o |
Preliminary
Proxy Statement
|
o |
Confidential,
for Use of the Commission Only (as permitted by Rule 14a-6(e)(2))
|
x |
Definitive
Proxy Statement
|
o |
Definitive
Additional Materials
|
o |
Soliciting
Material Pursuant to §240.14a-l
1(c) or §240.14a-12
|
x |
No
fee required.
|
o |
Fee
computed on table below per Exchange Act Rules 14a-6(i)(1) and
0-11.
|
1) |
Title
of each class of securities to which transaction applies:
|
2)
|
Aggregate
number of securities to which transaction applies:
|
3)
|
Per
unit price or other underlying value of transaction computed pursuant
to
Exchange Act Rule 0-11 (set forth the amount on which the filing fee
is calculated and state how it was determined):
|
4)
|
Proposed
maximum aggregate value of transaction:
|
5)
|
Total
fee paid:
|
o |
Fee
paid previously with preliminary
materials.
|
o |
Check
box if any part of the fee is offset as provided by Exchange Act
Rule 0-1
1(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.
|
1)
|
Amount
Previously Paid:
|
2)
|
Form,
Schedule or Registration Statement No.:
|
3)
|
Filing
Party:
|
4)
|
Date
Filed:
|
·
|
To
elect three (3) Class I members to the Board of Directors to serve
until
the 2011 Annual Meeting of Stockholders;
|
·
|
To
ratify the selection of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as our independent
auditor; and
|
·
|
To
act on such other matters as may properly come before the meeting
or any
adjournment thereof.
|
Sincerely, | |
/s/ Bruce D. Hansen
Chief Executive
Officer
|
·
|
To
elect three (3) Class I members to our Board of Directors to serve
until
the 2011 Annual Meeting of Stockholders and until their respective
successors are elected and qualified or until their earlier death,
resignation, or removal in accordance with our Certificate of
Incorporation, Bylaws, and Corporate Governance Guidelines;
|
·
|
To
ratify the selection of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as our independent
auditor; and
|
· |
To
act on such matters as may properly come before the meeting or
any
adjournment thereof.
|
Name
and Position with the
Company
|
Age
|
Director/Officer
Since
|
Principal
Occupation
|
Bruce
D. Hansen (6)
Chief
Executive Officer and Director
|
50
|
Chief
Executive Officer and Director since January 2007
|
Chief
Executive Officer and Director
|
Gary
A. Loving (2)(3)(4)
Director
(Nominee)
|
59
|
Director
since February 2008
|
Retired
as President, Chief Executive Officer, and Director of Frontera
Copper
Corporation
|
Jean-Pierre
M. Ergas (1)(2)(4)
Director
(Nominee)
|
68
|
Director
since February 2008
|
Chairman
of BWAY Corporation
|
Mark
A. Lettes (1)(2)(3)(6)
Director
|
59
|
Director
since April 2007
|
Retired
from Apex Silver Mines Limited
|
R.
David Russell (5)
Director
|
51
|
Director
since 2002
|
President
and Chief Executive Officer of Apollo Gold Corporation
|
Ricardo
M. Campoy (1)(2)(3)(5)
Director
|
57
|
Director
since August 2006
|
International
natural resources banker
|
Richard
F. Nanna (2)(3)(4)
Director
(Nominee)
|
59
|
Director
since November 2003
|
Senior
Vice President Exploration and Development for Apollo Gold
Corporation
|
David
A. Chaput
Chief
Financial Officer
|
49
|
Officer
since April 2007
|
Chief
Financial Officer of the Company
|
Michael
K. Branstetter
Secretary
and Legal Counsel
|
54
|
Officer
since November 1992
|
Attorney
with the firm of Hull & Branstetter Chartered
|
Daniel
G. Zang
Controller
and Treasurer
|
53
|
Officer
since October 2007
|
Controller
of the Company
|
Andrew
J. Russell
|
39
|
Vice
President since September 2007
|
Vice
President of Project Development
|
Robert
I. Pennington
|
53
|
Vice
President since October 2007
|
Vice
President of Engineering and Construction
|
Gregory
E. McClain
|
60
|
Vice
President since September 2007
|
Vice
President of Business Development
|
· |
judgment,
experience, skills and personal character of the
candidate; and
|
· |
the
needs of the Board.
