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Insider
Trading Compliance Manual
March 6, 2007
In order to take an active role in the prevention of insider trading
violations by its officers, directors, employees, consultants, attorneys,
advisors and other related individuals, we have adopted the policies
and procedures described in this Memorandum.
I. Adoption of Insider Trading Policy
Effective as written above, we have adopted the Insider Trading Policy
attached hereto as Exhibit A (the "Policy"), which prohibits
trading based on material, nonpublic information regarding us ("Inside
Information"). The Policy covers all officers and members of our
board of directors (the "directors"), all our other employees
and its subsidiaries, all secretaries and assistants supporting our directors
and consultants or our contractors or their subsidiaries who have or
may have access to Inside Information and members of the immediate family
or household of any such person, or any affiliate (as such term is defined
under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended) of any such person or our
Company. The Policy (and/or a summary thereof) is to be delivered to
all our new employees, consultants and related individuals who are within
the categories of covered persons upon the commencement of their relationships,
and is to be circulated to all covered personnel at least annually.
II. Designation of Certain Persons
A. Section 16 Individuals. All our directors and
executive officers are subject to the reporting and liability provisions
of Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange
Act") and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder ("Section
16 Individuals"). Attached hereto as Exhibit B is a separate memorandum
which discusses the relevant terms of Section 16.
B. Other Persons Subject to our Policy.
In addition, certain employees, consultants, and advisors as described
in Section I above, or certain of their respective affiliates, have,
or are likely to have, from time to time access to Inside Information
and together with the Section 16 Individuals, are subject to our
Policy, including the pre-clearance requirement described in Section
IV. A. below.
III. Appointment of Compliance Officer
We have appointed Eric G. Walters as the Company's Insider Trading Compliance
Officer (the "Compliance Officer").
IV. Duties of Compliance Officer
The Compliance Officer has been designated by the Board to handle any
and all matters relating to our Insider Trading Compliance Program. Certain
of those duties may be delegated to outside counsel with special expertise
in securities issues and relevant law. The duties of the Compliance Officer
shall include the following:
A. Pre-clearing all
transactions involving our securities by the Section 16 Individuals
and those individuals having regular access to Inside Information,
defined for these purposes to include our employees and our subsidiaries,
all secretaries and assistants supporting such directors, officers
and employees, and consultants or contractors or our subsidiaries
who have or may have access to Inside Information and members of
the immediate family or household of any such person, in order
to determine compliance with the Policy, insider trading laws,
Section 16 of the Exchange Act and Rule 144 promulgated under the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended. Attached hereto as Exhibit
C is a Pre-Clearance Checklist to assist the Compliance Officer's
performance of this duty.
B. Assisting in the preparation
and filing of Section 16 reports (Forms 3, 4 and 5) for all Section
16 Individuals.
C. Serving as our designated
recipient copies of reports filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission by Section 16 Individuals under Section 16 of the Exchange
Act.
D. Performing periodic reviews
of available materials, which may include Forms 3, 4 and 5, Form
144, officers and director's questionnaires, and reports received
from our stock administrator and transfer agent, to determine trading
activity by officers, directors and others who have, or may have,
access to Inside Information.
E. Circulating the Policy
(and/or a summary thereof) to all covered employees, including Section
16 Individuals, on an annual basis, and providing the Policy and
other appropriate materials to new officers, directors and others
who have, or may have, access to Inside Information.
F. Assisting the Board of
Directors in implementation of the Policy and Sections I and II of
this memorandum.
G. Coordinating our counsel
regarding all securities compliance matters.
H. Retaining copies of all
appropriate securities reports, and maintaining records of his activities
as Compliance Officer.
I. Oversee the implementation
of trading suspensions applicable to directors, officers, or some
or all employees that may be ordered by the Board or CEO.
Exhibit A
Application of Policy
This Policy applies to all transactions in our securities, including
common stock, options and warrants to purchase common stock and any other
securities the Company may issue from time to time, such as preferred
stock, warrants and convertible debentures, as well as to derivative
securities relating to our stock, whether or not issued by us, such as
exchange-traded options. It applies to all our officers and directors,
all our other employees and our subsidiaries, all secretaries and assistants
supporting such directors, officers and employees, and our consultants
or contractors or our subsidiaries who have or may have access to Material
Nonpublic Information (as defined below) regarding us and members of
the immediate family or household of any such person, or any affiliate
(as such term is defined under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended)
of any such person or of us. This group of people is sometimes referred
to in this Policy as "Insiders." This Policy also applies to
any person who receives Material Nonpublic Information from any Insider.
Any person who possesses Material Nonpublic Information regarding us
is an Insider for so long as such information is not publicly known.
Definition of Material Nonpublic Information
It is not possible to define all categories of material information.
However, information should be regarded as material if there is a reasonable
likelihood that it would be considered important to an investor in making
an investment decision regarding the purchase or sale of our securities.
Nonpublic information is information that has not been previously disclosed
to the general public and is otherwise not available to the general public.
