pre14a
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
SCHEDULE 14A
Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934 (Amendment No. )
Filed by the Registrant þ
Filed by a Party other than the Registrant o
Check the appropriate box:
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Preliminary Proxy Statement |
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Confidential, for Use of the Commission Only (as permitted by Rule 14a-6(e)(2)) |
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Definitive Proxy Statement |
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Definitive Additional Materials |
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Soliciting Material Pursuant to §240.14a-12 |
Core Laboratories N.V.
(Name of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter)
(Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if other than the Registrant)
Payment of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box):
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and identify the filing for which the offsetting fee was paid previously. Identify the
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CORE LABORATORIES N.V.
Herengracht 424
1017 BZ Amsterdam
The Netherlands
NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS
To Be Held May 19, 2011
Dear Shareholder:
You are cordially invited to attend our 2011 annual meeting of shareholders which will be held
at the Sheraton Amsterdam Airport Hotel and Conference Center, Schiphol Boulevard 101, 1118 BG,
Amsterdam, The Netherlands, on Thursday, May 19, 2011 at 2:30 p.m., local time, for the following
purposes as proposed by the Board of Supervisory Directors:
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1. |
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To re-elect three Class I Supervisory Directors and to elect one new Class I
Supervisory Director to serve until our annual meeting in 2014 and until their successors
shall have been duly elected and qualified; |
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2. |
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To confirm and adopt our Dutch Statutory Annual Accounts in the English language for
the fiscal year ended December 31, 2010; |
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3. |
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To approve and resolve the cancellation of our repurchased shares held at the time the
annual meeting starts; |
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4. |
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To approve and resolve the extension of the existing authority to repurchase up to
25.6% of our issued share capital, as follows: |
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a. |
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our shareholders will be asked to renew the authorization of the Management
Board to repurchase up to 10% of our issued share capital from time to time for an
18-month period, until November 19, 2012, and such repurchased shares may be used for
any legal purpose, and |
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b. |
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our shareholders will be asked to renew the authorization of our Management
Board to repurchase up to an additional 15.6% of our issued share capital from time to
time until March 10, 2012, which is an additional three month period from the existing
authorized date of December 10, 2011, and such repurchased shares may only be used for
the satisfaction of any obligation the Company may have to deliver shares pursuant to
the warrants we sold to Lehman Brothers OTC Derivatives, Inc. (Lehman OTC)
contemporaneously with the issuance of our 0.25% Senior Exchangeable Notes (Senior
Exchangeable Notes); |
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To approve and resolve the extension of the authority to issue shares and/or to grant
rights (including options to purchase) with respect to our common and preference shares up
to a maximum of 20% of outstanding shares per annum until May 19, 2016; |
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6. |
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To approve and resolve the extension of the authority to limit or exclude the
preemptive rights of the holders of our common shares and/or preference shares up to a
maximum of 20% of outstanding shares per annum until May 19, 2016; |
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7. |
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To ratify the appointment of PricewaterhouseCoopers as our Companys independent
registered public accountants for the year ending December 31, 2011; |
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8. |
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To approve, on an advisory basis, the compensation of our executive officers as
described in the Compensation Discussion and Analysis (CD&A) section of the accompanying
proxy statement and the selection of the frequency of shareholder votes on executive
compensation as separate voting items: |
A. the shareholders approve the compensation philosophy, policies and procedures
described in the CD&A, and the compensation of Core Laboratories N.V.s named
executive officers as disclosed pursuant to the SECs compensation disclosure rules,
including the compensation tables.
B. the stockholders of the Company be provided an opportunity to approve the
compensation philosophy, policies and procedures described in the CD&A, and the
compensation of Core Laboratories N.V.s named executive officers as disclosed
pursuant to the SECs compensation disclosure rules, including the compensation
tables every:
One year_____
Two years_____
Three years_____; and
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To transact such other business as may properly come before the annual meeting or any
adjournment thereof. |
Each of the matters 2 through 7 being presented at the annual meeting has been presented to
and approved by our shareholders at our prior annual meetings or at the special meeting conducted
on January 29, 2009. In large measure, these matters are presented to our shareholders each year
as a result of our being organized under the laws of The Netherlands. Copies of the Dutch
statutory annual accounts, the report of the Management Board, and the list of nominees for the
Supervisory Board will be available for inspection at our offices in The Netherlands, located at
Herengracht 424, 1017 BZ Amsterdam, Attention: Mr. Jacobus Schouten, by registered shareholders and
other persons entitled to attend our shareholder meetings. Such copies will be available for
inspection from the date of this notice until the close of our annual meeting. The proxy materials
will be posted on www.proxydocs.com/clb and on the Companys website, www.corelab.com.
It is important that your shares be represented at the annual meeting regardless of whether
you plan to attend. Therefore, please mark, sign, date and return the accompanying proxy card
promptly. If you are present at the annual meeting and wish to do so, you may revoke your proxy
and vote in person.
By Order of the Board of Supervisory Directors,
Jacobus Schouten
Supervisory Director
March , 2011
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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CORE LABORATORIES N.V.
Herengracht 424
1017 BZ Amsterdam
The Netherlands
PROXY STATEMENT
ABOUT THE 2011 ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS
WHY HAVE I RECEIVED THESE MATERIALS?
This proxy statement and the accompanying proxy card are first being made available to you on
the Internet on March , 2011 or, upon your request, mailed to you on or about April , 2011
and are being furnished in connection with the solicitation of proxies by and on behalf of the
Board of Supervisory Directors of Core Laboratories N.V. (Core or the Company) for use at our
2011 annual meeting of shareholders to be held at the Sheraton Amsterdam Airport Hotel and
Conference Center, Schiphol Boulevard 101, 1118 BG, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, on Thursday, May
19, 2011 at 2:30 p.m., local time, for the purpose of voting on the proposals described in this
proxy statement.
WHY DID I RECEIVE A ONE-PAGE NOTICE IN THE MAIL REGARDING THE INTERNET AVAILABILITY OF PROXY
MATERIALS INSTEAD OF A FULL SET OF PROXY MATERIALS?
As permitted by rules adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission, we are making this
proxy statement and our Annual Report available on the Internet. On or before March , 2011, we
mailed a notice to shareholders containing instructions on how to access the proxy statement and
Annual Report and vote online. In addition, shareholders may request to receive proxy materials in
printed form by mail or electronically by email on an ongoing basis. The proxy materials will be
posted on www.proxydocs.com/clb and on the Companys website, www.corelab.com.
Choosing to receive your future proxy materials by email will save us the cost of printing and
mailing documents to you. If you choose to receive future proxy materials by email, you will
receive an email next year with instructions containing a link to those materials and a link to the
proxy voting site. Your election to receive proxy materials by email will remain in effect until
you terminate it.
WHAT AM I VOTING ON?
You will be voting on the following matters proposed by the Board of Supervisory Directors:
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1. |
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To re-elect three Class I Supervisory Directors and to elect one new Class I
Supervisory Director to serve until our annual meeting in 2014 and until their successors
shall have been duly elected and qualified; |
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2. |
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To confirm and adopt our Dutch Statutory Annual Accounts in the English language for
the fiscal year ended December 31, 2010; |
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3. |
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To approve and resolve the cancellation of our repurchased shares held at the time the
annual meeting starts; |
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|
4. |
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To approve and resolve the extension of the existing authority to repurchase up to
25.6% of our issued share capital, as follows: |
|
a. |
|
our shareholders will be asked to renew the authorization of the Management
Board to repurchase up to 10% of our issued share capital from time to time for an
18-month period, until November 19, 2012, and such repurchased shares may be used for
any legal purpose, and |
|
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b. |
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our shareholders will be asked to renew the authorization of our Management
Board to repurchase up to an additional 15.6% of our issued share capital from time to
time until March 10, 2012, which is an |
3
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|
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additional three month period from the existing authorized date of December 10, 2011,
and such repurchased shares may only be used for the satisfaction of any obligation the
Company may have to deliver shares pursuant to the warrants we sold to Lehman OTC
contemporaneously with the issuance of our Senior Exchangeable Notes; |
|
5. |
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To approve and resolve the extension of the authority to issue shares and/or to grant
rights (including options to purchase) with respect to our common and preference shares up
to a maximum of 20% of outstanding shares per annum until May 19, 2016; |
|
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6. |
|
To approve and resolve the extension of the authority to limit or exclude the
preemptive rights of the holders of our common shares and/or preference shares up to a
maximum of 20% of outstanding shares per annum until May 19, 2016; |
|
|
7. |
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To ratify the appointment of PricewaterhouseCoopers as our Companys independent
registered public accountants for the year ending December 31, 2011; |
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|
8. |
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To approve, on an advisory basis, the compensation of our executive officers as
described in the CD&A section of this proxy statement and the selection of the frequency of
shareholder votes on executive compensation as separate voting items: |
A. that the shareholders approve the compensation philosophy, policies and
procedures described in the CD&A, and the compensation of Core Laboratories N.V.s
named executive officers as disclosed pursuant to the SECs compensation disclosure
rules, including the compensation tables.
B. that the stockholders of the Company be provided an opportunity to approve the
compensation philosophy, policies and procedures described in the CD&A, and the
compensation of Core Laboratories N.V.s named executive officers as disclosed
pursuant to the SECs compensation disclosure rules, including the compensation
tables every:
One year_____
Two years_____
Three years_____; and
|
9. |
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To transact such other business as may properly come before the annual meeting or any
adjournment thereof. |
WHO IS ENTITLED TO VOTE?
If you hold common shares at the close of business in New York City on March 21, 2011, the
record date for the determination of shareholders, you are entitled to notice of and to vote at our
annual meeting. On March 21, 2011, there were common shares outstanding, each of
which is entitled to one vote. Our common shares are the only class of our capital stock
outstanding and entitled to notice of and to vote at the annual meeting.
HOW DO I VOTE BEFORE THE MEETING?
If you are a registered shareholder, meaning that you hold your shares in certificate form or
through an account with our transfer agent, American Stock Transfer and Trust Company, you can vote
by mail, by completing, signing and returning the accompanying proxy card or you may vote online at
www.proxyvote.com.
If you hold your shares through an account with a bank or broker, you must obtain a legal
proxy from the bank or broker in order to vote at the meeting. Please follow the directions that
your bank or broker provides.
Given the time of the meeting in The Netherlands, in order for your mailed or online vote to
be counted, it must be received on or before 5:00 p.m. local time in New York, New York on
Wednesday, May 18, 2011. Any other proxies that are actually received in hand by our Secretary
before the polls close at the conclusion of voting at the meeting will be voted as indicated.
MAY I VOTE AT THE MEETING?
You may vote your shares at the meeting if you attend in person. Even if you plan to attend
the meeting, we encourage you to vote your shares by proxy.
4
CAN I CHANGE MY MIND AFTER I VOTE?
You may change your vote at any time before the polls close at the conclusion of voting at the
meeting. You may revoke your proxy (1) by giving written notice to Mark F. Elvig, Secretary, in
care of Core Laboratories LP, 6316 Windfern Road, Houston, Texas 77040, at any time before the
proxy is voted, (2) by submitting a properly signed proxy card with a later date, or (3) by voting
in person at the annual meeting.
WHAT IF I RETURN MY PROXY CARD BUT DO NOT PROVIDE VOTING INSTRUCTIONS?
Proxies that are signed and returned but do not contain instructions will be voted FOR all
proposals and in accordance with the best judgment of the named proxies on any other matters
properly brought before the meeting.
WHAT VOTE IS REQUIRED?
Under Dutch law and our articles of association, there is no specific quorum requirement for
our annual meeting and the affirmative vote of a majority of votes cast is required to approve each
of the proposals proposed by the Supervisory Board, except that in relation to items 3 and 6, a
two-thirds majority of the votes cast is required to approve the proposal in the event less than
50% of the issued share capital is present or represented at the meeting. In addition, Dutch law
and our articles of association provide that common shares abstaining from voting will count as
shares present at the annual meeting but will not count for the purpose of determining the number
of votes cast. Broker non-votes will not count as shares present at the annual meeting or for the
purpose of determining the number of votes cast. A broker non-vote occurs if you do not provide
the record holder of your shares (usually a bank, broker, or other nominee) with voting
instructions on a matter and the holder is not permitted to vote on the matter without instructions
from you under applicable rules of the New York Stock Exchange, or NYSE.
WHO WILL BEAR THE EXPENSE OF SOLICITING PROXIES?
We will bear the cost of preparing and mailing proxy materials as well as the cost of
soliciting proxies and will reimburse banks, brokerage firms, custodians, nominees and fiduciaries
for their expenses in sending proxy materials to the beneficial owners of our common shares. The
solicitation of proxies by the Supervisory Board will be conducted by mail and also through the
Internet. In addition, certain members of the Supervisory Board, as well as our officers and
regular employees may solicit proxies in person, by facsimile, by telephone or by other means of
electronic communication. We have retained Georgeson Shareholder Communications to assist in the
solicitation of proxies for a fee of $10,000 plus out-of-pocket expenses. In addition to
solicitation of proxies, Georgeson may provide advisory services as requested pertaining to the
solicitation of proxies.
5
OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES
Security Ownership by Certain Beneficial Owners and Management
The table below sets forth certain information, as of March 21, 2011, with respect
to the common shares beneficially owned by:
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each person known to us to own beneficially 5% or more of our outstanding common shares; |
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each Supervisory Director; |
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each nominee for election as Supervisory Director; |
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each of our executive officers; and |
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all Supervisory Directors and executive officers as a group. |
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Number of |
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Common Shares |
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Percentage of |
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Beneficially Owned |
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Common Shares |
Name of Beneficial Owner (1) |
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(2) |
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Outstanding (3) |
Capital World Investors (4) |
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3,940,000 |
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Baron Capital Group, Inc. (5) |
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2,914,054 |
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ClearBridge Advisors, LLC (6) |
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2,902,673 |
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BlackRock, Inc. (7) |
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2,425,432 |
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David M. Demshur |
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450,492 |
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Richard L. Bergmark |
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169,583 |
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Monty L. Davis |
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204,075 |
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Joseph R. Perna |
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43,987 |
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D. John Ogren |
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67,990 |
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Rene R. Joyce |
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39,990 |
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Alexander Vriesendorp |
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5,726 |
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Michael C. Kearney |
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14,022 |
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Jacobus Schouten |
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3,840 |
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All Supervisory Directors and executive officers as a group |
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999,705 |
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* |
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Represents less than 1%. |
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Unless otherwise indicated, each person has sole voting power and investment power with
respect to the common shares listed. |
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(2) |
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At our annual meeting on June 10, 2010, the shareholders approved an amendment to
increase the authorized shares of our common stock from 100 million to 200 million and to
increase the authorized shares of our preference stock from 3 million to 6 million. In
addition, shareholders approved a two-for-one stock split authorized by the Supervisory
Board and thereby reduced the par value of each share from EUR 0.04 to EUR 0.02. As a result
of the stock split, shareholders of record on June 30, 2010 received an additional share of
common stock for each common share held. The stock split was effected on July 8, 2010. All
references in this proxy to common shares, share prices, per share amounts and stock plans
are stated in post-split amounts. |
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(3) |
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Based on common shares outstanding as of March 21, 2011. |
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(4) |
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Based upon an Amendment No. 4 to Schedule 13G/A filed with the SEC on February 14, 2011,
Capital World Investors is deemed to be the beneficial owner of 3,940,000 shares as a result
of Capital Research and Management Company acting as investment adviser to various
investment companies registered under |
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Section 8 of the Investment Company Act of 1940. Capital World Investors current address
is 333 South Hope Street, Los Angeles, CA 90071. |
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(5) |
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Based upon a Schedule 13G/A filed with the SEC on February 14, 2011, Baron Capital Group,
Inc. is deemed to be the beneficial owner of 2,914,054 shares. Baron Capital Groups
current address is 767 Fifth Avenue, 49th Floor, New York, NY 10153. |
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(6) |
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Based upon an Amendment No. 5 to Schedule 13G/A filed with the SEC on February 11,
2011, ClearBridge Advisors, LLC is deemed to be the beneficial owner of 2,902,673 shares.
ClearBridge Advisors current address is 620 8th Avenue, New York, NY 10018. |
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(7) |
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Based upon a Schedule 13G filed with the SEC on February 3, 2011, BlackRock, Inc. is
deemed to be the beneficial owner of 2,425,432 shares. BlackRock, Inc.s current address is
40 East 52nd Street, New York, NY 10022. |
Section 16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance
Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 requires the Supervisory Directors,
executive officers and persons who own more than 10% of our common shares, among others, to file
initial reports of ownership and reports of changes in ownership (Forms 3, 4 and 5) of our common
shares with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the NYSE. Such filers are required
by SEC regulations to furnish us with copies of all such forms that they file.
To our knowledge, based solely upon our review of the Section 16(a) filings that have been
received by us, we believe that during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2010, our Supervisory
Directors, executive officers and 10% shareholders complied with all applicable Section 16(a)
filing requirements.
Equity Compensation Plan Information
We have two main incentive plans, our 2007 Long-Term Incentive Plan, which we refer to as our
LTIP, and our Director Plan, both of which have been approved by our shareholders. The table below
provides information regarding our equity compensation plans as of December 31, 2010.
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Number of Common |
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Number of Common |
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Shares to be Issued Upon |
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Weighted Average |
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Shares Remaining |
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Exercise of Outstanding |
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Exercise Price of |
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Available for Future |
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Options, Warrants and |
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Outstanding Options, |
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Issuance Under Equity |
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Rights |
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Warrants and Rights |
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Compensation Plans |
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Equity
compensation plans
approved by our
shareholders |
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845,932 |
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$ |
6.93 |
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1,281,364 |
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Equity compensation
plans not approved by
our shareholders |
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|
|
|
Total |
|
|
845,932 |
|
|
$ |
6.93 |
|
|
|
1,281,364 |
|
Performance Graph
The following performance graph compares the performance of our common shares to the Standard
& Poors 500 Index and the Standard & Poors Oil & Gas Equipment and Services Index (which has been
selected as our peer group) for the period beginning December 31, 2005 and ending December 31,
2010. The graph assumes that the value of the investment in our common shares and each index was
$100 at December 31, 2005 and that all dividends were reinvested. The stockholder return set forth
below is not necessarily indicative of future performance. The following graph and related
information shall not be deemed soliciting material or to be filed with the SEC, nor shall such
information be incorporated by reference into any future filing under the Securities Act of 1933 or
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, except to the extent that Core Laboratories specifically
incorporates it by reference into such filing.
7
COMPARISON OF FIVE-YEAR CUMULATIVE TOTAL RETURN
AMONG CORE LABORATORIES, S&P 500 INDEX
AND S&P OIL & GAS EQUIPMENT AND SERVICES INDEX
INFORMATION ABOUT OUR SUPERVISORY DIRECTORS AND DIRECTOR COMPENSATION
Board of Supervisory Directors
The Company desires to initiate steps to bring new membership to the Board of Supervisory
Directors, with a plan of replacing one existing director each year over the next few years.
