Loews Corporation Proxy Statement
667
Madison Avenue
New York,
New York 10021-8087
NOTICE
OF ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS
To
Be Held on May 10, 2005
To the
Shareholders:
The
Annual Meeting of Shareholders of Loews Corporation (the “Company”) will be held
at The Regency Hotel, 540 Park Avenue, New York, New York, on Tuesday, May 10,
2005, at 11:00 A.M. New York City time, for the following purposes:
· |
To
elect eleven directors; |
· |
To
ratify the appointment of the Company’s independent auditors for
2005; |
· |
To
consider and act upon a proposal to approve the amended and restated Loews
Corporation 2000 Stock Option Plan; |
· |
To
consider and act upon a proposal to approve the amended and restated Loews
Corporation Incentive Compensation Plan for Executive
Officers; |
· |
To
consider and act upon four shareholder
proposals; and |
· |
To
transact such other business as may properly come before the meeting or
any adjournment thereof. |
Shareholders
of record at the close of business on March 14, 2005 are entitled to notice of
and to vote at the meeting and any adjournment thereof.
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By
order of the Board of Directors, |
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GARY
W. GARSON |
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Secretary |
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Dated: |
March
25, 2005 |
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SHAREHOLDERS
ARE URGED TO COMPLETE, DATE AND SIGN THE ENCLOSED PROXY AND MAIL IT PROMPTLY IN
THE ACCOMPANYING ENVELOPE WHICH REQUIRES NO POSTAGE IF MAILED IN THE UNITED
STATES.
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LOEWS |
CORPORATION |
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PROXY
STATEMENT |
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This
Proxy Statement is furnished in connection with the solicitation by the Board of
Directors of Loews Corporation (the “Company”) of proxies to be voted at the
Annual Meeting of Shareholders of the Company to be held on May 10, 2005. All
properly executed proxies in the accompanying form received by the Company prior
to the meeting will be voted at the meeting. Any proxy may be revoked at any
time before it is exercised by giving notice in writing to the Secretary of the
Company, by granting a proxy bearing a later date or by voting in person. The
Company expects to mail proxy materials to the shareholders on or about March
25, 2005. The mailing address of the Company is 667 Madison Avenue, New York,
NewYork 10021-8087.
Voting
The
Company has two classes of common stock outstanding and eligible to vote at the
meeting, namely its Common Stock (“Common Stock”) and Carolina Group stock
(“Carolina Group stock”). As of March 14, 2005, the record date for
determination of shareholders entitled to notice of and to vote at the meeting,
there were 185,622,949 shares of Common Stock and 68,027,309 shares of Carolina
Group stock outstanding. Each outstanding share of Common Stock is entitled to
one vote and each outstanding share of Carolina Group stock is entitled to
1/10
of a vote
on all matters which may come before the meeting. The election of directors will
be determined by a plurality of the votes cast by the holders of shares present
in person or by proxy and entitled to vote. Consequently, the eleven nominees
who receive the greatest number of votes cast for election as directors will be
elected as directors of the Company. Shares present which are properly withheld
as to voting with respect to any one or more nominees, and shares present with
respect to which a broker indicates that it does not have authority to vote
(“broker non-votes”), will not be counted. The affirmative vote of shares
representing a majority of the votes cast by the holders of shares present and
entitled to vote is required to approve each of the other proposals to be voted
on at the meeting. Shares which are voted to abstain on these matters will be
considered present at the meeting, but since they are not affirmative votes for
a proposal they will have the same effect as votes against the proposal. Broker
non-votes are not counted as present.
The Board
of Directors of the Company has adopted a policy of confidentiality regarding
the voting of shares. Under this policy, all proxies, ballots and voting
tabulations in relation to the meeting that identify how an individual
shareholder has voted will be kept confidential from the Company and its
employees, except where disclosure is required by applicable law, a shareholder
expressly requests disclosure, or in the case of a contested proxy solicitation.
Proxy tabulators and inspectors of election will be employees of the Company’s
transfer agent or another third party, and not employees of the
Company.
Principal
Shareholders
The
following table contains certain information, at February 28, 2005 unless
otherwise indicated, as to all persons who, to the knowledge of the Company,
were the beneficial owners of 5% or more of the outstanding shares of any class
of the Company’s voting securities. All shares reported were owned beneficially
by the persons indicated unless otherwise set forth below.
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Amount |
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Percent |
Name
and Address |
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Title
of Class |
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Beneficially
Owned |
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of
Class |
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Wilma
S. Tisch (1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
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Common
Stock |
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30,109,996
(2) |
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16.2 |
% |
980
Fifth Avenue |
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New
York, NY 10021-8087 |
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Preston
R. Tisch (1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
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Common
Stock |
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29,361,377
(3) |
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15.8 |
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667
Madison Avenue |
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New
York, NY 10021-8087 |
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Davis
Selected Advisers, L.P. (4) . . . . |
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Common
Stock |
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15,857,071 |
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8.5 |
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2949
Elvira Road, Suite 101 |
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Tucson,
AZ 85706 |
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Dodge
& Cox (5) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
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Common
Stock |
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13,758,317 |
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7.4 |
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One
Sansome St., 35th Floor |
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San
Francisco, CA 94104 |
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Brandes
Investment Partners, LLC (6) |
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Common
Stock |
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10,109,948 |
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5.4 |
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11988
El Camino Real |
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Suite
500 |
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San
Diego, CA 92130 |
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FMR
Corp. (“FMR”) (7) . . . . . . . . . . . |
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Carolina
Group stock |
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5,356,800 |
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7.9 |
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82
Devonshire Street |
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Boston,
MA 02109 |
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AXA
Financial, Inc. (8) . . . . . . . . . . . . |
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Carolina
Group stock |
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4,155,176 |
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6.1 |
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1290
Avenue of the Americas |
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New
York, NY 10104 |
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(1) Preston
R. Tisch is Chairman of the Board of the Company. Wilma S. Tisch was the wife of
Mr. P.R. Tisch’s late brother, Laurence A. Tisch. James S. Tisch, President and
Chief Executive Officer and a director of the Company, and Andrew H. Tisch,
Chairman of the Executive Committee and a director of the Company, are sons of
Mrs. Tisch and nephews of Mr. P.R. Tisch. Jonathan M. Tisch, Chairman and Chief
Executive Officer of Loews Hotels and a director of the Company, is the son of
Mr. P.R. Tisch. Each of Messrs. J.S. Tisch, A.H. Tisch and J.M. Tisch are
members of the Company’s Office of the President.
(2) Includes
6,149,562 shares of Common Stock owned by Mrs. Tisch directly or as a nominated
executrix of the estate of her late husband, Mr. L.A. Tisch. Also includes an
aggregate of 23,960,434 shares of Common Stock beneficially owned by her sons,
Andrew H. Tisch, Daniel R. Tisch, James S. Tisch and Thomas J. Tisch. Because of
their family relationships, Mrs. Tisch and her sons have reported their
ownership jointly, solely for informational purposes, in a statement on Schedule
13D filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, but they have not
affirmed that they constitute a “group” for any purpose, and each of them has
expressly disclaimed beneficial ownership of any shares owned by the
others.
(3) Includes
1,292,915 shares owned beneficially by Mr. P.R. Tisch’s wife, 4,419,072 shares
held by Mr. P.R. Tisch as trustee of trusts for the benefit of his wife as to
which he has sole voting and investment power and 4,000,000 shares held by a
trust of which Mr. P.R. Tisch is the managing trustee and
beneficiary.
(4) This
information is as of December 31, 2004 and is based on a Schedule 13G report
filed by Davis Selected Advisers, L.P., as an investment adviser.
(5) This
information is as of December 31, 2004 and is based on a Schedule 13G report
filed by Dodge & Cox. According to the report, the shares covered by this
Schedule 13G are beneficially owned by clients of Dodge & Cox and Dodge
& Cox has sole voting power only with respect to 13,566,917
shares.
(6) This
information is as of December 31, 2004 and is based on a Schedule 13G report
filed by Brandes Investment Partners, LLC. (“Brandes”) as an investment adviser.
This Schedule 13G report was filed jointly by Brandes and the following control
persons of Brandes: Brandes Investment Partners, Inc., Brandes Worldwide
Holdings, L.P., Charles H. Brandes, Glenn R. Carlson and Jeffrey A. Busby. Each
of the control persons disclaims any direct ownership of the shares reported in
the Schedule 13G, except for an amount that is substantially less than 1% of the
Common Stock outstanding.
(7) This
information is as of December 31, 2004 and is based on a Schedule 13G report
filed by FMR Corp. (“FMR”). According to the report, Fidelity Management &
Research Company (“Fidelity”), a subsidiary of FMR, acts as an investment
advisor to various investment companies and is the beneficial owner of 5,243,000
of the shares reported, representing 7.7% of the Carolina Group stock
outstanding. One such investment company, Fidelity Low Priced Stock Fund
(“FLPSC”), owns 4,173,300 of these shares, representing 6.1% of the Carolina
Group stock outstanding. This Schedule 13G report was filed jointly by FMR,
Fidelity, FLPSC, Edward C. Johnson 3d and Abigail P. Johnson. Mr. Johnson is
Chairman and Ms. Johnson is a director of FMR. Mr. Johnson owns 12.0% and
Ms. Johnson owns 24.5% of the outstanding voting stock of FMR.
(8) This
information is as of December 31, 2004 and is based on a Schedule 13G report
filed by AXA Financial, Inc. According to the report, Alliance Capital
Management L.P., a subsidiary of AXA Financial, Inc., acts as an investment
advisor to various unaffiliated third-party client accounts and has sole voting
power with respect to only 1,488,650 shares. This Schedule 13G report was filed
jointly by AXA Financial, Inc., AXA and three French mutual insurance companies,
as a group, as parent holding companies. Each of the filing parties disclaims
beneficial ownership of the shares covered by this Schedule 13G.
Director
and Officer Holdings
The
following table sets forth certain information, at February 28, 2005, as to the
shares of the Company’s voting securities beneficially owned by each director
and nominee, each executive officer named in the Summary Compensation Table
below and all executive officers and directors of the Company as a group, based
on data furnished by them.
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Amount
Beneficially |
Percent |
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Name |
Title
of Class |
Owned
(1) |
of
Class |
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Joseph
L. Bower |
Common
Stock |
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5,500 (2) |
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* |
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John
Brademas |
Common
Stock |
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7,720 (3) |
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* |
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Charles
M. Diker |
Common
Stock |
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3,700 (4) |
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* |
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Paul
J. Fribourg |
Common
Stock |
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18,700 (5) |
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* |
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Walter
L. Harris |
Common
Stock |
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2,000 (6) |
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* |
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Peter
W. Keegan |
Common
Stock |
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52,500 (7) |
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* |
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Philip
A. Laskawy |
Common
Stock |
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5,500 (8) |
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* |
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Arthur
L. Rebell |
Common
Stock |
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37,500 (9) |
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* |
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Gloria
R. Scott |
Common
Stock |
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5,100 (10) |
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* |
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Andrew
H. Tisch |
Common
Stock |
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2,981,609 (11) |
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1.6% |
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James
S. Tisch |
Common
Stock |
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3,182,608 (12) |
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1.7% |
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Jonathan
M. Tisch |
Common
Stock |
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1,025,972 (13) |
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* |
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Preston
R. Tisch |
Common
Stock |
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29,361,377 (14) |
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15.8% |
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All
executive officers and directors as |
Common
Stock |
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36,756,136 (15) |
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19.8% |
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a
group (15 persons including those |
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listed
above) |
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*
Represents less than 1% of the outstanding shares.
(1) Except
as otherwise indicated the persons listed as beneficial owners of the shares
have sole voting and investment power with respect to those shares.
(2) Represents
5,500 shares issuable upon the exercise of options granted under the Loews
Corporation 2000 Stock Option Plan (the “Stock Option Plan”) which are currently
exercisable.
(3) Includes
5,500 shares issuable upon the exercise of options granted under the Stock
Option Plan which are currently exercisable.
(4) Includes
2,700 shares issuable upon the exercise of options granted under the Stock
Option Plan which are currently exercisable.
(5) Includes
12,000 shares owned by an affiliate of ContiGroup Companies, Inc.
(“ContiGroup”). Mr. Fribourg is an executive officer of ContiGroup.
Mr. Fribourg disclaims beneficial ownership in these shares. Also includes
6,700 shares issuable upon the exercise of options granted under the Stock
Option Plan which are currently exercisable.
(6) Includes
1,000 shares issuable upon the exercise of options granted under the Stock
Option Plan which are currently exercisable. In addition, Mr. Harris owns
beneficially 1,830 shares of CNA Financial Corporation, a 91% owned subsidiary
of the Company (“CNA”).
(7) Represents
52,500 shares issuable upon the exercise of options granted under the Stock
Option Plan which are currently exercisable. In addition, Mr. Keegan owns
beneficially 1,000 shares of Diamond Offshore Drilling, Inc., a 54% owned
subsidiary of the Company (“Diamond Offshore”).
(8) Includes
3,500 shares issuable upon the exercise of options granted under the Stock
Option Plan which are currently exercisable and 2,000 shares owned beneficially
by Mr. Laskawy’s wife.
(9) Includes
37,500 shares issuable upon the exercise of options granted under the Stock
Option Plan which are currently exercisable. In addition, Mr. Rebell owns
beneficially 6,668 shares of CNA, including 1,654 shares with respect to which
he has shared voting and investment power, and 8,000 shares of Diamond Offshore,
including 7,500 shares issuable upon the exercise of options to purchase shares
of Diamond Offshore which are currently exercisable.
(10) Represents
5,100 shares issuable upon the exercise of options granted under the Stock
Option Plan which are currently exercisable.
(11) Includes
70,000 shares issuable upon the exercise of options granted under the Stock
Option Plan which are currently exercisable. Also includes 1,844,783 shares held
by trusts of which Mr. A.H. Tisch is the managing trustee and 50,000 shares held
by a charitable foundation as to which Mr. A.H. Tisch has shared voting and
investment power.
(12) Includes
70,000 shares issuable upon the exercise of options granted under the Stock
Option Plan which are currently exercisable. Also includes 2,177,611 shares held
by trusts of which Mr. J.S. Tisch is the managing trustee and 95,000 shares held
by a charitable foundation as to which Mr. J.S. Tisch has shared voting and
investment power. In addition, Mr. J.S. Tisch owns beneficially 87,500 shares of
Diamond Offshore, including 82,500 shares of Diamond Offshore issuable upon the
exercise of options which are currently exercisable, and 6,100 shares of CNA
held by a trust of which Mr. J.S. Tisch is the managing trustee and
beneficiary.
(13) Includes
70,000 shares issuable upon the exercise of options granted under the Stock
Option Plan which are currently exercisable. Also includes 750,972 shares held
by a trust of which Mr. J.M. Tisch is the managing trustee and beneficiary and
105,000 shares held by a charitable foundation as to which Mr. J.M. Tisch
has shared voting and investment power.
(14) Includes
1,292,915 shares owned beneficially by Mr. P.R. Tisch’s wife, 4,419,072 shares
held by Mr. P.R. Tisch as trustee of trusts for the benefit of his wife as to
which he has sole voting and investment power and 4,000,000 shares held by a
trust of which Mr. P.R. Tisch is the managing trustee and
beneficiary.
(15) Includes
396,350 shares issuable upon the exercise of options granted under the Stock
Option Plan which are currently exercisable.
Section
16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance
Based
upon a review of filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission and written
representations that no other reports were required, the Company believes that
during 2004 all of its directors and executive officers complied with the
reporting requirements of Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934.
ELECTION
OF DIRECTORS
(Proposal
No. 1)
Pursuant
to the By-laws of the Company, the Board has fixed the number of directors
constituting the full Board of Directors at eleven. Accordingly, action will be
taken at the meeting to elect a Board of eleven directors to serve until the
next annual meeting of shareholders and until their respective successors are
duly elected and qualified. It is the intention of the persons named in the
accompanying form of proxy, unless shareholders otherwise specify by their
proxies, to vote for the election of the nominees named below, each of whom is
now a director. The Board of Directors has no reason to believe that any of the
persons named will be unable or unwilling to serve as a director. Should any of
the nominees be unable or unwilling to serve, it is anticipated that either
proxies will be voted for the election of a substitute nominee or nominees
recommended by the Nominating and Governance Committee and approved by the Board
of Directors, or the Board of Directors will adopt a resolution reducing the
number of directors of the Company. Set forth below is the name, age, principal
occupation during the past five years and other information concerning each
nominee.
Joseph
L. Bower, 67 -
Donald K. David Professor of Business Administration at Harvard University.
Professor Bower is also a director of Anika Therapeutics, Inc., Brown Shoe
Company, Inc., New America High Income Fund, Inc., Sonesta International Hotels
Corporation and T H Lee-Putnam EO Fund. He has been a director of the Company
since 2001.
John
Brademas, 78 -
President Emeritus of New York University. Dr. Brademas is also a director of
Kos Pharmaceuticals, Inc. He has been a director of the Company since
1982.
Charles
M. Diker, 70 -
Managing Partner of Diker Management LLC, a registered investment adviser. Mr.
Diker is also the Chairman of the Board of Cantel Medical Corp., a provider of
infection prevention and control products and other medical devices. He has been
a director of the Company since 2003.
Paul
J. Fribourg, 51 -
Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer of ContiGroup, a
producer of pork and poultry products and provider of cattle feeding services.
Mr. Fribourg is also a director of Premium Standard Farms, Inc. and Vivendi
Universal, S.A. He has been a director of the Company since 1997.
Walter
L. Harris, 53 -
President and Chief Executive Officer of Tanenbaum-Harber Co., Inc., an
insurance brokerage firm. He has been a director of the Company since
2004.
