o |
Preliminary
Proxy Statement
|
o
|
Confidential,
for Use of The Commission Only (as permitted by Rule
14a-6(e)(2))
|
x |
Definitive
Proxy Statement
|
o |
Definitive
Additional Materials
|
o |
Soliciting
Material Pursuant to §240.14a-12
|
x |
No
fee required
|
o
|
Fee
computed on table below per Exchange Act Rules 14a-6(i)(4) and
0-11.
|
(1)
|
Title
of each class of securities to which transaction
applies:
|
(2)
|
Aggregate
number of securities to which transaction
applies:
|
(3)
|
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):
|
(4)
|
Proposed
maximum aggregate value of
transaction:
|
(5) |
Total
fee paid:
|
o |
Fee
paid previously with preliminary
materials.
|
o
|
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.
|
(1)
|
Amount
Previously Paid:
|
(2) | Form, Schedule or Registration Statement No.: |
(3) | Filing Party: |
(4) | Date Filed: |
By Order of the Board of Directors, | ||
/s/ Paul A. Levitsky | ||
Paul A. Levitsky | ||
Secretary | ||
Fairfield, Connecticut | ||
November 28, 2005 |
a)
|
you
must return your voting instructions to your broker or nominee
(that is,
the holder of record) or
|
b)
|
if
you wish to vote in person at the meeting, you must obtain from
the record
holder a proxy signed
by the record holder
giving you the right to vote the shares at the meeting and bring
it to the
meeting. (You may not
use the voting instruction form provided by your broker or nominee
to vote
in person at the meeting).
|
Name
|
Age
|
Positions
Currently Held
with
the Company
|
Committee
Member
|
Director
of the Company Since
|
Richard
E. Carver
|
68
|
Director
and Chairman of the
Board
of Directors
|
C,
N
|
January
2000
|
George
W. Dunbar, Jr.
|
59
|
Director
|
C,
N*
|
November
1999
|
Donald
J. Freed, Ph.D.
|
63
|
Director,
President and
Chief
Executive Officer
|
--
|
January
2005
|
Maria-Luisa
Maccecchini, Ph.D.
|
54
|
Director
|
A
|
January
2005
|
Charles
J. Philippin
|
55
|
Director
|
A,
C*, N
|
June
1999
|
John
M. Sabin
|
50
|
Director
|
A*
|
December
1996
|
A |
-
Audit Committee
|
C |
-
Compensation and Stock Option
Committee
|
N |
-
Nominating and Corporate Governance
Committee
|
* |
-
Committee Chair
|
--
|
reputation,
strength of character, integrity, business ethics and, for non-management
directors, independence of the
individual;
|
--
|
business,
government or other professional experience and
acumen;
|
--
|
the
number of other companies as to which the individual serves as
a director
and the individual’s time availability to serve the Company;
|
--
|
knowledge
and expertise in life, digital, nano or physical sciences and related
business enterprises, and other skills relevant to the business
of the
Company;
|
--
|
diversity;
and
|
--
|
tenure
as a member of the Company’s
Board.
|
--
|
the
reliability and integrity of the Company’s financial statements,
accounting policies and disclosure
practices;
|
--
|
the
Company’s compliance with legal and regulatory requirements, including
the
Company’s disclosure controls and
procedures;
|
--
|
the
Company’s independent auditor’s qualifications, engagement, compensation,
and independence; and
|
--
|
the
performance of the Company’s internal audit function and independent
auditor.
|
--
|
review
and approve corporate goals and objectives relevant to CEO compensation,
evaluate the CEO’s performance in light of those goals and objectives, and
determine and approve the CEO’s compensation level based on this
evaluation;
|
--
|
review
and approve the compensation of the Company’s other officers based on
recommendations from the CEO;
|
--
|
review,
approve and make recommendations to the Board with respect to incentive
compensation plans or programs or other equity-based plans or programs,
including but not limited to the Company’s Incentive Compensation Plan,
the Company’s 1997 Employees’ Stock Option Plan and the Company’s 401(k)
Plan; and
|
--
|
produce
an annual report of the Compensation Committee on executive compensation
for inclusion in the Company’s annual proxy
statement.
|
--
|
identify
individuals qualified to become members of the Board, consistent
with
criteria approved by the Board;
|
--
|
recommend
to the Board candidates for all directorships to be filled by the
Board or
stockholders of the Company;
|
--
|
in
consultation with the Chairman of the Board, recommend to the Board
members of the Board to be appointed to committees of the Board
and the
chairpersons thereof, including filling any
vacancies;
|
--
|
develop
and recommend to the Board a set of corporate governance principles
applicable to the Company;
|
--
|
oversee,
evaluate and monitor the Board and its individual members and the
corporate governance principles and procedures of the Company;
and
|
--
|
fulfill
such other duties and responsibilities as may be set forth in its
charter
or assigned by the
Board from time to time.