Accordingly, the Board of Supervisory Directors is proposing the election of one new member this
year, coinciding with the resignation of Jacobus Schouten, our longest serving member, effective at
the time of the annual meeting. Since the three members whose terms expire this year are not
scheduled to be replaced and members can only be elected for three year terms per our Articles, we
are recommending re-election of the three existing Class I members, plus the election of the one
new member, Jan Willem Sodderland. Set forth below as of March 21, 2011 are the names, ages and
biographical information for our Supervisory Directors who will serve following the annual meeting,
including individuals who have been nominated for reelection or election as a Supervisory Director.
You may vote for any of the four nominees, for all nominees, or for none of the nominees.
8
Nominees for Class I Supervisory Directors (Term to Expire 2014)
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David M. Demshur, 55
|
|
Mr. Demshur joined our Company in 1979
and presently serves as our President and
Chief Executive Officer and as Chairman
of our Supervisory Board. Since joining
our Company, Mr. Demshur has held various
operating positions, including Manager of
Geological Sciences from 1983 to 1987,
Vice President of Europe, Africa and the
Middle East from 1989 to 1991, Senior
Vice President of Petroleum Services from
1991 to 1994 and Chief Executive Officer
and President from 1994 to the present
time. Mr. Demshurs extensive background
with the Company and the diversity of
experiences gained while in these
leadership roles positions him to be an
effective leader of our Company. Mr.
Demshur is a member of the Society of
Petroleum Engineers, the American
Association of Petroleum Geologists,
Petroleum Exploration Society of Great
Britain and the Society of Core Analysts
Section of the Society of Professional
Well Loggers Association. Mr. Demshur has
served as a Supervisory Director since
our initial public offering in 1995 and
as Chairman of our Supervisory Board
since May 2001. |
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Rene R. Joyce, 63
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Mr. Joyce serves as the chief executive
officer of Targa Resources Corp. and as a
member of its board of directors since
April 2004. Mr. Joyce has also served
as a member of the board of directors of
the general partner of Targa Resource
Partners LP since February 2007. Mr.
Joyce served as an independent consultant
in the energy industry from 2000 through
April 2004. Mr. Joyce served as
president of Energy Services of Coral
Energy, LLC from its acquisition by Shell
Oil Company in 1998 until the end of
1999. From 1990 until 1998, Mr. Joyce
served as president of the operating
companies of Tejas Gas Corporation,
Corals predecessor and a listed company
on the NYSE. The Company benefits from
Mr. Joyces current experience as the
Chief Executive Officer of two publicly
traded entities which affords us his
valuable insight into matters affecting
public companies. His diversity of
educational background of being a degreed
engineer and an attorney-at-law enables
Mr. Joyce to provide the Company with
counsel on a variety of technical and
professional matters. Mr. Joyce is a
member of the Louisiana State Bar
Association. Mr. Joyce currently is our
Lead Director and serves on our Audit,
Compensation and Nominating and
Governance Committees and has served as a
Supervisory Director since 2000. |
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Michael C. Kearney, 62
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Mr. Kearney serves as Chief Executive
Officer of Deepflex Inc. since September
2009 and had served as the chief
financial officer of Deepflex Inc., from
January 2008 until September 2009. He
served as executive vice president and
chief financial officer of Tesco
Corporation, a Canadian based oil-service
company from October 2004 to January
2007. From 1998 until 2004, Mr. Kearney
served as the chief financial officer and
vice president administration of
Hydril Company, a manufacturer of
products for petroleum drilling and
production. Mr. Kearney brings to the
Company significant accounting expertise
as a result of his work experience and
educational training. He has executive
level experience as a Chief Financial
Officer at publicly traded companies
which benefits the Company due to Mr.
Kearneys direct knowledge of operating
and maintaining internal control of
financial reporting given his position as
a certifying officer. Mr. Kearney also
earned a Masters in Accounting upon
completion of his Bachelors in
Accounting. Mr. Kearney is currently
Chairman of our Audit Committee and has
served as a Supervisory Director since
2004. |
9
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Jan Willem Sodderland, 69
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Mr. Sodderland serves on the board of
European subsidiaries of a number of
international companies. From 1974 until
2006, Mr. Sodderland was an attorney and
partner of NautaDutilh and was stationed
in Rotterdam, Brussels and Amsterdam. In
his practice he has built up considerable
experience in assisting and advising
companies in complicated takeovers,
mergers and joint ventures. Mr.
Sodderland has long had a close
relationship with Japan and China and has
published a number of articles about
investment possibilities in Asia. He also
is the past Chairman of the Pacific Rim
Advisory Council, an association of some
thirty independent law firms in various
parts of the world. His legal practice
and serving on boards has given him
broad, diversified exposure to best
practices for corporate governance. Since
2006, he has served as a Managing
Director of the Companys Managing
Director, Core Laboratories International
B.V., and as a director of other Dutch
affiliates. Upon election to the
Supervisory Board, he will resign from
those other positions with the Companys
affiliates and serve as a member of our
Nominating and Governance Committee. |
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Continuing Class II Supervisory Directors (Term To Expire 2013) |
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D. John Ogren, 67
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Mr. Ogren served as the president of
Production Operators, Inc. from 1994
until 1999. Production Operators was
listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market prior
to its acquisition by Camco International
in 1997 and Schlumbergers acquisition of
Camco International in 1998. From 1989
until 1991, Mr. Ogren served as senior
vice president of Conoco Inc. and from
1992 until 1994, as senior vice president
of E.I. duPont. Mr. Ogren serves as a
director and is Chairman of Deepflex Inc.
in addition to serving as a director of
John Wood Group PLC. Until July 2008, he
served as the non-executive chairman of
WellDynamics, a Halliburton/Shell joint
venture company. He is a member of the
Society of Petroleum Engineers. The
combination of Mr. Ogrens experiences
within the oilfield service sector in
addition to his senior level work
experience within an oil and gas
operating company provide valuable
insight for the Company. Having served in
senior operating and executive management
positions as well as in the role of
Chairman of other companies during his
career, he has the background to deal
with the many facets of planning as well
as issues related to compensation that
are handled in his role as Chairman of
the Compensation Committee. Mr. Ogren
has served as a Supervisory Director
since 2000. |
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Joseph R. Perna, 67
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|
Mr. Perna served as Manager with Ethyl
Corporation from 1972 to 1985. He joined
our Company as General Manager in 1985.
In 1991, he was promoted to Senior Vice
President, with responsibility for
certain laboratory services operations
and the Technology Products Division, a
position he held until his retirement on
March 31, 1998. Mr. Perna has significant
historical knowledge of the Company and
its worldwide operations. This in-depth
knowledge and experience is useful when
making decisions regarding the strategic
direction of the Company and serves to
guide us when considering the
implementation of any changes or
modifications to our strategic direction.
This knowledge is unique from the other
non-employee directors given his
long-term association with the Company.
Mr. Perna is currently a member of our
Audit and Compensation Committees and has
served as a Supervisory Director since
our initial public offering in 1995. |
10
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Continuing Class III Supervisory Directors (Term to Expire 2012) |
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Richard L. Bergmark, 57
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|
Mr. Bergmark joined Western Atlas
International, Inc. as Treasurer in 1987.
From 1987 to 1994, our Company was
operated as a division of Western Atlas.
In 1991, Mr. Bergmark became the Area
Manager for Finance and Administration
for Europe, Africa and the Middle East
operations of Western Geophysical, a
division of Western Atlas. From our
separation with Western Atlas in 1994
until 1999, he served as our Chief
Financial Officer and Treasurer and in
1999 he was appointed Executive Vice
President. Mr. Bergmark presently serves
as our Executive Vice President, Chief
Financial Officer and Treasurer and as a
Supervisory Director. He has substantial
knowledge of the industry based upon his
20+ years with the Company and its
predecessors and has extensive knowledge
about the history of the Company, both of
which are important for planning and
management purposes. Furthermore, his
understanding of the financial matters
relating to the Company and our industry
are of crucial importance to the Company.
Mr. Bergmark, along with our Chief
Executive Officer, has developed
important contacts with others in the
industry and has an excellent
relationship with our shareholders. Mr.
Bergmark has served as a Supervisory
Director since our initial public
offering in 1995. |
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Alexander Vriesendorp, 58
|
|
Mr. Vriesendorp has been a partner since
1996 of Shamrock Partners B.V. which
serves as the manager for the Vreedenlust
venture capital funds. From 1998 until
2001, Mr. Vriesendorp served as chief
executive officer of RMI Holland B.V., a
valve manufacturer, in The Netherlands.
From 1991 until 1995, he served as chief
executive officer of the Nienhuis Group,
a manufacturer and distributor of
Montessori materials in The Netherlands.
Mr. Vriesendorp serves on the supervisory
boards of various privately-held European
companies. The Company engages in
business in more than fifty countries.
Mr. Vriesendorps broad international
experience and counsel is particularly
beneficial to the Company. Further, his
training as an attorney in Holland has
been beneficial to the Company when
making decisions regarding the
appropriate structure in compliance with
Dutch corporate governance. Mr.
Vriesendorp is able to apply those
diverse educational and work experience
attributes as a member of our Nominating
and Governance Committee. Mr. Vriesendorp
has served as a Supervisory Director
since 2000. |
Non-Employee Director Compensation
The following table sets forth a summary of the compensation we paid to our non-employee
Supervisory Directors in 2010. Supervisory Directors who are our full-time employees receive no
compensation for serving as Supervisory Directors.
11
Director Compensation for Year Ended December 31, 2010
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Change in |
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Pension Value |
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and Nonqualified |
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Fees Earned or |
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Deferred |
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Paid in Cash |
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Stock Awards |
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Compensation |
|
Total |
Name |
|
($) |
|
($) (1) |
|
Earnings (2) |
|
($) |
Rene R. Joyce |
|
|
65,500 |
|
|
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100,062 |
|
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|
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165,562 |
|
Michael C. Kearney |
|
|
68,500 |
|
|
|
100,062 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
168,562 |
|
D. John Ogren |
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59,000 |
|
|
|
100,062 |
|
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|
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|
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159,062 |
|
Joseph R. Perna |
|
|
56,500 |
|
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100,062 |
|
|
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297,000 |
|
|
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453,562 |
|
Jacobus Schouten |
|
|
47,500 |
|
|
|
100,062 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
147,562 |
|
Alexander Vriesendorp |
|
|
47,500 |
|
|
|
100,062 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
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147,562 |
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(1) |
|
The amounts included in the Stock Awards column include the aggregate grant date fair
value of the equity-based awards granted during 2010 and have been computed in accordance
with FASB ASC Topic 718, formerly FAS 123(R). Each of our non-employee Supervisory Directors
had the following aggregate number of stock awards outstanding as of December 31, 2010: Mr.
Joyce, 5,328; Mr. Kearney, 5,328; Mr. Ogren, 5,328; Mr. Perna, 5,328; Mr. Schouten, 5,328 and
Mr. Vriesendorp, 5,328. None of our non-employee Supervisory Directors had any option awards
outstanding as of December 31, 2010. |
|
(2) |
|
The changes in pension value and nonqualified deferred compensation earnings for 2010 were
primarily the result of changes in the underlying actuarial assumptions. Specifically, the
interest rate is based on a federal rate that changes annually and the mortality tables are
pursuant to Section 417 of the Internal Revenue Code which is required for valuing payouts
from qualified plans. These increases were not the result of additional contributions or
benefits accruing to the named directors. |
Retainer/Fees. Each non-employee Supervisory Director was paid the following amounts during fiscal 2010:
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a base annual retainer, payable semiannually in arrears, in amount of $40,000; |
and an additional amount for the following positions:
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o |
|
for our Audit Committee chairman, an additional $15,000; |
|
|
o |
|
for our Compensation Committee chairman, an additional $10,000; |
|
|
o |
|
for our Nominating and Governance Committee chairman, an additional $9,000; |
|
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$1,500 per meeting of the Supervisory Board at which the individual is present in person; |
|
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$1,500 per meeting for each committee meeting at which the individual is present in person; and |
|
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reimbursement for all out-of-pocket expenses incurred in attending any Supervisory Board
or committee meeting. |
Equity-based Compensation. On each of July 15, 2008 and July 15, 2009, we awarded 1,484 and
2,314 restricted performance shares, respectively, to each of our non-employee directors under our
2006 Non-Employee Director Stock Incentive Plan. A restricted performance share is an unvested
right to receive a share of our common stock at such time or times described below. Each award is
subject to the terms of our 2006 Non-Employee Director Stock Incentive Plan and an award agreement,
the terms of which are materially identical for each award recipient.
The restricted performance shares are unvested and may not be sold, assigned, or otherwise
transferred by an award recipient until such time as, and then only to the extent that, the
restricted performance shares have vested. Subject to certain exceptions described below, the
restricted performance shares will vest based on our return on equity, which is defined in the
award agreement as a percentage determined by dividing (1) one-third of our aggregate
12
earnings before interest and income taxes for the performance period that, in the case of the
2008 awards, began on July 15, 2008 and ends on July 15, 2011, and, in the case of the 2009 awards,
began on July 15, 2009 and ends on July 15, 2012, by (2) total shareholders equity as of the last
day of the performance period. Specifically: (a) if our return on equity for the performance
period equals or exceeds the second target, the award recipients will fully vest in their
restricted performance shares; (b) if our return on equity for the performance period is less than
the second target but equal to or greater than the first target, the award recipients will vest in
an incremental amount of their restricted performance shares, and (c) if our return on equity for
the performance period is less than the first target, the award recipients will not vest in the
restricted performance shares. The first and second targets for our pending 2008 grants were 160%
and 200%, respectively. The first and second targets for the pending 2009 grants were based upon
our return on equity compared to the returns earned by the members of the S&P 500 Oil & Gas
Equipment & Services Index with 50% of the shares vesting if our return is at or above the
50th percentile of the members return and 100% of the shares vesting if our return is
at or above the 75th percentile of the members return, respectively.
On April 1, 2010, we made a grant to the non-employee directors which matched the criteria for
the performance shares awarded the executives as described on page 24 of this proxy statement, in
the amount of $100,000, divided by the closing price of Company stock on March 31, 2010, rounded
upwards to the nearest whole share for a total of 1,530 shares each. Assuming the satisfaction of
certain performance goals is achieved, the performance shares will vest at the end of a three-year
performance period that began on January 1, 2010 (the 2010 Performance Period). The restricted
performance shares will vest only upon the Companys return on invested capital being in the top
decile of the Companys peers as published by Bloomberg at the end of the 2010 Performance Period
and the shares shall fully vest if that criterion is met. If it is not met, then no shares shall
vest and the award shall be forfeited.
On April 1, 2011, we made a grant of restricted shares to the non-employee directors that were
approved by the Compensation Committee, acting through its Equity Awards Subcommittee, and the
Board in February 2011 in the amount set forth below under 2011 Non-Employee Director
Compensation. The restricted shares will vest, without performance criteria, at the end of a
three-year vesting period that began on April 1, 2011 (the 2011 Vesting Period).
For all of the awards as described for the years 2008 through 2011, at the time they were
approved by the Compensation Committee and the Board, they required the recipients continued
service as a director (other than for death or disability) to the time of vesting for the recipient
to receive the shares that otherwise vested. In the event of an award recipients death or
disability prior to the last day of these performance or vesting periods, his or her restricted
shares would vest as described above. As originally provided, if an award recipients service with
us terminated (other as for death or disability) prior to the last day of these performance or
vesting periods, his or her restricted shares would be immediately forfeited to the extent not then
vested. In the event of a change in control (as defined in the 2006 Non-Employee Director Stock
Incentive Plan) prior to the last day of these performance or vesting periods and while the award
recipient is in our service (or in the event of a termination of the award recipients service upon
such change in control), all of the award recipients restricted shares will vest as of the
effective date of such change in control.
On March 2, 2011, the Supervisory Board approved a Board Succession Plan whereby one
non-employee director would be replaced per year over a period of six years to allow new members to
join the Board. Consequently, the Compensation Committee and Board will take action to adjust the
award agreements to equitably take into account the fact that (1) the Company is initiating the
change in non-employee directors and (2) the members being rotated off will not have a choice about
remaining in service as a director to achieve full vesting of all currently awarded grants.
Other Arrangements. Mr. Perna was one of our officers until his retirement on March 1, 1998.
He participates in the Group SERP. Please see Information About Our Executive Officers and
Executive Compensation Pension Benefit Plans Group SERP for a discussion of the terms of
that plan.
Minimum Stock Ownership by Non-Employee Directors. Non-employee directors must maintain equity
ownership of Company stock in the minimum amount of five (5) times the annual base retainer for the
previous year, and will be allowed five years to achieve that minimum equity ownership. Based on
current ownership, all current directors already meet this requirement at the 2011 retainer level.
2011 Non-Employee Director Compensation. Each non-employee Supervisory Director shall
receive the following cash amounts during fiscal 2011:
13
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a base annual retainer, payable semiannually in arrears, in amount of $45,000: |
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and an additional amount for the following positions: |
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o |
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for our Lead Director, an additional $15,000; |
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o |
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for our Audit Committee chairman, an additional $25,000; |
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o |
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for our Compensation Committee chairman, an additional $20,000; |
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o |
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for our Nominating and Governance Committee chairman, an additional $9,000; |
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$2,000 per meeting of the Supervisory Board at which the individual is present in person; |
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$1,850 per meeting for each committee meeting at which the individual is present in person; and |
|
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reimbursement for all out-of-pocket expenses incurred in attending any Supervisory Board
or committee meeting. |
In addition, as discussed above, on April 1, 2011, we awarded each of our non-employee directors an
amount of restricted shares equal to $150,000 based on the closing price of our common stock on
March 31, 2011, rounded upwards to the nearest whole share. The restricted shares will vest,
without performance criteria, at the end of a three-year vesting period that began on April 1,
2011, subject to action taken by the Compensation Committee and the Board to take into account the
Board Succession Plan.
14
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
Board Membership
The Company has a two-tier board structure consisting of a Management Board and a Supervisory
Board, each of which must consist of at least one member under the Companys articles of
association. Under Dutch law, the Supervisory Boards duties include supervising and advising the
Management Board in performing its management tasks. The Supervisory Board currently consists of
eight Supervisory Directors. The Supervisory Directors are expected to exercise oversight of
management with the Companys interests in mind. The Supervisory Board is divided into three
classes, with each class subject to re-election every third year by the shareholders at the annual
meeting.