Philip
A. Laskawy, 63 -
Retired Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Ernst & Young. Mr. Laskawy
held the positions of Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Ernst & Young
until his retirement in 2001. Mr. Laskawy is also a director of General Motors
Corporation, Henry Schein, Inc. and The Progressive Corporation. He has been a
director of the Company since 2003.
Gloria
R. Scott, 66 -
Owner of consulting services firm G. Randle Services. Dr. Scott served as
President of Bennett College in Greensboro, North Carolina until 2001. She has
been a director of the Company since 1990.
Andrew
H. Tisch, 55 -
Chairman of the Executive Committee and a member of the Office of the President
of the Company. Mr. Tisch is also a director of Texas Gas Transmission, LLC and
Boardwalk Pipelines, LLC, each of which is a wholly owned subsidiary of the
Company. He has been a director of the Company since 1985.
James
S. Tisch, 52 -
President and Chief Executive Officer and a member of the Office of the
President of the Company. He is also a director of BKF Capital Group, Inc. and
CNA and Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Diamond Offshore.
He has been a director of the Company since 1986.
Jonathan
M. Tisch, 51 -
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Loews Hotels since 2001 and a member of
the Office of the President of the Company. Prior to 2001, Mr. Tisch had
been President and Chief Executive Officer of Loews Hotels. He has been a
director of the Company since 1986.
Preston
R. Tisch, 78 -
Chairman of the Board of the Company. Mr. Tisch is also a director of CNA. He
has been a director of the Company since 1960, except for a period from 1986 to
1988 during which he resigned to serve as Postmaster General of the United
States.
Director
Independence
The Board
of Directors has determined that the following directors, constituting a
majority of the Company’s directors and nominees, are independent under the
listing standards of the New York Stock Exchange (“Independent Directors”):
Joseph L. Bower, John Brademas, Charles M. Diker, Paul J. Fribourg, Walter L.
Harris, Philip A. Laskawy and Gloria R. Scott. The Board considered all relevant
facts and circumstances and applied the independence guidelines described below
in determining that none of the Independent Directors has any material
relationship with the Company or its subsidiaries.
The Board
has established guidelines to assist it in determining director independence.
Under the Board’s guidelines, a director would not be considered independent if
any of the following relationships exists: (i) during the past three years the
director has been an employee, or an immediate family member has been an
executive officer, of the Company; (ii) the director or an immediate family
member received, during any twelve month period within the past three years,
more than $100,000 in direct compensation from the Company, excluding director
and committee fees, pension payments and certain forms of deferred compensation;
(iii) the director is a current partner or employee or an immediate family
member is a current partner of a firm that is the Company’s internal or external
auditor, or an immediate family member is a current employee of such a firm and
participates in the firm’s audit, assurance or tax compliance (but not tax
planning) practice or, within the last three years, the director or an immediate
family member was a partner or
employee
of such a firm and personally worked on the Company’s audit within that time;
(iv) the director or an immediate family member has at any time during the past
three years been employed as an executive officer of another company where any
of the Company’s present executive officers at the same time serves or served on
that company’s compensation committee; or (v) the director is a current
employee, or an immediate family member is a current executive officer, of a
company that has made payments to, or received payments from, the Company for
property or services in an amount which, in any of the last three years, exceeds
the greater of $1 million, or 2% of the other company’s consolidated gross
revenues.
In making
its determination, the Board also considered the commercial relationship of
certain of the Company’s subsidiaries and affiliates with Tanenbaum-Harber Co.
Inc., of which Walter L. Harris is President and Chief Executive Officer, and
certain of its affiliates, and determined that Mr. Harris meets all of the
requirements described above for Independent Directors and does not otherwise
have a material relationship with the Company.
Committees
of the Board
The
Company’s Board of Directors has a standing Audit Committee, Compensation
Committee, Nominating and Governance Committee, Executive Committee and Finance
Committee. Each of the Audit Committee, Compensation Committee and Nominating
and Governance Committee has a written charter which can be found on the
Company’s website at www.loews.com and is
available in print to any shareholder who requests a copy by writing to the
Company’s Corporate Secretary.
Audit
Committee. The
primary function of the Audit Committee is to assist the Board of Directors in
fulfilling its responsibility to oversee management’s conduct of the Company’s
financial reporting process, including review of the financial reports and other
financial information of the Company, the Company’s system of internal
accounting controls, the Company’s compliance with legal and regulatory
requirements, the qualifications and independence of the Company’s independent
auditors and the performance of the Company’s internal audit staff and
independent auditors. The Audit Committee has sole authority to appoint, retain,
compensate, evaluate and terminate the independent auditors and to approve all
engagement fees and terms for the independent auditors.
The
members of the Audit Committee are Paul J. Fribourg (Chairman), Charles M.
Diker, Philip A. Laskawy and Gloria R. Scott, each of whom is an Independent
Director and satisfies the additional independence and other requirements for
Audit Committee members provided for in the listing standards of the New York
Stock Exchange. The Board has determined that Mr. Laskawy is a “financial
expert” under the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission and that his
simultaneous service on the audit committees of three public companies, in
addition to the Company’s Audit Committee, does not impair his ability to
effectively serve on the Company’s Audit Committee.
Compensation
Committee. The
primary function of the Compensation Committee is to assist the Board of
Directors in discharging its responsibilities relating to compensation of the
Company’s executives. These responsibilities include reviewing the Company’s
general compensation philosophy for executive officers, overseeing the
development and implementation of compensation programs for executive officers
and reviewing compensation levels, including incentive and equity-based
compensation, for executive officers, directors and Board committee members. The
Compensation Committee determines and approves compensation for the Company’s
Chief Executive Officer and administers the Company’s incentive and equity-based
compensation plans. The members of the Compensation Committee are John Brademas
(Chairman), Joseph L. Bower, Charles M. Diker and Paul J. Fribourg, each of whom
is an Independent Director.
Nominating
and Governance Committee. The
primary functions of the Nominating and Governance Committee are to identify
individuals qualified to become members of the Board of Directors of the
Company, recommend to the Board a slate of director nominees for election at the
next annual meeting of shareholders and develop and recommend to the Board a set
of corporate governance principles applicable to the Company. These corporate
governance principles are set forth in the Company’s Corporate Governance
Guidelines which can be found on the Company’s website at www.loews.com
and are
available in print to any shareholder who requests a copy by writing to the
Company’s Corporate Secretary. The
members of the Nominating and Governance Committee are Paul J. Fribourg
(Chairman), Joseph L. Bower, Walter L. Harris and Gloria R. Scott, each of whom
is an Independent Director.
Director
Nominating Process
In
evaluating potential director nominees, including those identified by
shareholders, for recommendation to the Board of Directors, the Nominating and
Governance Committee seeks individuals with talent, ability and experience from
a wide variety of backgrounds to provide a diverse spectrum of experience and
expertise relevant to a diversified business enterprise such as the Company. A
candidate should represent the interests of all shareholders, and not those of a
special interest group, have a reputation for integrity and be willing to make a
significant commitment to fulfilling the duties of a director. The Nominating
and Governance Committee will screen and evaluate all recommended director
nominees based on the criteria set forth above, as well as other relevant
considerations. The Nominating and Governance Committee will retain full
discretion in considering its nomination recommendations to the
Board.
Executive
Sessions of Non-Management Directors
The
Company’s non-management directors meet in regular executive sessions without
management participation. The Chairman of the Nominating and Governance
Committee, currently Paul J. Fribourg, serves as the presiding director at these
meetings.
Director
Attendance at Meetings
During
2004 there were eight meetings of the Board of Directors, thirteen meetings of
the Audit Committee, three meetings of the Compensation Committee and two
meetings of the Nominating and Governance Committee. During 2004, each director
of the Company attended not less than 75% of the total number of meetings of the
Board of Directors and committees of the Board on which that director served.
The Board encourages all directors to attend the Company’s annual meeting of
shareholders, but recognizes that circumstances may prevent attendance from time
to time. All but one of the Company’s directors then serving attended its 2004
Annual Meeting of Shareholders.
Director
Compensation
Each
director who is not an employee of the Company receives the following annual
compensation: (i) a cash retainer of $50,000, payable in equal quarterly
installments of $12,500 each; and (ii) options to purchase 2,000 shares of the
Company’s Common Stock, awarded in equal quarterly grants of 500 options each.
In
addition, members of the Audit Committee are paid $2,000 and members of the
Compensation Committee and Nominating and Governance Committee are paid $1,000
for each committee meeting attended.
Code
of Ethics
The
Company has a Code of Business Conduct and Ethics which applies to all of the
Company’s directors, officers and employees, including the Company’s principal
executive officer, principal financial officer and principal accounting officer.
This Code can be found on the Company’s website at www.loews.com
and is
available in print to any shareholder who requests a copy by writing to the
Company’s Corporate Secretary. The Company intends to post changes to or waivers
of this Code for its principal executive officer, principal financial officer
and principal accounting officer on its website.
AUDIT
COMMITTEE REPORT
As
discussed above under the heading “Committees of the Board - Audit Committee,”
the primary role of the Board’s Audit Committee is to oversee the Company’s
financial reporting process and manage its relationship with the independent
auditors. In fulfilling its responsibilities, the Audit Committee has reviewed
and discussed the Company’s audited financial statements for the year ended
December 31, 2004 with the Company’s management and independent auditors. The
Audit Committee has also discussed with the Company’s independent auditors the
matters required to be discussed by Statement on Auditing Standards No. 61,
“Communication with Audit Committees,” as amended. In addition, the Audit
Committee has discussed with the independent auditors their independence in
relation to the Company and its management, including the matters in the written
disclosures provided to the Audit Committee as required by Independence
Standards Board Standard No. 1, “Independence Discussions with Audit
Committees,” and has determined that the provision of non-audit services
provided by the auditors is compatible with maintaining the auditors’
independence. (See “Audit Fees and Services,” below.)
The
members of the Audit Committee rely without independent verification on the
information provided to them by management and the independent auditors and on
management’s representation that the Company’s financial statements have been
prepared with integrity and objectivity. They do not provide any expert or
special assurance as to the Company’s financial statements or any professional
certification as to the independent auditors’ work. Accordingly, the Audit
Committee’s oversight does not provide an independent basis to determine that
management has applied appropriate accounting and financial reporting principles
or internal controls and procedures, that the audit of the Company’s financial
statements has been carried out in accordance with generally accepted auditing
standards, that the Company’s financial statements are presented in accordance
with generally accepted accounting principles, or that the Company’s auditors
are in fact “independent.”
Based
upon the reviews and discussions referred to above, the Audit Committee
recommended to the Board of Directors that the audited financial statements be
included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December
31, 2004, which has been filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission.
By the
Audit Committee:
Paul
J. Fribourg, Chairman
Charles
M. Diker
Philip
A. Laskawy
Gloria
R. Scott
EXECUTIVE
COMPENSATION
The
following table sets forth information for the years indicated regarding the
compensation of the Chief Executive Officer and each of the other four most
highly compensated executive officers of the Company as of December 31, 2004
(the “Named Executive Officers”) for services in all capacities to the Company
and its subsidiaries.
SUMMARY
COMPENSATION TABLE
|
|
|
|
Long
Term |
|
|
|
|
Annual
Compensation |
|
|
Compensation |
|
|
|
|
|
Securities |
|
|
|
|
|
Underlying |
All
Other |
Name
and Position |
Year |
Salary
(1) |
Bonus |
Options |
Compensation
(2) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
J.S.
Tisch |
2004 |
|
$ |
1,279,831 |
(3) |
|
|
$ |
1,050,000 |
(4) |
|
20,000 |
|
$ |
49,705 |
(5) |
|
Chief
Executive |
2003 |
|
|
1,108,619 |
(3) |
|
|
|
250,000 |
(4) |
|
20,000 |
|
|
48,711 |
(5) |
|
Officer,
Office |
2002 |
|
|
1,208,711 |
(3) |
|
|
|
850,000 |
(4) |
|
20,000 |
|
|
48,336 |
(5) |
|
of
the President |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
A.H.
Tisch |
2004 |
|
|
979,831 |
|
|
|
|
1,050,000 |
(4) |
|
20,000 |
|
|
7,641 |
|
|
Chairman
of |
2003 |
|
|
808,619 |
|
|
|
|
250,000 |
(4) |
|
20,000 |
|
|
8,368 |
|
|
the
Executive |
2002 |
|
|
908,711 |
|
|
|
|
850,000 |
(4) |
|
20,000 |
|
|
8,547 |
|
|
Committee, |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Office
of the |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
President |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
J.M.
Tisch |
2004 |
|
|
979,831 |
|
|
|
|
1,050,000 |
(4) |
|
20,000 |
|
|
7,524 |
|
|
Chairman
and |
2003 |
|
|
808,619 |
|
|
|
|
250,000 |
(4) |
|
20,000 |
|
|
8,276 |
|
|
Chief
Executive |
2002 |
|
|
908,711 |
|
|
|
|
850,000 |
(4) |
|
20,000 |
|
|
7,826 |
|
|
Officer
of |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Loews
Hotels, |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Office
of |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
the
President |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
A.L.
Rebell |
2004 |
|
|
980,144 |
|
|
|
|
2,000,000 |
(7) |
|
15,000 |
|
|
6,900 |
|
|
Senior
Vice |
2003 |
|
|
981,696 |
|
|
|
|
200,000 |
(7) |
|
15,000 |
|
|
8,000 |
|
|
President
(6) |
2002 |
|
|
982,121 |
|
|
|
|
1,650,000 |
(7) |
|
15,000 |
|
|
7,700 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
P.W.
Keegan |
2004 |
|
|
995,253 |
|
|
|
|
500,000 |
(8) |
|
15,000 |
|
|
6,877 |
|
|
Senior
Vice |
2003 |
|
|
995,322 |
|
|
|
|
150,000 |
(8) |
|
15,000 |
|
|
8,000 |
|
|
President,
Chief |
2002 |
|
|
995,672 |
|
|
|
|
75,000 |
(8) |
|
15,000 |
|
|
7,677 |
|
|
Financial
Officer |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(1) Salary
includes payments to the Named Executive Officer based on benefit choices under
the Company’s flexible benefits plan.
(2) Except
as otherwise noted, represents the annual contribution under the Company’s
Employees Savings Plan and any related allocation under the Company’s Benefit
Equalization Plan.
(3) Includes
annual compensation for services as chief executive officer of Diamond Offshore
of $300,000.
(4) Represents
unfunded supplemental retirement credits of $250,000 each (exclusive of interest
and pay-based credits) in 2002, 2003 and 2004 pursuant to a supplemental
retirement agreement (see “Pension Plan,” below) and payouts of $800,000 and
$600,000 for 2004 and 2002, respectively, under the Company’s Incentive
Compensation Plan for Executive Officers (the “Incentive Compensation
Plan”).
(5) Also
includes director’s fees paid by CNA amounting to $35,000 for 2004 and $33,000
for each of 2003 and 2002, and insurance premiums and retirement plan
contributions paid by Diamond Offshore of $7,181, $7,434 and $7,509 for 2004,
2003 and 2002, respectively.
(6) Prior
to July 2003, Mr. Rebell was also the Company’s Chief Investment
Officer.
(7) Represents
unfunded supplemental retirement credits of $1,000,000 and $200,000 (exclusive
of interest and pay-based credits) in 2004 and 2003, respectively, pursuant to a
supplemental retirement agreement, and payouts of $1,000,000 and $1,650,000 for
2004 and 2002, respectively, under the Incentive Compensation Plan.
(8) Represents
unfunded supplemental retirement credits of $500,000 and $150,000 (exclusive of
interest based credits) in 2004 and 2003, respectively, pursuant to a
supplemental retirement agreement, and a payout of $75,000 for 2002 under the
Incentive Compensation Plan.
Equity
Compensation Plan Information
The
following tables provide information regarding securities authorized for
issuance under the Company's equity compensation plans as of December 31,
2004.
EQUITY
COMPENSATION PLAN INFORMATION
FOR
COMMON STOCK
|
|
|
Number
of Securities |
|
|
|
Remaining
Available for |
|
|
|
Future
Issuance Under |
|
Number
Of Securities To |
Weighted-Average |
Equity
Compensation |
|
Be
Issued Upon Exercise |
Exercise
Price Of |
Plans
(Excluding |
|
Of
Outstanding Options, |
Outstanding
Options, |
Securities
Reflected in |
Plan
Category |
Warrants
And Rights |
Warrants
And Rights |
Column
(a)) |
|
(a) |
(b) |
(c) |
|
|
|
|
Equity
Compensation |
|
|
|
Plans
Approved By |
1,257,775 |
$50.30 |
742,225 |
Security
Holders |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Equity
Compensation |
|
|
|
Plans
Not Approved By |
-- |
-- |
-- |
Security
Holders |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
1,257,775 |
$50.30 |
742,225 |
EQUITY
COMPENSATION PLAN INFORMATION
FOR
CAROLINA GROUP STOCK
|
|
|
Number
of Securities |
|
|
|
Remaining
Available for |
|
|
|
Future
Issuance Under |
|
Number
Of Securities To |
Weighted-Average |
Equity
Compensation |
|
Be
Issued Upon Exercise |
Exercise
Price Of |
Plans
(Excluding |
|
Of
Outstanding Options, |
Outstanding
Options, |
Securities
Reflected in |
Plan
Category |
Warrants
And Rights |
Warrants
And Rights |
Column
(a)) |
|
(a) |
(b) |
(c) |
|
|
|
|
Equity
Compensation |
|
|
|
Plans
Approved By |
560,000 |
$25.23 |
940,000 |
Security
Holders |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Equity
Compensation |
|
|
|
Plans
Not Approved By |
-- |
-- |
-- |
Security
Holders |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
560,000 |
$25.23 |
940,000 |
Stock
Option Plan
The
following table sets forth information regarding grants of options to acquire
shares of Common Stock under the Stock Option Plan that were made during the
fiscal year ended December 31, 2004 to each of the Named Executive
Officers.
