and as SEC rules permit,
stockholders must follow certain procedures to nominate a person
for election as a director at an annual or special meeting, or
to introduce an item of business at an annual meeting. A
stockholder must notify the Secretary of the Company in writing
of the director nominee or the other business. The notice must
include the required information and be delivered to the
Secretary at the principal executive offices of the Company not
earlier than the 150th day and not later than
5:00 p.m., Eastern Time, on the 120th day prior to the
first anniversary of the date of mailing of the notice for the
preceding years annual meeting.
If the date of the annual meeting is advanced or delayed by more
than 30 days from the first anniversary of the date of the
preceding years annual meeting, notice by the stockholder
must be delivered as described above not earlier than the
150th day prior to the date of mailing of the notice for
such annual meeting and not later than 5:00 p.m., Eastern
Time, on the later of the 120th day prior to the date of
such annual meeting or the tenth day following the day on which
disclosure of the date of such meeting is first made. The public
announcement of a adjournment or postponement of an annual
meeting shall not commence a new time period for the giving of
stockholders notice as described above.
The stockholders notice shall set forth the following, as
applicable:
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|
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(1) as to each individual whom the stockholder proposes to
nominate for election or reelection as a director, (a) the
name, age, business address and residence address of such
individual, (b) the class, series and number of any shares
of stock of the Company that are beneficially owned by such
individual, (c) the date such shares were acquired and the
investment intent of such acquisition, and (d) all other
information relating to such individual that is required to be
disclosed in solicitations of proxies for election of directors
in an election contest (even if an election contest is not
involved), or is otherwise required, in each case pursuant to
Regulation 14A (or any successor provision) under the
Exchange Act and the rules thereunder (including such
individuals written consent to being named in the proxy
statement as a nominee and to serving as a director if elected); |
|
|
(2) as to any other business that the stockholder proposes
to bring before the meeting, a description of such business, the
reasons for proposing such business at the meeting and any
material interest in such business of such stockholder and any
Stockholder Associated Person (as defined below) individually or
in the aggregate, (including any anticipated benefit to the
stockholder and the Stockholder Associated Person therefrom); |
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(3) as to the stockholder giving the notice and any
Stockholder Associated Person, the class, series and number of
all shares of stock of the Corporation which are owned by such
stockholder and by such Stockholder Associated Person, if any,
and the nominee holder for, and number of, shares owned
beneficially but not of record by such stockholder and by any
such Stockholder Associated Person; |
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(4) as to the stockholder giving the notice and any
Stockholder Associated Person covered by clauses (2) or
(3) above, the name and address of such stockholder, as
they appear on the Companys stock ledger and current name
and address, if different, and of such Stockholder Associated
Person; and |
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(5) to the extent known by the stockholder giving the
notice, the name and address of any other stockholder supporting
the nominee for election or reelection as a director or the
proposal of other business on the date of such
stockholders notice. |
Stockholder Associated Person of any stockholder
means (1) any person controlling, directly or indirectly,
or acting in concert with, such stockholder, (2) any
beneficial owner of shares of stock of the Corporation owned of
record or beneficially by such stockholder and (3) any
person controlling, controlled by or under common control with
such Stockholder Associated Person.
The Board and the Companys management know of no other
matters or business to be presented for consideration at the
Annual Meeting. If, however, any other matters properly come
before the Annual Meeting or any adjournments or postponements
thereof, it is the intention of the persons named in the
enclosed proxy to vote such proxy in accordance with their best
judgment on any such matters. The persons named in the enclosed
proxy may also, if they deem it advisable, vote such proxy to
adjourn the Annual Meeting from time to time.
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Frank C. Spencer |
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Chief Executive Officer |
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Exhibit A
COGDELL SPENCER INC.
