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 x
Filed by
a Party other than the
Registrant ¨
Check the
appropriate box:
¨
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Preliminary
Proxy Statement
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¨
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Confidential,
For Use of the Commission Only (as permitted by
Rule 14a-6(e)(2))
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x
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Definitive
Proxy Statement
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¨
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Definitive
Additional Materials
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¨
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Soliciting
Materials Under Rule 14a-12
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RF INDUSTRIES, LTD.
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(Name of Registrant as Specified in its
Charter)
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(Name
of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if other than the
Registrant)
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Payment
of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box):
¨
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Fee
computed on table below per Exchange Act Rules 14a-6(i)(1) and
0-11.
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(1)
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Title
of each class of securities to which transaction
applies:_________________________________________
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(2)
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Aggregate
number of securities to which transaction
applies:_________________________________________
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(3)
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Per
unit price or other underlying value of transaction computed pursuant to
Exchange Act Rule 0-11 (set forth the amount on which the filing fee
is calculated and state how it was
determined):_______________________
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(4)
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Proposed
maximum aggregate value of
transaction:________________________________________________
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(5)
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Total
fee
paid:______________________________________________________________________________
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¨
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Fee
paid previously with preliminary
materials.
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¨
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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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(1)
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Amount
Previously
Paid:_____________________________________________________________________
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(2)
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Form,
Schedule or Registration Statement
No.:____________________________________________________
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(3)
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Filing
Party:_______________________________________________________________________________
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(4)
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Date
Filed:________________________________________________________________________________
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RF
INDUSTRIES, LTD.
7610
Miramar Road
San
Diego, California 92126
NOTICE
IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT THE ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS
WILL
BE HELD ON JUNE 3, 2010
An Annual
Meeting of Stockholders of RF Industries, Ltd., a Nevada corporation (the
“Company”), will be held at the Company’s corporate office at 7610 Miramar Road,
Suite 6000, San Diego, California 92126 on Thursday June 3, 2010, at 9:00 a.m.,
Pacific Daylight Savings Time, for the following purposes:
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1.
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To
elect five directors of the Company who shall serve until the 2011 Annual
Meeting of Stockholders (and until the election and qualification of their
successors).
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2.
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To
approve the adoption of our 2010 Stock Incentive
Plan.
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3.
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To
ratify the selection of J.H. Cohn LLP as the Company’s independent
registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending October 31,
2010.
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4.
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To
transact such other business as may properly come before the Annual
Meeting of Stockholders or any adjournment
thereof.
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The Board
of Directors has fixed the close of business on April 12, 2010 as the record
date for determination of stockholders entitled to notice of and to vote at the
Annual Meeting of Stockholders or any adjournment thereof.
All
stockholders are cordially invited to attend the Annual Meeting of Stockholders
in person. Regardless of whether you plan to attend the meeting,
please sign and date the enclosed Proxy and return it promptly in the
accompanying envelope, postage for which has been provided if mailed in the
United States. The prompt return of Proxies will ensure a quorum and
save the Company the expense of further solicitation. Any stockholder
returning the enclosed Proxy may revoke it prior to its exercise by voting in
person at the meeting or by filing with the Secretary of the Company a written
revocation or a duly executed Proxy bearing a later date.
By Order
of the Board of Directors
James
Doss,
Chief
Financial Officer
and
Corporate Secretary
San
Diego, California
April 16,
2010
RF
INDUSTRIES, LTD.
7610
Miramar Road
San
Diego, California 92126
PROXY
STATEMENT
General
The
enclosed Proxy is solicited on behalf of the Board of Directors of RF
Industries, Ltd., a Nevada corporation (the “Company”), for use at the Annual
Meeting of Stockholders (“Annual Meeting”) to be held on Thursday, June 3, 2010,
at 9:00 a.m., local time, or at any adjournment or postponement
thereof. The Annual Meeting will be held at the corporate office at
7610 Miramar Road, Suite 6000, San Diego, California 92126. The
Company mailed this Proxy Statement and the accompanying Proxy and Annual Report
to all stockholders entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting on or about April 16,
2010.
IMPORTANT
NOTICE REGARDING THE AVAILABILITY OF PROXY MATERIALS FOR THE SHAREHOLDER MEETING
TO BE HELD ON JUNE 3, 2010
The
Company’s Notice of Annual Meeting, this proxy statement, the proxy card, and
our Annual Report for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2009 are available on
the Internet at http://www.vfnotice.com/rfindustries/ and on our
website at www.rfindustries.com
under “Investor Information.”
Voting
Only
stockholders of record at the close of business on April 12, 2010, will be
entitled to notice of and to vote at the Annual Meeting. On April 12,
2010, there were 2,850,928 shares of Common Stock outstanding. The
Company is incorporated in Nevada, and is not required by Nevada corporation law
or its Articles of Incorporation to permit cumulative voting in the election of
directors.
With
regard to the election of directors, the five nominees receiving the greatest
number of votes cast will be elected provided a quorum is present. On
each other matter properly presented and submitted to a vote at the Annual
Meeting, each share will have one vote and an affirmative vote of a majority of
the shares represented at the Annual Meeting (in person or by proxy) and
entitled to vote will be necessary to approve the matter. Shares
represented by proxies that reflect abstentions or broker non-votes (that is,
shares held by a broker or nominee which are represented at the meeting, but
with respect to which such broker or nominee is not empowered to vote on a
particular proposal) will be counted as shares that are present and entitled to
vote for purposes of determining the presence of a
quorum. Abstentions will be counted towards the tabulation of votes
cast on matters properly presented to the stockholders (except the election of
directors) and will have the same effect as negative votes. Broker
non-votes will not be counted as votes cast and, therefore, will have no effect
on the outcome of the matters presented at the Annual Meeting. If the
enclosed proxy is properly executed and returned to, and received by, the
Company prior to voting at the Annual Meeting, the shares represented thereby
will be voted in accordance with the instructions marked thereon. In
the absence of instructions, the shares will be voted “FOR” (i) the nominees of
the Board of Directors in the election of the five directors whose terms of
office will extend until the 2011 Annual Meeting of Stockholders and until their
respective successors are duly elected and qualified, (ii) approval of the
adoption of our 2010 Stock Incentive Plan, and (iii) the ratification of the
re-appointment of J.H. Cohn LLP as the Company’s independent registered public
accounting firm for the fiscal year ending October 31, 2010.
Revocability
of Proxies
When the
enclosed Proxy is properly executed and returned, the shares it represents will
be voted at the Annual Meeting in accordance with any directions noted thereon,
and if no directions are indicated, the shares it represents will be voted in
favor of the proposals set forth in the notice attached hereto. Any
person giving a Proxy in the form accompanying this Proxy Statement has the
power to revoke it any time before its exercise. It may be revoked by
filing with the Secretary of the Company’s principal executive office, 7610
Miramar Road, San Diego, California 92126-4202, an instrument of revocation or a
duly executed Proxy bearing a later date, or it may be revoked by attending the
Annual Meeting and voting in person. Please note, however, that if your
shares are held of record by a broker, bank or other nominee and you wish to
vote in person at the Annual Meeting, you must obtain from the record holder a
proxy issued in your name.
Solicitation
The
Company will bear the entire cost of solicitation of Proxies, including the
preparation, assembly, printing, and mailing of this Proxy Statement, the Proxy,
and any additional material furnished to stockholders. Copies of
solicitation material will be furnished to brokerage houses, fiduciaries, and
custodians holding shares in their names that are beneficially owned by others
to forward to such beneficial owners. In addition, the Company may
reimburse such persons for their cost of forwarding the solicitation material to
such beneficial owners. The solicitation of Proxies by mail may be
supplemented by telephone, telegram, and/or personal solicitation by directors,
officers, or employees of the Company. No additional compensation
will be paid for any such services. Except as described above, the
Company does not intend to solicit Proxies other than by mail.
PROPOSAL
1:
NOMINATION
AND ELECTION OF DIRECTORS
Each
director to be elected will hold office until the next Annual Meeting and until
his or her successor is elected and has qualified, or until his or her death,
resignation, or removal. Five directors are to be elected at the
Annual Meeting. All five nominees are currently members of the Board
of Directors. In accordance with our Bylaws, our Board of Directors
has fixed the number of directors on our Board at five.
The five
candidates receiving the highest number of affirmative votes cast at the Annual
Meeting shall be elected as directors of the Company. Each nominees
listed below has agreed to serve if elected. If for any reason any
nominee named below is not a candidate when the election occurs, we intend to
vote proxies for the election of the other nominees named below and may vote
them for any substitute nominee or, in lieu thereof, our Board of Directors may
reduce the number of directors in accordance with our Bylaws. Unless
otherwise instructed, the Proxy holders will vote the Proxies received by them
for the five nominees named below.
Nominees
A
majority of the Directors are "independent directors" as defined by the listing
standards of The Nasdaq Stock Market, and the Board of Directors has determined
that such independent directors have no relationship with the Company that would
interfere with the exercise of their independent judgment in carrying out the
responsibilities of a director. The independent Director nominees are Messrs.
Ehret, Fink, Jacobs, and Reynolds.
Set forth
below is information regarding the nominees, including information furnished by
them as to their principal occupations for the last five years, and their ages
as of October 31, 2009, the end of the Company’s last fiscal year.
Name
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Age
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Director Since
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John
R. Ehret
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72
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1991
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Marvin
H. Fink
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73
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2001
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Howard
F. Hill
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69
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1979
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Robert
Jacobs
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58
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1997
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William
L. Reynolds
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73
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2005
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John R.
Ehret has been the President of TPL Electronics of Los Angeles, California,
since 1982. He holds a B.S. degree in Industrial Management from the
University of Baltimore. He has been in the electronics industry for
over 36 years.
Marvin H.
Fink served as the Chief Executive Officer, President and Chairman of the Board
of Recom Managed Systems, Inc. from October 2002 to March 2005. Prior
thereto, Mr. Fink was President of Teledyne’s Electronics Group. Mr.
Fink was employed at Teledyne for 40 years. He holds a B.E.E. degree
from the City College of New York, a M.S.E.E. degree from the University of
Southern California and a J.D. degree from the University of San Fernando
Valley. He is a member of the California Bar.
Howard F.
Hill, a founder of the Company in 1979, has credits in Manufacturing
Engineering, Quality Engineering and Industrial Management. He has
been the President of the Company since July 1993. He has held
various positions in the electronics industry over the past 40
years.
Robert
Jacobs has been an Account Executive at Neil Berkman Associates since
1988. Neil Berkman Associates is the Company’s investor relations
firm, and Mr. Jacobs is the Account Executive for the Company. He
holds an MBA from the University of Southern California and has been in the
investor relations industry for over 26 years.
William
Reynolds was the former VP of Finance and Administration for Teledyne Controls
from 1994 until his retirement in 1997. Prior thereto, for more than
23 years he was the Vice-President of Finance and Administration of Teledyne
Microelectronics. Mr. Reynolds also was a program finance administrator of
Teledyne Systems Company for five years. He has a B.B.A. degree in Accounting
from Woodbury University.
Based on
the standards set forth below under “Nominating Directors,” our Board identified
and recommended that Messrs. Ehret, Fink, Jacobs, Hill and Reynolds be nominated
for re-election to the Board of Directors. In determining whether
each nomination was appropriate and that each is qualified to serve on the Board
of Directors, the Board considered the following:
Mr. John
Ehret: Mr. Ehret has over 36 years of experience in the
electronics industry, and serving as President of TPL Electronics since
1982. Mr. Ehret has also served on our Board of Directors for 19
years and has been a member of our Audit Committee since 2004.
Mr. Marvin
Fink: Mr. Fink has significant experience in a variety of
areas important to overseeing the management and operations of this Company,
including experience as an executive officer, an engineer and a
lawyer. Mr. Fink has been the principal executive officer of a public
company as wells as the President of Teledyne’s Electronics Group. He
has degrees in engineering and law and was involved in the electronics industry
for over 40 years.
Mr. Robert
Jacob: Having been in the investor relations business for over
26 years, Mr. Jacob provides the Board with experience and insight from the
investment communities’ perspective.
Mr. Howard
Hill: Mr. Hill is a founder of the Company and has over
40 years experience in the electronics industry.
Mr. William
Reynolds: Mr. Reynolds has significant accounting and
financial management expertise, having served as VP of Finance and
Administration for Teledyne Controls, as the Vice-President of Finance and
Administration of Teledyne Microelectronics, and as a program finance
administrator of Teledyne Systems Company. He also has a degree in accounting,
which enables him to serve as the “audit committee financial expert” of the
Audit Committee.
Management
Howard F.