OPTION
GRANTS IN LAST FISCAL YEAR
|
Potential
Realizable Value at |
|
Assumed
Rates of Stock Price |
|
|
Individual
Grants (1) |
|
|
Appreciation
for Option Term |
|
No.
of |
Percent
of |
|
|
|
|
|
Securities |
Total
Options |
|
|
|
|
|
Underlying |
Granted
to |
Exercise |
|
|
|
|
Options |
Employees |
Price
Per |
Expiration |
|
|
Name |
Granted |
In
Fiscal Year |
Share
(2) |
Date |
5% |
10% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
J.S.
Tisch |
5,000 |
|
|
|
|
$ |
52.08 |
|
1/16/2014 |
$ |
162,746 |
|
$ |
413,389 |
|
|
5,000 |
|
6.52% |
|
|
58.83 |
|
1/16/2014 |
|
186,333 |
|
|
470,939 |
|
|
5,000 |
|
|
|
|
60.17 |
|
1/16/2014 |
|
186,922 |
|
|
475,846 |
|
|
5,000 |
|
|
|
|
58.28 |
|
1/16/2014 |
|
184,359 |
|
|
466,167 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
A.H.
Tisch |
5,000 |
|
|
|
|
52.08 |
|
1/16/2014 |
|
162,746 |
|
|
413,389 |
|
|
5,000 |
|
6.52 |
|
|
58.83 |
|
1/16/2014 |
|
186,333 |
|
|
470,939 |
|
|
5,000 |
|
|
|
|
60.17 |
|
1/16/2014 |
|
186,922 |
|
|
475,846 |
|
|
5,000 |
|
|
|
|
58.28 |
|
1/16/2014 |
|
184,359 |
|
|
466,167 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
J.M.
Tisch |
5,000 |
|
|
|
|
52.08 |
|
1/16/2014 |
|
162,746 |
|
|
413,389 |
|
|
5,000 |
|
6.52 |
|
|
58.83 |
|
1/16/2014 |
|
186,333 |
|
|
470,939 |
|
|
5,000 |
|
|
|
|
60.17 |
|
1/16/2014 |
|
186,922 |
|
|
475,846 |
|
|
5,000 |
|
|
|
|
58.28 |
|
1/16/2014 |
|
184,359 |
|
|
466,167 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
A.L.
Rebell |
3,750 |
|
|
|
|
52.08 |
|
1/16/2014 |
|
122,060 |
|
|
310,042 |
|
|
3,750 |
|
4.88 |
|
|
58.83 |
|
1/16/2014 |
|
139,750 |
|
|
353,204 |
|
|
3,750 |
|
|
|
|
60.17 |
|
1/16/2014 |
|
140,192 |
|
|
356,885 |
|
|
3,750 |
|
|
|
|
58.28 |
|
1/16/2014 |
|
138,270 |
|
|
349,625 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
P.W.
Keegan |
3,750 |
|
|
|
|
52.08 |
|
1/16/2014 |
|
122,060 |
|
|
310,042 |
|
|
3,750 |
|
4.88 |
|
|
58.83 |
|
1/16/2014 |
|
139,750 |
|
|
353,204 |
|
|
3,750 |
|
|
|
|
60.17 |
|
1/16/2014 |
|
140,192 |
|
|
356,885 |
|
|
3,750 |
|
|
|
|
58.28 |
|
1/16/2014 |
|
138,270 |
|
|
349,625 |
|
(1) Options
granted in 2004 to each of the Named Executive Officers become exercisable at a
rate of 25% per year beginning on January 16, 2005.
(2) Represents
100% of the fair market value of the Common Stock on the grant
date.
The
following table sets forth information regarding the exercise of stock options
during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2004 by each of the Named Executive
Officers.
AGGREGATED
OPTION EXERCISES IN LAST FISCAL YEAR AND
FISCAL
YEAR END OPTION VALUES
|
|
|
Number
of Securities |
|
|
|
|
Shares |
|
Underlying
Unexercised |
|
Value
of Unexercised |
|
Acquired |
Value |
Options
at Fiscal |
|
In-the-Money
Options |
Name |
On
Exercise |
Realized |
Year-End |
|
at
Fiscal Year-End (1) |
|
|
|
|
Exercisable |
Unexercisable |
Exercisable |
Unexercisable |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
J.S.
Tisch |
0 |
|
-- |
50,000 |
50,000 |
$1,399,875 |
$ |
854,525 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
A.H.
Tisch |
0 |
|
-- |
50,000 |
50,000 |
1,399,875 |
|
854,525 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
J.M.
Tisch |
0 |
|
-- |
50,000 |
50,000 |
1,399,875 |
|
854,525 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
A.L.
Rebell |
15,000 |
|
$499,150 |
22,500 |
37,500 |
443,381 |
|
640,894 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
P.W.
Keegan |
0 |
|
-- |
37,500 |
37,500 |
1,049,906 |
|
640,894 |
|
(1) Fair
market value of underlying securities as of December 31, 2004, minus the
exercise price.
Employment
Agreements
On
February 11, 2005 the employment agreements which the Company maintains with
each of Messrs. A.H. Tisch, J.S. Tisch and J.M. Tisch were amended to extend the
term to March 31, 2007 and to provide for a basic salary during that term of
$975,000 per annum. These agreements also provide the right to participate in
the Incentive Compensation Plan. In addition, on January 1, 2004 the Company
entered into amendments to the supplemental retirement agreements it maintains
with each of the Messrs. Tisch supplementing the retirement benefits to which
each is entitled under the Retirement Plan. Pursuant to these amendments, an
additional $250,000 became vested on December 31, 2004 in the unfunded
supplemental retirement account previously established for each such executive.
Amounts vested in these accounts in any year are credited with the pay-based
credit established under the Retirement Plan. (See “Pension Plan,” below.)
Furthermore, on March 31, 2004 the Company entered into amendments to the
supplemental retirement agreements it maintains with Messrs. Rebell and Keegan
supplementing the retirement benefits to which each is entitled under the
Retirement Plan. Pursuant to these amendments, an additional $1,000,000 and
$500,000, respectively, became vested on December 31, 2004 in the unfunded
supplemental retirement account previously established for each such executive.
Amounts vested in Mr. Rebell’s account in any year are credited with the
pay-based credit established under the Retirement Plan. In addition, on the last
day of each calendar year each account’s balance will be credited with the
interest credit established under the Retirement Plan. (See “Pension Plan,”
below.)
Pension
Plan
The
Company provides a funded, tax qualified, non-contributory retirement plan for
salaried employees, including executive officers (the “Retirement Plan”) and an
unfunded, non-qualified, non-contributory Benefit Equalization Plan (the
“Benefit Equalization Plan”) which provides for the accrual and payment of
benefits which are not available under tax qualified plans such as the
Retirement Plan. The following description of the Retirement Plan gives effect
to benefits provided under the Benefit Equalization Plan.
The
Retirement Plan is structured as a cash balance plan. A cash balance plan is a
form of non-contributory, defined benefit pension plan in which the value of
each participant’s benefit is expressed as a nominal cash balance account
established in the name of the participant. Under the cash balance plan each
participant’s account is increased annually by a “pay-based credit” based on a
specified percentage of annual earnings (based on the participant’s age) and an
“interest credit” based on a specified interest rate (which is established
annually for all participants). At retirement or termination of employment, a
vested participant is
entitled
to receive the cash balance account in a lump sum or to convert the account into
a monthly annuity. Compensation covered under the Retirement Plan consists of
salary paid by the Company and its subsidiaries included under the heading
“Salary” in the Summary Compensation Table above. In addition, awards under the
Incentive Compensation Plan are deemed compensation for purposes of the Benefit
Equalization Plan. Pension benefits are not subject to reduction for Social
Security benefits or other amounts.
Participants
in the Retirement Plan who met certain age and years of service requirements at
January 1, 1998 (the year that the Retirement Plan was converted into a cash
balance plan) are entitled to a minimum retirement benefit (“Minimum Benefit”)
equal to the benefit they would have earned under the Retirement Plan before its
conversion to a cash balance plan. This Minimum Benefit is based upon the
average final compensation (i.e., the highest average annual salary during any
period of five consecutive years of the ten years immediately preceding
retirement) and years of credited service with the Company. The following table
shows estimated annual benefits upon retirement under the Retirement Plan, based
on the Minimum Benefit, for various average compensation and credited service
based upon normal retirement at January 1, 2004 and a straight life annuity form
of pension. Each of the Named Executive Officers qualifies for the Minimum
Benefit except for Messrs. Rebell and Keegan. It is currently estimated that the
balance of the account maintained under the Retirement Plan for Messrs. Rebell
and Keegan will be approximately $1,199,973 and $1,539,749,
respectively, when each
reaches the normal retirement age of 65, based on actual interest credits of
4.2% and 4.3%
for 2005 and 2004, respectively, and assuming annual interest credits of 5.0%
for 2006 and later and no increases in the amount of each executive’s
earnings.
|
PENSION
PLAN TABLE |
|
|
|
Average
Final |
|
Estimated
Annual Pension for |
|
Compensation |
|
Representative
Years of Credited Service |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
20 |
|
|
|
25 |
|
|
|
30 |
|
|
|
35 |
|
|
|
40 |
|
|
|
45 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$ |
|
800,000 |
|
$ |
|
192,000 |
|
$ |
|
246,400 |
|
$ |
|
310,400 |
|
$ |
|
374,400 |
|
$ |
|
438,400 |
|
$ |
|
502,400 |
|
|
|
1,000,000 |
|
|
|
240,000 |
|
|
|
308,000 |
|
|
|
388,000 |
|
|
|
468,000 |
|
|
|
548,000 |
|
|
|
628,000 |
|
|
|
1,200,000 |
|
|
|
288,000 |
|
|
|
369,600 |
|
|
|
465,600 |
|
|
|
561,600 |
|
|
|
657,600 |
|
|
|
753,600 |
|
|
|
1,400,000 |
|
|
|
336,000 |
|
|
|
431,200 |
|
|
|
543,200 |
|
|
|
655,200 |
|
|
|
767,200 |
|
|
|
879,200 |
|
|
|
1,600,000 |
|
|
|
384,000 |
|
|
|
492,800 |
|
|
|
620,800 |
|
|
|
748,800 |
|
|
|
876,800 |
|
|
|
1,004,800 |
|
|
|
1,800,000 |
|
|
|
432,000 |
|
|
|
554,400 |
|
|
|
698,400 |
|
|
|
842,400 |
|
|
|
986,400 |
|
|
|
1,130,400 |
|
|
|
2,000,000 |
|
|
|
480,000 |
|
|
|
616,000 |
|
|
|
776,000 |
|
|
|
936,000 |
|
|
|
1,096,000 |
|
|
|
1,256,000 |
|
|
|
2,200,000 |
|
|
|
528,000 |
|
|
|
677,600 |
|
|
|
853,600 |
|
|
|
1,029,600 |
|
|
|
1,205,600 |
|
|
|
1,381,600 |
|
|
|
2,400,000 |
|
|
|
576,000 |
|
|
|
739,200 |
|
|
|
931,200 |
|
|
|
1,123,200 |
|
|
|
1,315,200 |
|
|
|
1,507,200 |
|
The years
of credited service of Messrs. A.H. Tisch, J.M. Tisch and J.S. Tisch are
thirty-one, twenty-five and twenty-seven, respectively.
Amounts
paid to Mr. J.S. Tisch by Diamond Offshore included in the Summary Compensation
Table are not covered by the Retirement Plan. Diamond Offshore maintains a tax
qualified defined contribution retirement plan which provides that Diamond
Offshore contribute 3.75% of each participant’s defined compensation and match
25% of the first 6% of compensation voluntarily contributed by each participant.
Participants are fully vested immediately upon enrollment in the plan. Diamond
Offshore’s 3.75% contribution on behalf of Mr. J.S. Tisch amounted to
$7,688 in 2004.
In
addition to the foregoing, the
Company maintains a supplemental retirement account for each Named Executive
Officer pursuant to supplemental retirement agreements with each such
individual. Each such account is credited annually with the interest credit
established under the Retirement Plan. Upon retirement, each of the Named
Executive Officers will receive the value of his account in the form of an
annuity or, subject to certain conditions, in a single lump sum payment. As of
December 31, 2004, the aggregate amounts credited to the supplemental retirement
accounts of each of Messrs. J.S. Tisch, A.H. Tisch, J.M. Tisch, A.R. Rebell and
P.W. Keegan were $881,052, $886,372, $881,052, $4,147,600, and $997,311,
respectively.
COMPENSATION
COMMITTEE REPORT ON EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
General
The
overall objective of the Company’s executive compensation policy is to attract
and retain highly qualified executive officers and motivate them to provide a
high level of performance for the benefit of the Company and its shareholders.
The Committee believes that to accomplish these objectives compensation packages
should provide executive officers with market competitive base salaries and the
opportunity to earn additional compensation based upon the Company’s financial
performance and the performance of the Company’s Common Stock. In considering
compensation for the Company’s executive officers, the Compensation Committee
relies primarily on the assessment of the individual’s performance and
contribution to the Company, in addition to qualitative factors such as the
Company’s performance and compensation trends generally. In this regard the
Committee reviews surveys of executive compensation and information concerning
compensation at the peer group companies referred to in the stock price
performance graph, below. The principal components of the Company’s compensation
policy for its executive officers are base salary, incentive compensation
awards, stock option grants and benefits.
The
primary component of compensation for the Company’s executive officers is base
salary. Base salary levels for the Company’s executive officers are determined
based upon an evaluation of a number of factors, including the individual’s
level of responsibility, experience, performance and competitive market
practices as determined by the Company’s participation in and analysis of
management compensation surveys, and a review of other published data relating
to executive compensation. The Company targets base salary levels for its
executive officers (as well as salaried employees generally) between the 50th
and 75th percentiles of those paid by companies with comparable revenues.
However, as a result of job performance evaluations and length of service, the
base salary levels of a majority of the Company’s executive officers fall above
these parameters.
The
second principal component of the Company’s compensation policy for executive
officers consists of awards under its Incentive Compensation Plan. Under this
plan, cash awards may be granted to the Company’s highest paid executive
officers based on the attainment of specified performance goals in relation to
the Company’s net income. See “Approval of the Amended and Restated Loews
Corporation Incentive Compensation Plan for Executive Officers,” below for
information with respect to a proposed amendment to the Company’s Incentive
Compensation Plan. For information with respect to awards earned and paid to the
Chief Executive Officer and the other Named Executive Officers, see the Summary
Compensation Table, above.
The third
principal component of the Company’s compensation policy for executive officers
consists of grants under the Stock Option Plan. Under this plan executive
officers may be granted stock options and, if the Stock Option Plan is amended
as set forth in “Approval of the Amended and Restated Loews Corporation 2000
Stock Option Plan,” below, stock appreciation rights, at exercise prices equal
to not less than the fair market value of the Company’s Common Stock as of the
date of grant. This element of the Company’s compensation policy provides the
opportunity for the Company’s executive officers to be compensated based upon
increases in the market price of the Company’s Common Stock. Information with
respect to stock options granted under this plan to the Company’s Chief
Executive Officer and the other Named Executive Officers in 2004 is described
under “Stock Option Plan,” above.
The
Company’s executive officers also participate in benefit programs available to
salaried employees generally, including the Company’s Employees Savings Plan,
Retirement Plan and Benefit Equalization Plan, discussed above. In addition,
from time to time, the Company’s compensation of executive officers has included
unfunded supplemental retirement benefits credited pursuant to supplemental
retirement agreements. Such benefits granted to the Company’s Chief Executive
Officer and other Named Executive Officers in 2004 are described in the Summary
Compensation Table, above.
Chief
Executive Officer
In
determining the compensation of the Company’s Chief Executive Officer for 2004,
the Compensation Committee took into account the overall objectives of the
Company’s executive compensation policy and other factors described above in
relation to the total value of each of the various components of the Company’s
executive compensation: base salary, incentive compensation under the Incentive
Compensation Plan, and equity-based compensation under the Stock Option Plan, as
well as retirement and other benefits. Based upon the foregoing, in 2004 James
S. Tisch was paid a base salary of $975,000, which represents an increase of
$175,000 from his base salary in 2003. Mr. Tisch’s 2003 base salary had been
reduced from the prior year in order to maintain his non-performance based
compensation from the Company below the $1 million limit for deductibility under
Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code. In addition, Mr. Tisch’s 2004
compensation included a grant of 20,000 options under the Stock Option Plan, an
$800,000 award under the Incentive Compensation Plan, and a supplemental
retirement benefit of $250,000 in the form of a credit to his unfunded
supplemental retirement account. (See “Employment Agreements,”
above.)
Internal
Revenue Code
Under the
Internal Revenue Code, the amount of compensation paid to or accrued for the
Chief Executive Officer and the four other most highly compensated executive
officers which may be deductible by the Company for federal income tax purposes
is limited to $1 million per person per year, except that compensation which is
considered to be “performance-based” under the Internal Revenue Code and the
applicable regulations is excluded for purposes of calculating the amount of
compensation.
To the
extent the Company’s compensation policy can be implemented in a manner which
maximizes the deductibility of compensation paid by the Company, the Board of
Directors seeks to do so. Accordingly, the Company has designed both the
Incentive Compensation Plan and the Stock Option Plan so that compensation in
the form of awards or grants made under either plan will be considered to be
“performance-based” under the applicable provisions of the Internal Revenue
Code.