The Management Boards sole member is Core Laboratories International B.V. As a Managing
Director, Core Laboratories International B.V.s duties include overseeing the management of the
Company, consulting with the Supervisory Board on important matters and submitting certain
important decisions to the Supervisory Board for its prior approval.
Board Structure
Mr. Demshur serves as the Companys Chief Executive Officer and as Chairman of the Supervisory
Board. Given the smaller size of the Company, we believe our shareholders are well served by having
Mr. Demshur hold the Chief Executive Officer role along with being Chairman of the Company and that
this is the most effective Board leadership structure for us at the present time. We also note that
within our industry, the common practice is for the same person to hold both positions. We believe
this structure has served us well for many years.
During sessions without the Chairman, Mr. Joyce conducts the meetings of directors in the role
of our Lead Director. The Lead Director has leadership authority and responsibilities and sets the
agenda for, and leads, all executive sessions of the independent directors, providing consolidated
feedback, as appropriate, from those meetings to the Chairman.
In its role in the risk oversight of the Company, the Board oversees our stockholders
interest in the long-term health and the overall success of the Company and its financial strength.
The Board is actively involved in overseeing risk management for the Company, and each of our
Board committees considers the risks within its areas of responsibilities. The Board and each of
our Board committees regularly discuss with management our major risk exposures, their potential
financial impact on us and the steps we take to manage them.
Supervisory Director Independence
In connection with determining the independence of each Supervisory Director of the Company,
the Board inquired as to any transactions and relationships between each Supervisory Director and
his or her immediate family and the Company and its subsidiaries, and reviewed and discussed the
results of such inquiry. The purpose of this review was to determine whether any such
relationships or transactions were material and, therefore, inconsistent with a determination that
a Supervisory Director is independent, under the standards set forth by the NYSE and, to the extent
consistent therewith, the Dutch Corporate Governance Code (the Dutch Code). Under the Dutch
Code, the Supervisory Board is to be composed of members who are able to act critically and
independently of each other and of the Management Board. As a result of this review, after finding
no material transactions or relationships, the board affirmatively determined that each of Messrs.
Joyce, Kearney, Ogren, Perna, Schouten, Vriesendorp and Sodderland are independent under the
applicable standards described above.
Supervisory Board Meetings
The Supervisory Board held four meetings in 2010. Each Supervisory Director attended at least
75% of the meetings of the Supervisory Board and of all committees on which he serves. Under our
Corporate Governance Guidelines, Supervisory Directors are expected to diligently fulfill their
fiduciary duties to shareholders, including preparing for, attending and participating in meetings
of the Supervisory Board and the committees of which the Supervisory Director is a member. In
2010, all Supervisory Directors attended the annual shareholder meeting and we
15
expect each of our Supervisory Directors to attend our 2011 annual meeting as our current
policy requires Supervisory Director attendance at the annual meeting.
Our Nonemployee Supervisory Directors have met separately in executive session without any
members of management present. The Chairman of the Nominating and Governance Committee is the
presiding Supervisory Director at each such session. If any of our Nonemployee Supervisory
Directors were to fail to meet the applicable criteria for independence, then our independent
Supervisory Directors would meet separately at least once a year in accordance with the rules of
the NYSE.
Committees of the Supervisory Board
The Supervisory Board has three standing committees, the identities, memberships and functions
of which are described below:
Audit Committee. Effective March 1, 2011, Mr. Perna resigned from the Audit Committee and was
replaced by Mr. Ogren, such that the current members of the Committee are Messrs. Kearney
(Chairman), Joyce and Ogren. The Audit Committees principal functions, which are discussed in
detail in its charter, include making recommendations concerning the engagement of the independent
registered public accountants, reviewing with the independent registered public accountants the
plan and results of the engagement, approving professional services provided by the independent
registered public accountants and reviewing the adequacy of our internal accounting controls. Each
member of the Audit Committee is independent, as defined by Section 10A of the Exchange Act and by
the corporate governance standards set forth by the NYSE and, to the extent consistent therewith,
the Dutch Code. Each member of the Audit Committee is financially literate and Mr. Kearney
qualifies as an audit committee financial expert under the rules promulgated pursuant to the
Exchange Act. The Audit Committee held five meetings in 2010. See Report of the Audit Committee
below.
Compensation Committee. Effective March 1, 2011, Mr. Perna resigned from the Compensation
Committee such that the current members of the Committee are Messrs. Ogren (Chairman) and Joyce.
The Compensation Committees principal functions, which are discussed in detail in its charter,
include a general review of our compensation and benefit plans to ensure that they are properly
designed to meet corporate objectives. The Compensation Committee reviews and approves the
compensation of our Chief Executive Officer and our senior executive officers, granting of awards
under our benefit plans and adopting and changing major compensation policies and practices. The
Compensation Committee also regularly discusses a succession plan for the CEO and other senior
executive management. In addition to establishing the compensation for the Chief Executive
Officer, the Compensation Committee reports its recommendations to the whole Supervisory Board for
approval. Pursuant to its charter, the Compensation Committee has the authority to delegate its
responsibilities to other persons. On February 28, 2003, our Supervisory Board established an
Options Subcommittee consisting of Messrs. Ogren (Chairman) and Joyce, which was renamed the Equity
Awards Subcommittee in 2006. The Equity Awards Subcommittees principal function has been to
review and approve awards made pursuant to our LTIP. The Compensation Committee held two meetings
in 2010 and the Equity Awards Subcommittee held one meeting in 2010. The Subcommittee was
dissolved by the Board of Supervisory Board effective March 1, 2011 and its duties returned to the
full Compensation Committee.
The Compensation Committee periodically retains a consultant to provide independent advice on
executive compensation matters and to perform specific project-related work. The consultant reports
directly to the committee, which pre-approves the scope of the work and the fees charged. The
Committee indicates to the consultant the role that management has in the analysis of executive
compensation, such as the verification of executive and Company information that the consultant
requires. In 2010, the Compensation Committee retained Stone Partners, Inc. (Stone Partners) to
advise it on selecting a peer group of companies to be used for compensation purposes. See
Compensation Discussion and Analysis Role of Consultant below.
The Committee operates under a written charter. A copy of the Compensation Committee charter
may be found on the Companys website at http://www.corelab.com/corporate/governance.aspx#6. See
Compensation Committee Report below.
Nominating and Governance Committee. The current members of the Nominating and Governance
Committee of our Supervisory Board are Messrs. Joyce (Chairman), Schouten and Vriesendorp. We
anticipate Mr. Sodderland, if elected, replacing Mr. Schouten on the Committee. The Nominating and
Governance Committees principal functions,
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which are discussed in detail in its charter, include recommending candidates to the
Supervisory Board for election or appointment as Supervisory Director and advising about, and
recommending to the Supervisory Board, an appropriate set of corporate governance practices. Each
member of the Nominating and Governance Committee is independent as defined by the corporate
governance standards of the NYSE. The Nominating and Governance Committee held one meeting in
2010.
A copy of the Nominating and Governance Committee Charter may be found on the Companys
website at http://www.corelab.com/corporate/governance.aspx#7.
Qualifications of Supervisory Directors
The Nominating and Governance Committee has the responsibility to make recommendations to the
Board of Supervisory Directors of candidates for the Board that will perform well in that role and
maximize shareholder value. In considering suitable candidates for that position, the Nominating
and Governance Committee considers, among other factors, the persons reputation, knowledge,
experience, integrity, independence, skills, expertise, business and governmental acumen and time
commitments. In addition to considering these factors on an individual basis, the Nominating and
Governance Committee considers how these factors contribute to the overall variety and mix of
attributes of our Board as a whole so that the members of our Board collectively possess the
diverse knowledge and complementary attributes necessary to oversee our business. Supervisory
Directors should be excellent representatives of the Company and be able to provide a wide range of
management and strategic advice and be someone that the Company can count on to devote the required
time and attention needed from members of the Board. In the case of current Supervisory Directors
being considered for re-nomination, the Nominating and Governance Committee will also take into
account the Supervisory Directors tenure as a member of our Board of Supervisory Directors; the
Supervisory Directors history of attendance at meetings of the Board of Supervisory Directors and
committees thereof; the Supervisory Directors preparation for and participation in all meetings,
and the Supervisory Directors contributions and performance as a member of the Board.
Six of the eight members of the Board, including the new nominee in 2011, are considered
independent under applicable SEC, NYSE and Dutch Code standards. For this years annual meeting
and election, the Nominating and Governance Committee believes they possess the characteristics
outlined above and bring to the Board valuable skills that enhance the Boards ability to manage
and guide the strategic affairs of the Company in the best interests of our shareholders.
A more complete description of the specific qualifications of each of our Board members and of
this years nominees are contained in the biographical information section beginning on page 6 of
this proxy statement.
Supervisory Director Nomination Process
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The Nominating and Governance Committee, the Chairman of the Supervisory Board, the
Chief Executive Officer, or a Supervisory Director identifies a need to add a new board
member that meets specific criteria or to fill a vacancy on the board. The Nominating and
Governance Committee also reviews the candidacy of existing members of the Supervisory
Board whose terms are expiring and who may be eligible for reelection to the Supervisory
Board. The Nominating and Governance Committee also considers recommendations for nominees
for directorships submitted by shareholders as provided below. |
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If a new board member is to be considered, the Nominating and Governance Committee
initiates a search by seeking input from other Supervisory Directors and senior management,
and hiring a search firm, if necessary. An initial slate of candidates that will satisfy
specific criteria and otherwise qualify for membership on the Supervisory Board are
identified by and/or presented to the Nominating and Governance Committee, which ranks the
candidates. Members of the Nominating and Governance Committee review the qualifications
of prospective candidate(s), and the Chairman of the Supervisory Board, the Chief Executive
Officer, and all other Supervisory Board members have the opportunity to review the
qualifications of prospective candidate(s). |
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Shareholders seeking to recommend Supervisory Director candidates for consideration by
the Nominating and Governance Committee may do so by writing to the Companys Secretary at
the address indicated on the cover page of this proxy, giving the recommended candidates
name, biographical data and qualifications. |
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The Nominating and Governance Committee will consider all candidates submitted by
shareholders within the time period set forth specified under Other Proxy Matters
Information About Our 2012 Annual Meeting below. |
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The Nominating and Governance Committee recommends to the Supervisory Board the
nominee(s) from among the candidate(s), including existing members of the Supervisory Board
whose terms are expiring and who may be eligible for reelection to the Supervisory Board,
and new candidates, if any, identified as described above. |
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The nominee(s) are nominated by the Supervisory Board. |
Related Person Transactions
Related person transactions have the potential to create actual or perceived conflicts of
interest between the Company and its directors and executive officers or their immediate family
members. Under its charter, the Audit Committee is charged with the responsibility of reviewing
with management and the independent registered public accountants (together and/or separately, as
appropriate) insider and affiliated party transactions and potential conflicts of interest. The
Audit Committee has delegated authority to review transactions involving employees, other than our
executive officers, to our general counsel. We identify such transactions by distributing
questionnaires annually to each of our directors, officers and employees.
In deciding whether to approve a related person transaction, the following factors may be
considered:
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information about the goods or services proposed to be or being provided by or to the
related party or the nature of the transactions; |
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the nature of the transactions and the costs to be incurred by the Company or payments
to the Company; |
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an analysis of the costs and benefits associated with the transaction and a comparison
of comparable or alternative goods or services that are available to the Company from
unrelated parties; |
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the business advantage the Company would gain by engaging in the transaction; and |
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an analysis of the significance of the transaction to the Company and to the related
party. |
To receive approval, the related person transaction must be on terms that are fair and
reasonable to the Company, and which are as favorable to the Company as would be available from
non-related entities in comparable transactions. The Audit Committee requires that there is a
Company business interest supporting the transaction and the transaction meets the same Company
standards that apply to comparable transactions with unaffiliated entities. The Audit Committee
has adopted a written policy that governs the approval of related person transactions.
There were no transactions that occurred during fiscal year 2010 in which, to our knowledge,
the Company was or is a party, in which the amount involved exceeded $120,000, and in which any
director, director nominee, executive officer, holder of more than 5% of our common shares or any
member of the immediate family of any of the foregoing persons had or will have a direct or
indirect material interest.
Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation
During 2010, no executive officer served as:
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a member of the compensation committee (or other board committee performing equivalent
functions or, in the absence of any such committee, the entire board of directors) of
another entity, one of whose executive officers served on our Compensation Committee; |
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a member of the compensation committee (or other board committee performing equivalent
functions or, in the absence of any such committee, the entire board of directors) of
another entity, one of whose executive officers served as one of our Supervisory Directors;
or
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18
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a director of another entity, one of whose executive officers served on our Compensation
Committee or the board of directors of one of our subsidiaries. |
Mr. Perna, a member of our Compensation Committee until March 1, 2011, was an officer of our
Company until his retirement on March 1, 1998, more than thirteen years ago.
Communications with Directors; Website Access to Our Corporate Documents
Shareholders or other interested parties can contact any Supervisory Director or committee of
the Board of Supervisory Directors by directing correspondence to them in care of Mark F. Elvig,
Secretary, in care of Core Laboratories LP, 6316 Windfern Road, Houston, Texas 77040. Comments or
complaints relating to the Companys accounting, internal accounting controls or auditing matters
will be referred to members of the Audit Committee.
Our Internet address is www.corelab.com. Our Corporate Governance Guidelines, our Code of
Business Conduct and Ethics and the charters of our Supervisory Board committees are available on
our website. We will also furnish printed copies of such information free of charge upon written
request to our Investor Relations department.
We file Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Annual Reports on Form 10-K and Current Reports on
Form 8-K with the SEC. These reports are available free of charge through our website as soon as
reasonably practicable after they are filed electronically with the SEC. We may from time to time
provide important disclosures to investors by posting them in the investor relations section of our
website, as allowed by SEC rules. Materials we file with the SEC may also be read and copied at
the SECs Public Reference Room at 100 F Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20549. Information on the
operation of the Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330. The
SEC also maintains an Internet website at www.sec.gov that contains reports, proxy and information
statements, and other information regarding our Company that we file electronically with the SEC.
Our 2010 Annual Report on Form 10-K included the required Section 302 certifications.
Dutch Corporate Governance Code
The Dutch Code contains principles of good corporate governance and best practice provisions.
The Dutch Code emphasizes the principles of integrity, transparency and accountability as the
primary means of achieving good corporate governance. The Dutch Code includes certain principles of
good corporate governance, supported by best practice provisions. Listed Dutch N.V. companies
are required to disclose in their annual report and accounts how they intend to incorporate the
principles of the Dutch Code or, where relevant, to explain why they do not. The Management Board
regularly monitors the Dutch Code and generally agrees with its fundamental principles. As
discussed above, the Company complies with U.S. corporate governance rules and, to the extent
consistent therewith, the corporate governance principles of the Dutch Code. The Company intends
to continue to monitor the developments in corporate governance and shall take such steps as it
considers appropriate to further implement the provisions of the Dutch Code. Please see the report
of the Management Board, a copy of which will be available for inspection at our offices in The
Netherlands, located at Herengracht 424, 1017 BZ Amsterdam and on our Internet site at
www.corelab.com for a discussion of our compliance with the Dutch Code.
Risk Assessment of Compensation Policies and Practices
We have assessed our compensation policies and practices and found that the compensation
policies and practices are not reasonably likely to have a material adverse effect on us. Our
Compensation Committee and our Supervisory Board are aware of the need to routinely assess our
compensation policies and practices and will make a determination as to the necessity of this
particular disclosure on an annual basis.
19
COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
Executive Summary
For the year ended 2010, we posted record levels of revenue, operating profit, net income,
EPS, Free Cash Flow (FCF), and operating margins. During our 15 years as a publicly traded
company, we have posted an annualized compounded shareholder return of 25.6%, according to
Bloomberg Financial. Over this time period, only five companies currently listed in the S&P 500
posted higher annual compounded returns than us. Our 2010 one year total shareholder return was
52.5%. Our fully diluted EPS exceeded target by 13%. Based on Bloombergs calculations using the
latest comparable data available, our ROIC was the highest of its oilfield services Peer Group.
Moreover, our ROIC exceeded the Peer Group average ROIC by approximately 28 percentage points. See
page 6 of this Proxy Statement for a graph comparing our 5 year cumulative total return to the S&P
500 Index and the S&P Oil & Gas Equipment and Services Index.
During 2010-2011 our Executive Compensation Decisions included:
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Increasing base salaries of named executive officers by 6.5% on average in
2010 |
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Increasing base salaries of named executive officers by 10.4% on average
in 2011 |
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Awarding annual incentive compensation for 2010 performance at 100% of the
maximum for the named executive officers |
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Awarding named executive officers only performance share award program
(PSAP) equity for 2010 and 2011 after 2 years of no equity awards for the named
executive officers |
Overview
Our executive compensation program is designed to create strong financial incentive for our
officers to increase revenues, profits, operating efficiency and returns, which we expect to lead
to an increase in shareholder value. Our Compensation Committees principal functions include
conducting periodic reviews of the compensation and benefits programs to ensure that they are
properly designed to meet corporate objectives, overseeing of the administration of the cash
incentive and equity-based plans and developing the compensation program for the Supervisory
Directors. Our executive compensation program includes five primary elements. Three of the
elements are performance-oriented and, taken together, all constitute a flexible and balanced
method of establishing total compensation for our senior executive officers. The elements are a)
base salary, b) annual incentive plan awards, c) stock-based compensation, d) benefits and e)
severance/change-in-control compensation.
Compensation Philosophy
The following objectives guide the Compensation Committee in its deliberations regarding
executive compensation matters:
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Provide a competitive compensation program that enables us to retain key executives and
Supervisory Board members; |
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Ensure a strong relationship between our performance results and those of our segments
and the total compensation received by an individual; |
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Balance annual and longer term performance objectives; |
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Encourage executives to acquire and retain meaningful levels of common shares; and |
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Work closely with the Chief Executive Officer to ensure that the compensation program
supports our objectives and culture. |
We believe that the overall compensation of executives should be competitive with the market
in which we compete for executive talent which consists of both the oilfield services industry and
other service-based industries. In determining the proper amount for each compensation element, we
review publicly available compensation data, as well as the compensation targets for comparable
positions at similar corporations within these industries. We also
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consider the need to maintain levels of compensation that are fair among our executive
officers given differences in their respective responsibilities, levels of accountability and
decision authority. The Compensation Committee generally focuses on compensation structures
designed to reflect the normal market range (between the 25th to 75th
percentiles), which gives the Committee the ability to set compensation that reflects Company and
individual performance. We believe that maintaining compensation in the normal market range of our
peer group minimizes competitive disadvantage while at the same time fairly compensating our
executive officers for meeting our corporate goals. The Compensation Committee uses a range of
compensation targets so as to respond better to changing business conditions, manage salaries and
incentives more evenly over an individuals career, and minimize potential for automatic increases
in salaries and incentives that could occur with inflexible and narrow competitive targets. The
Compensation Committee links a significant portion of each executives total compensation to
accomplishing specific, measurable results based on both company and individual performance
intended to create value for shareholders in both the short and long-term. Only executives with
performance exceeding established targets may significantly exceed the market median in total
compensation due to incentive compensation.