|
Names
of Beneficial Owners
(and
address, if ownership
is
more than 5%)
|
Amount
Beneficially
Owned
|
(A)
|
Percent
|
(B)
|
|
Directors,
nominees and executive officers
|
|||||
Richard
E. Carver
|
74,104
|
(C)
|
--
|
||
Michael
D. Davidson
|
11,338
|
(D)
|
--
|
||
George
W. Dunbar, Jr.
|
73,609
|
(E)
|
--
|
||
Donald
J. Freed
|
16,723
|
(F)
|
--
|
||
Maria-Luisa
Maccecchini
|
10,000
|
(G)
|
--
|
||
John
B. Nano
|
12,502
|
(H)
|
--
|
||
Charles
J. Philippin
|
112,384
|
(I)
|
1.5%
|
||
John
M. Sabin
|
58,784
|
(J)
|
--
|
||
All
directors, nominees and executive officers as a group
|
356,942
|
(K)
|
4.6%
|
||
(A) |
Except
as indicated in the notes that follow, the designated person or
group has
sole voting and investment power.
|
(B) |
Percentages
of less than 1% are not shown.
|
(C) |
Consists
of 20,104 shares of Common Stock plus 54,000 stock options deemed
exercised solely for purposes of showing total shares owned by
Mr.
Carver.
|
(D) |
Consists
of 1,338 shares of Common Stock plus 10,000 stock options deemed
exercised
solely for purposes of showing total shares owned by Mr. Davidson.
Includes
338 shares of Common Stock held under the Company’s 401(k) Plan, as to
which Mr. Davidson has full investment power. Does not include
1,014
unvested shares of common stock allocated to Mr. Davidson under
the
Company’s 401(k) plan.
|
(E) |
Consists
of 13,609 shares of Common Stock and 60,000 stock options deemed
exercised
solely for purposes of showing total shares owned by Mr.
Dunbar.
|
(F) |
Consists
of 6,723 shares of Common Stock plus 10,000 stock options deemed
exercised
solely for purposes of showing total shares owned by Dr. Freed.
Includes
3,723 shares of Common Stock held under the Company’s 401(k) plan, as to
which Dr. Freed has investment
power.
|
(G) |
Consists
of 10,000 stock options deemed exercised solely for purposes of
showing
total shares owned by Dr.
Maccecchini.
|
(H) |
Consists
of 12,502 shares of Common Stock as reported on Form 4 filed with
the
United States Securities and Exchange Commission on June 28, 2005,
the
most recent information available to the
Company.
|
(I) |
Consists
of 52,384 shares of Common Stock plus 60,000 stock options deemed
exercised solely for purposes of showing total shares owned by
Mr.
Philippin.
|
(J) |
Consists
of 18,784 shares of Common Stock plus 40,000 stock options deemed
exercised solely for purposes of showing total shares owned by
Mr. Sabin.
Includes 200 shares of Common Stock held by his
spouse.
|
(K) |
Consists
of 125,444 shares of Common Stock plus 244,000 stock options to
purchase
shares of Common Stock deemed exercised solely for purposes of
showing
total shares owned by the group. The total for this group excludes
Mr.
Nano’s ownership.
|
Long
Term
Compensation
Awards
|
||||||
Name
and
|
Annual
Compensation
|
Securities
|
All
Other
|
|||
Principal
Position
|
Fiscal
Year
|
Salary
($)
|
Bonus
($)
|
Underlying
Options
(#)
|
Compensation
($)
|
|
Donald
J. Freed
President
and Chief Executive Officer since June 14, 2005; previously Executive
Vice
President and Chief Technology Officer since January 1,
2004
|
2005
2004
|
242,789
116,667
|
160,000
30,000
|
40,000
25,000
|
10,619
(A)
73,180
(B)
|
|
Michael
D. Davidson
Vice
President and Chief Financial Officer since
May
3, 2004
|
2005
2004
|
150,000
37,500
|
72,500
10,000
|
20,000
10,000
|
8,483
(C)
--
|
|
John
B. Nano
President
and Chief Executive Officer until June 14, 2005*
|
2005
2004
2003
|
303,653
250,000
250,000
|
--
125,000
--
|
--
100,000
|
30,796
(D)
24,596
(E)
32,289
(F)
|
|
(A)
|
Consists
of vested Company discretionary contribution to 401(k) Plan ($10,619
paid
in 1,693 shares of Company Stock).
