Question: If a company files a preliminary proxy statement under Exchange Act Rule 14a-6 which omits the executive and director compensation disclosure required by Item 402 of Regulation S-K, would the staff request a revised preliminary proxy statement and deem that the 10-calendar day waiting period specified in Rule 14a-6 does not begin to run until the required information is filed?

Answer: Yes. However, given that the executive and director compensation rules were substantially revised in 2006, in a situation where a company that is complying with the 2006 rules for the first time files a preliminary proxy statement excluding the required executive and director compensation disclosure, the staff will not request a revised preliminary proxy statement nor deem the 10-calendar day waiting period specified in Rule 14a-6 to be tolled, so long as: (1) the omitted executive and director compensation disclosure is included in the definitive proxy statement; (2) the omitted disclosure does not relate to the matter or matters that caused the company to have to file preliminary proxy materials; and (3) the omitted disclosure is not otherwise made available to the public prior to the filing of the definitive proxy statement. [Feb. 12, 2007]

Question: During 2009, a company recovers (or "claws-back") a portion of an executive officer's 2008 bonus. How does this affect the company's 2009 Item 402 disclosure for that executive officer?

Answer: The portion of the 2008 bonus recovered in 2009 should not be deducted from 2009 bonus or total compensation for purposes of determining, pursuant to Items 402(a)(3)(iii) and (iv), whether the executive is a named executive officer for 2009. If the executive is a named executive officer for 2009, the Summary Compensation Table should report for the 2008 year, in the Bonus column (column (d)) and Total column (column (j)), amounts that are adjusted to reflect the "claw-back," with footnote disclosure of the amount recovered. As the instruction to Item 402(b) provides, if "necessary to an understanding of the registrant's compensation policies and decisions regarding the named executive officers," the Compensation Discussion and Analysis should discuss the reasons for the "claw-back" and how the amount recovered was determined. [Aug. 14, 2009]

Question: During 2009, a company grants an equity award to an executive officer. The same award is forfeited during 2009 because the executive officer leaves the company. Should the grant date fair value of this award be included for purposes of determining 2009 total compensation and identifying 2009 named executive officers?

Answer: Yes. [Jan. 20, 2010]

Question: A registrant with a calendar fiscal year end has filed a Securities Act registration statement (or post-effective amendment) for which it seeks effectiveness after December 31, 2009 but before its 2009 Form 10-K is due. Must it include Item 402 disclosure for 2009 in the registration statement before it can be declared effective?

Answer: If the registration statement is on Form S-1, then it must include Item 402 disclosure for 2009 before it can be declared effective. This is because 2009 is the last completed fiscal year. Part I, Item 11(l) of Form S-1 specifically requires Item 402 information in the registration statement, which includes Summary Compensation Table disclosure for each of the registrant's last three completed fiscal years and other disclosures for the last completed fiscal year. General Instruction VII of Form S-1, which permits a registrant meeting certain requirements to incorporate by reference the Item 11 information, does not change this result because the registrant has not yet filed its Form 10-K for the most recently completed fiscal year.

On the other hand, Form S-3's information requirements are satisfied by incorporating by reference filed and subsequently filed Exchange Act documents; for example, there is no specific line item requirement in Form S-3 for Item 402 information. Accordingly, a non-automatic shelf registration statement on Form S-3 can be declared effective before the Form 10-K is due. Securities Act Forms C&DI 123.01 addresses the situation in which a company requests effectiveness for a non-automatic shelf registration statement on Form S-3 during the period between the filing of the Form 10-K and the definitive proxy statement. [Feb. 16, 2010]

Question: An individual who was the company's principal financial officer for part of the last completed fiscal year was serving the company as an executive officer in a different capacity at the end of that year, and was among the company's three most highly compensated executive officers. Does the company include this individual as a named executive officer pursuant to Item 402(a)(3)(iii), as one of its three most highly compensated executive officers other than the principal executive officer and principal financial officer who were serving as executive officers at the end of the last completed fiscal year?

Answer: No. The company includes this individual as a named executive officer pursuant to Item 402(a)(3)(ii), as an individual who served as principal financial officer during the fiscal year. The company identifies its three most highly compensated executive officers pursuant to Item 402(a)(3)(iii) from among individuals serving as executive officers at the end of the last completed fiscal year who did not serve as its principal executive officer or principal financial officer at any time during that year. [June 4, 2010]

Question: Item 402(a)(6)(ii) provides that "registrants may omit information regarding group life, health, hospitalization, or medical reimbursement plans that do not discriminate in scope, terms or operation, in favor of executive officers or directors of the registrant and that are available generally to all salaried employees." Does this provision also apply to a disability plan that satisfies these nondiscrimination conditions?

Answer: Yes. To the extent that the disability plan provides benefits not related to termination of employment, a registrant may rely on Item 402(a)(6)(ii) to omit information regarding the disability plan. To the extent that the disability plan provides benefits related to termination of employment, a registrant may rely on Instruction 5 to Item 402(j) to omit information regarding the disability plan. [July 8, 2011]