formpre14a_proxy2010.htm
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
Filed by
the Registrant ý
Filed by
a Party other than the Registrant ¨
Check the
appropriate box:
ý Preliminary
Proxy Statement
¨ Confidential,
for Use of the Commission Only (as permitted by Rule 14a-6(e)(2))
¨ Definitive
Proxy Statement
¨ Definitive
Additional Materials
¨ Soliciting
Material Pursuant to §240.14a-12
Weingarten
Realty Investors
(Name
of registrant as specified in its charter)
Payment
of Filing Fee (check appropriate box):
ý No
fee required
¨ Fee
computed on table below per Exchange Act Riles 14a-6(i)(1) and
0-11.
(1)
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Title
of each class of securities to which transaction
applies:
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(2)
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Aggregate
number of securities to which transaction
applies:
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(3)
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Per
unit price or other underlying value of transaction computed pursuant to
Exchange Act Rule 0-11 (set forth the amount on which the filing fee is
calculated and state how it was
determined):
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(4)
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Proposed
maximum aggregate value of
transaction:
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¨
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Fee
paid previously with preliminary
materials:
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¨
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Check
box if any part of the fee is offset as provided by Exchange Act Rule
0-11(a)(2) and identify the filing for which the offsetting fee was paid
previously. Identify the previous filing by registration
statement number, or the Form or Schedule and the date of its
filing.
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(1)
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Amount
previously paid:
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(2)
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Form,
Schedule or Registration Statement
No.:
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WEINGARTEN
REALTY INVESTORS
NOTICE
OF ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS
May
6, 2010
To
Our Shareholders:
You are
invited to attend our annual meeting of shareholders that will be held at our
principal office located at 2600 Citadel Plaza Drive, Houston, Texas 77008, on
Thursday, May 6, 2010, at 9:00 a.m., Houston time. The purpose of the
annual meeting is as follows:
1.
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To
elect nine trust managers to serve until their successors are elected and
qualified;
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2.
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To
amend the Company’s Sixth Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust to
increase the number of authorized common shares of beneficial interest,
$0.03 par value per share, from 150,000,000 to
275,000,000;
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3.
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To
approve and adopt the Weingarten Realty Investors 2010 Long-Term Incentive
Plan;
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4.
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To
ratify the appointment of Deloitte & Touche LLP as our independent
registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31,
2010; and
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5.
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To
transact such other business as may properly come before the
meeting.
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Shareholders
of record at the close of business on March 8, 2010 will be entitled to notice
of and to vote at the annual meeting.
Your vote
is important. You may vote your shares using the Internet or the
telephone by following the instructions on page 1 of the proxy
statement. Of course, you may also vote by returning a proxy if you
received a paper copy of this proxy statement. If you attend the annual meeting,
you may change your vote or revoke your proxy by voting your shares in
person.
Please
contact our Investor Relations Department at (800) 298-9974 or (713) 866-6000 if
you have any questions.
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By
Order of the Board of Trust Managers,
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/s/ M.
Candace DuFour |
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M.
Candace DuFour |
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Senior
Vice President and Secretary |
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March 26,
2010
Houston,
Texas
Important
Notice Regarding Availability of Proxy Materials for our
Annual
Meeting of Shareholders to be held on May 6, 2010
The proxy
statement and annual report to shareholders are available at www.proxyvote.com
and under the Investor Relations section of our website at www.weingarten.com
under "SEC Filings."
TABLE
OF CONTENTS
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Page
No.
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General
Information
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Who
May Vote
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1
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How
You May Vote
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1
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Quorum
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2
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Required
Votes to Approve Proposals
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2
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Cost
of Proxy Solicitation
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3
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Other
Business
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3
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Governance
of Our
Company
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Independence
of Trust Managers
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4
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Board
Leadership Structure and Risk
Oversight
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5
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Procedures
for Nominating Trust
Managers
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5
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Board
Meetings and
Committees
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6
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Governance
and Nominating
Committee
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6
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Audit
Committee
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7
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Management
Development and Executive Compensation
Committee
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7
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Executive
Committee
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7
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Pricing
Committee
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7
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Non-executive
Compensation
Policies
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7
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Proposal
One – Election of Trust
Managers
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8
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Composition
of Board
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8
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Nominees
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8
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Executive
Officers
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12
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Share
Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and
Management
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13
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Section
16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting
Compliance
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14
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Compensation
Committee Interlocks and Insider
Participation
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14
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Certain
Transactions
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15
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Executive
Compensation
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Compensation
Discussion and
Analysis
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16
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Overview
of Compensation
Program
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16
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Compensation
Objectives and
Philosophy
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16
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Role
of Executive Officers in Compensation
Decisions
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16
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Peer
Groups for Executive Compensation
Purposes
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16
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Total
Compensation
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18
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Annual
Cash
Compensation
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18
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Additional
Compensation
Information
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20
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Tax
and Accounting
Implications
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21
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Compensation
Committee
Report
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22
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Summary
Compensation
Table
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23
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Trust
Manager Compensation
Table
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24
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Grants
of Plan-Based Awards
Table
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25
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Outstanding
Equity Awards
Table
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26
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Option
Exercises and Stock Vested
Table
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27
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Pension
Benefits
Table
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27
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Non-Qualified
Deferred Compensation
Table
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29
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Severance
and Change in Control
Arrangements
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30
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Severance
and Change in Control Compensation
Table
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32
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Report
of the Audit Committee of the Board of Trust
Managers
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33
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TABLE
OF CONTENTS, continued
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Page
No.
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Proposal
Two – Approval of an amendment to our Sixth Amended and Restated
Declaration of Trust to increase the number of authorized common shares
from 150,000,000 to 275,000,000
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34
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Proposal
Three – Approval and adoption of the Weingarten Realty Investors 2010
Long-Term Incentive Plan
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36
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Proposal
Four – Ratification of Independent Registered Public Accounting
Firm
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39
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Independent
Registered Public Accounting Firm
Fees
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39
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Other
Matters
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40
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Shareholder
Proposals
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40
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Additional
Information
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Electronic
Availability of Proxy Statement and Annual
Report
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40
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Reduce
Duplicate
Mailings
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41
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Appendix
A: Weingarten Realty Investors 2010 Long-Term Incentive
Plan
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42
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WEINGARTEN
REALTY INVESTORS
2600
Citadel Plaza Drive,
Houston, Texas 77008
PROXY
STATEMENT
ANNUAL
MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS
To
be Held on Thursday, May 6, 2010
The Board
of Trust Managers, on behalf of Weingarten Realty Investors, is
soliciting proxies to be used at the 2010 Annual Meeting of Shareholders (the
“Annual Meeting”) to be held at our principal office located at 2600 Citadel
Plaza Drive, Houston, Texas 77008, on Thursday, May 6, 2010, at 9:00 a.m.,
Houston time. Our proxy materials, including this Proxy Statement,
the Notice of Annual Meeting of Shareholders, the proxy card, notice of internet
availability or voting instruction card and our 2009 Annual Report are being
distributed and made available on or about March 26, 2010.
Who
May Vote
Only
shareholders of record at the close of business on March 8, 2010 are entitled to
notice of, and to vote at, the Annual Meeting. As of March 8, 2010,
we had xx,xxx,xxx common shares of beneficial interest (“common shares”) issued
and outstanding. Each common shareholder of record on the record date
is entitled to one vote per share on each matter properly brought before the
Annual Meeting for each common share held.
In
accordance with our amended and restated bylaws, a list of shareholders entitled
to vote at the Annual Meeting will be available at the Annual Meeting and for 10
days prior to the Annual Meeting, between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.
local time, at our principal executive office listed above.
How
You May Vote
Shareholders
may vote in person at the Annual Meeting or by proxy. The three
methods to vote are: over the Internet, by telephone or by using a traditional
proxy card.
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To
vote by Internet, go to www.proxyvote.com and follow the instructions
there. You will need the 12 digit number included on your proxy
card or notice.
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·
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To
vote by telephone, please call (800) 690-6903 and follow the
instructions. You will need the 12 digit number included on
your proxy card or notice.
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·
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If
you received a notice and wish to vote by traditional proxy card, you can
receive a full set of materials at no charge through one of the following
methods:
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(1)
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by
internet: www.proxyvote.com
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(2)
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by
telephone: (800)
579-1639
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(3)
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by
email: sendmaterial@proxyvote.com (your email should contain the 12 digit
number in the subject line)
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Internet
and telephone voting facilities for shareholders will be available 24 hours a
day and the deadline for voting by these methods is 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time,
the day before the cut-off or annual meeting date.. If you are a
registered shareholder and attend the meeting, you may deliver your completed
proxy card in person. "Street name" shareholders who wish to vote at
the meeting will need to obtain a proxy form from the institution that holds
their shares.
If you
properly sign and return your proxy card or complete your proxy via the
telephone or Internet, your shares will be voted as you direct. If
you sign and return your proxy but do not specify how you want your shares
voted, they will be voted FOR all four proposals.
You may
revoke your proxy and change your vote at any time before the Annual Meeting by
submitting a written notice to our Secretary, by submitting a later dated and
properly executed proxy (including by means of a telephone or Internet vote) or
by voting in person at the Annual Meeting.
Under New
York Stock Exchange (NYSE) rules, the proposals to elect trust managers and to
ratify the appointment of our independent registered public accounting firm are
considered "discretionary" items. This means that brokerage firms may
vote in their discretion on these matters on behalf of clients who have not
furnished voting instructions at least 10 days before the date of the
meeting.
Quorum
The
presence, in person or represented by proxy, of the holders of a majority
(xx,xxx,xxx shares) of the common shares entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting
is necessary to constitute a quorum at the Annual Meeting. However,
if a quorum is not present at the Annual Meeting, the shareholders present in
person or represented by proxy have the power to adjourn the Annual Meeting
until a quorum is present or represented. Pursuant to our amended and
restated bylaws, abstentions and broker “non-votes” are counted as present and
entitled to vote for purposes of determining a quorum at the Annual
Meeting. A broker “non-vote” occurs when a nominee holding common
shares for a beneficial owner does not vote on a particular proposal because the
nominee does not have discretionary voting power with respect to that item and
has not received instructions from the beneficial owner.
Required
Votes to Approve Proposals
Assuming
a quorum is present at the annual meeting, the following votes are required to
approve each proposal:
Proposal
1: Election of nine trust managers to serve until their successors are
elected and qualified.
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The
affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the common shares present
in person or represented by proxy is required to re-elect trust
managers. Any trust manager who is currently on the Board shall
remain on the board, regardless of the number of votes he receives, unless
he is replaced by a nominee who receives the requisite vote to become a
new trust manager. All of the nominees currently serve as a
trust manager. Abstentions and broker non-votes are not counted
for purposes of the election of trust managers.
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Proposal
2: Approval to Amend Our Sixth Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust
to Increase the Number of Authorized Common Shares of Beneficial Interest
from 150,000,000 to 275,000,000.
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The
affirmative vote of the holders of a 66 2/3% of the common shares present
in person or represented by proxy is required to approve the amendment to
our amended and restated declaration of
trust. Abstentions and broker non-votes are not counted
for purposes of the approval the amendment to our amended and restated
declaration of trust.
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Proposal
3: Approval and Adoption of the Weingarten Realty Investors 2010 Long-Term
Incentive Plan.
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The
affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the common shares present
in person or represented by proxy is required to approve the adoption of
the Weingarten Realty Investors 2010 Long-Term Incentive Plan.
Abstentions and broker non-votes are not counted for
purposes of the approval the adoption of the Weingarten Realty Investors
2010 Long-Term Incentive Plan.
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Proposal
4: Ratification of the appointment of Deloitte & Touche LLP as our
independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending
December 31, 2010.
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The
ratification of the appointment of Deloitte & Touche LLP requires the
affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the common shares
represented in person or by proxy at the annual meeting and entitled to
vote thereon in order to be approved.
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Cost
of Proxy Solicitation
The cost
of soliciting proxies will be borne by us. Proxies may be solicited
on our behalf by our trust managers, officers, employees or soliciting service
in person, by telephone, facsimile or by other electronic means. In
accordance with SEC regulations and the rules of the NYSE, we will reimburse
brokerage firms and other custodians, nominees and fiduciaries for their
expenses incurred in mailing proxies and proxy materials and soliciting proxies
from the beneficial owners of our common shares.
Other
Business
As of the
date of this proxy statement, we are not aware of any matter to be presented or
acted upon at the Annual Meeting other than those described in this proxy
statement. If votes are required on any matter presented during the
Annual Meeting and you are not present, your designated proxy will vote your
shares using their best judgment.
GOVERANCE
OF OUR COMPANY
Independence
of Trust Managers
Our Board
of Trust Managers (the “Board”) has determined that each of the following trust
managers standing for re-election has no material relationship with us (either
directly or as a partner, shareholder or officer of an organization that has a
relationship with us) and is independent within the meaning of our trust manager
independence standards, which reflect the NYSE Director Independence Standards,
as currently in effect: Messrs. Crownover, Cruikshank, Lasher,
Schnitzer, Shaper and Shapiro. The Board has determined that Messrs.
A. Alexander and S. Alexander are not independent trust managers within the
meaning of the NYSE Director Independence Standards. Mr. Dow is
considered independent under the NYSE Director Independence Standards, however,
due to the amount of legal work that Mr. Dow personally performed for his
previous firm on our account, the Board has elected to not consider him an
independent trust manager. Furthermore, the Board has determined that
each of the members of each of the Governance, Audit and Management Development
and Executive Compensation Committees has no material relationship with us
(either directly as a partner, shareholder or officer of an organization that
has a relationship with us) and is independent within the meaning established by
the NYSE.
Audit Committee Financial
Expert. The
Board has determined that Messrs. Cruikshank and Shaper meet the definition of
Audit Committee financial expert promulgated by the SEC and are independent, as
defined in the NYSE Listing Standards.
Committee Charters and other
Governance Materials. Our Board has adopted (1) a governance
and nominating committee charter, a management development and executive
compensation committee charter and an audit committee charter; (2) standards of
independence for our trust managers; (3) a code of conduct and ethics for all
trust managers, officers and employees; and (4) corporate governance
guidelines. Our governance and nominating committee charter,
management development and executive compensation committee charter, audit
committee charter, corporate governance guidelines and code of conduct and
ethics are available on our web site at www.weingarten.com. These
materials are also available in print to any shareholder who requests them by
submitting a request to Kristin Gandy, Director of Investor Relations, 2600
Citadel Plaza Drive, Suite 125, Houston, Texas 77008.
Communications with the
Board. Individuals may communicate with the Board by sending a
letter to:
M.
Candace DuFour
Senior
Vice President and Secretary
2600
Citadel Plaza Drive, Suite 125
Houston,
Texas 77008
All trust
managers have access to this correspondence. Communications that are
intended specifically for non-management trust managers should be sent to the
street address noted above, to the attention of the Chairman of the Governance
and Nominating Committee. In accordance with instructions from the
Board, the Secretary to the Board reviews all correspondence, organizes the
communications for review by the Board, and distributes communications to the
full Board or individual trust managers as appropriate.
Executive
Sessions. Generally, executive sessions of non-employee trust
managers are held at the end of each board meeting. In accordance
with our corporate governance guidelines, our independent trust managers will
meet at least once per year in executive session. The Chairman of the
Governance and Nominating Committee, currently James W. Crownover, serves as
Chairman during any executive session. During 2009, our non-employee
trust managers met three times in executive session.
Board
Leadership Structure and Risk Oversight
Since
2001, we operate under a board leadership structure with separate roles for our
Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board. Since this time, we have had
no changes in persons serving these roles. The company has a well-developed,
institutional-style board of trust managers, comprised of the Chairman, CEO and
seven non-employee trust managers. We believe it is the Chief Executive
Officer’s responsibility to run our company and the Chairman’s responsibility to
run the Board. As trust managers’ continue to have more oversight
responsibility, we believe it is beneficial to have a Chairman whose job is to
lead the Board, as well as, facilitating communication amongst trust managers
and management and setting the Board’s agendas in consultation with the Chief
Executive Officer. Accordingly, we believe this structure is the best
governance model for our company and shareholders.
Our Board
has seven non-employee trust managers. A number of our non-employee
trust managers are currently serving or have served as members of senior
management and/or directors of other companies. We have three board
committees comprised solely of independent trust managers, each with an
independent trust manager serving as Chairman of the committee. We
believe that the number of independent, experienced trust managers that comprise
our Board benefits our company and shareholders.
Our Audit
Committee is primarily responsible for overseeing the company’s risk management
processes on behalf of the full Board. The Audit Committee receives reports from
management at least quarterly regarding the company’s assessment of risks. In
addition, the Audit Committee, which also considers our risk profile, reports
regularly to the full Board. The Audit Committee and the full Board focus on the
most significant risks facing the company and the company’s general risk
management strategy, and also ensure that risks undertaken by us are consistent
with the Board’s levels of risk tolerance. While the Board oversees
our overall risk management, management is responsible for day-to-day risk
management processes. We believe this division of responsibilities is the most
effective approach for addressing the risks facing us and that our board
leadership structure supports this approach.
Pursuant
to our bylaws and our governance guidelines, our Board determines the best board
leadership structure for our company from time to time. As part of our annual
board self-evaluation process, we evaluate our leadership structure to ensure
that the Board continues to believe that it provides the optimal structure for
our company and shareholders. We recognize that different board leadership
structures may be appropriate for companies in different situations. We believe
our current leadership structure, with Mr. A. Alexander serving as Chief
Executive Officer and Mr. S. Alexander serving as Chairman of the Board, is the
optimal structure for us at this time.
Procedures
for Nominating Trust Managers
The
Governance and Nominating Committee will consider trust manager candidates
nominated by shareholders. Shareholder nominee recommendations, including the
nominee’s name and an explanation of the nominee’s qualifications must be
submitted in writing to M. Candace DuFour, Senior Vice President and Secretary,
at P.O. Box 924133, Houston, Texas 77292-4133. To propose
recommendations for the 2010 annual meeting, see instructions under “Shareholder
Proposals” on page 40. We did not receive any proposals for nominating trust
managers from our shareholders during 2009.
Board
Meetings and Committees
During
2009, the Board held six meetings and one telephonic conference
call. No trust manager attended less than 90% of the total number of
board and committee meetings on which the trust manager served that were held
while the trust manager was a member of the board or committee, as
applicable. All of our trust managers are strongly encouraged to
attend our annual meeting of shareholders. All of our trust managers attended
our 2009 annual meeting of shareholders. The Board’s current standing
committees are as follows:
Name
|
Governance
and Nominating Committee
|
Audit
Committee
|
Management
Development and Executive Compensation Committee
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Executive
Committee
|
Pricing
Committee
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Employee
Trust Managers:
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Andrew
M. Alexander
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X
(1)
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X
(1)
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Stanford
Alexander
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X
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X
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Non-Employee
Trust Managers:
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James
W. Crownover
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X
(1)
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X
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Robert
J. Cruikshank
|
|
X
|
X
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X
|
X
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Melvin
A. Dow
|
|
|
|
X
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Stephen
A. Lasher
|
|
X
(1)
|
X
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X
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X
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Douglas
Schnitzer
|
X
|
X
|
|
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C.
Park Shaper
|
X
|
X
|
|
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Marc
J. Shapiro
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X
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X
(1)
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|
X
|
___________
Governance
and Nominating Committee
The
Governance and Nominating Committee which operates pursuant to a written
charter, has the responsibility to (1) oversee the nomination of individuals to
the Board, including the identification of individuals qualified to become trust
managers and the recommendation of such nominees; (2) develop and recommend to
the Board a set of governance principles; and (3) oversee matters of governance
to ensure that the Board is appropriately constituted and operated to meet its
fiduciary obligations, including advising the Board on matters of board
organization, membership and function and committee structure and
membership. The Governance and Nominating Committee also recommends
trust manager compensation and benefits. The Governance and
Nominating Committee will consider nominees made by
shareholders. Shareholders should send nominations to our Senior Vice
President and Secretary, M. Candace DuFour. Any shareholder
nominations proposed for consideration by the Governance and Nominating
Committee should include the nominee’s name and qualifications for board
membership. The Governance and Nominating Committee recommends to the
Board the slate of individuals to be presented for election as trust managers.
The Governance and Nominating Committee shall establish criteria for the
selection of potential trust managers, taking into account the following desired
attributes: ethics, leadership, independence, interpersonal skills, financial
acumen, business experiences, industry knowledge and diversity of
viewpoints. The same criterion is applied to candidates recommended
by any source. See “Governance of Our Company –Procedures for Nominating Trust
Managers” on page 5 and “Shareholder Proposals” on page 40. The
Governance and Nominating Committee met four times in 2009.