|
(B)
|
Consists
of income earned as a consultant to the Company ($65,080) prior
to full
time employment, and vested Company discretionary contribution
to 401(k)
Plan ($8,100 paid in 2,030 shares of Common
Stock).
|
(C) | Consists of Company discretionary contribution (25% vested) to 401(k) Plan ($8,483 paid in 1,352 shares of Company Stock). |
(D) | Consists of payment for unused vacation upon termination ($13,462) and personal use of Company auto ($17,334). |
(E) | Consists of personal use of Company auto ($10,467) and unvested Company discretionary contribution to 401(k) Plan ($14,129 paid in 3,541 shares of Common Stock). |
(F)
|
Consists
of personal use of Company auto ($5,942) and vested Company discretionary
contribution to 401(k) Plan ($26,347 paid in 4,480 shares of
Common
Stock).
|
Individual
Grants
|
|||||
Name
|
Options
Granted
#
|
Percent
of
Total
Options
Granted
to
Employees
in
Fiscal
Year
|
Exercise
Price
($/Share)
|
Expiration
Date
|
Grant
Date
Present
Value
under
Black-Scholes
Pricing
Model
|
Donald
J. Freed
|
40,000
(1)
|
21%
|
$3.72
|
8/02/14
|
$94,800
(2)
|
Michael
D. Davidson
|
20,000
(1)
|
10%
|
$3.72
|
8/02/14
|
$47,400
(2)
|
(1) | Options vest 25% per year on each of the first four anniversaries after the grant date. |
(2)
|
Estimated
on grant date assuming no dividend yield, 75.8% expected volatility,
3.6%
risk-free interest rate, and 5 year expected option
life.
|
Name
|
Shares
Acquired
On
Exercise
(#)
|
Value
Realized
($)
|
Number
of
Securities
Underlying
Unexercised
Options
At
FY-End (#)
Exercisable/
Unexercisable
|
Value
of
Unexercised
In-the-Money
Options
at
FY-End
($)
Exercisable/
Unexercisable
|
|||||||||
Donald
J. Freed
|
12,500
|
$
|
88,013
|
-/52,500
|
$
|
-/$-
|
|||||||
Michael
D. Davidson
|
--
|
-/-
|
5,000/25,000
|
$
|
-/$-
|
||||||||
John
B. Nano
|
325,000
|
$
|
1,554,745
|
-/-
|
$
|
-/$-
|
|||||||
--
|
an
expense allowance whereby Dr. Freed will be reimbursed for business
related expenses reasonably and necessarily incurred and advanced
by Dr.
Freed in performing his duties for the Company, subject to and
in
accordance with the Company’s policies as they exist from time to
time;
|
--
|
a
car allowance in the amount of $800 per
month;
|
--
|
participation
in all employee benefit plans and programs offered, from time to
time, to
the Company’s executive employees, subject to the same terms and
conditions as such benefits are provided by the Company and at
the
discretion of the Board, including the Company’s Incentive Compensation
Plan. All such benefits are subject to plan documents (where applicable)
and the Company’s policies and procedures. Nothing guarantees that any
specific benefit will be provided or offered by the Company, which
has the
right to add, modify, or terminate benefits at any
time;
|
--
|
upon
a termination of employment due to death or disability (as defined
in the
agreement), the Company shall pay base compensation and accrued
benefits
to Dr. Freed’s estate through date of termination, and, in the event of a
disability, shall provide a continuation of medical benefits through
the
end of the then current fiscal year. In addition, any previously
granted
but unvested stock options (“Plan Options”) will become fully vested and
immediately exercisable;
|
--
|
upon
a termination of employment for good reason (as defined in the
agreement),
or if the Company terminates Dr. Freed’s employment without cause (as
defined in the agreement), Dr. Freed shall be entitled to receive
all
accrued but unpaid salary and benefits through the date of termination
plus a severance benefit. The severance benefit consists of a continuation
of base compensation and group insurance benefits for a period
of six (6)
months, and continued vesting of Plan Options issued for a period
of six
(6) months or until the next employment anniversary date, whichever
is
longer;
|
--
|
upon
a resignation of employment other than for good reason (as defined
in the
agreement), or if the Company terminates Dr. Freed’s employment for cause
(as defined in the agreement), the Company shall have no liability
to Dr.