Hill is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company. He
co-founded the Company in 1979. Mr. Hill has credits in Manufacturing
Engineering, Quality Engineering and Industrial Management. He has
been the President of the Company since July 1993. He has held
various positions in the electronics industry over the past 40 years. (see
“Nominees,” above)
James
Doss, 42 is the Chief Financial Officer and Corporate Secretary. He joined the
Company as its Director of Accounting in February 2006 and held the position
until February 2007 when he was named Acting Chief Financial Officer and
Corporate Secretary. Effective January 24, 2008, Mr. Doss was appointed the
Chief Financial Officer. Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Doss was a private
consultant to a number of Software and High-Tech companies, providing general
accounting and corporate finance support. Previously, he was Director of Finance
for San Diego-based HomeRelay Communications, Inc., an Internet Service Provider
(ISP). From 1996 to 2000, Doss was Controller for CliniComp, International, a
San Diego medical software developer and hardware manufacturer of hospital
critical care units. In 1995 Mr. Doss joined Denver-based Merrick & Company
as Senior Staff Accountant. Mr. Doss received his B.S. in Finance and Economics
from San Diego State University in 1993 and completed graduate and advanced
financial management studies, receiving his MBA from San Diego State University
in 2005.
Board
of Director Meetings
All
members of the Board of Directors hold office until the next Annual Meeting of
Stockholders or the election and qualification of their successors. Executive
officers serve at the discretion of the Board of Directors.
During
the fiscal year ended October 31, 2009, the Board of Directors held six meetings
at which each director attended at least 75% of the meetings of the Board of
Directors and at least 75% of the meetings of the committees on which he
served.
Director
Attendance at Annual Meetings
Although
the Company does not have a formal policy regarding attendance by Board members
at the annual meeting of stockholders, directors are strongly encouraged to
attend annual meetings of the Company’s stockholders. All of the directors
attended the 2009 annual meeting of the Company’s stockholders, and all director
nominees are expected to attend the 2010 Annual Meeting.
Board
Committees
During
fiscal 2009, the Board of Directors maintained two committees, the Compensation
Committee and the Audit Committee. Each of these committees is
described as follows:
The Audit
Committee meets periodically with the Company’s management and independent
registered public accounting firm to, among other things, review the results of
the annual audit and quarterly reviews and discuss the financial statements. The
audit committee also hires the independent registered public accounting firm,
and receives and considers the accountant’s comments as to controls, adequacy of
staff and management performance and procedures. The Audit Committee is also
authorized to review related party transactions for potential conflicts of
interest. As of the end of fiscal 2009, the Audit Committee was composed of Mr.
Reynolds, Mr. Ehret and Mr. Kester. Each of these individuals were
non-employee directors and independent as defined under the Nasdaq Stock
Market’s listing standards. Each of the members of the Audit
Committee has significant knowledge of financial matters, and Mr. Reynolds
currently serves as the “audit committee financial expert” of the Audit
Committee. Mr. Kester is not is not up for election at the Annual Meeting
and, as a result, he will step down from the Audit Committee at the expiration
of his term as a member of our Board of Directors. The Company
believes that the remaining members of the Audit Committee will be able to
competently perform the functions required of them as members of the Audit
Committee. Although a replacement for Mr. Kester’s position on the
Audit committee has not yet been selected, our Board anticipates that a
replacement will be selected at the first meeting of the Directors after the
Annual Meeting. The Audit Committee met four times during fiscal
2009. The Audit Committee operates under a formal charter that governs its
duties and conduct. The Audit Committee’s Charter is on our website
at www.rfindustries.com.
The
Compensation Committee currently consists of Messrs. Ehret, Fink, and Kester,
each of whom is non-employee director and is independent as defined under the
Nasdaq Stock Market’s listing standards. The Compensation Committee is
responsible for considering and authorizing remuneration arrangements for senior
management. The Compensation Committee held one formal meeting during fiscal
2009, which was attended by all committee members. Mr. Kester will
step down as a member of this committee upon the expiration of his term as a
director at the Annual Meeting. Our Board anticipates that a
replacement for Mr. Kester on this committee will be selected at the first
meeting of the Directors after the Annual Meeting.
Nominating
Directors
To date,
all five of the Company's director nominees (four of whom are independent
directors) have participated in identifying qualified director
nominees. As a result, the Board of Directors has not found it
necessary to have a separate Nominating Committee. However, the Board
of Directors may form a Nominating Committee for the purpose of nominating
future director candidates. If such a committee is formed, each
member of the Nominating Committee will be “independent” as defined in the
Nasdaq Stock Market’s listing standards. The functions of the Nominating
Committee will be to assist the Board of Directors by identifying individuals
qualified to become members, and to recommend to the Board of Directors the
director nominees for the next annual meeting of stockholders, and to recommend
to the Board of Directors corporate governance guidelines and changes
thereto.
Usually,
nominees for election to the Board are proposed by members of our existing
board. Our Board of Directors has not adopted a formal policy with
regard to the consideration of diversity when evaluating candidates for election
to the Board. However, our Board believes that membership should
reflect diversity in its broadest sense, but should not be chosen nor excluded
based on race, color, gender, national origin or sexual
orientation. In this context, the Board does consider a candidate’s
experience, education, industry knowledge, history with the Company, and
differences of viewpoint when evaluating his or her qualifications for election
the Board. Whenever our Board evaluates a potential candidate, the
Board considers that individual in the context of the composition of the Board
as a whole.
We
believe that our Board of Directors consists of individuals who possess the
integrity, education, work ethic, experience and ability to work with others
necessary to oversee our business effectively and to represent the interests of
all of this Company’s stockholders. The standards that our Board
considers in selecting candidates (although candidates need not possess all of
the following characteristics, and not all factors are weighted equally) include
the director’s or nominee’s:
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·
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Industry
knowledge and contacts in industries served by the
Company;
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·
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ability
to qualify as an “independent” director (as defined under applicable SEC
rules and regulations and Nasdaq listing
standards);
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·
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ability
to broadly represent the interests of all stockholders and other
constituencies;
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·
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maturity
and experience in policy making
decisions;
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·
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time
commitments, including service on other boards of
directors;
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·
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business
skills, background and relevant expertise that are useful to the Company
and its future needs;
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·
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willingness
and ability to serve on committees of the board of directors;
and
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|
·
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other
factors determined to be relevant by the
Board.
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Stockholder Recommendations of
Director Candidates The Board of Directors will consider Board
nominees recommended by stockholders. In order for a stockholder to
nominate a candidate for director, timely notice of the nomination must be given
in writing to the Corporate Secretary of the Company. To be timely,
the notice must be received at the principal executive offices of the Company as
set forth under “Stockholder Proposals” below. Notice of a nomination
must include your name, address and number of shares you own; the name, age,
business address, residence address and principal occupation of the nominee; and
the number of shares beneficially owned by the nominee. It must also
include the information that would be required to be disclosed in the
solicitation of proxies for election of directors under the federal securities
laws, as well as whether the individual can understand basic financial
statements and the candidate’s other board memberships (if any). You
must submit the nominee’s consent to be elected and to serve. The Board of
Directors may require any nominee to furnish any other information that may be
needed to determine the eligibility and qualifications of the
nominee.
Any
recommendations in proper form received from stockholders will be evaluated in
the same manner that potential nominees recommended by our Board members or
management are evaluated.
Stockholder Communication with Board
Members Stockholders who wish to communicate with our Board
members may contact us at our principal executive office at 7610 Miramar Road,
Suite 6000, San Diego, California 92126-4202. Written communications
specifically marked as a communication for our Board of Directors, or a
particular director, except those that are clearly marketing or soliciting
materials, will be forwarded unopened to the Chairman of our Board, or to the
particular director to whom they are addressed, or presented to the full Board
or the particular director at the next regularly scheduled Board
meeting.
Code
of Business Conduct and Ethics
The
Company has adopted a Code of Business Conduct and Ethics (the "Code") that
applies to all of the Company's Directors, officers and employees, including its
principal executive officer and principal financial officer. Stockholders can
obtain a copy of the Code, without charge, by writing to the Company’s Corporate
Secretary at RF Industries, Ltd., 7610 Miramar Road, Suite 6000, San Diego,
California 92126-4202. In addition, any waivers of the Code for
Directors or executive officers of the Company will be disclosed in a report on
Form 8-K.
Executive
Compensation
Summary of Cash and Other
Compensation. The following table sets forth compensation for services
rendered in all capacities to the Company for each person who served as an
executive officer during the fiscal year ended October 31, 2009 (the “Named
Executive Officers”). No other executive officer of the Company received salary
and bonus, which exceeded $100,000 in the aggregate during the fiscal year,
ended October 31, 2009:
Name and Principal Position
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All Other
Compensation
($)
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Howard
F. Hill
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2009
|
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205,677 |
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65,000 |
|
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0 |
|
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9,434 |
(2) |
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23,075 |
|
|
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303,186 |
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President,
Chief Executive Officer, Director
|
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2008
|
|
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211,730 |
|
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50,000 |
|
|
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0 |
|
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5,686 |
(3) |
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24,366 |
|
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291,782 |
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James
S. Doss
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2009
|
|
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102,402 |
|
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|
6,100 |
|
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0 |
|
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243,257 |
(4) |
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11,021 |
|
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362,780 |
|
Chief
Financial Officer
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2008
|
|
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111,458 |
|
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6,000 |
|
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0 |
|
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2,843 |
(5) |
|
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9,914 |
|
|
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130,215 |
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(1) Option
awards are valued based on the grant date fair value as calculated in accordance
with FASB ASC Topic 718, excluding the effect of estimated forfeitures related
to service-based vesting conditions. These amounts do not correspond
to the actual value that will be recognized by the named executives from these
awards.
(2) Includes
(i) five-year option to purchase 2,000 shares of our common stock granted on
January 15, 2009, at an exercise price of $4.05, which such options have fully
vested; (ii) five-year option to purchase 4,000 shares of our common stock
granted on October 31, 2009, at an exercise price of $4.05, vesting equally over
a three-year period following the date of grant.
(3) Includes
(i) five-year option to purchase 4,000 shares of our common stock granted on
October 31, 2008, at an exercise price of $4.50, vesting equally over a
three-year period following the date of grant.
(4) Includes
(i) five-year option to purchase 2,000 shares of our common stock granted on
January 15, 2009, at an exercise price of $4.05, which such options have fully
vested; (ii) ten-year option to purchase 10,000 shares of our common stock
granted on June 5, 2009, at an exercise price of $3.95, which such options have
fully vested; (iii) five-year option to purchase 2,000 shares of our common
stock granted on October 31, 2009, at an exercise price of $4.05, vesting
equally over a three-year period following the date of grant; and (iv) ten-year
option to purchase 90,000 shares of our common stock granted on October 31,
2009, at an exercise price of $4.05, vesting equally over a ten-year period
following the date of grant. All of these options were granted for
services rendered as Chief Financial Officer.
(5) Includes
(i) five-year option to purchase 2,000 shares of our common stock granted on
October 31, 2008, at an exercise price of $4.50, vesting equally over a
three-year period following the date of grant.
2009
Grants of Plan-Based Awards
In fiscal
2009, we granted stock options to our named executive officers under our 2000
Stock Option Plan as follows:
2009
Grants of Plan-Based Awards
Name
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Grant Date
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All Other
Option Awards
(# of Shares)
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|
|
Exercise Price of
Option Awards
($/Share)
|
|
|
Grant Date
Fair Value of
Option Awards
($)
|
|
Howard
F. Hill
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
President
and Chief Executive Officer
|
|
01/15/09
|
|
|
2,000 |
|
|
|
4.05 |
|
|
|
2,644 |
|
|
|
10/31/09
|
|
|
4,000 |
|
|
|
4.05 |
|
|
|
6,789 |
|
James
Doss
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Chief
Financial Officer
|
|
01/15/09
|
|
|
2,000 |
|
|
|
4.05 |
|
|
|
2,644 |
|
|
|
06/05/09
|
|
|
10,000 |
|
|
|
3.95 |
|
|
|
19,378 |
|
|
|
10/31/09
|
|
|
2,000 |
|
|
|
4.05 |
|
|
|
3,395 |
|
|
|
10/31/09
|
|
|
90,000 |
|
|
|
4.05 |
|
|
|
217,840 |
|
Holdings
of Previously Awarded Equity
Equity
awards held as of October 31, 2009 by each of our named executive officers were
issued under our 2000 Stock Option Plan, except for options to purchase 239,871
shares that were granted to Mr. Hill in 1994. The following table sets forth
outstanding equity awards held by our named executive officers as of October 31,
2009:
OUTSTANDING
EQUITY AWARDS AS OF OCTOBER 31, 2009
|
|
Option Awards
|
Name
|
|
Number of
Securities
Underlying
Unexercised
Options
(#) Exercisable
|
|
Number of
Securities
Underlying
Unexercised
Options
(#) Unexercisable
|
|
Equity Incentive Plan
Awards: Number of
Securities Underlying
Unexercised
Unearned Options
(#)
|
|
|
Option
Exercise
Price
($)
|
|
Option
Expiration
Date
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Howard
Hill
|
|
|
239,871 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
0.10 |
|
|
Howard
Hill
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2,667 |
(1) |
|
|
4.50 |
|
10/31/13
|
Howard
Hill
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
4,000 |
(2) |
|
|
4.05 |
|
10/31/14
|
James
Doss
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1,333 |
(3) |
|
|
4.50 |
|
10/31/13
|
James
Doss
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2,000 |
(4) |
|
|
4.05 |
|
10/31/14
|
James
Doss
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
90,000 |
(5) |
|
|
4.05 |
|
10/31/19
|
(1)
|
Vested
annually following grant on October 31,
2008.
|
(2)
|
Vested
annually following grant on October 31,
2009.
|
(3)
|
Vested
annually following grant on October 31,
2008.
|
(4)
|
Vested
annually following grant on October 31,
2009.
|
(5)
|
Vested
annually following grant on October 31,
2009.
|
Employment
Agreement
The
Company has no employment or severance agreements with any of its executive
officers other than with Mr. Howard Hill, the Company’s President and Chief
Executive Officer. Mr. Hill has been the President/Chief Executive Officer of
the Company since 1994. On June 20, 2008 the Company entered into a new
employment agreement with Mr. Hill. Under the new employment agreement, Mr. Hill
agreed to serve as the Company’s President and Chief Executive Officer for up to
three one-year periods. The new employment agreement provides for an annual
salary of $210,000. Either Mr. Hill or the Company can terminate the employment
agreement at each of the first and second anniversaries of the agreement. The
employment agreement will expire on June 20, 2011.