|
(1) |
Reviewed
and discussed the Company’s audited consolidated financial statements with
management;
|
(2) |
Discussed
with the Company’s independent auditors the matters required to be
discussed by the Statement on Auditing Standards No. 61, Communication
with Audit Committees,
as
amended, as adopted by the Public Company Accounting Oversight
Board in
Rule 3200T, including the quality (in addition to acceptability),
clarity,
consistency, and completeness of the Company’s financial reporting;
|
(3) |
Received
the written disclosures and the letter from the Company’s independent
registered public accounting firm required by Independent Standards
Board
Standard No. 1, Independence
Discussions with Audit Committees,
as
adopted by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board in Rule
3600T;
and
|
(4) |
Discussed
with the Company’s independent
registered public accounting firm
the independent accounting firm’s
independence.
|
Plan
Category
|
Number of
Securities to be
Issued Upon
Exercise of
Outstanding Options,
Warrants and Rights
(c)
|
Weighted Average
Exercise Price of
Outstanding Options,
Warrants and Rights
(b)
|
Number of
Securities
Remaining Available
for Future Issuance
Under Equity
Compensation Plans
(Excluding
Securities Reflected in Column (a))
(c)
|
||||||||||
Equity
compensation plans not approved by security holders
|
1,307,500
|
$1.31
|
n/a
|
||||||||||
Equity
compensation plans approved by security holders:
|
|||||||||||||
2006
Plan
|
2,670,000
|
5.26
|
1,420,000
|
(1)
(2)
|
|||||||||
2003
Plan
|
90,000
|
1.55
|
360,000
|
(3)
|
|||||||||
Total
|
4,067,500
|
$3.91
|
1,780,000
|
(1) |
The
aggregate number of shares of common stock that may be issued pursuant
to
awards granted under the 2006 Equity Incentive Plan will not exceed
5,100,000, plus the number of shares that are ungranted and those
that are
subject to reversion under 2003 Stock Plan. Shares under the 2003
Plan
that become eligible for awards under the 2006 Plan may not be
granted
again under the 2003 Plan.
|
(2) |
As
of January 1, 2007, the number of shares of common stock that remained
available for issuance under the 2006 Plan was 3,500,000.
|
(3) |
As
of January 1, 2007, the number of shares of common stock that remained
available for issuance under the 2003 Plan was 360,000.
|
Name
and Principal Position
|
Year
|
Salary
($)
|
Bonus
($)
|
Stock
Awards
($)
|
Option
Awards(1)
($)
|
All
Other
Compensation
($)
|
|
Total
($)
|
||||||||||||||
Bruce
D. Hansen(2)
|
2007
|
324,215
|
75,000
|
695,000
|
1,086,259
|
-
|
2,180,474
|
|||||||||||||||
Chief
Executive Officer
|
2006
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|||||||||||||||
David
A. Chaput(3)
|
2007
|
153,571
|
50,000
|
-
|
925,007
|
50,000
|
(4)
|
1,178,578
|
||||||||||||||
Chief
Financial Officer
|
2006
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
Robert
L. Russell(5)
|
2007
|
253,583
|
-
|
-
|
28,193
|
2,562,500
|
(6)
|
2,844,276
|
||||||||||||||
Former
Chief Executive Officer
|
2006
|
220,750
|
225,000
|
-
|
81,020
|
526,770
|
||||||||||||||||
Andrew
J. Russell(7)
|
2007
|
195,308
|
150,000
|
250,200
|
238,829
|
-
|
834,337
|
|||||||||||||||
Vice
President of Project Development
|
2006
|
56,851
|
31,775
|
-
|
23,740
|
-
|
112,366
|
(1) |
The
fair value is calculated using the Black Scholes value on the grant
date.
|
(2) |
Mr.