Audit
Committee
The Audit
Committee which acts pursuant to a written charter, assists the Board in
fulfilling its responsibilities for general oversight of (1) our financial
reporting processes and the audit of our financial statements, including the
integrity of our financial statements; (2) our compliance with ethical policies
contained in our code of conduct and ethics; (3) legal and regulatory
requirements; (4) the independence, qualification and performance of our
independent registered public accounting firm; (5) the performance of our
internal audit function; and (6) risk assessment and risk
management. The Audit Committee has the responsibility for selecting
our independent registered public accounting firm and pre-approving audit and
non-audit services. Among other things, the Audit Committee prepares
the Audit Committee report for inclusion in the annual proxy statement; reviews
the audit committee charter and the Audit Committee’s performance; and reviews
our disclosure controls and procedures, information security policies and
corporate policies with respect to financial information and earnings
guidance. The Audit Committee also oversees investigations into
complaints concerning financial matters. The Audit Committee has the
authority to obtain advice and assistance from outside legal, accounting or
other advisors as the Audit Committee deems necessary to carry out its
duties. The Audit Committee met four times and had one conference
call in 2009.
Management
Development and Executive Compensation Committee
The
Management Development and Executive Compensation Committee (1) discharges the
Board’s responsibilities to establish the compensation of our executives; (2)
produces an annual report on executive compensation for inclusion in our annual
proxy statement; (3) provides general oversight for our compensation structure,
including our equity compensation plans and benefits programs; and (4) retains
and approves the terms of the retention of any compensation consultant or other
compensation experts. Other specific duties and responsibilities of
this committee include reviewing the leadership development process; reviewing
and approving objectives relative to executive officer compensation; approving
employment agreements for executive officers; approving and amending our
incentive compensation and share option programs (subject to shareholder
approval if required); and annually evaluating its performance and its written
charter. The Management Development and Executive Compensation
Committee held three meetings during 2009.
Executive
Committee
The
Executive Committee has the authority to enter into transactions to acquire and
dispose of real property, execute certain contracts and agreements, including,
but not limited to, borrowing money and entering into financial derivative
contracts, leases (as landlord or tenant) and construction contracts valued up
to $100 million. The committee was established by the Board to approve these
significant transactions. We have a detailed process that is followed
for all of these transactions. The Executive Committee did not meet
in person during 2009, but conducted business by the execution of three
unanimous written consents that year.
Pricing
Committee
The
Pricing Committee is authorized to exercise all the powers of the Board in
connection with the offering, issuance and sale of our
securities. The Pricing Committee did not meet during 2009. Our one
equity offering during 2009 was approved by the Board.
Non-Executive
Compensation Policies
We have
reviewed our compensation policies and practices for non-executive
employees. During our review we noted that our general employee bonus
program has not paid a bonus to any single employee in excess of $250,000 in any
given year during the last five years. Our commission programs have
adopted practices including oversight committees, which we believe mitigate risk
to us. Upon conclusion of our review of our compensation policies, we
have determined that these policies and practices are not reasonably likely to
have a material adverse effect on our financial results.
PROPOSAL
ONE
ELECTION
OF TRUST MANAGERS
Pursuant
to the Texas Business Organization Code, our amended and restated declaration of
trust, and our amended and restated bylaws, our business, property and affairs
are managed under the direction of the Board. At the Annual Meeting,
nine trust managers will be elected by the shareholders, each to serve until his
successor has been duly elected and qualified, or until the earliest of his
death, resignation or retirement. Regardless of the number of votes each nominee
receives, pursuant to the Texas Business Organization Code, each trust manager
will continue to serve unless another nominee receives the affirmative vote of
the holders of 66 2/3% of our outstanding common shares.
The
persons named as proxies will vote your shares as you specify. If you
fail to specify how you want your shares voted, the shares will be voted in
favor of the nominees listed below. The Board has proposed the
following nominees for election as trust managers at the Annual
Meeting. Each of the nominees was nominated by the Governance and
Nominating Committee and each nominee is currently a member of the Board. The
Governance and Nominating Committee did not receive any nominations for trust
manager from any person.
All
nominees have consented to serve as trust managers. The Board has no
reason to believe any of the nominees will be unable to act as trust
manager. However, if a trust manager is unable to stand for
re-election, the Board may either reduce the size of the Board or the Governance
and Nominating Committee may designate a substitute. If a substitute
nominee is named, the proxies will vote for the election of the
substitute.
Composition
of Board
The Governance and Nominating Committee
seeks to ensure that the Board is composed of members whose particular
experience, qualifications, attributes and skills, when taken together, will
allow the Board to satisfy its oversight responsibilities effectively. As
discussed under “Board Meetings and Committees – Governance and Nominating
Committee” on page 6, a slate of individuals to be presented for election at the
annual shareholders’ meeting each year is approved by the Board after
recommendation by the Governance and Nominating Committee. In the case of a
vacancy on the Board, the Board approves a new trust manager candidate following
the recommendation of a candidate by the Governance and Nominating Committee. In
identifying trust manager candidates, the Governance and Nominating Committee
considers the following: (1) the comments and recommendations of trust managers
regarding the qualifications and effectiveness of the existing Board or
additional qualifications that may be required when selecting new trust managers
that may be made in connection with our annual board’s self-examination, (2) the
required expertise and diversification comprising the current Board’s
membership, (3) the independence of trust managers and any other possible
conflicts of interest of existing and potential trust members and (4) any other
factors the Board deems appropriate to consider. Although we have no policy
regarding diversity, the charter of the corporate governance and nominating
committee includes in the selection criteria that the diversity of view points
is an important component in the selection of our Board members. This component
includes such factors as background, experience, expertise, gender, race and
culture.
Nominees
Stanford
Alexander, Chairman of the Board of Trust Managers since
2001. Chief Executive Officer from 1993 to December
2000. President and Chief Executive Officer from 1962 to
1993. Trust manager since 1956 and our employee since
1955. Age: 81
Mr. S.
Alexander has earned a master's degree in business administration from The
Harvard Business School. Mr. S. Alexander has an over 50-year career with
Weingarten Realty Investors (“WRI”). During Mr. S. Alexander’s
tenure, he served as Chief Executive Officer from 1993 to 2000 and as President
from 1962 to 1993. He is a past chairman of the National Association
of Real Estate Investment Trusts and is still active on the Executive Committee
and Board of Governors. Stanford is also a longtime member of the International
Council of Shopping Centers. Other current board positions include The
University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center Board of Visitors and
Development Board, the National Trustee of National Jewish Medical and Research
Center, and the University of Houston-Downtown Advisory Board. Mr. S.
Alexander’s experience and knowledge of over 50 years in the real estate
industry, as well as his experience managing WRI, provide him the ability to
perform his function as a member of our Board.
Andrew M.
Alexander, trust manager since 1983. Chief Executive Officer
since 2001. President since 1997. Executive Vice
President/Asset Manager from 1993 to 1996 and President of Weingarten Realty
Management Company since 1993. Senior Vice President/Asset Manager of Weingarten
Realty Management Company from 1991 to 1993, and Vice President from 1990 to
1991 and Vice President from 1988 to 1990. Mr. Alexander has been our
employee since 1978. He is a director of Academy Sports &
Outdoors, Inc. Age: 53
Mr. A.
Alexander graduated from the University of Texas (Austin) with highest honors
majoring in real estate. Mr. A. Alexander joined WRI in 1978 as a Leasing
Executive in the Retail Division. He was appointed Director of the Industrial
Division in 1982, and was made Vice President of WRI in 1988. In 1985, Mr. A.
Alexander was promoted to Director of Leasing and was named Senior Vice
President in 1991. In 1993, Mr. A. Alexander was appointed President of
Weingarten Realty Management Company while still serving as Senior Vice
President for WRI. He was named President of WRI in 1997 and was appointed the
Company’s Chief Executive Officer in 2001.
Mr. A.
Alexander is active in a number of civic and charitable organizations. He also
serves as a director of The Houston Food Bank, The Texas Medical
Center and The Greater Houston Partnership. He has previously served on a
number of boards including Houston Achievement Place and The Gladney
Center. Mr. A. Alexander serves on the Board of the National Association of Real
Estate Investment Trust, our trade association and is a Trustee and past
Chairman of The International Council of Shopping Centers. Mr. A. Alexander’s
knowledge of the company, experience serving as President and CEO and on other
boards and his ability to understand complex financial and real estate
transactions provides him the ability to perform his function as a member of our
Board.
James W.
Crownover, trust manager since 2001. Since 1998, Mr. Crownover
has served on a number of corporate boards, donated his time to charitable
endeavors and managed his personal investments. He currently serves
as a director of Republic Services, Inc. (Audit Committee Member, Integration
Committee member), FTI Consulting, Inc. (Compensation Committee Chairman,
Governance Committee member) and Chemtura Corporation (Health, Safety and
Environmental Committee Chairman, Compensation and Governance Committee
member). Previously he served on the boards of Unocal Corporation
(Audit Committee Chairman, Pension Committee Chairman), Great Lakes Chemical
Corporation (Presiding Director) which merged into Chemtura Corporation and
Allied Waste Industries (Governance Committee Chairman, Audit Committee member)
which merged into Republic Services, Inc. Among several charitable
roles, he serves as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Rice
University. Age: 66
Mr.
Crownover has earned a master's degree in business administration from The
Stanford Business School. Mr. Crownover completed a 30-year career with McKinsey
& Company, Inc. (“McKinsey”), an international consulting firm, in 1998. He
was managing partner of its southwest practice from 1984 to 1994 and a member of
its board of directors from 1990 top 1998. Mr. Crownover was a leader of
McKinsey’s energy practice through much of this period, working Asia, Europe and
Latin America, as well as the Untied States. His practice dealt with
strategy, organizational and operational issues.
Mr.
Crownover’s knowledge of the company, his extensive involvement in serving on
corporate boards, his work on a range of board committees (frequently as
committee chairman), his experience in dealing with business issues over a
number of years with McKinsey and his significant work internationally provide
him the ability to perform his function as a member of our Board.
Robert J.
Cruikshank, trust manager since 1997. Since 1993, Mr.
Cruikshank has managed his personal investments. Senior partner of Deloitte
& Touche LLP from 1989 to 1993 and managing partner from 1974 to
1989. He currently serves on the board of MAXXAM, Inc. (Audit
Committee Member, Compensation Committee member and the 162(m) Compensation
Committee Chairman) and has served in this position since May 1993. He also
served on the boards of: Kaiser Aluminum Corporation (Audit Committee member,
Compensation Committee member) from 1997 to 2007 and Encysive Pharmaceuticals
Inc. (Audit Committee member) from 1993 to 2008. Age: 79
Mr.
Cruikshank is a certified public accountant (“CPA”) and completed the Harvard
Advanced Management Program. He worked for Deloitte &
Touche LLP, a major, internationally recognized audit firm, primarily in
the audit function for 37 years, of which part of his tenure was on our
engagement. Additionally, for two years, Mr. Cruikshank served as
visiting lecturer at Rice University where he taught auditing to fifth year
students.
Mr.
Cruikshank’s training as a CPA emphasized statistical sampling methods, risk
management assessment and technical auditing and GAAP
applications. This knowledge and experience enables him to
understand, as well as, question both our internal and external auditors. Prior
Audit Committee experience, primarily while on the board of a trading business,
required extensive risk management knowledge and the establishment of acceptable
risk tolerance ranges for monetary investments. Mr.
Cruikshank’s knowledge of the company, experience serving other boards and his
ability to understand GAAP and public company reporting requirements provide him
the ability to perform his function as a member of our Board.
Melvin A.
Dow, trust manager since 1984. Partner of Haynes and Boone,
LLP since January 2010. Served as a Shareholder with Winstead P.C.
(Formally Winstead, Sechrest & Minick P. C.) from 2001 to
2009. Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of Dow, Cogburn &
Friedman, P.C. (which merged with Winstead, Sechrest & Minick P.C. in 2001)
from 1995 to 2001. Age: 82
Mr. Dow
has earned a juris doctorate degree in law from Harvard Law
School. Mr. Dow was a founding partner of Dow, Cogburn & Friedman
law firm which subsequently merged with Winstead, Sechrest & Minick P.C. Mr.
Dow has extensive experience with a wide range of sophisticated business and
commercial real estate transactions, including the structuring of transactions,
negotiation of business issues and the supervision of complex documentation. His
work involves a broad range of properties, including shopping centers, office
buildings, subdivision developments, warehouse/industrial properties and
unimproved land.
Mr. Dow
is a charter member of the American College of Real Estate Lawyers, has been
included in Best Lawyers in America for 26 consecutive years (based on election
by peers); has lectured on real estate law subjects at various legal seminars;
and has served as a member of the Harvard Law School Board of Overseers'
Visiting Committee. Mr. Dow’s knowledge, contributions and experience
within the real estate industry provide him the ability to perform his function
as a member of our Board.
Stephen A.
Lasher, trust manager since 1980. Managing Director of The
GulfStar Group Inc since 1990 and President of The GulfStar Group, Inc. since
1991. During 2009, he served as a director of Conservatek Industries
(Compensation Committee). Age: 62
Mr.
Lasher is a co-founder of The GulfStar Group, Inc. and has more than 30 years
experience in the securities industry. Mr. Lasher began his career in 1970 at
Rotan Mosle Inc. where he served in a variety of positions, including Executive
Vice President of Sales and Marketing. From 1985 to 1990, Mr. Lasher managed
Rotan Mosle Inc.’s Corporate Finance Department. Mr. Lasher is currently a
director of several private companies and has served on several other
publicly-listed company boards.
Since its
founding, GulfStar Group, Inc. has become a leading middle-market investment
banking firm focused on the needs of private business owners that bring quality
deal flow to the institutional financial community and strategic
buyers. Mr. Lasher has extensive
experience with a wide-range of complex business and commercial real estate
transactions, including the structuring of transactions and negotiation of
business issues. Mr. Lasher’s knowledge and experience provide him the
ability to perform his function as a member of our Board.
Douglas W.
Schnitzer, trust manager since 1984. Chairman/Chief Executive
Officer of Senterra Real Estate Group, L.L.C. since 1994. Age:
53
Mr.
Schnitzer is a founding partner, as well as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
of Senterra Real Estate Group, L.L.C., a real estate company responsible for the
leasing and management of over five million square feet of office space, as well
as, property acquisition and development of commercial real
estate. Mr. Schnitzer is also the President of Schnitzer Senterra
Inc., which is involved in numerous real estate partnerships, automobile
dealerships and various operating companies in the Houston Ship
Channel. He was President of US Commercial Brokerage, a wide-ranging
brokerage company engaged in the acquisition and disposition of varied real
estate properties throughout the country. His work experience
includes negotiation and execution of major lease agreements, structuring sales
of large mixed-use commercial properties and marketing responsibility for major
commercial property holdings in Houston and San Antonio, Texas. Mr. Schnitzer’s
knowledge and experience within the real estate industry provide him the ability
to perform his function as a member of our Board.
C. Park
Shaper, trust manager since 2007. President of Kinder Morgan,
Inc., Kinder Morgan Energy Partners, L.P., and Kinder Morgan Management, LLC,
since 2005. Served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial
Officer from 2004 to 2005. Served as Vice President and Chief
Financial Officer from 2000 to 2004. Currently serves as a director on the
boards of Kinder Morgan Energy Partners, L.P. and Kinder Morgan Management, LLC,
since 2003. Age: 41
Mr.
Shaper has earned a master's degree in business administration from the J.L.
Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University. He has worked
for Kinder Morgan, Inc and its affiliates, one of the largest pipeline
transportation and energy storage companies in North America, since 2000, where
he served as Chief Financial Officer for five years and as President since
2005. As President, Mr. Shaper’s responsibilities include developing
and executing the company's vision and strategy and allocating capital to Kinder
Morgan business units in a disciplined manner. He has also been instrumental in
spearheading the company's transparent financial reporting and communication to
the investment community.
Prior to
joining Kinder Morgan, Mr. Shaper served as President and Director of Altair
Corporation, an enterprise focused on the distribution of web-based investment
research for the financial services industry. In addition, he has served as Vice
President and CFO for First Data Analytics, a wholly-owned subsidiary of First
Data Corporation. Mr. Shaper has also been a consultant for The Boston
Consulting Group, as well as the Strategic Services Division of Andersen
Consulting, and has previous experience with TeleCheck Services,
Inc. Mr. Shaper’s knowledge and experience provide him the ability to
perform his function as a member of our Board.
Marc J.
Shapiro, trust manager since 1985. Since 2003, Mr. Shapiro has
served as a consultant to J. P. Morgan Chase & Co. as a non-executive
Chairman of its Texas operations. Former Vice Chairman for Finance
and Risk Management of J. P. Morgan Chase & Co. from 1997 through
2003. He served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Chase Bank
of Texas from January 1989 to 1997. He currently serves as a director
on the boards of Kimberly-Clark Corporation (Lead Director; which includes
Chairman of Executive Committee), and The Mexico Fund (Audit Committee member).
During 2009, he served as a director on the board of Burlington Northern Santa
Fe Corporation (Management Development and Compensation Committee Chairman)
which was subsequently sold. Age: 62
Mr.
Shapiro has earned a master's degree in business administration from The
Stanford Business School. Mr. Shapiro has completed a 30-year of career in
finance and management with the banking industry. He worked for
J.P. Morgan Chase & Co and its affiliates, a leader in investment banking,
financial services for consumers, small business and commercial banking,
financial transaction processing and asset management and private equity. Prior
to joining J.P. Morgan Chase & Co and its affiliates, Mr. Shapiro served as
Chief Financial Officer at Texas Commerce Bank N.A., acquired by Chemical
Banking Corporation, from 1977 to 1989.
Mr.
Shapiro also serves as a trustee for Rice University and the Baylor College of
Medicine. Mr. Shapiro has served on several public company
boards He has gained experience on various boards’ committees,
including service as chairman. Mr. Shapiro’s knowledge of the
company, experience serving other boards and his ability to understand complex
financial and investing transactions and reporting requirements provides him the
ability to perform his function as a member of our Board.
Andrew M.
Alexander is the son of Stanford Alexander. Douglas W. Schnitzer is
the first cousin of Stephen A. Lasher.
The
Board of Trust Managers unanimously recommends that you vote FOR the election of
trust managers as set forth in Proposal One.
EXECUTIVE
OFFICERS
No trust
manager or executive officer was selected as a result of any arrangement or
understanding between a trust manager or an executive officer and any other
person. All executive officers are elected annually by, and serve at
the discretion of, the Board.
Our
executive officers are as follows:
Name
|
Age
|
Position
|
Recent Business
Experience
|
|
|
|
|
Andrew
M.
Alexander
|
53
|
President
and Chief Executive Officer
|
See
“Election of Trust Managers”
|
|
|
|
|
Stanford
Alexander
|
81
|
Chairman
of the Board
|
See
“Election of Trust Managers”
|
|
|
|
|
Johnny
Hendrix
|
52
|
Executive
Vice President/
Asset
Management
|
Executive
Vice President since 2005; 2001 to 2005 - Senior Vice President/Director
of Leasing; 1998 to 2000 - Vice President/Associate Director of
Leasing
|
|
|
|
|
Stephen
C.
Richter
|
55
|
Executive
Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
|
Executive
Vice President and Chief Financial Officer since 2005; 2000 to
2005 - Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer; 1997 to 2000 -
Senior Vice President and
Treasurer
|
SHARE
OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT
The
following table sets forth certain information regarding the beneficial
ownership of our common shares as of February 12, 2010 by (1) each person known
by us to own beneficially more than 5% of our outstanding common shares, (2)
each current trust manager, (3) each named executive officer, and (4) all
current trust managers and named executive officers as a group. As of
February 12, 2010, there were 120,098,103 common shares of beneficial ownership
outstanding. The number of shares beneficially owned by each entity, person,
trust manager or executive officer is determined under the rules of the SEC, and
the information is not necessarily indicative of beneficial ownership for any
other purpose. Under such rules, beneficial ownership includes any
shares as to which the individual has the sole or shared voting power or
investment power and also any shares that the individual has a right to acquire
as of April 13, 2010 (60 days after February 12, 2010) through the exercise of
any share option or other right. Unless otherwise indicated, each
person has sole voting and investment power (or shares such powers with his
spouse) with respect to the shares set forth in the following
table. Unless otherwise noted in a footnote, the address of each
person listed below is c/o Weingarten Realty Investors, 2600 Citadel Plaza
Drive, Suite 125, Houston, Texas 77008.
Certain
of the shares listed below are deemed to be owned beneficially by more than one
shareholder under SEC rules.
Name
|
|
Amount
and Nature of
Beneficial Ownership
|
|
Percent of Class
|
|
Trust Managers and Named Executive
Officers:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Andrew
M.
Alexander
|
|
|
2,269,185 |
|
(1) |
|
|
|
1.9 |
% |
Stanford
Alexander
|
|
|
6,196,637 |
|
(2) |
|
|
|
5.1 |
% |
James
W.
Crownover
|
|
|
24,152 |
|
|
|
|
|
* |
|
Robert
J.
Cruikshank
|
|
|
19,352 |
|
|
|
|
|
* |
|
Melvin
A.
Dow
|
|
|
1,180,724 |
|
(3) |
|
|
|
1.0 |
% |
Johnny
Hendrix
|
|
|
198,271 |
|
(4) |
|
|
|
* |
|
Stephen
A.
Lasher
|
|
|
582,727 |
|
(5) |
|
|
|
* |
|
Stephen
C.
Richter
|
|
|
318,576 |
|
(6) |
|
|
|
* |
|
Douglas
W.