While it may be difficult to determine whether particular information
is material, there are various categories of information that are particularly
sensitive and, as a general rule, should always be considered material.
In addition, material information may be positive or negative. Examples
of such information may include:
- Financial results
- Projections of future earnings or losses
- Major contract awards, cancellations or write-offs
- Joint ventures with third parties
- Research milestones
- News of a pending or proposed merger or acquisition
- News of the disposition of material assets
- Impending bankruptcy or financial liquidity problems
- Gain or loss of a substantial customer or supplier
- Results of trials
- New product announcements of a significant nature
- Significant pricing changes
- Stock splits
- New equity or debt offerings
- Significant litigation exposure due to actual or threatened litigation
- Changes in senior management
- Capital investment plans
- Changes in dividend policy
Certain Exceptions
For purposes of this Policy, we consider that the exercise of stock
options for cash under our stock option plan (but not the sale of any
such shares) is exempt from this Policy, since the other party to the
transaction is us itself and the price does not vary with the market
but is fixed by the terms of the option agreement or the plan.
Statement of Policy
General Policy
It is our policy to prohibit the unauthorized disclosure of any nonpublic
information acquired in the workplace and the misuse of Material Nonpublic
Information in securities trading.
Specific Policies
1. Trading on Material Nonpublic Information. With certain
exceptions, no officer or director, no employee or its subsidiaries
and no consultant or contractor or any of our subsidiaries and no members
of the immediate family or household of any such person, shall engage
in any transaction involving a purchase or sale of our securities,
including any offer to purchase or offer to sell, during any period
commencing with the date that he or she possesses Material Nonpublic
Information concerning us, and ending at the close of business on the
second Trading Day following the date of public disclosure of that
information, or at such time as such nonpublic information is no longer
material. However, see Section 2 under "Permitted Trading Period" below
for a full discussion of trading pursuant to a pre-established plan
or by delegation.
As used herein, the term "Trading Day" shall mean a day
on which national stock exchanges and the NASDAQ National Market are
open for trading.
2. Tipping. No Insider shall disclose ("tip") Material
Nonpublic Information to any other person (including family members)
where such information may be used by such person to his or her profit
by trading in our securities to which such information relates, nor
shall such Insider or related person make recommendations or express
opinions on the basis of Material Nonpublic Information as to trading
in our securities.
Regulation FD (Fair Disclosure) is an issuer disclosure rule implemented
by the SEC that addresses selective disclosure. The regulation provides
that when we, or person acting on our behalf, discloses material nonpublic
information to certain enumerated persons (in general, securities market
professionals and holders of our securities who may well trade on the
basis of the information), it must make public disclosure of that information.
The timing of the required public disclosure depends on whether the
selective disclosure was intentional or unintentional; for an intentional
selective disclosure, we must make public disclosures simultaneously;
for a non-intentional disclosure we must make public disclosure promptly.
Under the regulation, the required public disclosure may be made by
filing or furnishing a Form 8-KSB, or by another method or combination
of methods that is reasonably designed to effect broad, non-exclusionary
distribution of the information to the public.
It is our policy that all communications with the press be handled
through Michael F. Adams, President and CEO or Eric G. Walters, Vice
President and CFO (telephone (978) 657-0075).
3. Confidentiality of Nonpublic Information. Nonpublic information
relating to us is our property and the unauthorized disclosure of such
information is forbidden.
4. Duty to Report Inappropriate and Irregular Conduct. All
employees, and particularly managers and/or supervisors, have a responsibility
for maintaining financial integrity within our company, consistent
with generally accepted accounting principles and both federal and
state securities laws. Any employee who becomes aware of any incidents
involving financial or accounting manipulation or irregularities, whether
by witnessing the incident or being told of it, must report it to their
immediate supervisor and to our Audit Committee. In certain instances,
employees are allowed to participate in federal or state proceedings.
For a more complete understanding of this issue, employees should consult
their employee manual and/or seek the advice of counsel. The Compliance
Officer can provide you with contact information for our outside general
corporate and securities counsel.
Potential Criminal and Civil Liability and/or Disciplinary
Action
1. Liability for Insider Trading. Insiders may be subject to
penalties of up to $1,000,000 and up to ten (10) years in jail for
engaging in transactions in our securities at a time when they possess
Material Nonpublic Information regarding our Company. In addition,
the SEC has the authority to seek a civil monetary penalty of up to
three times the amount of profit gained or loss avoided by illegal
insider trading. "Profit gained"
or "loss avoided" generally means the difference between
the purchase or sale price of our stock and its value as measured by
the trading price of the stock a reasonable period after public dissemination
of the nonpublic information.
2. Liability for Tipping. Insiders may also be liable for improper
transactions by any person (commonly referred to as a "tippee")
to whom they have disclosed Material Nonpublic Information regarding
our Company or to whom they have made recommendations or expressed
opinions on the basis of such information as to trading in our securities.
The Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") has imposed
large penalties even when the disclosing person did not profit from
the trading. The SEC, the stock exchanges and the National Association
of Securities Dealers, Inc. use sophisticated electronic surveillance
techniques to monitor and uncover insider trading.
3. Possible Disciplinary Actions. Individuals subject to the
Policy who violate this Policy shall also be subject to disciplinary
action by us, which may include suspension, forfeiture of perquisites,
ineligibility for future participation in our equity incentive plans
and/or termination of employment.
Permitted Trading Period
1. Black-Out Period and Trading Window.
To ensure compliance with this Policy and applicable federal and state
securities laws, we require that all officers; directors; employees
with the title of general manager, controller or more senior; and members
of the immediate family or household of any such person refrain from
conducting transactions involving the purchase or sale of our securities,
other than during the period in any fiscal quarter (including the year
end) commencing forty eight hours following the date and time of public
disclosure of the financial results for the prior fiscal quarter or
year with respect to the Form 10-K and Form 10-Q, as applicable, and
ending on the fifteenth calendar day of the third month of the fiscal
quarter (including the year end) (the "Trading Window").
If such public disclosure occurs on a Trading Day before the markets
close, then such date of disclosure shall be considered the first Trading
Day following such public disclosure.
The safest period for trading in our securities, assuming the absence
of Material Nonpublic Information, is generally the first ten Trading
Days of the Trading Window. The last month of each fiscal quarter and
the period of time from the end of such quarter until the public disclosure
of quarterly results are particularly sensitive periods of time for
transactions in our securities from the perspective of compliance with
applicable securities laws. This is because officers, directors and
certain other employees, as any quarter progresses, are increasingly
likely to possess Material Nonpublic Information about the expected
financial results for the quarter. The purpose of the Trading Window
is to avoid any unlawful or improper transactions.
It should be noted that even during the Trading Window any person
possessing Material Nonpublic Information concerning our Company should
not engage in any transactions in our securities until such information
has been known publicly for at least two Trading Days. We have adopted
the policy of delaying trading for "commencing forty eight hours
following the date and time of public disclosure"
because the securities laws require that the public be informed effectively
of previously undisclosed material information before Insiders trade
in our stock. Public disclosure may occur through a widely disseminated
press release or through filings, such as Forms 10-K, 10-Q and 8-K,
with the SEC. Furthermore, in order for the public to be effectively
informed, the public must be given time to evaluate the information
disclosed by our Company. Although the amount of time necessary for
the public to evaluate the information may vary depending on the complexity
of the information, generally two Trading Days is a sufficient period
of time.
Although we may from time to time require during a Trading Window
that directors, officers, selected employees and others suspend trading
because of developments known to us and not yet disclosed to the public,
each person is individually responsible at all times for compliance
with the prohibitions against insider trading. Trading in our securities
during the Trading Window should not be considered a "safe harbor," and
all directors, officers and other persons should use good judgment
at all times.
From time to time, our Company, at the direction of the CEO or the
Board, may also require that directors, officers, selected or all employees
and others suspend trading because of developments known to us and
not yet disclosed to the public. In such event, such persons are advised
not to engage in any transaction involving the purchase or sale of
our securities during such period and should not disclose to others
the fact of such suspension of trading. Such suspension shall last
for the duration of the period set by the Board or the CEO, as applicable
which shall be the earlier of: (i) two Trading Days after such developments
have been disseminated to the public or (ii) such time as the Board
or the CEO, as applicable, have determined that the developments are
no longer material.
Notwithstanding these general rules, Insiders may trade outside of
the Trading Window provided that such trades are made pursuant to a
pre-established plan or by delegation; these alternatives are discussed
in the next section.
2. Trading According to a Pre-established Plan or by Delegation.
Trading which is not "on the basis of" material non-public
information may not give rise to insider trading liability. The United
States Securities and Exchange Commission has adopted Rule 10b5-1 under
which insider trading liability can be avoided if Insiders follow very
specific procedures. In general, such procedures involve trading according
to pre-established instructions (a "Pre-established Trade").
Pre-established Trades must:
a) Be documented by a contract, written plan, or formal instruction
which provides that the trade take place in the future. For example,
an Insider can contract to sell his or her shares on a specific date,
or simply delegate such decisions to an investment manager, 401(k)
plan administrator or similar third party. This documentation must
be provided to our Insider Trading Compliance Officer.
b) Include in its documentation the specific amount, price
and timing of the trade, or the formula for determining the amount,
price and timing. For example, the Insider can buy or sell shares
in a specific amount and on a specific date each month, or according
to a pre-established percentage (of the Insider's salary, for example)
each time that the share price falls or rises to pre-established
levels. In the case where trading decisions have been delegated,
the specific amount, price and timing need not be provided.