Compensation
of Directors
The
Company compensates its directors with an annual grant of options to purchase
2,000 shares of common stock. The options are typically granted to each of the
directors at the Board of Directors meeting held in January of each
year. The Chairman of the Board is granted an option for an
additional 4,000 shares. Accordingly, options to purchase 2,000
shares were granted to each of the directors on January 15, 2009, and Mr. Fink,
the Chairman of the Board, was granted options to purchase 4,000
shares. All of and these options vested upon grant and had an
exercise price of $4.05 per share, which price was the closing stock price on
January 15, 2009. The directors are also eligible for reimbursement of expenses
incurred in connection with attendance at Board meetings and Board committee
meetings.
In
addition to the foregoing grant of options, all non-employee members of the
Board of Directors receive an annual cash payment of $5,000 per director, and
the non-employee Chairman of the Board receives an annual payment of
$10,000.
DIRECTOR
COMPENSATION FOR FISCAL YEAR 2009
Name
|
|
Fees
Earned
or Paid in
Cash
|
|
|
Stock
Awards
|
|
|
Option
Awards(1)(2)(3)
|
|
|
All Other
Compensation
|
|
|
Total
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
John
R. Ehret
|
|
$ |
4,750 |
|
|
$ |
0 |
|
|
$ |
2,644 |
|
|
$ |
0 |
|
|
$ |
7,394 |
|
Marvin
H. Fink
|
|
$ |
9,500 |
|
|
$ |
0 |
|
|
$ |
5,288 |
|
|
$ |
0 |
|
|
$ |
14,788 |
|
Howard
F. Hill
|
|
$ |
0 |
|
|
$ |
0 |
|
|
$ |
2,644 |
|
|
$ |
0 |
|
|
$ |
2,644 |
|
Robert
Jacobs
|
|
$ |
4,750 |
|
|
$ |
0 |
|
|
$ |
2,644 |
|
|
$ |
0 |
|
|
$ |
7,394 |
|
Linde
Kester
|
|
$ |
4,750 |
|
|
$ |
0 |
|
|
$ |
2,644 |
|
|
$ |
0 |
|
|
$ |
7,394 |
|
William
L. Reynolds
|
|
$ |
4,750 |
|
|
$ |
0 |
|
|
$ |
2,644 |
|
|
$ |
0 |
|
|
$ |
7,394 |
|
(1)
|
This
column represents the aggregate grant date fair value of option awards
computed in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 718, excluding the effect of
estimated forfeitures related to service-based vesting conditions. These
amounts do not correspond to the actual value that will be recognized by
the named directors from these
awards.
|
(2)
|
On
January 15, 2009 we granted a five-year non-qualified option to purchase
2,000 shares of the Company’s common stock at an exercise price of $4.05
per share to each of our directors, with the exception of Marvin Fink, for
their services as directors for the one-year period commencing January 15,
2009.
|
(3)
|
On
January 15, 2009 we granted a five-year non-qualified option to purchase
4,000 shares of the Company’s common stock at an exercise price of $4.05
per share to Marvin Fink, for his services as Chairman of the Board for
the one-year period commencing January 15,
2009.
|
Certain
Transactions
On April
1, 1997, the Company loaned to Howard Hill, its President and Chief Executive
Officer, $70,000 pursuant to a Promissory Note which provides for interest at
the rate of 6% per annum and which has no specific due date for principal. The
principal balance still outstanding on the loan is $66,980. Mr. Hill pays
interest on the loan annually. The loan is evidenced by a promissory note that
is secured by a lien on certain of Mr. Hill’s personal property.
Mr.
Jacobs, a director of the Company, is an employee of the Company’s public
relations firm. For the fiscal years ended October 31, 2009 and 2008, the
Company paid the firm $52,668 and $52,781, respectively, for services
rendered.
Security
Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management
The
following table sets forth certain information regarding beneficial ownership of
our common stock as of April 12, 2010 (a) by each person known by us to own
beneficially 5% or more of any class of our common stock, (b) by each of our
executive officers named in the Summary Compensation Table and our directors and
(c) by all executive officers and directors of this company as a
group. As of April 12, 2010, there were 2,850,928 shares of our
common stock issued and outstanding. Unless otherwise noted, we
believe that all persons named in the table have sole voting and investment
power with respect to all the shares beneficially owned by them, subject to any
applicable community property laws.
Name and Address of Beneficial Owner
|
|
Number of Shares
(1) Beneficially
Owned
|
|
|
Percentage
Beneficially
Owned
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Howard
H. Hill
7610
Miramar Road, Ste. 6000
San
Diego, CA 92126-4202
|
|
|
260,704 |
(2) |
|
|
8.4 |
% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
James
Doss
7610
Miramar Road, Ste. 6000
San
Diego, CA 92126-4202
|
|
|
45,583 |
(3) |
|
|
1.6 |
% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
John
R. Ehret
7610
Miramar Road, Ste. 6000
San
Diego, CA 92126-4202
|
|
|
25,000 |
(4) |
|
|
1.0 |
% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Robert
Jacobs
7610
Miramar Road, Ste. 6000
San
Diego, CA 92126-4202
|
|
|
14,000 |
(5) |
|
|
0.5 |
% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Marvin
H. Fink
7610
Miramar Road, Ste. 6000
San
Diego, CA 92126-4202
|
|
|
42,165 |
(6) |
|
|
1.5 |
% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Linde
Kester
7610
Miramar Rd., Ste. 6000
San
Diego, CA 92126-4202
|
|
|
99,472 |
(7) |
|
|
3.4 |
% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
William
Reynolds
7610
Miramar Rd., Ste. 6000
San
Diego, CA 92126-4202
|
|
|
28,300 |
(8) |
|
|
1.0 |
% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
All
Directors and Officers as a Group (7 Persons)
|
|
|
516,224 |
(9) |
|
|
17.2 |
% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Hytek
International, Ltd
P.O.
Box 10927 APO
George
Town
Cayman
Islands
|
|
|
450,930 |
(10) |
|
|
15.8 |
% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Morgan
Stanley
1585
Broadway
New
York, NY 10036
|
|
|
156,500 |
(11) |
|
|
5.5 |
% |
(1)
|
Shares
of Common Stock, which were not outstanding but which could be acquired
upon exercise of an option within 60 days from the date of this filing,
are considered outstanding for the purpose of computing the percentage of
outstanding shares beneficially owned. However, such shares are not
considered to be outstanding for any other
purpose.
|
(2)
|
Includes
257,204 shares that Mr. Hill has the right to acquire upon exercise of
options exercisable within 60 days plus 3,500 shares purchased on the open
market
|
.
|
(3)
|
Includes
45,583 shares that Mr. Doss has the right to acquire upon exercise of
options exercisable within 60 days.
|
(4)
|
Includes
18,000 shares that Mr. Ehret has the right to acquire upon exercise of
options exercisable within 60 days plus 10,000 shares purchased on the
open market.
|
(5)
|
Consists
of 14,000 shares, which Mr. Jacobs have the right to acquire upon exercise
of options exercisable within 60
days.
|
(6)
|
Includes
37,165 shares that Mr. Fink has the right to acquire upon exercise of
options exercisable within 60 plus 5,000 shares purchased on the
open market.
|
(7)
|
Includes
38,170 shares that Mr. Kester has the right to acquire upon exercise of
options exercisable within 60 days plus 61,302 shares purchased on the
open market.
|
(8)
|
Consists
of 24,000 shares, which Mr. Reynolds has the right to acquire upon
exercise of options exercisable within 60 days plus 4,300 shares purchased
on the open market.
|
(9)
|
Includes
434,122 shares, which the directors and officers have the right to acquire
upon exercise of options exercisable within 60 days plus 84,102 shares
purchased on the
open market.
|
(10)
|
Represents
shares owned by Hytek International, Ltd is a Cayman Islands holding
company which is deemed to possess sole voting and dispositive power over
securities held.
|
(11)
|
Information
is based on a report on Schedule 13G filed on February 12,
2010. Represents shares held by Morgan Stanley, which is deemed
to possess sole voting and dispositive power over securities
held.
|
EQUITY
COMPENSATION PLAN INFORMATION
The
following table provides information as of October 31, 2009 with respect to the
shares of Company common stock that may be issued under the Company’s existing
equity compensation plans. The following table does not include any
information about the RF Industries, Ltd. 2010 Stock Incentive Plan that was
adopted by the Board of Directors and that is subject to stockholder approval at
the Annual Meeting (see, Proposal 2, below). No options have been
granted under the 2010 Stock Incentive Plan as of the date of this Proxy
Statement.
|
|
A
|
|
|
B
|
|
|
C
|
|
Plan Category
|
|
Number of Securities
to be Issued Upon
Exercise of
Outstanding Options
|
|
|
Weighted Average
Exercise Price of
Outstanding
Options ($)
|
|
|
Number of Securities
Remaining Available for Future
Issuance Under
Equity Compensation Plans (Excluding
Securities Reflected in Column A)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Equity
Compensation Plans Approved by Stockholders (1)
|
|
|
742,435 |
|
|
$ |
5.23 |
|
|
|
364,604 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Equity
Compensation Plans Not Approved by Stockholders (2)
|
|
|
500,871 |
|
|
$ |
1.53 |
|
|
|
0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total
|
|
|
1,243,306 |
|
|
$ |
3.74 |
|
|
|
364,604 |
|
(1)
|
Consists
of options granted under the R.F. Industries, Ltd. (i) 2000 Stock Option
Plan, (ii) the 1990 Incentive Stock Option Plan, and (iii) the 1990
Non-qualified Stock Option Plan. The 1990 Incentive Stock Option Plan and
Non-qualified Stock Option Plan have expired, and no additional options
can be granted under these plans. Accordingly, all 364,604 shares
remaining available for issuance represent shares under the 2000 Stock
Option Plan.
|
(2)
|
Consists
of options granted to six officers and/or key employees of the Company
under employment agreements entered into by the Company with each of these
officers and employees.
|
Compliance
with Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act
Section
16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 requires the Company’s executive
officers and directors, and persons who own more than 10% of a registered class
of the Company’s equity securities, to file reports of ownership and changes in
ownership with the Securities and Exchange Commission
(“SEC”). Executive officers, directors and greater than 10%
stockholders are required by SEC regulations to furnish the Company with copies
of all Section 16(a) forms they file.
Based
solely on its review of the copies of reporting forms received by the Company,
the Company believes that the following Forms 4 were filed later than is
required under Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934:
|
·
|
All
of the directors and both executive officers filed the required Form 4
late with respect to the options granted to them on January 16,
2009;
|
|
·
|
Mr.
Doss filed a Form 4 late with respect to options that were granted to him
on June 5, 2009;
|
|
·
|
Each
of Messrs. Hill and Doss filed his respective Form 4 late with respect to
options that were granted to each on October 31, 2009;
and
|
|
·
|
Mr.
Ehret filed his Form 4 late with respect to shares of our common sold by
him on March 27, 2009, and March 30,
2009.
|
THE
BOARD OF DIRECTORS RECOMMENDS A VOTE “FOR” ELECTION OF THE FOREGOING
DIRECTORS.
PROPOSAL
2
APPROVAL
OF ADOPTION OF 2010 STOCK INCENTIVE PLAN
On March
9, 2010, our Board of Directors adopted the RF Industries, Ltd. 2010 Stock
Incentive Plan (the “2010 Plan”). Stockholder approval is required
for this proposal under The NASDAQ Capital Market listing
standards. If our stockholders approve this proposal, we may make
awards under the 2010 Plan as described below. If stockholders do not
approval this proposal, we will not implement the 2010 Plan, and the currently
outstanding award under the 2010 Plan will terminate and be of no further force
or effect.