Schnitzer
|
|
|
1,558,907 |
|
(7) |
|
|
|
1.3 |
% |
C.
Park
Shaper
|
|
|
12,781 |
|
|
|
|
|
* |
|
Marc
J.
Shapiro
|
|
|
82,889 |
|
|
|
|
|
* |
|
All
trust managers and executive officers as a group (11
persons)
|
|
|
11,049,165 |
|
(8) |
|
|
|
9.1 |
% |
Five Percent Shareholders:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
BlackRock,
Inc. (9)
|
|
|
9,176,836 |
|
|
|
|
|
7.6 |
% |
The
Vanguard Group, Inc. 23-1945930 (10)
|
|
|
9,551,445 |
|
|
|
|
|
7.9 |
% |
___________
* Beneficial
ownership of less than 1% of the class is omitted.
(1)
|
Includes
697,518 shares over which Messrs. S. Alexander and Dow have shared voting
and investment power, and 695,179 shares that Mr. A. Alexander may
purchase upon the exercise of share options that will be exercisable on or
before April 13, 2010. Also includes 56,250 shares held by a charitable
foundation, over which shares Mr. A. Alexander and his wife Julie have
voting and investment power and 12,384 shares held in trust for the
benefit of Mr. A. Alexander’s children. Of the total number of shares
owned, 3,025 are pledged as security for a loan obtained by Mr. A.
Alexander.
|
(2)
|
Includes
1,123,074 shares held by various trusts for the benefit of Mr. S.
Alexander’s children and 697,518 shares for which voting and investment
power are shared with Messrs. A. Alexander and Dow. Also includes 365,364
shares that may be purchased by Mr. S. Alexander upon exercise of share
options that are currently exercisable or that will become exercisable on
or before April 13, 2010. Includes 1,121,145 shares held by a
charitable foundation, over which shares Mr. S. Alexander and his wife
Joan have voting and investment
power.
|
(3)
|
Includes
697,518 shares over which Messrs. Dow, S. Alexander and A. Alexander have
shared voting and investment power.
|
(4)
|
Includes
117,392 shares that may be purchased upon the exercise of share options
that will be exercisable on or before April 13,
2010.
|
(5)
|
Includes
112,500 shares held by trusts for the benefit of Mr. Lasher’s children,
over which Mr. Lasher exercises sole voting and investment
power.
|
(6)
|
Includes
6,750 shares held in trust for the benefit of Mr. Richter’s children, for
which he has shared voting and investment power with his wife Evelyn, and
178,780 shares that may be purchased upon the exercise of share options
that will be exercisable on or before April 13,
2010.
|
(7)
|
Mr.
Schnitzer owns 15,777 shares individually. With respect to the
remaining shares beneficially owned, Mr. Schnitzer shares voting and
investment power with Joan Weingarten Schnitzer under trusts for Joan
Weingarten Schnitzer.
|
(8)
|
Includes
2,014,372 shares that may be purchased upon the exercise of share options
that will be exercisable on or before April 13,
2010.
|
(9)
|
Pursuant
to information contained in a Schedule 13G filed by or on behalf of the
beneficial owners with the SEC on January 29, 2010. BlackRock,
Inc. reported sole voting power and sole dispositive power with respect to
9,176,836 shares. The reported address of BlackRock, Inc. is 40 East
52nd
Street, New York, NY 10022.
|
(10)
|
Pursuant
to information contained in a Schedule 13G/A filed by or on behalf of the
beneficial owners with the SEC on February 4, 2010. The
Vanguard Group, Inc. reported sole voting power with respect to 70,721
shares, sole dispositive power with respect to 9,480,724 shares and shared
power to dispose with respect to 70,721 shares. The reported address of
The Vanguard Group, Inc. 23-1945930, is 100 Vanguard Blvd. Malvern, PA
19355.
|
We are
pleased to report that management, trust managers and their extended families
own, in the aggregate, approximately 11.4% of our outstanding common shares as
of February 12, 2010, including any share options that will be exercisable on or
before April 13, 2010.
Section
16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance
Section
16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 requires our trust managers and
executive officers, and persons who own more than 10% of a registered class of
our equity securities, to file reports of holdings and transactions in our
securities with the SEC and the NYSE. Executive officers, trust
managers and greater than 10% beneficial owners are required by applicable
regulations to furnish us with copies of all Section 16(a) forms they file with
the SEC.
Based
solely upon a review of the reports furnished to us with respect to fiscal 2009,
we believe that all SEC filing requirements applicable to our trust managers,
executive officers and 10% beneficial owners were satisfied, except Messrs. A.
Alexander, Hendrix and Richter, each of whom had one late filing and Mr. S.
Alexander, who had two late filings.
Compensation
Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation
During
fiscal 2009, four of our independent trust managers served on the Management
Development and Executive Compensation Committee. The Management
Development and Executive Compensation Committee members for 2009 were Messrs.
Crownover, Cruikshank, Lasher and Shapiro. No member of the
Management Development and Executive Compensation Committee has any interlocking
relationship with any other company that requires disclosure under this
heading.
Certain
Transactions
Mr. Dow
was a shareholder of Winstead P.C. (formerly Winstead, Secrest & Minick
P.C.), a law firm that had a relationship with Weingarten during the 2009 fiscal
year. Winstead P.C. performs a significant amount of work for us.
Payments made by us to Winstead P.C. for work performed constituted less than 2%
of the firm’s total revenue for 2009.
We review
all relationships and transactions in which we and our significant shareholders,
trust managers and executive officers or their respective immediate family
members are participants to determine whether such persons have a direct or
indirect material interest in a transaction. As required under SEC rules,
transactions that are determined to be directly or indirectly material to us or
a related party are disclosed. We also disclose transactions or
categories of transactions we consider in determining that a trust manager is
independent. In addition, our Audit Committee and/or Governance and
Nominating Committee reviews and, if appropriate, approves or ratifies any
related party transaction that is required to be disclosed.
EXECUTIVE
COMPENSATION
COMPENSATION
DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
Overview
of Compensation Program
The
Management Development and Executive Compensation Committee (for purposes of
this analysis, the “Committee”) of the Board has the responsibility for
establishing, implementing and continually monitoring adherence with our
compensation philosophy. The Committee ensures that the total
compensation paid to our executive leadership team is fair, reasonable and
competitive. Generally, the types of compensation and benefits
provided to members of the executive leadership team, including the named
executive officers, are similar to those provided to other executive officers at
other real estate investment trusts (“REITs”). Throughout this proxy
statement, the individuals who served as President and Chief Executive Officer,
Chairman, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer and Executive
Vice President/Asset Management during fiscal 2009 are referred to as the “named
executive officers.” When we use the term “our top two executives,” we mean our
President and Chief Executive Officer and our Chairman. On February
1, 2010, we met to determine awards based on 2009 performance.
Compensation
Objectives and Philosophy
The
Committee believes that the most effective executive compensation program is one
that is designed to reward the achievement of specific annual, long-term and
strategic goals, and one that is designed to align executives’ interests with
those of the shareholders by rewarding performance above established goals, with
the ultimate objective of improving shareholder value. The Committee
evaluates both performance and compensation to ensure that we maintain our
ability to attract and retain superior employees in key positions and that
compensation provided to key employees remains competitive relative to the
compensation paid to similarly situated executive of our peer companies. To that
end, the Committee believes executive compensation packages provided by us to
our executives, including the named executive officers should include both cash
and share-based compensation that reward performance as measured against
established goals.
Role
of Executive Officers in Compensation Decisions
The
Committee makes all compensation decisions for our top two
executives. Our Chief Executive Officer annually reviews the
performance of our Chief Financial Officer and our Executive Vice
President/Asset Management. The conclusions reached and
recommendations based on these reviews, including with respect to salary
adjustments, annual bonus and equity award amounts, are presented to the
Committee. The Committee can exercise its discretion in modifying any
recommended adjustment or award. Mr. A. Alexander also reviews the
performance of our Chairman with the Committee. The Committee
establishes, in conjunction with Mr. A. Alexander, salary adjustments, annual
bonus and equity award amounts for our Chairman. The Committee reviews the
performance of our Chief Executive Officer.
Peer
Groups for Executive Compensation Purposes
In 2009,
the Committee retained FPL Associates (“FPL”), an outside executive compensation
consulting firm, to assist it in considering compensation for our top two
executives. We have not engaged FPL to perform any other consulting
services. On December 9, 2009, FPL provided the Committee with
relevant market data to consider when making compensation decisions for our top
two executives.
For
executive compensation purposes, we compare our compensation programs to the
compensation programs of our retail REIT peer group and our size-based REIT peer
group. As of December 9, 2009, the date of FPL’s report to the
Committee, the following REITs comprised our retail REIT peer
group. The information provided from the various REITs was based on
2008 compensation data.
CBL
& Associates Properties, Inc.
|
Macerich
Company
|
Developers
Diversified Realty Corporation
|
Pennsylvania
Real Estate Investment Trust
|
Equity
One, Inc.
|
Ramco-Gershenson
Properties Trust
|
Federal
Realty Investment Trust
|
Regency
Centers Corporation
|
Glimcher
Realty Trust
|
Taubman
Centers, Inc.
|
Kimco
Realty Corporation
|
|
As of
November 30, 2009, the retail REIT peer group had total capitalization ranging
from approximately $857.2 million to $9.6 billion, with a median of $5.5
billion. Our total capitalization at that time was $5.8 billion. The retail REIT
peer group has UPREIT (market value of outstanding common stock and convertible
operating partner units) market capitalization ranging from approximately $210.8
million to $4.7 billion, with a median of $2.0 billion. Our UPREIT market
capitalization at that time was $2.4 billion.
As of
December 9, 2009, the following REITs comprised our size-based REIT peer
group:
Brandywine
Realty Trust
|
First
Industrial Realty Trust, Inc
|
BRE
Properties, Inc.
|
HCP,
Inc.
|
Camden
Property Trust
|
Liberty
Property Trust
|
CBL
& Associates Properties, Inc.
|
Mack-Cali
Realty Corporation
|
Colonial
Properties Trust
|
Regency
Centers Corporation
|
Duke
Realty Corporation
|
Taubman
Centers, Inc.
|
Essex
Property Trust, Inc.
|
UDR,
Inc.
|
Federal
Realty Investment Trust
|
Ventas,
Inc.
|
As of
November 30, 2009, the size-based REIT peer group had total capitalization
ranging from $2.7 billion to $15.3 billion, with a median of $5.5
billion. Our total capitalization at that time was $5.8
billion. The sized-based REIT peer group had UPREIT market
capitalization ranging from $403.7 million to $9.4 billion, with a median of
$2.6 billion. Our UPREIT capitalization at that time was $2.4
billion.
The two
most prevalent performance metrics applied to public real estate companies are
total shareholder return (“TSR”) and funds from operations (“FFO”) per
share. We compared our TSR and FFO per share growth to those of the
REITs in both of the peer groups. The median TSR for our REIT peer
group and size-based REIT peer group (from January 1, 2009 through November 30,
2009) was 20.9% and 26.3%, respectively. The median TSR for our REIT
peer group excluding those concentrated in mall operations (from January 1, 2009
through November 30, 2009) was 2.4%. Our TSR for the same period was
1.8%. The median FFO per share growth for our retail peer group and
size-based REIT peer group was -21.0% and -8.5% (estimates for the full year
2009), respectively. Our FFO per share growth was
-13.1%.
Total
Compensation
In
setting compensation for our executive officers, including our Chief Executive
Officer, the Committee focuses on total annual compensation. For this
purpose, total annual compensation consists of base salary, cash bonus at target
levels of performance and long-term equity incentive compensation. In
setting the total annual compensation of our executive officers, the Committee
evaluates both market data provided by FPL, the National Association of Real
Estate Investment Trusts (”NAREIT”) and SNL Real Estate, in addition to
information on the performance of each executive officer for the prior year.
Because the FPL report was prepared specifically for the company, the Committee
placed the greatest weight on the FPL report. In order to remain
competitive in the marketplace for executive talent, the target levels for the
total annual compensation of our executive officers, including our Chief
Executive Officer, are generally set above the median of the peer group
comparisons described above. In order to reinforce a “pay for
performance” culture, targets for individual executive officers may be set above
or below the median depending on the individual’s performance in prior
years. The Committee believes that setting target levels above the
median for our peer groups, permitting adjustments to targets based on past
performance, and providing incentive compensation if they perform well, is
consistent with the objectives of our compensation policies described
above. In particular, the Committee believes that this approach
enables us to attract and retain skilled and talented executives to guide and
lead our businesses and supports a “pay for performance” culture.
Annual
Cash Compensation
In order
to remain competitive with REITs in our peer groups, we pay our named executive
officers commensurate with their experience and
responsibilities. Cash compensation is divided between base salary
and annual bonus.
Base
Salary. Each of our named executive officers receives a base
salary to compensate him for services performed during the year. When
determining the base salary for each of our top two executives, the Committee
considers the market levels of similar positions at the peer group companies,
through the data provided to them by FPL, the industry data provided by NAREIT
and SNL Real Estate, the performance of the executive officer and the experience
of the executive officer in his position. The base salaries of our
top two executives are established annually by the Committee. Our top
two executives are eligible for annual increases in their base salaries as a
result of individual performance, their salaries relative to market levels of
our peer group and any added responsibility since the last salary
increase. Based on the performance of our Company in 2009, no annual
increase in base salary was granted to either of our top two
executives. The Committee did, however, feel that given the efforts
being made by our top two executives to increase the company’s profitability in
these tough economic times, no downward adjustment would be
appropriate. This is the third consecutive year that the salaries of
our top two executives have not been adjusted. Our Chief Executive
Officer’s annual base salary remains at $700,000. The median base
salary of a Chief Executive Officer in our retail REIT peer group is $660,000
and in our size-based REIT peer group is $600,000. The base salaries
paid to our named executive officers are set forth below in the Summary
Compensation Table on page 23.
Annual
Bonus. The Committee’s practice is to provide a significant
portion of each named executive officer’s compensation in the form of an annual
cash bonus. These annual bonuses are, for our top two executives,
based 100% upon company-wide performance objectives. This practice is
consistent with our compensation objective of supporting a performance-based
environment. Each year, the Committee sets for the named executive
officers, the target bonus that may be awarded to those officers if the goals
are achieved, which is based on a percentage of base salary. Additionally, in
early 2009, the Committee advised the named executive officers that given
worldwide recession, more subjectivity would be applied when determining annual
bonuses. For 2009, the Committee established the following company
level goals:
Goal
|
|
%
of Company Goal
|
|
%
Attained
|
|
Company
Portion of Bonus
|
Increasing Net Operating
Income
|
|
40%
|
|
91.3%
|
|
36.5%
|
Growth
in New Development
|
|
10%
|
|
95.0%
|
|
9.5%
|
Non-core
Asset Dispositions
|
|
10%
|
|
166.0%
|
|
16.6%
|
Execution
of Joint Ventures
|
|
10%
|
|
50.0%
|
|
5.0%
|
Secured
Financings
|
|
10%
|
|
139.0%
|
|
13.9%
|
Common
Stock Issuance
|
|
10%
|
|
100.0%
|
|
10.0%
|
Overhead
Expense Reduction
|
|
10%
|
|
120.0%
|
|
12.0%
|
Total
Company Bonus Percentage
|
|
|
|
|
|
103.5%
|
Adjusted
Company Bonus Percentage
|
|
|
|
|
|
85.0%
|
Adjusted
Bonus Percentage for Messrs. A. and S.
Alexander
|
|
|
|
|
|
75.0%
|
For our
top two executives, 2009 performance was measured against our company-wide
objectives. For all other named executive officers, 2009 performance
was measured based 50% on company-wide performance and 50% on the achievement of
goals for which the executive was responsible. The Committee makes an
annual determination as to the appropriate weighting between company-wide and
executive specific goals based on its assessment of the appropriate
balance.
Upon the
review of our company-wide performance, the Committee considered additional
subjective elements, such as the impairments recorded on our new development
properties, the reduction of our quarterly dividend rate, the reduction in FFO
and the significant dilution resulting from the April 2009 equity
issuance. As a result, the Committee determined that an 85%
achievement level was appropriate for the company-wide performance component of
bonuses paid to our named executive officers but the 85% adjusted company bonus
percentage was reduced to 75% for Messrs. A. Alexander and S. Alexander in
recognition of their more significant level of responsibility for the items
measured above. Based on this bonus award, our Chief Executive Officer received
total bonus cash compensation of $525,000, bringing his total cash compensation
to $1,225,000. The median total cash compensation for a Chief
Executive Officer of our retail REIT peer group was $897,575 and $1,060,875 for
a Chief Executive Officer of our size-based REIT peer group.
Based on
the assessment of the Chief Executive Officer of the performance of our Chief
Financial Officer and our Executive Vice President/Asset Management against
their executive specific personal goals, the Committee approved payments to such
officers at 100% of the individual targets. The annual bonuses paid
to each of the named executive officers are set forth in the Summary
Compensation Table. For the purposes of disclosure in the Summary
Compensation Table on page 23, the annual bonus is classified as non-equity
incentive compensation because the payments are intended as an incentive for
performance to occur during the year in which the described performance targets
that must be met for the bonus to be paid are communicated to the executive in
advance and the outcome is substantially uncertain when the target is
set.
Long-Term Equity
Incentive Compensation. We award long-term equity incentive
grants to our named executive officers as part of our overall compensation
package. These awards are consistent with our policies of fostering a
performance-based environment and aligning the interests of our senior
management with the financial interests of our shareholders. When
determining the amount of long-term equity incentive awards to be granted to our
executives, the Committee considers, among other things, the following factors:
our business performance, the responsibilities and performance of the executive,
our share price performance and other market factors, including the data
provided by FPL. By using a mix of restricted share awards and share options,
subject to a five-year graded vesting, we compensate executives for long-term
service to the company and for sustained increase in our share
performance. The Committee divides the long-term equity incentive
compensation 50/50 between restricted share awards and share
options.
We no longer have a
sufficient number of shares (only 416,534 available) available for
grant under our equity incentive plans to allow the Committee to make awards to
our named executives. As described in this proxy statement, we are
asking our shareholders to consider and approve the Weingarten Realty
Investors 2010 Long-Term Incentive Plan. As a result, the Committee
tabled the discussion on share option and restricted share grants to the named
executive officers based on 2009 individual and company-wide
performance. If this plan is approved by our shareholders, the
Committee will meet and consider equity awards for our named executive
officers. The Committee’s analysis and discussion will be included in
our 2011 proxy statement. If this plan is rejected by our
shareholders, no equity awards or additional cash compensation relating to 2009
performance will be awarded by the Committee.
Additional
Compensation Information
Retirement
Benefits. We maintain two funded, tax-qualified,
non-contributory defined benefit pension plans that cover certain employees,
including our named executive officers. We also maintain a
supplemental pension plan that provides additional retirement benefits to
company officers. The supplemental pension plan is unfunded and
non-qualified. The benefits payable to our named executive officers
under our pension plans and supplemental plan depends on years of service under
the particular plan and highest monthly average earnings in the five consecutive
years, during the last 10 years of employment. For a more detailed
explanation of our pension plans, and the present value of the accumulated
benefits of our named executive officers, see Pension Benefits Table on page
27.
The
Committee believes that these pension plans are important parts of our
compensation program. These plans assist us in retaining our senior
executives. Additionally, these plans encourage retention because an
executive’s retirement benefits increase each year his employment
continues.
Other
Compensation. We provide the named executive officers with
other compensation including perquisites and other personal benefits that the
Committee believes are reasonable and consistent with our overall compensation
program to better enable us to attract and retain superior employees for key
positions. The Committee periodically reviews the levels of other
compensation including perquisites and other personal benefits provided to the
named executive officers.
The named
executive officers receive vehicle allowances and related reimbursements and
reimbursement of certain medical expenses. Messrs. Richter and
Hendrix are also provided tax planning services. We also maintain
other executive benefits that we consider necessary in order to offer fully
competitive opportunities to our executive officers. These include
401(k) retirement savings plans and employee stock purchase programs. Executive
officers are also eligible to participate in all of our employee benefit plans,
such as medical, dental, group life, disability and accidental death and
dismemberment insurance, in each case on the same basis as other
employees.
We have
entered into severance and change in control agreements with two of our named
executive officers, Messrs. Hendrix and Richter, which provide severance
payments under specified conditions following a change in
control. These agreements are described below under Severance and
Change in Control Arrangements on page 30. We believe these
agreements help us to retain executives who are essential to our long-term
success.
Clawback of
Compensation. On February 15, 2010, the Committee met and discussed the
adoption of a compensation clawback policy. The Committee reviewed
the company’s compensation policies for not only its named executive officers,
but also for all executive officers and associates. The
Committee determined that no executive officer or associate is materially
compensated in a manner that encourages them to engage in transactions that
involve an excessive amount of risk or that unnecessarily puts the company at
risk. As a result, it was determined that at that time, a clawback
provision relating solely to risky transactions was not
necessary. However, the Committee approved a clawback policy
applicable to our executive officers and associates that provides that in the
event of fraud or a material restatement of our financial statements (other than
in connection with a change in accounting policy), the facts and circumstances
that led to the fraud and/or the requirement for the restatement will be
reviewed and appropriate actions will be taken. A determination will
be made as to whether any executive officer received compensation based on the
original financial statements because it appeared he or she achieved financial
performance targets that in fact were not achieved based on the restatement.