c) Be implemented at a time when the Insider does not possess
Material Nonpublic Information. As a practical matter, this means
that the Insider should set up Pre-established Trades, or delegate
trading discretion, only during a "Trading Window" (discussed
in Section 1, above). However, in doing so, the Insider should take
into account the considerations described in Section 1 above, including,
without limitation, the fact that use of the Trading Window may not
provide a "safe harbor" for the Insider. And,
d) Remain beyond the scope of the Insider's influence after
implementation. In general, the Insider must allow the Pre-established
Trade to be executed without changes to the accompanying instructions,
and the Insider cannot later execute a hedge transaction that modifies
the effect of the Pre-established Trade. An Insider wishing to change
the amount, price or timing of a Pre-established Trade, or terminate
a Pre-established Trade, can do so only during a "Trading Window" (discussed
in Section 1, above). If the Insider has delegated decision-making
authority to a third party, the Insider cannot subsequently influence
the third party in any way and such third party must not possess
material non-public information at the time of any of the trades.
Prior to implementing a pre-established plan for trading, all officers
and directors must receive the approval for such plan from our Insider
Trading Compliance Officer. No pre-established plan or any amendment
thereto may become effective until 30 calendar days after the execution
date of any such plan or amendment.
3. Pre-Clearance of Trades
Even during a Trading Window, all Insiders must comply with our
"pre-clearance" process prior to trading in our securities,
implementing a pre-established plan for trading, or delegating decision-making
authority over the Insider's trades. To do so, each officer and director
must contact our Insider Trading Compliance Officer prior to initiating
any of these actions. However, once a pre-established plan or delegation
of trading authority is approved by the Compliance Officer the Insiders
shall not be required to pre-clear trades executed pursuant to the
plan or delegated authority. We also require compliance with the pre-clearance
process from all other employees, consultants and contractors, other
than and in addition to officers and directors.
4. Individual Responsibility
As Insiders, every person subject to this Policy has the individual
responsibility to comply with this Policy against insider trading,
regardless of whether we have recommended a Trading Window to that
Insider or any other Insiders of our company. The guidelines set forth
in this Policy are guidelines only, and appropriate judgment should
be exercised in connection with any trade in our securities.
An Insider may, from time to time, have to forego a proposed transaction
in our securities even if he or she planned to make the transaction
before learning of the Material Nonpublic Information and even though
the Insider believes he or she may suffer an economic loss or forego
anticipated profit by waiting.
Applicability of Policy to Inside Information Regarding
Other Companies
This Policy and the guidelines described herein also apply to Material
Nonpublic Information relating to other companies, including our customers,
vendors or suppliers ("business partners"), when that information
is obtained in the course of employment with, or other services performed
on behalf of us. Civil and criminal penalties, as well as termination
of employment, may result from trading on inside information regarding
our business partners. All employees should treat Material Nonpublic
Information about our business partners with the same care as is required
with respect to information relating directly to our company.
Prohibition Against Buying and Selling
Company Common Stock Within a Six-Month Period
Directors, Officers and 10% Shareholders
Purchases and sales (or sales and purchases) of Company common stock
occurring within any six-month period in which a mathematical profit
is realized result in illegal "short-swing profits."
The prohibition against short-swing profits is found in Section 16 of
the Exchange Act. Section 16 was drafted as a rather arbitrary prohibition
against profitable "insider trading" in a company's securities
within any six-month period regardless of the presence or absence of
material nonpublic information that may affect the market price of those
securities. Each executive officer, director and 10% shareholder of our
company is subject to the prohibition against short-swing profits under
Section 16. Such persons are required to file Forms 3, 4 and 5 reports
reporting his or her initial ownership of our common stock and any subsequent
changes in such ownership. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 requires officers
and directors ("insiders") who must report transactions on
Form 4 to do so by the end of the second business day following the transaction
date. Please note that the prohibition against short-swing profits and
the reporting requirements apply to trades made pursuant to a pre-established
plan or delegation of trading authority.
Profit realized, for the purposes of Section 16, is calculated generally
to provide maximum recovery by us. The measure of damages is the profit
computed from any purchase and sale or any sale and purchase within the
short-swing (i.e., six-month) period, without regard to any setoffs for
losses, any first-in or first-out rules, or the identity of the shares
of common stock. This approach sometimes has been called the "lowest
price in, highest price out"
rule.
Inquiries
Please direct your questions as to any of the matters discussed in this
Policy to our Insider Trading Compliance Officer.
Exhibit B
Section 16 Memorandum
To: All Officer, Directors and 10% Shareholders ("Section
16 Individuals")
Re: Overview of Section 16 Under the Exchange Act of 1934,
as Amended
A. Introduction.
This Memorandum provides an overview of Section 16 of the Exchange
Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), and the related
rules promulgated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC").
Although each executive officer, director and 10% shareholder (commonly
called an "Insider") of AdvanSource Biomaterials Corporation.
is personally responsible for complying with the provision of Section
16, failure to comply strictly with its reporting provision will result
in obligations on the part of our Company to publicly disclose such
failure. Moreover, Congress has granted to the SEC authority to seek
monetary court-imposed fines on Insiders who fail to timely comply
with their reporting obligations.
Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act provides that insiders of a corporation
with a class of securities registered under Section 12 of the Exchange
Act (i) must file an initial report of their beneficial ownership of
equity securities of the corporation (including derivative securities
such as options, warrants and stock appreciation rights) as of the
later of the date on which the corporation becomes subject to Section
12 of the Exchange Act or ten days after the date they attain insider
status, and (ii) must report subsequent changes in their beneficial
ownership of equity and derivative securities of the corporation. Section
16(b) provides that insiders are liable to the corporation for any
profits made on six-month short-swing transactions in the corporation's
securities. Section 16(c) prohibits insiders from engaging in both
traditional short sales of the corporation's securities and certain
other transactions that are economically or functionally equivalent
to a short sale.
B. Reporting Requirements Under Section 16(a).
1. General. An Insider must disclose his or her holdings
at the time he or she attains insider status and must disclose all
subsequent changes in such holdings during the time the individual
is an Insider (and, in certain circumstances, for up to six months
after the individual ceases to be an Insider). Disclosure is made
on one of three forms: the Initial Statement of Beneficial Ownership
of Securities on Form 3; the Statement of Changes in Beneficial Ownership
of Securities on Form 4; and the Annual Statement of Changes in Beneficial
Ownership of Securities on Form 5.
2. Method of Filing.
(a) SEC. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act mandates that all Form 4s must
be filed electronically through EDGAR.
(b) Company. In addition, the rules under Section 16 require that
a copy of the applicable Form be sent to our person designated
by us to receive such reports at the same time that copies are
sent to the SEC. If no person such has been designated, reports
are to be sent to the Corporate Secretary at our principal executive
offices. If the designated person at our company does not receive
a copy of the Form within three days of its due date, we cannot
presume that the filing with the SEC was timely made, which may
result in the need to make disclosure of the late filing in our
proxy statement.
(c) Filing Date. In the event that a due date falls on a weekend
or SEC holiday, the Form will be deemed timely filed if it is received
(or receipt is guaranteed) by the next business day after such
weekend or holiday.
(d) Securities to be Reported. A person who is subject to Section
16 must only report as beneficially owned those securities in which
he or she has a pecuniary interest. See the discussion of "beneficial
ownership" below at Section D.
3. Initial Report of Ownership - Form 3. Under Section 16(a),
Insiders are required to make an initial report on Form 3 to the
SEC of their holdings of all equity securities of the corporation
(whether or not such equity securities are registered under the Exchange
Act). This would include all traditional types of securities, such
as Common Stock, Preferred Stock and Junior Stock, as well as all
types of derivative securities, such as warrants to purchase stock,
options to purchase stock, puts and calls. Even Insiders who do not
beneficially own any equity securities of our company must file a
report on Form 3 to that effect.
(a) Initial Filing Deadline. The initial statement of ownership
for persons who become officers, directors or 10% shareholders
of our company must be filed within ten days after the date on
which they become an officer, director or 10% shareholder, and
should reflect ownership as of the date they became such an Insider.
(b) One-Time Filing. An Insider is required to file an initial
statement of beneficial ownership on Form 3 only once, unless such
person ceases to be an Insider and later becomes an Insider again.
Thus, an additional statement on such Form is not required when
either (1) the Insider attains a second "Insider"
position (such as the election of the President to the Board of
Directors), or (2) an additional class of equity securities of
our Company is registered under Section 12.
4. Changes in Ownership - Form 4. An Insider should use Form
4 to report (i) all transactions that are not exempt from Section
16(b), (ii) all exercises and conversions of derivative securities
(e.g. stock options) regardless of whether they are exempt and (iii)
vesting of options. Directors, officers and 10% shareholders of U.S.
public companies will be required to file their Form 4 reports under
Section 16 of the Exchange Act by the second business day after execution
of a transaction.
(a) Prior Transactions. Our Insiders need not report transactions
that occurred prior to the date they first became an officer, director
or 10% shareholder, and those transactions may not become a basis
for short-swing profit liability such Section 16(b). However, a
director or officer who becomes subject to Section 16 solely as
a result of the issuer first registering a class of its equity
securities pursuant to Section 12 of the Exchange Act is subject
to the reporting and liability provisions of Section 16 with respect
to any transactions conducted in the six months prior to the first
transaction requiring a filing on Form 4 after such registration.
(b) Termination of Insider Status. If a person ceases to be an
officer or director, he or she continues to be subject to the reporting
and liability provision of Section 16 for up to six months following
termination of such status. As a result, he or she must file a
Form 4 with respect to any non-exempt change in beneficial ownership
which occurs within six months after any change in ownership which
occurred before he or she ceased to be an officer or director.
Such an individual must also file a Form 5 after his or her termination
to report exempt and previously unreported transactions for that
portion of the issuer's fiscal year during which he or she was
an officer or director, as well as to report exempt and previously
unreported transactions occurring within six months of the last
transaction conducted while the person was an officer or director
subject to Section 16.