Freed except to pay his base compensation and any accrued benefits
through
his last day worked, and he shall not be entitled to receive any
severance
or other benefits;
|
--
|
upon
a termination of employment without cause in conjunction with a
change in
control, (as defined in the agreement), Dr. Freed will be entitled
to
receive all accrued but unpaid salary and benefits through the
date of the
termination plus a change in control benefit. The change in control
benefit consists of continuation of his base compensation and group
insurance benefits for a period of twelve (12) months, and full
vesting
and immediate ability to exercise any previously granted but unvested
Plan
Options.
|
--
|
for
each fiscal year, Mr. Nano would be eligible to receive a bonus
of up to
fifty percent (50%) of his base compensation based on the Company’s
performance and Mr. Nano’s performance of objectives determined by the
Compensation Committee of the
Board.
|
--
|
Mr.
Nano would have the opportunity to acquire an ownership percentage
(as
defined in the agreement), of at least five percent (5%) of the
Company’s
outstanding Common Stock. Stock options granted to him would be
subject to
the terms and conditions of a stock option plan maintained by the
Company
and vest twenty-five percent (25%) on each of the first four anniversaries
of the grant date;
|
--
|
If
Mr. Nano’s employment terminated because of his death or disability (as
defined in the agreement), any previously granted unvested options
would
become fully vested and immediately
exercisable;
|
--
|
If
Mr. Nano resigned his employment for good reason (as defined in
the
agreement) or if the Company terminated his employment without
cause (as
defined in the agreement), Mr. Nano would be entitled to severance
benefits upon meeting certain conditions and requirements. Severance
benefits included continuation of his base compensation and group
insurance benefits for twelve (12) months and continued vesting
of
previously granted stock options for twelve (12) months or until
the next
employment anniversary date, whichever was longer, but in no event
longer
than ten (10) years from the option grant
date;
|
--
|
If
the Company terminated his employment without cause in conjunction
with a
change in control, Mr. Nano would be entitled to change in control
benefits. Change in control benefits included continuation of his
base
compensation and group insurance benefits for the longer of twelve
(12)
months or the remainder of the then current employment term and
full
vesting and immediate ability to exercise any previously granted
unvested
options;
|
--
|
If
Mr. Nano remained employed by the Company through his 65th
birthday and his employment subsequently terminated for any reason
other
than cause (as defined in the agreement), the Company would reimburse
him
up to $120,000 for a one-time premium for post-retirement health
insurance
for Mr. Nano and his family.
|
Plan
Category
|
Number
of securities to be issued upon exercise of outstanding options,
warrants
and rights
|
Weighted-average
exercise price of outstanding options, warrants and
rights
|
Number
of securities remaining available for future issuance
|
|||||||
Equity
compensation plans approved by security holders
|
740,223
|
$
|
5.72
|
716,075
|
2001
|
2002
|
2003
|
2004
|
2005
|
||||||||||||
Competitive
|
||||||||||||||||
Technologies,
Inc.
|
59.18
|
30.58
|
17.10
|
42.74
|
63.34
|
|||||||||||
Industry
Index - 6794
|
85.22
|
82.54
|
132.48
|
127.91
|
192.88
|
|||||||||||
Broad
Market AMEX Index
|
95.32
|
86.68
|
99.59
|
115.15
|
140.33
|
2005
|
2004
|
||||||||||||
BDO
|
PwC
|
BDO
|
PwC
|
||||||||||
Audit
Fees (A)
|
$
|
191,000
|
$
|
--
|
$
|
84,000
|
$
|
--
|
|||||
Audit-Related
Fees (B)
|
20,000
|
10,000
|
10,000
|
10,000
|
|||||||||
Tax
Fees (C)
|
--
|
--
|
1,000
|
--
|
|||||||||
All
Other Fees
|
2,000
|
--
|
--
|
--
|
|||||||||
Total
|
$
|
213,000
|
$
|
10,000
|
$
|
95,000
|
$
|
10,000
|
(A)
|
Audit
fees for 2005 include the audit of the Company’s internal controls over
financial reporting in compliance with Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley
Act of 2002. The increase in 2005 fees was related to the provision
for
those services. The Audit Committee pre-approved all 2005 and 2004
audit
and Sarbanes-Oxley related services, except for de
minimus
amounts.
|
(B)
|
Audit-related
fees were for assurance and related services. For 2005, they were
in
connection with a Registration Statement on Form S-3, while in
2004 they
were in connection with a Registration Statement on Form S-1. PwC
fees
related to work performed in order to issue consents for the registration
statements for the applicable
years.
|
(C)
|
Tax
fees for 2004 were for federal income tax advice related to our
equity
financing agreement, entered into in 2004. The Company did not
use tax
compliance services of BDO or PwC in either year. The Audit Committee
did
not pre-approve these tax services since they were of a de
minimus
amount.
|
By Order of the Board of Directors, | ||
/s/ Paul A. Levitsky | ||
Paul A. Levitsky | ||
Secretary | ||
Dated: November 28, 2005 |