Hansen was hired as our Chief Executive Officer on January 30,
2007.
|
(3) |
Mr.
Chaput was hired as our Chief Financial Officer on April 25, 2007.
|
(4) |
Pursuant
to the terms of his employment agreement with the Company, Mr.
Chaput
received $50,000 upon the establishment of a dwelling at his assigned
location.
|
(5) |
Mr.
Robert Russell served as President and Chief Executive Officer
until
January 30, 2007. Mr. Russell also served as our Executive Director
and
Chairman of the Board until his resignation as an employee and
director of
the Company on October 1, 2007.
|
(6) |
Pursuant
to the terms of the Release Agreement, Mr. Robert Russell received
$1,000,000 on the effective date of the Release Agreement, received
$750,000 on or about April 1, 2008, and is to receive $750,000
on or
before October 1, 2008. Pursuant
to the terms of the Consulting Agreement, Mr. Robert Russell received
$62,500 in 2007.
|
(7) |
Mr.
Andrew Russell was hired as our Vice President of Projects and
Operations
on August 14, 2006 and has
been our Vice President of Project Development since September
2007.
|
Option
Awards
|
Stock
Awards
|
||||||||||
Name
|
Number
of
Securities Underlying Unexercised Options(1) (#)
Exercisable
|
Number
of
Securities Underlying Unexercised Options(1) (#)
Unexercisable
|
Option
Exercise Price(2) ($) |
Option
Expiration Date |
Plan
Awards: Number of
Shares or Units of Stock That Have Not Vested (#)
|
Plan
Awards:
Market
Value of Shares or Units of Stock That Have Not Vested ($)
|
|||||
Bruce
D. Hansen
Chief
Executive Officer
|
500,000(3)
|
250,000(4)
|
2.78
2.78
|
1/30/2012
1/30/2013
|
250,000(5)
|
2,917,500
|
|||||
David
A. Chaput
Chief
Financial Officer
|
150,000(6)
|
100,000(7)
150,000(8)
|
6.40
6.40
6.40
|
4/25/2012
4/25/2013
4/25/2014
|
|||||||
Robert
L. Russell
Former
Chief Executive Officer
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|||||
Andrew
J. Russell
Vice
President of Project Development
|
30,000(9)
140,000(12)
|
30,000(11)
|
2.10
2.10
2.78
|
8/14/2012
8/14/2013
1/30/2012
|
90,000(10)
|
1,050,300
|
(1) |
Awards
to Mr. Hansen and Mr. Chaput were made under the 2006 Plan. Awards
to Mr.
Andrew Russell were made under the 2006 Plan, 2003 Plan, and outside
of
any plan.
|
(2) |
Exercise
price is the closing market price of the stock on the day of the
grant.
|
(3) |
Option
granted on January 30, 2007 and vested
immediately.
|
(4) |
Option
granted on January 30, 2007 and vested on the first anniversary
of the
grant date.
|
(5) |
Restricted
stock award granted on January 30, 2007 and vested upon the completion
of
a financing that will satisfy the cash requirements of the Company
as set
forth in the Company’s 2007 budget.
|
(6) |
Option
granted on April 25, 2007 and vested immediately.
|
(7) |
Option
granted on April 25, 2007 and vests on the first anniversary of
the grant
date.
|
(8) |
Option
granted on April 25, 2007 and vests upon the completion of a financing
which raises sufficient capital to commence production at the Mt.