The Board
adopted the 2010 Plan because our prior stock option plan, the Company's 2000
Stock Option Plan (the "2000 Plan") that was adopted in May 2000, will expire on
May 5, 2010. Upon the expiration of the 2000 Plan, this Company will
no longer be able to grant any stock options to its employees, officers and
directors. The 2000 Plan authorized the Company to grant options to
purchase a total of 1,320,000 shares. As of April 12, 2010, options
for 971,396 shares had been granted under the 2000 Plan and 348,604 shares
remained available for future grants. Management of the Company
believes that granting options is an important incentive tool for the Company’s
employees. The Company normally grants options to almost all of its
employees (normally between 70 and 90 persons) at the end of each fiscal
year. The inability of the Company to continue to grant options to
its employees may negatively affect the Company’s relations with its
employees.
A summary
of the 2010 Plan is set forth below. The summary is qualified in its
entirety by reference to the full text of the 2010 Plan, a copy of which is set
forth as Appendix A to this Proxy Statement.
General
The 2010
Plan provides for awards of incentive stock options, nonstatutory stock options,
stock bonuses, rights to acquire restricted stock, and stock appreciation
rights. Incentive stock options granted under the 2010 Plan are
intended to qualify as “incentive stock options” within the meaning of Section
422 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or the
Code. Nonstatutory stock options granted under the 2010 Plan are not
intended to qualify as incentive stock options under the Code. See
“Federal Income Tax Information” for a discussion of the principal federal
income tax consequences of awards under the 2010 Plan.
Purpose
Our Board
of Directors adopted the 2010 Plan to provide a means by which employees,
directors and consultants of the Company and our affiliates may be given an
opportunity to benefit from increases in value of our common stock, to assist in
attracting and retaining the services of such persons, to bind the interests of
eligible recipients more closely to our own interests by offering them
opportunities to acquire common stock and to afford such persons stock-based
compensation opportunities that are competitive with those afforded by similar
businesses. All of our approximately 102 current employees, directors
and consultants are eligible to participate in the 2010 Plan.
Administration
Unless it
delegates administration to a committee as described below, our Board will
administer the 2010 Plan. Subject to the provisions of the 2010 Plan,
the Board has the power to construe and interpret the 2010 Plan and to determine
the persons to whom and the dates on which awards will be granted, what types or
combinations of types of awards will be granted, the number of shares of common
stock to be subject to each award, the time or times during the term of each
award within which all or a portion of such award may be exercised, the exercise
price or purchase price of each award, the types of consideration permitted to
exercise or purchase each award and other terms of the awards.
The Board
has the power to delegate administration of the 2010 Plan to a committee
composed of one or more directors. In the discretion of the Board, a
committee may consist solely of two or more “Outside Directors” or two or more
“Non-Employee Directors” (as such terms are defined in the 2010
Plan). Within the scope of such authority, the Board or the committee
may (1) delegate to a committee of one or more directors who are not Outside
Directors the authority to grant awards to eligible persons who are either (a)
not then “Covered Employees” (as such term is defined in the 2010 Plan) and are
not expected to be Covered Employees at the time of recognition of income
resulting from such Stock Award or (b) not persons with respect to whom the
Company wishes to comply with Section 162(m) of the Code or (2) delegate to a
committee of one or more directors who are not Non-Employee Directors the
authority to grant awards to eligible persons who are not then subject to
Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
Our Board
may, from time to time, delegate the administration of the 2010 Plan and the
grant of incentive stock options to non-executives to committees established by
the Board. As used in this section with respect to the 2010 Plan,
references to the “Board” include any such committee to which the Board may
delegate administration of the 2010 Plan.
Stock
Subject to the 2010 Plan
Subject
to the provisions of subsection 11(a) of the 2010 Plan relating to adjustments
upon changes in common stock, an aggregate of 500,000 shares of common stock
will be set aside and reserved for issuance under the 2010 Plan.
If awards
granted under the 2010 Plan expire or otherwise terminate without being
exercised in full, the shares of common stock not acquired pursuant to such
awards will again become available for issuance under the 2010
Plan. If shares of common stock issued pursuant to awards under the
2010 Plan are forfeited to or repurchased by us, the forfeited or repurchased
stock will again become available for issuance under the 2010 Plan.
If shares
of common stock subject to an award are not delivered to a participant because
such shares are withheld for payment of taxes incurred in connection with the
exercise of an option, or the issuance of shares under a stock bonus award or
restricted stock award, or the award is exercised through a reduction of shares
subject to the award (“net exercised”), then the number of shares that are not
delivered will not again be available for issuance under the 2010
Plan. In addition, if the exercise price of any award is satisfied by
the tender of shares of common stock to us (whether by actual delivery or
attestation), the shares tendered will not again be available for issuance under
the 2010 Plan.
Eligibility
Incentive
stock options may be granted under the 2010 Plan only to employees of the
Company and its affiliates. Employees, directors and consultants of
both the Company and its affiliates are eligible to receive all other types of
awards under the 2010 Plan.
No
incentive stock option may be granted under the 2010 Plan to any person who, at
the time of the grant, owns (or is deemed to own) stock possessing more than 10%
of the total combined voting power of the Company or any affiliate of the
Company, unless the exercise price is at least 110% of the fair market value of
the stock subject to the option on the date of grant and the term of the option
does not exceed five years from the date of grant. In addition, the
aggregate fair market value, determined at the time of grant, of the shares of
common stock with respect to which incentive stock options are exercisable for
the first time by any option holder during any calendar year (under the 2010
Plan and any other such plans of the Company and its affiliates) may not exceed
$100,000.
No
employee may be granted options under the 2010 Plan exercisable for more than
100,000 shares of common stock during any twelve-month period, which we refer to
as the Section 162(m) limitation.
Terms
of Options
Options
may be granted under the 2010 Plan pursuant to stock option agreements. The
following is a description of the permissible terms of options under the 2010
Plan. Individual option grants may be more restrictive as to any or
all of the permissible terms described below.
Exercise
Price; Payment
The
exercise price of incentive stock options may not be less than the fair market
value of the common stock subject to the option on the date of the grant and, in
some cases (see “Eligibility” above), may not be less than 110% of such fair
market value. The exercise price of nonstatutory options may not be less than
the fair market value of the common stock on the date of grant.
The
exercise price of options granted under the 2010 Plan must be paid either in
cash at the time the option is exercised or, at the discretion of the Board, (i)
by delivery of other the Company common stock, (ii) pursuant to a deferred
payment arrangement, (iii) pursuant to a net exercise arrangement, (iv) pursuant
to a cashless exercise as permitted under applicable rules and regulations of
the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Federal Reserve Board, or (v) in
any other form of legal consideration acceptable to the Board.
Vesting
Options
granted under the 2010 Plan may become exercisable in cumulative increments, or
“vest,” as determined by the Board. Our Board has the power to accelerate the
time as of which an option may vest or be exercised.
Tax
Withholding
To the
extent provided by the terms of an option, a participant may satisfy any
federal, state or local tax withholding obligation relating to the exercise of
such option by a cash payment upon exercise, by authorizing the Company to
withhold a portion of the stock otherwise issuable to the participant, by
delivering already-owned the Company common stock or by a combination of these
means.
Term
The
maximum term of options under the 2010 Plan is 10 years, except that in certain
cases (see “Eligibility”) the maximum term is five years. Options awarded under
the 2010 Plan generally will terminate three months after termination of the
participant’s service unless: (i) such termination is due to the participant’s
permanent and total disability (as defined in the Code), in which case the
option may, but need not, provide that it may be exercised (to the extent the
option was exercisable at the time of the termination of service) at any time
within 12 months of such termination; (ii) the participant dies before the
participant's service has terminated or within the period (if any) specified in
the stock option agreement after termination of such service for a reason other
than death, in which case the option may, but need not, provide that it may be
exercised (to the extent the option was exercisable at the time of the
participant’s death) within 12 months following the participant’s death by the
person or persons to whom the rights to such option pass by will or by the laws
of descent and distribution; or (iii) the option, by its terms, specifically
provides otherwise. A participant may designate a beneficiary who may exercise
the option following the participant’s death. Individual option grants by their
terms may provide for exercise within a longer period of time following
termination of service.
A
participant’s option agreement may provide that if the exercise of the option
following the termination of the participant’s service would be prohibited
because the issuance of stock would violate the registration requirements under
the Securities Act of 1933, then the option will terminate on the earlier of (i)
the expiration of the term of the option or (ii) three months after the
termination of the participant’s service during which the exercise of the option
would not be in violation of such registration requirements.
Restrictions on
Transfer
The
participant may not transfer an incentive stock option otherwise than by will or
by the laws of descent and distribution. During the lifetime of the participant,
only the participant may exercise an incentive stock option. The Board may grant
nonstatutory stock options that are transferable to the extent provided in the
stock option agreement.
Terms
of Stock Bonus Awards and Restricted Stock Awards
Stock
bonus awards may be granted under the 2010 Plan pursuant to stock bonus
agreements. Restricted stock awards may be granted under the 2010 Plan pursuant
to restricted stock purchase agreements.
Payment
Our Board
determines the purchase price under a restricted stock purchase agreement, but
the purchase price may not be less than the par value, if any, of the common
stock on the date such award is made or at the time the purchase is consummated.
Our Board may award stock bonuses in consideration of past services without a
purchase payment.
The
purchase price of stock acquired pursuant to a restricted stock purchase
agreement under the 2010 Plan must be paid either in cash at the time of
purchase or, at the discretion of the Board, (i) pursuant to a deferred payment
arrangement or (ii) in any other form of legal consideration acceptable to the
Board; provided, however, that payment of the par value of the restricted stock
may not be made by deferred payment.
Vesting
Shares of
stock awarded under the stock bonus agreement may, but need not, be subject to a
repurchase option in favor of the Company in accordance with a vesting schedule
as determined by the Board. Unless the stock bonus agreement provides
otherwise, all shares subject to the agreement will become fully vested upon the
occurrence of a “Corporate Transaction” (as such term is defined in the 2010
Plan) pursuant to subsection 11(c) of the 2010 Plan. Shares of stock
acquired under the restricted stock purchase agreement may, but need not, be
subject to forfeiture to the Company or be subject to other restrictions that
will lapse in accordance with a vesting schedule to be determined by the
Board. Unless the stock purchase agreement otherwise provides, all
restricted shares subject to the agreement will become fully vested upon the
occurrence of a Corporate Transaction pursuant to subsection 11(c) of the 2010
Plan.
The Board
has the power to accelerate the vesting of stock acquired pursuant to a
restricted stock purchase agreement under the 2010 Plan.
Termination
of Service
Upon
termination of a participant’s service, the Company may reacquire any shares of
stock that have not vested as of such termination under the terms of the stock
bonus agreement. The Company will not exercise its repurchase option
until at least six months (or such longer or shorter period of time required to
avoid a change to earnings for financial accounting purposes) have elapsed
following receipt of the stock bonus unless otherwise specifically provided in
the stock bonus agreement.
Upon
termination of a participant’s service, any or all of the shares of common stock
held by the participant that have not vested as of the date of termination under
the terms of the restricted stock purchase agreement will be forfeited to the
Company in accordance with the restricted stock purchase agreement.
Restrictions
on Transfer
Rights
under a stock bonus agreement or restricted stock purchase agreement may not be
transferred except where such transfer is expressly authorized by the terms of
the applicable stock bonus agreement or restricted stock purchase
agreement.
Adjustment
Provisions
If any
change is made to the outstanding shares of common stock without the Company’s
receipt of consideration (whether through merger, consolidation, reorganization,
stock dividend or stock split, or other specified change in the capital
structure of the Company), appropriate adjustments will be made in the class and
maximum number of shares of common stock subject to the 2010 Plan and
outstanding awards. In that event, the 2010 Plan will be appropriately adjusted
in the class and maximum number of shares of common stock subject to the 2010
Plan and the Section 162(m) limitation, and outstanding awards will be adjusted
in the class, number of shares and price per share of common stock subject to
such awards.
Effect
of Certain Corporate Events
In the
event of (i) a sale, lease or other disposition of all or substantially all of
the Company’s capital stock or assets, (ii) a merger or consolidation of the
Company in which the Company is not the surviving corporation or (iii) a reverse
merger in which the Company is the surviving corporation but the shares of
common stock outstanding immediately preceding the merger are converted by
virtue of the merger into other property, whether in the form of securities,
cash or otherwise, any surviving or acquiring corporation may assume awards
outstanding under the 2010 Plan or may substitute similar
awards. Unless the stock award agreement otherwise provides, in the
event any surviving or acquiring corporation does not assume such awards or
substitute similar awards, then the awards will terminate if not exercised at or
prior to such event.
