XML 33 R18.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT v3.19.1
RELATED-PARTY TRANSACTIONS
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2018
Related Party Transactions [Abstract]  
RELATED-PARTY TRANSACTIONS
RELATED-PARTY TRANSACTIONS

Deferred Compensation

In July 2017, the Company’s Board of Directors terminated the Company’s deferred compensation plans. In accordance with applicable regulations, distribution of the remaining assets and settlement of the deferred compensation obligation was made in July 2018.

In connection with the termination of the Company’s former CEO in 2016, assets valued at $23.3 million were distributed from the trust accounts during 2017.

Employment Agreements:

In connection with the appointment of Ms. Timian-Palmer as the Company’s President and Chief Executive Officer and the appointment of Mr. Webb as the Company’s Executive Chairman, the Company entered into an Employment Agreement with Ms. Timian-Palmer (the “Palmer Employment Agreement”) and an Amended and Restated Employment Agreement with Mr. Webb (the “Webb Employment Agreement”, and together with the Palmer Employment Agreement, the “Employment Agreements”), each of which became effective on August 6, 2018. The Webb Employment Agreement supersedes the Employment Agreement entered into by and between Mr. Webb and the Company, dated January 1, 2017.

Pursuant to the terms of the Employment Agreements, Ms. Timian-Palmer will earn an annual base salary of $389,000 and Mr. Webb will earn an annual base salary of $210,800. Mr. Webb will accrue no amounts for paid vacation or personal time off during the term of the Webb Employment Agreement.

While Ms. Timian-Palmer and Mr. Webb will be employed on an at-will basis, the Employment Agreements provide that in the event that Ms. Timian-Palmer’s or Mr. Webb’s employment with the Company is terminated by the Company without cause or Ms. Timian-Palmer or Mr. Webb resigns for good reason, the Company will provide to such terminated individual, contingent upon a general release of claims against the Company, (i) with respect to Ms. Timian-Palmer, a lump-sum payment equal to Ms. Timian-Palmer’s then-current base salary for a period equal to 36 months, and with respect to Mr. Webb, a lump-sum payment equal to 24 months of Mr. Webb’s base salary as in effect immediately prior to his appointment as Executive Chairman, (ii) a bonus, if any, pursuant to the Amended Bonus Plan (as defined below), in an amount determined by the Compensation Committee pursuant to the terms of the Amended Bonus Plan and as described more fully below, (iii) payment of the cost of COBRA coverage for such individual and his or her dependents through the earlier of a period of one year or the date such individual becomes eligible for health coverage from another employer, and (iv) full acceleration of the vesting of all outstanding equity awards held by such individual.

Executive Bonus Plan:

On August 2, 2018, the Company adopted an Amended and Restated Executive Bonus Plan (the “Amended Bonus Plan”) to provide for the payment of bonuses to Ms. Timian-Palmer and Mr. Webb (collectively, the “Plan Participants”). The Amended Bonus Plan, which has a term of five years from January 1, 2018 through December 31, 2022, amends, restates and supersedes the Company’s Executive Bonus Plan adopted on December 14, 2016 (the “Prior Bonus Plan”).

Pursuant to the terms of the Amended Bonus Plan, a pool of funds will be created for distribution on a yearly basis (the “Bonus Pool”). The first step in calculating the Bonus Pool is to calculate the total revenues and other income of the Company during the year (other than any revenues or other income attributed to the Company’s investments in Synthonics, Inc. and Mindjet Inc. and the Company’s deferred compensation plans (the “Excluded Assets”)) minus (a) the gross invested capital for each asset of the Company (other than an Excluded Asset) that was sold or otherwise disposed of during such year, defined as the book value of such asset as of the date of the sale (or other disposition) of such asset, as determined in accordance with U.S. GAAP and reflected in the Company’s financial records as of such date, plus any impairment or depreciation charges taken by the Company with respect to such asset on or prior to such date; (b) an amount equal to the aggregate of the gross invested capital for each relevant asset as determined pursuant to the immediately preceding clause (a), multiplied by the amount of years (including any partial year) elapsed between January 1, 2018 and the date of the sale or other disposal of such asset, multiplied by 5%; and (c) administrative expenses specified in the Amended Bonus Plan (such resulting amount, the “Total Net Gain”). For assets sold (or otherwise disposed of) entirely or partially for non-cash consideration by the Company, the calculation of Total Net Gain with respect to the non-cash consideration will instead be made in the year in which the non-cash consideration is ultimately sold (or otherwise disposed of) for cash by the Company.