AUDIT COMMITTEE CHARTER
Purpose
The Board of Directors (the Board) of Cogdell
Spencer Inc. (the Company) has established an audit
committee comprised of independent directors (the
Committee) and has adopted and approved this amended
and restated charter for the Committee. The Committees
primary functions are to:
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1. Assist Board oversight of (i) the integrity of the
Companys financial statements, (ii) the
Companys compliance with legal and regulatory requirements
including The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, (iii) the
qualifications and independence of the registered public
accounting firm employed by the Company for the audit of the
Companys financial statements (the Independent
Auditor), (iv) the performance of the individuals
responsible for the Companys internal audit function, and
(v) the performance of the Companys Independent
Auditors, including any third party employed by the Company for
the purpose of performing all or any portion of the
Companys internal audit function (the Internal
Auditor), |
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2. Prepare the report that rules of the Securities and
Exchange Commission (the SEC) require be included in
the Companys annual proxy statement, and |
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3. Provide an open avenue of communication among the
Companys Independent Auditors, its Internal Auditors, its
management and its Board. |
Organization
1. The Committee will be comprised of at least three
directors, each of whom is financially literate (i.e., able to
read and understand financial statements and have knowledge of
the functions of auditors for a Company) or, in the judgment of
the Board, able to become financially literate within a
reasonable period of time after his or her appointment to the
Committee. All members of the Committee will be, in the business
judgment of the Board, independent under the
independence requirements set forth, from time to time, in the
listing standards of the New York Stock Exchange
(NYSE) and any other applicable laws, rules or
regulations, including, without limitation, any rules
promulgated by the SEC. The members of the Audit Committee shall
be appointed annually by the Board.
2. At least one member of the Committee will be a person
who fits the qualifications of audit committee financial
expert, as the SEC currently defines as a person who has
the following attributes:
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(a) an understanding of accounting principles generally
accepted in the United States (GAAP) and financial
statements; |
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(b) the ability to assess the general application of such
principles in connection with the accounting for estimates,
accruals and reserves; |
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(c) experience preparing, auditing, analyzing or evaluating
financial statements that present a breadth and level of
complexity of accounting issues that are generally comparable to
the breadth and complexity of issues that can be reasonably
expected to be raised by the Companys financial
statements, or experience supervising one or more persons
engaged in such activities; |
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(d) an understanding of internal controls and procedures
for financial reporting; and |
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(e) an understanding of audit committee functions. |
3. No director who serves on the audit committee of more
than three other public companies may be a member of the
Committee, unless the Board determines such simultaneous service
would not impair the ability of such director to effectively
serve on the Committee, and discloses such determination in the
Companys annual proxy statement, or in the Companys
annual report on
Form 10-K filed
with the SEC.
A-1
4. The members of the Committee will be appointed, removed
and replaced by, and in the sole discretion of, the Board.
5. The Board will designate a member of the Committee to
serve as chairman of the Committee.
6. The Committee will create its own rules of procedure.
Such rules will be consistent with the Amended and Restated
Articles of Incorporation, as amended (the Charter),
and By-laws (the By-laws) of the Company and with
this charter.
7. The Committee may create subcommittees to perform
particular functions, either generally or in specific instances.
8. Minutes will be kept with regard to each meeting of the
Committee, which will record all actions taken by the Committee.
The minutes will be maintained with the books and records of the
Company.
9. The Committee will report to the Board at regular
meetings of the Board and at such other times as the Committee
deems necessary or appropriate.
10. The Committee shall meet in person or telephonically at
least four times a year and at other times when deemed necessary
or desirable by the Committee or its chairman.
11. The Committee may request members of management or
others to attend meetings and provide pertinent information as
necessary.
Powers
The Committee will have the authority to engage independent
counsel, accounting and other advisors, as it determines
necessary to carry out its duties. The Company will provide
appropriate funding, as determined by the Committee, in its
capacity as a committee of the Board, for payment of
compensation (a) to the Independent Auditor employed by the
Company to audit the financial statements of the Company and
(b) to any advisors employed by the Committee.
