EX-99.2 16 g87450exv99w2.htm EX-99.2 COMPENSATION COMMITTEE CHARTER EX-99.2 COMPENSATION COMMITTEE CHARTER
 

Exhibit 99.2

WebMD Corporation

Compensation Committee Charter

As Adopted on February 27, 2004

A.  Purpose

1.   General. The Compensation Committee (the “Committee”) has been established by the Board of Directors (the “Board”) of WebMD Corporation (the “Corporation”) to determine the compensation arrangements of the executive officers of the Corporation, to assist the Board in providing oversight of the compensation programs applicable to other employees of the Corporation and to provide assistance and recommendations to the Board with respect to various other aspects of the Corporation’s compensation policies and practices and related matters.
 
2.   Equity Compensation Plans. The Committee has the authority under the Corporation’s existing equity compensation plans (and shall have the authority under any future equity compensation plans that so provide) to make awards in any form permitted under the respective plans.

B.  Composition

1.   Members. The Committee shall consist of as many members as the Board shall determine, but in any event not fewer than three members. Members of the Committee shall be appointed by the Board in accordance with the By-laws of the Corporation. Committee members shall serve until the earliest of their resignation or their replacement or removal by the Board in accordance with this Charter and the By-laws of the Corporation.
 
2.   Qualifications. Each member of the Committee shall, in the judgment of the Board, meet the following requirements (the “Independence Requirements”):

    all independence requirements, under applicable law, for members of compensation committees of companies listed for quotation on the NASDAQ NMS;

 


 

    all applicable independence requirements of The NASDAQ Stock Market for members of compensation committees of companies listed for quotation on the NASDAQ NMS; and
 
    being free from any relationship that, in the opinion of the Board, would interfere with the exercise of independent judgment as a member of the Committee.

    In addition, each member shall, in the judgment of the Board, also meet the following additional requirements (together with the Independence Requirements, the “Qualification Requirements”):

    being “non-employee directors” (within the meaning of Rule 16b-3 promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended); and
 
    being “outside directors” (within the meaning of Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and the regulations thereunder) (“Section 162(m)”).

    In the event that the Board determines that a member ceases to meet the Qualification Requirements, the Board shall consider the removal and replacement of such member; provided, however, that the Board may, if necessary or appropriate in its judgment, appoint or retain Committee members in reliance on any available exceptions to any of the Qualification Requirements for the time period such exceptions are available. A failure by one or more Committee members to meet any of the Qualification Requirements shall not invalidate decisions made, or actions taken, by the Committee.
 
3.   Chair. A Chair of the Committee may be appointed by the Board or the Committee.
 
4.   Removal and Replacement. The members of the Committee may be removed or replaced, and any vacancies on the Committee shall be filled, by the Board in accordance with the By-laws of the Corporation.

C.     Operations

1.   Meetings. The Committee shall determine the schedule and frequency of the Committee meetings, provided that the Committee shall meet at least twice per year. Minutes of these meetings shall be kept and filed with the Secretary of the Corporation.
 
2.   Agenda; Reports. The Committee shall determine the agenda for its meetings. The Committee may invite other Board members, members of management and others to attend meetings and provide pertinent information and reports, as it deems necessary; provided, however, that the Chief

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    Executive Officer of the Corporation may not be present during voting or deliberations with respect to his or her own compensation arrangements. Nothing in this Charter shall be construed to restrict the reliance by any member of the Committee, to the full extent permitted by law, on information, opinions, reports or statements presented to the Committee by any of the Corporation’s officers or employees, or other committees of the Board, or by any other person selected with reasonable care by or on behalf of the Corporation or the Committee as to matters the Committee member reasonably believes are within such other person’s professional or expert competence.
 
3.   Report to Board. The Committee shall report its actions and recommendations to the Board at the next Board meeting after each Committee meeting or, if so determined by the Committee, by distribution to the members of the Board of the minutes of a meeting, a unanimous written consent or other relevant documents.

D.  Authority and Responsibilities Delegated to the Committee

1.   The Committee shall review and approve compensation arrangements for the Corporation’s Chief Executive Officer and other executive officers and shall have the authority to make any determinations and take any actions it determines to be necessary or appropriate in administering any such compensation arrangements.
 
2.   The Committee shall provide general oversight with respect to compensation policies relating to the Corporation’s other officers and employees and make recommendations to the Board for any changes to such policies that the Committee determines to be necessary or appropriate.
 
3.   The Committee shall review and approve compensation arrangements for non-employee directors in their capacity as directors and members of the standing committees of the Board. The Committee shall review and approve compensation arrangements for any non-employee directors who provide services to the Corporation other than in their capacity as directors.
 
4.   The Committee shall evaluate the Chief Executive Officer’s performance in light of the Corporation’s goals and objectives.
 
5.   The Committee shall assist the Board in overseeing the development of executive succession plans.
 
6.   The Committee shall review the Corporation’s incentive compensation and equity compensation plans and recommend to the Board any changes in such plans that the Committee determines to be necessary or appropriate.
 
7.   The Committee shall administer the Corporation’s equity compensation plans and such other compensation plans as the Board may determine (the

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    “Plans”) in accordance with their terms, shall construe all terms, provisions, conditions and limitations of the Plans and shall make factual determinations required for the administration of the Plans.
 
8.   The Committee shall oversee the Company’s policies on structuring compensation for executive officers to preserve tax deductibility and, as and when required, establish and certify the attainment of performance goals pursuant to Section 162(m).
 
9.   The Committee shall assess the adequacy of this Charter and the procedures developed by the Committee to implement this Charter on at least an annual basis and shall submit any proposed amendments to this Charter that the Committee recommends be made to the Board for its approval.
 
10.   The Committee shall produce a report on executive compensation as required to be included in the Corporation’s annual proxy statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

     The foregoing list is not intended to be exhaustive, and the Committee shall, in addition, have such powers as may be necessary or appropriate in furtherance of the objectives set forth in this Charter or as may, from time to time, be delegated by the Board. The adoption of this Charter shall not be construed to reduce any power or authority previously delegated to the Committee by the Board.

     The Committee shall, to the full extent permitted by applicable law and the listing standards of The NASDAQ Stock Market applicable to the Corporation, have the power to delegate its authority to subcommittees or individual members of the Committee as it deems appropriate. In addition, the Committee shall have the power to delegate its authority to other members of the Board and to members of management as it deems appropriate, to the full extent permitted by applicable law and the listing standards of The NASDAQ Stock Market applicable to the Corporation; provided, however, that in no event may it delegate its authority under Paragraphs 1, 3, 4, 6, 7 and 9 of this Section D.

     The Committee shall have the power to retain consultants, accountants and other outside advisors to advise and assist it in any manner it deems appropriate. The Committee may also retain outside legal counsel, as it deems appropriate. The Committee shall have the sole authority to retain and terminate such consultants, accountants, advisors and counsel and to review and approve their fees and other retention terms and shall have the authority to cause the payment of such fees by the Corporation.

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