Hope
Project and to cover costs and expenditures during the construction
period.
|
(9) |
Option
to purchase 30,000 shares granted effective August 14, 2006 and
vested on
the first anniversary of the grant date.
|
(10) |
Restricted
stock grant awarded on January 30, 2007. 10,000 shares vested upon
completion of the Company’s Bankable Feasibility Study and 20,000 shares
vested upon the Company obtaining water rights necessary to operate
Mt.
Hope Project’s planned facilities. The remaining 60,000 shares are subject
to the following vesting schedule: (i) 20,000 shares will vest
if the
Company receives a favorable Record of Decision for the Mt. Hope
Project
during the term of the Amended and Restated Employment Agreement;
and (ii)
40,000 shares vest if operations commence at the Mt. Hope Project
during
the term of the Amended and Restated Employment Agreement or six
months
thereafter.
|
(11) |
Option
granted effective August 14, 2006 and vests on the second anniversary
of
the grant date.
|
(12) |
Option
granted on January 30, 2007 and vested immediately.
|
Name
|
Fees
Earned or Paid in Cash
($)
|
Stock
Awards(1)
($)
|
Option
Awards(1)
($)
|
Total
($)
|
John
B. Benjamin(2)
|
5,500
|
33,550
|
39,050
|
|
Gene
W. Pierson(3)
|
7,500
|
33,550
|
41,050
|
|
Norman
A. Radford(3)
|
13,500
|
33,550
|
47,050
|
|
R.
David Russell
|
9,000
|
50,325
|
28,193
|
87,518
|
Richard
F. Nanna
|
14,500
|
50,325
|
64,825
|
|
Ricardo
M. Campoy
|
17,500
|
114,821
|
132,321
|
|
Mark
A. Lettes
|
17,000
|
163,886
|
180,886
|
(1) |
These
amounts reflect the aggregate compensation costs for financial
statement
reporting purposes for fiscal year 2007 under Statement of Financial
Accounting Standards No. 123(R), “Share-Based Payment”. These amounts
do not reflect amounts paid to or realized by the director for
fiscal year
2007. For information on the method used to calculate stock based
compensation costs, see the discussion under the heading “Share-Based
Compensation” under Item 6 in our Annual Report on Form 10-KSB for fiscal
year ended December 31, 2007.
As
of
December 31, 2007, the aggregate number of shares of our common
stock
underlying outstanding option awards for each non-employee director
was as
follows: Mr. Benjamin — 0 shares; Mr. Pierson —
220,000 shares; Mr. Radford — 157,500 shares; Mr. R.
David Russell — 290,000 shares; Mr. Nanna —
220,000 shares; Mr. Campoy — 150,000 shares;
Mr. Lettes — 100,000 shares. As
of
December 31, 2007, the following non-employee directors held the
following
number of shares of restricted stock: Mr. Pierson —
40,000 shares; Mr. Radford — 40,000 shares; Mr. R.
David Russell — 40,000 shares; Mr. Nanna —
40,000 shares.
|
(2) |
Mr.
Benjamin served as a member of our Board of Directors until October
4, 2007.
|
(3) |
Effective
February 6, 2008, Norman A. Radford and Gene W. Pierson resigned
from our
Board of Directors and all other position each held with the Company.
Upon
their resignations, Mr. Radford and Mr. Pierson each forfeited
all but
8,333 shares of stock underlying outstanding stock awards as of
December
31, 2007. In connection with their resignations from our Board
of
Directors, Mr. Radford and Mr. Pierson each received a stock award
of
5,000 shares.
|
· |
each
person who is known by us to own more than 5% of our shares of
common
stock;
|
· |
each
of our Named Executive Officers and directors; and
|
· |
all
of our current executive officers and directors as a
group.
|
Name
of Beneficial Owner(1)
|
Amount
and Nature of Beneficial Ownership
|
Percent
of Class(2)
|
|||||
CCM
Master Qualified Fund, Ltd
Coghill
Capital management, LLC
CCM
Special Holdings Fund, LP
Clint
D. Coghill (3)
|
15,910,485
|
21.2
|
%
|
||||
ArcelorMittal
S.A.