The 2010
Plan provides that, in the event of a dissolution or liquidation of the Company,
all outstanding awards under the 2010 Plan will terminate prior to such event
and shares of bonus stock and restricted stock subject to the Company’s
repurchase option or to forfeiture may be repurchased by the Company or
forfeited, notwithstanding whether the holder of such stock is still providing
services to the Company.
Duration,
Amendment and Termination
The Board
may suspend or terminate the 2010 Plan without stockholder approval or
ratification at any time or from time to time. Unless sooner terminated, the
2010 Plan will terminate on March 8, 2020.
The Board
may also amend the 2010 Plan at any time, and from time to
time. However, except as provided in Section 11 of the 2010 Plan
relating to adjustments upon changes in common stock, no amendment will be
effective unless approved by our stockholders to the extent stockholder approval
is necessary to satisfy the requirements of Section 422 of the Code, Rule 16b-3
under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 or any securities exchange listing
requirements. Our Board may submit any other amendment to the 2010
Plan for stockholder approval, including, but not limited to, amendments
intended to satisfy the requirements of Section 162(m) of the Code regarding the
exclusion of performance-based compensation from the limitation on the
deductibility of compensation paid to certain executive
officers.
Federal
Income Tax Information
The
following is a summary of the principal United States federal income tax
consequences to the participant and us with respect to participation in the 2010
Plan. This summary is not intended to be exhaustive, and does not discuss the
income tax laws of any city, state or foreign jurisdiction in which a
participant may reside.
Incentive
Stock Options. There will be no federal income tax
consequences to either us or the participant upon the grant of an incentive
stock option. Upon exercise of the option, the excess of the fair
market value of the stock over the exercise price, or the “spread,” will be
added to the alternative minimum tax base of the participant unless a
disqualifying disposition is made in the year of exercise. A
disqualifying disposition is the sale of the stock prior to the expiration of
two years from the date of grant and one year from the date of
exercise. If the shares of common stock are disposed of in a
disqualifying disposition, the participant will realize taxable ordinary income
in an amount equal to the spread at the time of exercise, and we will be
entitled (subject to the requirement of reasonableness, the provisions of
Section 162(m) of the Code and the satisfaction of a tax reporting obligation)
to a federal income tax deduction equal to such amount. If the participant sells
the shares of common stock after the specified periods, the gain or loss on the
sale of the shares will be long-term capital gain or loss and we will not be
entitled to a federal income tax deduction.
Nonstatutory
Stock Options, Restricted Stock Purchase Awards and Stock
Bonuses. Nonstatutory stock options, restricted stock purchase
awards and stock bonuses granted under the 2010 Plan generally have the
following federal income tax consequences.
There are
no tax consequences to the participant or us by reason of the
grant. Upon acquisition of the stock, the participant will recognize
taxable ordinary income equal to the excess, if any, of the stock’s fair market
value on the acquisition date over the purchase price. However, to the extent
the stock is subject to “a substantial risk of forfeiture” (as defined in
Section 83 of the Code), the taxable event will be delayed until the forfeiture
provision lapses unless the participant elects to be taxed on receipt of the
stock by making a Section 83(b) election within 30 days of receipt of the stock.
If such election is not made, the participant generally will recognize income as
and when the forfeiture provision lapses, and the income recognized will be
based on the fair market value of the stock on such future date. On that date,
the participant’s holding period for purposes of determining the long-term or
short-term nature of any capital gain or loss recognized on a subsequent
disposition of the stock will begin. If a participant makes a Section 83(b)
election, the participant will recognize ordinary income equal to the difference
between the stock’s fair market value and the purchase price, if any, as of the
date of receipt and the holding period for purposes of characterizing as
long-term or short-term any subsequent gain or loss will begin at the date of
receipt.
With
respect to employees, we are generally required to withhold from regular wages
or supplemental wage payments an amount based on the ordinary income recognized.
Subject to the requirement of reasonableness, the provisions of Section 162(m)
of the Code and the satisfaction of a tax reporting obligation, we will
generally be entitled to a business expense deduction equal to the taxable
ordinary income realized by the participant.
Upon
disposition of the stock, the participant will recognize a capital gain or loss
equal to the difference between the selling price and the sum of the amount paid
for such stock plus any amount recognized as ordinary income with respect to the
stock. Such gain or loss will be long-term or short-term depending on whether
the stock has been held for more than one year.
Stock
Bonus Awards. Upon receipt of a stock bonus award, the
participant will recognize ordinary income equal to the excess, if any, of the
fair market value of the shares on the date of issuance over the purchase price,
if any, paid for those shares. We will be entitled (subject to the
requirement of reasonableness, the provisions of Section 162(m) of the Code, and
the satisfaction of a tax reporting obligation) to a corresponding income tax
deduction in the tax year in which such ordinary income is recognized by the
participant.
However,
if the shares issued upon the grant of a stock bonus award are unvested and
subject to reacquisition or repurchase by the Company in the event of the
participant’s termination of service prior to vesting in those shares, the
participant will not recognize any taxable income at the time of issuance, but
will have to report as ordinary income, as and when the Company’s reacquisition
or repurchase right lapses, an amount equal to the excess of the fair market
value of the shares on the date the reacquisition or repurchase right lapses
over the purchase price, if any, paid for the shares. The participant may,
however, elect under Section 83(b) of the Code to include as ordinary income in
the year of issuance an amount equal to the excess of the fair market value of
the shares on the date of issuance, over the purchase price, if any, paid for
such shares. If the Section 83(b) election is made, the participant will not
recognize any additional income as and when the reacquisition or repurchase
right lapses.
Upon
disposition of the stock acquired upon the receipt of a stock bonus award, the
participant will recognize a capital gain or loss equal to the difference
between the selling price and the sum of the amount paid for such stock plus any
amount recognized as ordinary income upon issuance (or vesting) of the stock.
Such gain or loss will be long-term or short-term depending on whether the stock
was held for more than one year.
Stock
Appreciation Rights. A participant receiving a stock
appreciation right will not recognize income, and we will not be allowed a tax
deduction, at the time the award is granted. When a participant exercises the
stock appreciation right, the fair market value of any shares of common stock
received will be ordinary income to the participant and will be allowed as a
deduction to us for federal income tax purposes.
Potential
Limitation on Company Deductions
Section
162(m) of the Code denies a deduction to any publicly held corporation for
compensation paid to a Covered Employee in a taxable year to the extent that
compensation to such Covered Employee exceeds $1 million. It is possible that
compensation attributable to awards, when combined with all other types of
compensation received by a Covered Employee from the Company, may cause this
limitation to be exceeded in any particular year.
Certain
kinds of compensation, including qualified “performance-based compensation,” are
disregarded for purposes of the deduction limitation. In accordance with
Treasury Regulations issued under Section 162(m), compensation attributable to
stock options will qualify as performance-based compensation if the award is
granted by a committee solely comprising Outside Directors and, among other
things, the plan contains a per-employee limitation on the number of shares for
which such awards may be granted during a specified period, the per-employee
limitation is approved by the stockholders, and the exercise price of the award
is no less than the fair market value of the stock on the date of
grant. The 2010 Plan is designed to comply with this exception from
the deduction limitation under Section 162(m).
Awards to
purchase restricted stock and stock bonus awards under the 2010 Plan will not
qualify as performance-based compensation under the Treasury Regulations issued
under Section 162(m).
THE
BOARD OF DIRECTORS RECOMMENDS THAT STOCKHOLDERS VOTE “FOR” APPROVAL OF THE
ADOPTION OF THE 2010 STOCK INCENTIVE PLAN.
PROPOSAL
3:
SELECTION
OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED
PUBLIC
ACCOUNTING FIRM
The Audit
Committee of the Board has selected J.H. Cohn LLP to continue as the Company’s
independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending October
31, 2010. A representative of J.H. Cohn LLP is expected to be present at the
Annual Meeting. The representative will have an opportunity to make a statement
and will be available to respond to appropriate questions from
stockholders.
Stockholder
ratification of the selection of J.H. Cohn LLP as the Company’s independent
registered public accounting firm is not required by the Company’s Bylaws or
otherwise. However, the Board is submitting the selection of J.H. Cohn LLP to
the stockholders for ratification as a matter of good corporate practice. If the
stockholders fail to ratify the selection, the Board will request the Audit
Committee to reconsider whether or not to retain that firm. Even if the
selection is ratified, the Audit Committee of the Board in its discretion may
direct the appointment of a different independent registered public accounting
firm at any time during the year if the Audit Committee of the Board determines
that such a change would be in the best interests of the Company and its
stockholders.
The
affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the shares represented and
voting at the meeting will be required to ratify the selection of J.H. Cohn
LLP.
Audit
Fees
The
following is a summary of the fees billed to the Company by J.H. Cohn LLP for
professional services for rendered for the fiscal years ended October 31,
2009 and 2008:
Fee Category
|
|
Fiscal 2009 Fees
|
|
|
Fiscal 2008 Fees
|
|
Audit
Fees
|
|
$ |
146,000 |
|
|
$ |
173,500 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Audit-Related
Fees
|
|
$ |
0 |
|
|
$ |
21,100 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total
Fees
|
|
$ |
146,000 |
|
|
$ |
194,000 |
|
Audit
Fees. Consists of fees billed for professional services
rendered for the audit of the Company’s financial statements and review of the
interim financial statements included in quarterly reports and services that are
normally provided by J.H. Cohn LLP in connection with statutory and regulatory
filings or engagements.
Audit-Related
Fees. Consists of fees billed for assurance and related
services that are reasonably related to the performance of the audit and review
of the Company’s financial statements and are not reported under “Audit
Fees.” These services include professional services requested by the
Company in connection with its preparation for compliance with Section 404 of
the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, accounting consultations in connection with
acquisitions, and consultations concerning financial accounting and reporting
standards.
The Audit
Committee has determined that the provision of services, in addition to audit
services, rendered by J.H. Cohn LLP and the fees billed therefore in fiscal 2009
and 2008 were compatible with maintaining J.H. Cohn LLP’s
independence.
THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS RECOMMENDS THAT
STOCKHOLDERS VOTE “FOR” RATIFICATION OF THE APPOINTMENT OF JH COHN LLP AS OUR
INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM.
REPORT
OF THE AUDIT COMMITTEE
Notwithstanding
anything to the contrary set forth in any of the Company’s previous or future
filings under the Securities Act or the Securities Exchange Act that might
incorporate by reference previous or future filings, including this Proxy
Statement, in whole or in part, the following report shall not be incorporated
by reference into any of such filings.
The
responsibilities of the Audit Committee include providing oversight to the
financial reporting process of the Company through periodic meetings with the
Company’s independent registered public accounting firm and management to review
accounting, auditing, internal controls, and financial reporting matters. The
Company’s management is responsible for the preparation and integrity of the
financial reporting information and related systems of internal
controls. The Audit Committee, in carrying out its role, relies on
senior management, including senior financial management, and its independent
registered public accounting firm.
The
following is the report of the Audit Committee with respect to the Company’s
audited financial statements for the fiscal year ended October 31,
2009.
The Audit
Committee has reviewed and discussed the Company’s audited financial statements
with the management. The Audit Committee has discussed with J.H. Cohn LLP, the
Company’s independent registered public accounting firm, the matters required to
be discussed by Statement of Auditing Standards No. 61 (Communication with Audit
Committees) which includes, among other items, matters related to the conduct of
the audit of the Company’s financial statements. The Audit Committee
has also received written disclosures and the letter from J.H. Cohn LLP required
by Independence Standards Board Standard No. 1, which relates to the auditor’s
independence from the Company and its related entities, and has discussed with
J. H. Cohn LLP their independence from the Company.
Based on
the review and discussions referred to above, the Audit Committee recommended to
the Company’s Board of Directors that the Company’s audited financial statements
be included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year
ended October 31, 2000.
The Audit
Committee has retained J.H. Cohn LLP as the Company’s independent registered
public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending October 31, 2009.
It is not
the duty of the Audit Committee to plan or conduct audits or to determine that
the Company’s financial statements are complete and accurate and in accordance
with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States. That is the
responsibility of management and the Company’s independent registered public
accounting firm. In giving its recommendation to the Board of Directors, the
Audit Committee has relied on (i) management’s representation that such
financial statements have been prepared with integrity and objectivity and in
conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States
and (ii) the report of the Company’s independent registered public
accounting firm with respect to such financial statements.
AUDIT
COMMITTEE
John
Ehret
Linde
Kester
William
Reynolds
STOCKHOLDERS’
PROPOSALS
Stockholders
who intend to submit proposals at the 2011 Annual Meeting must submit such
proposals to the Company no later than December 15, 2010 in order for them to be
included in the Proxy Statement and the form of Proxy to be distributed by the
Board of Directors in connection with that meeting. Stockholders proposals
should be submitted to Corporate Secretary, RF Industries, Ltd., 7610 Miramar
Road, San Diego, CA 92126-4202.