By the
Compensation Committee:
John
Brademas, Chairman
Joseph
L. Bower
Charles
M. Diker
Paul
J. Fribourg
CERTAIN
TRANSACTIONS
The
Company provides an apartment at a Company operated hotel in New York City for
the use of Preston R. Tisch, for the convenience of the Company and its hotel
subsidiary, at an incremental cost to the Company of approximately $713,000 in
2004.
TFMG,
LLC, an entity affiliated with Messrs. P.R. Tisch, A.H. Tisch, J.S. Tisch and
J.M. Tisch, and certain related persons occupy Company office space and utilize
certain services and facilities of the Company the cost of which is reimbursed
to the Company. A member of the Tisch family rents an apartment at a Company
operated hotel in New York City, for which he pays a monthly market-based rent.
In addition, from time to time the Messrs. Tisch and members of their immediate
families have chartered the Company’s aircraft for personal travel. For this
use, the charterer pays the Company a charter rate that substantially equals its
out-of-pocket operating costs and, where applicable, is at the same charter rate
charged to unaffiliated third parties. The Company’s cost for these items and
reimbursement methodology and procedures have been reviewed and approved by the
Company’s Audit Committee. The total amount paid to the Company in 2004 in
connection with the foregoing was approximately $1,169,000.
COMPENSATION
COMMITTEE
INTERLOCKS
AND INSIDER PARTICIPATION
The
members of the Compensation Committee are John Brademas, Joseph L. Bower,
Charles M. Diker and Paul J. Fribourg, each of whom is an Independent Director
and, consequently, none of whom is or has been an officer or employee of the
Company or its subsidiaries. No executive officer of the Company has served on
the board of directors or compensation committee of any other entity that has or
has had an executive officer who served as a member of the Board of Directors or
Compensation Committee of the Company during 2004.
STOCK
PRICE
PERFORMANCE
GRAPHS
The
following graph compares the total annual return of the Company’s Common Stock,
the Standard & Poor’s 500 Composite Stock Index (“S&P 500 Index”) and
the Company’s peer group (“Loews Peer Group”)* for the five years ended
December 31, 2004. The graph assumes that the value of the investment in
the Company’s Common Stock, the S&P 500 Index and the Loews Peer Group was
$100 on December 31, 1999 and that all dividends were reinvested.
* The
Loews Peer Group consists of the following companies that are industry
competitors of the Company’s principal operating subsidiaries: Ace Limited,
American International Group Inc., The Chubb Corporation, Cincinnati Financial
Corporation, Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc., Safeco Corporation, The
St. Paul Travelers Companies, Inc. (as
successor to The St. Paul Companies, Inc. and Travelers Property Casualty
Corp.), XL Capital Ltd., Altria Group, Inc., UST Inc. and Reynolds American,
Inc. (as successor to R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Holdings, Inc.).
The
Company’s Carolina Group stock commenced trading on February 1, 2002.
Accordingly, the following graph compares the total return of the Carolina Group
stock, the S&P 500 Index and the Standard & Poor’s Tobacco Index
(“S&P Tobacco”) for the period from February 1, 2002 to December 31,
2004. The graph assumes that the value of the investment in the Company’s
Carolina Group stock and each index was $100 on February 1, 2002 and that all
dividends were reinvested.
RATIFICATION
OF THE APPOINTMENT
OF
INDEPENDENT AUDITORS
(Proposal
No. 2)
The Audit
Committee of the Board of Directors has selected Deloitte & Touche LLP to
serve as independent auditors for 2005. Although it is not required to do so,
the Board of Directors wishes to submit the selection of Deloitte & Touche
LLP for ratification by the Company’s shareholders at the meeting. Even if this
selection is ratified by shareholders at the Annual Meeting, the Audit Committee
may in its discretion change the appointment at any time during the year if it
determines that such a change would be in the best interests of the Company and
its shareholders. If the Company’s shareholders do not ratify the selection of
Deloitte & Touche LLP, the Audit Committee will reconsider its selection.
Representatives of Deloitte & Touche LLP are expected to be at the Annual
Meeting to answer appropriate questions and, if they choose to do so, to make a
statement.
Audit
Fees and Services
The
following table presents fees billed by Deloitte & Touche LLP and its
affiliates for professional services rendered to the Company and its
subsidiaries in 2004 and 2003, by category as described in the notes to the
table.
|
|
2004 |
|
2003 |
|
|
|
(In
thousands) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Audit
Fees (1) |
$17,591 |
|
$10,189 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Audit
Related Fees (2) |
3,097 |
|
4,117 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Tax
Fees (3) |
1,165 |
|
590 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
All
Other Fees (4) |
490 |
|
3,162 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
$22,343 |
|
$18,058 |
|
(1) Includes
the aggregate fees and expenses for the audit of the Company’s annual financial
statements, employee benefits plans and internal control over financial
reporting, and the reviews of the Company’s quarterly financial statements.
(2) Includes
the aggregate fees and expenses for services that were reasonably related to the
performance of the audit or reviews of the Company’s financial statements and
not included under “Audit Fees” above, including, principally, consents and
comfort letters and accounting consultations.
(3) Includes
the aggregate fees and expenses for tax compliance and tax planning services.
(4) Includes
the aggregate fees and expenses for products and services provided, other than
the services described above, related to human capital advisory services and
other consulting services.
Auditor
Engagement Pre-Approval Policy
In order
to assure the continued independence of the Company’s independent auditor,
currently Deloitte & Touche LLP, the Audit Committee has adopted a policy
requiring its pre-approval of all audit and non-audit services performed by the
independent auditor. Under this policy, the Audit Committee annually
pre-approves certain limited, specified recurring services which may be provided
by Deloitte & Touche LLP, subject to maximum dollar limitations. All other
engagements for services to be performed by Deloitte & Touche LLP must be
specifically pre-approved by the Audit Committee, or a designated committee
member to whom this authority has been delegated. Since its adoption of this
policy in May 2003, the Audit Committee, or a designated member, has
pre-approved all engagements by the Company and its subsidiaries, other than CNA
and Diamond Offshore, for services of Deloitte & Touche LLP, including the
terms and fees thereof, and the Audit Committee concluded that all such
engagements were compatible with the continued independence of Deloitte &
Touche LLP in serving as the Company’s independent auditor. Engagements of
Deloitte & Touche LLP by CNA and Diamond Offshore are reviewed and approved
by the independent audit committees of those subsidiaries pursuant to
pre-approval policies adopted by such committees.
The Board of Directors recommends a vote FOR Proposal No.
2.
APPROVAL
OF THE AMENDED AND RESTATED
LOEWS
CORPORATION 2000 STOCK OPTION PLAN
(Proposal
No. 3)
In 2000
the Board of Directors adopted and the Company’s shareholders approved, the
Stock Option Plan. The Stock Option Plan was adopted to allow the Company and
its subsidiaries to attract and retain qualified employees, consultants and
non-employee directors, to motivate these individuals to achieve the Company’s
long-term goals and to reward them upon achievement of those goals. The
Company’s Compensation Committee (the “Committee”) has approved and recommended
to the Board of Directors, and the Board of Directors has approved amendments to
the Stock Option Plan and directed that the Stock Option
Plan, as
so amended and restated, be submitted to the Company’s shareholders for
approval.
In
addition, as previously noted, the Company’s policy is that to the extent it can
do so, the Company’s compensation policy be implemented in a manner which
maximizes the deductibility of compensation for federal income tax purposes.
Under the Internal Revenue Code the amount of compensation paid to each of the
Chief Executive Officer and the four other most highly compensated executive
officers which may be deductible by the Company for federal income tax purposes
is limited to $1 million per person per year, except that compensation which is
considered to be “performance-based” is not subject to this limitation. Awards
under the Stock Option Plan will be considered performance-based under the
Internal Revenue Code if the Stock Option Plan is approved by the Company’s
shareholders. Accordingly, the Board of Directors has directed that the Stock
Option Plan, as amended and restated as described herein, be submitted to the
Company’s shareholders for approval at the Annual Meeting.
The
principal changes to be effected by the amended Stock Option Plan are to
increase the number of shares available for the issuance of awards and to
provide for authority to award stock appreciation rights either in tandem with
or separate from stock option grants. The material features of the amended Stock
Option Plan are summarized below. This summary does not purport to be complete
and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the complete text of the
amended Stock Option Plan which is attached as Exhibit A to this proxy
statement. If the shareholders do not approve the amended Stock Option Plan, it
will not become effective and the Stock Option Plan will continue to be in
effect without amendment.
Summary
of the Stock Option Plan, as amended
Shares
Available for Issuance Under the Plan. As
originally adopted, the Stock Option Plan provided for the grant of options to
purchase up to 2,000,000 shares of Common Stock. All references to numbers of
shares have been adjusted, in accordance with the provisions of the Stock Option
Plan described under “Adjustments,” below, to give effect to the two-for-one
split of the Common Stock effected as of March 21, 2001 by way of a stock
dividend. The amended Stock Option Plan authorizes the issuance of up to
4,000,000 shares.
Through
February 28, 2005, options to purchase 1,549,775 shares have been granted under
the Stock Option Plan, 205,799 shares have been issued upon the exercise of
options and 504,451 shares are currently available for issuance upon the
exercise of future grants. If the amended Stock Option Plan is approved by the
shareholders, and assuming no currently outstanding options expire unexercised
in the meantime, a total of 2,504,451 shares will be available for the grant of
options and stock appreciation rights, representing approximately 1.4% of the
outstanding shares of Common Stock on February 28, 2005.
The fair
market value of a share of Common Stock on February 28, 2005 was
$71.64.
These
shares of Common Stock may consist in whole or in part of authorized but
unissued shares of Common Stock or shares of Common Stock held in the treasury
of the Company. Shares of Common Stock subject to an option which has expired or
been canceled or terminated will become available for the granting of additional
options under the Stock Option Plan.
Administration. The Stock
Option Plan is administered by the Committee. However, the Board of Directors
may designate an alternate committee to administer the Stock Option Plan, or
elect to administer the Stock Option Plan directly. Subject to the terms of the
Stock Option Plan, the Committee has broad authority to administer and interpret
the Stock Option Plan, including the authority to determine who will receive a
grant and to determine the specific provisions of that grant. The Committee also
has the authority to accelerate the exercisability and extend the term of an
outstanding award. Each member of the Committee is an “outside director” within
the meaning of Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code.
Eligibility. Those
persons who are responsible for or contribute to the management, growth or
profitability of the businesses of the Company and its subsidiaries may receive
awards under the Stock Option Plan. Optionees will be selected from time to time
by the Committee from a pool of all employees and consultants of the Company and
its subsidiaries and the non-employee directors of the Company, an estimated
24,000 people. No individual participant may receive options to purchase more
than 400,000 shares of Common Stock during any one calendar year.
Types
of Grants. As
originally adopted, the Stock Option Plan provided for the award of both
incentive stock options (“ISOs”), within the meaning of Section 422 of the
Internal Revenue Code, and nonqualified stock options (“NQOs”), which do not
meet, or are not intended to meet, the requirements of Section 422 of the
Internal Revenue Code. (See “Federal Income Tax Consequences,” below.) All of
the options which have been granted under the Stock Option Plan are NQOs. The
exercise price for each stock option granted under the Stock Option Plan is
determined by the Committee; but may not be less than 100% of the fair market
value of the Common Stock on the date of grant. The amended Stock Option Plan
expressly prohibits the Company from decreasing the exercise price of an
outstanding option or taking any other action that would be deemed a “repricing”
of the option, unless approved by the Company’s shareholders.
The
amended Stock Option Plan also authorizes the award of stock appreciation rights
(“SARs”) in tandem with stock options or separately. SARs constitute the right
to receive stock or cash, or a combination of stock and cash, equal in value to
the difference between the exercise price of the SAR and the market price of the
corresponding amount of Common Stock on the exercise date. The exercise price of
an SAR is determined by the Committee; but it may not be less than 100% of the
fair market value of the Common Stock on the date of grant. SARs granted in
tandem with stock options must have an exercise price equal to the exercise
price per share of the related stock options. The exercise of all or a portion
of an SAR granted in tandem with a related stock option results in the
forfeiture of all or a corresponding portion of the related option, and vice
versa.
Vesting
and Exercise. Unless
otherwise provided by the Committee at the time of grant or thereafter, each
award granted under the Stock Option Plan will vest and become exercisable in
four equal annual installments, commencing on the first anniversary of the date
of grant, and shall thereafter remain exercisable for the duration of the term
of the award.
The full
exercise price shall be paid at the time of exercise. The Committee may permit
an optionee to elect to pay the exercise price of an option by irrevocably
authorizing a third party to sell the shares of Common Stock (or a sufficient
portion of the shares) acquired upon exercise of the option and remit to the
Company a sufficient portion of the sale proceeds to pay the entire exercise
price and any applicable tax withholding. In addition, the Committee may permit
full or partial payment of a stock option exercise price to be made in the form
of unrestricted shares of Common Stock that have been owned by the optionee for
at least six months, based on the fair market value of those shares on the date
of exercise.
Term. Unless
otherwise provided by the Committee at the time of grant or thereafter, the term
of each award granted under the Stock Option Plan will end on the earliest to
occur of (i) the date the recipient’s employment, directorship or consultancy
with the Company or its subsidiaries, as applicable, is terminated for cause or
voluntarily by the recipient, (ii) the first anniversary of the recipient’s
death or disability, (iii) the third anniversary of the recipient’s retirement
(if the recipient is an employee) or (iv) the ninetieth day after the
recipient’s employment, directorship or consultancy terminates for any other
reason. In no event may the term of any award granted under the Stock Option
Plan exceed ten years from its date of grant. Unless otherwise provided by the
Committee, any outstanding award that is unvested following a termination of
employment, directorship or consultancy shall be forfeited
immediately.
Transferability. Awards
granted under the Stock Option Plan are not transferable, except by will or the
laws of descent and distribution or, in the case of an NQO, to the optionee’s
immediate family, if expressly permitted by the Committee.
Adjustments. In the
event of a stock dividend, stock split, extraordinary cash dividend,
recapitalization, reorganization, merger, split-up, spin-off, combination or
exchange of shares, the Committee may make adjustments to preserve the benefits
or potential benefits of the Stock Option Plan and outstanding awards. These
adjustments may include adjustments to (i) the number and kind of shares
deliverable under the Stock Option Plan, (ii) the number and kind of shares that
may be covered by awards granted to any individual recipient, (iii) the number
and kind of shares covered by outstanding awards, (iv) the exercise price of
outstanding awards, (v) settlement of outstanding awards in cash or Common
Stock, and (vi) other adjustments that the Committee determines to be
equitable.
Amendments
and Termination. The Stock
Option Plan is unlimited in duration. The Board of Directors may, at any time,
amend or terminate the Stock Option Plan, provided that no such amendment or
termination may adversely affect the rights of any recipient under any award
granted under the Stock Option
Plan
prior to the date of such amendment or termination without the prior written
consent of that recipient. The Stock Option Plan may not be amended without
shareholder approval to the extent such approval is required by law or the rules
of any exchange on which the Common Stock is traded.
Registration
of Common Stock issued under the Stock Option Plan.
2,000,000
shares of Common Stock covered by the Stock Option Plan have been registered
under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. The Company intends that the
additional 2,000,000 shares of Common Stock covered by the amended Stock Option
Plan will also be registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. Such
registration will, in most cases, permit the unrestricted resale in the public
market of shares issued pursuant to the Stock Option Plan.
New
Plan Benefits
Except as
otherwise described herein, benefits under the Stock Option Plan to the Named
Executive Officers and the Company’s other executive officers, directors,
employees and consultants are not currently determinable because all grants
under the Stock Option Plan are discretionary. The following table sets forth
certain information as to options to purchase shares of Common Stock under the
Stock Option Plan the Committee determined prior to February 28, 2005, to award
during 2005 to each of the Named Executive Officers, all of the Company’s
executive officers as a group, all of the Company’s non-executive directors as a
group and all of the Company’s non-executive officer employees as a group,
provided only that each such optionee maintain his or her position as an
executive officer, director or employee of the Company at the time of each such
grant. The aggregate dollar value of these grants is not currently determinable.
All grants under the Stock Option Plan have been and will be made in
consideration of services rendered or to be rendered to the Company or any of
its subsidiaries by recipients.
Name
and Position |
Dollar
Value (1) |
Number
of Units (2) |
|
|
|
J.
S. Tisch |
|
|
Chief
Executive Officer, Office of the President, Director |
-- |
20,000 |
|
|
|
A.H.
Tisch |
|
|
Chairman
of the Executive Committee, Office of the President, |
|
|
Director |
-- |
20,000 |
|
|
|
J.
M. Tisch |
|
|
President
and Chief Executive Officer of Loews Hotels, Office |
|
|
of
the President, Director |
-- |
20,000 |
|
|
|
A.L.
Rebell |
|
|
Senior
Vice President |
-- |
15,000 |
|
|
|
P.W.
Keegan |
|
|
Senior
Vice President, Chief Financial Officer |
-- |
15,000 |
|
|
|
Executive
Group |
-- |
120,000 |
|
|
|
Non-Executive
Director Group |
-- |
14,000 |
|
|
|
Non-Executive
Officer Employee Group |
-- |
171,000 |
(1) The
dollar value of these benefits is not determinable at this time because it is
dependent upon the fair market value of the Company’s Common Stock on each of
the future vesting dates of stock options granted.
(2) Number
of shares of Common Stock underlying stock options awarded.
Federal
Income Tax Consequences.
The following is a brief summary of the principal federal income tax
consequences of transactions under the Stock Option Plan based on current
federal income tax laws. This summary is not intended to be exhaustive and,
among other things, does not describe state, local or foreign tax consequences.