This determination will be made by the Board in the case of our named executive
officers and by our Chief Executive Officer in the case of all other executive
officers and associates. Any clawback decision made by the Chief
Executive Officer must be approved by the Committee. The Board or the
Chief Executive Officer, as appropriate, will also consider the accountability
of any executive officer whose acts or omissions were responsible in whole or in
part for the events that led to the restatement and whether such actions or
omissions constituted misconduct. The actions that the Board (with
respect to named executive officers) or the Chief Executive Officer (with
respect to all other executive officers) could elect to take against a
particular executive officer, depending on all facts and circumstances as
determined during their review, include:
·
|
Canceling
some or all of the executive officer’s unvested restricted stock or
deferred stock awards and outstanding stock
options;
|
·
|
Adjusting
the executive officer’s future compensation;
or
|
·
|
Terminating
or initiating legal action against the executive officer, as the Board or
the Chief Executive Officer (subject to Committee approval), as
applicable, determines to be in our best
interests.
|
All
clawbacks under this policy apply only to unvested equity
compensation.
Tax
and Accounting Implications
Deductibility of
Executive Compensation. Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue
Code limits the deductibility on our tax return of non-performance based
compensation over $1 million to any of our named executive
officers. It is the Committee’s responsibility to address issues
raised by Section 162(m) in connection with compensation paid to executive
officers. The Committee has adopted a performance-based plan not
subject to this limitation, under which compensation may be paid following
shareholder approval of performance goals pre-established by the
Committee. To the extent that an executive’s compensation does not
qualify for deduction under Section 162(m), a larger portion of the REIT
distributions made by the Company to its shareholders may be subject to federal
income taxation as dividend income rather than as a return of
capital. The Committee will continue to monitor the tax implications
under Section 162(m) of its compensation programs and will take action it deems
appropriate.
COMPENSATION
COMMITTEE REPORT
The
Committee has reviewed and discussed the Compensation Discussion and Analysis
required by Item 402(b) of Regulation S-K with management and, based on such
review and discussions, the Committee recommended to the Board that the
Compensation Discussion and Analysis be included in this proxy statement and
incorporated by reference in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended
December 31, 2009.
Respectfully
Submitted,
Management
Development and Executive Compensation Committee
Marc J.
Shapiro, 2009 Chairman
James W.
Crownover
Robert J.
Cruikshank
Stephen
A. Lasher
The
following tables provide information about compensation for our senior executive
team which includes the disclosure for our named executive
officers.
SUMMARY
COMPENSATION TABLE
The
following table includes information concerning compensation for the three-year
period ended December 31, 2009.
Summary
Compensation
Name
|
Year
|
|
Salary ($)
|
|
|
Stock
Awards (1)
($)
|
|
|
|
Option
Awards (1)
($)
|
|
|
|
Non-Equity
Incentive Plan Compensation
($)
|
|
|
Change
in Pension Value and Non-qualified Deferred Compensation
Earnings
($)
|
|
|
|
All
Other Compensation (3)
($)
|
|
|
|
Total
($)
|
|
Andrew
M. Alexander
|
2009
|
|
$ |
700,000 |
|
|
$ |
649,996 |
(2) |
|
|
$ |
650,000 |
(2) |
|
|
$ |
525,000 |
|
|
$ |
1,120,304 |
(4) |
|
|
$ |
24,065 |
|
|
|
$ |
3,669,365 |
|
President
and Chief
|
2008
|
|
|
700,000 |
|
|
|
700,012 |
|
|
|
|
667,390 |
|
|
|
|
280,100 |
|
|
|
300,764 |
|
|
|
|
19,032 |
|
|
|
|
2,667,298 |
|
Executive
Officer
|
2007
|
|
|
700,000 |
|
|
|
|
(9) |
|
|
|
|
(9) |
|
|
|
509,900 |
|
|
|
905,052 |
|
|
|
|
30,256 |
(8) |
|
|
|
2,145,208 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Stanford
Alexander
|
2009
|
|
|
675,000 |
|
|
|
324,998 |
(2) |
|
|
|
325,001 |
(2) |
|
|
|
354,400 |
|
|
|
123,027 |
(5) |
|
|
|
34,258 |
|
|
|
|
1,836,684 |
|
Chairman
|
2008
|
|
|
675,000 |
|
|
|
362,507 |
|
|
|
|
345,614 |
|
|
|
|
189,000 |
|
|
|
145,491 |
|
|
|
|
19,251 |
|
|
|
|
,1,736,863 |
|
|
2007
|
|
|
675,000 |
|
|
|
|
(9) |
|
|
|
|
(9) |
|
|
|
393,300 |
|
|
|
78,966 |
|
|
|
|
22,834 |
|
|
|
|
1,170,100 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Johnny
L. Hendrix
|
2009
|
|
|
428,000 |
|
|
|
147,153 |
(2) |
|
|
|
147,151 |
(2) |
|
|
|
198,000 |
|
|
|
288,148 |
(6) |
|
|
|
21,507 |
|
|
|
|
1,229,959 |
|
Executive
Vice President/
|
2008
|
|
|
414,750 |
|
|
|
133,520 |
|
|
|
|
127,304 |
|
|
|
|
160,600 |
|
|
|
114,540 |
|
|
|
|
24,395 |
|
|
|
|
975,109 |
|
Asset
Management
|
2007
|
|
|
375,000 |
|
|
|
|
(9) |
|
|
|
|
(9) |
|
|
|
159,100 |
|
|
|
178,552 |
|
|
|
|
22,057 |
|
|
|
|
734,709 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Stephen
C. Richter
|
2009
|
|
|
448,000 |
|
|
|
154,026 |
(2) |
|
|
|
154,026 |
(2) |
|
|
|
207,300 |
|
|
|
385,707 |
(7) |
|
|
|
24,949 |
|
|
|
|
1,374,008 |
|
Executive
Vice President/
|
2008
|
|
|
436,000 |
|
|
|
142,412 |
|
|
|
|
135,792 |
|
|
|
|
168,100 |
|
|
|
148,003 |
|
|
|
|
26,337 |
|
|
|
|
1,056,644 |
|
Chief
Financial Officer
|
2007
|
|
|
400,000 |
|
|
|
|
(9) |
|
|
|
|
(9) |
|
|
|
169,700 |
|
|
|
253,609 |
|
|
|
|
23,957 |
|
|
|
|
847,266 |
|
________________________
(1) |
|
The
value of the share and option awards reflects the fair value of each award
on the date of grant. See Note 18 of the consolidated financial
statements in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended
December 31, 2009 regarding assumptions underlying the valuation of these
awards.
|
(2) |
|
The
named executive officers also receive dividends on restricted share awards
held by them at the same rate and on the same dates as dividends are paid
to our shareholders. Because we factor the value of the right to receive
dividends into the grant date fair value of the restricted share awards,
the dividends received by our named executive officers are not included in
the Summary Compensation Table. The named executive officers received the
following dividends on the restricted shares held by them in 2009:
$109,665, $57,926, $23,710 and $24,818, respectively.
|
(3) |
|
All
Other Compensation includes perquisite amounts paid on behalf of each
named executive for personal usage of a company provided vehicle,
reimbursement for medical expenses paid by the executive and personal tax
services.
|
(4) |
|
Includes
an increase in account balance of $5,715 due to actuarial changes in years
of service and compensation and, an increase of $16,577 due to interest
earned on the Qualified Employee Cash Balance Plan. Also
includes an increase in account balance of $809,097 due to actuarial
changes in years of service and compensation, and $288,915 in interest
earned on the account balance in the Supplemental Executive Retirement
Plan.
|
(5) |
|
Includes
an increase in account balance of $46,084 due to actuarial changes in
years of service and compensation and, an increase of $76,943 due to
interest earned in the Weingarten Realty Retirement
Plan.
|
(6) |
|
Includes
an increase in account balance of $6,980 due to actuarial changes in years
of service and compensation and, an increase of $10,850 due to interest
earned on the Qualified Employee Cash Balance Plan. Also
includes an increase in account balance of $203,952 due to actuarial
changes in years of service and compensation, and an increase of $66,366
in interest earned on the account balance in the Supplemental Executive
Retirement Plan.
|
(7) |
|
Includes
an increase in account balance of $5,800 due to actuarial changes in years
of service and compensation and, an increase of $17,000 due to interest
earned on the Qualified Employee Cash Balance Plan. Also
includes an increase in account balance of $265,808 due to actuarial
changes in years of service and compensation, and an increase of $97,099
in interest earned on the account balance in the Supplemental Executive
Retirement Plan.
|
(8) |
|
Includes
$11,190 of tax gross-ups paid in 2007.
|
(9) |
|
No
share or option awards were granted in 2007 due to a company change in the
timing of issuing these awards.
|
The
change in pension value and non-qualified deferred compensation earnings column
reflects the aggregate increase in actuarial present value of the named
executive officer’s accumulated benefit under all defined benefit plans
including supplemental plans and any above-market or preferential earnings on
non-qualified deferred compensation. The aggregate increase in
actuarial present value of the defined benefit plans is calculated based on the
pension plan measurement dates used in our audited financial
statements. The aggregate increase in pension value for each named
executive is due to actuarial changes in years of service, compensation changes;
and interest earned on the account balance. For a more detailed
explanation of our pension plans, and the present value of the accumulated
benefits of our named executive officers, see Pension Benefits Table on page
27.
The named
executive officers’ non-qualified deferred compensation balances are maintained
in investment accounts similar to those available to our associates through the
401(k) plan, and therefore do not earn above-market or preferential
rates.
TRUST
MANAGER COMPENSATION TABLE
The
following table provides compensation information for the one year period ended
December 31, 2009 for each non-officer member of our Board.
Trust
Manager Compensation
Name
|
|
Fees
Earned or Paid in Cash
($)
(1)
|
|
|
Stock
Awards
($)
(2)
|
|
Option
Awards
($)
|
|
Non-Equity
Incentive Plan Compensation
($)
|
|
Change
in Pension Value and Non-Qualified Deferred Compensation
Earnings
($)
|
|
All
Other Compensation
($)
|
|
Total
($)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
James
W. Crownover
|
|
$ |
37,000 |
|
|
$ |
73,426 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$ |
110,426 |
|
Robert
J. Cruikshank
|
|
|
35,000 |
|
|
|
73,426 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
108,426 |
|
Melvin
A. Dow
|
|
|
25,000 |
|
|
|
73,426 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
98,426 |
|
Stephen
A. Lasher
|
|
|
36,500 |
|
|
|
73,426 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
109,926 |
|
Douglas
W. Schnitzer
|
|
|
31,500 |
|
|
|
73,426 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
104,926 |
|
C.
Park Shaper
|
|
|
32,000 |
|
|
|
73,426 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
105,426 |
|
Marc
J. Shapiro
|
|
|
35,000 |
|
|
|
73,426 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
108,426 |
|
__________________________
(1) |
|
Each
non-employee trust manager receives an annual retainer fee in the amount
of $25,000. The Audit Committee Chairman received an additional $10,000
and each Audit Committee member received an additional
$5,000. The Chairmen of all other committees received an
additional $6,000 and non-employee committee members received an
additional $4,000. Members of the Executive and Pricing Committees receive
no additional compensation for their services.
|
(2) |
|
Each
non-employee trust manager received an award on May 22, 2009 of 5,099
restricted shares fair valued at the closing price of our common shares on
the date of grant at $14.40 per share. Restricted shares are
must be held for a minimum of five years from the date of
grant.
|
GRANTS
OF PLAN-BASED AWARDS TABLE
The
following table includes information concerning grants of plan-based awards for
the one year period ended December 31, 2009.
Grants
of Plan-Based Awards
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
All
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Other
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Grant
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Stock
|
|
|
All
|
|
|
|
|
|
Close
|
|
|
Date
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Awards:
|
|
|
Other
|
|
|
Exercise
|
|
|
Price
|
|
|
Fair
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Number
|
|
|
Option
|
|
|
or
|
|
|
of
|
|
|
Value
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
of
|
|
|
Awards:
|
|
|
Base
|
|
|
Stock
|
|
|
of
|
|
|
|
|
|
Estimated
Possible Payments
|
|
Estimated
Possible Payouts
|
|
Shares
|
|
|
Number
of
|
|
|
Price
|
|
|
on
|
|
|
Stock
|
|
|
|
|
|
Under
Non-Equity Incentive
|
|
Under
Equity Incentive
|
|
of
|
|
|
Securities
|
|
|
of
|
|
|
Date
|
|
|
And
|
|
|
|
|
|
Plan
Awards
|
|
Plan
Awards
|
|
Stock
|
|
|
Underlying
|
|
|
Option
|
|
|
of
|
|
|
Option
|
|
|
|
Grant
|
|
Threshold
|
|
Target
|
|
Maximum
|
|
Threshold
|
|
Target
|
|
Maximum
|
|
or
Units
|
|
|
Options
|
|
|
Awards
|
|
|
Grant
|
|
|
Awards
|
|
Name
|
|
Date
|
|
($)
|
|
($)
|
|
($)
|
|
(#)
|
|
|
|
|
|
(#) |
|
|
(#) |
|
|
($/sh)
(1)
|
|
|
($)
|
|
|
($)
(2)
|
|
Andrew
M. Alexander
|
|
|
|
|
|
$ |
525,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2/25/2009
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
54,852 |
|
|
326,633 |
|
|
$ |
11.85 |
|
|
$ |
11.85 |
|
|
$ |
1,299,996 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Stanford
Alexander
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
405,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2/25/2009
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
27,426 |
|
|
163,317 |
|
|
|
11.85 |
|
|
|
11.85 |
|
|
|
649,999 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Johnny
L. Hendrix
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
225,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2/25/2009
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
12,418 |
|
|
73,945 |
|
|
|
11.85 |
|
|
|
11.85 |
|
|
|
294,304 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Stephen
C. Richter
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
232,500 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2/25/2009
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
12,998 |
|
|
77,400 |
|
|
|
11.85 |
|
|
|
11.85 |
|
|
|
308,052 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
________________________
(1)
|
Exercise
price is calculated as the average of the high and low share price on the
date of grant.
|
(2)
|
Amounts
calculated utilizing the provisions under GAAP. See Note 18 of
the consolidated financial statements in the Company’s Annual Report on
Form 10-K for
the year ended December 31, 2009 regarding assumptions underlying
valuation of equity awards.
|
The
Grants of Plan-Based Awards table sets forth information concerning grants of
non-equity incentive plan awards, equity incentive plan awards and all other
share and option awards during 2009. Estimated payouts under
non-equity incentive plan awards include the target payout of the annual
bonus. The payouts were established by the Board for the named
executive officers on February 1, 2010. When the targets were
established and communicated to the named executive officers, no maximum payout
was specified; however, amounts above the target payout may be paid if
performance goals are exceeded. Specific criteria used to determine
the target was set forth above in the “Compensation Discussion and Analysis –
Annual Bonus” on page 18. Annual bonuses are to be paid in the year
after the bonus was earned. Therefore, 2009 annual bonuses paid in February 2010
are included in the Summary Compensation Table on page 23 but are not included
in the Grants of Plan-Based Awards.
Share and
option awards granted to named executives on February 25, 2009 that have vested
are classified as “All Other Stock Awards” and “All Other Option Awards” due to
established performance targets had been met by December 31,
2008. Currently, no share and option awards have been granted to the
named executives for 2009 performance as disclosed in the “Compensation
Discussion and Analysis – Long-Term Equity Incentive Compensation” on page
19. The criteria used to determine performance targets and share and
option awards is set forth above in the “Compensation Discussion and Analysis –
Long-Term Equity Incentive Compensation” on page 19. The plans
governing option awards provide that the option price per share shall not be
less than 100% of the fair market value per common share at the grant
date. The term for any option is no more than 10 years from the date
of grant. Option awards become exercisable after one year in five
equal annual installments of 20%. Share awards are based on the
average of the high and low share price for the third business day after our
release of earnings that next follows the meeting whereby awards were determined
by the Management Development and Executive Compensation Committee. Share awards
vest after one year in five equal annual installments of 20%.
OUTSTANDING
EQUITY AWARDS TABLE
The
following table sets forth certain information with respect to the value of all
unexercised options previously awarded to the named executive officers as of
December 31, 2009.
Outstanding
Equity Awards at Fiscal Year-End
|
|
Option
Awards
|
|
Stock
Awards
|
Name
|
|
Number
of Securities Underlying Unexercised Options
(#)
Exercisable
|
|
|
Number
of Securities Underlying Unexercised Options
(#)
Unexercisable
(1)
|
|
Equity
Incentive Plan Awards: Number of Securities Underlying Unexercised
Unearned Options
(#)
|
|
Option
Exercise Price
($)
|
|
Option
Expiration Date
|
|
Number
of Shares or Units of Stock that Have Not Vested
(#)
(2)
|
|
|
Market
Value of Shares or Units of Stock that Have Not Vested
($)
(3)
|
|
Equity
Incentive Plan Awards: Number of Shares, Units, or Other Rights that Have
Not Vested
(#)
|
Equity
Incentive Plan Awards: Market or Payout Value of Unearned Shares, Units,
or Other Rights that Have Not Vested
($)
|
Andrew
M. Alexander
|
|
|
61,440 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
$ |
18.9467 |
|
12/08/10
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
70,313 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
21.7955 |
|
12/18/11
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
78,126 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
24.5800 |
|
12/26/12
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
91,465 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
30.0867 |
|
12/16/13
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
70,459 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
39.7500 |
|
12/06/14
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
85,561 |
|
|
|
21,391 |
|
|
|
|
37.4000 |
|
12/05/15
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
78,947 |
|
|
|
52,632 |
|
|
|
|
47.5000 |
|
12/12/16
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
6,586 |
|
|
|
4,391 |
|
|
|
|
45.5550 |
|
12/22/16
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
43,478 |
|
|
|
173,913 |
|
|
|
|
32.2200 |
|
03/01/18
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
326,633 |
|
|
|
|
11.8500 |
|
02/25/19
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
80,076 |
|
|
$ |
1,584,704 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Stanford
Alexander
|
|
|
12,503 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
21.7955 |
|
12/18/11
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
20,834 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
24.5800 |
|
12/26/12
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
78,992 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
30.0867 |
|
12/16/13
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
58,455 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
39.7500 |
|
12/06/14
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
69,518 |
|
|
|
17,380 |
|
|
|
|
37.4000 |
|
12/05/15
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
47,368 |
|
|
|
31,579 |
|
|
|
|
47.5000 |
|
12/12/16
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
22,515 |
|
|
|
90,063 |
|
|
|
|
32.2200 |
|
03/01/18
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
163,317 |
|
|
|
|
11.8500 |
|
02/25/19
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
41,323 |
|
|
|
817,782 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Johnny
L. Hendrix
|
|
|
1,980 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
17.9445 |
|
05/25/10
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
9,954 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
18.9467 |
|
12/08/10
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
9,814 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
21.7955 |
|
12/18/11
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
13,543 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
24.5800 |
|
12/26/12
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
9,281 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
30.0867 |
|
12/16/13
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
9,903 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
39.7500 |
|
12/06/14
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
15,377 |
|
|
|
5,126 |
|
|
|
|
37.4000 |
|
12/05/15
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
16,165 |
|
|
|
10,777 |
|
|
|
|
47.5000 |
|
12/12/16
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
8,293 |
|
|
|
33,174 |
|
|
|
|
32.2200 |
|
03/01/18
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
73,945 |
|
|
|
|
11.8500 |
|
02/25/19
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
17,325 |
|
|
|
342,862 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Stephen
C. Richter
|
|
|
5,942 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
17.9445 |
|
05/25/10
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
13,271 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
18.9467 |
|
12/08/10
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
24,494 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
21.7955 |
|
12/18/11
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
23,871 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
24.5800 |
|
12/26/12
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
23,486 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
30.0867 |
|
12/16/13
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
16,712 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
39.7500 |
|
12/06/14
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
21,440 |
|
|
|
5,361 |
|
|
|
|
37.4000 |
|
12/05/15
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
16,392 |
|
|
|
10,929 |
|
|
|
|
47.5000 |
|
12/12/16
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
8,846 |
|
|
|
35,386 |
|
|
|
|
32.2200 |
|
03/01/18
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
77,400 |
|
|
|
|
11.8500 |
|
02/25/19
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
18,163 |
|
|
|
359,446 |
|
|
|
_______________________
|
(1) |
|
Option
awards become exercisable after one year in five equal annual installments
of 20%.
|
|
(2) |
|
Share
awards vest after one year in five equal annual installments of
20%.
|
|
(3) |
|
The
market value was determined by multiplying the number of unvested shares
by the closing price of $19.79 at December 31,
2009.
|
OPTION
EXERCISES AND STOCK VESTED TABLE
The
following table sets forth certain information with respect to the options
exercised by the named executive officers during the year ended December 31,
2009.