The Committee may require any officer or employee of the Company
or the Companys outside counsel or Independent Auditors to
attend a meeting of the Committee or to meet with any members
of, or consultants to, the Committee.
Responsibilities
The Committee will from time to time adopt policies or
procedures it deems necessary to ensure that the accounting and
reporting practices of the Company are of the highest quality.
While the Committee has the powers and responsibilities set
forth in this charter, it is not the duty or responsibility of
the Committee to (i) plan or conduct audits,
(ii) determine that the Companys financial statements
and disclosures are complete and accurate or are in accordance
with GAAP or applicable rules and regulations, or
(iii) monitor and control risk assessment and management.
These are the responsibilities of the Companys management
and the Independent Auditor.
The Committees functions are the sole responsibility of
the audit committee and may not be allocated to a different
committee.
To fulfill its responsibilities, the Committee will:
1. Be responsible for the appointment, termination,
compensation, and oversight, of any public accounting firm
employed by the Company for the purpose of preparing or issuing
an audit report or related work. Each such public accounting
firm will report directly to the Committee.
2. Have the sole authority to approve all audit engagement
fees and terms, as well as all non-audit engagements of the
Independent Auditors.
A-2
3. Preapprove the fees and terms of all auditing services
and permitted non-audit services to be provided to the Company
or its subsidiaries by the Companys Independent Auditors,
except for non-audit services covered by the De Minimus
Exception in Section 10A of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934, as amended. The Committee may delegate to one or more of
its members who is an independent director the authority to
grant preapprovals.
4. In order to evaluate the Independent Auditors
qualifications, performance and independence, at least annually
obtain and review a report by the Independent Auditors
describing: the firms internal quality-control procedures;
any material issues raised by the most recent internal quality
control review, or peer review, of the firm, or by any inquiry
or investigation by government or professional authorities
within the preceding five years, respecting one or more
independent audits carried out by the firm, and any steps taken
to deal with any such issues; and all relationships between the
Independent Auditors and the Company in order to assess the
Independent Auditors independence. This evaluation should
include review of the partner of the Independent Auditor who has
principal responsibility for its audits of the Companys
financial statements and should take into account the opinions
of management and the Internal Auditors (or the Companys
personnel responsible for the internal audit function). In
addition, the report will include a written statement of the
fees billed for each of the following categories of services
rendered by the Independent Auditor: (a) the audit of the
Companys annual financial statements for the most recent
fiscal year and the reviews of the financial statements included
in the Companys Quarterly Reports on
Form 10-Q for that
fiscal year; (b) information technology consulting services
for the most recent fiscal year; and (c) all other services
rendered by the Independent Auditor for the most recent fiscal
year.
5. Monitor the five year rotation of the lead partner of
the Independent Auditor. Consider whether the Independent
Auditor itself should be changed periodically.
6. Ensure the Companys compliance with all applicable
legal requirements regarding auditor independence, including the
periodic rotation of the lead partner and other senior members
of the Independent Auditor.
7. Present to the Board its conclusions regarding the
Independent Auditors qualifications, performance and
independence.
8. Meet regularly with the Companys Independent
Auditors so that they can report on (a) all critical
accounting policies and practices the Company uses or expects to
use; and (b) all alternative treatments of material
financial information within generally accepted accounting
principles that have been discussed with management officials of
the Company, ramifications of the use of such alternative
disclosures and treatments, and the treatment preferred by the
Independent Auditors.
9. Obtain and review, with the Independent Auditors, at
least annually: a report from the Independent Auditors of any
audit problems or difficulties and managements
response, including any restrictions on the scope of the
Independent Auditors activities or access to information
and any disagreements with management, and, if applicable, also
including any accounting adjustments that were noted or proposed
by the Independent Auditors but were passed
(including similar adjustments that were passed because
individually they were not material); any communications between
the audit team and the Independent Auditors national
office with respect to auditing or accounting issues presented
by the engagement; any management or internal
control letter issued, or proposed to be issued, by the
Independent Auditors to the Company; and all other material
written communications between the Independent Auditors and the
management of the Company. The review should also include
discussion of the responsibilities, budget and staffing of the
Companys internal audit function.