Role of our Executive Officers in Establishing Compensation
Our Chief Executive Officer provides recommendations to the Compensation Committee in its
evaluation of our executive officers, including recommendations of individual cash and equity
compensation levels for executive officers. Mr. Demshur relies on his personal experience serving
in the capacity of Chief Executive Officer with respect to evaluating the contribution of our other
executive officers as well as publicly available information for comparable compensation guidance
as the basis for his recommendations to the Compensation Committee. Mr. Elvig, our Vice President,
General Counsel and Secretary, attended the Compensation Committees 2010 meeting and acted as
secretary of that meeting for the purpose of keeping minutes. However, Mr. Elvig was not present
during Compensation Committee deliberations and voting pertaining to the determination of his own
compensation or that of any executive.
Role of Consultant
Our Compensation Committee periodically retains a consultant to provide independent advice on
executive compensation matters and to perform specific project-related work. In early 2010, the
Compensation Committee retained Stone Partners, an independent compensation consulting firm, to
advise the Compensation Committee regarding analysis of long-term equity award levels as a
percentage of base salary. In late 2010, the Compensation Committee retained Stone Partners to
conduct a complete compensation program review for our executives, which included benchmarking and
a review of compensation trends and provided recommendations for our peer group selection. The
Compensation Committee requested that Stone Partners assess base salaries and target annual
incentive compensation for each executive officer and target long-term equity incentive
compensation. Stone Partners advised the Compensation Committee that based on our current revenues
and the level and responsibilities of each position, the changes to base salaries and targeted
annual cash compensation were consistent with the normal market range and the performance of our
company.
Benchmarking
The Compensation Committee periodically retains Stone Partners as compensation consultant to
assist in the Compensation Committees compensation determinations. Stone Partners reports to, and
acts at the direction of, the Compensation Committee. The Compensation Committee reviews several
sources as a reference for determining competitive total compensation packages including: Stone
Partners 2010 Oilfield Manufacturing and Services Executive Compensation Survey, Economic Research
Institutes 2010 Executive Compensation Assessor, Towers Watsons 2010 Top Management Compensation
Report and William M. Mercers 2010 Energy Compensation Report. All benchmarked data is aged at an
annualized rate of 3% to approximate the market movement. In addition, the Compensation Committee
reviews proxy statement data from a peer group of companies.
Selecting the Peer Group
The Compensation Committee, with the assistance of Stone Partners, has developed a peer group
of companies to be used for compensation purposes. The peer group consists of publicly traded
oilfield services companies comparable in size to our company in terms of annual revenues and the
value of ongoing operations.
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The Compensation Committee periodically reviews the composition of our compensation peer group
and reviews the compensation paid at these companies, as well as their corporate performance, and
other factors in determining the appropriate compensation levels for our executives. For 2010, the
Compensation Committee reviewed the peer companies based on industry, revenue, market cap,
enterprise value and assets and the following companies comprise our compensation peer group for
the year ended 2010:
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Atwood Oceanics, Inc.
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Dril-Quip, Inc.*
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Oceaneering International, Inc. |
Cameron International Corp.*
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FMC Technologies Inc.*
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Oil States International, Inc. |
CARBO Ceramics, Inc.
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Helix Energy Solutions Group, Inc.
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RPC, Inc. |
Dresser-Rand Group, Inc.*
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Nabors Industries Ltd*
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Rowan Companies, Inc.* |
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Superior Energy Services, Inc. |
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Companies were added in the fall of 2010 |
In the fall of 2010, we dropped the following companies from our peer group: Global Industries,
Inc., ION Geophysical Corp. and Newpark Resources, Inc. in order to include companies which better
reflect our current size and industry.
Elements of Compensation
Base Salary. Base salary is the fixed annual compensation we pay to an executive for
performing specific job responsibilities. It represents the minimum income an executive may
receive in any given year. We target base salaries to result in annual salaries in the normal
market range of our peer group for executives having similar responsibilities. The Compensation
Committee may adjust salaries based on its annual review of the following factors:
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the individuals experience and background; |
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the individuals performance during the prior year; |
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the benchmark salary data; |
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the general movement of salaries in the marketplace; and |
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our financial and operating results. |
As a result of these factors, a particular executives base salary may be above or below the
median at any point in time. For 2010, Messrs. Demshur, Bergmark and Davis had base salaries as
follows: Mr. Demshur, $700,000; Mr. Bergmark, $425,000 and Mr. Davis, $415,000. For 2011, the
Compensation Committee has approved an increase in base salaries ranging from 6% to 14% for our
executives to the following amounts: Mr. Demshur, $800,000; Mr. Bergmark, $450,000 and Mr. Davis,
$450,000.
Non-Equity Incentive Compensation. The Compensation Committee determines the terms under
which the annual incentive compensation will be paid to executive officers. The purpose of these
awards is to:
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Share our success with employees; |
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Provide a financial incentive to focus on specific performance targets; |
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Reward employees based on individual and team performance; |
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Promote a sense of shared accomplishment among employees; and |
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Encourage employees to continually improve our financial and operating performance and
thereby create shareholder value. |
Under our annual incentive plan, the Compensation Committee has the discretion to set goals
and objectives that it believes are consistent with creating shareholder value, including financial
measures, operating objectives, growth goals and other measures. The Compensation Committee also
considers individual achievement. The maximum award opportunity is established as a percentage of
salary for each executive officer based upon a review of the competitive data for that officers
position, level of responsibility and ability to impact our financial success. The Compensation
Committee designs these awards so that cash incentive compensation will approximate the market
range when individual and corporate strategic objectives are achieved and will exceed the market
median when performance plans are exceeded. Annual incentive awards are designed to put a
significant portion of total compensation at risk.
For 2010, the Compensation Committee determined that the annual incentive compensation for the
executives will be at the discretion of the Committee, provided that the Company attains certain
EPS results for the year. For 2010, the EPS that must have been attained was $2.66 per share before
any discretionary incentive award could be made. Further, any such award was set at a maximum of
1.75 times annual salary for Mr. Demshur and 1.25 times salary for both Messrs. Bergmark and Davis.
For 2011, the Compensation Committee has determined that the annual incentive compensation
should still be at the discretion of the Committee, provided that the Company attains certain EPS
results for the year and that any payouts under the program be based upon market benchmarked
multiples of annual salary. For 2011, the EPS that must be attained is $3.37 per share and the
Committee has recommended an increase in the benchmarked multiple of annual salary to a maximum to
2.0 times annual salary for Mr. Demshur and 1.5 times annual salary for both Messrs. Bergmark and
Davis. The Supervisory Board has approved such recommendation. We believe these amounts are
consistent with those provided to similarly situated executives by companies in our peer group.
Execution of our business strategy in 2010 was focused on maximizing returns on invested
capital and generating free cash flow which ultimately provided shareholder returns which
outperformed our industry. As a result, our diluted earnings per share were $3.00, which exceeded
our minimum performance target for 2010 of $2.66 per share. Based upon this performance in 2010,
our three executives were awarded bonuses as follows: Mr. Demshur, $1,225,000; Mr. Bergmark,
$531,250 and Mr. Davis $518,750. These awards are 100% of the maximum award for 2010.
Equity Incentive Compensation. We currently administer long-term incentive compensation
awards through our LTIP. Specifically, we encourage share ownership by awarding long-term equity
incentive awards under two programs, consisting of the Restricted Share Award Program, or RSAP,
and the Performance Share Award Program, or PSAP. We believe that widespread common share
ownership by key employees is an important means of encouraging superior performance and employee
retention. Our equity-based compensation programs encourage performance and retention by providing
additional incentives for executives to further our growth, development and financial success by
personally benefiting through the ownership of our common shares and/or rights, which recognize
growth, development and financial success over a longer time horizon.
We use restricted share grants as our primary form of equity compensation, which we believe
are a stronger motivational tool for our employees. Restricted share awards provide some value to
an employee during periods of stock market volatility, whereas other forms of equity compensation,
such as stock options, may have limited perceived value and may do little to retain and motivate
employees when the current value of the companys stock is less than the option price. Currently,
our long-term equity incentive compensation is exclusively in the form of restricted shares and
performance restricted shares.
Our Compensation Committee, based on recommendations from our Chief Executive Officer,
determines the amount and terms of our long-term incentive awards by periodically reviewing
competitive market data and each executives long-term past performance, ability to contribute to
our future success, and time in the current job. The Committee takes into account the risk of
losing the executive to other employment opportunities and the value and potential for appreciation
in our shares. The number of shares previously granted or vested pursuant to prior grants is not
typically a factor that is used when determining subsequent grants to an executive officer. The
Committee considers the foregoing factors together and subjectively determines the appropriate
magnitude of the award. As a result of the three named executive officers declining RSAP awards in
2010, RSAP incentives were not part of their total compensation.
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The Committee awards restricted shares and performance restricted shares that vest over a
period of years. Restricted share awards vest based on an employees continued employment over a
period of time. The Committee determines the appropriate length of the vesting period which for
most restricted shares is at a rate of 1/6 per year over a period of six years. Performance
restricted shares vest if we achieve certain performance goals generally over a three-year period,
which allow us to compensate our employees as we meet or exceed our business objectives.
We have no program, plan or practice to time the grant of restricted shares or performance
shares to executives in coordination with material non-public information.
Restricted Share Award Program. Restricted Share awards are subject to continued
employment, and one-sixth of the shares vest each year for six years on the anniversary of the date
of grant. Full vesting will occur if an executive officers employment is terminated because of
death or disability or upon the occurrence of a change in control if the executive officer has been
continuously employed by us from the date of the grant until the change in control. No performance
accelerators for early vesting exist within this award. Compensation expense relating to these
awards, which we recognized for financial accounting purposes during 2010, is reflected in footnote
1 to the Summary.
Our named executive officers declined RSAP based awards for 2010 in order to allow for
additional grants of equity based awards to other employees. For 2010, 142,070 shares of
restricted stock were awarded to 325 employees. Restricted stock awards may also be made to new
hires as an inducement to attract candidates.
For 2008 through 2011, Messrs. Demshur, Bergmark and Davis, at their request, have not had
grants of RSAP based awards.
Performance Share Award Program. Under the PSAP, our executive officers are awarded rights to
receive a pre-determined number of common shares if certain performance targets are met, as defined
in the applicable agreements for the respective three-year period. The following discussion relates
to the PSAP awards granted in 2010 and 2011.
2010 PSAP Awards. On April 1, 2010, we made grants of 90,000 performance shares to
our executive officers and others at the discretion of the Chief Executive Officer for 2010.
Assuming the recipients continued employment (or death or disability while employed) and the
satisfaction of certain performance goals is achieved, these awards vest at the end of a three-year
performance period that began on January 1, 2010 (the 2010 Performance Period). In 2010, the
long-term incentive guideline used to make awards was 2.75 times 2009 base salary for Mr. Demshur
and 2.00 times 2009 base salary for both Mr. Bergmark and Mr. Davis.
2011 PSAP Awards. On April 1, 2011, we made grants of 86,207 performance shares to
our executive officers and others at the discretion of the Chief Executive Officer for 2011.
Assuming the recipients continued employment (or death or disability while employed) and the
satisfaction of certain performance goals is achieved, these awards vest at the end of a three-year
performance period that began on January 1, 2011 (the 2011 Performance Period). In 2011, the
long-term incentive guideline used to make awards was 4.00 times 2010 base salary for Mr. Demshur
and 3 times the 2010 base salary for both Mr. Bergmark and Mr. Davis. These new award guidelines
reflect the market range for long-term incentive awards if the performance measure is met.
The restricted performance shares are unvested and may not be sold, assigned, or otherwise
transferred by an award recipient until such time as, and then only to the extent that, the
restricted performance shares have vested. Subject to certain exceptions described below, the
restricted performance shares will vest assuming a recipients continued employment (or death or
disability while employed) and the satisfaction of certain performance goals is achieved. The
restricted performance shares will vest only upon the Companys return on invested capital being in
the top decile of the Companys peers as published by Bloomberg at the end of the respective
performance period and the shares shall fully vest if that criterion is met. If it is not met, then
no shares shall vest and the award shall be forfeited.
In the event of an award recipients death or disability prior to the last day of the
performance periods, his or her restricted performance shares will vest as described above. If an
award recipients service with us terminates (other than for death or disability) prior to the last
day of the performance periods, his or her restricted performance shares will be immediately
forfeited to the extent not then vested. In the event of a change in control (as defined in the
2007 Long-Term Incentive Plan) prior to the last day of the performance period and while the award
recipient is in our service (or in the event of a termination of the award recipients service upon
such change in control), all of the award recipients restricted performance shares will vest as of
the effective date of such change in control.
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Components of Executive Compensation
Compensation for target-level performances in the annual incentive plan, plus the net
annualized present value of long-term compensation grants, can range as follows, depending upon the
executive. The Committee considered the following general percentages in establishing the total
compensation for the Companys named executive officers for 2010 target performance. It is
important to note that the influences on Company financial performance and stock price performance
could significantly change the basic mix of compensation components as a percentage of actual take
home total compensation:
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2010 |
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For the CEO:
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Base pay = 22% |
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Bonus compensation at target = 20% |
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Long-term compensation annualized = 58% |
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For the other named executives:
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Base pay = 28-29% |
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Bonus compensation at target = 18% |
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Long-term compensation annualized = 53-54% |
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2011 |
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For the CEO:
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Base pay = 18% |
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Bonus compensation at target = 18% |
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Long-term compensation annualized = 64% |
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For the other named executives:
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Base pay = 22% |
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Bonus compensation at target = 16-17% |
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Long-term compensation annualized = 61-62% |
The Company views each compensation element as a different means of encouraging and promoting
performance. These elements are designed to work in tandem, not against each other. The weighting
of these compensation components is consistent with the market and puts a significant portion of
the executives total direct compensation at risk if Company performance declines.
Health and Welfare Benefits. We offer a standard range of health and welfare benefits to all
employees, including our executive officers. These benefits include medical, prescription drug, and
dental coverages, life insurance, accidental death and dismemberment, long-term disability
insurance and flexible spending accounts. Our plans do not discriminate in favor of our executive
officers.
401(k). We offer a defined contribution 401(k) plan to substantially all of our employees in
the United States. We provide this plan to assist our employees in saving some amount of their
cash compensation for retirement in a tax efficient manner. Participants may contribute up to 60%
of their base and cash incentive compensation, subject to the current limits under the Internal
Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the Code). We match employee contributions under this plan up
to the first 4% of the participants contribution and may make additional discretionary
contributions. For plan year 2010, we contributed an additional 2% of the admissible compensation
for each eligible employee, including our executive officers, into the plan to acknowledge the
outstanding efforts of our employees. We have not yet determined the amount of such discretionary
contributions for 2011.
Deferred Compensation Plan. Through our subsidiary, Core Laboratories LP, we have adopted a
nonqualified deferred compensation plan that permits certain employees, including all executive
officers, to elect to defer all or a part of their cash compensation (base, annual incentives
and/or commissions) from us until the termination of their status as an employee. Participating
employees are eligible to receive a matching deferral under the nonqualified deferred compensation
plan that compensates them for contributions they could not receive from us under the 401(k) plan
due to the various limits imposed on 401(k) plans by the U.S. federal income tax laws.
25
The employer matching contributions vest at a rate of 20% per year over a period of 5 years.
Discretionary employer contributions may also be made on behalf of participants in the plan and are
subject to discretionary vesting schedules determined at the time of such contributions. Vesting in
all employer contributions is accelerated upon the death of the participant or a change in control.
Employer contributions under the plan are forfeited upon a participants termination of employment
to the extent they are not vested at that time.
Supplemental Executive Retirement Plans. In 1998, based on our review of post-retirement
compensation provided by various companies in the oilfield services industry, we adopted a
Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan, referred to as the Group SERP, for the benefit of certain
key employees and outside directors. The Group SERP was established to provide additional
retirement income for certain of our then-executive officers and death benefits to the officers
designated beneficiaries as a reward for the executive officers prior contributions and future
efforts to our success and growth. Richard Bergmark, David Demshur and Joseph Perna, a former
officer and current director, participate in the Group SERP. Please read Information About Our
Executive Officers and Executive Compensation Pension Benefit Plans Group SERP for more
information about the Group SERP.
In 1999, based on our review of post-retirement compensation provided by various companies in
the oilfield services industry, we adopted a Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan for Monty L.
Davis, which is referred to as the Individual SERP. The terms of the Individual SERP are similar
to that of the Group SERP except that the amount of the retirement benefit is determined using a
formula that takes into consideration the participants compensation, years of employment, and a
five-year vesting schedule. Please read Information About Our Executive Officers and Executive
Compensation Pension Benefit Plans Individual SERP for more information about the Individual
SERP.
Other Perquisites and Personal Benefits. We do not offer any perquisites or other personal
benefits to any executive with a value over $10,000 beyond those discussed within this proxy and
specifically in the Summary Compensation table and its footnote (3) on page 28.
We believe in the importance of providing attractive intangible benefits to all employees such
as open and honest communications, ethical business practices, and a safe work environment.
Executive Compensation Policies
Stock Ownership Requirements. In 2010, the Committee approved stock ownership requirements
for the CEO to own our common shares equal in value to at least five times his annual base salary
and for the CFO and COO to own common shares equal in value to at least three times their annual
base salary. Alignment with shareholder interests is reflected in current stock ownership among
the named executive officers, the value of which ranges from approximately 35 to 57 times annual
base salary based on the closing price of our common stock on December 31, 2010, as reflected in
the beneficial ownership table provided in Ownership of Securities Securities Ownership by
Certain Beneficial Owners and Management. They reflect a significant personal investment in us by
the same executives responsible for determining the future success of the organization and the
return to shareholders.
Securities Trading Policy. We prohibit officers and certain other managers from trading our
securities on the basis of material, non-public information or tipping others who may so trade on
such information and from trading in our securities without obtaining prior approval from our
General Counsel. If the manager does not have inside information that is material to the business,
the officer or manager may trade immediately following quarterly earnings press releases during an
Allowed Trading Window. Any exceptions must be requested in writing and signed by one of the
following persons: Chief Executive Officer, Chief Operating Officer, Chief Financial Officer or
General Counsel. Any derivative transaction which effectively shifts the economic risk of ownership
to a third party is not allowed at any time by these officers and certain other managers unless
approved by the Compensation Committee.