It is also not
intended
as personal tax advice to any individual. Recipients of awards under the Stock
Option Plan should consult their own tax advisors.
New
Tax Law. In late
2004, federal tax legislation was enacted that substantially changed the tax
treatment of recipients of nonqualified deferred compensation, including certain
NQOs and SARs. The full scope and effect of this new law remains unclear. The
discussion below sets forth the Company’s current understanding of the federal
income tax consequences of NQOs and SARs issued under the Stock Option Plan,
based on the law, its legislative history and the initial transitional guidance
issued by the Internal Revenue Service. However, the Internal Revenue Service is
expected to issue additional guidance in the future, which could change those
federal income tax consequences.
Nonqualified
Stock Options. In
general, (i) an optionee will not be subject to tax at the time an NQO is
granted, and (ii) an optionee will include in ordinary income in the taxable
year in which he or she exercises an NQO an amount equal to the difference
between the exercise price and the fair market value of the Common Stock on the
date of exercise. Upon disposition of the Common Stock acquired upon exercise,
appreciation or depreciation after the date ordinary income is recognized will
be treated as capital gain or loss. The Company generally will be entitled to a
deduction in an amount equal to a recipient’s ordinary income in the Company’s
taxable year in which the optionee includes that amount in income. The exercise
of NQOs is subject to withholding of all applicable taxes.
Incentive
Stock Options. No
taxable income will be realized by an option holder upon the grant or exercise
of an ISO. If shares are issued to an optionee pursuant to the exercise of an
ISO granted under the Stock Option Plan and if no disposition of those shares is
made by that optionee within two years after the date of grant of the ISO or
within one year after the receipt of those shares by that optionee, then (i)
upon a sale of those shares, any amount realized in excess of the exercise price
of the ISO will be taxed to that optionee as a long-term capital gain and any
loss sustained will be a long-term capital loss, and (ii) no deduction will be
allowed to the Company. However, if shares acquired upon the exercise of an ISO
are disposed of prior to the expiration of either holding period described
above, generally (i) the optionee will realize ordinary income in the year of
disposition in an amount equal to the excess (if any) of the fair market value
of the shares at exercise (or, if less, the amount realized on the disposition
of the shares) over the exercise price thereof, and (ii) the Company will be
entitled to deduct that amount. Any additional gain or loss recognized by the
option holder will be taxed as a short-term or long-term capital gain or loss,
as the case may be, and will not result in any deduction by the Company. If an
ISO is exercised at a time when it no longer qualifies as an incentive stock
option under the Internal Revenue Code, it will be treated as an
NQO.
Stock
Appreciation Rights. Upon
exercise of an SAR, the holder will recognize ordinary income equal to the value
of the shares of Common Stock or cash received as a result of the exercise, and
the Company will receive a deduction in the same amount. The exercise of SARs is
subject to withholding of all applicable taxes.
The
Board of Directors recommends a vote FOR Proposal No. 3.
APPROVAL
OF THE AMENDED AND RESTATED
LOEWS
CORPORATION INCENTIVE COMPENSATION PLAN FOR
EXECUTIVE
OFFICERS
(Proposal
No. 4)
As
previously noted, it is the policy of the Compensation Committee that where the
Company’s compensation policy can be implemented in a manner which maximizes
deductibility of compensation for federal income tax purposes, the Company
should seek to do so. Accordingly, in 1996 the Company adopted, and the
shareholders approved, the Company’s Incentive Compensation Plan, which was
reapproved by the shareholders in 2001.
The
Incentive Compensation Plan is designed to qualify the amounts paid under its
terms to the Company’s Named Executive Officers as “qualified performance-based
compensation” under Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code (together with
the regulations promulgated thereunder, as each may be amended, the “Code”).
This qualification will allow amounts awarded under the Incentive Compensation
Plan to be deductible by the Company for federal income tax purposes, even if,
when combined with other
compensation,
the award causes the compensation of any of the Named Executive Officers to
exceed $1 million.
The
Committee has approved and recommended to the Board of Directors, and the Board
of Directors has approved, amendments to the Incentive Compensation Plan and
directed that the Incentive Compensation Plan, as so amended and restated, be
submitted to the Company’s shareholders for approval. The
principal changes to be effected by the amended Incentive Compensation Plan are
to grant to the Committee discretionary authority to reduce an award otherwise
determined pursuant to the Incentive Compensation Plan and to grant to the
Committee discretion to take into account specific factors that may impact the
Company’s business in determining the performance measure, called “Performance
Based Income,” on which awards under the Incentive Compensation Plan are based.
The material features of the amended Incentive Compensation Plan are summarized
below. This summary does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its
entirety by reference to the complete text of the amended Incentive Compensation
Plan which is attached as Exhibit B to this Proxy Statement. If the shareholders
do not approve the amended Incentive Compensation Plan, it will not be effective
and the Incentive Compensation Plan will continue to be in effect without
amendment.
Summary
of the Incentive Compensation Plan, as amended
Eligibility. All
executive officers of the Company (currently eight persons) are eligible to
participate in the Incentive Compensation Plan. The Compensation Committee has
the sole authority to designate which executive officers are to participate in
the Incentive Compensation Plan.
Designation
of Awards. Within
the first 90 days of each calendar year (the “Designation Period”), the
Committee may designate one or more executive officers of the Company (each, a
“Participant”) to participate in the Incentive Compensation Plan for specified
calendar years (each, a “Performance Period”). The Committee may designate
awards for up to three future Performance Periods (a “Multiple Award
Period”).
Prior to
the end of the Designation Period for a Performance Period, the Committee will
allocate, on behalf of each Participant, a percentage of Performance Based
Income for that Performance Period on which the Participant’s award will be
based. Performance Based Income is the consolidated net income of the Company
for the applicable Performance Period as adjusted by the Committee, in its sole
discretion, to take into account specified objective factors that may impact the
Company’s business or the business of any of the Company’s subsidiaries as the
Committee, in the exercise of its judgment, deems reasonable and appropriate to
exclude or include. Among other things, the Committee may take into account
realized and unrealized gains and losses, the impact of accounting changes, the
impact of acquisitions and dispositions of a business or asset, charges relating
to the disposition by judgment or settlement of material litigation, charges
relating to reserve strengthening and adverse dividend or premium development
associated with prior accident years, the impact of catastrophe and other
extraordinary items and events, and the impact of changes in legislation or
regulation.
In the
event of a Multiple Award Period, prior to the end of the first Designation
Period for all included Performance Periods the Committee will allocate on
behalf of each Participant a percentage of Performance Based Income for each
Performance Period within the Multiple Award Period, or, in the alternative, an
aggregate formula for the later Performance Periods within the Multiple Award
Period based on the total of assigned percentages of Performance Based Income
for the then current and the prior Performance Periods included in the Multiple
Award Period. The Committee may make an award for a Performance Period to a
Participant who has received an award for a Multiple Award Period which includes
that Performance Period, provided that this is done prior to the end of the
Designation Period for that Performance Period.
Maximum
Award. The
maximum amount payable under the Incentive Compensation Plan to each Participant
is $3 million for each year in the Performance Period.
Reduction
of Awards. At the
time that an award is allocated to a Participant, the Committee may, in its
discretion, determine to reserve the authority to reduce the amount payable to a
Participant below the percentage of Performance Based Income allocated to such
Participant. This so-called “negative discretion”
may be applied by the Committee, in its discretion,
at the time Performance Based Income for the applicable Performance Period has
been determined.
Deferral
of Payments. Subject
to the applicable provisions of the Code, the Committee may, in its discretion,
permit Participants to elect to defer payment of all or part of any award,
together with interest accrued from the originally scheduled payment date.
Termination
of Employment. If any
Participant ceases to be employed by the Company or its subsidiaries prior to
the end of a Performance Period (other than due to retirement, death or
disability), that Participant will not be eligible to receive a bonus award for
that Performance Period unless the Committee determines that payment of the
award is in the Company’s best interest. Participants who cease to be employed
by the Company or its subsidiaries prior to the end of a Performance Period due
to retirement, death or disability will receive an award prorated to the date of
cessation of employment.
Amendments
and Termination. The
Committee may amend the Incentive Compensation Plan at any time, provided that
changes may be made only if they are consistent with the provisions of the Code
and do not adversely affect the ability of the Company to deduct the
compensation which may be paid pursuant to the Incentive Compensation Plan for
federal income tax purposes. No amendment that requires shareholder approval
under the Code may be made without that approval. The Board of Directors may
terminate the Incentive Compensation Plan at any time.
New
Plan Benefits
Because
awards under the Incentive Compensation Plan are based upon Performance Based
Income, the amount of any awards that may be payable to Participants for 2005
cannot currently be determined. However, as noted above, there is a maximum
award of $3 million per Participant per year. The following table sets forth
certain information as to awards granted in 2004 under the Incentive
Compensation Plan to each of the Named Executive Officers, all of the Company’s
executive officers as a group, all of the Company’s non-executive directors as a
group and all of the Company’s non-executive officer employees as a group. All
awards under the Incentive Compensation Plan have been and will be made in
consideration of services rendered or to be rendered to the Company or any of
its subsidiaries by recipients.
Name
and Position |
Dollar
Value ($) |
Number
of Units |
|
|
|
J.
S. Tisch |
|
|
Chief
Executive Officer, Office of the President, Director |
800,000 |
-- |
|
|
|
A.H.
Tisch |
|
|
Chairman
of the Executive Committee, Office of the President, |
|
|
Director |
800,000 |
-- |
|
|
|
J.
M. Tisch |
|
|
President
and Chief Executive Officer of Loews Hotels, Office |
|
|
of
the President, Director |
800,000 |
-- |
|
|
|
A.L.
Rebell |
|
|
Senior
Vice President |
1,000,000 |
-- |
|
|
|
P.W.
Keegan |
|
|
Senior
Vice President, Chief Financial Officer |
0 |
-- |
|
|
|
Executive
Group |
3,600,000 |
-- |
|
|
|
Non-Executive
Director Group |
0 |
-- |
|
|
|
Non-Executive
Officer Employee Group |
0 |
-- |
The
Board of Directors recommends a vote FOR Proposal No. 4.
SHAREHOLDER
PROPOSALS
The
Company has been advised that the four shareholder proposals described below
will be presented at the Annual Meeting. For the reasons set forth below, the
Board of Directors recommends a vote against each proposal.
SHAREHOLDER
PROPOSAL RELATING TO
CUMULATIVE
VOTING
(Proposal
No. 5)
Evelyn Y.
Davis, 2600 Virginia Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20037, owner of 244 shares
of Common Stock, has notified the Company in writing that she intends to present
the following resolution at the Annual Meeting for action by the
shareholders:
“RESOLVED:
That the stockholders of Loews, assembled in Annual Meeting in person and by
proxy, hereby request the Board of Directors to take the necessary steps to
provide for cumulative voting in the election of directors, which means each
stockholder shall be entitled to as many votes as shall equal the number of
shares he or she owns multiplied by the number of directors to be elected, and
he or she may cast all of such votes for a single candidate, or any two or more
of them as he or she may see fit.
“REASONS:
Many states have mandatory cumulative voting, so do National Banks.
“In
addition, many corporations have adopted cumulative voting.
“Last
year the owners of 40,561,259 shares
representing approximately 23% of shares voting, voted FOR this
proposal.
“If you
AGREE, please mark your proxy FOR this resolution.”
The
Board of Directors recommends a vote AGAINST Proposal No.
5.
The Board
of Directors believes that the present system of voting for directors, in which
all directors are elected by a plurality of the votes cast, is the fairest and
most preferable method for selecting directors. The Board is opposed to
cumulative voting because cumulative voting could make it possible for a special
interest group, which may not represent the interests of all shareholders, to
elect one or more directors beholden only to that special interest group. The
aims of such special interest group may be adverse to those of the Company and
its shareholders as a whole and therefore could impede the Board’s power to act
on behalf of the Company and all of its shareholders. Accordingly, the Board of
Directors recommends a vote against this proposal.
SHAREHOLDER
PROPOSAL RELATING TO
POLITICAL
CONTRIBUTIONS
(Proposal
No. 6)
The
Central Laborers’ Pension Fund, P.O. Box 1267, Jacksonville, Illinois 62651,
owner of more than $2,000 worth of shares of the Company’s stock, has notified
the Company in writing that it intends to present the following resolution at
the Annual Meeting for action by the shareholders:
“Resolved,
that the shareholders of Loews Corporation (“Company”) hereby request that the
Company provide a report, updated semi-annually, disclosing the
Company’s:
1. Policies
and procedures for political contributions (both direct and indirect) made with
corporate funds.
2. Monetary
and non-monetary contributions to political candidates, political parties,
political committees and other political entities organized and operating under
26 USC Sec. 527 of the Internal Revenue Code including the
following:
a. |
An
accounting of the Company’s funds contributed to any of the persons or
organizations described above; |
b. |
The
business rationale for each of the Company’s political contributions;
and |
|
c. |
Identification
of the person or persons in the Company who participated in making
the decisions
to contribute. |
This
report shall be presented to the board of directors’ audit committee or other
relevant oversight committee, and posted on the company’s website to reduce
costs to shareholders.
“Statement
of Support: As long-term shareholders of Loews, we support policies that apply
transparency and accountability to corporate political giving. In our view, such
disclosure is consistent with public policy in regard to public company
disclosure.
“Company
executives exercise wide discretion over the use of corporate resources for
political purposes. They make decisions without a stated business rationale for
such donations. In the 2001-02, the last fully reported election cycle, Loews
contributed at least $420,552 (The Center for Responsive Politics, Soft Money
Donors: http:/www.opensecrets.org/softmoney/softcomp2.asp?txtName=Loews+Corp&txtUltOrg=
y&txtSort=name& txtCycle=2002).
“Relying
only on the limited data available from the Federal Election Commission and the
Internal Revenue Service, the Center for Responsive Politics, a leading campaign
finance watchdog organization, provides an incomplete picture of the Company’s
political donations. Complete disclosure by the company is necessary for the
company’s Board and its shareholders to be able to fully evaluate the political
use of corporate assets.
“Although
the Bi-Partisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA) enacted in 2002 prohibits corporate
contributions to political parties at the federal level, it allows companies to
contribute to independent political committees, also known as 527s.
“Absent a
system of accountability, corporate executives will be free to use the Company’s
assets for political objectives that are not shared by and may be inimical to
the interests of the Company and its shareholders. There is currently no single
source of information that provides the information sought by this resolution.
That is why we urge your support for this critical governance
reform.”
The
Board of Directors recommends a vote AGAINST Proposal No.
6.
The Board
of Directors believes that this proposal is unnecessary because a comprehensive
system of reporting and accountability for political contributions already
exists in the United States. In fact, changes to the federal campaign finance
laws enacted after the 2001-2002 election cycle referred to by the proponent now
prohibit corporations from making donations to political parties at the federal
level. It is the Company’s policy to fully comply with these laws. Furthermore,
political contributions made by the Company or any of its subsidiaries which are
permitted must be disclosed as provided by various federal, state and local
campaign finance laws, including the Internal Revenue Code. As a result,
information concerning the Company’s political contributions is readily
available to shareholders and interested parties through public sources,
including numerous websites. The proponent has demonstrated this by citing
figures on political contributions previously made by the Company and its
subsidiaries. In addition, this proposal would impose additional and unnecessary
costs and administrative burdens on the Company. Accordingly,
the Board of Directors believes that this proposal would not be in the best
interests of the Company, and recommends a vote against this
proposal.
SHAREHOLDER
PROPOSAL RELATING TO
ENVIRONMENTAL
TOBACCO SMOKE
(Proposal
No. 7)
The
following shareholders have indicated in writing that they intend to present the
resolution set forth below at the Annual Meeting for action by the shareholders:
the Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes, 320 County Road K, Fond du Lac,
Wisconsin 54935, owner of 45 shares of Common Stock; Sinsinawa Dominicans, Inc.,
7200 W. Division, River Forest, Illinois 60305, owner of 80 shares of Common
Stock; Catholic Health Initiatives, 1999 Broadway, Suite 2600, Denver, Colorado
80202, owner of 100 shares of Common Stock; and Trinity Health, 766 Brady
Avenue, Apt. 635, Bronx, New York 10462, owner of 4,000 shares of Common
Stock:
“WHEREAS numerous
local, state and national governments, and corporations have made workplaces
smoke-free to protect employee and customer health;
“—the
September, 2004 Journal
of Occupational & Environmental Medicine
[46(9);887-905] reported environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) greatly increased
respirable particle air pollution and carcinogenic particulate polycyclic
aromatic hydrocarbons, exceeding levels on major truck highways;
“-- A
2002 summary of findings by the United Nations’ International Agency for
Research on Cancer [IARC] stated that scientific evidence on the carcinogenic
effects of passive smoking was conclusive, and noted ETS increases by 20% the
risk for lung cancer;
“-- An
August 2002 study in CHEST, the
journal of the American College of Chest Physicians, confirmed that asthmatic
children exposed to ETS are more likely to have increased respiratory symptoms,
decreased lung function and school absences;
“—a 2001
Journal
of the American Medical Association (436-41)
noted: ‘Before exposure to environmental tobacco smoke, coronary flow velocity
reserve was significantly higher in nonsmokers than in smokers. After exposure …
[it] decreased and was not significantly different from that of smokers.’ An
accompanying JAMA editorial stated: ‘The investigators demonstrated that, in
healthy young volunteers, just 30 minutes of exposure to secondhand smoke
compromised the endothelial function in coronary arteries of nonsmokers in a way
that made the endothelial response of nonsmokers indistinguishable from that of
habitual smokers’;
“-- A
2001 Canadian study (in International
Journal of Cancer)
conclusively showed that the more people smoke in the workplace, the greater the
risks for nonsmokers. The Globe
and Mail reported
(07/12/01) that people routinely exposed to significant ETS (i.e., bar and
restaurant workers), face a three-times greater risk for lung
cancer;
“-- In
May 2000, the U.S. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences added
directly inhaled tobacco smoke (i.e., ETS) to its ‘known human carcinogens’
list;
“--In a
1999 report, researchers discovered that breathing other people’s cigarette
smoke makes nonsmokers 82% more likely to suffer a stroke, increasing the risk
of heart disease, heart attack, lung, and breast cancer, and breathing-related
diseases (Tobacco
Control, August,
1999);
“--while
the Company admits smoking causes lung cancer, it does not admit to the
overwhelming scientific evidence that involuntary exposure to ETS causes lung
cancer.