Option
Exercises and Stock Vested
|
|
Option
Awards
|
|
Stock
Awards
|
|
Name
|
|
Number
of Shares Acquired on Exercise
(#)
|
|
Value
Realized on Exercise
($)
|
|
Number
of Shares Acquired on Vesting
(#)
|
|
|
Value
Realized on Vesting
($)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Andrew
M. Alexander
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
11,033 |
|
|
$ |
178,401 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Stanford
Alexander
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
6,976 |
|
|
|
116,943 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Johnny
L. Hendrix
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2,278 |
|
|
|
37,396 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Stephen
C. Richter
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2,370 |
|
|
|
38,729 |
|
PENSION
BENEFITS TABLE
The
following table sets forth information with respect to retirement and deferred
compensation benefits of the named executive officers.
Pension
Benefits
Name
/ Plan Name
|
|
Number
of Years Credited Service
(#)
|
|
|
Present
Value of Accumulated Benefit as of 12/31/09
($)
|
|
|
Payments
During 2009
($)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Andrew
M. Alexander
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Qualified
Employee Retirement Plan
|
|
|
31 |
|
|
$ |
298,571 |
|
|
|
|
Non-Qualified
Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan
|
|
|
31 |
|
|
|
4,950,213 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Stanford
Alexander
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Weingarten
Realty Retirement Plan
|
|
|
55 |
|
|
|
1,332,255 |
|
|
$ |
146,294 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Johnny
L. Hendrix
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Qualified
Employee Retirement Plan
|
|
|
23 |
|
|
|
198,671 |
|
|
|
|
|
Non-Qualified
Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan
|
|
|
23 |
|
|
|
1,155,194 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Stephen
C. Richter
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Qualified
Employee Retirement Plan
|
|
|
29 |
|
|
|
306,138 |
|
|
|
|
|
Non-Qualified
Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan
|
|
|
29 |
|
|
|
1,657,553 |
|
|
|
|
|
The
Weingarten Realty Retirement Plan is a non-contributory defined benefit pension
plan providing annual retirement benefits to eligible grandfathered employees in
specified compensation and years of service categories, assuming retirement
occurs at age 65 and that benefits are payable only during the employee’s
lifetime. Benefits are not actuarially reduced where survivorship
benefits are provided unless the participant’s spouse is more than five years
younger than the plan participant. In this case, the benefit payable is
reduced to cover the costs of providing survivor benefits to the spouse.
The reduction is based on actuarial tables which consider, among other things,
the participant’s age and the age of their spouse.
The
non-contributory defined benefit pension plan converted to a cash balance
retirement plan on April 1, 2002. A grandfathered participant will remain
covered by the provisions of the plan prior to the conversion to the cash
balance plan. A grandfathered participant is any participant born
prior to January 1, 1952, who was hired prior to January 1, 1997, and was an
active employee on April 1, 2002. The retirement plan pays benefits
to grandfathered participants in the event of death, disability, retirement or
other termination of employment after the employee meets certain vesting
requirements (all grandfathered participants are 100% vested). The
amount of the monthly retirement benefit payable beginning at age 65, the normal
retirement age, is equal to (i) 1.5% of average monthly compensation during five
consecutive years, within the last ten years, which would yield the highest
average monthly compensation multiplied by years of service rendered after age
21, minus (ii) 1.5% of the monthly social security benefits in effect on the
date of retirement multiplied by years of service rendered after age 21 and
after July 1, 1976. Compensation for purposes of this plan is defined as wages
reported for federal income tax purposes and includes contributions made under
salary deferral arrangements.
The
Qualified Employee Retirement Plan is a non-contributory cash balance defined
benefit retirement plan that covers all employees with no age or service minimum
requirement. The cash balance plan pays benefits in the event of
death (if married), retirement or termination of employment after the
participant meets certain vesting requirements (generally 100% vested after
three years of service). The amount of the monthly retirement benefit
payable beginning at age 65, the normal retirement age, is equal to the greater
of (1) the monthly benefit that is actuarial equivalent of the cash balance
account, or (2) the accrued monthly benefit under the prior plan as of January
1, 2002. The opening balance of a cash balance participant, who was
an active participant in the plan on January 2, 2002 and was an active employee
on April 1, 2002, is the actuarial equivalent present value of his frozen
accrued benefit on January 1, 2002. Annual additions to each
participant’s account include a service credit ranging from 3-5% of
compensation, depending on years of service and an interest credits based on the
ten-year US Treasury Bill rate.
The
Qualified Employee Retirement Plan also provides for early retirement benefits
upon attaining the age of 55 and completion of at least 15 years of
service. Early retirement benefit payments may begin on the first day of
the month coinciding with or following the month employment ceases.
However, the payments must begin no later than the normal retirement
age. The early retirement benefit calculation is consistent with the
above normal retirement benefit calculation with the exception that the benefit
is adjusted by an early commencement factor. The accrued benefit will
be reduced by 1/15th for each of the first 60 months, by 1/30th for each of the
next 60 months, and by actuarial factors (assumed interest and mortality
factors) for each additional month by which the annuity starting date precedes
the normal retirement age.
The
Non-Qualified Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan was established on
September 1, 2002 as a separate and independent non-qualified supplemental
retirement plan for executive officers. This unfunded plan provides
benefits in excess of the statutory limits of our non-contributory retirement
plans.
The
assumptions used to develop the actuarial present value of the accumulated
benefit obligation to each named executive officer were determined in accordance
GAAP as of the pension plan measurement date utilized in our audited financial
statements for the year ended December 31, 2009. See Note 19 to
the consolidated financial statements included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K
for the year ended December 31, 2009, for a discussion of the relevant
assumptions used in calculating the accumulated benefit obligation.
NON-QUALIFIED
DEFERRED COMPENSATION TABLE
We have a deferred compensation plan
for eligible employees allowing them to defer portions of their current cash or
shared-based compensation. Employees may elect to defer up to 90% of
base salary and annual bonus compensation, and up to 100% of restricted share
awards. The deferred compensation plan does not provide for employer
contributions. Amounts deferred are reported as compensation expense
in the year service is rendered and are deposited in a grantor
trust. Cash deferrals are invested based on the employee’s investment
selections from a mix of assets similar to the non-contributory cash balance
retirement plan. Share-based deferrals cannot be diversified and distributions
from this plan are made in the same form as the original deferral.
There are
no above market or preferential earnings associated with the deferred
compensation plan.
The
following table sets forth information with respect to non-qualified deferred
compensation benefits of the named executive officers.
Non-Qualified
Deferred Compensation
Name
|
|
Executive
Contributions in 2009
($)
|
|
|
|
Registrant
Contributions in 2009
($)
|
|
Aggregate
Earnings in 2009
($)
|
|
|
Aggregate
Withdrawals/ Distributions
($)
|
|
|
Aggregate
Balance at 12/31/09
($)
(4)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Andrew
M. Alexander
|
|
$ |
778,016 |
|
(1) |
|
|
|
$ |
1,037,981 |
|
|
$ |
526,981 |
|
|
$ |
4,701,960 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Stanford
Alexander
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
742,491 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2,569,645 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Johnny
L. Hendrix
|
|
|
147,153 |
|
(2) |
|
|
|
|
187,691 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2,291,879 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Stephen
C. Richter
|
|
|
250,976 |
|
(3) |
|
|
|
|
517,103 |
|
|
|
11,393 |
|
|
|
2,490,576 |
|
____________________________
|
(1) |
|
$72,000
of Mr. A. Alexander's contributions to the deferred compensation plan are
considered part of his salary in the Summary Compensation
Table. $56,020 of Mr. Alexander’s contributions were considered
as part of Non-Equity Incentive Plan Compensation in the Summary
Compensation Table in 2008. $649,996 of Mr. Alexander's
contributions are unvested share awards which are expensed over a five
year period. The fair value on the grant date of these awards
has been disclosed in previously filed proxy statements in the year
granted.
|
|
(2) |
|
$147,153
of Mr. Hendrix’s contributions are unvested share awards which are
expensed over a five year period The fair value on the grant date of these
awards has been disclosed in previously filed proxy statements in the year
granted.
|
|
(3) |
|
$50,400
of Mr. Richter's contributions to the deferred compensation plan are
considered part of his salary in the Summary Compensation
Table. $46,550 of Mr. Richter’s contributions were considered
as part of Non-Equity Incentive Plan Compensation in the Summary
Compensation Table in 2008. $154,026 of Mr. Richter’s
contributions are unvested share awards which are expensed over a five
year period. The fair value on the grant date of these awards
has been disclosed in previously filed proxy statements in the year
granted.
|
|
(4) |
|
All
amounts contributed in prior years have been reported in the Summary
Compensation Table in our previously filed proxy statements in the year
earned for the purposes of the SEC’s executive compensation disclosure
rules.
|
SEVERANCE
AND CHANGE IN CONTROL ARRANGEMENTS
Messrs.
A. Alexander and S. Alexander have not entered into change in control
arrangements with us.
We have,
however, entered into a severance and change in control agreement with each of
Messrs. Hendrix and Richter which becomes operative only upon a change in
control. Additionally, 19 Vice Presidents have also entered into the
same change in control agreement with us. A change in control is
deemed to occur upon any one of five events: (1) we merge, consolidate or
reorganize into or with another corporation or legal entity and we are not the
surviving entity; (2) we sell or otherwise transfer 50% or more of our assets to
one entity or in a series of related transactions; (3) any person or group
acquires more than 25% of our then outstanding voting shares; (4) we file a
report or proxy statement with the SEC disclosing that a change in control has
occurred or will occur and such transaction is consummated; or (5) if, during
any 12-month period, trust managers at the beginning of the 12-month period
cease to constitute a majority of the trust managers.
If Mr.
Hendrix, Mr. Richter or any other eligible Vice President is terminated
involuntarily without cause, or terminates his employment for a good reason
within one year following a change in control, he will be entitled to a lump sum
severance benefit in an amount equal to (1) 2.99 times his annualized base
salary as of the first date constituting a change in control or, if greater, (2)
2.99 times his highest base salary in the five fiscal years preceding the first
event constituting a change in control, plus, in either case, 2.99 times his
targeted bonus for the fiscal year in which the first event constituting a
change in control occurs. In addition, Mr. Hendrix, Mr. Richter or
any other Vice President, as applicable, is entitled to receive an additional
payment or payments to compensate him for any excise tax imposed by Section 4999
of the Code or any similar state or local taxes or any penalties or interest
with respect to the tax. Mr. Hendrix and Mr. Richter will also
receive one year of employee benefits coverage substantially similar to what he
received or was entitled to receive prior to the change in control.
Upon the occurrence of a change in
control event, each executive has the right to terminate his employment for good
reason upon the occurrence of the following events:
· failure
to be elected or reelected or otherwise maintained in the office or the
position, or a substantially equivalent office or position, of or with us which
the executive held immediately prior to a change in control, or the removal of
executive as our trust manager (or any successor thereto) if the executive had
been a trust manager immediately prior to the change in control;
· material
diminution in the nature or scope of the authorities, powers, functions,
responsibilities or duties attached to the position which the executive held
immediately prior to the change in control, or a material reduction in the
executive's base pay;
· the
determination by the executive in good faith that a material negative change in
circumstances has occurred following a change in control, including without
limitation, a material negative change in the scope of the business or other
activities for which the executive was responsible immediately prior to the
change in control, which has rendered the executive substantially unable to
carry out, has materially hindered the executive's performance of, or has caused
the executive to suffer a substantial material reduction in, any of the
authorities, powers, functions, responsibilities, or duties attached to the
position held by the executive immediately prior to the change in
control;
· the
liquidation, dissolution, merger, consolidation or reorganization of us or
transfer of all or substantially all of its business and/or assets, unless the
successor or successors to which all or substantially all of our business and/or
assets have been transferred assumes all of our duties and obligations so that
it is reasonably likely that there will be no material breach of the agreement
by us or our successor-in-interest;
·
we
relocate our principal executive offices, or require the executive’s principal
location of work changed, to any location which is in excess of 25 miles from
the location thereof immediately prior to the change in control, or require the
executive to travel away from the executive's office in the course of
discharging the executive's responsibilities or duties hereunder at least 20%
more (in terms of aggregate days in any calendar year or in any calendar quarter
when annualized for purposes of comparison to any prior year) than was required
of the executive in any of the three full years immediately prior to the change
in control without, in either case, the executive's prior written consent;
and/or
· any
material breach of the change in control agreement by us or any successor
thereto.
Under our equity incentive plan, in the
event of death or following a change in control, all outstanding share and
option awards become fully vested. However in the event of disability or
retirement, the unvested portion of outstanding share awards shall continue
uninterrupted to vest as if the employee remained in our employ, provided that
(A) if the employee dies following termination of employment but prior to the
full vesting of the outstanding share awards hereunder then those awards, to the
extent not already vested, shall be vested in full as of the date of death, and
(B) if the employee accepts employment with a competitor of ours, as determined
by the Management Development and Executive Compensation Committee pursuant to
our then existing non-competition policies, the employee shall forfeit those
awards which had not already vested on the date the employee accepted employment
with such competitor. Termination of the employee's employment with us for
any other reason shall result in forfeiture of the outstanding awards on the
date of termination to the extent not already vested. If a death or change in
control event occurred as of December 31, 2009, compensation based on the
closing share price of $19.79 in the following amounts would have been due for
Messrs. A. Alexander and S. Alexander: $4,178,170 and $2,114,519, respectively.
For Messrs. Hendrix and Richter, please see the Severance and Change in Control
Compensation Table below on page 32 for distributable amounts.
As part
of “All Other Compensation,” we are required to report any payments that were
made to named executives due to a change in control and any amounts accrued by
us for the benefit of the named executives relating to a change in
control. There have been no payments, nor have there been any amounts
accrued for the years presented in Summary Compensation Table on page
23.
SEVERANCE
AND CHANGE IN CONTROL COMPENSATION TABLE
The
following table quantifies compensation that would become payable under
severance and change in control agreements and other arrangements if the named
executive’s employment had terminated on December 31, 2009, based on our closing
stock price on that date, where applicable. Due to the factors that
affect the amount of any benefits provided upon the events discussed below,
actual amounts paid or distributed may be different.
Severance
and Change in Control Compensation
Name
|
|
Salary
(1)
|
|
|
Bonus
(2)
|
|
|
Change
in Pension Value and Non-qualified Deferred Compensation
Earnings
|
|
|
Continuation
of Employee Benefits (3)
|
|
|
Value
of Unvested Option Awards (4)
|
|
|
Value
of Unvested Stock Awards (4)
|
|
|
Excise
Tax & Gross-Up
|
|
|
Total
|
|
Johnny
L. Hendrix
|
|
$ |
1,279,720 |
|
|
$ |
672,750 |
|
|
$ |
288,148 |
|
|
$ |
33,329 |
|
|
$ |
587,123 |
|
|
$ |
342,862 |
|
|
$ |
958,480 |
|
|
$ |
4,162,412 |
|
Executive
Vice
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
President/
Asset
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Management
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Stephen
C. Richter
|
|
|
1,339,520 |
|
|
|
695,175 |
|
|
|
385,707 |
|
|
|
27,417 |
|
|
|
614,556 |
|
|
|
359,446 |
|
|
|
1,089,435 |
|
|
|
4,511,256 |
|
Executive
Vice
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
President/Chief
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Financial
Officer
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
___________________________
|
(1) |
|
Amount
equal to 2.99 times annual base salary.
|
|
(2) |
|
Amount
equal to 2.99 times target bonus.
|
|
(3) |
|
Amounts
include the cost of continued employee benefits at least equal to the
benefits provided to the executive prior to termination and assumes
continued coverage for one year.
|
|
(4) |
|
The
value of the option awards and share awards is based on our December 31,
2009 closing stock price of $19.79 per share. These benefits will vest
immediately either upon a change in control event or upon the death of a
plan participant.
|
Report
of the Audit Committee of the Board of Trust Managers
The Audit
Committee is composed of four independent non-employee trust managers and
operates under a written charter adopted by the Board (a copy of which is
available on our Web site). The Board has determined that each
committee member is independent within the meaning of the applicable NYSE
listing standards currently in effect.
Management
is responsible for the financial reporting process, including the system of
internal controls, and for the preparation of consolidated financial statements
in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States
of America (“GAAP”). Our independent registered public accounting
firm is responsible for auditing those financial statements and expressing an
opinion as to their conformity with GAAP. The Committee’s
responsibility is to oversee and review these processes. We are not,
however, professionally engaged in the practice of accounting or auditing, and
do not provide any expert or other special assurance as to such financial
statements concerning compliance with the laws, regulations or GAAP or as to the
independence of the registered public accounting firm. The Committee
relies, without independent verification, on the information provided to us and
on the representations made by management and the independent registered public
accountants. We held four meetings and one conference call during
fiscal 2009. The meetings were designed, among other things, to
facilitate and encourage communication among the Committee, management, the
internal audit function and our independent registered public accountants,
Deloitte & Touche LLP, the member firms of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, and
their respective affiliates (collectively, “Deloitte”). We discussed with
Deloitte the overall scope and plans for their audit. We met with
Deloitte, with and without management present, to discuss the results of their
examinations and their evaluations of our internal controls.
We have
reviewed and discussed the audited consolidated financial statements for the
fiscal year ended December 31, 2009 with management and Deloitte. We
also discussed with management and Deloitte the process used to support
certifications by our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer that
are required by the SEC and the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 to accompany our
periodic filings with the SEC. In addition, we reviewed and discussed
our progress on complying with Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002,
including the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board’s (“PCAOB”) Auditing
Standard No. 5 regarding the audit of internal control over financial
reporting.
In
addition, the Audit Committee obtained from Deloitte a formal written statement
describing all relationships between Deloitte and the company that might bear on
Deloitte’s independence consistent with PCAOB Ethics and Independence Rule 3526,
“Communication with Audit Committees Concerning Independence,” discussed with
Deloitte any relationships that may impact their objectivity and independence,
and satisfied itself as to their independence. When considering
Deloitte’s independence, we considered whether their provision of services to
the company beyond those rendered in connection with their audit of our
consolidated financial statements and reviews of our consolidated financial
statements, including in its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, was compatible with
maintaining their independence. We also reviewed, among other things,
the audit and non-audit services performed by, and the amount of fees paid for
such services to Deloitte. The Audit Committee also discussed and
reviewed with the independent registered public accountants all communications
required by generally accepted auditing standards, including those described in
PCAOB AU 380, “Communication with Audit Committees,” SAS 99 “Consideration of
Fraud in a Financial Statement Audit,” and SEC rules discussed in Final Release
Nos. 33-8183 and 33-8183a.
Based on
our review and these meetings, discussions and reports, and subject to the
limitations on our role and responsibilities referred to above and in the Audit
Committee charter, we recommended to the Board of Trust Managers (and the Board
has approved) that the audited financial statements for the year ended December
31, 2009 be included in Weingarten’s Annual Report on Form 10-K. We
have selected Deloitte & Touche LLP, the member firms of Deloitte Touche
Tohmatsu, and their respective affiliates as our independent registered public
accountants for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2010, and have presented the
selection to the shareholders for ratification.
The
undersigned members of the Audit Committee have furnished this report to the
Board of Trust Managers.
Respectfully
Submitted,
Audit
Committee
Stephen
A. Lasher, 2009 Chairman
Robert J.
Cruikshank
Douglas
Schnitzer
C. Park
Shaper
PROPOSAL
TWO
APPROVAL
OF AN AMENDMENT TO OUR SIXTH AMENDED AND RESTATED DECLARATION OF TRUST TO
INCREASE THE NUMBER OF AUTHORIZED COMMON SHARES FROM 150,000,000 to
275,000,000
On February xx, 2010 our
Board of Directors approved a proposal to amend our Sixth Amended and Restated
Declaration of Trust, subject to shareholder approval, to increase the number of
shares of our common shares of beneficial interest authorized for
issuance. Our Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust presently
authorizes us to issue 160,000,000 shares
of beneficial interest, consisting of 150,000,000 common shares and
10,000,000 preferred shares. We are proposing to amend our Amended
and Restated Declaration of Trust to increase the number of authorized common
shares of beneficial interest from 150,000,000 to 275,000,000. The
number of authorized preferred shares would remain the same.
We propose that Article Seven of our
Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust be amended by deleting the first
paragraph of the article in its entirety and replacing it with the following
language:
"The
aggregate number of shares of beneficial interest which the Trust shall have
authority to issue is 275,000,000 common shares, $.03 par value ("Common
Shares"), and 10,000,000 preferred shares, $.03 par value ("Preferred
Shares"). All of the Common Shares shall be equal in all respects to
every other such Common Share, and shall have no preference, conversion,
exchange or preemptive rights."