Deductibility of Compensation over $1 million. Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code
imposes a limit of $1 million, unless compensation is performance based or another exception
applies, on the amount that a publicly held corporation may deduct in any year for the compensation
paid or accrued with respect to its chief executive officer and each of its four other most highly
compensated executive officers. Although we have not yet finalized our 2010 tax return, we expect
that this limit may apply to certain deductions in the 2010 tax return.
26
Employment Agreements and Change in Control Agreements
We maintain employment agreements with our three executive officers to ensure they will
perform their roles for an extended period of time. These agreements are described in more detail
elsewhere in this proxy statement. Please read Information About Our Executive Officers and
Executive Compensation Narrative Disclosure to Summary Compensation Table and Grants of
Plan-Based Awards Table Employment Agreements. These agreements provide for severance
compensation to be paid if the employment of the executives is terminated under certain conditions,
such as following a change in control, termination by Messrs. Demshur, Bergmark or Davis for any
reason or termination by us for any reason other than upon their death or disability, for cause
or upon a material breach of a material provision of his employment agreement, each as defined in
the agreements.
The employment agreements between us and our named executive officers and the related
severance provisions are designed to meet the following objectives:
Change in Control. As part of our normal course of business, we engage in discussions with
other companies about possible collaborations and/or other ways in which the companies may work
together to further our respective long-term objectives. In addition, many larger, established
companies consider companies at similar stages of development to ours as potential acquisition
targets. In certain scenarios, the potential for merger or being acquired may be in the best
interests of our shareholders. We provide severance compensation if an executives employment is
terminated following a change in control transaction to promote the ability of our senior
executives to act in the best interests of our stockholders even though their employment could be
terminated as a result of the transaction.
Termination without Cause. If we terminate the employment of an executive officer without
cause as defined in the applicable agreement, we are obligated to continue to pay him certain
amounts as described in greater detail in Potential Payments Upon Termination or Change in
Control. We believe these payments are appropriate because the terminated executive is bound by
confidentiality, non-solicitation and non-compete provisions covering two years after termination
and because we and the executive have a mutually agreed to severance package that is in place prior
to any termination event. This provides us with more flexibility to make a change in senior
management if such a change is in our and our shareholders best interests.
INFORMATION ABOUT OUR EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
Executive Officers
As of December 31, 2010, our executive officers consisted of Messrs. Demshur, Bergmark and
Davis. Biographical information regarding Messrs. Demshur and Bergmark can be found in
Information About Our Supervisory Directors and Director Compensation Board of Supervising
Directors. The following biography describes the business experience of Mr. Davis. Our executive
officers are not Managing Directors of our Company for purposes of Dutch law.
Mr. Davis, who is 56 years of age, joined Western Atlas International in 1977, holding various
management positions including Atlas Wireline Division Financial Controller for Europe, Africa and
the Middle East from 1983 to 1987, Core Laboratories Division Vice President of Finance from 1987
to 1991, and Atlas Wireline Division vice president of finance and administration from 1991 to
1993. In 1993, Mr. Davis left Western Atlas International and joined Bovar Inc. of Calgary, Canada,
an environmental waste disposal company, as chief financial officer. From 1994 to 1995 he served
as chief operating officer and from 1995 to 1998 he served as president and chief executive officer
of Bovar Inc. Mr. Davis rejoined our Company as Senior Vice President in 1998, and in 1999 was
promoted to Chief Operating Officer, the position he currently holds.
27
Summary Compensation
The following table summarizes, with respect to our Chief Executive Officer and each of our
other named executive officers as of December 31, 2010, information relating to the compensation
earned for services rendered in all capacities during fiscal years 2008, 2009, and 2010.
Summary Compensation for the Years Ended December 31, 2008, 2009 and 2010
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Change in |
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Pension |
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Value and |
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Nonqualified |
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Non-Equity |
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Deferred |
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Stock |
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Incentive Plan |
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Compensation |
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All Other |
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Name and |
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Salary |
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Awards |
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Compensation |
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Earnings |
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Compensation |
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Total |
Principal Position |
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Year |
|
($) |
|
($)(1) |
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($) |
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($) |
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($)(3) |
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($) |
David M. Demshur |
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2010 |
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700,000 |
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1,805,040 |
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1,225,000 |
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852,000 |
(2) |
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9,962 |
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4,592,002 |
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President and Chief |
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2009 |
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656,000 |
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600,000 |
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184,000 |
(2) |
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9,973 |
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1,449,973 |
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Executive Officer |
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2008 |
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656,000 |
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984,000 |
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777,000 |
(2) |
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9,355 |
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2,426,355 |
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Richard L. Bergmark |
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2010 |
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425,000 |
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531,250 |
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831,000 |
(2) |
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10,018 |
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2,582,068 |
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Executive Vice President, |
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2009 |
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400,000 |
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784,800 |
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250,000 |
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184,000 |
(2) |
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9,981 |
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843,981 |
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Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer |
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2008 |
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400,000 |
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400,000 |
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774,000 |
(2) |
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9,366 |
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1,583,366 |
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Monty L. Davis |
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2010 |
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415,000 |
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518,750 |
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514,000 |
(2) |
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9,966 |
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2,242,516 |
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Chief Operating Officer |
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2009 |
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390,000 |
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784,800 |
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250,000 |
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110,000 |
(2) |
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9,977 |
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759,977 |
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and Senior Vice President |
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2008 |
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390,000 |
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390,000 |
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461,000 |
(2) |
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6,663 |
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1,247,663 |
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(1) |
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The amounts included in the Stock Awards column include the aggregate grant date fair
value of the equity-based awards granted during 2008, 2009 and 2010, and have been computed in
accordance with FASB ASC Topic 718, formerly FAS 123(R). Assumptions used in the calculation
of these amounts are included in Note 13 to our audited financial statements for the fiscal
years ended December 31, 2008, 2009 and 2010 and are included in our annual reports on Form
10-K. See Narrative Disclosure to Summary Compensation Table and Grants of Plan-Based Awards
Table for a description of the material features of these awards. |
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(2) |
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The change in pension value during 2008, 2009 and 2010 for each of our named executive
officers was: Demshur $777,000, $184,000 and $852,000; Bergmark $774,000, $184,000 and
$831,000; Davis $461,000 $110,000 and $514,000; No amounts are attributable to nonqualified
deferred compensation earnings. The changes in pension values for 2008, 2009 and 2010 were
primarily the result of changes in the underlying actuarial assumptions. Specifically, the
interest rate is based on a federal rate that changes annually and the mortality tables are
pursuant to Section 417 of the Internal Revenue Code which is required for valuing payouts
from qualified plans. These increases were not the result of additional contributions or
benefits accruing to the named executive officers. |
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(3) |
|
No executive officer received perquisites in excess of $10,000 in fiscal 2008 or 2009;
however, due to an increase in premium with the Company-Owned Life Insurance, one executives
perquisite amount slightly exceeded $10,000 for 2010. |
All Other Compensation from Summary Compensation Table
The following table contains a breakdown of the compensation and benefits included under All
Other Compensation in the Summary Compensation table above.
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Core 401(k) |
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Company-Owned |
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Contributions |
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Life Insurance(1) |
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Total |
Name |
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Year |
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($) |
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($) |
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($) |
David M. Demshur |
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2010 |
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9,800 |
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162 |
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9,962 |
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2009 |
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9,800 |
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173 |
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9,973 |
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2008 |
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9,200 |
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155 |
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9,355 |
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Richard L. Bergmark |
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2010 |
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9,800 |
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218 |
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10,018 |
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2009 |
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9,800 |
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181 |
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9,981 |
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2008 |
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9,200 |
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166 |
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9,366 |
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Monty L. Davis |
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2010 |
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9,800 |
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166 |
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9,966 |
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2009 |
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9,800 |
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177 |
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9,977 |
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2008 |
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6,500 |
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163 |
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6,663 |
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(1) |
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The amounts shown reflect premiums we pay for life insurance coverage for our executive
officers, which insurance payments will be used to assist us with providing death benefits
under the deferred compensation plan. |
28
Grants of Plan-Based Awards
A total of 51,600 shares of plan-based awards were awarded to our Chief Executive Officer and
executive officers in 2010 under the PSAP plan.
The following table provides information concerning each grant of an award made to our Chief
Executive Officer and each of our other executive officers in 2010 under the PSAP plan, including
awards that have been transferred.
Grants of Plan-Based Awards for the Year Ended December 31, 2010
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Grant |
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All Other |
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Date Fair |
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Stock Awards: |
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Value of |
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Estimated Future Payouts Under |
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Number of |
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Stock and |
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Non-Equity Incentive Plan Awards |
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Shares of Stock |
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Option |
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Approval |
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Threshold |
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Target |
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Maximum |
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or Units |
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Awards |
Name |
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Grant Date |
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Date(1) |
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($) |
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($) |
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($) |
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(#) |
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$ |
David M. Demshur |
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0 |
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612,500 |
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1,225,000 |
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04/01/2010 |
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03/19/2010 |
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27,600 |
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1,805,040 |
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Richard L. Bergmark |
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0 |
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265,625 |
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531,250 |
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04/01/2010 |
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03/19/2010 |
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12,000 |
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784,800 |
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Monty L. Davis |
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0 |
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259,375 |
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518,750 |
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04/01/2010 |
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03/19/2010 |
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12,000 |
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784,800 |
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(1) |
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The Equity Awards Subcommittee awarded the restricted performance shares as of April 1,
2010 for administrative purposes only. |
Narrative Disclosure to Summary Compensation Table and Grants of Plan-Based Awards Table
The following is a discussion of material factors necessary to an understanding of the
information disclosed in the Summary Compensation Table.
Employment Agreements.
David M. Demshur. Mr. Demshur serves as our President and Chief Executive Officer pursuant to
an employment agreement entered into on August 1, 1998, as amended and restated as of December 31,
2007. Unless either party gives notice to terminate the agreement, the agreement will
automatically renew each year on the anniversary of the effective date for a successive three-year
term. Mr. Demshurs employment agreement entitles him to an original base salary of $420,000,
subject to increase at the discretion of the Compensation Committee, and the opportunity to earn a
yearly bonus of up to 150%, which was increased to 175% in 2010 as disclosed in the 2010 Proxy and
has been recommended by the Compensation Committee and approved by the Supervisory Board to
increase to 200% in 2011 of his then current annual base salary dependent upon his reaching certain
performance objectives established by the Compensation Committee and described above under
Compensation Discussion and Analysis Non-Equity Incentive Compensation. These increases in
maximum potential bonus were determined by the Compensation Committee to be more closely aligned
with the market. The employment agreement provides that Mr. Demshur is entitled to participate in
all of our benefit plans and programs that are available to our other executive employees.
Richard L. Bergmark. Mr. Bergmark serves as our Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer
pursuant to an employment agreement entered into on August 1, 1998, as amended and restated as of
December 31, 2007. Unless either party gives notice to terminate the agreement, the agreement will automatically renew
each year on the anniversary of the effective date for a successive three-year term. Mr.
Bergmarks employment agreement entitles him to an original base salary of $236,250, subject to
increase at the discretion of the Compensation Committee, and the opportunity to earn a yearly
bonus of up to 100%, which was increased to 125% in 2010 as disclosed in the 2010 Proxy and has
been recommended by the Compensation Committee and approved by the Supervisory Board to increase to
150% in 2011 of his then current annual base salary dependent upon his reaching certain performance
objectives established by the Compensation Committee and described above under Compensation
Discussion and Analysis Non-Equity Incentive Compensation. These increases in maximum
potential bonus were determined by the Compensation Committee to be more closely aligned with the
market. The employment agreement provides that Mr. Bergmark is entitled to participate in all of
our benefit plans and programs that are available to our other executive employees.
Monty L. Davis. Mr. Davis serves as our Chief Operating Officer pursuant to an employment
agreement entered into on August 1, 1998, as amended and restated as of December 31, 2007. Unless
either party gives notice to terminate the agreement, the agreement will automatically renew each
year on the anniversary of the effective date for a successive three-year term. Mr. Davis
employment agreement entitles him to an original base salary of $231,000, subject to increase at
the discretion of the Compensation Committee, and the opportunity to earn a yearly bonus of up to
100%, which was increased to 125% in 2010 as disclosed in the 2010 Proxy and has been recommended
by the Compensation Committee and approved by the Supervisory Board to increase to 150% in 2011 of
his then current annual base salary dependent upon his reaching certain performance objectives
established by the Compensation Committee and described above under Compensation Discussion and
Analysis Non-Equity Incentive Compensation. These increases in maximum potential bonus were
determined by the Compensation Committee to be more closely aligned with the market. The employment
agreement provides that Mr. Davis is entitled to participate in all of our benefit plans and
programs that are available to our other executive employees.
29
Restricted Share Award Program. In 2010, the Equity Awards Subcommittee granted 142,070
restricted shares to employees under the RSAP program, none of which were to named executive
officers. In 2009, the Equity Awards Subcommittee granted 247,100 restricted shares to employees
under the RSAP program, none of which were to named executive officers. In 2008, the Equity Awards
Subcommittee granted 249,900 restricted shares to employees under the RSAP program, none of which
were to named executive officers. Subject to continued employment with us, these shares vest in
the amount of 1/6th of each grant on each of the six annual anniversaries of the date of grant.
Full vesting will occur, however, if an employees employment with us is terminated by reason of
death or disability or if an employee continues in our employment until the date upon which a
change in control occurs. For 2011, the Equity Awards Subcommittee has authorized 100,000 shares
for in-cycle grants and an additional 10,000 shares for out-of-cycle grants for retention and
recruitment purposes, and it is anticipated such in-cycle grants will be awarded with an effective
date of December 1, 2011 and are for employees other than the named executive officers.
Performance Share Award Program. In 2010, the Equity Awards Subcommittee granted 90,000 shares
to employees under the PSAP program, including 51,600 to our named executive officers. Subject to
continued employment with us, these shares will vest on December 31, 2012 only upon our return on
invested capital being in the top decile of the our peer group as published by Bloomberg at the end
of the three-year Performance Period ending on December 31, 2012. Full vesting will occur,
however, if an employees employment with us is terminated by reason of death or disability, or if
an employee continues in our employment until the date upon which a change in control occurs.
In 2011, the Equity Awards Subcommittee granted 86,207 shares to employees under the PSAP
program, including 58,207 to our named executive officers. Subject to continued employment with
us, these shares will vest on December 31, 2013 only upon our return on invested capital being in
the top decile of the our peer group as published by Bloomberg at the end of the three-year
Performance Period ending on December 31, 2013. Full vesting will occur, however, if an employees
employment with us is terminated by reason of death or disability, or if an employee continues in
our employment until the date upon which a change in control occurs.
Pension Benefit Plans. For a description of our Supplemental Executive Retirement Plans,
please read Pension Benefit Plans below.
Outstanding Equity Awards at Fiscal Year End
The following table provides information concerning stock that has not vested, and equity
incentive plan awards for our Chief Executive Officer and each of our other executive officers as
of the end of our last completed fiscal year. None of our executive officers held unexercised
options as of the end of our last completed fiscal year.
Outstanding Equity Awards at December 31, 2010
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Market Value of |
|
|
Number of Shares or |
|
Shares or Units of |
|
|
Units of Stock That |
|
Stock That Have Not |
|
|
Have Not Vested |
|
Vested |
Name |
|
(#) |
|
($) |
David M. Demshur |
|
|
27,600 |
(1) |
|
|
2,457,780 |
|
Richard L. Bergmark |
|
|
22,600 |
(1) |
|
|
2,012,530 |
|
Monty L. Davis |
|
|
22,600 |
(1) |
|
|
2,012,530 |
|
|
|
|
(1) |
|
Consists of restricted shares remaining unvested which were granted to each named
executive officer in 2006, 2007, and 2010. See Narrative Disclosure to Summary Compensation
Table and Grants of Plan Based Awards Table ¯ Restricted Share Award Program and Performance
Restricted Award Program. |
Exercises and Stock Vested
The following table provides information concerning each vesting of stock, including
restricted stock, restricted stock units and similar instruments during the last completed fiscal
year on an aggregated basis with respect to each of our executive officers.
Stock Vested for the Year Ended December 31, 2010
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Stock Awards |
|
|
Number of Shares |
|
Value Realized on |
|
|
Acquired on Vesting |
|
Vesting |
Name |
|
(#) |
|
($) |
David M. Demshur |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Richard L. Bergmark |
|
|
4,200 |
|
|
|
277,337 |
|
Monty L. Davis |
|
|
4,200 |
|
|
|
277,337 |
|
30
Pension Benefit Plans
The following table provides information on our executive officers pension benefit plans as
of December 31, 2010, including, with respect to each executive officer, the number of years
credited under the applicable plan, the actuarial present value of the accumulated pension benefit
and the dollar amount of any payments received during the year ended December 31, 2010.
Pension Benefit Plans as of December 31, 2010
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Number of Years |
|
Present Value of |
|
Payments During |
|
|
|
|
Credited Service |
|
Accumulated Benefit |
|
2010 |
Name |
|
Plan Name |
|
(#) |
|
($) |
|
($) |
David M. Demshur |
|
Group SERP |
|
|
N/A |
|
|
|
4,061,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
Richard L. Bergmark |
|
Group SERP |
|
|
N/A |
|
|
|
4,126,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
Monty L. Davis |
|
Individual SERP |
|
|
25.0 |
|
|
|
2,454,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
Group SERP. In 1998, we adopted the Core Laboratories Supplemental Executive Retirement
Plan, which we refer to as the Group SERP, for the benefit of certain key employees and outside
directors. The Group SERP was subsequently amended in 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2007. The Group SERP was established to
provide additional retirement income to the participants and death benefits to the participants
designated beneficiaries as a reward for the participants contributions to our success and growth.
Messrs. Bergmark, Demshur and Perna, a former employee and current director, participate in the
Group SERP. Each participant is entitled to receive a retirement benefit of $250,000 per year,
which begins on the participants retirement date (which is the later of the participants
termination of employment or attaining the age of 65 years) and is paid in annual installments
until the participants death. If a participant dies on or after his retirement date and prior to
receiving 15 annual installments of his retirement benefit, then the participants designated
beneficiary is entitled to receive $250,000 each year until such payments have been made for an
aggregate of 15 years to both the participant and such designated beneficiary. If the participant
dies before his retirement date, the designated beneficiary of the deceased participant is entitled
to receive $225,000 each year for 15 years. Each participants benefit under the Group SERP is
fully vested and fully accrued. Each participant has made an irrevocable election to receive a
lump sum payment if a change in control occurs. The lump sum amount will be equal to the
actuarially equivalent value of the retirement benefits that would have been paid upon the
participants retirement. Benefits under the Group SERP may be forfeited only in the event of a
participants termination for cause (defined as the participants conviction of a felony or a
misdemeanor involving moral turpitude).