“-- the
company has funded efforts of restaurant and hospitality associations to block
regulatory and legislative attempts to prohibit smoking in the workplace
including restaurants and bars, and further, the Company also has sponsored
events in bars wherein we have provided cigarettes for patrons;
“-- a
2002 Miami, Florida court awarded $5.5 million to a flight attendant harmed by
environmental tobacco smoke [ETS] exposure;
“-- the
company was sued by a class of flight attendants claiming exposure to ETS
increased their risk of contracting lung cancer from ETS; we have paid millions
of dollars to settle that lawsuit;
“RESOLVED:
shareholders request the Company to publicly support regulations and legislation
to prohibit smoking in all public and private workplaces - including restaurants
and bars -- as well as encourage employers to protect the health of all workers
and customers by prohibiting smoking in their workplaces.”
The
Board of Directors recommends a vote AGAINST proposal No.
7.
Many
federal, state and local governmental bodies have adopted laws and regulations
intended to prohibit or restrict smoking in public places, stores and
restaurants and the workplace, and other governmental agencies and bodies are
considering similar laws and regulations. Accordingly, the Company’s subsidiary,
Lorillard Tobacco Company (“Lorillard”), believes that proposals for new or
additional legislation or regulations concerning environmental tobacco smoke
should be considered by the appropriate governmental bodies.
In
addition, for many years public health agencies have issued well-publicized
reports concerning the asserted health risks to non-smokers of environmental
tobacco smoke. It is Lorillard’s belief that any new or additional public
statements with respect to environmental tobacco smoke should be considered by
appropriate public health agencies. Publicly encouraging employers to prohibit
smoking in their workplaces, as requested by this proposal, would, in the
opinion of Lorillard, be confusing, could conflict with various governmental
laws and regulations and could expose Lorillard to further risk of litigation.
Accordingly, the
Board of
Directors believes that this proposal would not be in the best interests of the
Company, and recommends a vote against this proposal.
SHAREHOLDER
PROPOSAL RELATING TO
CIGARETTE
IGNITION PROPENSITY
(Proposal
No. 8)
The
Congregation of the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word, P.O. Box 230969,
6510 Lawndale, Houston, Texas 77223-0969, owner of 100 shares of Common Stock,
has notified the Company in writing that it intends to present the following
resolution at the Annual Meeting for action by the shareholders:
“On June
28, 2004, a New York state law compelled major tobacco companies to replace
their cigarettes with new ‘fire safe’ versions designed to extinguish themselves
more quickly than conventional cigarettes. The
Wall Street Journal noted
that this legislation might create an environment wherein ‘cigarette companies
could become more vulnerable to cigarette-fire lawsuits filed in other states’
if they did not enact similar laws (06/23/04).
“The
article noted that most ‘tobacco companies have no intention of changing the
cigarettes they sell in other parts of the country to match New York’s
standards.’ It also stated: ‘legal experts note that having two distinct classes
of cigarettes could expose their makers to a huge legal risk. With
self-extinguishing cigarettes required only in New York, anti-tobacco lawyers
may find it easier to argue in court that manufacturers know how to make a safer
cigarette - something the companies had largely denied until recently’
(WSJ
06/23/04).
“Even
before the New York law took effect, groups, including the American Cancer
Society, the American Lung Association and other New York-based groups wrote
(06/24/04) the Chief Executive Officer of this Company ‘on behalf of consumer,
public safety, public health and firefighter organizations.’ They asked our CEO
to ‘commit at once to voluntarily establish New York’s cigarette fire safety
regulatory criteria as the standard for all the cigarettes that you produce for
sale in the United States, Puerto Rico and U.S. protectorates.’
“Their
letter was followed by another letter from a representative of the filers of
this resolution asking for the same standard to apply beyond New York to the
rest of the United States. In response, Lorillard questioned the science behind
the New York legislation. It argued that the Consumer Product Safety Commission,
upon studying the issue, ‘made no recommendation that a cigarette standard be
adopted at the state or federal level.’ Despite this, New York State found
reason to enact the law. We believe the data supports New York State; this also
is not questioned by our main competitor who does not question the data but
seeks federal legislation. Our Company seems to support neither. Thus this
request to the shareholders for immediate action.
“RESOLVED:
that the shareholders request that Loews Board commit the Company within six
months of the annual meeting to voluntarily establish New York’s cigarette fire
safety regulatory criteria as the standard for all the cigarettes that are
produced for sale in the United States, Puerto Rico and all U.S.
protectorates.
“Supporting
Statement: Nationally, cigarette fires are the leading cause of fire death. They
claim approximately 1,000 lives in the U.S. annually. Ten years ago, the direct
costs of cigarette-ignited fire deaths, injuries and property damage was
estimated to be $4 billion, with health care costs exceeding $100
million.
“We have
the technology to drastically reduce such deaths. We already make a product,
which, while legal, if used as directed causes death. To be complicit in more
deaths due to an unwillingness to change our technology makes us complicit in
their deaths.”
The
Board of Directors recommends a vote AGAINST proposal No.
8.
Lorillard
believes, as a policy matter, that it should defer to the judgment of
governmental authorities with respect to the ignition propensity standards
applicable to its products in each jurisdiction where they are sold, and that
any proposed national standards should be evaluated by the appropriate federal
governmental bodies and implemented, if at all, by uniform nationwide measures
applicable to all cigarette manufacturers,
including
Lorillard’s competitors. The ignition propensity standards advanced by the
proponent have not been adopted by any legislature or governmental regulatory
body outside of the State of New York. This proposal, which would impose the
standards established solely by the State of New York on all other U.S. states
and territories, may conflict with the regulatory regimes already in place in
those jurisdictions and could expose Lorillard to additional risk of litigation.
Lorillard believes that any attempt to impose national standards on a consumer
product raises a variety of legal and other issues which are beyond the power of
any individual company to address, and should, therefore, be accomplished by
appropriate governmental action. Furthermore, the additional expense of
voluntarily implementing the proposed changes on a nationwide basis would put
Lorillard at a competitive disadvantage in relation to those tobacco companies
which have not adopted a similar policy. Accordingly, the Board of Directors
believes that this proposal would not be in the best interests of the Company,
and recommends a vote against this proposal.
OTHER
MATTERS
The
Company knows of no other matters to be brought before the meeting. If other
matters should properly come before the meeting, proxies will be voted on such
matters in accordance with the best judgment of the persons appointed by the
proxies.
The
Company will bear all costs in connection with the solicitation of proxies for
the meeting. The Company intends to request brokerage houses, custodians,
nominees and others who hold voting stock of the Company in their names to
solicit proxies from the persons who beneficially own such stock, and such
brokerage houses, custodians, nominees and others, will be reimbursed for their
out-of-pocket expenses and reasonable clerical expenses. The
Company has engaged Innisfree M&A Incorporated (“Innisfree”) to solicit
proxies on its behalf, at an anticipated cost of approximately
$8,000. In
addition to the use of the mails, solicitation may be made by Innisfree or
employees of the Company personally or by telephone, facsimile or electronic
transmission.
Communications
with the Company by Shareholders and Others
Interested
parties, including shareholders, wishing to communicate directly with the
presiding director, other non-management directors or the Board as a whole may
do so by writing to Loews Corporation, 667 Madison Avenue, New York, New York
10021-8087, Attention: Corporate Secretary. All such communications will be
delivered to the director or directors to whom they are addressed.
Shareholders
wishing to propose an individual to be considered by the Nominating and
Governance Committee for possible recommendation to the Board of Directors must
do so by writing to Loews Corporation, 667 Madison Avenue, New York, New York
10021-8087, Attention: Corporate Secretary. Shareholder recommendations must
include the candidate’s name, a brief biographical description, a statement of
the candidate’s qualifications, a description of any relationship between the
candidate and either the recommending shareholder or the Company, and the
candidate’s signed consent to serve as a director, if elected. Recommendations
for director nominees to be considered for the Company’s 2006 Annual Meeting
must be received by the Corporate Secretary not later than October 1,
2005.
Shareholder
proposals for the 2006 Annual Meeting must be received by the Company’s
Corporate Secretary not later than November 25, 2005 in order to be included in
the Company’s proxy materials. Proxies solicited by the Company for the 2006
Annual Meeting may confer discretionary authority to vote on any proposals
submitted after February 8, 2006 without a description of them in the proxy
materials for that meeting. Shareholder proposals should be addressed to Loews
Corporation, 667 Madison Avenue, New York, New York 10021-8087, Attention:
Corporate Secretary.
|
By
order of the Board of Directors, |
|
|
|
|
|
GARY
W. GARSON |
|
|
Secretary |
|
|
|
|
Dated: March
25, 2005 |
|
|
PLEASE
COMPLETE, DATE, SIGN AND
RETURN
YOUR PROXY PROMPTLY
Exhibit
A
LOEWS
CORPORATION
2000
STOCK OPTION PLAN
(Amended
and Restated as of January 1, 2005)
Section
1. General
1.1 Purpose. The
Loews Corporation 2000 Stock Option Plan (the “Plan”) has been established by
Loews Corporation (the “Company”) to (i) attract and retain persons eligible to
participate in the Plan, (ii) motivate Participants, by means of appropriate
incentives, to achieve long-term Company goals, and reward Participants for
achievement of those goals, and (iii) provide incentive compensation
opportunities that are competitive with those of other similar companies, and
thereby promote the financial interest of the Company and its
Subsidiaries.
1.2 Operation
and Administration. The
operation and administration of the Plan shall be subject to the provisions of
Section 4 (relating to operation and administration). Capitalized terms in the
Plan shall be defined as set forth in the Plan (including the definition
provisions of Section 7 of the Plan).
Section
2. Options
2.1 Option
Grant. The
Committee may grant Options in accordance with this Section 2.
2.2 Definitions. The
grant of an “Option” permits the Participant to purchase shares of Stock at an
Exercise Price established by the Committee. Any Option granted under the Plan
may be either an incentive stock option (an “ISO”) or a non-qualified option (an
“NQO”), as determined in the discretion of the Committee. An “ISO” is an Option
that is intended to be an “incentive stock option” described in section 422(b)
of the Code and does in fact satisfy the requirements of that section. An “NQO”
is an Option that is not intended to be an “incentive stock option” as that term
is described in section 422(b) of the Code, or that fails to satisfy the
requirements of that section.
2.3 Exercise
Price. The
“Exercise Price” of each Option granted under this Section 2 shall be
established by the Committee or shall be determined by a method established by
the Committee at the time the Option is granted; except that the Exercise Price
shall not be less than 100% of the Fair Market Value of a share of Stock on the
date of grant (or, if greater, the par value of a share of Stock). In no event
may any Option granted under this Plan be amended, other than pursuant to
Section 4.2(e), to decrease the Exercise Price thereof, be cancelled in
conjunction with the grant of any new Option with a lower Exercise Price, or
otherwise be subject to any action that would be treated, for accounting
purposes, as a “repricing” of such Option, unless such amendment, cancellation,
or action is approved by the Company’s shareholders.
2.4 Vesting
and Exercise. An
Option shall be exercisable in accordance with such terms and conditions and
during such periods as may be established by the Committee.
(a) |
Unless
otherwise provided by the Committee at the time of grant or thereafter,
each Option shall vest and become exercisable in four equal annual
installments beginning on the first anniversary of the date of grant, and
shall thereafter remain exercisable during the
Term. |
(b) |
Unless
otherwise provided by the Committee at the time of grant or thereafter,
the Term of each Option shall end on the earliest of (1) the date on which
such Option has been exercised in full, (2) the date on which the
Participant experiences a Termination for Cause or a voluntary
Termination, (3) the one-year anniversary of the date on which the
Participant experiences a Termination due to death or Disability, (4) the
three-year anniversary of the date on which the Participant experiences a
Termination due to such person’s Retirement, and (5) the 90th day after
the Participant experiences a Termination for any other reason; provided,
that in no event may the Term exceed ten (10) years from the date of grant
of the Option. Except as otherwise determined by the Committee at the time
of grant or thereafter, upon the occurrence of a Termination of a
Participant for any reason, the Term of all outstanding Options held by
the Participant that are unvested as of the date of such Termination shall
thereupon end and such unvested Options shall be forfeited immediately;
provided, however, |
that the
Committee may, in its sole discretion, accelerate the vesting of any Option
and/or extend the exercise period of any Option (but not beyond the ten-year
anniversary of the grant date).
(c) |
An
Option may be exercised and the underlying shares purchased in accordance
with this Section 2 at any time after the Option with respect to those
shares vests and before the expiration of the Term. To exercise an Option,
the Participant shall give written notice to the Company stating the
number of shares with respect to which the Option is being
exercised. |
(d) |
The
full Exercise Price for shares of Stock purchased upon the exercise of any
Option shall be paid at the time of such exercise (except that, in the
case of an exercise arrangement approved by the Committee and described in
the last sentence of this paragraph (d), payment may be made as soon as
practicable after the exercise). The Exercise Price shall be payable by
check, or such other instrument as the Committee may accept. The Committee
may permit a Participant to elect to pay the Exercise Price upon the
exercise of an Option by irrevocably authorizing a third party to sell
shares of Stock (or a sufficient portion of the shares) acquired upon
exercise of the Option and remit to the Company a sufficient portion of
the sale proceeds to pay the entire Exercise Price and any tax withholding
resulting from such exercise. In the case of any ISO such permission must
be provided for at the time of grant and set forth in an Award
Certificate. In addition, if approved by the Committee, payment, in full
or in part, may also be made in the form of unrestricted Mature Shares,
based on the Fair Market Value of the Mature Shares on the date the Option
is exercised; provided, however, that, in the case of an ISO the right to
make a payment in such Mature Shares may be authorized only at the time
the Option is granted. |
Section
3. Stock Appreciation Rights
3.1 Types
and Nature of Stock Appreciation Rights.
A “Stock
Appreciation Right” is the right to receive an amount equal in value to the
excess, if any, on the date of exercise, of the Fair Market Value of a share of
Stock over the Exercise Price of the Stock Appreciation Right. Stock
Appreciation Rights may be “Tandem SARs,” which are granted in conjunction with
an Option, or “Free-Standing SARs,” which are not granted in conjunction with an
Option. Upon the exercise of a Stock Appreciation Right, the Participant shall
be entitled to receive an amount equal to the product of (i) the excess of the
Fair Market Value of one share of Stock over the Exercise Price of the
applicable Stock Appreciation Right, multiplied by (ii) the number of shares of
Stock in respect of which the Stock Appreciation Right has been exercised. Such
amount shall be paid in cash, Stock, or a combination thereof (with the amount
of such cash being determined based upon the Fair Market Value of the Stock on
the date of exercise). As determined by the Committee, the applicable Award
Certificate shall specify whether such payment is to be made in cash or Stock or
both, or shall reserve to the Committee or the Participant the right to make
that determination prior to or upon the exercise of the Stock Appreciation
Right.
3.2 Tandem
SARs. A
Tandem SAR may be granted on the grant date of the related Option or, in the
case of a related NQO, at any time after the grant date thereof while the
related NQO remains outstanding. A Tandem SAR shall be exercisable only at such
time or times and to the extent that the related Option is exercisable in
accordance with the provisions of Section 2, and shall at all times have the
same Exercise Price as the related Option. A Tandem SAR shall terminate or be
forfeited upon the exercise or forfeiture of the related Option, and the related
Option shall terminate or be forfeited upon the exercise or forfeiture of the
Tandem SAR.
3.3 Exercise
Price. The
“Exercise Price” per share of Stock subject to a Free-Standing SAR shall be
determined by the Committee and set forth in the applicable Award Certificate,
and shall not be less than 100% of the Fair Market Value of a share of Stock on
the applicable grant date. In no event may any Free-Standing SAR granted under
this Plan be amended, other than pursuant to Section 4.2(e), to decrease the
Exercise Price thereof, be cancelled in conjunction with the grant of any new
Option or Free-Standing SAR with a lower Exercise Price, or otherwise be subject
to any action that would be treated, for accounting purposes, as a “repricing”
of such Free-Standing SAR, unless such amendment, cancellation, or action is
approved by the Company’s shareholders.
3.4 Term. Unless
otherwise provided by the Committee at the time of grant or thereafter, the Term
of each Free-Standing SAR shall end on the earliest of (1) the date on which
such Free-Standing SAR
has been
exercised in full, (2) the date on which the Participant experiences a
Termination for Cause or a voluntary Termination, (3) the one-year anniversary
of the date on which the Participant experiences a Termination due to death or
Disability, (4) the three-year anniversary of the date on which the Participant
experiences a Termination due to such person’s Retirement, and (5) the 90th day
after the Participant experiences a Termination for any other reason; provided,
that in no event may the Term exceed ten (10) years from the date of grant of
the Free-Standing SAR. Except as otherwise determined by the Committee at the
time of grant, upon the occurrence of a Termination of a Participant for any
reason, the Term of all outstanding Free-Standing SARs held by the Participant
that are unvested as of the date of such Termination shall thereupon end and
such unvested Free-Standing SARs shall be forfeited immediately provided,
however, that the Committee may, in its sole discretion, accelerate the vesting
of any Stock Appreciation Right and/or extend the exercise period of any Stock
Appreciation Right (but not beyond the ten-year anniversary of the grant
date).