Purpose
and Effect of Proposed Amendment
Since our
initial public offering, our present authorized amount of shares of beneficial
interest has not changed. Our present capital structure authorizes
150,000,000 authorized common shares of beneficial interest, par value $0.03 and
10,000,000 preferred shares, par value $0.03. As of February 12, 2010, there
were 120,098,103 common shares issued and outstanding. We also had the following
reserved common shares as of February 12, 2010: 2,755,684 common shares reserved
for issuance in connection with our outstanding convertible senior notes;
416,534 common shares reserved for future issuance under our equity-based award
plans; 4,428,076 common shares reserved for issuance in settlement of
outstanding equity awards; and 1,104,762 common shares reserved in connection
with the our outstanding operating partnership units. As of February
12, 2010, the preferred shares were designated, issued and outstanding as
follows: (i) 100,000 6.75% Series D Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Shares; (ii)
29,000 6.95% Series E Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Shares; and (iii) 140,000
6.50% Series F Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Shares. Therefore, our Board has
unanimously approved and recommended that our shareholders approve the amendment
to our Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust to increase the number of
authorized common shares from 150,000,000 to 275,000,000.
Throughout
the challenging capital and financial markets of the past year, we were able to
overcome many obstacles with limited resources available to us. In
order to retain flexibility in these uncertain times for obtaining liquidity for
possible future actions, such as equity financings, acquisitions, stock splits,
stock dividends, equity compensation awards or other corporate purposes, our
Board believes that the proposed increase in authorized common shares is
necessary. The proposed amendment will enable us to effectively achieve future
opportunities as they present themselves. Unless required by applicable laws and
regulations, our Board determines when to issue authorized common shares and on
what terms, without further shareholder approval. Currently the only plans or
arrangements for the use or issuance of the additional authorized common shares
is for our the issuance of common shares under the proposed Weingarten Realty
Investors 2010 Long-Term Incentive Plan (see Proposal Three – Approval and Adoption of
the Weingarten Realty Investors 2010 Long-Term Incentive Plan on page
36).
No
additional action or authorization by our shareholders would be necessary prior
to the issuance of additional common shares, unless required by applicable law
or by NYSE or other applicable rules. Furthermore, shareholders do not have
preemptive rights to subscribe to additional securities which we may issue.
Other than the
potential exercise of discretion by our Board to pay a portion of any
future dividend in common shares, issuances of common shares under our employee
benefit plans and dividend reinvestment plan, the conversion of our convertible
senior notes, and the conversion of outstanding operating partnership units our
Board has no immediate plans, understandings, agreements or commitments to issue
additional common shares of beneficial interest for any purposes.
The
increase in our authorized Common Stock will not have any immediate effect on
the rights of existing shareholders. If in the future we issue
additional common shares or other securities convertible into common shares,
such shares will dilute the voting rights of our existing shareholders and,
depending on the price at which at which they are issued, may have a dilutive
effect on the equity, earnings per share and book value per share attributable
to present shareholders.
In addition, an increase
in authorized common shares could, under certain circumstances, have an
anti-takeover effect. These authorized but unissued shares
could (within the limits imposed by applicable law and NYSE rules) be issued in
one or more transactions that could make a change of control of us more
difficult, and therefore less likely. The additional authorized shares could be
used to discourage persons from attempting to gain control of us by diluting the
voting power, equity, earnings per share and book value per share of shares then
outstanding, or by increasing the voting power of persons who would support the
Board in a potential takeover situation. Such effects could include the delay or
prevention of a proposed business combination that is opposed by the Board,
although perceived to be desirable by some shareholders. Accordingly, the
proposed amendment may have the effect of permitting our current management,
including the current Board, to retain its position, and place it in a better
position to resist changes that shareholders may wish to make if they are
dissatisfied with the conduct of our business. We are
currently not aware of any takeover attempts and the increase in authorized
common shares has not been proposed in response to any known attempt to acquire
control of us.
Vote
Necessary to Approve the Proposal
Approval and adoption of the proposed
amendment requires the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of our
issued and outstanding common shares of beneficial interest, voting as a class.
Since the Proposed Amendment concerns the authorization of additional shares of
common shares only, holders of our issued and outstanding preferred shares are
not entitled to vote on the proposed amendment under the terms of the Sixth
Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust or applicable Texas law.
The
Board of Trust Managers unanimously recommends that you vote FOR the amendment
to our Sixth Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust to increase the number of
authorized common shares from 150,000,000 to 275,000,000.
PROPOSAL
THREE
APPROVAL
AND ADOPTION OF WEINGARTEN REALTY INVESTORS 2010 LONG-TERM INCENTIVE
PLAN
Our Board
has determined that it is in our best interest to have an incentive plan in
place in order to provide incentive compensation opportunities for key
employees, trust managers, consultants and other participants. In
view of the foregoing, the Board adopted, subject to shareholder approval, the
Weingarten Realty Investors 2010 Long-Term Incentive Plan (the “Plan”), a
summary of which is set forth below and a copy of which is attached hereto as
Appendix A. This summary is qualified in its entirety by reference to
the full text of the Plan.
Purpose. The
purpose of the Plan is to secure for us and our shareholders the benefits
arising from share ownership by selected key employees, consultants and trust
managers of the company or our subsidiaries as the Management and Executive
Development Compensation Committee may from time to time
determine. We believe that the possibility of participation in the
Plan through receipt of incentive share options, nonqualified share options and
common share units and common shares that are restricted will provide
participants an incentive to perform more effectively and will assist us in
attracting and retaining people of outstanding talent and ability.
Term. The Plan
will terminate, and no awards can be made under the Plan, after May 6,
2020.
Administration. The
Plan will be administered by the Management Development and
Executive Compensation Committee (the “Committee”), which consists solely
of two or more non-employee trust managers. All questions of
interpretation and application of the Plan are determined by this
Committee. The Committee will
determine at its discretion the participants who are to receive awards under the
Plan, the types of awards and establishment of terms, performance criteria,
restrictions and other provisions.
Participation. All
regular, full-time employees, meaning an employee who works at least 30 hours or
more per week, consultants and trust managers of Weingarten Realty Investors or
any of our subsidiaries are eligible for selection to participate in the
Plan. The number of employees currently eligible to participate in
the Plan is approximately 267. Incentive share options may not be
awarded to participants who are not employees.
Transferability. Incentive
share options during the period of restriction, restricted shares and restricted
share units, awarded under the Plan are not assignable or transferable except to
us or as designated by the participant by will or the laws of descent and
distribution. Incentive share options may be exercised during the
lifetime of the participant only by the participant or his or her guardian or
legal representative. If provided in the option agreement,
nonqualified share options may be transferred to permitted transferees (as
defined in the Plan).
Shares Available for
Grant. A total of x,xxx,xxx of our common shares will be
reserved for issuance under the Plan. The shares may be either
authorized and unissued shares or issued and outstanding shares (including, in
the discretion of the Committee, shares
purchased in the open market). If a share option expires unexercised,
is terminated, or is canceled or forfeited, the shares allocable to the
unexercised portion of that share option may again be subject to a share option
under the Plan.
The Plan
provides that in the event of any change in our outstanding common shares by
reason of any share dividend, split, spinoff, recapitalization, merger,
consolidation, combination, exchange of shares or other similar change, the
aggregate number of shares with respect to which awards may be made under the
Plan, the terms and the number of outstanding shares, and the exercise price of
a share option, may be equitably adjusted by the Board in its sole
discretion.
Share Options. The
Committee may
designate a share option as an incentive share option or a nonqualified share
option, or the Committee may award
restricted shares. The terms of each award shall be set forth in a
written option agreement which incorporates the terms of the Plan.
The
exercise price of a nonqualified share option and/or an incentive share option
shall be determined by the Committee;
provided, however, that the exercise price of a nonqualified option and an
incentive share option may not be less than the greater of (i) 100% of the fair
market value (as defined in the Plan) as of the option grant date or (ii) the
par value of the share on such date. Incentive share options may not
be exerced on the earliest of (i) 10 years from the date of grant; (ii) the date
that is one year after a participant’s employment with us is terminated due to a
disability or death; (iii) following the participant’s termination with us for
reason other than death or disability; and (iv) the date the participant is
terminated for cause. The purchase price of restricted shares
will be determined by the Committee on the
date the restricted shares are granted, and the restricted shares will be free
of the restrictions at the end of the restricted period (as defined in the
Plan).
Incentive
share options and nonqualified share options may be exercised by payment of the
share option price in cash, in shares valued at fair market value on the date of
exercise, or any combination thereof. A holder of nonqualified share
options may also make payment, unless restricted by the Committee or the
award agreement, in shares purchased upon the exercise of nonqualified share
options through our withholding of shares (valued at fair market value as of the
date of exercise) that would otherwise be issuable upon exercise of such options
equivalent to the purchase price of the nonqualified share
options. Special rules apply which limit the time of exercise of a
share option following an employee’s termination of employment. The
Committee may
impose additional restrictions on the exercise of any share option.
Amendment and Termination of the
Plan. The Board may at any time and in any way amend, suspend
or terminate the Plan provided, however, that no action by the Board shall,
without further approval of the shareholders, increase the total number of
common shares under the Plan, materially increase the benefits accruing under
the Plan or materially modify the requirements as to eligibility for
participation in the Plan.
Change in
Control/Transactions. The Plan provides that in the event of
any recapitalization, merger, consolidation or conversion, under which the
holders of share options do not receive any securities or other property, all
awards will remain outstanding and will continue in full force and effect in
accordance with their terms. If the transaction is consummated and
the holders of share options receive transactional consideration, the awards
will be modified as follows: (i) if the transaction provides for the
assumption by the entity issuing transactional consideration of the awards
without any modification or amendment, the awards will remain outstanding and
will continue in full force and effect; (ii) if the transaction does not provide
for the assumption by the entity issuing transactional consideration, all
vesting restrictions applicable to awards which will not be assumed will
accelerate and the award holders may exercise/receive the benefits of the awards
during the 10 day period immediately preceding the consummation of the
transaction.
Clawback of
Awards. Share option awards and awards of restricted shares
made to participants under the Plan are subject to clawback under certain
circumstances. In the event of fraud by a participant or a
material restatement of our financial statements (other than in connection
with a change in accounting policy), the facts and circumstances that led to the
requirement for the restatement will be reviewed and appropriate actions will be
taken. A determination will be made as to whether
any participant received compensation based on the original financial
statements because it appeared he or she achieved financial performance targets
that in fact were not achieved based on the restatement. This
determination will be made by the Board in the case of our named executive
officers and by our Chief Executive Officer (subject to the Committee’s
approval) in the case of all other participants. If such a
determination is made with respect to any participant, any unvested
restricted share awards and unexercised option awards held by
such participant may be cancelled.
Federal Tax
Consequences. The grant of incentive share options to an
employee does not result in any income tax consequences. The exercise
of an incentive share option generally does not result in any income tax
consequences to an employee if (i) the incentive share option is exercised by
the employee during his employment with us or one of our subsidiaries, or within
a specified period after termination of employment, and (ii) the employee does
not dispose of common shares acquired pursuant to the exercise of an incentive
share option before the expiration of two years from the date of grant of the
incentive share option or one year after exercise and the transfer of the
common shares to him, whichever is later. However, the excess of the
fair market value of the common shares as of the date of exercise over the
option exercise price is includable in an employee’s alternative minimum taxable
income in the year of exercise.
An
employee who disposes of his incentive share option shares prior to the
expiration of the waiting period generally will recognize ordinary income in the
year of sale in an amount equal to the excess, if any, of (a) the lesser of
(i) the fair market value of the common shares as of the date of exercise
or (ii) the amount realized on the sale, over (b) the incentive share
option exercise price. Any additional amount realized on an early
disposition should be treated as capital gain to the employee, short or long
term, depending on the employee’s holding period for the common
shares.
As a
result of changes made by the IRS Restructuring and Reform Act of 1998 reducing
the required holding period for assets afforded long-term capital gains tax
treatment, if an employee sells common shares acquired pursuant to the exercise
of an incentive share option after December 31, 1997, the employee will
generally recognize a long-term capital gain or loss on the sale if the common
shares were held for more than 12 months. Under those circumstances,
if the employee recognizes a long-term capital gain on the sale, his or her
long-term capital gain will be taxed at a maximum rate of 20%. The
sale by an employee of common shares acquired pursuant to the exercise of an
incentive share option which are held for more than five years will be taxed at
a maximum rate of 18%.
We will
not be entitled to a deduction as a result of the grant of an incentive share
option, the exercise of an incentive share option, or the sale of incentive
share option shares after the waiting period. If an employee disposes
of incentive share option shares in an early disposition, we would be entitled
to deduct the amount of ordinary income recognized by the employee.
The grant
of nonqualified share options under the Plan will not result in the recognition
of any taxable income by the optionee. An optionee will recognize
ordinary income on the date of exercise of the nonqualified share option equal
to the excess, if any, of (i) the fair market value of the common shares
acquired as of the exercise date, over (ii) the exercise
price. The income reportable on exercise of a nonqualified share
option is subject to federal income and employment tax
withholding. Generally, we will be entitled to a deduction for our
taxable year within which the optionee recognizes compensation income in a
corresponding amount.
Generally,
the recipient of an award of restricted shares is taxed upon the fair market
value of the common shares at the date or dates that such shares vest, and we
are entitled to a deduction at the same time in the same amount.
Grants under the
Plan. There have been no grants under the Plan since the Board
approved the Plan described in this proposal; accordingly, the benefits or
amounts that will be received as a result of the adoption of the Plan are not
currently determinable.
Shareholder Approval
Requirement. The approval of the Plan requires the affirmative
vote of the holders of a majority of our common shares voting on the
matter. Accordingly, abstentions and broker non-votes applicable to
shares at the annual meeting will not be included in the tabulation of votes
cast on this proposal.
Plan Benefits. Specific
amounts and types of awards that may be awarded in the future under
the Weingarten Realty Investors 2010 Long-Term Incentive Plan cannot
be determined because the grant and actual payout of awards under the Plan will
be discretionary.
The
Board of Trust Managers unanimously recommends that you vote FOR the adoption of
our Weingarten Realty Investors 2010 Long-Term Incentive Plan.
PROPOSAL
FOUR
RATIFICATION
OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
The Audit
Committee has appointed Deloitte & Touche LLP, the member firms of Deloitte
Touche Tohmatsu, and their respective affiliates (collectively, “Deloitte”) as
the independent registered public accounting firm to audit our financial
statements for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2010. During
fiscal 2009, Deloitte served as our independent registered public accounting
firm and also provided certain tax and other audit related
services. Deloitte, or its predecessors, has served as our principal
accounting firm for more than 30 years and is familiar with our affairs and
financial procedures.
Independent
Registered Public Accounting Firm Fees
The
following summarizes the approximate aggregate fees billed to us for the fiscal
years ended December 31, 2009 and 2008 by our principal independent
registered public accountants, Deloitte.
|
|
2009
|
|
|
2008
|
|
|
|
($
in thousands)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Audit
Fees (1)
|
|
$ |
1,270.5 |
|
|
$ |
1,431.5 |
|
Audit-Related
Fees (2)
|
|
|
1.4 |
|
|
|
- |
|
Tax
Fees (3)
|
|
|
557.7 |
|
|
|
567.6 |
|
All
Other Fees (4)
|
|
|
60.0 |
|
|
|
87.0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total
|
|
$ |
1,889.6 |
|
|
$ |
2,086.1 |
|
______________________
(1) Fees
for audit services billed in 2009 and 2008 consisted of: audit of the Company's
annual financial statements, attestation of the management’s assessment of
internal control over financial reporting, reviews of the Company's quarterly
financial statements, statutory and regulatory audits, comfort letters, consents
and other services related to SEC matters.
(2) Fees
for audit-related services billed in 2009 consisted of financial accounting
consultations.
(3) Fees
for tax services billed in 2009 and 2008 consisted of tax compliance and tax
planning and advice. Fees for tax compliance services totaled
$464,075 and $411,210 in 2009 and 2008, respectively. Tax compliance
services are services rendered based upon facts already in existence or
transactions that have already occurred to document, compute, and obtain
government approval for amounts to be included in tax filings and consisted of
federal, state and local income tax return assistance, research for technical
advice regarding technical terminations and disguised sales, research for
technical advice and analysis for the purpose of filing amended returns,
assistance with 704(c) calculations and assistance with earnings and profits
calculation and review.
Fees for
tax planning and advice services totaled $93,650 and $156,350 in 2009 and 2008,
respectively. Tax planning and advice are services rendered with
respect to proposed transactions or that alter a transaction to obtain a
particular tax result. Such services consisted of tax advice related
to structuring certain proposed mergers, acquisitions and disposals, tax advice
related to tax incentive financing plans, tax advice related to Internal Revenue
Code §1031 reverse deferred exchanges, tax advice related to an intra-group
restructuring, tax advice related to IRC §4981 and excise tax, tax advice
related to equity and deferred compensation plans, tax advice related to
convertible debt issuance and stock buy back transactions, and tax advice
related to the Texas Margins Tax.
(4) All Other Fees billed in 2009 and 2008 consisted of cost
segregation services.
At its
regularly scheduled and special meetings, the Audit Committee considers and
pre-approves any audit and non-audit services to be performed by our independent
accountants. The Audit Committee has delegated to its chairman, an
independent member of our Board, the authority to grant pre-approvals of
non-audit services provided that any such pre-approval by the chairman shall be
reported to the Audit Committee at its next scheduled
meeting. However, pre-approval of non-audit services is not required
if (i) the aggregate amount of non-audit services is less than 5% of the total
amount paid by us to the auditor during the fiscal year in which the non-audit
services are provided; (ii) such services were not recognized by us as non-audit
services at the time of the engagement; and (iii) such services are promptly
brought to the attention of the Audit Committee and, prior to completion of the
audit, are approved by the Audit Committee or by one or more Audit Committee
members who have been delegated authority to grant approvals. During
2009 and 2008, non-audit services exceeded 5% of the total amount paid by us and
were pre-approved by the Audit Committee.
The Audit
Committee has considered whether the provision of these services is compatible
with maintaining the independent accountants' independence and has determined
that such services have not adversely affected Deloitte's
independence.
Representatives
of Deloitte will be present at the annual meeting and will have an opportunity
to make a statement, if they desire to do so, and to respond to appropriate
questions from shareholders.
The
Audit Committee, which has the sole authority to retain our independent
registered public accountants, recommends that you vote FOR the ratification of
the appointment of Deloitte & Touche LLP as our independent registered
public accounting firm for 2010.
OTHER
MATTERS
As of the
mailing date of this proxy statement, the Board knows of no other matters to be
presented at the meeting. Should any other matter requiring a vote of
the shareholders arise at the meeting, the persons named in the proxy will vote
the proxies in accordance with their best judgment.
SHAREHOLDER
PROPOSALS
Any
shareholder who intends to bring business to the annual meeting in the year
2011, or to nominate a person to the Board, must give written notice to our
company secretary, M. Candace DuFour, at P.O. Box 924133, Houston, Texas
77292-4133, by March 1, 2011. All proposals must meet the requirements set forth
in the rules and regulations of the SEC in order to be eligible for inclusion in
the proxy statement for that meeting. To nominate a trust manager before the
next annual meeting, submit the nomination to us as described on page
5.
ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION
Electronic
Availability of Proxy Statement and Annual Report
As
permitted by SEC rules, we are making this proxy statement and our annual report
available to shareholders electronically via the Internet at www.proxyvote.com
and under the Investor Relations section of our website at www.weingarten.com
under "SEC Filings." On March 26 2010, we began mailing to our
shareholders a notice containing instructions on how to access this proxy
statement and our annual report and how to vote online. If you
received that notice, you will not receive a printed copy of the proxy materials
unless you request it by following the instructions for requesting such
materials contained on the notice or set forth in the following
paragraph.
If you
received a paper copy of this proxy statement by mail and you wish to receive a
notice of availability of next year's proxy statement either in paper form or
electronically via e-mail, you can elect to receive a paper notice of
availability by mail or an e-mail message that will provide a link to these
documents on our website. By opting to receive the notice of
availability and accessing your proxy materials online, you will save us the
cost of producing and mailing documents to you, reduce the amount of mail you
receive and help preserve environmental resources. Registered
shareholders may elect to receive electronic proxy and annual report access or a
paper notice of availability for future annual meetings by registering online at
www.weingarten.com under "Investor Relations." If you received
electronic or paper notice of availability of these proxy materials and wish to
receive paper delivery of a full set of future proxy materials, you may do so at
the same location. Beneficial or "street name" shareholders who wish
to elect one of these options may also do so under the Investor Relations
section of our website at www.weingarten.com.
Reduce
Duplicate Mailings
We are
required to provide an annual report and proxy statement or notice of
availability of these materials to all shareholders of record. If you have more
than one account in your name or at the same address as other shareholders, we
or your broker may discontinue mailings of multiple copies. If you
wish to receive separate mailings for multiple accounts at the same address, you
should mark the designated box on your proxy card. If you are voting
by telephone or the Internet and you wish to receive multiple copies, you may
notify us at the address and phone number at the end of the following paragraph
if you are a shareholder of record or notify your broker if you hold through a
broker.
Once you
have received notice from your broker or us that they or we will discontinue
sending multiple copies to the same address, you will receive only one copy
until you are notified otherwise or until you revoke your consent. If
you received only one copy of this proxy statement and the annual report or
notice of availability of these materials and wish to receive a separate copy
for each shareholder at your household, or if, at any time, you wish to resume
receiving separate proxy statements or annual reports or notices of
availability, or if you are receiving multiple statements and reports and wish
to receive only one, please notify your broker if your shares are held in a
brokerage account or us if you hold registered shares. You can notify
us by sending a written request to Weingarten Realty Investors, 2600
Citadel Plaza Drive, Suite 125, Houston, Texas 77008, Attention: Investor
Relations, or by contacting us at either (800) 298-9974 or (713) 866-6000, and
we will promptly deliver additional materials as requested.