Individual SERP. In 1999, we adopted the Core Laboratories Supplemental Executive Retirement
Plan for Mr. Davis, which we refer to as the Individual SERP. The Individual SERP provides the
participant an annual retirement benefit, which begins on the participants retirement date (which
is the later of the participants termination of employment or attaining the age of 65 years) and
is paid in annual installments until the participants death. The annual retirement benefit is
equal to 2% of the participants final average pay (defined below) for each year of credited
service (not to exceed 25 years of credited service). In the event of a change in control while
the executive is employed by us or the involuntary termination of the executives employment
without cause within six months prior to a change in control, Mr. Davis will receive an annual
retirement benefit in the amount equal to the greater of the amount determined above or $150,000.
If a participant dies on or after his retirement date and prior to receiving 15 annual installments
of his retirement benefit, then the participants designated beneficiary is entitled to the
retirement benefit described above each year until such payments have been made for an aggregate of
15 years to both the participant and his designated beneficiary. In the event that a participant
dies before his retirement date, his designated beneficiary will receive an annual retirement
benefit in the amount equal to the greater of the amount determined above or $150,000 for 15 years.
Additionally, the participant has made an irrevocable election to receive a lump sum payment if a
change in control occurs. The lump sum amount would be equal to the actuarially equivalent value
of the retirement benefits that would have been paid upon the participants retirement. A
participant will forfeit his interest in an Individual SERP if he is terminated for cause (defined
as the participants conviction of a felony or a misdemeanor involving moral turpitude).
A participants final average pay for purposes of calculating the annual retirement benefit
under an Individual SERP is the average of the participants annual base salary for the five
consecutive calendar years immediately preceding the calendar year in which occurs the earlier of
the participants death or termination of employment. In the event a change in control occurs (as
defined in the Individual SERP), final average pay is the greater of (x) the amount determined
above, and (y) the participants annual base salary for the five consecutive calendar years
immediately preceding the calendar year in which the change in control occurs.
We have purchased insurance coverage on the lives of Messrs. Demshur, Bergmark, Perna and
Davis to assist us in providing benefits under the Group SERP and the Individual SERP
(collectively, the SERPs). We are the owner and beneficiary of the insurance coverage for which
all of the Group SERP and the Individual SERP premiums are fully paid. Based on actuarial
calculations, the benefits paid to us under the insurance policies should be sufficient to cover
the costs of the SERPs benefits for these individuals. However, to the extent the death benefits
under the policies are insufficient to cover those costs, we are obligated to pay the remainder out
of other general assets to absorb any shortfall.
Nonqualified Deferred Compensation
The following table provides information relating to our executive officers benefits in the
nonqualified deferred compensation plans, including, with respect to each executive officer, the
aggregate contributions made by such executive officer during the year ended December 31, 2010, the
aggregate contributions made by the company during the year ended December 31, 2010, on behalf of
the executive officer, the aggregate interest or other earnings
accrued during the year ended December 31, 2010, the aggregate value of withdrawals and distributions
to the executive officer during the year ended December 31, 2010 and balance of account as of
December 31, 2010.
31
Nonqualified Deferred Compensation for the Year Ended December 31, 2010
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Executive |
|
Registrant |
|
|
|
|
|
Aggregate |
|
Aggregate Balance |
|
|
Contributions |
|
Contributions in |
|
Aggregate Earnings |
|
Withdrawals/ |
|
at December 31, |
|
|
in 2010 |
|
2010 |
|
(Losses) in 2010 |
|
(Distributions) |
|
2010 |
Name |
|
($) |
|
($) |
|
($) |
|
($) |
|
($) |
David M. Demshur |
|
|
80,505 |
|
|
|
23,002 |
|
|
|
630,050 |
|
|
|
0 |
|
|
|
3,336,879 |
|
Richard L. Bergmark |
|
|
9,807 |
|
|
|
9,807 |
|
|
|
93,254 |
|
|
|
0 |
|
|
|
477,167 |
|
Monty L. Davis |
|
|
64,471 |
|
|
|
15,988 |
|
|
|
140,351 |
|
|
|
0 |
|
|
|
881,331 |
|
Since 2006, the employer has made matching contributions on all participant salary
reduction deferrals to the plan. The plan also provides for employer contributions equal in amount
to certain forfeitures of, and/or reductions in, employer contributions that participants could
have received under the 401(k) Plan in the absence of certain limitations imposed by the Code.
Distributions of a participants plan benefits can only be made under certain prescribed
circumstances, such as termination of employment or upon a specified date as elected by the
participant. In the event of a termination of employment (other than by death or disability) of a
key employee, distributions must be delayed for six months. A participants plan benefits
include the participants deferrals, the vested portion of the employers contributions, and deemed
investment gains and losses on such amounts. In the case of a participant who dies while employed
with the employer, an additional $50,000 life insurance benefit will also be paid under the plan to
the participants beneficiary. The plan was amended in 2008 to comply with the American Jobs
Creation Act of 2004 to reflect certain statutorily mandated requirements applicable to the plan.
For additional information, see Elements of Compensation Deferred Compensation Plan.
Potential Payments Upon Termination or Change in Control
We have entered into certain agreements and maintain certain plans that will require us to
provide compensation and/or benefits to our named executive officers in the event of a termination
of employment or a change in control of the Company. The terms described below are unique to the
three named executive officers and were first put into place in 1998 and are not terms that have
been granted to any other executive since then or would be granted to any future executive with the
Company. The compensation and benefits described below assume that any termination of employment
was effective as of December 31, 2010, and thus includes amounts earned through that date. The
tables below provide estimates of the compensation and benefits that would be provided to the
executives upon their termination of employment; however, in the event of an executives separation
from the Company, any actual amounts will be determined based on the facts and circumstances in
existence at that time.
Employment Agreements
The Demshur, Bergmark and Davis Employment Agreements
Messrs. Demshur, Bergmark and Davis have employment agreements first entered into in 1998
which have included provisions governing the payment of severance benefits if employment is
terminated by the executive for any reason or by the Company for any reason other than (1) death or
disability, (2) for cause, or (3) the executives material breach of a material provision of the
employment agreement. In such event, our executive severance benefits will be comprised of:
(a) the payment of a lump-sum amount equal to the sum of:
|
|
|
200% of his base salary as in effect immediately prior to the termination; and |
|
|
|
|
two times 45% of the maximum annual incentive bonus he could have earned pursuant to
his employment agreement; |
(b) provision of a benefits package for the executive and his spouse and dependent children
consisting of medical, hospital, dental, disability and life insurance benefits at least as
favorable as those benefits provided to the executive and his spouse and dependent children
immediately prior to termination, for as long as the executive and his spouse or dependent children
are living;
(c) the provision of outplacement services at a cost not to exceed 100% of the executives
annual base salary as in effect immediately prior to the termination;
(d) the full and immediate vesting and exercisability of all of his outstanding stock options,
which options shall remain exercisable for the greater of (1) three months following such
termination, or (2) the period provided in the plan or plans pursuant to which such stock options
were granted.
For purposes of calculating the lifetime medical benefits, we assume the following:
|
|
|
a discount rate of 5.50%; |
|
|
|
|
mortality table under section 417(e)(3)(A)(ii)(I), the 2010 Applicable Mortality Table
for Lump Sums under the Pension Protection Act of 2006 (PPA); |
|
|
|
|
a current medical trend of 7.80% per annum, decreasing in accordance with a schedule
over time to 6.10% in 2015 and 5.80% in 2035; |
|
|
|
|
that medical benefits are to be coordinated with Medicare such that premiums will be
reduced by 50% for ages 65 and older; and |
|
|
|
|
that the health plan is fully insured and community rated and will continue to be so in
the future. |
32
|
For purposes of calculating the welfare benefits, we assume the following: |
|
|
|
|
the basic life insurance benefit was valued as a whole life premium at discount rate of
5%; |
|
|
|
|
mortality table under section 417(e)(3)(A)(ii)(I), the 2010 Applicable Mortality Table
for Lump Sums under PPA; |
|
|
|
|
the accidental death and disability coverage was valued as 11.3% of the value of basic
life insurance benefit, per the current premium ratio and this benefit was assumed to
continue beyond age 65; and |
|
|
|
|
the long-term disability premium was escalated to 4% at age 65, reflecting the
age-related incidence of disability as well as increased administrative costs; no value is
attributed to the benefit beyond age 65, as long-term disability coverage is rarely
available once employment ends. |
If the executives employment is terminated as a result of death or disability, the executive
(if living), his spouse, and/or his dependent children, as applicable, will be entitled to the
benefits described under clause (b) and (d) above.
If the executives employment is terminated for any reason within three years following a
change in control, the executive will be entitled to the same benefits described above except that
certain outstanding stock options shall remain exercisable for the greater of (i) one year
following such termination, or (ii) the period provided in the plan or plans pursuant to which such
stock options were granted, and the lump-sum payment described in clause (a) above shall be equal
to three times the sum of:
|
|
|
his base salary as in effect immediately prior to his termination of employment; and |
|
|
|
|
the greater of (A) 45% of the maximum annual incentive bonus he could have earned
pursuant to his employment contract for the year in which his employment terminates or (B)
the highest annual bonus he received in the three fiscal years ending prior to the fiscal
year in which occurred the change in control. |
The employment agreements generally use the following terms:
Cause means the executive has been convicted of any felony or a misdemeanor involving moral
turpitude.
Change in Control means a merger of the Company with another entity, a consolidation
involving the Company, or the sale of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company if (i)
the holders of equity securities of the Company immediately prior to the transaction do not
beneficially own immediately after the transaction 50% or more of the common equity of the
resulting entity, (ii) the holders of equity securities of the Company immediately prior to the
transaction do not beneficially own immediately after the transaction 50% of the voting securities
of the resulting entity, or (iii) the persons who were members of the Supervisory Board of
Directors immediately prior to the transaction are not the majority of the board of the resulting
entity immediately after the transaction. A Change in Control also occurs when (i) there is
shareholder approval of a plan of dissolution or liquidation of the Company, (ii) any person or
entity acquires or gains ownership of control of more than 30% of the combined voting power of
outstanding securities of the Company or resulting entity, or (iii) a change in the composition of
the Board of Directors the results of which are that fewer than a majority of the supervisory
directors are incumbent directors.
Each executives employment agreement contains a standard confidentiality and nonsolicitation
provision and requires that the executive not compete with the business conducted by the Company at
any time during the period that he is employed by the Company and for the two-year period
thereafter unless his employment with the Company is terminated by him for good reason, or by the
Company for cause. Notwithstanding, the post-employment noncompetition and nonsolicitation
restrictions terminate upon a change in control of the Company.
Upon a change in control, our executive officers may be subject to certain excise taxes
pursuant to Section 4999 of the Code (which imposes a 20% excise tax on certain excess parachute
payments). In such case, we have agreed to pay each of our executive officers a gross-up payment
such that, after the payment of any income, excise or other tax on the gross-up payment, the
executive officer retains an amount sufficient to pay all excise taxes pursuant to Section 4999 of
the Code.
The calculation of the Section 4999 gross-up amounts described above is based upon an excise
tax rate under Section 4999 of 20%, a 35% federal income tax rate and a 1.45% Medicare tax rate.
For purposes of the gross-up calculations, we have assumed that (1) no amounts will be discounted
as attributable to reasonable compensation, (2) all cash severance payments are contingent on a
change in control (although we believe there may be a viable position to the contrary with respect
to at least a portion of the cash severance payments), and (3) we could rebut the presumption
required under applicable regulations that the restricted shares granted in 2008 were contingent
upon a change in control.
The tax gross-up payment described above will be payable to the executive for any excise tax
incurred under Section 4999 of the Code regardless of whether his employment is terminated.
However, the amount of the gross-up payment will change based upon whether the executives
employment with us is terminated because the amount of compensation subject to the Section 4999
excise tax will change.
The tables below reflect the amount of compensation that would be payable to each of the named
officers in various scenarios involving termination of the named officers employment, including
following a change in control. The amount of compensation payable to each named officer upon
voluntary termination, involuntary not-for-cause termination (non-change in control), voluntary
termination for good cause or involuntary termination following a change in control, involuntary
for cause termination, and termination in the event of death or disability of each named officer is
shown below. The amounts shown assume that the termination was effective on December 31, 2010 and
thus includes amounts earned through that time and are estimates of the amounts which would be paid
out to the officers upon their termination. The amounts payable upon termination following a
change in control assume that the change in control occurred on December 31, 2010 and the
termination was effective the same day. The actual amounts to be paid out can only be determined
at the time of the officers separation from us. The officer would also have available the value of
exercisable options reflected in the Outstanding Equity Awards at Fiscal Year End table.
33
David M. Demshur
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Termination |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Involuntary Not |
|
|
For Cause |
|
|
related to |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Voluntary |
|
|
Early |
|
|
For Cause |
|
|
Termination |
|
|
Change-in- |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Termination |
|
|
Retirement on |
|
|
Termination on |
|
|
on |
|
|
Control on |
|
|
Disability on |
|
|
Death on |
|
|
|
on 12/31/210 |
|
|
12/31/2010 |
|
|
12/31/2010 |
|
|
12/31/2010 |
|
|
12/31/2010 |
|
|
12/31/2010 |
|
|
12/31/2010 |
|
Compensation: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Severance |
|
$ |
1,400,000 |
|
|
$ |
1,400,000 |
|
|
$ |
1,400,000 |
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
$ |
2,100,000 |
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
$ |
|
|
Short-term Incentive |
|
$ |
1,102,500 |
|
|
$ |
1,102,500 |
|
|
$ |
1,102,500 |
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
$ |
2,952,000 |
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
$ |
|
|
Long-term Incentives: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Unvested and Accelerated
Equity Award Programs |
|
$ |
|
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
$ |
2,457,780 |
|
|
$ |
2,457,780 |
|
|
$ |
2,457,780 |
|
Benefits & Perquisites: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Health and Welfare Benefits |
|
$ |
355,200 |
|
|
$ |
355,200 |
|
|
$ |
355,200 |
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
$ |
355,200 |
|
|
$ |
355,200 |
|
|
$ |
355,200 |
|
Outplacement Services |
|
$ |
700,000 |
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
$ |
700,000 |
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
$ |
700,000 |
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
$ |
|
|
Excise Tax & Gross-Up |
|
$ |
|
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
|
$ |
3,557,700 |
|
|
$ |
2,857,700 |
|
|
$ |
3,557,700 |
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
$ |
8,564,980 |
|
|
$ |
2,812,980 |
|
|
$ |
2,812,980 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Richard L. Bergmark
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Involuntary |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Termination |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Not For |
|
|
|
|
|
|
related to |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Voluntary |
|
|
Early |
|
|
Cause |
|
|
For Cause |
|
|
Change-in- |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Termination |
|
|
Retirement |
|
|
Termination |
|
|
Termination |
|
|
Control on |
|
|
Disability on |
|
|
Death on |
|
|
|
on 12/31/2010 |
|
|
on 12/31/2010 |
|
|
on 12/31/2010 |
|
|
on 12/31/2010 |
|
|
12/31/2010 |
|
|
12/31/2010 |
|
|
12/31/2010 |
|
Compensation: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Severance |
|
$ |
850,000 |
|
|
$ |
850,000 |
|
|
$ |
850,000 |
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
$ |
1,275,000 |
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
$ |
|
|
Short-term Incentive |
|
$ |
478,125 |
|
|
$ |
478,125 |
|
|
$ |
478,125 |
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
$ |
1,200,000 |
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
$ |
|
|
Long-term Incentives: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Unvested and Accelerated
Equity Award Programs |
|
$ |
|
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
$ |
2,012,530 |
|
|
$ |
2,012,530 |
|
|
$ |
2,012,530 |
|
Benefits & Perquisites: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Health and Welfare Benefits |
|
$ |
359,600 |
|
|
$ |
359,600 |
|
|
$ |
359,600 |
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
$ |
359,600 |
|
|
$ |
359,600 |
|
|
$ |
359,600 |
|
Outplacement Services |
|
$ |
425,000 |
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
$ |
425,000 |
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
$ |
425,000 |
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
$ |
|
|
Excise Tax & Gross-Up |
|
$ |
|
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
|
$ |
2,112,725 |
|
|
$ |
1,687,725 |
|
|
$ |
2,112,725 |
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
$ |
5,272,130 |
|
|
$ |
2,372,130 |
|
|
$ |
2,372,130 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Monty L. Davis
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Termination |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Early |
|
|
Involuntary |
|
|
For Cause |
|
|
related to |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Voluntary |
|
|
Retirement |
|
|
Not For Cause |
|
|
Termination |
|
|
Change-in- |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Termination |
|
|
on |
|
|
Termination |
|
|
on |
|
|
Control on |
|
|
Disability on |
|
|
Death on |
|
|
|
on 12/31/2010 |
|
|
12/31/2010 |
|
|
on 12/31/2010 |
|
|
12/31/2010 |
|
|
12/31/2010 |
|
|
12/31/2010 |
|
|
12/31/2010 |
|
Compensation: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Severance |
|
$ |
830,000 |
|
|
$ |
830,000 |
|
|
$ |
830,000 |
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
$ |
1,245,000 |
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
$ |
|
|
Short-term Incentive |
|
$ |
466,875 |
|
|
$ |
466,875 |
|
|
$ |
466,875 |
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
$ |
1,170,000 |
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
$ |
|
|
Long-term Incentives: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Unvested and Accelerated
Equity Award Programs |
|
$ |
|
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
$ |
2,012,530 |
|
|
$ |
2,012,530 |
|
|
$ |
2,012,530 |
|
Benefits & Perquisites: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Health and Welfare Benefits |
|
$ |
355,800 |
|
|
$ |
355,800 |
|
|
$ |
355,800 |
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
$ |
355,800 |
|
|
$ |
355,800 |
|
|
$ |
355,800 |
|
Outplacement Services |
|
$ |
415,000 |
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
$ |
415,000 |
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
$ |
415,000 |
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
$ |
|
|
Excise Tax & Gross-Up |
|
$ |
|
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
|
$ |
2,067,675 |
|
|
$ |
1,652,675 |
|
|
$ |
2,067,675 |
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
$ |
5,198,330 |
|
|
$ |
2,368,330 |
|
|
$ |
2,368,330 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Plan.
See the Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Table and subsequent narrative discussion for a
description of the benefits payable to the named executive officers under the Nonqualified Deferred
Compensation Plan upon death or separation from service, and in connection with a change in
control.
34
Supplemental Executive Retirement Plans.
Please see the Pension Benefits Table and narrative that follows the table for a discussion of
the benefits payable to the named executive officers under the Group SERP and the Individual SERP
upon death or separation from service, and in connection with a change in control. As described in
the Pension Benefits Table, if a participant in the Group SERP or an Individual SERP made a timely
election, he would be entitled to receive a lump sum payment upon a change in control of the
Company equal to the actuarially equivalent value of the retirement benefits that would have been
paid upon the participants retirement.