FORM
10-K
The
Company will furnish without charge to each person whose proxy is being
solicited, upon request of any such person, a copy of the Annual Report of the
Company on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2009, as filed
with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including financial statements and
schedules thereto. Such report was filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission on January 29, 2009. Requests for copies of such
report should be directed to the Chief Financial Officer, RF Industries, Ltd.,
7610 Miramar Road, San Diego, CA 92126-4202. The Form 10-K may
also be accessed electronically by means of the SEC’s home page on the Internet
at http://www.sec.gov.
ANNUAL
REPORT
The
Company’s 2009 Annual Report, which includes audited financial statements for
the Company’s fiscal year ended October 31, 2009, is being mailed with along
with this Proxy Statement. For your additional convenience, the
Company is posting a copy of this Proxy Statement and the Annual Report for the
fiscal year ended October 31, 2009 on our website at www.rfindustries.com, under
“Investor Information”, and at
http://www.vfnotice.com/rfindustries/.
OTHER
MATTERS
The Board
of Directors knows of no other matters which will be brought before the Annual
Meeting. However, if any other matter properly comes before the Annual Meeting
of any adjournment thereof, it is intended that the persons named in the
enclosed form of Proxy will vote on such matters in accordance with their best
judgment.
James
Doss
Chief
Financial Officer and Corporate Secretary
San
Diego, California
April 16,
2010
APPENDIX
A
RF
INDUSTRIES, LTD.
2010
STOCK INCENTIVE PLAN
(a) The
purpose of the Plan is to provide to eligible recipients an opportunity to
benefit from increases in value of the Common Stock through Stock
Awards.
(b) The
Company, by means of the Plan, seeks to attract and retain the services of
persons eligible to receive Stock Awards, to bind the interests of eligible
recipients more closely to the Company’s own interests by offering them
opportunities to acquire Common Stock and/or cash and to afford eligible
recipients stock-based compensation opportunities that are competitive with
those afforded by similar businesses.
(c) The
persons eligible to receive Stock Awards are the Directors, Employees and
Consultants of the Company and of its Affiliates.
(a) “Affiliate” means any
“parent corporation” or “subsidiary corporation” of the Company, whether now or
hereafter existing, as those terms are defined in Sections 424(e) and (f),
respectively, of the Code.
(b) “Board” means the
Board of Directors of the Company.
(c) “Code” means the
Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.
(d) “Committee” means a
committee of one or more members of the Board appointed by the Board in
accordance with subsection 3(c).
(e) “Common Stock” means
the Common Stock, $0.01 par value per share, of the Company.
(f) “Company” means RF
Industries, Ltd., a Nevada corporation.
(g) “Consultant” means any
individual engaged by the Company or by an Affiliate to render consulting or
advisory services, and who is compensated for such services, or who is a member
of the Board of Directors of an Affiliate. For clarity, the term
“Consultant”
shall not include a Director who is not compensated by the Company other than by
way of fees and other compensation for his or her service as a
Director.
(h) “Corporate
Transaction” means (i) a sale, lease or other disposition of all or
substantially all of the capital stock or assets of the Company, (ii) a
merger or consolidation of the Company in which the Company is not the surviving
entity, or (iii) a reverse merger in which the Company is the surviving
corporation but the shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately preceding the
merger are converted by virtue of the merger into other property, whether in the
form of securities, cash or otherwise.
(i) “Covered Employee”
means the chief executive officer and the four other highest compensated
officers of the Company for whom total compensation is required to be reported
to stockholders under the Exchange Act, as determined for purposes of Section
162(m) of the Code.
(j) “Director” means a
member of the Board of Directors of the Company.
(k) “Disability” means the
permanent and total disability of a person within the meaning of Section
22(e)(3) of the Code.
(l) “Employee” means any
“employee” of the Company or of an Affiliate within the meaning of the
Code.
(m) “Exchange Act” means
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
(n) “Fair Market Value”
means the value of the Common Stock determined as follows:
(i) If the
Common Stock is listed on any established stock exchange, including the Nasdaq
Stock Market, the Fair Market Value of a share of Common Stock shall be the
closing sales price for such stock (or the closing bid, if no sales were
reported) as quoted on such exchange (or the exchange with the greatest volume
of trading in the Common Stock) on the day of determination, or such other
source as the Board deems reliable; or
(ii) In the
absence of such listing of the Common Stock, the Fair Market Value shall be
determined in good faith by the Board.
(o) “Incentive Stock
Option” means an Option intended to qualify as an “incentive stock
option” within the meaning of Section 422 of the Code and the regulations
promulgated thereunder.
(p) “Non-Employee
Director” means a Director who is considered a “non-employee director”
within the meaning of Rule 16b-3.
(q) “Nonstatutory Stock
Option” means an Option not intended to qualify as an Incentive Stock
Option.
(r) “Officer” means a
person who is an “officer” of the Company within the meaning of Section 16 of
the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated
thereunder.
(s) “Option” means an
Incentive Stock Option or a Nonstatutory Stock Option granted pursuant to the
Plan.
(t) “Option Agreement”
means a written agreement between the Company and an Optionholder evidencing the
terms and conditions of an individual Option grant. Each Option Agreement shall
be subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan.
(u) “Optionholder” means a
person to whom an Option is granted pursuant to the Plan or, if applicable, such
other person who holds an outstanding Option.
(v) “Outside Director”
means a Director who is considered an “outside director” within the meaning of
Section 162(m) of the Code.
(w) “Participant” means a
person to whom a Stock Award is granted pursuant to the Plan or, if applicable,
such other person who holds an outstanding Stock Award.
(x) “Plan” means this RF
Industries, Ltd. 2010 Stock Incentive Plan as originally adopted by the Board on
March 9, 2010, and as it may be amended from time to time.
(y) “Rule 16b-3” means
Rule 16b-3 promulgated under the Exchange Act or any successor to Rule 16b-3, as
in effect from time to time.
(z) “Securities Act” means
the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
(aa) “Stock Award” means
any right granted under the Plan, including an Option, a stock bonus, a right to acquire
restricted stock and a stock appreciation right.
(bb) “Service”
means a Participant’s service with the Company or with an Affiliate, whether as
a Director, Employee or Consultant. For purposes of the Plan, a
Participant’s Service shall not be deemed to have terminated solely because of a
change in the capacity in which the Participant renders services to the Company
or an Affiliate or a change in the entity for which the Participant renders such
Service. By way of example, a change in status from an Employee of
the Company to a Consultant or a Director, by itself, will not constitute a
termination of Service. The Board or the Chief Executive Officer of
the Company, in that party’s sole discretion, may determine whether a
Participant’s Service shall be considered interrupted in the case of the
Participant’s leave of absence approved by that party, including sick leave,
military leave or any other personal leave.
(cc) “Stock Award
Agreement” means a written agreement between the Company and a holder of
a Stock Award evidencing the terms and conditions of an individual Stock Award
grant. Each Stock Award Agreement shall be subject to the terms and conditions
of the Plan.
(dd) “Ten Percent
Stockholder” means a person who owns (or is deemed to own pursuant to
Section 424(d) of the Code) stock possessing more than ten percent of the total
combined voting power of all classes of stock of the Company or of any
Affiliate.
(a) Administration by
Board. The Board shall administer the Plan unless and to the
extent the Board delegates administration to a Committee as provided in
subsection 3(c).
(b) Powers of
Board. The Board shall have the power, subject to, and within
the limitations of, the express provisions of the Plan:
(i) To
determine from time to time who, among the persons eligible under the Plan,
shall be granted Stock Awards; when and how each Stock Award shall be granted;
what type or combination of types of Stock Award shall be granted; the number of
shares of Common Stock with respect to which a Stock Award shall be granted; and
the other terms and provisions of each Stock Award granted (which need not be
identical).
(ii) To
reprice any outstanding Stock Awards under the Plan, cancel and re-grant any
outstanding Stock Awards under the Plan and effect any other action that is
treated as a repricing for financial accounting purposes.
(iii) To
construe and interpret the Plan and all Stock Awards, and to establish, amend
and revoke rules and regulations for the Plan’s administration. The
Board, in the exercise of this power, may correct any defect, omission or
inconsistency in the Plan or in any Stock Award Agreement, in a manner and to
the extent it shall deem necessary or expedient to make the Plan fully
effective.
(iv) To amend
the Plan or a Stock Award as provided in Section 12.
(v) To
terminate or suspend the Plan as provided in Section 13.
(vi) Generally,
to exercise such powers and to perform such acts as the Board deems necessary or
expedient to promote the best interests of the Company.
(c) Delegation to
Committee.
(i) General. The Board
may delegate administration of the Plan to a Committee of one or more Directors,
and the term “Committee” shall
apply to any Director or Directors to whom such authority has been delegated. If
administration is delegated to a Committee, the Committee shall have, in
connection with the administration of the Plan, all of the powers theretofore
possessed by the Board, including the power to delegate to a subcommittee any of
the administrative powers the Committee is authorized to exercise (and
references in this Plan to the Board shall thereafter be to the Committee or
subcommittee), subject, however, to such resolutions, not inconsistent with the
provisions of the Plan, as may be adopted from time to time by the Board. The
Board may abolish the Committee at any time and restore to the Board the
administration of the Plan.
(ii) Committee
Composition. In the discretion of the Board, the Committee may
consist solely of two or more Outside Directors or two or more Non-Employee
Directors. Within the scope of such authority, the Board or the
Committee may (1) delegate to a committee of one or more Directors who are not
Outside Directors the authority to grant Stock Awards to eligible persons who
are either (a) not then Covered Employees and are not expected to be Covered
Employees at the time of recognition of income resulting from such Stock Award
or (b) not persons with respect to whom the Company wishes to comply with
Section 162(m) of the Code or (2) delegate to a committee of one or more
Directors who are not Non-Employee Directors the authority to grant Stock Awards
to eligible persons who are not then subject to Section 16 of the Exchange
Act.
(d) Effect of Board’s
Decision. All determinations, interpretations and
constructions made by the Board in good faith shall not be subject to review by
any person and shall be final, binding and conclusive on all
persons.
4.
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SHARES
SUBJECT TO THE PLAN.
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(a) Share
Reserve. Subject to the provisions of subsection 11(a)
relating to adjustments upon changes in Common Stock, the shares of Common Stock
that may be issued pursuant to Stock Awards shall not exceed in the aggregate
500,000 shares of Common Stock. Subject to subsection 4(b), the
number of shares available for issuance under the Plan shall be reduced by
(i) one share for each share of Common Stock issued pursuant to a Stock
Award granted under Section 6 or Section 7 and (ii) one share for
each Common Stock equivalent subject to a stock appreciation right granted under
subsection 7(c).
(b) Reversion of Shares to the Share
Reserve.
(i) Shares Available For Subsequent
Issuance. If any (i) Stock Award shall for any reason expire
or otherwise terminate, in whole or in part, without having been exercised or
paid in full or (ii) shares of Common Stock issued to a Participant pursuant to
a Stock Award are forfeited to or repurchased by the Company, including any
repurchase or forfeiture caused by the failure to meet a contingency or
condition required for the vesting of such shares, then the shares of Common
Stock not issued under such Stock Award, or forfeited to or repurchased by the
Company, shall revert to and again become available for issuance under the
Plan.
(ii) Shares Not Available For Subsequent
Issuance. If any shares subject to a Stock Award are not
delivered to a Participant because the Stock Award is exercised through a
reduction of shares subject to the Stock Award (i.e., a “net exercise”), the
number of shares that are not delivered to the Participant shall no longer be
available for issuance under the Plan. If any shares subject to a
Stock Award are not delivered to a Participant because such shares are withheld
in satisfaction of the withholding of taxes incurred in connection with the
exercise of an Option or a SAR, or the issuance of shares under a stock bonus
award or restricted stock award, the number of shares that are not delivered to
the Participant shall no longer be available for subsequent issuance under the
Plan.
(c) Source of
Shares. The shares of Common Stock subject to the Plan may be
unissued shares or treasury shares.
(a) Eligibility for Specific Stock
Awards. Incentive Stock Options may be granted only to
Employees. Stock Awards other than Incentive Stock Options may be granted to
Employees, Directors and Consultants.
(b) Ten Percent
Stockholders. A Ten Percent Stockholder shall not be granted
an Incentive Stock Option unless the exercise price of such Option is at least
110% of the Fair Market Value of the Common Stock at the date of grant and the
Option is not exercisable after the expiration of five years from the date of
grant.
(c) Section 162(m)
Limitation. Subject to the provisions of Section 11 relating
to adjustments upon changes in the shares of Common Stock, no Employee shall be
eligible to be granted Options covering more than 100,000 shares of Common Stock
during any twelve-month period.