3.5 Vesting
and Exercise. Except
as otherwise provided herein, Free-Standing SARs shall vest and be exercisable
at such time or times and subject to such terms and conditions as shall be
determined by the Committee and set forth in the applicable Award Certificate.
Section
4. Operation and Administration
4.1 Effective
Date. The
Plan is effective as of January 18, 2000 (the “Effective Date”). The Plan shall
be unlimited in duration and, in the event of Plan termination, shall remain in
effect as long as any Options or Stock Appreciation Rights under it are
outstanding.
4.2 Shares
Subject to Plan. The
shares of Stock for which Options and Stock Appreciation Rights may be granted
under the Plan shall be subject to the following:
(a) |
The
shares of Stock with respect to which Options and Stock Appreciation
Rights may be granted under the Plan shall be shares currently authorized
but unissued or currently held or subsequently acquired by the Company as
treasury shares, including shares purchased in the open market or in
private transactions. |
(b) |
Subject
to the following provisions of this subsection 4.2, the maximum number of
shares of Stock that may be delivered to Participants and their
beneficiaries under the Plan shall be 4,000,000 shares of
Stock. |
(c) |
To
the extent any shares of Stock covered by an Option are not delivered to a
Participant or beneficiary because the Option is forfeited or canceled,
such shares shall not be deemed to have been delivered for purposes of
determining the maximum number of shares of Stock available for delivery
under the Plan. |
(d) |
Subject
to paragraph 4.2(e), the maximum number of shares that may be covered by
Options and/or Stock Appreciation Rights granted to any one individual
during any one calendar year period shall be 400,000
shares. |
(e) |
In
the event of a corporate transaction involving the Company (including,
without limitation, any stock dividend, stock split, extraordinary cash
dividend, recapitalization, reorganization, merger, consolidation,
split-up, spin-off, combination or exchange of shares), the Committee may
make adjustments to preserve the benefits or potential benefits of the
Plan and outstanding Options and/or Stock Appreciation Rights. Action by
the Committee may include: (i) adjustment of the number and kind of shares
which may be delivered under the Plan; (ii) adjustment of the number and
kind of shares referred to in Sections 4.2 (b) and (d); (iii) adjustment
of the number and kind of shares subject to outstanding Options and Stock
Appreciation Rights; (iv) adjustment of the Exercise Price of outstanding
Options and Stock Appreciation Rights; (v) settlement in cash or Stock in
an amount equal to the excess of the value of the Stock subject to such
Options and Stock Appreciation Rights over the aggregate Exercise Price
(as determined by the Committee) of such Options and Stock Appreciation
Rights; and (vi) any other adjustments that the Committee determines to be
equitable. |
4.3 General
Restrictions.
Delivery of shares of Stock or other amounts under the Plan shall
be
subject to the following:
(a) |
Notwithstanding
any other provision of the Plan, the Company shall have no liability to
deliver any shares of Stock under the Plan or make any other distribution
of benefits under the Plan unless such delivery or distribution would
comply with all applicable laws (including, without limitation, the
requirements of the Securities Act of 1933 and Code Section 409A), and the
applicable requirements of any securities exchange or similar
entity. |
(b) |
To
the extent that the Plan provides for issuance of stock certificates to
reflect the issuance of shares of Stock, the issuance may be effected on a
non-certificated basis, to the extent not prohibited by applicable law or
the applicable rules of any stock exchange. |
4.4 Tax
Withholding. All
distributions under the Plan are subject to withholding of all applicable taxes,
and the delivery of any shares or other benefits under the Plan shall be
conditioned on satisfaction of the applicable withholding obligations. The
Committee, in its discretion, and subject to such requirements as the Committee
may impose prior to the occurrence of such withholding, may permit such
withholding obligations to be satisfied through cash payment by the Participant,
through the surrender of shares of Stock which the Participant already owns, or
through the surrender of shares of Stock to which the Participant is otherwise
entitled under the Plan; provided that surrender of shares may be used only to
satisfy the minimum withholding required by law.
4.5 Grant
and Use of Options. In the
discretion of the Committee, more than one Option and/or Stock Appreciation
Right may be granted to a Participant. Options and Stock Appreciation Rights may
be granted as alternatives to or replacements of Options and Stock Appreciation
Rights granted or outstanding under the Plan, or any other plan or arrangement
of the Company or a Subsidiary (including a plan or arrangement of a business or
entity, all or a portion of which is acquired by the Company or a Subsidiary).
Subject to the overall limitation on the number of shares of Stock that may be
delivered under the Plan, the Committee may use available shares of Stock as the
form of payment for compensation, grants or rights earned or due under any other
compensation plans or arrangements of the Company or a Subsidiary, including the
plans and arrangements of the Company or a Subsidiary assumed in business
combinations. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the assumption by the Company of
options in connection with the acquisition of a business or other entity and the
conversion of such options into options to acquire Stock shall not be treated as
a new grant of Options under the Plan unless specifically so provided by the
Committee.
4.6 Settlement
of Options. The
Committee may from time to time establish procedures pursuant to which a
Participant may elect to defer, until a time or times later than the exercise of
an Option or Stock Appreciation Right, receipt of all or a portion of the shares
of Stock subject to such Option or Stock Appreciation Right and/or to receive
cash at such later time or times in lieu of such deferred shares, all on such
terms and conditions as the Committee shall determine. If any such deferrals are
permitted, then a Participant who elects such deferral shall not have any rights
as a stockholder with respect to such deferred shares unless and until shares
are actually delivered to the Participant with respect thereto, except to the
extent otherwise determined by the Committee.
4.7 Code
Section 409A.
(a) |
It
is the intention of the Company that no grant of Options or Stock
Appreciation Rights shall be “deferred compensation” subject to Code
Section 409A, unless and to the extent that the Committee specifically
determines otherwise as provided below, and the Plan and the terms and
conditions of all grants of Options and Stock Appreciation Rights shall be
interpreted accordingly. |
(b) |
The
terms and conditions governing any grants of Options and Stock
Appreciation Rights that the Committee determines will be subject to Code
Section 409A, including any rules for elective or mandatory deferral of
the delivery of cash pursuant thereto, shall be set forth in writing, and
shall comply in all respects with Code Section 409A.
|
4.8 Other
Plans. Amounts
payable under this Plan shall not be taken into account as compensation for
purposes of any other employee benefit plan or program of the Company or any of
its Subsidiaries, except to the extent otherwise provided by such plans or
programs, or by an agreement between the affected Participant and the
Company.
4.9 Heirs
and Successors. The
terms of the Plan shall be binding upon, and inure to the benefit of, the
Company and its successors and assigns, and upon any person acquiring, whether
by merger, consolidation, purchase of assets or otherwise, all or substantially
all of the Company’s assets and business.
4.10 Transferability. Options
and Stock Appreciation Rights granted under the Plan are not transferable except
(i) as designated by the Participant by will or by the laws of descent and
distribution or (ii) in the case of a Free-Standing SAR or NQO and any
associated Tandem SAR, as otherwise expressly permitted by the Committee
including, if so permitted, pursuant to a transfer to such Participant’s
immediate family, whether directly or indirectly or by means of a trust or
partnership or otherwise. If any rights exercisable by a Participant or benefits
deliverable to a Participant under any Award Certificate under the Plan have not
been exercised or delivered, respectively, at the time of the Participant’s
death, such rights shall be exercisable by the Designated Beneficiary, and such
benefits shall be delivered to the Designated Beneficiary, in accordance with
the provisions of the applicable terms of the Award Certificate and the Plan.
The “Designated Beneficiary” shall be the beneficiary or beneficiaries
designated by the Participant to receive benefits under the Company’s group term
life insurance plan or such other person or persons as the Participant may
designate by notice to the Company. If a deceased Participant fails to have
designated a beneficiary, or if the Designated Beneficiary does not survive the
Participant, any rights that would have been exercisable by the Participant and
any benefits distributable to the Participant shall be exercised by or
distributed to the legal representative of the estate of the Participant. If a
deceased Participant designates a beneficiary and the Designated Beneficiary
survives the Participant but dies before the Designated Beneficiary’s exercise
of all rights under the Award Certificate or before the complete distribution of
benefits to the Designated Beneficiary under the Award Certificate, then any
rights that would have been exercisable by the Designated Beneficiary shall be
exercised by the legal representative of the estate of the Designated
Beneficiary, and any benefits distributable to the Designated Beneficiary shall
be distributed to the legal representative of the estate of the Designated
Beneficiary. All Options and Stock Appreciation Rights shall be exercisable,
subject to the terms of this Plan, only by the Participant or any person to whom
such Option or Stock Appreciation Right is transferred pursuant to this
paragraph, it being understood that the term Participant shall include such
transferee for purposes of the exercise provisions contained herein.
4.11 Notices. Any
written notices provided for in the Plan or under any Award Certificate shall be
in writing and shall be deemed sufficiently given if either hand delivered or if
sent by confirmed fax or overnight courier, or by postage paid first class mail.
Notice and communications shall be effective when actually received by the
addressee. Notices shall be directed, if to the Participant, at the
Participant’s address indicated in the Award Certificate, or if to the Company,
at the Company’s principal executive office to the attention of the Company’s
Secretary.
4.12 Action
by Company. Any
action required or permitted to be taken by the Company shall be by resolution
of the Board, or by action of one or more members of the Board (including a
committee of the Board) who are duly authorized to act for the Board, or by a
duly authorized officer of the Company.
4.13 Limitation
of Implied Rights.
(a) |
Neither
a Participant nor any other person shall, by reason of participation in
the Plan, acquire any right in or title to any assets, funds or property
of the Company whatsoever, including, without limitation, any specific
funds, assets, or other property which the Company, in its sole
discretion, may set aside in anticipation of a liability under the Plan. A
Participant shall have only a contractual right to the amounts, if any,
payable under the Plan, unsecured by any assets of the Company, and
nothing contained in the Plan shall constitute a guarantee that the assets
of the Company shall be sufficient to pay any benefits to any
person. |
(b) |
The
Plan does not constitute a contract of employment, and selection as a
Participant will not give any Participant the right to be retained in the
employ of, or as a director or consultant to, the Company or any
Subsidiary, nor any right or claim to any benefit under the Plan, unless
such right or claim has specifically accrued under the terms of the
Plan. |
4.14 Gender
and Number. Where
the context admits, words in any gender shall include any other gender, words in
the singular shall include the plural and the plural shall include the
singular.
4.15 Laws
Applicable to Construction. The
interpretation, performance and enforcement of this Plan and all Award
Certificates shall be governed by the laws of the State of Delaware without
reference to principles of conflict of laws, as applied to contracts executed in
and performed wholly within the State of Delaware.
4.16 Evidence.
Evidence required of anyone under the Plan may be by certificate, affidavit,
document or other information which the person acting on it considers pertinent
and reliable, and signed, made or presented by the proper party or
parties.
Section
5. Committee
5.1 Administration. The
authority to control and manage the operation and administration of the Plan
shall be vested in the Compensation Committee of the Board or such other
committee of the Board as the Board may from time to time designate (the
“Committee”) in accordance with this Section 4. In addition, the Board may
exercise any power given to the Committee under the Plan.
5.2 Powers
of Committee. The
Committee’s administration of the Plan shall be subject to the
following:
(a) |
Subject
to the provisions of the Plan, the Committee will have the authority and
discretion to select from among the Eligible Grantees those persons who
shall receive Options and/or Stock Appreciation Rights, to determine the
grant date of, the number of shares subject to and the Exercise Price of
those Options and Stock Appreciation Rights, to establish all other terms
and conditions of such Options and Stock Appreciation Rights, and (subject
to the restrictions imposed by Section 6) to cancel or suspend Options and
Stock Appreciation Rights. |
(b) |
The
Committee will have the authority and discretion to interpret the Plan, to
establish, amend, and rescind any rules and regulations relating to the
Plan, and to make all other determinations that may be necessary or
advisable for the administration of the
Plan. |
(c) |
Any
interpretation of the Plan by the Committee and any decision made by it
under the Plan is final and binding on all
persons. |
(d) |
In
controlling and managing the operation and administration of the Plan, the
Committee shall take action in a manner that conforms to the articles and
by-laws of the Company, and applicable state corporate
law. |
5.3 Delegation
by Committee. Except
to the extent prohibited by applicable law or the applicable rules of a stock
exchange, the Committee may allocate all or any portion of its responsibilities
and powers to any one or more of its members and may delegate all or any part of
its responsibilities and powers to any person or persons selected by it. Any
such allocation or delegation may be revoked by the Committee at any
time.
5.4 Information
to be Furnished to Committee. The
Company and Subsidiaries shall furnish the Committee with such data and
information as it determines may be required for it to discharge its duties. The
records of the Company and Subsidiaries as to an employee’s or Participant’s
employment, engagement, Termination, leave of absence, reemployment and
compensation shall be conclusive on all persons unless determined to be
incorrect. Participants and other persons eligible for benefits under the Plan
must furnish the Committee such evidence, data or information as the Committee
considers desirable to carry out the terms of the Plan.
Section
6. Amendment
and Termination
The Board
may, at any time, amend or terminate the Plan; provided that no amendment or
termination may, in the absence of written consent to the change by the affected
Participant (or, if the Participant is not then living, the affected
beneficiary), adversely affect the rights of any Participant or beneficiary
under any Option or Stock Appreciation Right granted under the Plan prior to the
date such amendment is adopted by the Board; and further provided that
adjustments pursuant to paragraph 4.2(e) shall not be subject to the
foregoing limitations of this Section 6.
Section
7.
Defined
Terms
As used
in this Plan, the following definitions shall apply:
(a) |
Award
Certificate.
The term “Award Certificate” shall mean a written certificate setting
forth the terms and conditions of an Option or Stock Appreciation Right,
in such form as the Committee may from time to time
prescribe. |
(b) |
Board.
The term “Board” means the Board of Directors of the
Company. |
(c) |
Cause:
The term “Cause” shall have the meaning set forth in the employment or
engagement agreement between a Participant and the Company or any
Subsidiary thereof, if such an agreement exists and contains a definition
of Cause; otherwise Cause shall mean (1) conviction of the Participant for
committing a felony under Federal law or the law of the state in which
such action occurred, (2) dishonesty in the course of fulfilling a
Participant’s employment, engagement or directorial duties, (3) willful
and deliberate failure on the part of a Participant to perform the
Participant’s employment, engagement or directorial duties in any material
respect or (4) such other events as shall be determined in good faith
by the Committee. The Committee shall, unless otherwise provided in an
Award Certificate or employment agreement with the Participant, have the
sole discretion to determine whether Cause exists, and its determination
shall be final. |
(d) |
Code.
The term “Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, the
Treasury Regulations thereunder and other relevant interpretive guidance
issued by the Internal Revenue Service or the Treasury Department.
Reference to any specific section of the Code shall be deemed to include
such regulations and guidance, as well as any successor provision of the
Code. |
(e) |
Committee.
The term “Committee” shall have the meaning set forth in Section
5.1. |
(f) |
Company.
The term “Company” shall have the meaning set forth in Section
1.1. |
(g) |
Designated
Beneficiary.
The term “Designated Beneficiary” shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 4.10. |
(h) |
Disability.
The term “Disability” shall mean, unless otherwise provided by the
Committee, (1) “Disability” as defined in any individual Award Certificate
to which the Participant is a party, or (2) if there is no such Award
Certificate or it does not define “Disability,” permanent and total
disability as determined under the Company’s long-term disability plan
applicable to the Participant. |
(i) |
Effective
Date.
The term “Effective Date” shall have the meaning set forth in Section
4.1. |
(j) |
Eligible
Grantee.
The term “Eligible Grantee” shall mean any individual who is employed on a
full-time or part-time basis, or who serves as a consultant to, by the
Company or a Subsidiary and any non-employee director of the Company. An
Option or Stock Appreciation Right may be granted to an individual in
connection with such individual’s hiring or engagement prior to the date
the individual first performs services for the Company or the
Subsidiaries, provided that the individual will be an Eligible Grantee
upon his hiring or engagement, and further provided that such Options
and/or Stock Appreciation Rights shall not become vested prior to the date
the individual first performs such
services. |
(k) |
Exercise
Price.
The term “Exercise Price” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.3
and 3.3 as applicable. |
(l) |
Fair
Market Value.
The “Fair Market Value” of a share of Stock shall be, as of any given
date, the mean between the highest and lowest reported sales prices on the
immediately preceding date (or, if there are no reported sales on such
immediately preceding date, on the last date prior to such date on which
there were sales) of the Stock on the New York Stock Exchange Composite
Tape or, if not |
listed on
such exchange, on any other national securities exchange on which the Stock is
listed or on NASDAQ. If there is no regular public trading market for such
Stock, the Fair Market Value of the Stock shall be determined by the Committee
in good faith.
(m) |
Free-Standing
SAR.
The term “Free-Standing SAR” shall have the meaning set forth in Section
3.1. |
(n) |
ISO.
The term “ISO” shall have the meaning set forth in Section
2.2. |
(o) |
Mature
Shares.
The term “Mature Shares” shall mean shares of Stock that have been owned
by the Participant in question for at least six
months. |
(p) |
NQO.
The term “NQO” shall have the meaning set forth in Section
2.2. |
(q) |
Option.
The term “Option” shall have the meaning set forth in Section
2.2. |
(r) |
Plan.
The term “Plan” shall have the meaning set forth in Section
1.1. |
(s) |
Retirement.
