def14a
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
Filed by the Registrant þ
Filed by a Party other than the Registrant o
Check the appropriate box:
o Preliminary Proxy Statement
o Confidential, for Use of the Commission Only (as permitted by Rule 14a-6(e)(2))
þ Definitive Proxy Statement
o Definitive Additional Materials
o Soliciting Material Pursuant to §240.14a-12
BROOKFIELD HOMES CORPORATION
(Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)
N/A
(Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if other than the Registrant)
Payment of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box):
þ No fee required.
o Fee computed on table below per Exchange Act Rules 14a-6(i)(1) and 0-11
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Per unit price or other underlying value of transaction computed pursuant to
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Proposed maximum aggregate value of transaction: |
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Fee paid previously with preliminary materials. |
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Check box if any part of the fee is offset as provided by Exchange Act
Rule 0-11(a)(2) and identify the filing for which the offsetting fee
was paid previously. Identify the previous filing by registration
statement number, or the Form or Schedule and the date of its filing. |
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Amount Previously Paid: |
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Form, Schedule or Registration Statement
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BROOKFIELD HOMES CORPORATION
NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS
To Be Held On
May 1, 2008
Fellow Stockholders of Brookfield Homes Corporation:
You are invited to attend the 2008 Annual Meeting of Stockholders of Brookfield Homes
Corporation. The Annual Meeting will be held at the Hilton Costa Mesa Hotel, 3050 Bristol Street,
Costa Mesa, California on May 1, 2008 at 11:00 a.m., Pacific Time, for the following purposes:
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to elect nine directors; |
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to ratify the appointment of Deloitte & Touche LLP as our independent auditors for
2008; and |
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to conduct other business properly brought before the meeting. |
Only stockholders of record at the close of business on March 5, 2008, are entitled to notice
of and to vote at the Annual Meeting or any adjournment thereof.
While we would like to have each of you attend the meeting and vote your shares in person, we
realize this may not be possible. Whether or not you plan to attend the meeting, your vote is very
important. A form of proxy and voting instructions will be made available to you electronically on
the Internet. A Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials (the Notice) containing
instructions on how to access the form of proxy together with our proxy statement and 2007 Annual
Report will be mailed to our stockholders of record on or about March 20, 2008. WE URGE YOU TO
COMPLETE THE FORM OF PROXY IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE INSTRUCTIONS CONTAINED IN THE NOTICE SO THAT YOUR
SHARES WILL BE REPRESENTED. If you later decide to attend the Annual Meeting, you may revoke your
proxy at that time and vote your shares in person.
If you desire any additional information concerning the Annual Meeting or the matters to be
acted upon at the meeting, we would be glad to hear from you. Please contact the undersigned at
858-481-2965.
Yours very truly,
Shane D. Pearson
Secretary to the Board of Directors
Fairfax, Virginia
March 20, 2008
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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NOTICE OF MEETING |
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BROOKFIELD HOMES CORPORATION
8500 Executive Park Avenue, Suite 300
Fairfax, Virginia 22031
PROXY STATEMENT
FOR
ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS
To Be Held On May 1, 2008
GENERAL
Time, Place and Purposes of Meeting
The 2008 Annual Meeting of Stockholders of Brookfield Homes Corporation will be held on May 1, 2008
at 11:00 a.m., Pacific Time, at the Hilton Costa Mesa Hotel, 3050 Bristol Street, Costa Mesa,
California (in this proxy statement, unless the context requires otherwise, references to we,
our, us, and Company refer to Brookfield Homes Corporation). The purposes of the Annual
Meeting are set forth in the Notice of Annual Meeting of Stockholders to which this proxy statement
is attached.
Internet Availability of Proxy Materials
Pursuant to the new rules adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission, we have elected to
provide access to our proxy materials over the Internet. Accordingly, we are sending a Notice of
Internet Availability of Proxy Materials (the Notice) to our stockholders of record on or about
March 20, 2008. Stockholders will have the ability to access the proxy materials on a website
referred to in the Notice or request to receive a printed set of the proxy materials. Instructions
on how to access the proxy materials over the Internet or to request a printed copy may be found in
the Notice.
Solicitation of Proxies
This proxy statement is furnished in connection with the solicitation of proxies by our board of
directors. We expect that this proxy statement and a form of proxy will first be made available on
or about March 20, 2008 to stockholders of record on March 5, 2008. We will bear the entire cost of
this solicitation. The solicitation of proxies will be made primarily pursuant to new rules adopted
by the Securities and Exchange Commission related to Internet availability of proxy materials. In
addition, our directors, officers and regular employees may make solicitations by telephone,
telegraph, e-mail or personal interview, and may request banks, brokers, fiduciaries and other
persons holding stock in their names, or in the names of their nominees, to forward a Notice of
Internet Availability of Proxy Materials, and to the extent permitted, proxies and/or proxy
materials to their principals and obtain authorization for the execution and return of such
proxies. We will reimburse such banks, brokers and fiduciaries for their reasonable out-of-pocket
expenses in connection therewith.
Revocation and Voting of Proxies
Stockholders of record may vote either by casting votes in person at the meeting, or by following
the instructions to vote by proxy contained in the Notice. The procedures to vote by proxy are
designed to authenticate votes cast by use of a control number. The procedures, which are designed
to comply with Delaware law, allow stockholders to appoint a proxy to vote their shares and to
confirm that their instructions have been properly recorded. Stockholders who hold shares in
street name through a broker or other nominee may be able to vote by telephone or electronically
through the Internet in accordance with the voting instructions provided by that institution.
Any proxy given may be revoked by you at any time before it is exercised by filing with us a notice
in writing revoking it or by duly executing a proxy at a later date. Proxies also may be revoked in
person at the Annual Meeting if you desire to vote your shares in person. Subject to such
revocation and except as
otherwise stated herein or in the form of proxy, all proxies duly executed and received prior to,
or at the time of, the Annual Meeting will be voted in accordance with the specifications of the
proxies. If no specification is made, proxies will be voted for the nominees for election of
directors set forth elsewhere herein (see PROPOSAL ONE ELECTION OF DIRECTORS) and for the
ratification of the appointment of Deloitte & Touche LLP as our independent auditors for 2008 (see
PROPOSAL TWO RATIFICATION OF APPOINTMENT OF INDEPENDENT AUDITORS) and, at the discretion of the
proxy holders, on all other matters properly brought before the Annual Meeting or any adjournment
thereof.
1
Outstanding Shares and Voting Rights
March 5, 2008 has been set as the record date for the purpose of determining stockholders entitled
to notice of, and to vote at, the Annual Meeting. There were 26,663,413 shares of our common stock,
$0.01 par value per share, issued and outstanding on February 29, 2008. On any matter submitted to
a stockholder vote, each holder of our common stock will be entitled to one vote, in person or by
proxy, for each share of common stock registered in his, her or its name on the books of our
Company as of the record date. A list of such stockholders will be available for examination by any
stockholder at our Costa Mesa office, 3090 Bristol Street, Suite 200, Costa Mesa, California, for
at least ten days before the Annual Meeting.
Quorum Requirement
Our By-laws provide that at any meeting of stockholders, there must be present, either in person or
by proxy, in order to constitute a quorum, stockholders owning a majority of our issued and
outstanding capital stock entitled to vote at said meeting.
Vote Required
If a broker holds your shares, a Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials has been sent
to the broker. You may have received the Notice directly from your broker, together with
instructions as to how to direct the broker how to vote your shares. If you do not give your broker
instructions or discretionary authority to vote your shares on the Proposals and your broker
indicates to us such lack of authority, your shares will be broker non-votes with respect to the
Proposals for which the broker does not have authority to vote. Broker non-votes will be counted
as present for purposes of determining a quorum, but will not be counted as shares entitled to
vote. If you abstain from voting on the Proposals, your shares will be counted as present at the
meeting, for purposes of determining a quorum, and entitled to vote. As a result, abstentions will
have no effect on the election of directors but will have the effect of a vote against the other
proposal being considered at the meeting.
In the election for directors, the nine persons receiving the highest number of for votes will be
elected.
The ratification of the appointment of Deloitte & Touche LLP as our independent auditors for 2008
requires approval by a majority of shares of common stock entitled to vote on the Proposal and
present in person or represented by proxy at the Annual Meeting.
If any other proposals are properly presented to the stockholders at the meeting, the number of
votes required for approval will depend upon the nature of the proposal. Generally, under Delaware
law the number of votes required to approve a proposal is a majority of the shares of common stock
entitled to vote and present in person or by proxy represented at the Annual Meeting. The form of
proxy gives discretionary authority to the proxy holders to vote on any matter not included in this
proxy statement that is properly presented to the stockholders at the meeting.
Stockholders Sharing Same Address
In some cases, only one copy of the Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials is being
delivered to multiple stockholders sharing an address, unless we have received contrary
instructions from one or more of the stockholders. Upon written or oral request, we will promptly
deliver a separate copy of the Notice to a stockholder at a shared address to which a single copy
was delivered. You can notify us that you wish to receive a separate copy of our Notices in the
future, or alternatively, that you wish to receive a single copy of the Notice instead of multiple
copies. Contact information for these purposes is:
Brookfield Homes Corporation, Attention: Investor Relations, 12865 Pointe Del Mar, Suite 200, Del
Mar, CA, 92014, telephone number: 858-481-2567, or email: lnorthwood@brookfieldhomes.com.
PROPOSAL ONE ELECTION OF DIRECTORS
Our board of directors has nominated the nine persons set forth below for election as our directors
at the Annual Meeting, a majority of whom are independent. All of the nominees are currently
serving as our directors.
Unless otherwise specified in the form of proxy, the shares voted pursuant thereto will be voted
for each of the persons named below as nominees for election as directors. All directors are
elected to serve until the next annual meeting of stockholders and their successors have been
elected and qualified. If any nominee is unable to serve, the proxies will be voted by the proxy
holders in their discretion for another person. The board of directors has no reason to believe
that any nominee will not be able to serve as a director for his or her prescribed term.
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Director |
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Name |
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Age |
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Since |
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Principal Occupation and Business Experience |
Ian G. Cockwell
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60 |
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2002 |
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Ian Cockwell was appointed President and Chief
Executive Officer in October 2002. From 1994 to
2002, Mr. Cockwell served in various senior
executive positions with Brookfield Residential
Group, a division of Brookfield Properties
Corporation, a New York Stock Exchange listed
company. From 1998 until 2002, Mr. Cockwell was
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer responsible
for Brookfield Properties master-planned
communities business. |
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Joan H. Fallon
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2005 |
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Joan Fallon became a director in December 2005.
Ms. Fallon is Manager, Real Estate Investments
of U.S. Steel & Carnegie Pension Fund, a
position she has held since 2007. Prior to
this, Ms. Fallon was a principal of JH Fallon
and Associates, a real estate consulting firm
that she established in 2003. From 1995 to 2003,
she served as Portfolio Manager/Managing
Director of the TIAA Real Estate Account, a
separate account of TIAA-CREF. From 1980 to
1995, Ms. Fallon held various positions within
the real estate division of TIAA-CREF and prior
to that, within the pension and insurance
divisions of TIAA-CREF. |
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Robert A. Ferchat
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73 |
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2002 |
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Robert Ferchat became a director in December
2002. Mr. Ferchat was Chairman and Chief
Executive Officer of BCE Mobile Communications,
Inc. from 1994 until 1999. Mr. Ferchat served as
a director of Brookfield Properties from 1997
until 2002. |
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J. Bruce Flatt
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42 |
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2002 |
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Bruce Flatt became a director in October 2002
and served as Chairman of Brookfield Homes from
October 2002 to May 2007. Since February 2002,
Mr. Flatt has served as Managing Partner and
Chief Executive Officer of Brookfield Asset
Management Inc., prior to which he served as the
President and Chief Executive Officer of
Brookfield Properties beginning in April 2000.
Between August 1995 and April 2000, Mr. Flatt
served as President and Chief Operating Officer
of Brookfield Properties. |
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Bruce T. Lehman
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55 |
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2002 |
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Bruce Lehman became a director in December 2002.
Mr. Lehman is a principal in Armada LLC, an
investor and principal in residential real
estate. Prior to this, Mr. Lehman was an
independent consultant, providing strategic
advice to clients in the homebuilding industry
from 2000 to 2002. Mr. Lehman was
President-Merchant Housing Division, of Catellus
Residential Group, a wholly-owned subsidiary of
Catellus Development Corp. from 1996 until 2000.
Mr. Lehman also held this position with Catellus
Residential Groups predecessor company Akins
Real Estate Group, from 1989 until 2000. |
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Alan Norris
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51 |
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2003 |
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Alan Norris became a director in February 2003.
Mr. Norris is President and Chief Executive
Officer of Carma Group, a developer of
master-planned communities wholly-owned by
Brookfield Properties. Mr. Norris joined Carma
in 1983 and assumed increasingly senior
positions over the next 11 years when he was
promoted to his current position. |
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David M. Sherman
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50 |
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2003 |
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David Sherman became a director in February 2003.
Mr. Sherman is a Co-Managing Member of
Metropolitan Real Estate Equity Management, LLC,
a real estate fund-of-funds manager, a position
he has held since the firms inception in 2002.