(d) Consultants. A
Consultant shall not be eligible for the grant of a Stock Award if, at the time
of grant, a Form S-8 Registration Statement under the Securities Act (“Form S-8”) is not
available to register either the offer or the sale of the Company’s securities
to such Consultant because of the nature of the services that the Consultant is
providing to the Company, or because the Consultant is not a natural person, or
as otherwise provided by the rules governing the use of Form S-8, unless the
Company determines both (i) that such grant (A) shall be registered in another
manner under the Securities Act (e.g., on a Form S-3
Registration Statement) or (B) does not require registration under the
Securities Act in order to comply with the requirements of the Securities Act,
if applicable, and (ii) that such grant complies with the securities laws of all
other relevant jurisdictions.
(a) General. Each
Option shall be in such form and shall contain such terms and conditions as the
Board shall deem appropriate. All Options shall be designated as Incentive Stock
Options or Nonstatutory Stock Options at the time of grant, and, if certificates
are issued, a separate certificate or certificates will be issued for shares of
Common Stock purchased on exercise of each type of Option. The provisions of
separate Options need not be identical, but each Option shall include (through
inclusion or incorporation by reference in the Option or otherwise) the
substance of each of the following provisions:
(i) Term. Subject to
the provisions of subsection 5(b) regarding Ten Percent Stockholders, no Option
shall be exercisable after the expiration of ten years from the date it was
granted.
(ii) Exercise Price of an Incentive Stock
Option. Subject to the provisions of subsection 5(b) regarding
Ten Percent Stockholders, the exercise price of each Incentive Stock Option
shall be not less than the Fair Market Value of the Common Stock subject to the
Option on the date the Option is granted.
(iii) Exercise Price of a Nonstatutory
Stock Option. The exercise price of each Nonstatutory Stock
Option shall be not less than the Fair Market Value of the Common Stock subject
to the Option on the date the Option is granted.
(iv) Consideration. The
purchase price of Common Stock acquired pursuant to an Option shall be paid, to
the extent permitted by applicable statutes and regulations, either (i) in
cash at the time the Option is exercised or (ii) at the discretion of the Board
(1) by delivery to the Company of other Common Stock; (2) according to a
deferred payment or other similar arrangement with the Optionholder; (3) by a
“net exercise” arrangement pursuant to which the Company will reduce the number
of shares of Common Stock issued upon exercise by the largest whole number of
shares with a Fair Market Value that does not exceed the aggregate exercise
price; provided,
however, that the Company shall accept cash or other payment from the
Participant to the extent of any remaining balance of the aggregate exercise
price not satisfied by such holding back of whole shares; provided, further, however,
that shares of Common Stock will no longer be outstanding under an Option to the
extent that (i) shares are used to pay the exercise price pursuant to the “net
exercise,” (ii) shares are delivered to the Participant as a result of such
exercise, and (iii) shares are withheld to satisfy tax withholding obligations;
(4) by means of so-called cashless exercises as permitted under applicable
rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Federal
Reserve Board; or (5) in any other form of legal consideration that may be
acceptable to the Board. Payment of the Common Stock’s par value, if
any, shall not be made by deferred payment. In the case of any
deferred payment arrangement, interest shall be compounded at least annually and
shall be charged at the minimum rate of interest necessary to avoid the
treatment as interest, under any applicable provisions of the Code, of any
amounts other than amounts stated to be interest under the deferred payment
arrangement.
(v) Transferability of an Incentive Stock
Option. An Incentive Stock Option shall not be transferable
except by will or by the laws of descent and distribution and shall be
exercisable during the lifetime of the Optionholder only by the Optionholder.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Optionholder may, by delivering written
notice to the Company, in a form satisfactory to the Company, designate a third
party who, in the event of the death of the Optionholder, shall thereafter be
entitled to exercise the Option.
(vi) Transferability of a Nonstatutory
Stock Option. A Nonstatutory Stock Option shall be
transferable to the extent provided in the Option Agreement. If the Nonstatutory
Stock Option does not provide for transferability, then the Nonstatutory Stock
Option shall not be transferable except by will or by the laws of descent and
distribution and shall be exercisable during the lifetime of the Optionholder
only by the Optionholder. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Optionholder may,
by delivering written notice to the Company, in a form satisfactory to the
Company, designate a third party who, in the event of the death of the
Optionholder, shall thereafter be entitled to exercise the Option.
(vii) Vesting
Generally. The total number of shares of Common Stock subject
to an Option may, but need not, vest and become exercisable in periodic
installments that may, but need not, be equal. The Option may be subject to such
other terms and conditions on the time or times when it may be exercised (which
may be based on performance or other criteria) as the Board may deem
appropriate. The vesting provisions of individual Options may vary. The
provisions of this subsection 6(a)(vii) are subject to any Option provisions
governing the minimum number of shares of Common Stock as to which an Option may
be exercised.
(viii) Termination of
Service. In the event an Optionholder’s Service terminates
(other than upon the Optionholder’s death or Disability), the Optionholder may
exercise his or her Option (to the extent that the Optionholder was entitled to
exercise such Option as of the date of termination) but only within such period
of time ending on the earlier of (i) the date three months following the
termination of the Optionholder’s Service (or such longer or shorter period
specified in the Option Agreement), or (ii) the expiration of the term of the
Option as set forth in the Option Agreement. If, after termination, the
Optionholder does not exercise his or her Option within the time specified
herein or in the Option Agreement (as applicable), the Option shall
terminate.
(ix) Extension of Termination
Date. An Optionholder’s Option Agreement may provide that, if
the exercise of the Option following the termination of the Optionholder’s
Service (other than upon the Optionholder’s death or Disability) would be
prohibited at any time solely because the issuance of shares of Common Stock
would violate the registration requirements under the Securities Act, then the
Option shall terminate on the earlier of (i) the expiration of the term of the
Option set forth in the Option Agreement or (ii) the expiration of a period of
three months after the termination of the Optionholder’s Service during which
the exercise of the Option would not be in violation of such registration
requirements.
(x) Disability of
Optionholder. In the event that an Optionholder’s Service
terminates as a result of the Optionholder’s Disability, the Optionholder may
exercise his or her Option (to the extent that the Optionholder was entitled to
exercise such Option as of the date of termination), but only within such period
of time ending on the earlier of (i) the date twelve months following such
termination (or such longer or shorter period specified in the Option Agreement)
or (ii) the expiration of the term of the Option as set forth in the Option
Agreement. If, after termination, the Optionholder does not exercise his or her
Option within the time specified herein, the Option shall
terminate.
(xi) Death of
Optionholder. In the event (i) an Optionholder’s Service
terminates as a result of the Optionholder’s death or (ii) the Optionholder dies
within the period (if any) specified in the Option Agreement after the
termination of the Optionholder’s Service for a reason other than death, then
the Option may be exercised (to the extent the Optionholder was entitled to
exercise such Option as of the date of death) by the Optionholder’s estate, by a
person who acquired the right to exercise the Option by bequest or inheritance
or by a person designated to exercise the Option upon the Optionholder’s death
pursuant to subsection 6(a)(v) or 6(a)(vi), but only within the period ending on
the earlier of (1) the date twelve months following the date of death (or such
longer or shorter period specified in the Option Agreement) or (2) the
expiration of the term of such Option as set forth in the Option Agreement. If,
after death, the Option is not exercised within the time specified herein, the
Option shall terminate.
7.
|
PROVISIONS
OF STOCK AWARDS OTHER THAN OPTIONS.
|
(a) Stock Bonus
Awards. Each stock bonus agreement shall be in such form and
shall contain such terms and conditions as the Board shall deem appropriate. The
terms and conditions of stock bonus agreements may change from time to time, and
the terms and conditions of separate stock bonus agreements need not be
identical, but each stock bonus agreement shall include (through incorporation
of provisions hereof by reference in the agreement or otherwise) the substance
of each of the following provisions:
(i) Consideration. A
stock bonus may be awarded in consideration for past services actually rendered
to or for the benefit of the Company or an Affiliate.
(ii) Vesting
Generally. Shares of Common Stock awarded under the stock
bonus agreement may, but need not, be subject to a share repurchase option in
favor of the Company in accordance with a vesting schedule to be determined by
the Board. Notwithstanding the foregoing, unless the stock bonus
agreement otherwise provides, all shares subject to the agreement shall become
fully vested upon the occurrence of a Corporate Transaction.
(iii) Termination of
Service. In the event a Participant’s Service terminates, the
Company may reacquire any or all of the shares of Common Stock held by the
Participant which have not vested as of the date of termination under the terms
of the stock bonus agreement. The Company will not exercise its repurchase
option until at least six months (or such longer or shorter period of time
required to avoid a charge to earnings for financial accounting purposes) have
elapsed following receipt of the stock bonus unless otherwise specifically
provided in the stock bonus agreement.
(iv) Transferability. Rights
to acquire shares of Common Stock under the stock bonus agreement shall be
transferable by the Participant only upon such terms and conditions as are set
forth in the stock bonus agreement, as the Board shall determine in its
discretion, so long as Common Stock awarded under the stock bonus agreement
remains subject to the terms of the stock bonus agreement.
(b) Restricted Stock
Awards. Each restricted stock purchase agreement shall be in
such form and shall contain such terms and conditions as the Board shall deem
appropriate. The terms and conditions of the restricted stock purchase
agreements may change from time to time, and the terms and conditions of
separate restricted stock purchase agreements need not be identical, but each
restricted stock purchase agreement shall include (through inclusion or
incorporation by reference in the agreement or otherwise) the substance of each
of the following provisions:
(i) Purchase Price. The
purchase price under each restricted stock purchase agreement shall be such
amount as the Board shall determine and designate in such restricted stock
purchase agreement. The purchase price shall not be less than the par
value, if any, of the Common Stock on the date such award is made or at the time
the purchase is consummated.
(ii) Consideration. The
purchase price of Common Stock acquired pursuant to the restricted stock
purchase agreement shall be paid either: (i) in cash at the time of purchase;
(ii) at the discretion of the Board, according to a deferred payment or other
similar arrangement with the Participant; or (iii) in any other form of legal
consideration that may be acceptable to the Board in its discretion; provided, however, that
payment of the Common Stock’s par value, if any, shall not be made by deferred
payment.
(iii) Vesting
Generally. Shares of Common Stock acquired under the
restricted stock purchase agreement may, but need not, be subject to forfeiture
to the Company or other restrictions that will lapse in accordance with a
vesting schedule to be determined by the Board.
(iv) Termination of Participant’s
Service. In
the event a Participant’s Service terminates, any or all of the shares of Common
Stock held by the Participant that have not vested as of the date of termination
under the terms of the restricted stock purchase agreement shall be forfeited to
the Company in accordance with the restricted stock purchase
agreement.
(v) Transferability. Rights
to acquire shares of Common Stock under the restricted stock purchase agreement
shall be transferable by the Participant only upon such terms and conditions as
are set forth in the restricted stock purchase agreement, as the Board shall
determine in its discretion, so long as Common Stock awarded under the
restricted stock purchase agreement remains subject to the terms of the
restricted stock purchase agreement.
(c) Stock Appreciation
Rights. Each stock appreciation right agreement shall be in
such form and shall contain such terms and conditions as the Board shall deem
appropriate. The terms and conditions of stock appreciation right
agreements may be changed from time to time, and the terms and conditions of
separate stock appreciation right agreements need not be identical; provided, however, that each
stock appreciation right agreement shall include (through incorporation of the
provisions hereof by reference in the agreement or otherwise) the substance of
each of the following provisions:
(i) Strike Price and Calculation of
Appreciation. Each stock appreciation right will be
denominated in shares of Common Stock equivalents. The appreciation
distribution payable on the exercise of a stock appreciation right will not be
greater than an amount equal to the excess of (i) the aggregate Fair Market
Value on the date of the exercise of the stock appreciation right of a number of
shares of Common Stock equal to the number of shares of Common Stock equivalents
in which the Participant is vested under such stock appreciation right and with
respect to which the Participant is exercising the stock appreciation right on
such date over (ii) an amount (the “strike price”) that
will be determined by the Board at the time of grant of the stock appreciation
right; provided,
however, that the strike price of a stock appreciation right granted to a
Director or Employee shall be not less than the Fair Market Value of the Common
Stock equivalents subject to the stock appreciation right on the date the stock
appreciation right is granted.
(ii) Vesting. At the
time of the grant of a stock appreciation right, the Board may impose such
restrictions or conditions to vesting of such stock appreciation right as it, in
its sole discretion, deems appropriate.
(iii) Exercise. To
exercise any outstanding stock appreciation right, the Participant must provide
written notice to exercise to the Company in compliance with the provisions of
the stock appreciation right agreement evidencing such stock appreciation
right.
(iv) Payment. The
appreciation distribution in respect to a stock appreciation right may be paid
in shares of Common Stock, in cash, in any combination of shares of Common Stock
and cash, or in any other form of consideration, as determined by the Board and
contained in the stock appreciation right agreement evidencing such stock
appreciation right.