The term “Retirement” shall mean retirement from active employment with
the Company pursuant to any retirement plan or program of the Company or
any Subsidiary in which the Participant participates. A Termination by a
consultant or non-employee director shall in no event be considered a
Retirement. |
(t) |
Stock.
The term “Stock” shall mean shares of common stock of the
Company. |
(u) |
Stock
Appreciation Right.
The term “Stock Appreciation Right “ shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 3.1. |
(v) |
Subsidiary.
The term “Subsidiary” means any business or entity in which at any
relevant time the Company holds at least a 50% equity (voting or
non-voting) interest. |
(w)
Tandem
SAR. The term
“Tandem SAR” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 3.1.
(x) |
Term.
The term “Term” shall mean the period beginning on the date of grant of an
Option or Stock Appreciation Right and ending on the date the Option or
Stock Appreciation Right expires pursuant to the Plan and the relevant
Award Certificate. |
(y) |
Termination. A
Participant shall be considered to have experienced a Termination if he or
she ceases, for any reason, to be an employee, consultant or non-employee
director of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, including, without
limitation, as a result of the fact that the entity by which he or she is
employed or engaged or of which he or she is a director has ceased to be
affiliated with the Company. |
Exhibit
B
LOEWS
CORPORATION
INCENTIVE
COMPENSATION PLAN FOR EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
(Amended
and Restated as of January 1, 2005)
Section
1. Purpose of the Plan
The
purpose of the Loews Corporation Incentive Compensation Plan for Executive
Officers (the “Plan”) is to provide a means of rewarding certain executive
officers of Loews Corporation (the “Corporation”) who have contributed to the
profitability of the Corporation in a manner which permits such compensation to
be deductible by the Corporation for federal income tax purposes.
Section
2. Administration of the Plan
The
administration of this Plan shall be vested in the Compensation Committee of the
Board of Directors of the Corporation, or such other committee of the Board of
Directors which shall succeed to the functions and responsibilities of such
committee in relation to this Plan (the “Committee”), which shall make all
determinations necessary under this Plan. All members of the Committee shall
qualify as “outside directors” (as the term is defined in Section 162(m) of the
Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), and the regulations
thereunder, as they may from time to time be in effect (the “Regulations”)). No
member of the Committee shall be entitled to participate in this Plan.
Section
3. Participation in the Plan
Executive
officers of the Corporation shall be eligible to participate in this Plan.
Within the period specified in the Regulations within which a performance goal
is required to be established to qualify as a pre-established performance goal
(the “Designation Period”), the Committee may designate one or more such
executive officers of the Corporation (each, a “Participant”) who shall
participate in this Plan for the Performance Period or the Multiple Award Period
(as those terms are defined in Section 6 below).
Section
4. Performance Goals
Prior to
the end of the Designation Period for a Performance Period, the Committee shall
designate in writing a percentage of the Corporation's Performance Based Income
(as defined below) for such Performance Period. In the event of a Multiple Award
Period, prior to the end of the Designation Period for the first Performance
Period in the Multiple Award Period the Committee shall designate a percentage
of Performance Based Income for each of the subsequent Performance Periods in
the Multiple Award Period. The percentage for a subsequent Performance Period
may be increased at any time prior to the end of the Designation Period for such
Performance Period. As used herein, “Performance Based Income” shall mean, for
each Performance Period, the consolidated net income of the Corporation and its
subsidiaries, as reported in the Corporation's Consolidated Statement of
Operations for such Performance Period, as adjusted by the Committee, in its
sole discretion, prior to the end of the relevant Designation Period, to take
into account such specified objective factors that may impact the Company's
business generally, or the business of any of the Company's consolidated
subsidiaries, as the Committee in the exercise of its judgment deems reasonable
and appropriate to exclude or include in the computation of consolidated net
income, including, without limitation, realized and unrealized gains and losses,
the impact of accounting changes, the impact of acquisitions and dispositions of
a business or asset, charges relating to the disposition by judgment or
settlement of material litigation, charges relating to reserve strengthening and
adverse dividend or premium development associated with prior accident years,
the impact of catastrophes and other extraordinary items and events, and the
impact of changes in legislation or regulation.
Section
5. Awards to Participants
Prior to
the end of the Designation Period for a Performance Period, the Committee shall
allocate in writing, on behalf of each Participant, a percentage of Performance
Based Income on which such Participant's award will be based, and may, in its
discretion, determine to reserve the discretion (“Negative Discretion”)
to
reduce
the amount payable to the Participant below the designated percentage of
Performance Based Income. In the event of a Multiple Award Period, prior to the
end of the first Designation Period for all included Performance Periods the
Committee shall allocate in writing, on behalf of each Participant, a percentage
of Performance Based Income for each of the Performance Periods in the Multiple
Award Period or, in the alternative, an aggregate formula for the later
Performance Periods in the Multiple Award Period based on the total of assigned
percentages of Performance Based Income for the then current and the prior
Performance Periods included in the Multiple Award Period. In no event shall the
sum of the percentages allocated to Participants exceed the percentage
determined in Section 4 for any Performance Period, nor shall any exercise of
Negative Discretion with respect to one Participant increase the amount payable
to any other Participant. In no event shall overlapping Performance Periods or
Multiple Award Periods be established for a Participant. The Committee shall set
a maximum amount payable (the “Cap”) for each Participant for each Performance
Period, which shall not exceed $3,000,000 per year or a pro rata portion thereof
for Performance Periods which are greater or less than one year.
Section
6. Performance Period
The term
“Performance Period” means a period established by the Committee during which
performance will be measured for purposes of determining the extent to which one
or more Participants will receive awards under this Plan. Generally, a
Performance Period shall be the twelve-month period commencing January 1 of a
calendar year and ending on December 31 of such calendar year. In addition, the
Committee may establish Performance Periods beginning and/or ending on other
dates (including without limitation Performance Periods of less or more than one
calendar year). Furthermore, the Committee may designate Participants for future
Performance Period awards (a “Multiple Award Period”).
Section
7. Payment of Bonus Awards Under the Plan
(a) |
Following
the completion of each Performance Period, the Committee shall certify in
writing (i) the amount, if any, of Performance Based Income for such
Performance Period and (ii) the bonus awards that are consequently payable
to the Participants according to the pre-established
formulae. |
(b) |
Except
as provided in Section 8 of this Plan, each Participant shall receive
payment, subject to all required tax withholdings, of his or her bonus
award as soon as practicable following the determination of the amount of
such award. |
Section
8. Deferral of Payment of Awards
Subject
to applicable provisions of the Code and the Regulations (and any applicable
Notices), the Committee, in its discretion, may allow any Participant, on such
terms and conditions as the Committee may determine, to elect to defer payment
of all or part of any award which such Participant might earn with respect to a
Performance Period (together with interest thereon from the date as of which the
award would have been paid but for such Participant's election to defer payment
at the rate, if any, fixed by the Committee) by complying with such procedures
as the Committee may from time to time prescribe.
Section
9. Separation From the Corporation and Its Subsidiaries
(a) |
Participants
who cease to be employed by the Corporation or its subsidiaries prior to
the end of a Performance Period, other than due to retirement under any
retirement plan maintained by the Corporation or any of its subsidiaries
under which such Participant is covered, death or disability (as defined
in any disability plan of the Corporation or any of its subsidiaries
applicable to the Participant), shall not be eligible to receive a bonus
award for the Performance Period in which such termination of employment
occurs; provided, that the Committee may, in its sole discretion,
determine that such a Participant shall receive a bonus award based upon
Performance Based Income for either the entire Performance Period or the
portion thereof preceding such termination of employment.
|
(b) |
Participants
who cease to be employed by the Corporation or its subsidiaries prior to
the end of a Performance Period due to retirement under any retirement
plan maintained by the Corporation or any of its subsidiaries under which
such Participant is covered, death or disability (as defined in any
disability plan of the Corporation or any of its subsidiaries applicable
to the Participant) shall receive |
a bonus
award which is prorated to the date of cessation of employment, but based upon
Performance Based Income for either the entire Performance Period or the portion
thereof preceding such retirement, death or disability, as determined by the
Committee in its sole discretion.
(c) |
Any
Participant may designate in writing the beneficiary of the unpaid amount
of a bonus award (including the amount of any bonus award which was
previously deferred) in case of death and if no designation has been made,
or if any such designation shall become ineffective, any such unpaid
amount will be paid to the Participant's estate. Such designation shall be
effective upon receipt thereof by the Corporation. Any such designation
may be revoked in writing by a Participant at any time without the consent
of any such beneficiary. |
Section
10. Amendments
The
Committee may amend this Plan at any time, provided that such changes may be
made consistent with the provisions of Section 162(m) of the Code and the
Regulations without adversely affecting the ability of the Corporation to deduct
the compensation which may be paid pursuant to this Plan for federal income tax
purposes. The Committee may also amend this Plan as it deems necessary or
appropriate to comply with any applicable provisions of the Code or the
Regulations (and any applicable Notices) in relation to the ability to defer
award payments. If the Code or the Regulations would require stockholder
approval of such amendment in order for payments under this Plan to be
deductible, then no such amendment shall be effective without such approval.
Section
11. Termination
The Board
of Directors of the Corporation may terminate this Plan at any time. No
termination of this Plan shall adversely affect the right of any person to
receive any award for a Performance Period or Periods for which such person had
been designated under Section 3 of this Plan, or amounts previously awarded to
such person but deferred in accordance with Section 8 of this Plan plus any
interest thereon.
Section
12. Miscellaneous
(a) |
Nothing
contained in this Plan shall be construed as giving any executive officer
of the Corporation the right to participate in this Plan or to continued
employment or any interest in any asset of the Corporation or any of its
subsidiaries, nor to prevent the Corporation or any of its subsidiaries or
affiliates from taking any action which it deems to be appropriate or in
its best interests, whether or not such action would have an adverse
effect on this Plan or the amounts payable hereunder. |
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(b) |
This
Plan shall be unfunded and the Corporation shall not be required to
establish any segregation of assets to assure payment of any awards made
hereunder. |
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(c) |
A
Participant may not sell, transfer or assign any right or interest in this
Plan except as provided in Section 9(c) hereof and any attempted sale,
transfer or assignment shall be null and void. |
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(d) |
This
Plan shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the
State of New York and the applicable provisions of the Code and the
Regulations. |
Section
13. Effective Date
This
Plan, as amended, shall be effective as of January 1, 2005, subject to the
subsequent approval hereof by the Corporation's stockholders at the 2005 Annual
Meeting of Shareholders and, if so approved, shall remain in effect until
terminated in accordance with Section 11 hereof.
COMMON
STOCK |
LOEWS
CORPORATION |
Proxy |
This
Proxy is Solicited on Behalf of the Board of
Directors |
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The
undersigned hereby constitutes and appoints Gary W. Garson, Peter W. Keegan and
Kenneth J. Zinghini and each of them, each with full power of substitution, true
and lawful attorneys, agents and proxies with all the powers the undersigned
would possess if personally present, to vote all shares of Common Stock of the
undersigned in Loews Corporation at the Annual Meeting of Shareholders to be
held at The Regency Hotel, 540 Park Avenue, New York, New York, on May 10, 2005,
at 11:00 A.M., New York City time, and at any adjournments thereof, upon the
matters set forth in the Notice of Meeting and accompanying Proxy Statement and,
in their judgment and discretion, upon such other business as may properly come
before the meeting.
This
Proxy when properly executed will be voted in the manner directed by the
undersigned shareholder. IF NO DIRECTION IS MADE, THIS PROXY WILL BE VOTED “FOR”
THE ELECTION OF DIRECTORS, “FOR” PROPOSALS 2, 3 and 4 AND “AGAINST” PROPOSALS 5,
6, 7 and 8.
THIS
PROXY IS CONTINUED ON THE REVERSE SIDE
PLEASE
SIGN ON THE REVERSE SIDE AND RETURN PROMPTLY
Address
Change/Comments (Mark the corresponding box on the reverse
side) |
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Mark
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for
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Change
or |
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Comments |
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PLEASE
SEE REVERSE SIDE |
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The
Board of Directors recommends a vote FOR
Items 1, 2, 3 and 4 |
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The
Board of Directors recommends a vote AGAINST Items 5, 6, 7, and 8
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Item
1-ELECTION OF DIRECTORS |
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WITHHELD |
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FOR |
AGAINST |
ABSTAIN |
Nominees: |
03)
C.M. Diker |
06)
P.A. Laskaway |
09)
J.S. Tisch |
FOR |
FOR
ALL |
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Item
5-SHAREHOLDER
PROPOSAL- |
o |
o |
o |
01)
J.L. Bower |
04)
P.J. Fribourg |
07)
G.R. Scott |
10)
J.M. Tisch |
o |
o |
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CUMULATIVE
VOTING |
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02)
J. Brademas |
05)
W.L. Harris |
08)
A.H. Tisch |
11)
P.R. Tisch |
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WITHHELD
FOR: (Write that Nominee’s name in the space
provided.) |
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Item
6-SHAREHOLDER
PROPOSAL-POLITICAL |
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CONTRIBUTIONS |
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FOR |
AGAINST |
ABSTAIN |
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Item
7-SHAREHOLDER
PROPOSAL- |
o |
o |
o |
Item
2-RATIFY DELOITTE & TOUCHE
LLP AS INDEPENDENT |
o |
o |
o |
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ENVIRONMENTAL
TOBACCO SMOKE |
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AUDITORS |
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Item
8-SHAREHOLDER
PROPOSAL- |
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Item
3-APPROVE AMENDED AND
RESTATED STOCK OPTION |
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o |
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CIGARETTE
IGNITION
PROPENSITY |
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PLAN |
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4-APPROVE AMENDED AND
RESTATED INCENTIVE |
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COMPENSATION
PLAN FOR |
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EXECUTIVE
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Please
sign EXACTLY as name appears on this Proxy. When shares are held by joint
tenants, both should sign. When signing as attorney, executor,
administrator, trustee or guardian, please give full title as such.
Corporate and partnership proxies should be signed by an authorized person
indicating the person’s title. |
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Signature(s) |
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Dated: |
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,2005 |
COMMON
STOCK |
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CAROLINA
GROUP STOCK |
LOEWS
CORPORATION |
Proxy |
This
Proxy is Solicited on Behalf of the Board of
Directors |
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The
undersigned hereby constitutes and appoints Gary W. Garson, Peter W. Keegan and
Kenneth J. Zinghini and each of them, each with full power of substitution, true
and lawful attorneys, agents and proxies with all the powers the undersigned
would possess if personally present, to vote all shares of Carolina Group Stock
of the undersigned in Loews Corporation at the Annual Meeting of Shareholders to
be held at The Regency Hotel, 540 Park Avenue, New York, New York, on May 10,
2005, at 11:00 A.M., New York City time, and at any adjournments thereof, upon
the matters set forth in the Notice of Meeting and accompanying Proxy Statement
and, in their judgment and discretion, upon such other business as may properly
come before the meeting.
This
Proxy when properly executed will be voted in the manner directed by the
undersigned shareholder. IF NO DIRECTION IS MADE, THIS PROXY WILL BE VOTED “FOR”
THE ELECTION OF DIRECTORS, “FOR” PROPOSALS 2, 3 and 4 AND “AGAINST” PROPOSALS 5,
6, 7 and 8.
THIS
PROXY IS CONTINUED ON THE REVERSE SIDE
PLEASE
SIGN ON THE REVERSE SIDE AND RETURN PROMPTLY
Address
Change/Comments (Mark the corresponding box on the reverse
side) |
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Mark
Here |
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for
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or |
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Comments |
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PLEASE
SEE REVERSE SIDE |
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The
Board of Directors recommends a vote FOR
Items 1, 2, 3 and 4 |
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The
Board of Directors recommends a vote AGAINST Items 5, 6, 7, and 8
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Item
1-ELECTION OF DIRECTORS |
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WITHHELD |
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FOR |
AGAINST |
ABSTAIN |
Nominees: |
03)
C.M. Diker |
06)
P.A. Laskaway |
09)
J.S. Tisch |
FOR |
FOR
ALL |
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Item
5-SHAREHOLDER
PROPOSAL- |
o |
o |
o |
01)
J.L. Bower |
04)
P.J. Fribourg |
07)
G.R. Scott |
10)
J.M. Tisch |
o |
o |
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CUMULATIVE
VOTING |
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02)
J. Brademas |
05)
W.L. Harris |
08)
A.H. Tisch |
11)
P.R. Tisch |
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WITHHELD
FOR: (Write that Nominee’s name in the space
provided.) |
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Item
6-SHAREHOLDER
PROPOSAL-POLITICAL |
o |
o |
o |
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CONTRIBUTIONS |
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FOR |
AGAINST |
ABSTAIN |
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Item
7-SHAREHOLDER
PROPOSAL- |
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o |
o |
Item
2-RATIFY DELOITTE & TOUCHE
LLP AS INDEPENDENT |
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o |
o |
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ENVIRONMENTAL
TOBACCO SMOKE |
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AUDITORS |
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Item
8-SHAREHOLDER
PROPOSAL- |
o |
o |
o |
Item
3-APPROVE AMENDED AND
RESTATED STOCK OPTION |
o |
o |
o |
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CIGARETTE
IGNITION
PROPENSITY |
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PLAN |
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Item
4-APPROVE AMENDED AND
RESTATED INCENTIVE |
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COMPENSATION
PLAN FOR |
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EXECUTIVE
OFFICERS |
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Please
sign EXACTLY as name appears on this Proxy. When shares are held by joint
tenants, both should sign. When signing as attorney, executor,
administrator, trustee or guardian, please give full title as such.
Corporate and partnership proxies should be signed by an authorized person
indicating the person’s title. |
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Signature(s) |
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Dated: |
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,2005 |
CAROLINA
GROUP STOCK |
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