10. Meet separately, periodically, with management, with
the Internal Auditors, and with the Independent auditors and
take such parties opinions into consideration.
11. Report regularly to the Board as to the quality and
integrity of the Companys financial statements, the
Companys compliance with legal or regulatory requirements,
the performance and independence of the Companys
independent auditors and the performance of the Companys
internal audit function.
A-3
12. Set clear hiring policies for employees or former
employees of the Independent Auditors.
1. Review the responsibilities, budget and staffing of the
Companys internal audit function.
2. Review any significant changes in the planned scope of
the internal audit function.
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Accounting and Reporting Process |
1. Review any major issues regarding accounting principles
and financial statement presentations, including any significant
changes in the Companys selection or application of
accounting principles and the development, selection and
disclosure of critical accounting estimates.
2. Review major issues as to the adequacy of the
Companys internal controls and any special audit steps
adopted in light of material control deficiencies and review
processes are adequate to detect illegal acts.
3. Review analyses prepared by management and/or the
Independent Auditors setting forth significant financial
reporting issues and judgments made in connection with the
preparation of the Companys financial statements,
including analyses of the effects of alternative GAAP methods on
the Companys financial statements, the effect of
regulatory and accounting initiatives, as well as off-balance
sheet structures on the financial statements of the Company.
4. Review the audited financial statements and discuss them
with management and the Independent Auditor. Based on that
review, and the reviews performed by the Committee as described
in paragraphs 1 through 3 under this Accounting and
Reporting Process, make a recommendation to the Board relative
to the inclusion of the Companys audited financial
statements in the Companys annual report on
Form 10-K.
5. Obtain reports from management, parties responsible for
the Companys internal audit function and the Independent
Auditors, as necessary, regarding the compliance, or failure to
comply, of the Company with applicable legal requirements and
the Companys Code of Business Conduct and Ethics,
including disclosures of insider and affiliated party
transactions.
6. Review with management and the Independent Auditors any
correspondence with regulators or governmental agencies and any
employee complaints or published reports which raise material
issues regarding the Companys financial statements or
accounting policies.
7. The Committee will discuss with the Independent Auditors
the matters required to be discussed by Statement on Auditing
Standards No. 61, Communication with Audit
Committees, as then in effect.
1. Discuss and oversee the preparation of the annual
audited financial statements and quarterly financial statements
with management and the Independent Auditor, including the
results of the Independent Auditors reviews of the
quarterly financial statements and the Companys
disclosures under Managements Discussion and
Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
prior to the filing of each
Form 10-K and
Form 10-Q by the
Company.
2. Review the disclosures, if any, of the chief executive
officer and chief financial officer, prior to their
certification of each annual or quarterly report filed by the
Company with the SEC, of (a) all significant deficiencies
in the design or operation of internal controls which could
adversely affect the Companys ability to record, process,
summarize and report financial data and identify any material
weakness in internal controls, and (b) any fraud, whether
or not material, that involves management or other employees who
have a significant role in the Companys internal controls.
A-4
3. Discuss the Companys earnings press releases, as
well as financial information and earnings guidance provided to
analysts and rating agencies. These discussions regarding
earnings press releases shall occur prior to any public
disclosures.
4. Discuss and review policies with respect to risk
assessment and risk management, including guidelines and
policies to govern the process by which risk assessment and risk
management is undertaken.
5. Establish procedures for (a) the receipt,
retention, and treatment of complaints received by the Company
regarding accounting, internal accounting controls, or auditing
matters; and (b) the confidential, anonymous submission by
employees of the Company of concerns regarding questionable
accounting or auditing matters.
6. Conduct an annual evaluation of its own performance.
7. Conduct an annual review of this charter and recommend
to the Board any changes the Committee deems appropriate.