ArcelorMittal
Treasury SNC
(4)
|
8,256,699
|
11.6
|
%
|
||||
Harbert
Management Corporation
Philip
Falcone
Raymond
J. Harbert
Michael
D. Luce (5)
|
5,939,000
|
8.4
|
%
|
||||
Harbinger
Capital Partners Master Fund I, Ltd
Harbinger
Capital Partners Offshore Manager, L.L.C.
HMC
Investors, L.L.C. (6)
|
3,959,403
|
5.6
|
%
|
||||
Citadel
Investment Group, L.L.C.
Citadel
Investment Group II, L.L.C.
Citadel
Limited Partnership
Citadel
Holdings II LP
Citadel
Advisors LLC
Citadel
Equity Fund Ltd.
Citadel
Derivatives Trading Ltd.
Kenneth
Griffin (7)
|
5,820,944
|
8.2
|
%
|
Robert
L. Russell(8)
|
1,592,762
|
2.2
|
%
|
||||
R.
David Russell(9)
|
1,290,070
|
1.8
|
%
|
||||
Bruce
D. Hansen(10)
|
1,150,000
|
1.6
|
%
|
||||
Richard
F. Nanna(11)
|
638,003
|
*
|
|||||
Jean-Pierre
M. Ergas(12)
|
509,948
|
*
|
|||||
David
A. Chaput(13)
|
251,500
|
*
|
|||||
Andrew
J. Russell(14)
|
232,797
|
*
|
|||||
Ricardo
M. Campoy(15)
|
124,166
|
*
|
|||||
Mark
A. Lettes(16)
|
66,666
|
*
|
|||||
Gary
A. Loving(17)
|
33,648
|
*
|
|||||
Directors
and executive officers as a group (12 persons) (18)
|
4,601,798
|
6.3
|
%
|
(1) |
The
address for our directors and officers is 1726 Cole Blvd, Suite
115,
Lakewood, CO 80401.
|
(2) |
Based
on 70,930,195 shares of our common stock outstanding as of April
16, 2008.
In accordance with SEC rules, percent of class as of April 16,
2008 is
calculated for each person and group by dividing the number of
shares
beneficially owned such person or group by the sum of the total
number of
our stock outstanding, plus the number of shares subject to securities
exercisable by that person or group within
60 days.
|
(3) |
Based
on a Schedule 13D filed with the SEC on March 6, 2008 and Forms
4 filed with the SEC on April 1, 2008. Includes 4,250,000 shares
of common stock issuable upon the exercise of outstanding warrants.
Such
persons share voting
and disposition power for all shares shown as beneficially owned
by
them. The
address for these persons is 1 N. Wacker Dr. Ste. 4350, Chicago,
IL 60606.
Such persons disclaim beneficial ownership of the securities except
to the extent of their pecuniary interest
therein.
|
(4) |
Based
on a Schedule 13G filed with the SEC on December 7, 2007. Such
persons
share voting
and disposition power for all shares shown as beneficially owned
by
them. The
address ArcelorMittal S.A. is 19, Avenue de la Liberte, L-2930
Luxembourg,
Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. The address for ArcelorMittal Treasury
SNC is 1
a 5, rue Luigi Cherubini, Saint Denis 93200, St. Denis, France.
|
(5) |
Based
on a Schedule 13G filed with the SEC on February 8, 2008.
Shares
listed as beneficially owned by these persons and the calculation
of the
percent of class includes 3,959,403 shares also listed in this
table as
beneficially owned by Harbinger
Capital Partners Master Fund I, Ltd, Harbinger Capital Partners
Offshore
Manager, L.L.C., and HMC Investors, L.L.C.
Such
persons share voting
and disposition power for all shares shown as beneficially owned
by them
and also share voting and disposition power with respect to 3,959,403
of
these shares with Harbinger
Capital Partners Master Fund I, Ltd, Harbinger Capital Partners
Offshore
Manager, L.L.C., and HMC Investors, L.L.C.