A 10% shareholder whose beneficial ownership (under the Section
13(d) voting or investment control test) drops below 10% need not
report any subsequent transactions on Form 4 after reporting less
than 10% but must file a Form 5 with respect to any exempt or previously
unreported transactions that occurred during the portion of the
fiscal year that such person was a 10% shareholder.
Both Form 4 and Form 5 have an exit box that should be checked
when the Insider after reporting less than 10% files his or her
final Form 4 or Form 5 if a final filing is required.
(c) What Constitutes a Change in Beneficial Ownership. Generally,
an Insider is deemed to have acquired (disposed of) beneficial
ownership of a security at the time he or she makes a firm commitment
to acquire (dispose of) the security. (Please see Section D below
for a complete definition of "Beneficial Ownership.")
If it is necessary that certain conditions outside the Insider's
control be satisfied prior to the consummation of the purchase
or sale and if it is uncertain whether such conditions will be
satisfied, the Insider will not be deemed to have acquired beneficial
ownership or to have divested himself or herself until such time
as the conditions prescribed are satisfied and the undertaking
to purchase or sell becomes a firm commitment.
An Insider is deemed to have acquired ownership of a derivative
security (whether issued by us or a third party) upon grant or
acquisition, regardless of when it becomes exercisable. Similarly,
an Insider is deemed to have disposed of ownership of a derivative
security upon its sale, cancellation or expiration. See Sections
B.6 and C below.
(d) Report Each Change of Ownership. Except for certain exempt
transactions that may be reported on a Form 5, every change of
ownership must be reported on Form 4.
5. Special Transactional Reporting Requirements. Changes
in beneficial ownership that constitute exempt transactions under
Section 16(a) or Section 16(b), other than the exercise of an option,
need not be reported currently on Form 4. Such transactions fall
into two categories: (i) those which must be reported in the annual
filing on Form 5, and (ii) those which need not be reported at all.
The following are some examples of transactions in these categories.
(i) Annual Filing on Form 5
(a) Small Acquisitions. Reporting an acquisition of an equity
security not exceeding $10,000 in market value, or of the right
to acquire such securities, may be deferred until the annual filing
on Form 5, so long as (A) total acquisitions of the same class
of security (including securities underlying derivative securities)
within the preceding six months do not exceed $10,000 in market
value, and (B) the person making the acquisition does not within
six months thereafter make any disposition that is not exempt from
Section 16(b) of the Exchange Act. Once either of the conditions
described in (A) and (B) is not met, the small acquisition must
be reported on Form 4 within ten days after the end of the calendar
month in which the condition(s) fail.
(b) Gifts and Inheritance. Acquisitions and dispositions of our
securities pursuant to bona fide gifts or by will or the laws of
descent and distribution are exempt from the liability provisions
of Section 16(b). Insiders need not report such acquisitions or
dispositions until the Form 5 for the fiscal year in which such
transaction occurs.
(c) Option Grants Under Rule 16b-3. The grant of an option to
an Insider pursuant to Rule 16b-3 is exempt from liability and
is reportable on Form 5. See Section C below.
(ii) No Reporting Required.
(a) Stock Splits and Stock Dividends. Insiders need not report
the acquisition or disposition of stock via stock splits or stock
dividends that are provided pro rata to all security holders, and
such acquisitions and dispositions are exempt from the liability
provision of Section 16(b). It is advisable for Insiders to use
the extra space provided on Form 4 or Form 5 to explain any change
in their holdings resulting from such events.
(b) Pro Rata Rights. Acquisitions of shareholder rights granted
pro rata to all holders of a class of registered equity securities
(including so-called "poison pill" shareholder rights)
are exempt from the reporting and liability provisions of Section
16.
6. Year-End Filing - Form 5. An Insider must file a Form
5 within 45 days after the end of the issuer's fiscal year (May 14)
unless all holdings and transactions that are required to be reported
on Form 5 (including exempt transactions) have already been reported
as of the date the Form 5 is due.
If not previously reported, the following transactions must be reported
on Form 5: (a) any transaction during the last fiscal year that was
exempt from the operation of the short-swing profit recovery rules
under Section 16(b) (such as grants of options under Rule 16b-3);
and (b) any holdings or transactions that should have been reported
during our last fiscal year (two fiscal years for the first Form
5 filed) on a Form 3 or Form 4, but were not reported. The Form 5
filing requirements apply to each person who was an Insider during
any portion of the applicable fiscal year.
7. Reporting Obligations Regarding Certain Transactions in
Derivative Securities. In general, the acquisition or disposition
of any option, warrant, put or call, whether or not transferable
or then exercisable, is a reportable purchase or sale of the underlying
security to which such derivative security relates, and requires
the filing of a Form 4.
(a) Grant of Option or Warrant. If a derivative security is granted
pursuant to Rule 16b-3, the otherwise reportable purchase is exempt
and need not be reported until the annual filing on Form 5. If
an Insider receives a derivative security other than pursuant to
Rule 16b-3, the acquisition is deemed to be a purchase for Section
16 purposes and must be currently reported on Form 4.