8. Annually review the Corporations compliance
program for its Code of Ethics and the results of internal
audits review of the expense accounts of the
Corporations elected officers.
9. Review with internal and external counsel, where
appropriate, any legal matters that could have a significant
impact on the Companys financial statements.
10. Review accounting and financial human resources and
succession planning within the Company.
11. Submit the minutes of all meetings of the Committee to,
or discuss the matters discussed at each Committee meeting with,
the Board.
12. Accept and address complaints submitted to the
Committee pursuant to its role as described in the
Companys Whistleblower policy.
Resources and Authority of the Committee
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The Committee shall have the resources and authority appropriate
to discharge its duties and responsibilities, including the
authority to retain counsel and other experts or consultants at
the expense of the Company. The Committee shall have the sole
authority to select and retain a consultant or search firm, to
terminate any consultant or search firm retained by it, and to
approve the consultant or search firms fees and other
retention terms. The Committee has the power, in its discretion,
to conduct any investigation it deems necessary or appropriate
to enable it to carry out its duties. |
Reliance Permitted
In carrying out its duties, the Committee will act in reliance
on management, the independent public accountants, internal
auditors, and outside advisors and experts, as it deems
necessary or appropriate.
A-5
COGDELL SPENCER INC.
4401 Barclay Downs Drive, Suite 300
Charlotte, NC 28209-4670
ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS TO BE HELD ON MAY 4,
2006
THIS PROXY IS SOLICITED ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF
DIRECTORS
The undersigned hereby appoints
Frank C. Spencer and Charles M. Handy as proxies, each with full
power of substitution, to represent and vote as designated on
the reverse side, all the shares of Common Stock of Cogdell
Spencer Inc. held of record by the undersigned on March 22,
2006, at the Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be held at the
Embassy Suites Hotel, 337 Meeting Street, Charleston, SC 29403,
on Thursday, May 4, 2006, 9:00 a.m. local time, or any
adjournments or postponements thereof.
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1. |
The election of 7 members of the Board of Directors : |
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FOR ALL NOMINEES |
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WITHHOLD AUTHORITY FOR ALL NOMINEES |
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FOR ALL EXCEPT (See instructions below) |
NOMINEES:
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James W. Cogdell , Chairman of the Board |
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Richard B. Jennings, Director |
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Richard C. Neugent, Director |
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Frank C. Spencer, Chief Executive Officer |
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Christopher E. Lee, Director |
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Randolph D. Smoak, MD, Director |
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John R. Georgius, Director |
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INSTRUCTION: To withhold authority to vote for any
individual nominee(s), mark FOR ALL EXCEPT
and fill in the circle next to each nominee you wish to
withhold, as shown here:
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2. |
Ratification of the appointment of Deloitte & Touche LLP as
the Companys Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm. |
o FOR o AGAINST o ABSTAIN
(Continued and to be signed on the reverse side)
THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS RECOMMENDS A
VOTE FOR THE ELECTION OF DIRECTORS, AND
FOR PROPOSAL 2, THE RATIFICATION OF INDEPENDENT
ACCOUNTANTS. PLEASE SIGN, DATE AND RETURN PROMPTLY IN THE
ENCLOSED ENVELOPE. PLEASE MARK YOUR VOTE IN BLUE OR BLACK INK AS
SHOWN
HERE þ
To change the address on your account,
please check the box at right and indicate your new address in
the address space above. Please note that changes to the
registered name(s) on the account may not be submitted via this
method. o
Please mark, date, sign and mail your
proxy card in the envelope provided as soon as possible.
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Date: |
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Signature of Stockholder |
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Date: |
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Signature of Stockholder |
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Note: Please sign exactly as your name or names appear on
this Proxy. When shares are held jointly, each holder should
sign. When signing as executor, administrator, attorney, trustee
or guardian, please give full title as such. If the signer is a corporation,
please sign full corporate name by duly authorized officer, giving full title as such. If signer is a
partnership, please sign in partnership name by authorized Person. |