Equity Award Program.
Awards under our PSAP and RSAP will vest in full in the event an executive officers service
is terminated by reason of his death or disability or upon the occurrence of a change in control.
As a result, assuming such event occurred on December 31, 2010, Messrs. Bergmark and Davis would
have each become vested in $2,012,530 worth of common shares. Mr. Demshur did not have any
outstanding RSAP awards at December 31, 2010; however, Mr. Demshur would have become vested in
$2,457,780 worth of common shares from a PSAP share award.
35
COMPENSATION COMMITTEE REPORT
During the last fiscal year, and this year in preparation for the filing of this proxy
statement with the SEC, the Compensation Committee:
|
|
|
reviewed and discussed the Companys disclosure set forth herein below the heading
Compensation Discussion and Analysis with management; and |
|
|
|
|
based on the reviews and discussions referred to above, recommended to the Supervisory
Board that the disclosure set forth herein below the heading Compensation Discussion and
Analysis be included in this proxy statement and incorporated by reference into our annual
report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010. |
Submitted by the Compensation Committee of the Board of Supervisory Directors.
COMPENSATION COMMITTEE
D. John Ogren (Chairman)
Rene R. Joyce
Joseph R. Perna (to March 1, 2011)
36
REPORT OF THE AUDIT COMMITTEE
For the year ended December 31, 2010, the Audit Committee consisted of Messrs. Kearney, Perna
and Joyce. The Company has determined that: (1) each member of the Audit Committee is independent,
as defined in Section 10A of the Exchange Act and under the standards set forth by the NYSE and, to
extent consistent therewith, the Dutch Code; and (2) all current Audit Committee members are
financially literate. In addition, Mr. Kearney qualifies as an audit committee financial expert
under the applicable rules promulgated pursuant to the Exchange Act and as defined in the Dutch
Code.
During the last fiscal year, and earlier this year in preparation for the filing with the SEC
of the Companys Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010, the Audit
Committee:
|
|
|
reviewed and discussed the Companys audited financial statements as of and for the year
ended December 31, 2010 with management and with the independent registered public
accountants; |
|
|
|
|
considered the adequacy of the Companys internal controls and the quality of its
financial reporting, and discussed these matters with management, with the internal
auditors and with the independent registered public accountants; |
|
|
|
|
reviewed and discussed with the independent registered public accountants (1) their
judgments as to the quality of the Companys accounting policies, (2) the written
disclosures and the letter from the independent registered public accountants required by
Public Company Accounting Oversight Board Independence Rules, and the independent
registered public accountants independence, and (3) the matters required to be discussed
by Public Company Accounting Oversight Board AU Section 380, Communication with Audit
Committees by the Auditing Standards Board of the American Institute of Certified Public
Accountants; |
|
|
|
|
discussed with management, with the internal auditors and with the independent
registered public accountants the process by which the Companys chief executive officer
and chief financial officer make the certifications required by the SEC in connection with
the filing with the SEC of the Companys periodic reports, including reports on Forms 10-K
and 10-Q; |
|
|
|
|
pre-approved all auditing services and non-audit services to be performed for the
Company by the independent registered public accountants as required by the applicable
rules promulgated pursuant to the Exchange Act, considered whether the rendering of
non-audit services was compatible with maintaining PricewaterhouseCoopers independence,
and concluded that PricewaterhouseCoopers independence was not compromised by the
provision of such services (details regarding the fees paid to PricewaterhouseCoopers in
fiscal 2010 for audit services, audit-related services, tax services and all other
services, are set forth at Audit Fee Summary below); and |
|
|
|
|
based on the reviews and discussions referred to above, recommended to the Supervisory
Board that the financial statements referred to above be included in the Companys Annual
Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010. |
As recommended by the NYSEs corporate governance rules, the Audit Committee also considered
whether, to assure continuing auditor independence, it would be advisable to regularly rotate the
audit firm itself. The Audit Committee has concluded that the current benefits to the Company from
continued retention of PricewaterhouseCoopers warrant retaining the firm at this time. The
Committee will, however, continue to review this issue on an annual basis.
A copy of the Audit Committees written charter may be found on the Companys website, at
http://www.corelab.com/corporate/governance.aspx#2.
Notwithstanding the foregoing actions and the responsibilities set forth in the Audit
Committees charter, it is not the duty of the Audit Committee to plan or conduct audits or to
determine that the Companys financial statements are complete and accurate and in accordance with
generally accepted accounting principles. Management is responsible for the Companys financial
reporting process including its system of internal controls, and for the preparation of
consolidated financial statements in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in
the United States. The
37
independent registered public accountants are responsible for expressing an opinion on those
financial statements. Committee members are not employees of the Company or accountants or
auditors by profession. Therefore, the Committee has relied, without independent verification, on
managements representation that the financial statements have been prepared with integrity and
objectivity and in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States
and on the representations of the independent registered public accountants included in their
report on the Companys financial statements.
The Committee meets regularly with management and the independent and internal auditors,
including private discussions with the independent registered public accountants and the Companys
internal auditors and receives the communications described above. The Committee has also
established procedures for (a) the receipt, retention and treatment of complaints received by the
Company regarding accounting, internal accounting controls or auditing matters, and (b) the
confidential, anonymous submission by the Companys employees of concerns regarding questionable
accounting or auditing matters. However, this oversight does not provide us with an independent
basis to determine that management has maintained appropriate accounting and financial reporting
principles or policies, or appropriate internal controls and procedures designed to assure
compliance with accounting standards and applicable laws and regulations. Furthermore, our
considerations and discussions with management and the independent registered public accountants do
not assure that the Companys financial statements are presented in accordance with generally
accepted accounting principles or that the audit of the Companys financial statements has been
carried out in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards.
Submitted by the Audit Committee of the Board of Supervisory Directors, as constituted
December 31, 2010.
Audit Committee
Michael C. Kearney (Chairman)
Rene R. Joyce
Joseph R. Perna
38
INFORMATION ABOUT OUR INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
Audit Fee Summary
The Audit Committee approved in advance approximately 55% of the non-audit fees. Set forth
below is a summary of the total fees incurred with our independent registered public accounting
firm, PricewaterhouseCoopers, during fiscal years 2010 and 2009. These fees consisted of:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2010 |
|
|
2009 |
|
Audit Fees |
|
$ |
2,479,348 |
|
|
$ |
2,447,512 |
|
Audit Related Fees |
|
|
371,314 |
|
|
|
390,280 |
|
Tax Fees |
|
|
300,536 |
|
|
|
136,178 |
|
All Other Fees |
|
|
62,667 |
|
|
|
45,705 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
|
$ |
3,213,865 |
|
|
$ |
3,019,675 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Audit Fees. Audit fees consist primarily of the audit and quarterly reviews of the
consolidated financial statements, assistance with and review of documents filed with the SEC, work
performed by tax professionals in connection with the audit and quarterly reviews, and the audit of
internal controls in order to comply with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
Audit-Related Fees. Audit-related fees consist primarily of statutory audits of subsidiaries
required by governmental or regulatory bodies and attestation services required by statute or
regulation; and certain agreed-upon procedures including accounting and research work necessary to
comply with generally accepted auditing standards.
Tax Fees. Tax fees include professional services provided for preparation of federal and
state tax returns, review of tax returns prepared by the Company, assistance in assembling data to
respond to governmental reviews of past tax filings, and tax advice, exclusive of tax services
rendered in connection with the audit.
All Other Fees. Other fees consist primarily of comfort letters, consents, research and
consulting, and work performed related to other SEC filings.
39
MATTERS TO BE VOTED ON
Item 1. Election of Supervisory Directors
Our articles of association provide for one or more Supervisory Directors. Our Supervisory
Board currently has eight members who are divided into three classes of Supervisory Directors.
Each class is elected for a term of three years such that the term of one class of Supervisory
Director expires at the annual meeting each year. The Company desires to initiate steps to bring
new membership to the Board of Supervisory Directors, with a plan of replacing one existing
director each year over the next few years. Accordingly, the Board of Supervisory Directors is
proposing the election of one new member this year, coinciding with the resignation of Jacobus
Schouten, our longest serving member, effective at the time of the annual meeting. Since the three
members whose terms expire this year are not scheduled to be replaced and members can only be
elected for three year terms per our Articles, we are recommending re-election of the three
existing Class I members, plus the election of the one new member, Jan Willem Sodderland. The
Supervisory Board is proposing the re-election of Messrs. Demshur, Joyce and Kearney as Class I
Supervisory Directors and the election of Mr. Sodderland as a Class I Supervisory Director for a
term expiring at the annual meeting in 2014. Please see Information About Our Supervisory
Directors and Director Compensation Board of Supervisory Directors for biographical information
of our Supervisory Directors.
Candidates for Supervisory Director are recommended by the Nominating and Governance Committee
to our Supervisory Board. Our Supervisory Board then nominates selected candidates, who are
elected at the annual meeting by the affirmative vote of a majority of the votes cast at the
meeting. You may vote for any of the nominees, all of the nominees, or for none of the nominees.
Under Dutch law and our articles of association, common shares abstaining from voting will not
count as votes cast at the annual meeting but will count for the purpose of determining the number
of shares represented at the meeting. Broker non-votes will not count as shares present at the
annual meeting or for the purpose of determining the number of votes cast.
Unless otherwise instructed or unless the proxy is withdrawn, the accompanying proxy will be
voted for the election of the four nominees listed above. If at the time of, or prior to, the
annual meeting any of the nominees should be unable or decline to serve, the discretionary
authority provided in the proxy may be used to vote for a substitute or substitutes designated by
our Supervisory Board. The Supervisory Board has no reason to believe that any substitute nominees
will be required. No proxy will be voted for a greater number of persons than the number of
nominees named herein. Shareholders may not cumulate their votes in the election of Supervisory
Directors.
The Supervisory Board recommends that shareholders vote FOR the four nominees for
Supervisory Director as set forth above, and proxies executed and returned will be so voted unless
contrary instructions are indicated thereon.
Item 2. Confirmation and Adoption of Annual Accounts
At the annual meeting, as required under Dutch law and our articles of association our
shareholders will be asked to confirm and adopt our Dutch Statutory Annual Accounts (the Annual
Accounts) for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2010, which are our audited consolidated
financial statements that are prepared in accordance with Dutch generally accepted accounting
principles. In accordance with Article 408, Book 2 of the Dutch Civil Code, the Annual Accounts
are our annual accounts and our participation. However, the Annual Accounts do not represent the
consolidated accounts of our Company and subsidiaries as presented in our Consolidated Financial
Statements contained in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010.
Companies domiciled in the United States are not generally required to obtain shareholder
confirmation and adoption of annual accounts.
The affirmative vote of the majority of the votes cast at the annual meeting is required to
confirm and adopt the Annual Accounts. Under Dutch law and our articles of association, common
shares abstaining from voting will not count as votes cast at the annual meeting. Broker non-votes
will not count as shares present at the annual meeting or for the purpose of determining the number
of votes cast.
The Supervisory Board recommends that shareholders vote FOR the confirmation and adoption of
the Annual Accounts, and proxies executed and returned will be so voted unless contrary
instructions are indicated thereon.
40
Item 3. Cancellation of Our Repurchased Shares Held at the Time the Annual Meeting Starts
At the annual meeting, our shareholders will be asked to resolve to cancel all of the treasury
shares that have been repurchased and are being held by the Company, as opposed to any of its
subsidiaries (collectively we), at the time the annual meeting starts. According to the Dutch
Civil Code and pursuant to prior shareholder authorization, we can hold up to 25.6% of our issued
share capital at one time divided into lots of 10% and 15.6%, as described in the proxy statement
for the annual shareholder meeting held on June 10, 2010. According to that prior shareholder
approval, only the shares in the 10% lot are subject to cancellation at this time. The remaining
15.6% must be reserved for use with the Senior Exchangeable Notes when they become due on October
31, 2011 or warrants. This restriction is not typical for a company domiciled in the United States
but is imposed on us as a result of our being organized under the laws of The Netherlands. As of
the start of the annual meeting, we anticipate the Company holding,
in its name, shares repurchased to that date of our issued share
capital that formed part of the 10% lot. Management believes it is in the best interest of our
shareholders for such shares held by the Company at the start of the annual meeting, that form part
of the 10% lot, to be cancelled. This authority is similar to that generally afforded under state
law to public companies domiciled in the United States. Upon the affirmative vote of our
shareholders, the shares held by the Company at the start of the general meeting of shareholders
that formed part of the 10% lot will be cancelled in the manner described in Article 2:99(2) and
2:100 of the Dutch Civil Code.
After the general meeting of shareholders, if this Item 3 is approved, we will post a copy of
the extract of the minutes of the annual meeting of shareholders at the Dutch commercial registry
and will subsequently publish a notice of such deposit in a Dutch daily newspaper. If no creditors
oppose the capital reduction within two months after each respective publication in a Dutch daily
newspaper, then the cancellation of the shares will become effective after this two-month waiting
period.
The affirmative vote of the majority of the votes cast at the annual meeting is required to
cancel our repurchased shares if more than one-half of our issued share capital is represented at
the annual meeting. If less than one-half of our issued share capital is represented at the annual
meeting, then the affirmative vote of two-thirds of the votes cast at the annual meeting is
required to approve the cancellation of our repurchased shares that formed part of the 10% lot.
Under Dutch law and our articles of association, common shares abstaining from voting and broker
non-votes will not count as votes cast at the annual meeting.
The Supervisory Board recommends that shareholders vote FOR the cancellation of our
repurchased shares held by the Company at the time our annual meeting starts that formed part of
the 10% lot, and proxies executed and returned will be so voted unless contrary instructions are
indicated thereon.
Item 4. Extension and Renewal of Existing Authority to Repurchase Shares
Pursuant to a change in Dutch law in 2008 and subject to certain Dutch statutory provisions
and shareholder authorization, we and our subsidiaries are allowed to repurchase more than 10% and
up to 50% of our issued share capital, instead of a maximum of 10% of our issued share capital
before the change in law. At our most recent annual shareholder meeting on June 10, 2010, we
received authority for the Management Board to purchase up to 25.6% of our issued share capital for
a period of eighteen (18) months, until December 10, 2011. That authority, as previously granted,
more specifically provided the Management Board could repurchase the 25.6% as follows:
a. up to 10% of our issued share capital from time to time for an 18-month period, and such
repurchased shares may be used for any legal purpose, and
b. up to an additional 15.6% of our issued share capital from time to time for an 18-month
period, and such repurchased shares may only be used for the satisfaction of any obligation
the Company may have to deliver shares to the holders of the Senior Exchangeable Notes when
they become due or pursuant to warrants we sold to Lehman OTC contemporaneously with the
issuance of our Senior Exchangeable Notes.
For the 2011 annual meeting, it is proposed to extend and renew the existing authorization of
our Management Board to repurchase up to 25.6% of the issued share capital, as described in more
detail below, through one or more purchases at the stock exchange where our shares are listed or
otherwise, and to determine the price of shares at any price in the open market, such price not to
be outside the range of between 5 percent above or below the average closing price of the three
preceding trading days on the stock exchanges where the Companys stock is traded, and in
41
no event to exceed $200.00 per share or its equivalent in other currencies. This authorization
of our Management Board must be renewed every 18 months. In connection with our initial public
offering in September 1995, our shareholders authorized repurchases for a period of 18 months. At
each annual meeting from 1995 through 2010 and at the special meeting in January 2009, our
shareholders have renewed that authorization such that the current period is set to expire on
December 10, 2011. In 2010, we repurchased approximately 1,493,017 of our common shares for an
aggregate purchase price of approximately $92.5 million. We believe that it is in the best interest
of our Company and shareholders to have the flexibility to repurchase shares in the future if the
Management Board deems it advisable to do so. Further, by extending and renewing the existing
authorization of 25.6%, the Company will have the ability to continue to repurchase its common
shares in order to satisfy the obligation it may have to deliver its common shares to the holder(s)
of the warrants we sold to Lehman OTC contemporaneously with the issuance of our Senior
Exchangeable Notes, which warrants mature after the existing authority date of December 10, 2011.
This authority is similar to that generally afforded under state law to public companies domiciled
in the United States.
At the annual meeting, our shareholders will be asked to authorize the Management
Board to repurchase up to 25.6% of our issued share capital from time to time through one or more
purchases at the stock exchange where our shares are listed or otherwise, as follows:
a. our shareholders will be asked to renew the authorization of the Management Board to
repurchase up to 10% of our issued share capital from time to time for an 18-month period,
until November 19, 2012, and such repurchased shares may be used for any legal purpose, and
b. our shareholders will be asked to renew the authorization of our Management Board to
repurchase up to an additional 15.6% of our issued share capital from time to time until
March 10, 2012, which is an additional three month period from the existing authorized date
of December 10, 2011, and such repurchased shares may only be used for the satisfaction of
any obligation the Company may have to deliver shares to the holder(s) of warrants we sold
to Lehman OTC contemporaneously with the issuance of our Senior Exchangeable Notes.
The affirmative vote of the majority of the votes cast at the annual meeting is
required to authorize the Management Board to repurchase up to 25.6% of our issued share capital,
as described herein, from time to time for the indicated periods from the date of the annual
meeting. Under Dutch law and our articles of association, common shares abstaining from voting and
broker non-votes will not count as votes cast at the special meeting.
The Supervisory Board recommends that shareholders vote FOR the authorization of the
Management Board to repurchase up to 25.6% of our issued share capital, the final 15.6% exclusively
to be used for the satisfaction of any obligation the Company may have to deliver shares to the
warrant counter-party, in two blocks, one of 10% for an 18-month period from the annual meeting,
until November 19, 2012, and a second block of 15.6% until March 10, 2012, through one more
purchases at the stock exchange where our shares are listed or otherwise and to determine the price
of shares at any price in the open market, such price not to be outside the range of between 5
percent above or below the average closing price of the three preceding trading days on the stock
exchanges where the Companys stock is traded, and in no event to exceed $200.00 per share or its
equivalent in other currencies and proxies executed and returned will be so voted unless contrary
instructions are indicated thereon.
Item 5. Extension of Authority to Issue Shares of Core Laboratories N.V. Until May 19, 2016
Our current authorized share capital consists of 200 million common shares and 6 million
preference shares, each share with a current par value of EUR 0.02. Under Dutch law and our
articles of association, the Supervisory Board has the power to issue shares of our authorized
share capital as long as the Supervisory Board has been designated and authorized by the
shareholders to do so at the annual meeting. An authorization of the Supervisory Board to issue
shares may be effective for a period of up to five years and may be renewed on an annual rolling
basis. In connection with our initial public offering in September 1995, our shareholders
authorized the Supervisory Board to issue shares and/or rights with respect to our shares for a
five-year period. At each annual meeting subsequent to 1995, our shareholders have extended the
period such that the current period is set to expire on June 10, 2015. We currently do not have any
specific plans, proposals or arrangements to issue any of the authorized shares of common stock for
any purpose. However, in the ordinary course of our business, we may determine from time to time
that the issuance of
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shares of common stock is in the best interests of the Company, including in connection with
future acquisitions or financings.