Since 2000, Mr. Sherman has also served as an
adjunct professor of real estate at Columbia
University Graduate School of Business
Administration. Mr. Sherman was the Managing
Director, and head of REIT Equity Research at
Salomon Smith Barney, Inc. from 1995 until 2000.
Prior to this, Mr. Sherman held various
positions in real estate investment banking and
finance. |
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Director |
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Principal Occupation and Business Experience |
Robert L. Stelzl
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62 |
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2002 |
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Robert Stelzl became a director in December 2002
and has served as Chairman since May 2007. Mr.
Stelzl is President of Rivas Capital, a private
real estate investor and fund manager. Mr.
Stelzl is retired from Colony Capital LLC, a
global real estate private equity investor where
he was a Principal since 1995. Mr. Stelzl is
currently a director of Brookfield Properties. |
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Michael D. Young
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63 |
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2007 |
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Michael Young was re-appointed to the board in
February, 2007. Mr. Young is President of
Quadrant Capital Partners, Inc., a private
equity firm with offices in Dallas and Toronto.
Mr. Young served as Managing Director of CIBC
World Markets Inc., a financial services firm,
from 1994 until 2003. Mr. Young has been a
trustee of Calloway Real Estate Investment Trust
since 2003. |
THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS RECOMMENDS VOTING FOR EACH OF THE DIRECTOR NOMINEES.
4
BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF COMMON STOCK
Security Ownership of Principal Stockholders and Management
The following table shows the beneficial ownership of shares of our outstanding common stock as of
February 29, 2008 by:
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each person known by us to be the beneficial owner of more than 5% of our common stock; |
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each of our directors and director nominees; |
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each of our executive officers named in the Summary Compensation Table on page 19 under EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION; and |
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all of our directors and executive officers as a group. |
Beneficial ownership is determined in accordance with the rules of the Securities and Exchange
Commission, and generally includes voting or investment power with respect to securities (refer to
footnote 1 to the table for additional information about how beneficial ownership is calculated).
Unless stated otherwise, the shares are owned directly and the named beneficial owners possess sole
voting and investment power with respect to the shares set forth in the table.
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Amount and Nature of |
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Common Stock Beneficially Owned |
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Number of Shares |
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Percentage |
Name of Beneficial Owner |
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Beneficially Owned (1) (2) |
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of Class (3) |
Brookfield Asset Management Inc. (4)
Suite 300, Brookfield Place
181 Bay Street, Toronto, Ontario M5J 2T3 |
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15,570,866 |
(5) |
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58.40 |
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Baron Capital Group, Inc.
767 Fifth Avenue, 49th Floor
New York, New York 10153 |
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2,370,700 |
(6) |
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8.89 |
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Alson Capital Partners, LLC
810 Seventh Avenue, 39th Floor
New York, New York 10019 |
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1,800,722 |
(7) |
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6.75 |
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Morgan Stanley
1585 Broadway Avenue
New York, New York 10036 |
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1,541,969 |
(8) |
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5.78 |
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Ian G. Cockwell (9) |
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16,996,352 |
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63.21 |
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Joan H. Fallon |
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300 |
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* |
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Robert A. Ferchat |
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5,000 |
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* |
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J. Bruce Flatt (9) |
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15,606,898 |
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58.53 |
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Paul G. Kerrigan |
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203,206 |
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* |
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Bruce T. Lehman |
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* |
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Alan Norris |
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3,000 |
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* |
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William B. Seith |
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31,000 |
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* |
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David M. Sherman |
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8,500 |
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* |
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Robert L. Stelzl |
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3,600 |
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* |
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Michael D. Young |
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8,500 |
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* |
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All directors and officers as a group (11 persons) |
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17,295,490 |
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64.06 |
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* |
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Less than 1%. |
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Under the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission governing the determination of
beneficial ownership of securities, a person is deemed to be a beneficial owner of a
security if that person has or shares voting power, which includes the power to vote or to
direct the voting of the security, or investment power, which includes the power to dispose
of or to direct the disposition of the security. A person is also deemed to be a beneficial
owner of any securities of which that person has a right to acquire beneficial ownership
within 60 days. Under these rules, more than one person may be deemed a beneficial owner of
the same securities, and a person may be deemed to be a beneficial owner of securities as to
which the person has no economic interest. |
5
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2) |
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Beneficial ownership includes shares held indirectly through Partners Limited, which is
described in note 4 below. Beneficial ownership also includes shares that the executive
officers and directors could acquire by exercising stock options on, or within 60 days after,
February 29, 2008 as follows: Mr. Cockwell 224,319; Mr. Kerrigan 82,000; and Mr. Seith 31,000. Refer to the section of this proxy statement
entitled Executive Compensation for details of issued stock options. No shares are pledged as
security by any of the named executive officers or directors. |
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3) |
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The percentages are calculated based on the 26,663,413 shares of our common stock that are
outstanding as of February 29, 2008. For each person, separately, his or her percentage was
calculated by including his or her options as set forth in footnote (2) in both the numerator
and the denominator, and for the group, the percentage was calculated by including the
aggregate number of options set forth in footnote (2) in both the numerator and the
denominator. |
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4) |
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Brookfield Asset Management Inc. (Brookfield) is an asset management company listed on the
New York and Toronto stock exchanges. J. Bruce Flatt, a director of our company, is also a
director and Managing Partner and Chief Executive Officer of Brookfield. We are advised by
Brookfield that its major shareholder is Partners Limited (Partners). Partners and its
shareholders, collectively own, directly or indirectly, exercise control or direction over, or
have options and warrants to acquire, approximately 101 million Class A Limited Voting Shares,
representing approximately 17% of the outstanding Class A Limited Voting Shares of Brookfield
on a fully diluted basis, and 85,120 Class B Limited Voting Shares, representing 100% of the
Class B Limited Voting Shares of Brookfield. Messrs. Cockwell and Flatt, who are directors
and officers of our company, are also shareholders of Partners and may be deemed to share
beneficial ownership of our common stock with Brookfield. There are 41 shareholders of
Partners, none of whom hold more than a 17% effective equity interest. To the extent any of
such shareholders is deemed to be a beneficial owner of shares of our common stock held by
Brookfield, such person disclaims beneficial ownership of those shares of our common stock. |
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5) |
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Based solely upon information contained in the Schedule 13D/A of Brookfield filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC) with respect to common stock owned as of
December 18, 2007. |
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6) |
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Based solely upon information contained in the Schedule 13G/A of Baron Capital Group, Inc.,
filed with the SEC with respect to common stock owned as of December 31, 2007. |
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Based solely upon information contained in the Schedule 13G/A of Alson Capital Partners, LLC
filed with the SEC with respect to common stock owned as of December 31, 2007. |
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Based solely upon information contained in the Schedule 13G of Morgan Stanley filed with the
SEC with respect to common stock owned as of December 31, 2007. |
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9) |
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Includes 15,570,866 shares beneficially owned by Brookfield. Messrs. Cockwell and Flatt
disclaim beneficial ownership of the shares of common stock held by Brookfield. |
6
INFORMATION REGARDING THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Corporate Governance Standards
The board of directors has adopted a Statement of Corporate Governance Practices which contains a
number of corporate governance standards designed to comply with the New York Stock Exchanges
Corporate Governance Rules (the NYSE Rules) and the rules and regulations of the Securities and
Exchange Commission (the SEC Rules). The significant corporate governance standards adopted by
the board of directors are discussed below. The Statement of Corporate Governance Practices is
posted on our website under the Investor Relations and Corporate Governance links and is available
in print to any stockholder who so requests. Our website is www.brookfieldhomes.com.
Controlled Company
Brookfield Asset Management Inc. exercises voting power over approximately 58% of our outstanding
common shares. As such, we are a Controlled Company under NYSE Rules. At present, we have not
elected to utilize any of the controlled company corporate governance exemptions available to us
under the NYSE Rules.
Director Independence
The board has adopted a set of Independence Standards consistent with the NYSE Rules, to assist
it in determining whether a member of the board is independent under the NYSE Rules. The
Independence Standards are contained in our Statement of Corporate Governance Practices, which is
available on our website under the Investor Relations and Corporate Governance links. In order to
be determined to be independent in accordance with these Independence Standards, a director must
have no material relationship with the Company (either directly or as a partner, shareholder or
officer of an organization that has a relationship with the Company), other than as a director of
the Company. The Independence Standards specify the criteria by which the independence of our
directors will be determined, including guidelines for directors and their immediate families with
respect to past employment or affiliation with the Company, its management or its independent
auditor. To assist it in determining director independence, a director is not independent if:
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the director is or has been within the last three years, an
employee of the Company, or an immediate family member is, or has
been within the last three years, an executive officer of the
Company; |
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the director has received, or has an immediate family member who
has received, during any twelve-month period within the last three
years, more than $100,000 in direct compensation from the Company,
other than director and committee fees and pension or other forms
of deferred compensation for prior service (provided such
compensation is not contingent in any way on continued service); |
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(a) the director or an immediate family member is a current partner of a firm that is the
Companys internal or external auditor; (b) the director is a current employee of such a firm;
(c) the director has an immediate family member who is a current employee of such a firm and
who participates in the firms audit, assurance or tax compliance (but not tax planning)
practice; or (d) the director or an immediate family member was within the last three years
(but is no longer) a partner or employee of such a firm and personally worked on the Companys
audit within that time; |
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the director or an immediate family member is, or has been within
the last three years, employed as an executive officer of another
company where any of the Companys present executive officers at
the same time serves or served on that companys compensation
committee; or
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the director is a current employee, or an immediate family member
is a current executive officer, of a company that has made
payments to, or received payments from, the Company for property
or services in an amount which, in any of the last three fiscal
years, exceeds the greater of $1 million, or 2% of such other
companys consolidated gross revenues. |
Based on the Independence Standards, the board has determined that Joan H. Fallon, Robert A.
Ferchat, Bruce T. Lehman, David M. Sherman and Robert L. Stelzl are independent, for purposes of serving as
independent members of the board of directors, the Management Resources and Compensation Committee
and the Governance and Nominating Committee. None of our independent directors have any
relationship with the Company or its affiliates except for serving as a director of the Company,
other than Robert L. Stelzl, who is an independent director of Brookfield Properties Corporation,
an affiliate of the Company.
7
Audit Committee Independence, Financial Literacy and Audit Committee Financial Expert
In addition to being independent based on the Independence Standards, the NYSE Rules and related
SEC Rules require that each member of an audit committee satisfy additional independence and
financial literacy requirements, and at least one of these members must satisfy the additional
requirement of having accounting or related financial management expertise. This additional
requirement can be satisfied by the board determining that at least one Audit Committee member is
an audit committee financial expert within the meaning of the SEC Rules. Accordingly, the Audit
Committee Charter contains a set of standards that relate to audit committee independence,
financial literacy and audit committee accounting and financial management expertise. See
Committees of the Board Audit Committee for further information about the independence of the
Audit Committee.
Regular Meetings of Non-Management and Independent Directors
Consistent with our present practice and in accordance with the NYSE Rules, at the time of each
regularly scheduled board meeting, the non-management directors as well as the independent
directors ordinarily will each meet separately for a period of time. The independent non-executive
chairman of the board of directors presides over both non-management and independent director
sessions. The non-management and the independent directors may also meet at such other times as
determined by the Chairman or at the request of any non-management or independent director.
Shareholder Communications
Stockholders may send communications to the board of directors by writing to the Companys
Corporate Secretary, 12865 Pointe Del Mar, Suite 200, Del Mar, CA, 92014. Communications will be
reviewed and investigated and referred to the board of directors for appropriate action. Interested
parties with a good faith concern about the Companys conduct and who wish to contact the
independent non-executive Chairman of the board of directors directly may do so by writing to:
Chairman of the Board of Directors, Brookfield Homes Corporation, 12865 Pointe Del Mar, Suite 200,
Del Mar, CA, 92014. The status of all outstanding concerns addressed to the Chairman will be
reported to the directors as appropriate, on at least a quarterly basis.
Code of Ethics
We have adopted a code of ethics that applies to our employees, officers and directors, including
our principal executive officer and principal financial and accounting officer. The code of ethics
is available on our website at www.brookfieldhomes.com and is available in print to any shareholder
who requests it. Any amendments to, or waivers from, our code of ethics, as they relate to any
executive officer or director, including our principal executive officer and principal financial
and accounting officer must be approved by the board of directors or a committee thereof and be
promptly disclosed to shareholders. We plan to disclose such waivers and amendments on our website,
as well as to comply with other applicable requirements.
Complaint Procedures Regarding Accounting, Internal Control, Auditing and Financial Matters
In accordance with SEC Rules, the Audit Committee has established the following procedures for (i)
the receipt, retention, and treatment of complaints regarding accounting, internal accounting
controls, or auditing matters and (ii) the confidential, anonymous submission by employees
concerning questionable accounting or auditing matters.
Interested parties may report complaints regarding accounting, internal accounting controls, or
auditing matters involving Brookfield Homes by writing to the Chairman of the Audit Committee,
Brookfield Homes Corporation, 12865 Pointe Del Mar, Suite 200, Del Mar, CA, 92014. Complaints will
be reviewed and investigated as appropriate. Employees who wish to submit concerns regarding
questionable accounting or auditing matters and who wish to do so confidentially and anonymously,
may follow the procedures described above, omitting any return address or other identifying
feature.