Such
persons disclaim beneficial ownership of the securities except
to the
extent of their pecuniary interest therein. The address for Philip
Falcone
is 555 Madison Avenue, 16th
Floor, New York, New York 10022. The address for Harbert Management
Corporation, Rayment J. Harbert, and Michael D. Luce is One Riverchase
Parkway South, Birmingham, Alabama 35244.
|
(6) |
Based
on a Schedule 13G filed with the SEC on February 8, 2008. Such
persons share voting
and disposition power for all shares shown as beneficially owned
by them
and
also share voting and disposition power with respect to these shares
with
Harbert Management Corporation, Philip Falcone, Raymond J.
Harbert,
and Michael
D. Luce. Such
persons disclaim beneficial ownership of the securities except
to the
extent of their pecuniary interest therein. The address for Harbinger
Capital Partners Master Fund I, Ltd. is c/o International Fund
Services
(Ireland) Limited, Third Floor, Bishop’s Square, Redmond’s Hill, Dublin 2,
Ireland.
|
(7) |
Based
on a Schedule 13G filed with the SEC on February 13, 2008. Such
persons share voting
and disposition power for all shares shown as beneficially owned
by
them. The
address for these persons is 131 S. Dearborn Street,
32nd
Floor, Chicago, Illinois
60603.
|
(8) |
Based
on a Schedule 13G filed with the SEC on February 14, 2008. The
address for Mr. Robert Russell is 120
N. Pine Street, Ste. 156, Spokane, WA
99202.
|
(9) |
Includes
290,000 shares issuable upon the exercise of vested options and
40,000
shares of restricted common stock.
|
(10) |
Includes
750,000 shares issuable upon the exercise of vested
options.
|
(11) |
Includes
220,000 shares issuable upon the exercise of vested options and
40,000
shares of restricted common stock.
|
(12) |
Includes
33,648 shares of restricted common stock and 75,000 shares held
by Sagre
L.P., a family limited partnership of Mr.
Ergas.
|
(13) |
Includes
250,000 shares issuable upon the exercise of vested options.
|
(14) |
Includes
170,000 shares issuable upon the exercise of vested options and
5,000
common shares owned by Mr. Russell’s spouse for which Mr. Russell
disclaims beneficial ownership.
|
(15) |
Includes
116,666 shares issuable upon the exercise of vested options and
2,500
shares owned by Mr. Campoy’s son.
|
(16) |
Includes
66,666 shares issuable upon the exercise of vested
options.
|
(17) |
Includes
33,648 shares of restricted common
stock.
|
(18) |
Includes
2,003,332 shares issuable upon the exercise of vested options and
312,296
shares in restricted stock grants.
|
By
Order of the Board of Directors,
/s/
Bruce D. Hansen
Chief
Executive Officer
|
|
Lakewood, Colorado |
Proposal
|
|||||
1.
|
Election
of 3 Class I members to the Board of Directors:
|
||||
|
01
|
Jean-Pierre
Ergas
|
FOR
o
|
AGAINST
o
|
ABSTAIN
o
|
02
|
Gary
A. Loving
|
FOR
o
|
AGAINST
o
|
ABSTAIN
o
|
|
03
|
Richard
F. Nanna
|
FOR
o
|
AGAINST
o
|
ABSTAIN
o
|
|
2.
|
Ratification
of the selection of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as the Company’s
independent auditor
|
FOR
o
|
AGAINST
o
|
ABSTAIN
o
|
Date: , 2008 | ||
Stockholder
sign above
|
|
|
|
Date:
,
2008
|
|
Co-holder
(if any) sign above
|
|
|
PLEASE
MARK, SIGN, DATE AND RETURN THIS PROXY PROMPTLY
USING
THE ENCLOSED ENVELOPE
|