Appendix
A
WEINGARTEN
REALTY INVESTORS
2010
LONG TERM INCENTIVE PLAN
I. GENERAL
1.1 Purpose. The
Weingarten Realty Investors 2010 Long Term Incentive Plan (the "Plan") has been
established by Weingarten Realty Investors, a Texas real estate investment trust
(the "Company"), to:
(a) attract
and retain key employees of the Company;
(b) attract
and retain trust managers and Consultants (as defined below);
(c) motivate
Participants (as defined below) by means of appropriate incentives to achieve
long-range goals;
(d) provide
incentive compensation opportunities that are competitive with those of
comparable enterprises; and
(e) further
align Participants' interests with those of the Company's other shareholders
through compensation alternatives based on the Company's common shares of
beneficial interest;
and
thereby promote the long-term financial interest of the Company and its
Subsidiaries (as defined below), if any, including the growth in value of the
Company's equity and enhancement of long-team shareholder return.
1.2 Effective
Date. Subject to the ratification and approval of the holders
of a majority of the voting common shares of beneficial interest of the Company,
the Plan shall be effective as of May 6, 2010 (“Effective Date”), provided,
however, that awards approved by the Committee prior to approval of the Plan by
shareholders of the Company are contingent on such approval of the Plan by the
shareholders of the Company and shall be null and void if such approval of the
shareholders of the Company is withheld. The Plan shall terminate on
May 6, 2020, the tenth anniversary of the Effective Date.
1.3 Definitions. The
following definitions are applicable to the Plan.
(a) "Award"
shall mean the grant of Share Options, Restricted Shares, or Restricted Share
Units pursuant to the Plan.
(b) "Award
Agreement" shall mean a written agreement between the Company and a Participant
documenting an Award under the Plan. Such agreement may be documented in
electronic form determined to be acceptable by the Committee.
(c) "Board"
shall mean the Board of Trust Managers of the Company.
(d) "Cause"
shall mean termination of a Participant's employment with the Company or a
Subsidiary upon the occurrence of one or more of the following
events:
(1) The
Participant's failure to substantially perform such Participant's duties with
the Company or any Subsidiary as determined by the Committee or the Board
following receipt by the Participant of written notice of such failure and the
Participant's failure to remedy such failure within fourteen (14) days after
receipt of such notice (other than a failure from the Participant's incapacity
during physical or mental illness);
(2) The
Participant's willful failure or refusal to perform specific directives of the
Board, which directives are consistent with the scope and nature of the
Participant's duties and responsibilities, and which are not remedied by the
Participant within fourteen (14) days after being notified in writing of such
Participant's failure by the Board;
(3) The
Participant's conviction of a felony; or
(4) A
breach of the Participant's fiduciary duty to the Company or any Subsidiary or
willful violation in the course of performing the Participant's duties for the
Company or any Subsidiary of any law, rule or regulation (other than traffic
violations or other minor offenses). No act or failure to act on the
Participant's part shall be considered willful unless done or omitted to be done
in bad faith and without reasonable belief that the action or omission was in
the best interest of the Company;
provided,
however, that for each employee of the Company who has entered into an
employment agreement with the Company, "cause" shall have the meaning provided
in such employment agreement.
(e) "Change
in Control" shall mean, after the Effective Date, (i) a Corporate Transaction is
consummated, other than a Corporate Transaction that would result in
substantially all of the holders of voting securities of the Company outstanding
immediately prior thereto owning (directly or indirectly and in substantially
the same proportions relative to each other) not less than fifty percent (50%)
of the combined voting power of the voting securities of the
issuing/surviving/resulting entity outstanding immediately after such Corporate
Transaction or (ii) an agreement for the sale or other disposition of all
or substantially all of the company's assets (evaluated on a consolidated basis,
without regard to whether the sale or disposition is effected via a sale or
disposition of assets of the Company; the sale or disposition of the securities
of one or more Subsidiaries or the sale or disposition of the assets of one or
more Subsidiaries) is consummated.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, if
payment or settlement of an Award is contingent upon the occurrence of a Change
in Control, for such purpose, Change in Control shall be defined as provided in
Code Section 409A(a)(2)(A)(v) and regulations promulgated thereunder and shall
be construed accordingly.
(f) "Code"
shall mean the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time (or
any successor to such legislation).
(g) "Committee"
shall mean the Executive Compensation Committee of the Board as such Executive
Compensation Committee may be constituted from time to time; provided, however,
membership on the Committee shall be limited to Non-Employee Trust Managers; and
provided, further, the Committee will consist of not less than two (2) trust
managers.
(h) "Consultant"
shall mean any Person who or which is engaged by the Company or any Subsidiary
to render consulting services pursuant to a written agreement.
(i) "Corporate
Transaction" shall mean any recapitalization (other than a transaction
contemplated by Section 1.11 of the Plan) merger, consolidation or conversion
involving the Company or any exchange of securities involving the Shares (other
than a transaction contemplated by Section 1.11 of the Plan), provided that an
issuance of Shares by the Company shall not be deemed to be a "Corporate
Transaction."
(j) "Disabled"
shall mean the inability of a Participant by reason of a physical or mental
impairment, to engage in any substantial gainful activity on behalf of the
Company, of which the Board shall be the sole judge.
(k) "Fair
Market Value" of any Shares shall mean (i) if the Shares are readily tradable on
an established securities market, the closing price of a share on the Option
Date; (ii) if the Shares are traded on an exchange or market in which prices are
reported on bid-and-asked prices, the closing price for a Share on the Option
Date; or (iii) if the Shares are not readily tradable on an established
securities market nor traded on the over-the-counter market, then with respect
to Non-Qualified Share Options and Restricted Share Units, such value as the
Committee, in good faith, shall determine in accordance with Treasury Regulation
Section 1.409A-1(b)(5)(iv)(B), and with respect to any other Award hereunder,
such value as the Committee, in good faith, shall determine.
(l) "Incentive
Share Option" shall mean any option to purchase Shares awarded pursuant to the
Plan which qualifies as an "Incentive Share Option" pursuant to Code Section
422.
(m) "Non-Employee
Trust Manager" shall have the meaning set forth for a non-employee director in
Rule 16b-3 (or any successor to such rule) promulgated under the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), who are also "outside
directors," as required pursuant to Code Section 162(m) and such Treasury
regulations as may be promulgated thereunder.
(n) "Non-Qualified
Share Option" shall mean any option to purchase Shares awarded pursuant to the
Plan that does not qualify as an Incentive Share Option, including, without
limitation, any option to purchase Shares originally designated as or intended
to qualify as an Incentive Share Option but which does not (for whatever reason)
qualify as an Incentive Share Option.
(o) "Option
Date" shall mean, with respect to any Share Option, the date on which the Share
Option is granted under the Plan.
(p) "Participant"
shall mean (i) any regular full-time employee of the Company or any Subsidiary
(meaning an employee who works at least thirty (30) hours or more per week) who
is selected by the Committee to participate in the Plan, or (ii) any Consultant
or trust manager of the Company or any Subsidiary.
(q) "Permitted
Modification" shall be deemed to be any modification of an Award which is made
in connection with a Corporate Transaction and which provides in connection with
a Share Option, that subsequent to the consummation of the Corporate Transaction
(i) the exercise price of such Share Option will be proportionately
adjusted to reflect the exchange ratio applicable to the particular Corporate
Transaction and/or (ii) the nature and amount of consideration to be
received upon exercise of the Share Option will be the same (on a per share
basis) as was received by Persons who were holders of shares of Common stock
immediately prior to the consummation of the Corporate Transaction; provided,
however, as follows: (i) any such adjustments to Awards that are considered
“deferred compensation” within the meaning of Code Section 409A shall be made in
compliance with the requirements of Code Section 409A unless the Participant
consents otherwise; (ii) any such adjustments to Awards that are not considered
“deferred compensation” subject to Code Section 409A shall be made in such a
manner as to ensure that after such adjustment, the Awards either continue not
to be subject to Code Section 409A or comply with the requirements of Code
Section 409A unless the Participant consents otherwise; and (iii) the Committee
shall not have the authority to make any adjustments under this Section to the
extent that the existence of such authority would cause an Award that is not
intended to be subject to Code Section 409A to be subject thereto.
(r) "Permitted
Transferees" shall mean a member of a Participant's immediate family, trusts for
the benefit of such immediate family members, and partnerships in which the
Participant and/or such immediate family members are the only partners, provided
that no consideration is provided for the transfer. Immediate family
members shall include a Participant's spouse, descendants (children,
grandchildren
and more remote descendants), and shall include step-children and relationships
arising from legal adoption.
(s) "Person"
shall mean an individual, partnership, limited liability company, corporation,
joint stock company, trust, estate, joint venture, association or unincorporated
organization or any other farm of business organization.
(t)
"Restricted Period" has the meaning ascribed to it in Article
IV.
(u)
"Restricted Shares" has the meaning ascribed to it in Article
IV.
(v) “Restricted
Share Units” has the meaning ascribed to it in Article V.
(w) “Retirement”
shall mean the Participant’s termination of employment or service which is
designated by the Committee, in its sole discretion, as a retirement for
purposes of the Plan.
(x) "Securities
Act" shall mean the Securities Act of 1933, as amended from time to time (or any
successor to such legislation).
(y) “Separation
from Service” shall mean the termination of employment or service of a
Participant from the Company and all Subsidiaries. A Participant shall have
Separated from Service as of the date after which the level of bona fide
services he or she is expected to perform has decreased to no more than 20
percent of the average level of bona fide services performed over the
immediately preceding 36-month period. A Participant’s service shall not be
deemed to have terminated merely because of a change in the entity for which the
Participant renders such service, provided there is no interruption or
termination of the Participant’s service.
(z) "Shares"
shall mean the common shares of beneficial interest of the Company, $.03 par
value per share, of the Company.
(aa) "Share
Option" shall mean the right of a Participant to purchase Shares pursuant to an
Incentive Share Option or a Non-Qualified Share Option awarded pursuant to the
provisions of the Plan.
(bb) "Subsidiary"
shall mean any Person during any period of which fifty percent (50%) or more of
the total combined voting power of all classes of securities entitled to vote is
owned, directly or indirectly, by the Company.
(cc) "Transactional
Consideration" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 1.11(a) of the
Plan.
1.4 Administration.
(a) The
authority to manage and control the operation and administration of the Plan
shall be vested in the Committee. Subject to the provisions of the
Plan, the Committee will have authority to:
(1) select
employees, Consultants or trust managers to receive Awards;
(2) to
determine the time or times of receipt of Shares issued pursuant to an
Award;
(3) to
determine the types of Awards and the number of Shares covered by the
Awards;
(4) to
establish the terms, conditions, performance criteria, restrictions, and other
provisions of Awards;
(5) to
amend, modify or suspend Awards;
(6) to
interpret the Plan;
(7) to
establish, amend, and rescind any rules and regulations relating to the
Plan;
(8) to
determine the terms and provisions of any Award Agreements and, as provided in
the Plan, to modify such Award Agreements; and
(9) to
make all other determinations that may be necessary or advisable for the
administration of the Plan.
(b) In
making Award determinations under the Plan, the Committee may take into account
the nature of services rendered by the respective employee, Consultant,
independent contractor or trust manager of the Company or any Subsidiary, his or
her present and potential contribution, to the Company's or any Subsidiary's
success and such other factors as the Board deems relevant.
(c) With
respect to persons subject to Section 16 of the Securities Act, transactions
under the Plan are intended to comply with all applicable conditions of Rule
16b-3 or its successor rule or statute under the Exchange Act. To the extent any
provision of the Plan or action by the Board or the Committee fails to so
comply, it shall be deemed null and void, to the extent permitted by
law.
(d) The
Committee shall consist solely of two or more Non-Employee Trust Managers until
such time as such other requirements are imposed or as otherwise permitted by
Rule 16b-3 or its successor rule or statute under the Exchange
Act. The Committee shall function as follows: a majority of the
Committee shall constitute a quorum, and the acts of a majority of the members
present at any meeting at which a quorum is present, or acts approved in writing
by all members of the Committee, shall be the acts of the Committee, unless
provisions to the contrary are embodied in the Company's Bylaws or resolutions
duly adopted by the Board. All actions taken and decisions and determinations
made by the Committee pursuant to the Plan shall be binding and conclusive on
all persons interested in the Plan. No member of the Board or the Committee
shall be liable for any action or determination taken or made in good faith with
respect to the Plan.
(e) Notwithstanding
any provision hereof, the Board, in its sole and exclusive discretion, may vest
any or all of the authority, powers and discretion provided to the Committee
under this Section or any provision of the Plan to the Board. All
members of the Committee will serve at the pleasure of the Board.
(f) It
is the intention of the Company that the Plan and all Awards issued under the
Plan be interpreted and administered consistent with the provisions of Code
Section 409A and the Treasury Regulations issued thereunder, including the
exemptions from application of Section 409A available thereunder. Further, it is
the intention of the Company that Share Option Awards and Restricted Share
Awards shall not be “deferred compensation” subject to Code Section 409A unless
and to the extent that the Committee specifically determines otherwise, and the
Plan and the terms and conditions of such Awards shall be interpreted
accordingly. Notwithstanding any provision of the Plan to the contrary, in the
event that the Committee determines that any Award may be subject to Code
Section 409A, the Committee may adopt such amendment to the Plan and the
applicable Award agreement or adopt other policies and procedures (including
amendments, policies and procedures with retroactive effect), or take any other
actions that the Committee determines are necessary or appropriate to (1) exempt
the Award from Code Section 409A and/or preserve the intended tax treatment of
the benefits provided with respect to the Award or (2) comply with the
requirements of Code Section 409A.
1.5 Participation. Subject
to the terms and conditions of the Plan, the Committee shall determine and
designate, from time to time, (i) the employees of the Company and/or its
Subsidiaries who will participate in the Plan, and (ii) any Consultants or trust
managers of the Company and/or its Subsidiaries who will participate in the
Plan. In the discretion of the Committee, a Participant may be
awarded Share Options, Restricted Shares, or Restricted Share Units or any
combination thereof, and more than one award may be granted to a Participant;
provided, however, that Incentive Share Options shall not be awarded to
Participants who are not employees of the Company. Except as
otherwise agreed to by the Company and the Participant, any award under the Plan
shall not affect any previous award to the Participant under the Plan or any
other plan maintained by the Company or its Subsidiaries.
1.6 Shares Subject to the
Plan. The Shares with respect to which awards may be made
under the Plan shall be either authorized and unissued shares or issued and
outstanding shares (including, in the discretion of the Committee, shares
purchased in the stock market). Subject to the provisions of Section 1.10, the
number of Shares available under the Plan for the grant of Awards shall not
exceed xxx,xxx,xxx shares in the aggregate. If, for any reason, any Award under
the Plan or any portion of the Award, shall expire, terminate or be forfeited or
cancelled, or be settled in cash pursuant to the terms of the Plan and,
therefore, any such shares are no longer distributable under the Award, such
Shares shall again be available for award under the Plan.
1.7 Compliance With Applicable
Laws and Withholding of Taxes.
(a) Notwithstanding
any other provision of the Plan, the Company shall have no obligation to issue
any Shares under the Plan unless such issuance would comply with all applicable
laws and the applicable requirements of any securities exchange or similar
entity. Prior to the issuance of any shares under the Plan, the Company may
require a written statement that the recipient is acquiring the shares for
investment and not for the purpose or with the intention of distributing the
shares. As a condition to the issuance or transfer of any Shares
issuable in connection with an Award under the Plan, the Company may require an
opinion of counsel, satisfactory to the Company, to the effect that (i) such
issuance and/or transfer will not be in violation of the Securities Act or any
other applicable securities laws and (ii) such issuance and/or transfer will not
be in violation of the rules and regulations of any securities exchange or
automated quotation system on which the Shares are listed or admitted to
trading.
(b) All
Awards and payments under the Plan are subject to withholding of all applicable
taxes, which withholding obligations may be satisfied, with the consent of the
Committee, through the surrender of Shares that the Participant already owns, or
to which a Participant is otherwise entitled under the Plan. The Company shall
have the right to deduct from the number of Shares constituting part of the
exercised Award paid in cash, if any, in consequence of the exercise of a Share
Option or in connection with an Award of Restricted Shares or Restricted Share
Units under the Plan, any taxes required by law to be withheld with respect to
such cash payments. Where an employee or other person is entitled to receive
Shares pursuant to the exercise of a Share Option pursuant to the Plan, the
Company shall have the right to require the employee or such other person to pay
to the Company the amount of any taxes that the Company is required to withhold
with respect to such shares, or, in lieu thereof, to retain, or sell without
notice, a sufficient number of such shares to cover the amount required to be
withheld.
(c) Upon
the disposition (within the meaning of Code Section 424(c)) of Shares acquired
pursuant to the exercise of an Incentive Share Option prior to the expiration of
the holding period requirements of Code Section 422(a)(1), the employee shall be
required to give notice to the Company of such disposition and the Company shall
have the right to require the employee to pay to the Company the amount of any
taxes that are required by law to be withheld with respect to such
disposition.
(d) Upon
termination of the Restricted Period with respect to an Award of Restricted
Shares or Restricted Share Units (or such earlier time, if any, as an election
is made by the employee under Code Section 83(b), or any successor provisions
thereto, to include the value of such shares in taxable income),
the
Company shall have the right to require the Participant or other person
receiving Shares in respect of such Restricted Shares Award or Restricted Share
Units Award to pay to the Company the amount of taxes that the Company is
required to withhold with respect to such Shares or, in lieu thereof, to retain
or sell without notice a sufficient number of Shares held by it to cover the
amount required to be withheld. The Company shall have the right to deduct from
all dividends paid with respect to Restricted Shares or Restricted Share Units
the amount of taxes that the Company is required to withhold with respect to
such dividend payments.
(e) The
Company shall not be liable for damages due to delay in the
issuance, delivery or transfer of any Shares issuable in connection
with an Award under the Plan for any reason whatsoever, including, but not
limited to, a delay caused by the listing requirements of any securities
exchange or automated quotation system or any registration requirements under
the Securities Act or under any other state or federal law, rule or
regulation. Furthermore, the Company will have no liability to any
person for refusing to issue, deliver or transfer any Shares issuable in
connection with an Award under the Plan if such refusal is based upon the
foregoing provisions of this Section.
1.8 Transferability. Incentive
Share Options and, during the period of restriction, Restricted Shares and
Restricted Share Units, awarded under the Plan are not assignable or
transferable except to the Company or as designated by the Participant by will
or by the laws of descent and distribution. Incentive Share Options
may be exercised during the lifetime of the Participant only by the Participant
or his or her guardian or legal representative. If provided in the
option agreement, Non-Qualified Share Options may be transferred by a
Participant to Permitted Transferees, and may be exercised either by the
Participant, his guardian or legal representative, or by a Permitted
Transferee.
1.9 Employee and Shareholder
Status. The Plan does not constitute a contract of employment,
and selection as a Participant will not give any employee the right to be
retained in the employ of the Company or any other Subsidiary or any trust
manager or Consultant the right to continue to provide services to the Company
or any Subsidiary. No Award under the Plan shall confer upon the
holder thereof any right as a shareholder of the Company prior to the date on
which he or she fulfills all service requirements and other conditions for
receipt of Shares. If the redistribution of Shares is restricted
pursuant to Section 1.8, certificates representing such Shares may bear a legend
referring to such restrictions.
1.10 Adjustments to Number of
Shares Subject to the Plan. In the event of any change in the
outstanding Shares of the Company by reason of any share dividend, split,
spinoff, recapitalization, merger, consolidation, combination, extraordinary
dividend, exchange of shares or other similar change, the aggregate number of
Share Options, Restricted Shares, and Restricted Share Units, and the purchase
price of a share under any Share Options, may be equitably adjusted by the Board
in its sole discretion, provided, however, as follows: (i) any such adjustments
to Awards that are considered “deferred compensation” within the meaning of Code
Section 409A shall be made in compliance with the requirements of Code Section
409A unless the Participant consents otherwise; (ii) any such adjustments to
Awards that are not considered “deferred compensation” subject to Code Section
409A shall be made in such a manner as to ensure that after such adjustment, the
Awards either continue not to be subject to Code Section 409A or comply with the
requirements of Code Section 409A unless the Participant consents otherwise; and
(iii) the Committee shall not have the authority to make any adjustments under
this Section to the extent that the existence of such authority would cause an
Award that is not intended to be subject to Code Section 409A to be subject
thereto.
1.11 Corporate
Transactions.
(a) If
a Corporate Transaction is consummated and immediately following the
consummation of such Corporate Transaction the Persons who were holders of
Shares immediately prior to the consummation of such Corporate Transaction do
not receive any securities or other property (hereinafter collectively referred
to as "Transactional Consideration") as a result of such Corporate Transaction
and substantially all of such Persons continue to hold the Shares held by them
immediately prior to the
consummation
of such Corporate Transaction (in substantially the same proportions relative to
each other), the Awards will remain outstanding and will continue in full force
and effect in accordance with their terms (without any modification) following
the consummation of the Corporate Transaction.