Procedures Regarding Director Candidates Recommended by Stockholders
The Governance and Nominating Committee will consider a candidate recommended for the board of
directors by stockholders owning at least 10% of the outstanding shares of the Company if such
recommending stockholder or stockholders follow the procedures set forth below. In order to
recommend a nominee for a director position, a stockholder must be a stockholder of record at the
time it gives its notice of recommendation and must be entitled to vote for the election of
directors at the meeting at which such nominee will be considered. Stockholder recommendations must
be made pursuant to written notice delivered to or mailed and received at the principal
8
executive offices of the Company (i) in the case of a nomination for election at an annual meeting,
not less than 120 days nor more than 150 days prior to the first anniversary of the date of the
Companys notice of annual meeting for the preceding years annual meeting; and (ii) in the case of
a special meeting at which directors are to be elected, not later than the close of business on the
tenth day following the earlier of the day on which notice of the date of the meeting was mailed or
public disclosure of the date was made. In the event that the date of the annual meeting is
changed by more than 30 days from the anniversary date of the preceding years annual meeting, the
stockholder notice described above will be deemed timely if it is received not later than the close
of business on the tenth day following the earlier of the date on which notice of the date of the
meeting was mailed or public disclosure was made of the date. The stockholder notice must set forth
the following: as to the person the stockholder recommends for nomination for election as a
director, all information relating to such person that is required to be disclosed or is otherwise
required pursuant to Regulation 14(a) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the
Exchange Act), which must include the written consent of the nominee to serve as a director if
elected; as to the nominating stockholder, such stockholders name and address as they appear on
the Companys books, the class and number of shares of the Companys common stock which are
beneficially owned by such stockholder and which are owned of record by such stockholder; and as to
any other beneficial owner of the stock on whose behalf the nomination is made, the name and
address of such person and the class and number of shares of the Companys common stock they
beneficially own.
In addition to complying with the foregoing procedures, any stockholder nominating a director must
also comply with all applicable requirements of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations
thereunder.
The Governance and Nominating Committee is directed to determine the appropriate characteristics,
skills and experience for each director position and for the board as a whole. Directors should
possess the highest personal, professional and ethical standards, integrity and values, and be
committed to representing the long-term interests of the stockholders. If a director candidate is
recommended by a stockholder, the Governance and Nominating Committee expects that it would
evaluate such candidate in the same manner it evaluates director candidates identified by the
Committee.
Meetings of the Board
The board of directors meets at least once in each quarter, with additional meetings held when
appropriate. The board also annually reviews and approves our business plan and long-term strategy.
In addition, directors are expected to attend the annual meeting of stockholders. During the 2007
fiscal year, the board met five times, including four regularly scheduled quarterly meetings and
one special meeting, and acted twice by written consent. Each director attended 100 percent of the
board and committee meetings for which they were a member during the 2007 fiscal year as well as
the annual meeting of stockholders held in May 2007. Four regular meetings are scheduled for 2008.
Meeting frequency and agenda items may change depending on the opportunities or risks that we are
facing.
At the time of each regularly scheduled board meeting, the non-management directors as well as the
independent directors ordinarily will each meet separately for a period of time. The independent
non-executive Chairman will preside over both non-management and independent director sessions.
Committees of the Board
The board of directors believes that committees assist in the effective functioning of the board
and that the composition of board committees should ensure that the views of independent directors
are effectively represented. The board has three committees: the Audit Committee, the Governance
and Nominating Committee and the Management Resources and Compensation Committee. Each committee
operates pursuant to a written charter. Each charter is posted on our website under the Corporate
Governance link and is available in print to any stockholder who so requests. Special committees
may be formed from time to time as required to review particular matters or transactions. While the
board retains overall responsibility for corporate governance matters, the Audit Committee, the
Governance and Nominating Committee and the Management Resources and Compensation Committee each
have specific responsibilities for certain aspects of corporate governance as described below.
Audit Committee
We have a separately designated Audit Committee established in accordance with the Exchange Act.
The Audit Committee is appointed by the board of directors to assist it in monitoring: (1) the
integrity of our financial statements, including audits thereof; (2) our accounting and financial
reporting processes and system of internal controls and procedures for financial reporting and
accounting compliance; (3) the independent auditors qualifications and independence; (4) the
performance of our internal audit function and independent auditors; (5) our compliance with legal
and regulatory requirements; (6) our relationship with the independent auditors; and (7) our
9
principal financial risks and the processes employed to manage such risks. The Audit Committee of
the board is currently comprised of three directors: Robert A. Ferchat (Chairman), Joan H. Fallon
and Robert L. Stelzl. Each member of the Audit Committee has been determined by the board to be
independent and financially literate within the meaning of the NYSE Rules and SEC Rules. The
board has determined that the Audit Committee Chairman, Mr. Ferchat, is an audit committee
financial expert within the meaning of such rules. The Audit Committee met four times during the
2007 fiscal year.
Governance and Nominating Committee
The Governance and Nominating Committee is appointed by the board of directors to assist the board
in carrying out its responsibilities by reviewing corporate governance and board nominee mattersand
making recommendations to the board as appropriate. In particular, the Committee is responsible for
identifying individuals qualified to become board members consistent with criteria approved by the
board, recommending to the board proposed nominees for election to the board at the annual meeting
of stockholders, developing and recommending to the board corporate governance principles, and
overseeing the evaluation and effectiveness of the board. The Committees Charter is available on
our website at www.brookfieldhomes.com. The Governance and Nominating Committee is comprised of
three directors: David M. Sherman (Chairman), Robert A. Ferchat and Bruce T. Lehman. Each member
of the Governance and Nominating Committee has been determined by the board to be independent
within the meaning of the NYSE Rules. The Governance and Nominating Committee met twice during the
2007 fiscal year.
Management Resources and Compensation Committee
The Management Resources and Compensation Committee is appointed by the board of directors to
assist the board in carrying out its responsibilities by reviewing management resources and
compensation matters and making recommendations to the board as appropriate. In particular, the
Management Resources and Compensation Committee is responsible for discharging the Boards
responsibilities relating to compensation of the Companys named executive officers, including
responsibility to:
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review the adequacy and form of, and approve the compensation of the Companys Chief
Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer and any other named executive officers; |
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review and make recommendations to the Board with respect to the Companys stock option
and deferred share unit plans, and approve any proposed awards under such plans; |
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ensure that all equity-compensation plans and material revisions to such plans are
approved by the Companys stockholders; |
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review and make recommendations to the Board with respect to any change to the Companys
compensation plans involving a material annual change in cost to the Company; |
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review corporate goals and objectives relevant to the compensation of the Chief
Executive Officer of the Company; and |
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evaluate the performance of the Chief Executive Officer in light of such goals and
objectives. |
The role of the Management Resources and Compensation Committee is described in greater detail
under the section entitled Compensation Discussion and Analysis, together with a description of
the Companys procedures for the consideration and determination of executive compensation. The
Management Resources and Compensation Committee upon majority approval of its members, may delegate
its duties and responsibilities to sub-committees of the Committee. No such authority has been
delegated. The Management Resources and Compensation Committee is comprised of the following three
directors: Bruce T. Lehman (Chairman), David M. Sherman and Robert L. Stelzl. Each member of the
Management Resources and Compensation Committee has been determined by the board to be independent
within the meaning of the NYSE Rules. The Management Resources and Compensation Committee met twice
during the 2007 fiscal year.
Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation
Bruce T. Lehman, David M. Sherman and Robert L. Stelzl served as members of the Management
Resources and Compensation Committee during the 2007 fiscal year, none of whom has served
Brookfield Homes in any capacity other than as a member of the board or a member of a committee
thereof. There are no other relationships requiring disclosure under this item.
10
COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
Overview
Our Compensation Discussion and Analysis explains the material elements of the Companys
compensation arrangements for the Companys Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer and
the other executive officer named in the Summary Compensation Table (the named executive
officers). It should be read in connection with the Summary Compensation Table and related tables
and narrative disclosures under Executive Compensation beginning on page 19 of this proxy
statement. Additional disclosure is provided on page 17 regarding the material compensation
arrangements for the senior operating employees of our business units, none of whom are executive
officers of the Company (the Senior Operating Management).
Our Compensation Discussion and Analysis addresses the following topics relating to the
compensation of our named executive officers:
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an overview of our compensation objectives and related policies; |
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our compensation-setting process; |
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each element of our compensation program and how we determine the amounts payable under
each element; and |
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our compensation decisions and analysis for fiscal year 2007. |
Executive Summary
The Management Resources and Compensation Committee (the Compensation Committee or Committee)
of the Board of Directors of Brookfield Homes is responsible for discharging the Boards
responsibilities relating to compensation of the Companys named executive officers. For more
information on the Committee, its members and its processes, see Information Regarding the Board
of Directors Committees of the Board Management Resources and Compensation Committee on page
10 of this proxy statement.
The Companys objective in setting compensation is to create stockholder value over the long term,
represented by the total return on our common stockholders equity. Accordingly, the Companys
compensation policies for its named executive officers are designed to align their interests with
those of our stockholders by providing an overall competitive compensation package with a higher
proportion of total compensation derived from the opportunity to participate in the long term
ownership participation plans. The principal elements of our executive compensation program for
2007 were:
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short-term compensation (base salary and annual bonus award); and |
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indirect and direct long-term ownership participation (stock options and deferred share
units). |
The Company considers that the total compensation for our named executive officers in respect of
the 2007 fiscal year is focused on aligning their interests with those of our stockholders, and is
consistent with the Companys overall compensation objectives and the specific policies that are
outlined in the Companys Compensation Discussion and Analysis that follow.
Compensation Objectives and Policies
Overview
The Companys objective in setting compensation is to create stockholder value over the long term,
represented by the total return on our common stockholders equity. The Company also considers the
performance of the named executive officers collectively in meeting corporate performance
objectives, the relative roles and responsibilities of each executive officer as compared to the
other named executive officers and the performance of the Company relative to the industry. A
specific objective of the Company is to attract and retain highly qualified and motivated
individuals and to encourage a strong team approach.
11
Compensation Policies
In order to achieve its compensation objectives, the Company believes that:
short-term cash compensation (base salaries and annual bonus awards) for its named executive
officers should be set below the median level of total cash compensation for comparable companies
within the homebuilding industry, in return for the opportunity to participate in the total return
on our common stockholders equity over the long term. For the named executive officers, this
results in indirect and direct long term ownership participation (stock options and deferred share
units) being targeted at the upper quartile level for comparable companies within the homebuilding
industry;
in order to foster a team-based approach, which the Company believes is fundamental to meeting
its objective of maximizing the total return on our common stockholders equity, the difference
between the base salaries and annual bonus awards of the Chief Executive Officer and the other
named executive officers is significantly less than in comparable companies; and
compensation arrangements for its named executive officers are related to the achievement of the
Companys corporate performance objectives reviewed by the Compensation Committee at the beginning
of each fiscal year. The Companys pay-for-performance philosophy is reflected in our compensation
practices, which link a portion of executive compensation to the achievement of short-term and
long-term objectives. Furthering the Companys pay-for-performance objectives:
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a significant portion of compensation for the named executive officers is contingent on,
and variable with, the total return on our common stockholders equity; |
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compensation of the named executive officers is at the discretion of the Compensation
Committee; and |
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we do not have any employment, severance or change-in-control agreements with any of our
named executive officers other than a stock option plan and a deferred share unit plan that
provide for accelerated vesting on a change-in-control for all participants in such plans.
An estimate of the compensation that would have been payable had such change-in-control
provisions been triggered as of the fiscal year-end are detailed under Executive
Compensation Potential Payments upon Termination or a Change-in-Control on page 23 of
this proxy statement. |
Benchmarking
In furtherance of our compensation objectives outlined above, we compare our compensation levels
with those of other companies within the homebuilding industry. This benchmarking is done with
respect to each of the key elements of our compensation program (base salary, annual bonus and
direct and indirect long-term ownership participation), as well as the compensation of individual
named executive officers where job descriptions are sufficiently similar. As outlined in our
compensation objectives, we target base salary and annual bonus awards below the median level of
total cash compensation for comparable companies within the homebuilding industry in return for an
opportunity to participate in the Companys long term ownership participation plans at the upper
quartile level for these companies.
The group of comparable companies used for fiscal year 2007 was comprised of the 43 homebuilding
companies surveyed in the 2006 2007 Residential Builders Compensation Survey, a national
compensation survey for the single-family and multi-family housing industry prepared by Lee
Stephens & Associates, a California-based executive compensation and advisory services firm.
Individual Compensation Summaries Total Compensation
To assist it in its review of executive compensation decisions, the Compensation Committee reviews
for each named executive officer a compensation summary (or tally sheet), that sets forth the
total dollar value of the named executive officers annual compensation, including base salary,
annual bonus award, long-term ownership participation (stock option and deferred share unit grants)
and any other compensation. The Committee uses tally sheets to estimate total annual compensation
to the named executive officers and to utilize in its benchmarking exercise. While the Committee
considers from time-to-time compensation previously paid to the named executive officers, the
primary focus of the Committees compensation actions is on motivating the future performance of
the named executive officers.