(b) Exercise or Conversion of Option, Warrant or Other Right.
The exercise of any option, warrant or other right to purchase
securities must be currently reported on Form 4.
(c) Pledges. The right of a pledgee or borrower of securities
to sell the pledged or borrowed securities is not a derivative
security or "option" for purposes of Section 16, and
the acquisition or disposition of such a right does not require
the filing of a Form 4. Moreover, the SEC Staff has taken the position
that bona fide pledges or loans of securities do not represent
changes in beneficial ownership and need not be reported by the
pledgor or lender. However, the sale of the pledged or borrower
securities by the pledgee or borrower must be reported by the pledgor
or lender and may result in Section 16(b) liability for the pledgor
or lender.
(d) Rights Without a Fixed Price. Rights that do not have a fixed
exercise or conversion price, such as a right to purchase stock
at a future date at a specified percentage of its market value
on the date of purchase, are not derivative securities and need
not be reported, unless such rights have a floor or ceiling to
the exercise or conversion price.
C. Securities Acquired Pursuant to Rule 16b-3.
1. General. Rule 16b-3 generally provides exemptions from Section
16(b) for discretionary transactions by Insiders (e.g., not at the
volition of the Insider). Rule 16b-3 provides that a grant or award
of equity securities is exempt from Section 16 if any of the following
conditions are met:
(1) the transaction is approved in advance by the board of directors
or a committee of the board composed solely of two or more non-employee
directors;
(2) the transaction is approved in advance by the shareholders,
or subsequently ratified by the shareholders by the date of the
next annual meeting of shareholders; or
(3) the securities so acquired are held by the officer or director
for six months following the date of such acquisition.
2. Transactions Must Comply with Rule 16b-3. Individual transactions
must meet certain general requirements in order to qualify for beneficial
treatment under Rule 16b-3.
D. Determining Beneficial Ownership.
The issue of beneficial ownership arises in two contexts under Section
16:
1. Determining Who is a 10% Holder. Beneficial ownership in
the Section 16 context is determined by reference to Rule 13d-3, which
provides that a person is the beneficial owner of securities if that
person has or shares voting or disposition power with respect to such
securities, or can acquire such power within 60 days through the exercise
or conversion of derivative securities.
2. Determining Beneficial Ownership for Reporting and Short-Swing
Profit Liability. For all Section 16 purposes other than determining
who is a 10% holder, beneficial ownership means a direct or indirect
pecuniary interest in the subject securities through any contract,
arrangement, understanding, relationship or otherwise. "Pecuniary
interest" means the opportunity, directly or indirectly, to profit
or share in any profit derived from a transaction in the subject securities.
Discussed below are several of the situations that may give rise to
an indirect pecuniary interest.
(a) Family Holdings. An Insider is deemed to have an indirect pecuniary
interest in securities held by members of the Insider's immediate
family sharing the same household. Immediate family includes grandparents,
parents (and step-parents), spouses, siblings, children (and step-children)
and grandchildren, as well as parents-in-law, siblings-in-law, children-in-law
and all adoptive relationships. An Insider may disclaim beneficial
ownership of shares held by members of his or her immediate family,
but the burden of proof will be on the Insider to uphold the lack
of a pecuniary interest.
(b) Partnership Holdings. Beneficial ownership of a partnership's
securities is attributed to the general partner of a limited partnership
in proportion of such person's partnership interest. Such interest
is measured by the greater of the general partner's share of partnership
profits or of the general partner's capital account (including any
limited partnership interest held by the general partner).
(c) Corporate Holdings. Beneficial ownership of securities held
by a corporation will not be attributed to its shareholders who are
not controlling shareholders and who do not have or share investment
control over the corporation's portfolio securities.
(d) Derivative Securities. Ownership of derivative securities (warrants,
stock appreciation rights, convertible securities, options and the
like) is treated as indirect ownership of the underlying equity securities.
Acquisition of derivative securities must be reported, although the
timing of such reporting depends upon the Rule 16b-3 status of the
employee plan under which the grant was made.
E. Delinquent Filings.
1. Disclosure Requirements. Item 405 of Regulation S-K requires
the Company to disclose in its proxy statements, information statements
and Annual Reports on Form 10-KSB information regarding delinquent
filings under Section 16(a) by Insiders. Our Company must identify
by name its Insiders who, during the fiscal year, reported transactions
late or failed to file required reports, and must disclose the number
of delinquent filings and transactions for each such Insider. We
do not have an obligation to research and make inquiry regarding
the delinquent Section 16(a) filings but may rely on the information
disclosed on Forms 3, 4 and 5. We may also rely on a written representation
from the Insider that no Form 5 filing is required but should retain
the representation for two years. The cover page of Form 10-KSB has
been amended to provide a box which can only be checked by us if
we know at the time of filing that there are no delinquent filings
that will require disclosure pursuant to Item 405. The SEC has indicated
that it will select for review any Form 10-KSB that does not have
the box checked and that they will be using the disclosure of delinquencies
to assist in their enforcement efforts.