(v) Termination of
Service. In the event that a Participant’s Service terminates,
the Participant may exercise his or her stock appreciation right (to the extent
that the Participant was entitled to exercise such stock appreciation right as
of the date of termination) but only within such period of time ending on the
earlier of (i) the date three months following the termination of the
Participant’s Service (or such longer or shorter period specified in the stock
appreciation right agreement), or (ii) the expiration of the term of the
stock appreciation right as set forth in the stock appreciation right
agreement. If, after termination, the Participant does not exercise
his or her stock appreciation right within the time specified herein or in the
stock appreciation right agreement (as applicable), the stock appreciation right
shall terminate.
8.
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COVENANTS
OF THE COMPANY.
|
(a) Availability of
Shares. During the terms of the Stock Awards, the Company
shall keep available at all times the number of shares of Common Stock required
to satisfy such Stock Awards.
(b) Securities Law
Compliance. The Company shall seek to obtain from each
regulatory commission or agency having jurisdiction over the Plan such authority
as may be required to grant Stock Awards and to issue and sell shares of Common
Stock upon exercise of the Stock Awards; provided, however, that this
undertaking shall not require the Company to register under the Securities Act
the Plan, any Stock Award or any Common Stock issued or issuable pursuant to any
such Stock Award. If, after reasonable efforts, the Company is unable to obtain
from any such regulatory commission or agency the authority which counsel for
the Company deems necessary for the lawful issuance and sale of Common Stock
under the Plan, the Company shall be relieved from any liability for failure to
issue and sell Common Stock upon exercise of such Stock Awards unless and until
such authority is obtained.
9.
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USE
OF PROCEEDS FROM STOCK.
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Proceeds
from the sale of Common Stock pursuant to Stock Awards shall constitute general
funds of the Company.
(a) Acceleration of Exercisability and
Vesting. The Board shall have the power to accelerate the time
at which a Stock Award may first be exercised or the time during which a Stock
Award or any part thereof will vest in accordance with the Plan, notwithstanding
the provisions in the Stock Award stating the time at which it may first be
exercised or the time during which it will vest.
(b) Stockholder
Rights. No Participant shall be deemed to have dividend rights
or other rights as a stockholder with respect to any shares of Common Stock
subject to an Option or stock appreciation right unless and until such
Participant has properly exercised the Option or stock appreciation
right. A Participant will have all of the rights of a stockholder as
to any stock bonuses and shares of Common Stock acquired under a restricted
stock purchase agreement as of the date of such Stock Awards, whether or not
then vested, except as otherwise provided in the Stock Award Agreement, and
unless and until the stock bonus or restricted stock is forfeited to the Company
in accordance with applicable vesting requirements, if any.
(c) No Employment or other Service
Rights. Nothing in the Plan or any instrument executed or
Stock Award granted pursuant hereto shall confer upon any Participant any right
to continue to serve the Company or an Affiliate in the capacity in effect at
the time the Stock Award was granted or shall affect the right of the Company or
an Affiliate to terminate (i) the employment of an Employee with or without
notice and with or without cause, (ii) the service of a Consultant pursuant to
the terms of such Consultant’s agreement with the Company or an Affiliate or
(iii) the service of a Director pursuant to the Bylaws of the Company or an
Affiliate, and any applicable provisions of the corporate law of the state in
which the Company or the Affiliate is incorporated, as the case may
be.
(d) Incentive Stock Option Dollar
Limitation. To the extent that the aggregate Fair Market Value
(determined at the time of grant) of Common Stock with respect to which
Incentive Stock Options are exercisable for the first time by any Optionholder
during any calendar year (under all plans of the Company and its Affiliates)
exceeds $100,000, the Options or portions thereof which exceed such limit
(according to the order in which they were granted) shall be treated as
Nonstatutory Stock Options.
(e) Investment
Assurances. The Company may require a Participant, as a
condition of exercising or acquiring Common Stock under any Stock Award, (i) to
give written assurances satisfactory to the Company as to the Participant’s
knowledge and experience in financial and business matters and/or to employ a
purchaser representative reasonably satisfactory to the Company who is
knowledgeable and experienced in financial and business matters and that he or
she is capable of evaluating, alone or together with the purchaser
representative, the merits and risks of exercising the Stock Award; and (ii) to
give written assurances satisfactory to the Company stating that the Participant
is acquiring Common Stock subject to the Stock Award for the Participant’s own
account and not with any present intention of selling or otherwise distributing
the Common Stock. The foregoing requirements, and any assurances given pursuant
to such requirements, shall be inoperative if (1) the issuance of the shares of
Common Stock upon the exercise or acquisition of Common Stock under the Stock
Award has been registered under a then currently effective registration
statement under the Securities Act or (2) as to any particular requirement, a
determination is made by counsel for the Company that such requirement need not
be met in the circumstances under the then applicable securities laws. The
Company may, upon advice of counsel to the Company, place legends on stock
certificates issued under the Plan as such counsel deems necessary or
appropriate in order to comply with applicable securities laws, including, but
not limited to, legends restricting the transfer of the Common
Stock.
(f) Withholding
Obligations. To the extent provided by the terms of a Stock
Award Agreement, the Participant may satisfy any federal, state or local tax
withholding obligation relating to the exercise or acquisition of Common Stock
under a Stock Award by any of the following means (in addition to the Company’s
right to withhold from any compensation paid to the Participant by the Company)
or by a combination of such means: (i) tendering a cash payment; (ii)
authorizing the Company to withhold shares of Common Stock from the shares of
Common Stock otherwise issuable to the Participant as a result of the exercise
or acquisition of Common Stock under the Stock Award, provided, however, that no
shares of Common Stock are withheld with a Fair Market Value exceeding the
minimum amount of tax required to be withheld by law (or such lesser amount as
may be necessary to avoid variable award accounting); or (iii) delivering to the
Company owned and unencumbered shares of Common Stock of the
Company.
11.
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ADJUSTMENTS
UPON CHANGES IN STOCK.
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(a) Capitalization
Adjustments. If any change is made in the Common Stock subject
to the Plan, or subject to any Stock Award, without the receipt of consideration
by the Company (through merger, consolidation, reorganization, recapitalization,
reincorporation, stock dividend, dividend in property other than cash, stock
split, liquidating dividend, combination of shares, exchange of shares, change
in corporate structure or other transaction not involving the receipt of
consideration by the Company), the Plan will be appropriately adjusted in the
class and maximum number of shares subject to the Plan pursuant to subsection
4(a) and the maximum number of shares subject to award to any person pursuant to
subsection 5(c), and the outstanding Stock Awards will be appropriately adjusted
in the class and number of shares and price per share of Common Stock subject to
such outstanding Stock Awards. The Board shall make such adjustments, and its
determination shall be final, binding and conclusive. For clarity,
the conversion of any convertible securities of the Company shall not be treated
as a transaction “without receipt of consideration” by the Company.
(b) Dissolution or
Liquidation. In the event of a dissolution or liquidation of
the Company, all outstanding Stock Awards shall terminate immediately prior to
such event, and shares of bonus stock and restricted stock subject
to the Company’s repurchase option or to forfeiture under subsections 7(a)(iii) and 7(b)(iii)
may be repurchased by the Company or forfeited notwithstanding the fact that the
holder of such stock is still in Service.
(c) Corporate
Transaction. In the event of a Corporate Transaction, any
surviving corporation or acquiring corporation may assume any Stock Awards
outstanding under the Plan or may substitute similar stock awards (including an
award to acquire the same consideration paid to the stockholders in the
transaction described in this subsection 11(c)) for those outstanding under the
Plan. Unless the Stock Award Agreement otherwise provides, in the
event any surviving corporation or acquiring corporation does not assume such
Stock Awards or substitute similar stock awards for those outstanding under the
Plan, then the Stock Awards shall terminate if not exercised at or prior to such
event.
12.
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AMENDMENT
OF THE PLAN AND STOCK AWARDS.
|
(a) Amendment of
Plan. The Board at any time, and from time to time, may amend
the Plan. However, except as provided in Section 11 relating to adjustments upon
changes in Common Stock, no amendment shall be effective unless approved by the
stockholders of the Company to the extent stockholder approval is necessary to
satisfy the requirements of Section 422 of the Code, Rule 16b-3 or any
securities exchange listing requirements.
(b) Stockholder
Approval. The Board may, in its sole discretion, submit any
other amendment to the Plan for stockholder approval, including, but not limited
to, amendments to the Plan intended to satisfy the requirements of Section
162(m) of the Code and the regulations thereunder regarding the exclusion of
performance-based compensation from the limit on corporate deductibility of
compensation paid to certain executive officers.
(c) Contemplated
Amendments. It is expressly contemplated that the Board may
amend the Plan in any respect the Board deems necessary or advisable to provide
eligible Employees with the maximum benefits provided or to be provided under
the provisions of the Code and the regulations promulgated thereunder relating
to Incentive Stock Options or to bring the Plan or Incentive Stock Options
granted under it into compliance therewith.
(d) No Impairment of
Rights. Rights under any Stock Award granted before amendment
of the Plan shall not be impaired by any amendment of the Plan unless the
Participant consents thereto in writing.
(e) Amendment of Stock
Awards. The Board at any time, and from time to time, may
amend the terms of any one or more Stock Awards; provided, however, that the
rights under any Stock Award shall not be impaired by any such amendment unless
the Participant consents thereto in writing.
13.
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TERMINATION
OR SUSPENSION OF THE PLAN.
|
(a) Plan Term. Unless
sooner terminated by the Board pursuant to Section 3, the Plan shall
automatically terminate on the day before the tenth anniversary of the date the
Plan is adopted by the Board. No Stock Awards may be granted under the Plan
while the Plan is suspended or after it is terminated.
(b) No Impairment of
Rights. Suspension or termination of the Plan shall not impair
rights and obligations under any Stock Award granted while the Plan is in effect
except with the written consent of the Participant.
14.
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EFFECTIVE
DATE OF PLAN.
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The Plan
shall become effective upon approval of the stockholders of the Company,
provided that such approval is received before the expiration of one year from
the date the Plan is approved by the Board of Directors, and provided further
that the Board of Directors may grant Options (but not award bonus stock,
restricted stock, or stock appreciation rights) pursuant to the Plan prior to
stockholder approval if the exercise of such Options by its terms is contingent
upon stockholder approval of the Plan as provided above.
The law
of the State of Nevada shall govern all questions concerning the construction,
validity and interpretation of this Plan, without regard to the choice of law
rules.
PROXY
RF
INDUSTRIES, LTD.
a
Nevada Corporation
ANNUAL
MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS
June
3, 2010
THIS
PROXY IS SOLICITED ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
The
undersigned hereby appoints Howard F. Hill and Marvin Fink, or either of them,
as proxies, each with the power to appoint his substitutes, and hereby
authorizes them to represent and vote, as designated below, all of the shares of
Common Stock of RF Industries, Ltd., held of record by the undersigned on April
12, 2010 at the Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be held at 7610 Miramar Road,
Suite 6000, San Diego, California 92126 on Thursday, June 3, 2010, at 9 a.m.
Pacific Daylight Savings Time, or any adjournments or postponement thereof with
all powers which the undersigned would possess if personally present, upon and
in respect of the following matters and in accordance with the following
instructions, with discretionary authority as to any and all other matters that
may properly come before the meeting.
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 Proposals 1, 2 and 3.
(Continued
and to be marked, dated and signed on the other side.
Return
the Proxy promptly using the enclosed envelope.)
THIS
PROXY WILL BE VOTED AS DIRECTED, OR IF NO DIRECTION IS INDICATED, WILL BE VOTED
“FOR” THE PROPOSALS.
THIS
PROXY IS SOLICITED ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
Please
mark your votes like this x
1.
ELECTION OF DIRECTORS:
(To
withhold authority to vote for any individual nominee, strike a line through
that nominee’s name in the list below.)
NOMINEES: John
R. Ehret, Marvin Fink, Howard F. Hill, Robert Jacobs, and William L.
Reynolds
FOR ALL
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WITHHOLD AUTHORITY
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NOMINEES
|
FOR ALL NOMINEES
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¨
|
¨
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2. ADOPTION
OF 2010 STOCK INCENTIVE PLAN
FOR
|
AGAINST
|
ABSTAIN
|
¨
|
¨
|
¨
|
3. PROPOSAL
TO RATIFY APPOINTMENT OF J.H. COHN LLP AS INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC
ACCOUNTING FIRM FOR 2010
FOR
|
AGAINST
|
ABSTAIN
|
¨
|
¨
|
¨
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In their
discretion, the proxies are authorized to vote upon such other business as may
properly come before the meeting
Signature
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Signature
if Held Jointly
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|
Date
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NOTE: Please
sign exactly as name appears hereon. When shares are held by joint
owners, both should sign. When signing as attorney, trustee or
guardian, please give title 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 authorized
person.