12
The Compensation Process
Compensation decisions are made in the first quarter of the fiscal year, at the time of the
approval of the previous years financial statements. At this first quarter Compensation Committee
meeting, the performance of the named executive officers for the previous fiscal year is evaluated,
and annual bonus, stock option and deferred share unit awards are granted with respect to
performance during that year. Also at this meeting, base salaries are set for the upcoming fiscal
year. Compensation decisions are approved by the Compensation Committee in an executive session,
without management present.
Managements Role in the Compensation Process
The Chief Executive Officer plays a role in the compensation review process. The most significant
aspects of his role are:
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recommending base salary levels, annual bonus awards and long-term ownership
participation levels for executive officers (other than for himself) and senior operating
management; and |
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outlining performance and progress in meeting corporate objectives. |
The Chief Executive Officer prepares meeting information for each Compensation Committee meeting
and is expected to be available to attend meetings or portions thereof upon request of the
Committee to answer questions arising out of the materials presented.
Compensation Committee Advisors
The Compensation Committee Charter grants the Committee the sole authority to retain and terminate
any consultant to be used to assist in the evaluation of named executive officer compensation,
including sole authority to approve any consultants fees and other retention terms. The
Compensation Committee did not retain an advisor with respect to the compensation arrangements of
the Companys named executive officers in 2007 or 2006. However, the Committee did engage an
advisor during 2006 to assist the Company in amending the terms of the Senior Operating Management
Long-Term Participation Plan (see Senior Operating Management Long-Term Participation Plan for
details). This engagement has been completed.
Elements of Compensation
The compensation arrangements of the Company for its named executive officers are focused on
aligning their interests with those of our stockholders and are comprised of two components:
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short-term compensation (base salary and annual bonus award); and |
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indirect and direct long-term ownership participation (stock options and
deferred share units). |
(i) Short-Term Compensation
Short-term compensation arrangements for the named executive officers consist of a base salary and
an annual bonus award. Base salaries are intended to provide the executive with a base level of
annual income that is not contingent on Brookfield Homes performance. Annual bonus awards are
intended to compensate the named executive officers for annual performance as described below. Base
salary and annual bonus award recommendations are submitted to the Compensation Committee for its
consideration by the Chief Executive Officer (other than for himself) in the first quarter of the
fiscal year, at the time of the approval of the previous years financial statements. Base salary
and annual bonus awards are approved by the Compensation Committee in an executive session without
management present.
The Company believes that: base salaries and annual bonus awards for the named executive officers
should be set below the median level for comparable companies within the homebuilding industry, in
return for the opportunity for these individuals to participate at the upper quartile level in the
long-term ownership participation plans; and in order to foster a team-based approach, which the
Company believes is fundamental to meeting its long-term objectives, the difference between the
base salaries and annual bonus awards of the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial
Officer is significantly less than in these comparable companies.
Base salaries are reviewed annually to ensure that they reflect the relative contribution of each
individual and the principles set forth above. The determination of relative contribution is a
subjective evaluation based on an individuals contribution to creating stockholder value,
experience and level of responsibility. No quantitative relative weights are assigned to these
factors when setting base salaries.
13
Bonus awards are reviewed annually and on average will range between 50% and 100% of base salary,
determined primarily on the named executive officers performance in meeting the Companys
corporate performance objectives (outlined below under 2007 and 2008 Short-Term Compensation
Decisions and Analysis), the Companys performance relative to the industry and the principles set
forth above. The performance of the Company is measured by the achievement of financial and other
objectives reviewed at the beginning of the fiscal year. No quantitative relative weights are
assigned to each of these factors when setting annual bonus awards.
In order to further the Companys overall compensation objective of aligning our executives
interests with those of our stockholders, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer
may elect to receive all or a portion of their annual bonus awards in deferred share units of the
Company, as described below under Long-Term Ownership Participation.
2007 and 2008 Short-Term Compensation Decisions and Analysis
The following table details base salaries and annual bonus awards for our named executive officers
for the 2007 and 2006 fiscal years, together with the median base salaries and annual bonus awards
earned by executives holding similar positions at comparable companies according to the 2006 2007
Residential Builders Compensation Survey. The 2008 base salaries and 2007 annual bonus awards were
set in the first quarter of 2008.
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2007 Base Salary and |
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2006 Base Salary and |
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Median Base Salary and Bonus |
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Name |
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Bonus |
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Bonus |
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Benchmarked Companies |
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Ian G. Cockwell |
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$475,000 |
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$460,000 |
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$2,760,000 |
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Paul G. Kerrigan |
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$440,000 |
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$343,000 |
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$ 787,000 |
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William B. Seith |
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$260,000 |
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$260,000 |
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$ 319,000 |
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In setting 2007 base salaries and annual bonus awards, the Compensation Committee considered in
particular, the following:
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the base salaries and annual bonus awards of between $260,000 and $475,000 for the named
executive officers were below the median base salaries and annual bonus awards earned by
executives holding similar positions at comparable companies within the homebuilding
industry; |
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the difference between the base salary and annual bonus awards of the Chief Executive
Officer and the Chief Financial officer of $35,000, was significantly lower than the
difference for comparable companies, fostering a team-based approach which the Company
believes is fundamental to meeting its long-term objectives; |
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the named executive officers achievement in meeting the Companys corporate performance
objectives, which included the following: |
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3 Year |
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2007 |
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Long Term |
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Performance Measure |
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Average |
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Actual |
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Targets |
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Return on Average Net Assets |
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30 |
% |
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-3 |
% |
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20 |
% |
Inventory Turnover |
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1.0 |
x |
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0.5 |
x |
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1.5 |
x |
Interest Coverage Ratio 1) |
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5.7 |
x |
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1.3 |
x |
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6.0 |
x |
Return on Opening Stockholders Equity |
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50 |
% |
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4 |
% |
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15% - 20 |
% |
Earning Per Share Growth since 2003 |
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20 |
% |
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10% - 15 |
% |
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the Companys performance relative to the industry. Since going public in 2003, the
Company has returned, through stock buybacks and dividends, $580 million to stockholders,
or in excess of $20 per share. At current share prices, this equates to a compounded
annual return on stockholders equity of approximately 30%; and |
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the contribution, experience and level of responsibility of each individual. |
For 2007, 2006 and prior years, the Chief Executive Officer elected to receive his annual bonus
awards in deferred share units, and for 2007 his bonus award of $175,000 increased his deferred
share units by 22,012. Pursuant to the deferred share unit plan, bonus amounts elected to be
received in units were increased by a factor of two times for purposes of calculating the number of
units allocated.
14
(ii) Long-Term Ownership Participation
Long-term ownership participation plans for the named executive officers consist of (1) a stock
option plan and (2) a deferred share unit plan. The purpose of these plans is to achieve a
commonality of interest between stockholders and the named executive officers and to motivate them
to maximize the total return on our stockholders equity over the long term. Long-term ownership
participation is targeted at the upper quartile level for comparable companies within the
homebuilding industry for named executive officers with greater responsibility and ability to
influence the Companys achievement of its corporate performance objectives.
We use stock options and deferred share units as long-term incentive vehicles because:
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|
|
they align the interests of the named executive officers with those of the stockholders,
foster stock ownership, are performance based and focus the executives on maximizing the
total return on our stockholders equity; and |
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|
|
|
the five-year period for vesting encourages retention of the named executive officers. |
Stock Options
Options are granted to the named executive officers by the Compensation Committee generally once
a year, upon the approval of the year-end financial statements (see Timing of Stock Option and
Deferred Share Unit Grants for details). The number of options granted to the named executive
officers is discretionary, based upon the effective capital made available to an individual and
a subjective evaluation of the executive officers performance in meeting the Companys
corporate performance objectives and the Companys performance relative to the industry.
All stock options granted under our stock option plan incorporate the following material terms:
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|
|
the exercise price of the option is not less than the closing market price on the New
York Stock Exchange of a share of our common stock on the date of grant; |
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|
|
options vest 20% per year over a five-year period beginning with the date of grant; and |
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|
|
options are not exercisable later than 10 years after the date of grant. |
Deferred Share Units
The Companys deferred share unit plan provides that the Chief Executive Officer and Chief
Financial Officer may, at their option, receive up to 100% of their annual bonus awards in the
form of deferred share units (DSUs, or units). The annual bonus awards are converted to
units based on the closing price of the Companys shares on the New York Stock Exchange on the
date of the award. The portion of the annual bonus award elected to be received in units by the
executive may be increased by the Compensation Committee by a factor of up to two times for
purposes of calculating the number of units to be allocated under the plan. The deferred share
unit plan was amended in February, 2008 to permit the Compensation Committee to award deferred
share units to our executives in order to further align the recipients interests with those of
our stockholders. An executive who holds units will receive additional units as dividends are
paid on shares of the Companys common stock, on the same basis as if the dividends were
reinvested. In 2007, the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer received 11,212
additional units under this feature, representing dividends of $229,366. The units vest 20% per
year over a five-year period beginning with the date of grant and are only redeemable upon
retirement, termination or death.
The Companys stock option plan and deferred share unit plans are described in more detail under
Executive Compensation Narrative Disclosure to Summary Compensation and Plan-Based Awards
Tables on page 21 of this proxy statement.
2007 and 2008 Long-Term Ownership Participation Decisions and Analysis
Stock option awards in respect of the 2007 fiscal year were granted in the first quarter of 2008
based on the Compensation Committees consideration of the Companys overall compensation
objectives. The number of options granted to the named executive officers totaled 125,000
(representing 60% of all stock options granted to the Companys employees). The stock options were
awarded on a discretionary basis reflecting the effective capital made available to the individual,
the performance of the Company in 2007 relative to the industry and the named executive officers
performance in meeting the Companys corporate performance objectives.
An allocation of 155,000 deferred share units, at a price of $15.90 per unit, was also made to the
named executive officers, other than the Chief Executive Officer. The units vest 20% per year over
a five-year period beginning with the date of grant and are only redeemable upon retirement,
termination or death. The deferred share units were awarded in order to align the recipients
longer term interests with those of our stockholders in maximizing the total return on our common
stockholders equity over the long term.
15
In granting the above stock options and deferred share units for 2007, the Compensation Committee
also took into consideration that with the exception of stock options granted in 2003 in respect of
performance in the 2002 fiscal year, each subsequent option granted to our named executive officers
is out-of-the-money (out-of-the money means that the market value of the stock underlying the
option is less than the exercise price of the option), despite the value created for shareholders
for the five year period 2003 to 2007.
The following table details the grant date fair value of the stock option and deferred share unit
awards granted to our named executive officers in 2008 in respect of the 2007 fiscal year, and
granted in 2007 in respect of the 2006 fiscal year, together with the fair value of the awards
granted in 2007 at December 31, 2007 and the median value of long-term participation awards granted
to executives holding similar positions at comparable companies according to the 2006 2007
Residential Builders Compensation Survey:
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|
Long-Term Ownership |
|
|
Value at |
|
|
Median Long Term |
|
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|
Participation Grants |
|
|
December 31, 2007 |
|
|
Incentive Awards |
|
Name |
|
2007(1) |
|
|
2006(2) |
|
|
of 2006 Grants(3) |
|
|
Benchmarked Companies 2006 |
|
|
Ian G. Cockwell |
|
$ |
701,959 |
|
|
$ |
1,211,900 |
|
|
|
$138,866 |
|
|
|
$1,759,000 |
|
Paul G. Kerrigan |
|
$ |
2,283,590 |
|
|
$ |
1,032,800 |
|
|
|
$104,154 |
|
|
|
$ 756,000 |
|
William B. Seith |
|
$ |
555,379 |
|
|
$ |
328,800 |
|
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
$ 29,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
1) |
|
Represents grant date fair value of stock option and deferred share unit awards granted
February 1, 2008 relating to the 2007 fiscal year, as follows: Ian Cockwell 65,000 stock
options and 22,012 deferred share units; Paul Kerrigan 40,000 stock options and 130,000
deferred share units; and William Seith 20,000 stock options and 25,000 deferred share
units. |
|
2) |
|
Represents grant date fair value of stock option and deferred share unit awards granted
February 1, 2007 relating to the 2006 fiscal year, as follows: Ian Cockwell 90,000 stock
options and 8,789 deferred share units; Paul Kerrigan 80,000 stock options and 6,592
deferred share units; and William Seith 20,000 stock options. |
|
3) |
|
Represents the value of stock option and deferred share unit awards granted February 1, 2007
measured as of December 31, 2007. No value was attributed to the stock option grants as they
were out-of-the-money as of such time. |
The exercise price for each of the option grants was based on the closing price of the Companys
common stock on the New York Stock Exchange on the date the Compensation Committee approved the
grant, and each of the options granted vests over five years.
For 2007, 2006 and prior years, the Chief Executive Officer elected to receive all of his annual
bonus in the form of deferred share units, and for 2007 his bonus award of $175,000 increased his
deferred share units by 22,012 units. Pursuant to the terms of the deferred share unit plan,
amounts elected to be received in units were increased by a factor of two times for purposes of
calculating the number of units allocated.