2. Correcting Late Filings. If a particular transaction or holding
has not been reported, the Insider must file a new form for the transaction.
The transaction reported in an untimely manner would be disclosed
pursuant to Item 405 for the fiscal year in which the report was
filed, even if the transaction related to and should have been reported
in a prior fiscal year.
3. Potential Liability. The SEC has been empowered by Congress to
seek civil penalties against those who fail to comply with the reporting
requirements of Section 16. Penalties may be sought for any violations
occurring on or after October 15, 1990. Penalties for failure to
timely file may range from $5,000 to $100,000 per violation. Moreover,
if the SEC obtains a cease-and-desist order prohibiting future violations
of the reporting requirements under Section 16, each day that a filing
is late may be treated as a separate offense, thereby multiplying
the penalty amount by the number of days that the form is delinquent.
F. Other Prohibited Insider Transactions Under Section 16(c).
Section 16(c) of the Exchange Act provides that it is unlawful for
an Insider to sell any equity security (including a derivative security)
of the corporation if the person selling the security (1) does not
own the security sold, or (2) owns the security but does not deliver
it against such sale within 20 days thereafter, or does not, within
five days after such sale, deposit it in the mails or other usual channels
of transportation.
Clause (1) above is directed to the tradition "short sale"
where the seller borrows stock to make delivery on sale and repays
his or her loan with securities purchased thereafter.
Clause (2) above is directed to either long sales or "short sales
against the box" where delivery is not made within the required
time limits.
The interactions of Section 16(c) with the derivative securities concept
is not entirely clear, but the establishment of or increase in a "put
equivalent position" (a broadly defined term that includes any
type of short position) is considered functionally and economically
equivalent to a prohibited short sale if the Insider does not own
underlying securities sufficient to cover the put equivalent position.
Exhibit C
Pre-Clearance Checklist
Individual Proposing to Trade:_________________________
Number of Shares covered by Proposed Trade:_________________________
Date:_________________________
____ Trading Window. Confirm that the trade will be made during our "trading
window."
____ Section 16 Compliance. Confirm, if the individual is subject to
Section 16, that the proposed trade will not give rise to any potential
liability under Section 16 as a result of matched past (or intended future)
transactions. Also, ensure that a Form 4 has been or will be completed
and will be timely filed.
____ Prohibited Trades. Confirm, if the individual is subject to Section
16, that the proposed transaction is not a "short sale,"
put, call or other prohibited or strongly discouraged transaction.
____Rule 144 Compliance. Confirm that:
____Current public information requirement has been met;
____Shares are not restricted or, if restricted, the one year holding
period has been met;
____Volume limitations are not exceeded (confirm that the individual
is not part of an aggregated group);
____The manner of sale requirements have been met; and
____The Notice of Form 144 Sale has been completed and filed.
____Rule 10b-5 Concerns. Confirm that (i) the individual has been reminded
that trading is prohibited when in possession of any material information
regarding us that has not been adequately disclosed to the public, and
(ii) the Insider Trading Compliance Officer has discussed with the individual
any information known to the individual or the Insider Trading Compliance
Officer which might be considered material, so that the individual has
made an informed judgment as to the presence of inside information.
________________________________________
Signature of Insider Trading Compliance Officer
Transactions Report
Officer or Director:
I. Transactions in___________ (specify dates):
____ No transactions
____ The transactions described below
| Owner of Record |
Transaction
Date (1) |
Transaction
Code (2) |
Security (Common,
Preferred) |
Number of Securities
Acquired |
Number of Securities Disposed
of |
Purchase/ Sale Unit Price |
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(1) (a)
Brokerage transactions - trade date
(b) Other purchases and sales - date firm commitment is made
(c) Option and SAR exercises - date of exercise |
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d) Acquisitions
under stock bonus plan - date of grant(e) Conversion - date of surrender
of convertible security(f) Gifts - date on which gift is made |
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(2) Transaction Codes: |
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(P) Pre-established
Purchase or Sale
(N) Purchase or Sale (not "Pre-established")
(G) Gift(M) Option exercise (in the money option) |
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(Q) Transfer
pursuant to marital settlement
(U) Tender of shares
(W) Acquisition or disposition of will
(J) Other acquisition or disposition (specify) |
II. Securities Ownership After Sale
A. Our Securities Directly or Indirectly Owned (other than
stock options noted below):
| Title of Security (e.g.,
Preferred, Common, etc.) |
Number of Shares/Units |
Record Holder (if not Reporting
Person) |
Relationship to Reporting
Person |
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B. Stock Option Ownership:
Vesting Dates Expiration Date Exercises to Date (Date, No. of Shares)
| Date of Grant |
Number of Shares |
Exercise Price |
Vesting Dates |
Expiration Date |
Exercises to Date (Date,
No. of Shares) |
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