(b) If
a Corporate Transaction is consummated and immediately following the
consummation of such Corporate Transaction the Persons who were holders of
Shares immediately prior to the consummation of such Corporate Transaction
receive Transactional Consideration as a result of such Corporate Transaction or
substantially all of such Persons do not continue to hold the Shares held by
them immediately prior to the consummation of such Corporate Transaction (in
substantially the same proportions relative to each other), the terms and
conditions of the Awards may be modified as follows:
(1) If
the documentation pursuant to which a Corporate Transaction will be consummated
provides for the assumption (by the entity issuing Transactional Consideration
to the Persons who were the holders of Shares immediately prior to the
consummation of such Corporate Transaction) of the Awards granted pursuant to
the Plan without any modification or amendment other than the issuer of the
Shares covered by the Award, such Awards will remain outstanding and will
continue in full force and effect in accordance with their terms following the
consummation of such Corporate Transaction.
(2) If
the documentation pursuant to which a Corporate Transaction will be consummated
does not provide for the assumption by the entity issuing Transactional
Consideration to the Persons who were the holders of Shares immediately prior to
the consummation of such Corporate Transaction of the Awards granted pursuant to
the Plan without any modification or amendment, all vesting restrictions
(performance-based or otherwise) applicable to Awards which will not be so
assumed will accelerate and the holders of such Awards may (subject to the
expiration of the term of such Awards) exercise/receive the benefits of such
Awards without regard to such vesting restrictions during the ten (10) day
period immediately preceding the consummation of such Corporate Transaction. For
purposes of the immediately preceding sentence, all performance-based goals will
be deemed to have been satisfied in full. The Company will provide
each Participant holding Awards that will not be so assumed with reasonable
notice of the termination of such vesting restrictions and the impending
termination of such Awards. Upon the consummation of such a Corporate
Transaction, all unexercised Awards which are not to be so assumed will
automatically terminate and cease to be outstanding.
(c) Nothing
contained in this Section will be deemed to extend the term of an Award or to
revive any Award which has previously lapsed or been cancelled, terminated or
surrendered.
1.12 Agreement With
Company. At the time of any Awards under the Plan, the
Committee will require a Participant to enter into an Award Agreement with the
Company in a form specified by the Committee, agreeing to the terms and
conditions of the Plan and to such additional terms and conditions, not
inconsistent with the Plan, as the Committee may, in its sole discretion,
prescribe.
1.13 Amendment and Termination of
Plan. Subject to the following provisions of this Section
1.13, the Board may at any time and in any way amend, suspend or terminate the
Plan. No amendment of the Plan and, except as provided in Section
1.10, no action by the Board, shall, without further approval of the
shareholders of the Company, increase the total number of Shares with respect to
which awards may be made under the Plan, materially increase the benefits
accruing to Participants under the Plan or materially modify the requirements as
to eligibility for participation in the Plan, if shareholder approval of such
amendment is a condition of Rule 16b-3 or its successor rule or statute, the
Code or any exchange or market system on which the Shares are listed at the time
such amendment is adopted. No amendment, suspension or termination of the Plan
shall alter or impair any Share Option, Restricted Shares, or Restricted Share
Units previously awarded under the Plan without the consent of the holder
thereof.
1.14 Amendments and Adjustments
To Awards. Subject to the limitations described herein, the
Committee may amend, modify or terminate any outstanding Award with the
Participant's consent at any time prior to payment or exercise in any manner not
inconsistent with the terms of the Plan, including, without limitation, to
change the date or dates as of which and/or the terms and conditions to which
(a) a Share Option becomes exercisable or (b) to amend the terms of any
outstanding Share Option to provide an exercise price per share which is higher
or lower than the then current exercise price per share of such outstanding
Award or (c) to cancel an Award and grant a new Award in substitution
therefore under such different terms and conditions as the Committee may also
make adjustments in the terms and conditions of, and the criteria included in
agreements evidencing Awards in recognition of unusual or nonrecurring events
(including, without limitation, the events described in Section 1.11 of the
Plan) affecting the Company, or the financial statements of the Company or any
Subsidiary, or of changes in applicable laws, regulations or accounting
principles, whenever the Committee determines that such adjustments are
appropriate to prevent reduction or enlargement of the benefits or potential
benefits intended to be made available pursuant to the Plan. Any
provision of the Plan or any Award Agreement to the contrary notwithstanding,
the Committee may cause any Award granted to be cancelled in consideration of a
cash payment or alternative Award made to the holder of such cancelled Award
equal in value to the Fair Market Value of such cancelled Award. The
determinations of value pursuant to this Section shall be made by the Committee
in its sole discretion. Notwithstanding the immediately preceding provisions of
this Section 1.14, with respect to a Non-Qualified Share Option, no
modifications described in this Section 1.14 shall be made to such Option unless
such modification is permitted pursuant to Treasury Regulation Section
1.409A-1(b)(5)(v) and will not cause the Non-Qualified Share Option to be
considered “deferred compensation” within the meaning of Code Section
409A.
1.15 Liability of the
Company. By accepting any benefits under the Plan, each
Participant and each person claiming under or through such Participant shall be
conclusively deemed to have indicated acceptance and ratification of, and
consented to, any action taken or made to be taken or made under the Plan by the
Company, the Board, the Committee or any other committee appointed by the Board.
No Participant or any person claiming under or through him or her shall have any
right or interest, whether vested or otherwise, in the Plan or in any Share
Option hereunder, contingent or otherwise, unless and until such Participant
shall have complied with all of the terms, conditions and provisions of the Plan
and the Award Agreement relating thereto. Neither the Company, its
trust managers, officers or employees, nor any of the Subsidiaries which are in
existence or hereafter come into existence, shall be liable to any Participant
or other person if it is determined for any reason by the Internal Revenue
Service or any court having jurisdiction that any Incentive Share Options
granted hereunder do not qualify for tax treatment as Incentive Share Options
under Section 422 of the Code. Neither the Company, the Board nor the
Committee shall be required to give any security or bond for the performance of
any obligation which may be created by the Plan.
1.16 Unfunded
Plan. Insofar as it provides for Awards, the Plan shall be
unfunded. Although bookkeeping accounts may be established with
respect to Participants who are granted Awards of Shares under the Plan, any
such accounts will be used merely as a bookkeeping
convenience. Except for the holding of Restricted Shares in escrow
pursuant to Article IV hereof, the Company shall not be required to segregate
any assets which may at any time be represented by Awards under the Plan, nor
shall the Plan be construed as providing for such segregation, nor shall the
Company, the Board nor the Committee be deemed to be a trustee of Shares or cash
to be awarded under the Plan. Any liability of the Company to any
Participant with respect to an Award under the Plan shall be based solely upon
any contractual obligations which may be created by the Plan; no such obligation
of the Company shall be deemed to be secured by any pledge or other encumbrance
on any property of the Company.
1.17 Date of Grant of an
Award. The granting of an Award shall take place only upon the
execution and delivery by the Company and the Participant of an Award Agreement
and neither any other action taken by the Committee or the Board nor anything
contained in the Plan or in any resolution adopted or to be adopted by the
Committee, the Board or the shareholders of the Company shall constitute the
granting of an Award pursuant to this Plan; provided, however, that the amount
of an Award (such as, for example, the number of Share Options or Restricted
Shares to be granted) and the date as of which the Award will be granted shall
be in a manner determined by the Committee and may precede the date of
grant.
1.18 Governing
Law. The validity, construction and effect of the Plan and any
rules and regulations relating to the Plan shall be determined in accordance
with the laws of the State of Texas, without giving effect to the choice of
laws, rules and principles.
II. INCENTIVE
SHARE OPTIONS
2.1 Definition. The
award of an Incentive Share Option under the Plan entitles the Participant to
purchase Shares at a price fixed at the date on which the Option is granted,
subject to the following terms of this Article II.
2.2 Eligibility. The
Committee shall designate the Participants to whom Incentive Share Options, as
described in Code Section 422(b) or any successor section thereto, are to be
awarded under the Plan and shall determine the number of shares to be offered to
each of them. Incentive Share Options may be awarded only to employees. In no
event shall the aggregate Fair Market Value (determined at the time the Option
is awarded) of Shares with respect to which Incentive Share Options are
exercisable for the first time by an individual during any calendar year (under
all Plans of the Company and all Subsidiaries) exceed $100,000.
2.3 Price. The
purchase price of a Share under an Incentive Share Option shall be determined by
the Committee, provided, however, that in no event shall such price be less than
the greater of (i) 100% of the Fair Market Value of a share as of the
Option Date (or 110% of such Fair Market Value if the holder of the Share Option
owns shares possessing more than ten percent (10%) of the combined voting power
of all classes of shares of the Company or any Subsidiary) or (ii) the par value
of a Share on such date.
2.4 Exercise.
(a) Each
Incentive Share Option shall become and be exercisable at such time or times and
during such period or periods, in full or in such installments, as may be
determined by the Committee at the Option Date. Unless otherwise provided in the
applicable Award Agreement and subject to the Option’s Expiration Date as
provided in Section 2.5, each Incentive Share Option shall become and be
exercisable in the event the Participant terminates employment due to
Retirement, death or Disability, as of the date of such termination of
employment.
(b) Unless
otherwise provided in the Award Agreement evidencing such Share Option,
Participants may elect to pay the purchase price of Shares purchased upon the
exercise of Incentive Share Options in cash or through delivery at the time of
such exercise of Shares (valued at Fair Market Value as of the date of exercise)
already owned by the Participant or any combination thereof, equivalent to the
purchase price of such Incentive Share Options. A Participant's payment of the
purchase price in connection with the exercise of an Incentive Share Option
through delivery of Shares ("ISO Shares") that were acquired through the
exercise of an Incentive Share Option and that have been held for more than one
year will be considered a disposition (within the meaning of Code Section
422(c)) of ISO Shares, resulting in the disqualification of the ISO Shares from
treatment as an Incentive Share Option under Code Section 422, and the
Participant's recognition of ordinary income. Participants should
consult with their tax advisors prior to electing to exercise an Incentive Share
Option by this method.
(c) As
soon as practicable following the time of exercise of an Incentive Share Option,
a certificate representing the Shares so purchased shall be delivered to the
Participant.
2.5 Option Expiration
Date. Unless otherwise provided by the Award Agreement, the
"Expiration Date" with respect to an Incentive Share Option or any portion
thereof awarded to a Participant under the Plan means the earliest
of:
(a) the
date that is ten (10) years after the date on which the Incentive Share Option
is awarded (or, if the Participant owns shares possessing more than ten percent
(10%) of the combined voting power of
all
classes of shares of the Company or any Subsidiary, the date that is five (5)
years after the date on which the Incentive Share Option is
awarded);
(b) the
date that is one (1) year after the Participant's employment with the Company
and all Subsidiaries is terminated by reason of the Participant becoming
Disabled or by reason of the Participant's death;
(c) three
(3) months following the date that the Participant's employment with the Company
and all Subsidiaries is terminated for reason other than death or becoming
Disabled; or
(d) the
date the Participant is terminated for Cause.
All
rights to purchase Shares pursuant to an Incentive Share Option shall cease as
of such Option's Expiration Date.
III. NON-QUALIFIED
SHARE OPTIONS
3.1 Definition. The
award of a Non-Qualified Share Option under the Plan entitles the Participant to
purchase shares at a price fixed at the date on which the Option is granted,
subject to the following terms of this Article III.
3.2 Eligibility. The
Committee shall designate the Participants to whom Non-Qualified Share Options
are to be awarded under the Plan and shall determine the number of option Shares
to be offered to each of them.
3.3 Price. The
purchase price of a Share under a Non-Qualified Share Option shall be determined
by the Committee; provided, however, that in no event shall such Price be less
than 100% of the Fair Market Value of a Share as of the Option
Date.
3.4 Exercise.
(a) Each
Non-Qualified Share Option shall become and be exercisable at such time or times
and during such period or periods, in full or in such installments, as may be
determined by the Committee at the Option Date. Unless otherwise provided in the
applicable Award Agreement and subject to the Option’s Expiration Date as
provided in Section 3.5, each Non-Qualified Share Option shall become and be
exercisable in the event the Participant terminates employment due to
Retirement, death or Disability, as of the date of such termination of
employment.
(b) Unless
otherwise provided in the Award Agreement evidencing such Non-Qualified Share
Option, Participants may elect to pay the purchase price of Shares purchased
upon the exercise of Non-Qualified Share Options in cash or though delivery at
the time of such exercise of Shares (valued at Fair Market Value as of the date
of exercise) already owned by the Participant, or any combination thereof,
equivalent to the purchase price of such Non-Qualified Share
Options. Participants also may elect to pay, unless restricted by the
Committee or the terms of the Participant's Award Agreement, the purchase price,
in whole or in part, in Shares purchased upon the exercise of Non-Qualified
Share Options through the Company's withholding of Shares (valued at Fair Market
Value as of the date of exercise) that would otherwise be issuable upon exercise
of such options equivalent to the purchase price of such Non-Qualified Share
Options and, as soon as practicable thereafter, a certificate representing the
net number of shares so purchased shall be delivered to the person entitled
thereto.
(c) As
soon as practicable following the time of exercise of a Non-Qualified Share
Option, a certificate representing the Shares so purchased shall be delivered to
the Participant. Upon exercise, the Participant shall in no event be entitled to
any accumulated dividends, other securities or cash to which he or she would
have been entitled had he or she actually owned the Shares subject to the
Non-Qualified Option as of the Option Date.
3.5 Option Expiration
Date. Unless otherwise provided in a Participant's Award
Agreement, the "Expiration Date" with respect to a Non-Qualified Share Option or
any portion thereof awarded to a Participant under the Plan means the earliest
of:
(a) the
date is (10) ten years after the date on which the Non-Qualified Share Option is
awarded;
(b) three
(3) months following the date that the Participant's employment with the Company
and all Subsidiaries is terminated by reasons other than death, Retirement, or
becoming Disabled; or
(c) the
date the Participant is terminated for Cause.
All
rights to purchase shares pursuant to a Non-Qualified Share Option shall cease
as of such Option's Expiration Date.
IV. RESTRICTED
SHARES
4.1 Definition. Restricted
Share Awards are grants of Shares to Participants, the vesting of which is
subject to a required period of employment and any other conditions established
by the Committee.
4.2 Eligibility. The
Committee shall designate the Participants to whom Restricted Shares are to be
awarded and the number of Shares that are subject to the Award.
4.3 Terms and Conditions of
Awards. All Restricted Shares awarded to Participants under
the Plan shall be subject to the following terms and conditions and to such
other terms and conditions, not inconsistent with the Plan, as shall be
prescribed by the Committee in its sole discretion and as shall be contained in
the Participant's Award Agreement.
(a) Restricted
Shares awarded to Participants may not be sold, assigned, transferred, pledged
or otherwise encumbered, except as hereinafter provided, for a period of years
as the Committee may determine on the date of grant of the Award of Restricted
Shares (the "Restricted Period"). Except for such restrictions, the
Participant as owner of such shares shall have all the rights of a shareholder,
including but not limited to the right to vote such shares and, except as
otherwise provided by the Committee, the right to receive all dividends paid on
such shares (including any non-vested shares subject to an Award).
(b) The
Committee may in its discretion, at any time after the date of the award of
Restricted Shares, adjust the length of the Restricted Period to account for
individual circumstances of a Participant or group of Participants.
(c) Except
as otherwise determined by the Committee in its sole discretion, a Participant
whose employment with the Company and all Subsidiaries terminates prior to the
end of the Restricted Period for any reason shall forfeit Restricted Shares
remaining subject to any outstanding vesting requirements under the Restricted
Share Awards. Notwithstanding the immediately foregoing, unless otherwise
provided in the applicable Award Agreement, in the event the Participant
terminates employment due to Retirement, death, or Disability, all unvested
Restricted Shares held by such Participant shall immediately vest.
(d) Each
certificate issued in respect of Restricted Shares awarded under the Plan shall
be registered in the name of the Participant and, at the discretion of the
Committee, each such certificate may be deposited with the Company's transfer
agent or an agent of the Company as designated by the Committee. Each
such certificate shall bear the following (or a similar) legend:
"The
transferability of this certificate and the Shares represented hereby are
subject to the
terms and
conditions (including forfeiture) contained in the Weingarten Realty Investors
2010 Long Term Incentive Plan and an agreement entered into between the
registered owner and Weingarten Realty Investors. A copy of such plan
and agreement is on file in the office of the Secretary of Weingarten Realty
Investors, 2600 Citadel Plaza Drive #300, Houston,
Texas 77008.
(e) At
the end of the Restricted Period for Restricted Shares, such Restricted Shares
will be transferred free of the restrictions set forth in Section 4.3(d) above
to a Participant (or to his or her legal representative, beneficiary or heir).
Notwithstanding the foregoing, to the extent permissible under the Weingarten
Realty Investors Deferred Compensation Plan, the Committee may provide that
payment of a Restricted Share Award may be deferred, in accordance with the
terms of such plan, which is intended to satisfy the requirements applicable to
such a deferral under Code Section 409A.
V. RESTRICTED
SHARE UNITS
5.1 Definition. A
Restricted Share Unit Award is the grant of a right to receive Shares in the
future, the vesting of which is subject to a required period of employment and
any other conditions established by the Committee.
5.2 Eligibility. The
Committee shall designate the Participants to whom Restricted Share Units are to
be awarded and the number of Shares that are subject to the Award.
5.3 Terms and Conditions of
Awards. All Restricted Share Units awarded to Participants under the Plan
shall be subject to the following terms and conditions and to such other terms
and conditions, not inconsistent with the Plan, as shall be prescribed by the
Committee in its sole discretion and as shall be contained in the Participant's
Award Agreement.
(a) A
Restricted Share Unit may only be paid in whole Shares. The Share Certificate
evidencing the Shares payable under a Restricted Share Unit shall be issued
within two and one-half (2½) months after the date on which the Restricted Share
Unit vests so that the payment of Shares qualifies for the short-term deferral
exception under Code Section 409A; provided, however, that at the time a
Restricted Share Unit Award is granted, the Committee may provide, in the
applicable Award Agreement, that the Share Certificate evidencing the Shares
payable under the Award shall be issued two and one-half (2½) months following
the Participant’s Separation from Service or, if the Participant is a “specified
employee” (as defined pursuant to Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-1(i)), that
the Share Certificate shall be issued in the month following the expiration of
six months from the date of Separation from Service.
(b) The
Committee shall determine the dates on which Restricted Share Units granted to a
Participant shall vest. The Committee may, in its sole discretion,
accelerate the vesting of any Restricted Share Units. The
acceleration of any Restricted Share Unit Award shall create no right,
expectation or reliance on the part of any other Participant or that Participant
regarding any other Restricted Share Unit Award.
(c) Except
as otherwise determined by the Committee in its sole discretion, with respect to
a Participant whose employment with the Company and all Subsidiaries terminates,
the Participant’s unvested Restricted Share Units as of the date of termination
shall be forfeited and any rights the Participant had to such unvested Awards
shall become null and void; provided, however, that, notwithstanding the
immediately foregoing, unless otherwise provided in the applicable Award
Agreement, in the event the Participant terminates employment due to Retirement,
death or Disability, all unvested Restricted Share Units held by such
Participant shall immediately vest.
(d) Unless
provided otherwise in the applicable Award Agreement, the holder of a Restricted
Share Unit Award shall not be entitled to receive dividends or dividend
equivalents related to the Shares associated with the Award.
(e) Unless
expressly permitted by the Committee in the Award Agreement, a Participant does
not have any right to make any election regarding the time or form of any
payment pursuant to a Restricted Share Unit Award.
VI. ACTIONS
TAKEN IN THE EVENT OF FRAUD OR A MATERIAL RESTATEMENT OF FINAINCAIL
STATEMENTS
6.1 Clawback. If
at any time an allegation is made that an executive officer or any Participant
has engaged in fraud, a review by the Board of the facts and circumstances
associated with the alleged actions shall occur, and a determination shall be
made whether fraud has occurred. In the event the allegation relates to a named
executive officer, such review and determination shall be made by the Board;
with respect to all other Participants, such review and determination shall be
made by the Chief Executive Officer and his decision shall be subject to
approval by the Committee. Additionally, if the Company is required
to materially restate its financial statements, the Board shall investigate the
events giving rise to the restatement. If is determined there was a
failure to properly supervise, or a Participant’s actions or omissions led in
any material way to the restatement, the Board will determine whether such
officer received compensation based on the original financial statements because
it appeared he achieved financial performance targets that, in light of the
restated financial statements, were not, in fact, achieved. If a determination
is made, the actions that may be taken by the Board, with respect to named
executive officers, or the Chief Executive Officer, with respect to all other
executive officers and associates (subject to Committee approval), include
canceling all or any portion of the Participant’s unvested
Awards. Any determination by the Board or Chief Executive Officer
(subject to Committee approval) with respect to the foregoing shall be final,
conclusive and binding on all interested parties.