Other Compensation Policies
The following information may also be useful in understanding the Companys executive compensation
policies:
Share Ownership Policy
In order to promote equity ownership and further align the interests of our Chief Executive Officer
and Chief Financial Officer with Brookfield Homes stockholders, we have adopted share ownership
guidelines for these individuals. Under these guidelines, the Chief Executive Officer and Chief
Financial Officer are expected to hold an investment equal to five times their base salary, based
on the market value of the shares or deferred share units held, to be attained over a three-year
period from being appointed to such position. The Chief Executive Officers and Chief Financial
Officers shareholdings are currently in excess of these investment guidelines.
Brookfield Homes prohibits our named executive officers from engaging in options, puts, calls or
other transactions that are intended to hedge against the economic risk of owning Brookfield Homes
stock, unless disclosed to the Compensation Committee prior to a transaction.
16
Timing of Stock Option and Deferred Share Unit Grants
We have established a policy and procedure on stock option and deferred share unit grants that
includes the following provisions governing the timing of such grants:
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|
|
The Compensation Committee determines and approves its annual award of stock options and
deferred share units (whether to the named executive officers or other employees) at a
Committee meeting held during the first quarter of the fiscal year at the time of the
approval of the year-end financial statements; |
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|
|
The grant date of stock options or deferred share units is always the date of the
approval of the grants; |
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|
Management has no control over selecting the grant date; |
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|
|
Pursuant to the stock option plan, the exercise price of the stock options is the
closing price on the New York Stock Exchange (the NYSE) of the underlying common stock on
the grant date; |
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|
|
Pursuant to the deferred share unit plan, deferred share unit grants are calculated
using the closing price on the NYSE of a share of our common stock on the grant date; |
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|
|
Stock option and deferred share unit awards are promptly reported on Form 4 with the
Securities and Exchange Commission for all named executive officers and directors. |
The timing of annual stock option grants and deferred share unit awards is concurrent with our
earnings release for the fiscal year. As a result, the Committee may be in possession of material
non-public information on the grant date. However, as the approval and grant date is always the
date of our earnings release for the fiscal year, neither the Company, nor the Compensation
Committee is in a position to time these grants or the annual earnings release in order to impact
the value of executive compensation either positively or negatively.
Tax Deductibility of Compensation
The Company considers the deductibility for tax purposes of all material elements of its
compensation arrangements. We review our compensation plans in light of applicable tax provisions,
including Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, which generally
disallows a tax deduction to public companies for non-qualifying compensation in excess of $1.0
million paid to any such persons in any fiscal year.
Additional Senior Operating Management Compensation Disclosure
The compensation arrangements of the Company for its Senior Operating Management are focused on
rewarding performance in their business unit and comprise:
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short-term compensation (base salary); and |
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|
|
|
participation in the net income of their business unit. |
The Company maintains short-term cash compensation (base salaries) for its Senior Operating
Management below the median level of total cash compensation for comparable companies within the
homebuilding industry, in return for the opportunity to participate in the long-term value creation
through a participation in the net earnings of their business unit. Senior Operating Management do
not receive an annual bonus award.
Senior Operating Management Teams participation in the net earnings of their business unit align
them with stockholders in participating in the return from the assets they manage at a level higher
than the upper quartile level for similar companies. The Senior Operating Management Long-Term
Participation Plan is described below.
Senior Operating Management Long-Term Participation Plan
Certain Senior Operating Management employees, none of whom are executive officers of the Company,
participate in the Senior Operating Management Long-Term Participation Plan. This Plan was
established to attract and retain entrepreneurial management teams to profitably manage and grow
our business operations through a decentralized local management structure. The Plan was amended
in 2006 to further align Senior Operating Management compensation with the creation of value for
stockholders. The Plan provides total compensation that is exceptional when business unit returns
are exceptional, drives performance and helps retain entrepreneurial operating management teams.
For 2007, there were 29 participants in the Plan.
The Plan provides for participation in a business units annual net earnings by the business unit
management team on the following basis 10% of net earnings after a capital charge on assets is
exceeded and corporate overhead is covered, increasing to 15% of net earnings once the capital
charge plus 5% is exceeded. No incentive is paid until the capital charge is exceeded. For 2007,
the capital charge on assets was approximately 10%. Returns are measured on a net earnings basis
upon approval of the year end financial statements. The capital charge was
17
established at a level that is intended to encourage a conservative investment approach, rather
than providing an incentive for management to pursue high-risk investments in order to exceed a
high capital charge before they participate.
In order to encourage senior management retention and a longer term focus on value creation,
amounts that individuals receive under the Plan vest over a four-year period at a rate of 40% in
cash payable following the approval of the year end financial statements, with the remaining 60%
vesting over three years, annually thereafter, at the rate of 30%, 20%, and 10%, respectively.
Payment of these unvested amounts will be paid 50% in cash and 50% in deferred share units of the
Company for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2008. The amounts payable in deferred share units
will be phased in over three years, with 16.7%, 33.3% and 50% of the unvested amount to be received
in units for the fiscal years ending December 31, 2006, December 31, 2007 and December 31, 2008
respectively. Deferred share units granted to the Senior Operating Management employees are
subject to a three- year hold period from the date of vesting. Our senior operating management
retention rate provides stability and we believe has brought a longer term value creation focus to
our operations.
COMPENSATION COMMITTEE REPORT
The Management Resources and Compensation Committee has reviewed and discussed the Compensation
Discussion and Analysis with management, and based on this review and discussion has recommended to
the board of directors that the Compensation Discussion and Analysis be included in the Companys
proxy statement.
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|
MANAGEMENT RESOURCES & COMPENSATION COMMITTEE |
|
|
Bruce T. Lehman, Chairman |
|
|
David M. Sherman |
|
|
Robert L. Stelzl |
18
EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
SUMMARY COMPENSATION TABLE
The following table details the compensation of our Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial
Officer and our other most highly compensated executive officer (the named executive officers)
for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2007 and December 31, 2006:
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Change in |
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Non- |
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Pension Value |
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Equity |
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and |
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Incentive |
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Nonqualified |
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|
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Plan |
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|
Deferred |
|
|
All Other |
|
|
|
|
Name and Principal |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Stock Awards |
|
|
Option |
|
|
Compen- |
|
|
Compensation |
|
|
Compensation |
|
|
|
|
Position |
|
Year |
|
|
Salary ($) |
|
|
Bonus ($) |
|
|
(DSUs)($)(3) |
|
|
Awards ($)(3) |
|
|
sation ($) |
|
|
Earnings ($) |
|
|
($)(4) |
|
|
Total ($) |
|
|
Ian G. Cockwell |
|
|
2007 |
|
|
$ |
300,000 |
|
|
$ |
350,000 |
(1) |
|
|
$111,220 |
|
|
|
$(160,190 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$176,108 |
|
|
$ |
777,138 |
|
President & Chief |
|
|
2006 |
|
|
$ |
300,000 |
|
|
$ |
320,000 |
(2) |
|
|
$163,908 |
|
|
|
$ 196,396 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$169,997 |
|
|
$ |
1,150,301 |
|
Executive Officer |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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|
|
|
|
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Paul G. Kerrigan |
|
|
2007 |
|
|
$ |
240,000 |
|
|
$ |
200,000 |
|
|
|
$ 73,555 |
|
|
|
$ (80,563 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$ 84,657 |
|
|
$ |
517,649 |
|
Executive Vice |
|
|
2006 |
|
|
$ |
223,000 |
|
|
$ |
240,000 |
(2) |
|
|
$102,436 |
|
|
|
$ 112,654 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$ 78,233 |
|
|
$ |
756,323 |
|
President & Chief
Financial Officer |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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|
|
|
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William B. Seith |
|
|
2007 |
|
|
$ |
200,000 |
|
|
$ |
60,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$ 21,552 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$ 9,730 |
|
|
$ |
291,282 |
|
Executive Vice |
|
|
2006 |
|
|
$ |
190,000 |
|
|
$ |
70,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$ 28,725 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$ 9,555 |
|
|
$ |
298,280 |
|
President, Risk
Management |
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|
|
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|
1) |
|
Mr. Cockwell elected on February 1, 2008 to receive 100% of his annual bonus award for the
2007 fiscal year of $175,000 in deferred share units, increasing his deferred share units by
22,012. Pursuant to the deferred share unit plan, amounts elected to be received in units
were increased by a factor of two times for purposes of calculating the number of units
allocated. The grant date fair value of this award was $350,000. |
|
2) |
|
Messrs. Cockwell and Kerrigan elected on February 1, 2007 to receive 100% of their annual
bonus award for the 2006 fiscal year of $160,000 and $120,000 in deferred share units,
increasing their deferred share units by 8,789 and 6,592, respectively. Pursuant to the
deferred share unit plan, amounts elected to be received in units were increased by a factor
of two times for purposes of calculating the number of units allocated. The grant date fair
value of these awards was $320,000 and $240,000, respectively. |
|
3) |
|
Dollar amounts in the Stock Awards and Option Awards columns for 2007 and 2006 reflect the
compensation expense/(income) for deferred share units and stock options, respectively,
recognized by Brookfield Homes for financial statement reporting purposes for the respective
fiscal year in accordance with Statement of Financial Accounting Standards (SFAS) 123R,
Share-Based Payment. The amounts reported are adjusted to eliminate income recognized by
the Company for a particular award where it cannot be offset against an expensed amount for
that award that was previously reported in the Summary Compensation Table. For a discussion
of the assumptions made in the valuation, refer to Note 7 to our consolidated financial
statements for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2007 and December 31, 2006, respectively. |
|
4) |
|
Refer to the All Other Compensation Table below for details of amounts paid in 2007. |
ALL OTHER COMPENSATION TABLE
The following table details each item of compensation of our named executive officers for the
fiscal year ended December 31, 2007, required to be included in the All Other Compensation column
in the Summary Compensation Table above:
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|
|
Company Contributions to Retirement Savings |
|
|
Dividends Received on Deferred |
|
Name |
|
Plan and Life Insurance Premiums(1) |
|
|
Share Unit Awards(2) |
|
|
Ian G. Cockwell |
|
|
$17,668 |
|
|
|
$158,440 |
|
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|
|
|
|
|
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|
|
Paul G. Kerrigan |
|
|
$13,731 |
|
|
|
$ 70,926 |
|
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|
|
|
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|
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William B. Seith |
|
|
$ 9,730 |
|
|
|
|
|
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19
|
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|
|
1) |
|
The Companys named executive officers do not participate in any defined benefit, actuarial
pension plan or any other post-retirement supplementary compensation plans. Executive
officers receive an annual contribution to their retirement savings plans equal to a
percentage of annual base salary and the Company pays a life insurance premium annually on
behalf of the named executive officers as follows: Ian Cockwell $1,199; Paul Kerrigan -
$1,340 and William Seith $384. Mr. Kerrigan also received a fitness allowance of $542. |
|
2) |
|
Pursuant to the Companys deferred share unit plan, additional units representing dividends
paid on the Companys common stock on the same basis as if the dividends were reinvested in
units accrued in 2007 as follows: Mr. Cockwell 7,745 and Mr. Kerrigan 3,467. Amounts in
this column reflect the dollar value of the additional units determined on the date of grant
in accordance with SFAS 123R, calculated on the total number of units held by the named
executive officer. The additional units are only redeemable upon retirement, termination or
death and are otherwise subject to the terms of the plan. Refer to the Grants of Plan-Based
Awards Table. |
2007 GRANTS OF PLAN-BASED AWARDS
The following table details each grant of an award to a named executive officer in the fiscal year
ended December 31, 2007 under the Companys stock option and deferred share unit plans:
|
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|
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|
|
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|
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|
|
All Other Stock |
|
|
All Other Option |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Grant Date Fair Value |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Awards: Number of |
|
|
Awards: Number of |
|
|
Exercise or Base |
|
|
of Shares of Stock or |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Shares of Stock or |
|
|
Securities Underlying |
|
|
Price of Option |
|
|
Units (DSUs) and |
|
Name |
|
Grant Date |
|
|
Units (DSUs) (#)(1) |
|
|
Options (#)(2)(5) |
|
|
Awards ($/Sh) |
|
|
Option Awards(6)(7) |
|
|
Ian G. Cockwell |
|
|
02/01/2007 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
90,000 |
|
|
|
$36.41 |
|
|
|
$891,900 |
|
|
|
|
02/01/2007 |
|
|
|
8,789 |
(3) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$320,000 |
|
|
|
|
06/29/2007 |
|
|
|
2,714 |
(4) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$ 78,950 |
|
|
|
|
12/31/2007 |
|
|
|
5,031 |
(4) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$ 79,490 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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|
|
Paul G. Kerrigan |
|
|
02/01/2007 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
80,000 |
|
|
|
$36.41 |
|
|
|
$792,800 |
|
|
|
|
02/01/2007 |
|
|
|
6,592 |
(3) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$240,000 |
|
|
|
|
06/29/2007 |
|
|
|
1,215 |
(4) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$ 35,344 |
|
|
|
|
12/31/2007 |
|
|
|
2,252 |
(4) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$ 35,582 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
William B. Seith |
|
|
02/01/2007 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
20,000 |
|
|
|
$36.41 |
|
|
|
$328,800 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
1) |
|
Denotes awards granted under the deferred share unit plan. |
|
2) |
|
Denotes awards granted under the stock option plan. |
|
3) |
|
Messrs. Cockwell and Kerrigan each elected on February 1, 2007 to receive all of their annual
bonus award of $160,000 and $120,000, respectively, for the 2006 fiscal year in deferred share
units. Pursuant to the deferred share unit plan, amounts elected to be received in units were
increased by a factor of two times for purposes of calculating the number of units allocated. |
|
4) |
|
Additional deferred share units representing dividends paid on the Companys common stock on
June 29, 2007 and December 31, 2007 on the same basis as if the dividends were reinvested in
units accrued as indicated. |
|
5) |
|
The stock options were granted on February 1, 2007. Not included here are options granted
February 1, 2008 at an exercise price of $15.90 per share as follows: Ian Cockwell 65,000;
Paul Kerrigan 40,000; and William Seith 20,000. The options vest 20% per year over a
five-year period beginning February 1, 2007 and February 1, 2008 respectively, and are
exercisable over a 10-year period from the date of grant. |
|
6) |
|
The grant date fair value of the stock option awards are determined in accordance with SFAS
123R using a Black-Scholes option pricing model. For a discussion of the assumptions made in
the valuation, refer to Note 7 to our consolidated financial statements for the fiscal year
ended December 31, 2007. |
|
7) |
|
The grant date fair value of the deferred share unit awards are determined in accordance with
SFAS 123R. For a discussion of the assumptions made in the valuation, refer to Note 7 to our
consolidated financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2007. |
20
Narrative Disclosure to Summary Compensation and Plan-Based Awards Tables
During the 2007 fiscal year, in accordance with our compensation objectives and policies described
in our Compensation Discussion and Analysis, our named executive officers received compensation
comprised of base salary, an annual bonus award and an allocation of stock options. In addition,
in February 2008, our named executive officers other than our Chief Executive Officer, received an
allocation of deferred share units totaling 155,000 units which align the recipients longer term
interests with those of our stockholders in creating common stockholders value over the long term.