At the annual meeting, our shareholders will be asked to approve a further extension of this
authority to issue shares and/or to grant rights, including options to purchase, with respect to
our unissued common and preference shares up to the maximum number of common and preference shares
indicated by the authorized share capital for a five-year period from the date of the annual
meeting until May 19, 2016. This authority to issue shares is similar to that generally afforded
under state law to public companies domiciled in the United States. Management believes that
retaining the flexibility to issue shares for acquisition, financing or other business purposes in
a timely manner without first obtaining specific shareholder approval is important to our continued
growth. Furthermore, our common shares are listed on the NYSE and, accordingly, the issuance of
additional shares will remain subject to the rules of the NYSE. In particular, the NYSE requires
shareholder approval for the issuance of shares of common stock in excess of 20% of the shares
outstanding except for public offerings for cash or bona fide private offerings at a price greater
than both the book and market value of a companys common stock.
The affirmative vote of the majority of the votes cast at the annual meeting is required to
extend the authority of the Supervisory Board to issue shares and/or to grant rights (including
options to purchase) with respect to our common and/or preference shares for a five-year period
from the date of the annual meeting. Under Dutch law and our articles of association, common
shares abstaining from voting will not count as votes cast at the annual meeting. Broker non-votes
will not count as shares present at the annual meeting or for the purpose of determining the number
of votes cast.
The Supervisory Board recommends that shareholders vote FOR the extension of the authority
of the Supervisory Board to issue shares and/or to grant rights (including options to purchase)
with respect to our common and/or preference shares up to a maximum of 20% of outstanding shares
per annum until May 19, 2016, and proxies executed and returned will be so voted unless contrary
instructions are indicated thereon.
Item 6. Extension of Authority of Supervisory Board to Limit or Eliminate Preemptive Rights Until
May 19, 2016
Holders of our common shares (other than our employees and employees of our subsidiaries who
are issued common shares pursuant to the exercise of options granted under the LTIP and the
Director Plan) have a pro rata preemptive right of subscription to any of our common shares issued
for cash unless such right is limited or eliminated by our Supervisory Board. Holders of our
common shares have no pro rata preemptive subscription right with respect to any common shares
issued for consideration other than cash. If designated and authorized by our shareholders at the
annual meeting, the Supervisory Board has the power to limit or eliminate such rights. Such an
authorization may be effective for up to five years and may be renewed for successive five-year
periods. In connection with our initial public offering in September 1995, our shareholders
authorized the Supervisory Board to limit or eliminate the preemptive rights of holders of our
common shares for a five-year period. At each annual meeting subsequent to 1995, our shareholders
have extended this period such that the current period is set to expire on June 10, 2015.
At the annual meeting, our shareholders will be asked to approve a further extension of this
authority for a five-year period from the date of the annual meeting until May 19, 2016 to limit or
eliminate preemptive rights. Preemptive rights are uncommon for public companies domiciled in the
United States. Management believes that if the Supervisory Board is not granted the authority to
limit preemptive rights, the ability of our Company to engage in equity financing transactions
would be significantly affected. Any limits or waivers of preemptive rights would apply equally to
all holders of our common shares. Furthermore, as long as our common shares remain listed on the
NYSE, any issuance of common shares will remain subject to the rules of the NYSE, including
limitations on our ability to issue shares without shareholder approval. See Item 5 above for a
discussion of the NYSE rules regarding stock issuances.
The affirmative vote of the majority of the votes cast at the annual meeting is required to
extend the authority of the Supervisory Board to limit or eliminate the preemptive rights of
holders of our common shares for a five-year period from the date of the annual meeting. However,
if less than 50% of all issued shares are present or represented at the meeting, then two-thirds of
the votes cast will be required to extend this authority. Under Dutch law and our articles of
association, common shares abstaining from voting will not count as votes cast at the annual
meeting.
43
Broker non-votes will not count as shares present at the annual meeting or for the purpose of
determining the number of votes cast.
The Supervisory Board recommends that shareholders vote FOR the extension of the authority
of the Supervisory Board to limit or eliminate preemptive rights of holders of our common shares
and/or preference shares up to a maximum of 20% of outstanding shares per annum until May 19, 2016,
and proxies executed and returned will be so voted unless contrary instructions are indicated
thereon.
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Item 7. |
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Ratification of Appointment of PricewaterhouseCoopers as Our Independent Registered Public
Accounting Firm for 2011 |
The Audit Committee of the Supervisory Board has recommended and the Supervisory Board has
approved the appointment of the firm of PricewaterhouseCoopers as our independent registered public
accountants for the year ending December 31, 2011 subject to ratification by our shareholders.
PricewaterhouseCoopers has acted as our independent registered public accountants since April 2002.
We have invited representatives of PricewaterhouseCoopers to the annual meeting and we expect one
such representative to attend. If such representative should attend, we expect that he or she will
be available to respond to questions and will have the opportunity to make a statement if he or she
desires to do so.
The affirmative vote of the majority of the votes cast at the annual meeting is required to
ratify the appointment of PricewaterhouseCoopers as our independent registered public accountants
for 2011. Under Dutch law and our articles of association, common shares abstaining from voting
will not count as votes cast at the annual meeting. Broker non-votes will not count as shares
present at the annual meeting or for the purpose of determining the number of votes cast.
In the event the appointment is not ratified, our Supervisory Board will consider the
appointment of other independent accountants.
The Supervisory Board recommends that the shareholders vote FOR the ratification of
PricewaterhouseCoopers appointment as our independent registered public accountants for the year
ending December 31, 2011 and proxies executed and returned will be so voted unless contrary
instructions are indicated thereon.
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Item 8. |
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To approve, on an advisory basis, the compensation of our executive officers as described
in the CD&A section of this proxy statement and the selection of the frequency of shareholder
votes on executive compensation as separate voting items. |
We and our Supervisory Board recognize that executive compensation is an important matter for our
shareholders. As described in detail in the Compensation Committees report and the CD&A section of
this proxy statement, the Compensation Committee is tasked with the implementation of our executive
compensation philosophy and the core of that philosophy has been and continues to be to pay our
executives based on our performance. In particular, the Compensation Committee strives to base
awards of the substantial majority of executive compensation on performance metrics that are
directly linked to the consequent long-term increase in the value of the Company for its owners
the shareholders. It is always the intention of the Compensation Committee that our executive
officers be compensated competitively and consistent with our strategy, sound corporate governance
principles, and shareholder interests and concerns. As described in the CD&A, we believe our
compensation program is strongly aligned with the long-term interests of our shareholders. As you
consider this proposal, we urge you to read the CD&A section of this proxy statement for additional
details on executive compensation, including the more detailed information about our compensation
philosophy and objectives and the past compensation of the named executive officers.
We believe that the shareholders, by voting for supervisory directors individually as described in
Item No. 1, have had a clear ability to express their approval or disapproval of the performance of
the Supervisory Board members and, specifically, any Supervisory Directors serving on the
Compensation Committee; however, the United States Congress has enacted legislation requiring a
non-binding advisory Say on Pay vote on executive compensation and we welcome the opportunity to
give our shareholders an opportunity to provide us with such a vote on executive compensation at
our 2011 Annual Meeting. Furthermore, in accordance with the legislation, in addition to an
advisory Say on Pay vote, we are asking our shareholders whether they would prefer an advisory vote
on executive compensation every year, every two years or every three years.
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We are therefore asking shareholders to vote on the following two resolutions:
A. the shareholders approve the compensation philosophy, policies and procedures described in the
CD&A, and the compensation of Core Laboratories N.V.s named executive officers as disclosed
pursuant to the SECs compensation disclosure rules, including the compensation tables.
B. the shareholders of the Company be provided an opportunity to approve the compensation
philosophy, policies and procedures described in the CD&A, and the compensation of Core
Laboratories N.V.s named executive officers as disclosed pursuant to the SECs compensation
disclosure rules, including the compensation tables every:
One year_____
Two years_____
Three years_____
As an advisory vote, Items 8A and 8B are non-binding. Although the vote is non-binding, the
Supervisory Board of Directors and the Compensation Committee value the opinions of our
shareholders, and will carefully consider the outcome of the vote when making future compensation
decisions for our named executive officers and the schedule on which future Say on Pay proposals
like Item 8A are presented to shareholders. We recommend that since our compensation structure does
not materially change year-to-year and the fact that our equity awards are based upon three year
performance and/or vesting periods, the shareholders approve an advisory vote every three years.
Vote Required
The affirmative vote of a majority of the shares of Core Laboratories N.V. common stock present or
represented by proxy and voting at the annual meeting is required for approval of Item 8A. The
period receiving the greatest number of votes as set forth in Item 8B will determine the period of
time suggested to be used for such future votes. If you own shares through a bank, broker or other
holder of record, you must instruct your bank, broker or other holder of record how to vote in
order for them to vote your shares so that your vote can be counted on this proposal.
Item 9. Other Matters to Be Voted On
The Supervisory Board does not know of any other matters that are to be presented for action
at the annual meeting. However, if any other matters properly come before the annual meeting or
any adjournment thereof, it is intended that the accompanying proxy will be voted in accordance
with the judgment of the persons voting the proxy.
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OTHER PROXY MATTERS
Information About Our 2012 Annual Meeting
Any shareholder who desires to submit a proposal for inclusion in the proxy material for
presentation at the 2012 annual meeting of shareholders must forward such proposal to our Secretary
at the address indicated on the cover page of this proxy statement, so that the Secretary receives
it no later than December 1, 2011. Any notice of a proposal to be considered at the 2012 annual
meeting should also be submitted to our Secretary. Any such notice will be considered untimely if
not received by the Secretary on or before February 14, 2012.
Stockholders Sharing the Same Address
The Company is sending only one copy of its proxy statement to stockholders who share the same
address, unless they have notified the Company that they want to continue receiving multiple
copies. This practice, known as householding, is designed to reduce duplicate mailings and save
significant printing and postage costs as well as natural resources.
If you received householded mailing this year and you would like to have additional copies of
the Companys proxy statement mailed to you, or you would like to opt out of this practice for
future mailings, please submit your request to Mark F. Elvig, Secretary, in care of Core
Laboratories LP, 6316 Windfern Road, Houston, Texas 77040 or by phone at 713-328-2673. You may
also contact the Company if you received multiple copies of the annual meeting materials and would
prefer to receive a single copy in the future.
Incorporation by Reference
The information contained in this proxy statement in the sections entitled Compensation
Committee Report and Report of the Audit Committee shall not be deemed to be soliciting
material or to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, nor shall such information
be incorporated by reference into any future filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission,
or subject to the liabilities of Section 18 of the Exchange Act, except to the extent that the
Company specifically incorporates it by reference into a document filed under the Securities Act of
1933, as amended, or the Exchange Act.
Other Information
A copy of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010, including the
financial statements, schedules and exhibits thereto, may be obtained without charge by written
request to Mark F. Elvig, Secretary, in care of Core Laboratories LP, 6316 Windfern Road, Houston,
Texas 77040.
By Order of the Board of Supervisory Directors,
Jacobus Schouten
Supervisory Director
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
March , 2011
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Preliminary
Form of Proxy Card
CORE LABORATORIES N.V.
C/O AMERICAN STOCK
TRANSFER
ATTN: DONNA ANSBRO
59 MAIDEN LANE
NEW YORK, NY 10038-4502
VOTE
BY INTERNET - www.proxyvote.com
Use the Internet to transmit your voting instructions and
for electronic delivery of information up until 11:59 P.M.
Eastern Time the day before the cut-off date or meeting date.
Have your proxy card in hand when you access the web site and
follow the instructions to obtain your records and to create an
electronic voting instruction form.
ELECTRONIC DELIVERY OF FUTURE PROXY MATERIALS
If you would like to reduce the costs incurred by our
company in mailing proxy materials, you can consent to receiving
all future proxy statements, proxy cards and annual reports
electronically via e-mail or the Internet. To sign up for
electronic delivery, please follow the instructions above to
vote using the Internet and, when prompted, indicate that you
agree to receive or access proxy materials electronically in
future years.
VOTE BY PHONE - 1-800-690-6903
Use any touch-tone telephone to transmit your voting
instructions up until 11:59 P.M. Eastern Time the day before the
cut-off date or meeting date. Have your proxy card in hand when
you call and then follow the instructions.
VOTE BY MAIL
Mark, sign and date your proxy card and return it in the
postage-paid envelope we have provided or return it to Vote
Processing, c/o Broadridge, 51 Mercedes Way, Edgewood,
NY 11717.
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VOTE, MARK BLOCKS BELOW IN BLUE OR BLACK INK AS FOLLOWS:
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M31857-P07627 |
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KEEP THIS PORTION FOR YOUR RECORDS |
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DETACH AND RETURN THIS PORTION ONLY |
THIS PROXY CARD IS VALID ONLY WHEN SIGNED AND DATED.
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CORE LABORATORIES N.V. |
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To withhold authority to vote for any individual nominee(s), mark For All Except and write the number(s) of the nominee(s) on the line below. |
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The Board of Supervisory Directors recommends that you vote FOR the following: |
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1. To re-elect three Class I Supervisory Directors and to elect one new
Class I Supervisory Director to serve until our annual meeting in 2014 and until
their successors shall have been duly elected and qualified;
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Nominees:
01) David M. Demshur
02) Rene R. Joyce
03) Michael C. Kearney
04) Jan Willem Sodderland
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The Board of Directors recommends you vote FOR the following proposals: |
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2. To confirm and adopt our Dutch Statutory Annual Accounts in the English
language for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2010; |
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3. To approve and resolve the cancellation of our repurchased shares held at the time the annual meeting starts; |
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4. To approve and resolve the extension of the existing authority to
repurchase up to 25.6% of our issued share capital, as follows: |
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our shareholders will be asked to renew the authorization of the
Management Board to repurchase up to 10% of our issued share capital from
time to time for an 18-month period, until November 19, 2012, and such
repurchased shares may be used for any legal purpose, and |
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our shareholders will be asked to renew the authorization of our
Management Board to repurchase up to an additional 15.6% of our issued share
capital from time to time until March 10, 2012, which is an additional three
month period from the existing authorized date of December 10, 2011, and such
repurchased shares may only be used for the satisfaction of any obligation the
Company may have to deliver shares pursuant to the warrants we
sold to Lehman Brothers OTC Derivatives, Inc. (Lehman OTC) contemporaneously
with the issuance of our 0.25% Senior Exchangeable Notes (Senior Exchangeable
Notes); |
For address changes and/or comments, please check this box and write them on the back where indicated.
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5. To approve and resolve the extension of the authority to issue shares
and/or to grant rights (including options to purchase) with respect to our common
and preference shares up to a maximum of 20% of outstanding shares per annum until
May 19, 2016; |
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6. To approve
and resolve the extension of the authority to limit or exclude the preemptive rights of the holders of our common shares and/or
preference shares up to a maximum of 20% of outstanding shares per
annum until May 19, 2016; |
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7. To ratify the appointment of PricewaterhouseCoopers as our Companys independent registered public accountants for the year ending December 31, 2011;
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The Board of Directors recommends you vote FOR
and 3 years
on
the following proposals: |
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8. To approve, on an advisory basis, the compensation of our
executive officers as
described in the
Compensation Discussion
and Analysis (CD&A)
section of the
accompanying proxy
statement and the
selection of the
frequency of
shareholder votes on executive compensation as separate voting items: |
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8a. the shareholders approve the compensation philosophy, policies
and procedures described in the CD&A, and the compensation of Core
Laboratories N.V.s named executive officers as disclosed pursuant to the
SECs compensation disclosure rules, including the compensation tables.
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For
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8b. the stockholders of the Company be provided an opportunity
to approve the compensation philosophy, policies and procedures
described in the CD&A, and the compensation of Core Laboratories N.V.s
named executive officers as disclosed pursuant to the SECs compensation
of Core Laboratories N.V.s named executive
officers as disclosed pursuant to the SECs compensation
disclosure rules, including the compensation tables every: |
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2 Years
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NOTE: Such other business as may properly come before the meeting
or any adjournment thereof shall be voted in accordance with the
discretion of the attorneys and proxies appointed hereby.
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Please sign exactly as your name(s) appear(s) hereon. When signing as attorney, executor, administrator, or other fiduciary, please give full title as such. Joint owners should each sign personally. All holders
must sign. If a corporation or partnership, please sign in full corporate or partnership name, by authorized officer.
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Signature [PLEASE SIGN WITHIN BOX]
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Signature (Joint Owners) |
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Preliminary Form of Proxy Card
Important Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materials for the Annual Meeting:The Notice
and Proxy Statement and Annual Report are available at www.proxydocs.com/clb.M31858-P07627CORE
LABORATORIES N.V. This Proxy is being solicited on behalf of the Board of Supervisory Directors of
Core Laboratories N.V. for the Annual Meeting of Shareholders to be held on Thursday, May 19,
2011. The undersigned hereby constitutes and appoints each member of the Supervisory Board, Mark
Elvig, general counsel of the Company, Jacobus Schouten, Jan Willem Sodderland, as well as Jaap
Stoop, Marc Anker, Roderick Hanrath and any other lawyer working with NautaDutilh N.V., the
Companys Dutch legal counsel, and each or either of them, his true and lawful attorneys and
proxies with full power of substitution, for and in the name, place and stead of the undersigned,
to attend the Annual Meeting of Shareholders of Core Laboratories N.V. to be held at the Sheraton
Amsterdam Airport Hotel and Conference Center, Schiphol Boulevard 101, Amsterdam 1118 BG, The
Netherlands, on Thursday, May 19, 2011 at 2:30 p.m., local time, and any adjournment(s) thereof,
with all powers the undersigned would possess if personally present and to vote thereof, as
provided on the reverse side of this card, the number of shares the undersigned would be entitled
to vote if personally present. In accordance with their discretion, said attorneys and proxies are
authorized to vote upon such other matters and issues as may properly come before the meeting or
any adjournment thereof. THIS PROXY IS BEING SOLICITED ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORY
DIRECTORS. THIS PROXY WILL BE VOTED AS DIRECTED. IN THE ABSENCE OF DIRECTION, THIS PROXY WILL BE
VOTED FOR THE FOUR NOMINEES FOR SUPERVISORY DIRECTOR AND FOR PROPOSALS 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8A AND FOR
3 YEARS FOR PROPOSAL 8B. Address Changes/Comments: (If you noted any Address
Changes/Comments above, please mark corresponding box on the reverse side.)Continued and to be
signed on reverse side |