The second step in calculating the Bonus Pool is to multiply the Total Net Gain by the “Adjustment Factor”, which is the greater of (i) a fraction, the numerator of which is the total amount of cash distributed (or committed to be distributed) to the Company’s shareholders with respect to all such assets sold (or otherwise disposed of) during the year, and the denominator of which is the total amount of cash received (after payment of all selling costs, including bankers’ fees and commissions) for which all such assets were sold (or otherwise disposed of) during the year, or (ii) such percentage (not to exceed 100%) as the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors (the “Compensation Committee”) determines in its sole discretion to utilize as the Adjustment Factor. The amount that results from multiplying the Total Net Gain by the Adjustment Factor is the “Adjusted Net Gain.”

The final step in calculating the Bonus Pool is to multiply the Adjusted Net Gain by 8.75%, which results in the actual Bonus Pool. The Bonus Pool will be allocated 55% to Ms. Timian-Palmer and 45% to Mr. Webb. Each Plan Participant will be entitled to his or her allocated portion of the Bonus Pool for the year if he or she is employed by the Company on the last day of the year. Any bonus paid pursuant to the Amended Bonus Plan will be paid 50% in the form of cash and 50% in the form of a RSU award, except that if a Plan Participant incurs a separation from service prior to the date that such RSU awards are scheduled to be granted, such bonus will be paid entirely in the form of cash. Such RSU awards shall be granted pursuant to the terms of the 2014 Plan, will be fully vested on the date of grant, and the number of RSUs subject to such award will be equal to (x) the dollar value of 50% of the total amount of such bonus, divided by (y) the average of the daily volume weighted average prices (the “VWAP”) of the Company’s common stock for all of the trading days during the 30 calendar day period ending on (and including) the last trading day immediately prior to the grant date of such award, rounded down to the nearest whole share. The issuance of any shares pursuant to such RSU awards will occur on the earlier of (i) the third anniversary of the date of grant of such RSU award, (ii) a Plan Participant’s separation from service or (iii) a change of control.

In the event that any Plan Participant’s employment with the Company is terminated in certain circumstances as provided in a written agreement between the Company and such Plan Participant, as applicable, such terminated individual will be entitled to payment of an amount under the Amended Bonus Plan for a portion of the year in which such termination occurs. In order to calculate such amount, the Compensation Committee will first determine the Total Net Gain for the portion of the year prior to such individual’s termination (which Total Net Gain will be determined in the same manner as described above based on the actual revenues or other income of the Company (including sales or other dispositions of assets) during such partial year period; provided, however, that the amount of administrative expenses for such portion of the year will be prorated based on the Compensation Committee’s estimate of the total amount of administrative expenses for such year) (such amount, the “Pro Rata Net Gain”). Second, the Pro Rata Net Gain is multiplied by an adjustment factor which is the greater of (i) a fraction, the numerator of which is the amount of cash distributed (or committed to be distributed) to the Company’s shareholders in connection with the Company’s sale (or other disposition) of assets during such portion of the year, and the denominator of which is the total amount of cash received for which all assets were sold (or otherwise disposed of) during such portion of the year, or (ii) such percentage (not to exceed 100%) as the Compensation Committee determines in its sole discretion to utilize as the Adjustment Factor. The resulting amount is multiplied by 8.75% to arrive at the “Termination Bonus Pool.” In the event that any Plan Participant is entitled to payment of an amount under the Amended Bonus Plan for the portion of the year in which such individual’s termination occurs, such amount will be paid in the form of cash and will be equal to a percentage of the Termination Bonus Pool corresponding to such individual’s allocated percentage of the Bonus Pool.

There was no compensation earned under the Amended Bonus Plan for the year ended December 31, 2018.

Incentive Compensation

Certain officers of Vidler are eligible to receive an annual incentive award based on the combined net income, after certain adjustments, of Vidler. The compensation earned and accrued under this plan during the year ended December 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017 was $100,000 and $414,000, respectively.

Severance Compensation

In connection with the execution of a transition agreement with the Company’s current Chief Financial Officer, $748,000 of severance benefits were accrued during the year ended December 31, 2018.

Sale of Oil and Gas Assets

In conjunction with exiting our residual oil and gas operations, during 2017, the Company sold the majority of the remaining oil and gas lease assets to the service agent the Company had contracted with to operate and manage such oil and gas operations. The Company received book value for the majority of the assets sold resulting in no significant gain or loss on the transaction. The Company sold the legal business entities that were created to operate the oil and gas operations to its service agent. The Company incurred $150,000 of disposal related expenses for the final sale.