Our Chief Executive Officer elected to receive all of his annual bonus award for the 2007 fiscal
year of $175,000 in deferred share units, further aligning his interests with those of our
stockholders. Pursuant to the terms of the deferred share unit plan, amounts elected to be
received in units were increased by a factor of two times for purposes of calculating the number of
units allocated. The grant date fair value of this grant was $350,000. Pursuant to the terms of
the deferred share unit plan, the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer also received
during 2007 an aggregate of 11,212 deferred share units with a grant date fair value of $229,366,
representing dividends paid on shares of our common stock on the same basis as if the dividends
were reinvested in units. Material terms of our stock option and deferred share unit plans follow:
Stock Option Plan
Our stock option plan permits the Company to grant options
to purchase shares of the Companys common stock at the
market price on the day the options are granted. Stock
options vest 20% per year over a five year period
beginning with the date of grant, and are exercisable over
a 10-year period from that date. A maximum of two million
shares (7.5% of the issued and outstanding shares of the
Company at February 29, 2008) are authorized for issuance
under the plan of which 477,200 remain available for future
issuance as of February 29, 2008. Upon exercise of a
vested option and upon payment to the Company of the
exercise price, participants will receive one share of the
Companys common stock. The Compensation Committee may
permit participants to, rather than exercising an
in-the-money option (in-the-money means the market value
of shares under the option exceeds the exercise price of
the options prior to related income taxes), receive an
amount either in cash or in shares equal to the difference
between the market price of the shares underlying the
options and the exercise price of the option.
Deferred Share Unit Plan
The Companys deferred share unit plan provides that the
Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer may, at
their option, receive up to 100% of their annual bonus
awards in the form of deferred share units (DSUs, or
units). The annual bonus awards are converted to units
based on the closing price of the Companys shares on the
New York Stock Exchange on the date of the award. The
portion of the annual bonus award elected to be received in
units by the executive may, at the discretion of the
Compensation Committee, be increased by a factor of up to
two times for purposes of calculating the number of units
to be allocated under the plan. The deferred share unit
plan was amended in February, 2008 to permit the
Compensation Committee to award deferred share units to our
executives in order to further align the recipients
interests with those of our stockholders. An executive who
holds units will receive additional units as dividends are
paid on shares of the Companys common stock, on the same
basis as if the dividends were reinvested. In 2007, 11,212
additional units were received by the Chief Executive
Officer and Chief Financial Officer under this feature,
representing dividends of $229,366.
The units vest 20% per year over a five year period. The
units are only redeemable upon retirement, termination or
death. The cash value of the units when redeemed will be
equivalent to the closing price on the NYSE of an
equivalent number of shares of our common stock. There
will be no shares of common stock issued, authorized,
reserved, purchased or sold at any time in connection with
units allocated. Under no circumstances will units be
considered shares of common stock, or entitle any
participant to the exercise of voting rights.
Our stock option and deferred share unit awards are classified as liabilities for financial
reporting purposes, requiring us to re-measure the cost of such awards at each financial statement
reporting date. As a result, the stock option and deferred share unit compensation costs
recognized by the Company and attributed to each named executive officer for purposes of the
Summary Compensation Table will fluctuate from year to year based on the value of the shares of our
common stock and other factors.
21
OUTSTANDING EQUITY AWARDS AT DECEMBER 31, 2007
The following table details information about unexercised stock options on an award-by-award basis
and the total number of deferred share units that have not vested for each named executive officer
as of December 31, 2007:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Option Awards (1) |
|
|
Stock Awards (DSUs) (1) |
|
|
|
Number of |
|
|
Number of |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Securities |
|
|
Securities |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Underlying |
|
|
Underlying |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Number of Shares |
|
|
Market Value of |
|
|
|
Unexercised |
|
|
Unexercised |
|
|
Option |
|
|
Option |
|
|
or Units of Stock |
|
|
Shares or Units of |
|
|
|
Options (#) |
|
|
Options (#) |
|
|
Exercise |
|
|
Expiration |
|
|
That Have Not |
|
|
Stock That Have |
|
Name |
|
Exercisable |
|
|
Unexercisable |
|
|
Price ($) |
|
|
Date |
|
|
Vested (#)(2) |
|
|
Not Vested ($)(3) |
|
|
Ian G. Cockwell |
|
|
|
|
|
|
90,000 |
|
|
|
$36.41 |
|
|
|
2/01/2017 |
|
|
|
75,841 |
|
|
|
$1,198,288 |
|
|
|
|
12,000 |
|
|
|
48,000 |
|
|
|
$52.00 |
|
|
|
2/01/2016 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
30,000 |
|
|
|
45,000 |
|
|
|
$36.25 |
|
|
|
2/15/2015 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
24,000 |
|
|
|
16,000 |
|
|
|
$21.94 |
|
|
|
2/18/2014 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
16,000 |
|
|
|
16,000 |
|
|
|
$ 1.74 |
|
|
|
2/13/2013 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
73,319 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$ 1.00 |
|
|
|
12/03/2012 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
155,319 |
|
|
|
215,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Paul G. Kerrigan |
|
|
|
|
|
|
80,000 |
|
|
|
$36.41 |
|
|
|
2/01/2017 |
|
|
|
40,233 |
|
|
|
$ 635,681 |
|
|
|
|
8,000 |
|
|
|
32,000 |
|
|
|
$52.00 |
|
|
|
2/01/2016 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
12,000 |
|
|
|
18,000 |
|
|
|
$36.25 |
|
|
|
2/15/2015 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
15,000 |
|
|
|
10,000 |
|
|
|
$21.94 |
|
|
|
2/18/2014 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
12,000 |
|
|
|
$ 1.74 |
|
|
|
2/13/2013 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
35,000 |
|
|
|
152,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
William B. Seith |
|
|
|
|
|
|
20,000 |
|
|
|
$36.41 |
|
|
|
2/01/2017 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1,000 |
|
|
|
4,000 |
|
|
|
$52.00 |
|
|
|
2/01/2016 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2,000 |
|
|
|
3,000 |
|
|
|
$36.25 |
|
|
|
2/15/2015 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
6,000 |
|
|
|
4,000 |
|
|
|
$21.94 |
|
|
|
2/18/2014 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
10,000 |
|
|
|
4,000 |
|
|
|
$ 1.74 |
|
|
|
2/13/2013 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
19,000 |
|
|
|
35,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1) |
|
Stock options and deferred share units vest 20% per year over a five-year period beginning on
the date of grant. |
|
2) |
|
The units indicated under the Stock Awards column are deferred share units granted under our
deferred share unit plan that are unvested as of December 31, 2007. |
|
3) |
|
Market value calculated by multiplying the closing market price of our common stock at
December 31, 2007 of $15.80 by the total number of deferred share units that have not vested
as of such date. |
2007 OPTION EXERCISES AND STOCK (DSUs) VESTED
The following table provides information regarding each exercise of stock options and the aggregate
number of deferred share units that vested during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2007 for each
of the named executive officers on an aggregated basis:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Option Awards |
|
|
Stock Awards (DSUs) |
|
|
|
Number of Shares Acquired |
|
|
Value Realized on |
|
|
Number of Units |
|
|
Value at time |
|
Name |
|
on Exercise (#) |
|
|
Exercise ($)(1) |
|
|
Acquired on Vesting (#)(2) |
|
|
of Vesting ($)(2) |
|
|
Ian G. Cockwell |
|
|
73,319 |
|
|
|
$2,564,699 |
|
|
|
77,184 |
|
|
|
$1,806,709 |
|
Paul G. Kerrigan |
|
|
82,413 |
|
|
|
$1,914,290 |
|
|
|
34,022 |
|
|
|
$ 848,776 |
|
William B. Seith |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1) |
|
Amounts reflect the difference between the exercise price of the option and the closing
market price of our common stock at the time of exercise. |
|
2) |
|
Vested deferred share units are only redeemable upon retirement, termination or death.
Accordingly, the named executive officers receive no value until the occurrence of such event. |
22
POTENTIAL PAYMENTS UPON TERMINATION OR A CHANGE-IN-CONTROL
We do not have any employment contracts, termination of employment or specific change of control
arrangements with any of our named executive officers.
However, our stock option and deferred share unit plans provide that upon a change of control, all
unvested stock options and deferred share units shall immediately vest. This accelerated vesting
occurs with respect to all stock option and deferred share unit awards granted by Brookfield Homes,
and not only those granted to the named executive officers. At December 31, 2007, the named
executive officers held the following in-the-money unvested stock options and deferred share units
that would become vested upon a change of control:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Stock Options |
|
|
Stock Awards (DSUs) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Shares Underlying |
|
|
Unrealized Value |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Unrealized Value of |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Unvested |
|
|
of Unvested |
|
|
Unvested Deferred |
|
|
Unvested Deferred |
|
|
Total Unrealized |
|
Name |
|
Options (#) |
|
|
Options ($)(1) |
|
|
Share Units (#) |
|
|
Share Units ($)(2) |
|
|
Value |
|
|
Ian G. Cockwell |
|
|
215,000 |
|
|
|
$224,960 |
|
|
|
75,841 |
|
|
|
$1,198,288 |
|
|
|
$1,423,248 |
|
Paul G. Kerrigan |
|
|
152,000 |
|
|
|
$168,720 |
|
|
|
40,233 |
|
|
|
$ 635,681 |
|
|
|
$ 804,401 |
|
William B. Seith |
|
|
35,000 |
|
|
|
$ 56,240 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$ 56,240 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
1) |
|
The unrealized value of in-the-money unvested options was calculated by multiplying the
number of shares underlying in-the-money unvested options by the closing price of a share of
our common stock as of December 31, 2007 of $15.80, and then deducting the aggregate exercise
price of these options. |
|
2) |
|
The unrealized value of unvested deferred share units was calculated by multiplying the
number of unvested deferred share units by the closing price of a share of our common stock as
of December 31, 2007 of $15.80. |
2007 DIRECTOR COMPENSATION
During the 2007 fiscal year, directors who were not related to the Company received an annual
retainer of $50,000, paid 50% in cash and 50% in deferred share units of the Company. The
requirement to accept 50% of the annual retainer in deferred share units is designed to more
closely align the interests of directors with the interests of stockholders. Directors had the
option to elect to receive up to 100% of their annual retainer in deferred share units. The
Chairman of the Company earned an additional $50,000 representing the prorated portion of the
annual Chairmans fee of $75,000 due to his appointment to this position in May, 2007. Further,
the Chairman of the Audit Committee earned an annual cash payment of $10,000 and the chairmen of
the other board committees earned an annual cash payment of $5,000, reflecting their additional
responsibilities. Directors were reimbursed for travel and other out-of-pocket expenses they
incurred in attending board and committee meetings.
The following table provides the compensation of our directors for the fiscal year ended December
31, 2007:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Change in |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Pension |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Value and |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Fees |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Non-Equity |
|
|
Nonqualified |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Earned or |
|
|
Stock |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Incentive Plan |
|
|
Deferred |
|
|
All Other |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Paid in |
|
|
Awards |
|
|
Option |
|
|
Compensation |
|
|
Compensation |
|
|
Compensation |
|
|
|
|
Name |
|
Cash ($)(1) |
|
|
(DSUs) ($)(2) |
|
|
Awards ($) |
|
|
($) |
|
|
Earnings |
|
|
($)(3) |
|
|
Total ($) |
|
|
Joan H. Fallon |
|
$ |
50,000 |
|
|
|
$ 5,208 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$ 939 |
|
|
$ |
56,147 |
|
Robert A. Ferchat |
|
$ |
60,000 |
|
|
|
$(1,743 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$2,969 |
|
|
$ |
61,226 |
|
J. Bruce Flatt(4) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Bruce T. Lehman |
|
$ |
55,000 |
|
|
|
$ (300 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$2,333 |
|
|
$ |
57,033 |
|
Alan Norris(4) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
David M. Sherman |
|
$ |
55,000 |
|
|
|
$(1,851 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$3,559 |
|
|
$ |
56,708 |
|
Robert L. Stelzl |
|
$ |
100,000 |
|
|
|
$ (164 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$2,273 |
|
|
$ |
102,109 |
|
Michael D. Young |
|
$ |
50,000 |
|
|
|
$(1,835 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$4,014 |
|
|
$ |
52,179 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
1) |
|
Directors received an annual retainer of $50,000 relating to the 2007 fiscal year, paid 50%
in cash and 50% in deferred share units, subject to their election to receive up to 100% of
their annual retainer in deferred share units. Refer to the Director Deferred Share Unit
Grants Table below for details. A fee of $50,000 was earned by Robert Stelzl for his services
as Chairman. A fee of $10,000 was earned by Robert Ferchat for his services |
23
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|
|
|
|
as Audit Committee Chairman, and $5,000 each was earned by Bruce Lehman and David Sherman in
consideration of their services as Management Resources and Compensation Committee and
Governance and Nominating Committee Chairmen, respectively. |
|
2) |
|
Dollar amounts in the Stock Awards column reflect the compensation expense/(income) for
deferred share units recognized by Brookfield Homes for financial statement reporting purposes
during the 2007 fiscal year in accordance with SFAS 123R. The amounts reported are adjusted
to eliminate income recognized by the Company for a particular award where it cannot be offset
against an expensed amount for that award that was previously reported in the Director
Compensation Table. For a discussion of the assumptions made in the valuation, refer to Note
7 to our consolidated financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2007. Refer
to the Director Deferred Share Unit Grants Table below for the aggregate number of unvested
deferred share units held by each director at December 31, 2007. |
|
3) |
|
Pursuant to the Companys deferred share unit plan, additional units representing dividends
paid on the Companys common stock on the same basis as if the dividends were reinvested
accrued to each director as follows: Joan Fallon 46; Robert Ferchat 145; Bruce Lehman
114; David Sherman 174; Robert Stelzl 111; and Michael D. Young 196. Amounts in this
column reflect the grant date dollar value of the additional units determined in accordance
with SFAS 123R. Refer to the Director Deferred Share Unit Grants Table below. |
|
4) |
|
Bruce Flatt and Alan Norris are related to the Company and therefore did not receive any
compensation for their services as a director. |
The following table details grants of deferred share units to each director who was not related to
the Company during the 2007 fiscal year and total unvested deferred share units held by each
director at December 31, 2007:
2007 Director Deferred Share Unit Grants
|
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Deferred Share |
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|
Grant Date |
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|
Unvested Deferred Share |
|
Name |
|
Grant Date |
|
|
Units (#)(1) |
|
|
Fair Value(2) |
|
|
Units at Fiscal Year End (#) |
|
|
Joan H. Fallon |
|
|
02/01/2007 |
|
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|
1,373 |
|
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$50,000 |
|
|
|
2,198 |
|
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|
06/29/2007 |
|
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16 |
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$ 465 |
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12/31/2007 |
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30 |
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$ 474 |
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Robert A. Ferchat |
|
|
02/01/2007 |
|
|
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1,373 |
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|
$50,000 |
|
|
|
4,413 |
|
|
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|
06/29/2007 |
|
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|
51 |
|
|
|
$ 1,484 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
12/31/2007 |
|
|
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94 |
|
|
|
$ 1,485 |
|
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|
|
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Bruce T. Lehman |
|
|
02/01/2007 |
|
|
|
687 |
|
|
|
$25,000 |
|
|
|
2,797 |
|
|
|
|
06/29/2007 |
|
|
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40 |
|
|
|
$ 1,164 |
|
|
|
|
|
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|
12/31/2007 |
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74 |
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|
$ 1,169 |
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David M. Sherman |
|
|
02/01/2007 |
|
|
|
1,373 |
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|
|
$50,000 |
|
|
|
4,667 |
|
|
|
|
06/29/2007 |
|
|
|
61 |
|
|
|
$ 1,774 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
12/31/2007 |
|
|
|
113 |
|
|
|
$ 1,785 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Robert L. Stelzl |
|
|
02/01/2007 |
|
|
|
687 |
|
|
|
$25,000 |
|
|
|
2,766 |
|
|
|
|
06/29/2007 |
|
|
|
39 |
|
|
|
$ 1,135 |
|
|
|
|
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|
12/31/2007 |
|
|
|
72 |
|
|
|
$ 1,138 |
|
|
|
|
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|
|
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|
|
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|
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|
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Michael D. Young |
|
|
02/01/2007 |
|
|
|
1,373 |
|
|
|
$50,000 |
|
|
|
5,143 |
|
|
|
|
06/29/2007 |
|
|
|
69 |
|
|
|
$ 2,007 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
12/31/2007 |
|
|
|
127 |
|
|
|
$ 2,007 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1) |
|
Deferred share units granted to directors who were not related to the Company in 2007
consisted of 50% of the 2007 annual retainer of $50,000 required to be received in deferred
share units by each director plus an additional amount up to 100% of the annual retainer
elected to be received in deferred share units by each director. Additional units
representing dividends paid on the Companys common stock as if the dividends were reinvested
accrued to each director as indicated. |
|
2) |
|
The grant date fair value was determined in accordance with SFAS 123R. For a discussion of
the assumptions made in the grant date valuation, refer to Note 7 to our consolidated
financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2007. |
24
Senior Operating Management Long-Term Participation Plan and Summary Compensation
Significant Employees
Certain senior operating employees, none of whom are executive officers of the Company, participate
in the Senior Operating Management Long-Term Participation Plan. The plan provides for
participation in the net earnings of the business unit by each regional management team. For 2007,
29 participants in the plan were allocated a total of $1.8 million, of which $0.7 million, or 40%
vested upon approval of the 2007 year-end financial statements. The remaining 60% vests over the
following three years, annually, at the rate of 30%, 20% and 10%, respectively. Payment of these
unvested amounts will be paid 50% in cash and 50% in deferred share units of the Company for the
fiscal year ending December 31, 2008. The amounts payable in deferred share units will be phased
in over three years, with 16.7%, 33.3% and 50% of the unvested amount to be received in units for
the fiscal years ending December 31, 2006, December 31, 2007 and December 31, 2008 respectively.
Total unvested amounts as at December 31, 2007 vest in accordance with the plan as follows: 2008 -
$30.3 million; 2009 $11.9 million; 2010 $2.5 million and 2011 $0.2 million. For further
background and other information see Compensation Discussion and Analysis Senior Operating
Management Long-Term Participation Plan.
SUMMARY COMPENSATION TABLE SIGNIFICANT EMPLOYEES
The following table details the material elements of the compensation of our significant employees
for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2007 and December 31, 2006, none of whom are named
executive officers of the Company:
|
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|
Bonus/Stock |
|
|
Non-Equity |
|
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|
|
|
Awards/ |
|
|
Incentive Plan |
|
|
|
|
Name and Principal Position |
|
Year |
|
|
Salary ($) |
|
|
Option Awards ($) |
|
|
Compensation ($)(1) |
|
|
Total ($) |
|
|
Stephen P. Doyle |
|
|
2007 |
|
|
$ |
200,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$ |
200,000 |
|
President, Brookfield |
|
|
2006 |
|
|
$ |
200,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$2,279,000 |
|
|
$ |
2,479,000 |
|
San Diego Holdings LLC |
|
|
|
|
|
|
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|
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|
Robert Hubbell |
|
|
2007 |
|
|
$ |
200,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$ |
200,000 |
|
President, Brookfield |
|
|
2006 |
|
|
$ |
200,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$1,093,000 |
|
|
$ |
1,293,000 |
|
Washington LLC |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Adrian Foley |
|
|
2007 |
|
|
$ |
200,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$ 586,000 |
|
|
$ |
786,000 |
|
President, Brookfield |
|
|
2006 |
|
|
$ |
200,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$2,249,000 |
|
|
$ |
2,449,000 |
|
Southland Holdings LLC |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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|
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|
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|
|
|
|
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|
|
|
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|
|
|
|
John J. Ryan |
|
|
2007 |
|
|
$ |
200,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$ 180,000 |
|
|
$ |
380,000 |
|
President, Brookfield |
|
|
2006 |
|
|
$ |
200,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$2,198,000 |
|
|
$ |
2,398,000 |
|
Bay Area Holdings LLC |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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|
1) |
|
Amounts earned pursuant to the terms of the Senior Operating Management Long-Term
Participation Plan described above with respect to the fiscal year indicated in the table.
Amounts that individuals receive under the Plan with respect to a particular year vest 40%
following approval of the year end financial statements, with the remaining 60% vesting over
three years, annually thereafter, at the rate of 30%, 20%, and 10%, respectively. |
25
CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
We were a wholly-owned subsidiary of Brookfield Properties Corporation (Brookfield Properties)
until January 6, 2003, when we were spun-off as a separate publicly traded company pursuant to a
reorganization of Brookfield Properties homebuilding business (which we refer to as the
Spin-off). Brookfield Properties no longer holds any of our shares, nor is Brookfield Properties
able to exercise control over us. However, we and Brookfield Properties are affiliates, as
Brookfield Asset Management Inc. (Brookfield) directly and indirectly owns approximately 58% and
50% of each corporation, respectively.
In connection with the Spin-off, we and our wholly-owned subsidiary, Brookfield Homes Holdings
Inc., entered into a license agreement with Brookfield Properties (US) Inc., a subsidiary of
Brookfield Properties, under which we, Brookfield Homes Holdings Inc. and our subsidiaries pay to
Brookfield Properties (US) Inc. an annual fee in the total amount of $50,000 for the right to use
the names Brookfield and Brookfield Homes. We expect that the license agreement will permit us
to use the Brookfield name in connection with our homebuilding business for an indefinite period
of time, subject to customary termination provisions including upon a change of control of our
company.
We have entered into an agreement with a subsidiary of Brookfield, whereby we can deposit cash on a
demand basis to earn USD LIBOR plus 0.5%. At December 31, 2007, we had no funds on deposit with
this Brookfield subsidiary.
A subsidiary of Brookfield has provided us with an unsecured revolving credit facility that was
amended most recently in February, 2008. The facility is in an aggregate principal amount not to
exceed $250 million and is repayable on or before September 30, 2009. The facility is in the form
of a promissory note that bears interest on the unpaid principal amount outstanding at USD LIBOR
plus 3.0% and provides for a standby fee on the unused portion of the facility. The facility
contains covenants requiring the company to maintain minimum stockholders equity of $300 million
and a consolidated net debt to book capitalization ratio of no greater than 70%.
We sublease our administrative offices in Toronto, Ontario from Brookfield, which leases the space
from Brookfield Properties. We are required to pay approximately $100,000 per year in rent under
our Toronto sublease, which expires in 2008.
Three of our directors serve as executive officers and/or directors of our affiliates, outlined as
follows:
|
|
J. Bruce Flatt is Managing Partner and Chief Executive Officer and a director of
Brookfield, a publicly traded company which owns approximately 58% of our outstanding shares,
and is a director of several of Brookfields affiliates; |
|
|
|
Alan Norris is an executive officer of Brookfield Properties, which is an affiliate of Brookfield; and |
|
|
|
Robert L. Stelzl is an independent director of Brookfield Properties. |
Stephen Doyle, Robert Hubbell and John Ryan, Presidents of Brookfield San Diego Holdings LLC,
Brookfield Washington LLC and Brookfield Bay Area Holdings LLC, respectively, each own a 10%
interest in the LLC of which they are President. Adrian Foley, President of Brookfield Southland
Holdings LLC and Richard Whitney, President of Brookfield California Land Holdings LLC each own a
5% interest in the LLC of which they are President.
The following individual is the beneficiary of a rabbi trust owning an interest in the LLC indicated below:
|
|
Jeffrey J. Prostor, President of BH/JP Hawaii Holdings LLC, is the sole
beneficiary of a rabbi trust that currently owns 50% of BH/JP Hawaii
Holdings LLC. Brookfield Homes Holdings Inc. is the trustee of the rabbi
trust. We own the remaining 50% of BH/JP Hawaii Holdings LLC. |
Pursuant to a written policy adopted by the Board of Directors, the independent directors of the
Board are responsible for the approval of any material transactions to be entered into between the
Company and any of its directors, executive officers, director nominees or our shareholders who are
known by us to be the beneficial owner of more than five percent of our common shares, and their
respective immediate family members. To help identify related party transactions, we require our
directors and executive officers to complete a director and officer questionnaire identifying any
transaction with us in which the director or officer or their immediate family member has an
interest. There were no related party transactions required to be reported by us since the
beginning of our fiscal year that did not require review or approval pursuant to our policy or
where our policies were not followed.
26
AUDIT COMMITTEE REPORT
The Audit Committee operates pursuant to a written Audit Committee Charter. A copy of the Audit
Committee Charter has been posted on our website under the Corporate Governance link. Please refer
to the section of this proxy statement entitled Information Regarding the Board of Directors
Committees of the Board Audit Committee for a description of the Audit Committees primary
duties and responsibilities.
The Audit Committee has reviewed and discussed with management the Companys audited consolidated
financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2007. Further, the Audit Committee has
discussed with the Companys independent auditor, the matters required to be discussed by Auditing
Standards Board Statement on Auditing Standards No. 61, as amended. Finally, the Audit Committee
has received and reviewed the written disclosures and the letter from the independent auditor
required by the Independence Standards Board Independence Standard No. 1, as amended, and has
discussed the auditors independence with the auditor. After consideration, the Audit Committee
has determined that the services related to the fees earned by the independent auditor under the
heading All Other Fees below are compatible with the auditors independence.
Based on its review and discussion as described above, the Audit Committee has recommended to the
board of directors that the audited financial statements for fiscal year 2007 be included in the
Companys Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2007. Further, the
Audit Committee approved the engagement of Deloitte & Touche LLP as the Companys independent
auditor for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2008.
AUDIT COMMITTEE
Robert A. Ferchat, Chairman
Joan H. Fallon
Robert L. Stelzl
PROPOSAL TWO RATIFICATION OF APPOINTMENT OF INDEPENDENT AUDITORS
Deloitte & Touche LLP audited our financial statements for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2007
and 2006 and the Audit Committee has appointed Deloitte & Touche as our independent auditors for
the fiscal year ending December 31, 2008. In the event that ratification of this appointment of
auditors is not approved by a majority of the shares of common stock voting on this Proposal, the
Audit Committee will review its future appointment of independent auditors.
Representatives of Deloitte & Touche attend all meetings of the Audit Committee. The Audit
Committee reviews all services performed by Deloitte & Touche, as well as the fees charged by
Deloitte & Touche for such services. Additional information concerning the Audit Committee and its
activities with Deloitte & Touche can be found in this proxy statement under the headings
Information Regarding the Board of Directors Committees of the Board Audit Committee on page
9 and Audit Committee Report on page 27.
A representative of Deloitte & Touche plans to be present at the Annual Meeting and will have an
opportunity to make a statement and to respond to appropriate questions from stockholders.
Fees Paid to Deloitte & Touche LLP
The following table shows the fees that we paid or accrued for the audit and other services
provided by Deloitte & Touche during fiscal years 2007 and 2006:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2007 |
|
|
2006 |
|
Audit Fees |
|
$ |
539,000 |
|
|
$ |
798,000 |
|
Audit-Related Fees |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Tax Fees |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
All Other Fees |
|
|
|
|
|
|
32,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
|
$ |
539,000 |
|
|
$ |
830,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Audit Fees include the fees for the audit of our consolidated financial statements (including
quarterly reviews), the audit of our internal controls in connection with section 404 of the
Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and the audits of our 401K plan and certain subsidiaries.
All Other Fees consisted of fees related to services provided in connection with property taxes on
our housing and land assets.
27
Pre-Approval Policies
Consistent with SEC policies regarding auditor independence, the Audit Committee has responsibility
for appointing, setting compensation and overseeing the work of the independent auditor. In
recognition of this responsibility, the Audit Committee has established a policy to pre-approve
audit and permissible non-audit services provided by the independent auditor.
In connection with the engagement of the independent auditor, the Audit Committee pre-approves
specifically described services that are within the four categories of services listed below,
including the pre-approval of fee limits for the specifically described services within each
category. The Audit Committees pre-approval process of specific services and fees includes a
review of specific services to be performed, a review of fees incurred for such services in the
past, a review of expected fees to be incurred in fiscal year 2008 and a comparison of fees
incurred by other homebuilders for similar services. The term of any pre-approval is 12 months from
the date of the pre-approval, unless the Audit Committee specifically provides for a different
period. Fees for any of the above services that will exceed the pre-approval fee limits must be
separately approved by the Audit Committee. During the year, circumstances may arise when it may
become necessary to engage the independent auditor for additional services not contemplated in the
original pre-approval. In those instances, the Audit Committee requires separate pre-approval
before engaging the independent auditor.
1. |
|
Audit Services include audit work performed in the preparation of financial statements
(including quarterly reviews), as well as work that generally only the independent auditor can
reasonably be expected to provide, including comfort letters, statutory audits, and attest
services. |
|
2. |
|
Audit Related Services are for assurance and related services that are traditionally
performed by the independent auditor, including due diligence related to mergers and
acquisitions, special procedures required to meet certain regulatory requirements and
consultation regarding financial accounting and/or reporting standards. |
|
3. |
|
Tax Services include all services performed by the independent auditors tax personnel except
those services specifically related to the audit of the financial statements, and include fees
in the areas of tax compliance, tax planning, and tax advice. |
|
4. |
|
All Other Services are those associated with permitted services not included in the other
categories. |
The Audit Committee may delegate pre-approval authority to one or more of its members. The member
or members to whom such authority is delegated shall report any pre-approval decisions to the Audit
Committee at its next scheduled meeting. The Audit Committee may not otherwise delegate its
responsibilities to pre-approve services performed by the independent auditor to management. No
services were approved by the Audit Committee pursuant to the de minimis exception to the
pre-approval requirements.
THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS RECOMMENDS A VOTE FOR THE RATIFICATION OF APPOINTMENT OF DELOITTE & TOUCHE
LLP AS BROOKFIELD HOMES INDEPENDENT AUDITORS FOR 2008.
OTHER MATTERS
Management and the board of directors do not know of any matters other than those described in this
proxy statement which will be presented for action at the meeting. If any other matters properly
come before the meeting, or any adjournments, the person or persons voting the proxies will vote
them in accordance with their best judgment.
SECTION 16(a) BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP REPORTING COMPLIANCE
Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act requires our directors, certain of our officers, and persons who
own more than 10 percent of a registered class of our equity securities to file reports of
ownership and changes in ownership with the SEC. Officers, directors and greater than 10 percent
stockholders are required by SEC regulations to furnish us with copies of all forms they file
pursuant to Section 16(a). Based solely on our review of the copies of such forms received by us,
we believe that all filing requirements applicable to our officers, directors and greater than 10
percent beneficial owners were complied with during the year ended December 31, 2007, except that
William Seith filed a Form 4 on February 6, 2007 relating to stock options granted on February 1,
2007 and Robert L. Stelzl filed a Form 4 on August 14, 2007 relating to a purchase of common stock
on August 6, 2007.
28
STOCKHOLDERS PROPOSALS FOR 2009 ANNUAL MEETING
No stockholder proposals were made for the 2008 Annual Meeting. Any stockholder who intends to
present a proposal for action at our 2009 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, and to have us include
such proposal in the proxy soliciting materials must deliver a copy of the proposal to us not later
than November 25, 2008. Such proposal must comply with all applicable rules of the Securities and
Exchange Commission. Submitting a stockholder proposal does not guarantee that we will include it
in our proxy statement. The Governance and Nominating Committee reviews all stockholder proposals
and makes recommendations to the board of directors for action on such proposals.
For any proposal that is not submitted for inclusion in the proxy statement for our 2009 Annual
Meeting, but is instead sought to be presented directly at our 2009 Annual Meeting, SEC rules
permit proxy holders to vote proxies in their discretion if the Company: (1) receives notice of the
proposal before the close of business on February 3, 2009, and advises stockholders in the proxy
statement for the 2009 Annual Meeting about the nature of the matter and how the proxy holders
intend to vote on such matter; or (2) does not receive notice of the proposal prior to the close of
business on February 3, 2009. Notices of intention to present proposals at the 2009 Annual Meeting
should be addressed to Shane D. Pearson, Vice President and Secretary, Brookfield Homes
Corporation, 12865 Pointe Del Mar, Suite 200, Del Mar, CA, 92014.
By Order of the Board of Directors,
Shane D. Pearson
Vice President and Secretary
Fairfax, Virginia
March 20, 2008
29
|
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Please Mark Here
|
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for Address Change or |
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Comments
SEE
REVERSE SIDE
|
|
|
Please
mark your votes as in this example. |
ý |
1. |
Election of Directors |
Nominees: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FOR
|
|
WITHHOLD |
|
01 Ian G. Cockwell |
all nominees |
|
AUTHORITY |
|
02 Joan H. Fallon |
Listed at right |
|
to vote for all |
|
03 Robert A. Ferchat |
(except as |
|
nominees |
|
04 J. Bruce Flatt |
marked to the |
|
listed at right |
|
05 Bruce T. Lehman |
(contrary
below) |
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06 Alan Norris |
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07 David M. Sherman
08 Robert L. Stelzl
09 Michael D. Young |
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(INSTRUCTIONS: To withhold authority to
vote for any individual nominee write that nominees name
on the line below.)
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FOR
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AGAINST
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ABSTAIN |
2.
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Ratification of Appointment of Independent Auditors
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In their discretion, the proxies are authorized to vote in accordance with their
judgment on other business properly brought before the Annual Meeting or any
adjournment. |
THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS RECOMMENDS A VOTE
FOR THE NOMINEES AND FOR THE RATIFICATION OF THE
APPOINTMENT OF INDEPENDENT AUDITORS. THIS PROXY WHEN PROPERLY EXECUTED WILL BE VOTED IN THE MANNER
DIRECTED HEREIN BY THE UNDERSIGNED STOCKHOLDER. IF NO DIRECTION IS MADE, THIS PROXY WILL BE VOTED
FOR THE NOMINEES AND FOR THE RATIFICATION OF THE APPOINTMENT OF INDEPENDENT AUDITORS.
The undersigned hereby ratifies and confirms
all that said attorneys and proxies, or any of them,
or their substitutes, shall lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof, and hereby revokes
any and all proxies heretofore given by the undersigned to vote at said meeting. The undersigned
acknowledges receipt of the notice of said Annual Meeting and the proxy statement accompanying said
notice.
Note: Please sign exactly as names appear herein. When shares are held by joint tenants, both
should sign. When signing as attorney, executor, administrator, trustee, or guardian, please give
full titles as such. If a corporation, please sign in full corporate name by President or other
authorized officer. If a partnership, please sign in partnership name by an authorized person.
F O L
D A N D D E T A C H H E R E
WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF INTERNET OR TELEPHONE VOTING,
BOTH ARE AVAILABLE 24 HOURS A DAY, 7 DAYS A WEEK.
Internet and telephone voting is available through 11:59 PM Eastern Time
the day prior to annual meeting day.
Your Internet or telephone vote authorizes the named proxies to vote your shares in the same manner
as if you marked, signed and returned your proxy card.
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INTERNET
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TELEPHONE |
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Use the internet to vote your proxy.
Have your proxy card in hand when
you access the web site.
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OR |
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Use any touch-tone telephone to
vote your proxy. Have your proxy card in hand when you
call.
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If you vote your proxy by
Internet or by telephone, you do NOT need to mail back your proxy card.
To vote by mail, mark, sign and date your proxy card and return it in the enclosed postage-paid
envelope.
Choose
MLinkSM for fast, easy and secure 24/7 online access to your future proxy
materials, investment plan statements, tax documents and more. Simply log on to Investor
ServiceDirect® at
www.bnymellon.com/shareowner/isd where step-by-step
instructions will prompt you through
enrollment.
You can view the Annual Report and Proxy Statement for
Brookfield Homes on the Internet at:
http://bnymellon.mobular.net/bnymellon/bhs
BROOKFIELD HOMES CORPORATION 2008 PROXY
ANNUAL MEETING OF
STOCKHOLDERS MAY 1, 2008
PROXY
COMMON
STOCK
Brookfield Homes Corporation
8500 Executive
Park Avenue, Suite 300, Fairfax, VA, 22031
THIS PROXY IS
SOLICITED ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
The undersigned hereby nominates,
constitutes and appoints Robert L. Stelzl and Ian G. Cockwell, and each of them,
attorneys, agents and proxies of the undersigned, with full power of
substitution, to represent and to vote as designated on the reverse side of this
card on each of the following matters, all shares of Common Stock of Brookfield
Homes Corporation (the Company), held of record by the undersigned at the close
of business on March 5, 2008, at the Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be held
on May 1, 2008, or any adjournments thereof.
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PLEASE SIGN AND
DATE ON REVERSE SIDE. |
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Address Change/Comments (Mark the corresponding box on
the reverse side) |
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FOLD AND DETACH
HERE
You can now access your BROOKFIELD HOMES CORPORATION account
online.
Access
your Brookfield Homes Corporation stockholder account online via Investor
Service
Direct® (ISD).
The
Transfer Agent for Brookfield Homes Corporation now makes it easy and convenient
to get current information on your shareholder account.
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View account status View payment history for dividends |
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View certificate history Make address changes |
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View book-entry information Obtain a duplicate 1099 tax form |
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Establish/change your PIN |
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Visit us on the
web at http://www.bnymellon.com/shareowner
For Technical
Assistance Call 1-877-978-7778 between 9am-7pm
Monday-Friday Eastern
Time
Investor ServiceDirect ® is a registered trademark of Mellon
Investor Services LLC
****TRY IT
OUT****
www.bnymellon.com/shareowner/isd/
Investor
ServiceDirect®
Available 24 hours
per day, 7 days per week