UNITED
STATES
SECURITIES
AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON,
DC 20549
SCHEDULE
14A
(Rule 14a-101)
SCHEDULE
14A INFORMATION
Proxy
Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of the Securities
Exchange
Act of 1934 (Amendment No. ___)
Filed by the Registrant
|
x
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Filed by a party other than the
Registrant
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o
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Check
the
appropriate box:
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
Mendocino
Brewing Company, Inc.
(Name
of
Registrant as Specified in its Charter)
N/A
(Name
of
Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if Other Than the Registrant)
Payment
of filing fee (Check the appropriate box):
o
|
Fee
computed on table below per Exchange Act Rules 14a-6(i)(1) and
0-11.
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(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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o
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Fee paid previously with preliminary
materials.
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o
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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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MENDOCINO
BREWING COMPANY, INC.
1601 Airport
Road
Ukiah,
California 95482
(800)
733-3871
September
15, 2008
Dear
Shareholder:
I
would
like to personally invite you to attend the Annual Meeting of Shareholders
of
Mendocino Brewing Company, Inc. (the "Company") to be held at 2 p.m.,
Pacific Daylight Time, on Monday, October 6, 2008, at our brewery located
at 1601 Airport Road, Ukiah, California. Additional information about our
Company and about the Annual Meeting accompanies this letter, and I urge each
of
you to read through all of this material carefully.
Your
Company celebrates its 25
th
anniversary this year. Established in 1983, your Company was California’s first
brewpub and the nation’s second to be founded following the repeal of
prohibition, your Company has grown substantially in terms of size and revenue
over the years. The journey which began with the historic ‘
Hopvine
saloon
’
in
1983
now includes a state-of-the-art brewery on each coast of the United States
with
customers spread across the continents of North America and Europe. Your
Company’s products are recognized as award winning legends and have their
distinct position at the high end of the craft beer category. Your Company’s
licensed brand Kingfisher Premium Lager Beer won a Gold medal in Monde Selection
2008 held in Brussels, Belgium.
Your
Company’s operations in the United States witnessed growth during the year 2007.
Your Company introduced limited edition seasonal beers, a Wheat beer for summer,
an Oktoberfest for autumn and an Imperial IPA for winter, all of which were
well
received by consumers.
Your
Company continues to maintain focus on its core business and capitalize on
the
brand equity of its product portfolio. We will continue to focus on domestic
and
international market penetration. We expect to continue gaining brand awareness
and market share as a result of the strength of our portfolio of brands and
our
sales, marketing and promotional campaigns.
I
would
like to express my personal gratitude to our dedicated employees, management
and
Board of Directors for their tireless efforts and contributions during this
past
year.
Finally,
I would like to thank you, our esteemed shareholders, for your continued
support. On your behalf, we will continue to pursue our objectives of market
leadership in each of our primary markets.
Dr. Vijay
Mallya
Chairman
MENDOCINO
BREWING COMPANY, INC.
1601 Airport
Road
Ukiah,
California 95482
(800)
733-3871
September
15, 2008
Dear
Shareholder:
You
are
cordially invited to attend the Annual Meeting of Shareholders of Mendocino
Brewing Company, Inc. (the "Company") to be held at 2:00 p.m., Pacific
Daylight Time, on Monday, October 6, 2008, at our brewery located at
1601 Airport Road, Ukiah, California (the "Annual Meeting").
As
described in the accompanying Proxy Statement, at the Annual Meeting the
shareholders will elect directors of the Company for the forthcoming year.
Scott R. Heldfond, H. Michael Laybourn, Dr. Vijay Mallya,
Jerome G. Merchant, Sury Rao Palamand, Kent D. Price, and Yashpal
Singh, all of whom are currently members of the Company's Board of Directors
have been nominated by the Board of Directors for election to the Board of
Directors this year.
You
will
also be asked to ratify and approve the appointment of PMB Helin Donovan, LLP
as
the Company's independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal
year
ending December 31, 2008. The Board of Directors does not anticipate that
any additional proposals will be presented for consideration at the Annual
Meeting.
Your
Board of Directors recommends that you vote FOR the election of its nominees
for
director, and FOR ratification of the appointment of PMB Helin Donovan, LLP
as
the Company's independent registered pubic accounting firm for the fiscal year
ending December 31, 2008. You are encouraged to read the enclosed Proxy
Statement, which provides detailed information concerning all of the proposals
which are expected to come before the Annual Meeting, and the enclosed Annual
Report to Shareholders which includes information on the Company's operations
as
well as the Company's audited financial statements.
Your
vote
is important, regardless of the number of shares you own. On behalf of your
Board of Directors, I urge you to complete, date, and sign the accompanying
proxy and return it to the Company promptly. Doing so will not prevent you
from
attending the Annual Meeting or voting in person, but it will assure that your
vote is counted if you are unable to attend the Annual Meeting. You may revoke
your proxy at any time, by submitting either a written notice of revocation
or a
duly executed proxy bearing a later date to the Company's Secretary at the
Company's offices prior to the Annual Meeting, or by attending the Annual
Meeting and voting in person.
All
of us
at Mendocino Brewing Company look forward to seeing you at the Annual
Meeting.
Sincerely,
Mahadevan
Narayanan
Corporate
Secretary
MENDOCINO
BREWING COMPANY, INC.
1601 Airport
Road
Ukiah,
California 95482
(800)
733-3871
_________________________________
NOTICE
OF
ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS
To
be
held on Monday, October 6, 2008.
_________________________________
NOTICE
IS
HEREBY GIVEN that the 2008 Annual Meeting of the Shareholders of Mendocino
Brewing Company, Inc., a California corporation (the "Company"), will be held
at
2:00 p.m., Pacific Daylight Time, on Monday, October 6, 2008, at our
brewery located at 1601 Airport Road, Ukiah, California, 95482 for the
following purposes:
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1.
|
To
elect directors of the Company, each to serve until the next Annual
Meeting of Shareholders and until his successor has been elected
or until
his earlier resignation or removal. The Board of Directors has nominated
the following candidates: Scott R. Heldfond, H. Michael
Laybourn, Dr. Vijay Mallya, Jerome G. Merchant, Sury Rao
Palamand, Kent D. Price, and Yashpal
Singh.
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2.
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To
ratify and approve the appointment of PMB Helin Donovan, LLP as the
independent registered public accounting firm of the Company for
the year
ending December 31, 2008.
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3.
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To
transact such other business as may properly come before the Annual
Meeting and any adjournment or postponement
thereof.
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The
foregoing items of business are more fully described in the Proxy Statement
accompanying this Notice.
The
Board
of Directors has fixed the close of business on August 29, 2008 as the record
date for the determination of shareholders entitled to notice of and to vote
at
the Annual Meeting. Only shareholders of record at the close of business on
that
date are entitled to notice of and to vote at the Annual Meeting.
To
help
us in planning for the Annual Meeting, please mark the appropriate box on the
accompanying proxy if you plan to attend.
PLEASE
NOTE THAT THE ENCLOSED PROXY IS BEING SOLICITED BY THE COMPANY'S BOARD OF
DIRECTORS.
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By
Order of the Board of Directors
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Ukiah,
California
September
15, 2008
|
/s/
Mahadevan Narayanan
N.
Mahadevan
Corporate
Secretary
|
MENDOCINO
BREWING COMPANY, INC.
1601 Airport
Road
Ukiah,
California 95482
PROXY
STATEMENT FOR
ANNUAL
MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS
TO
BE
HELD ON OCTOBER 6, 2008
INTRODUCTION
This
Proxy Statement is furnished in connection with the solicitation by the Board
of
Directors of Mendocino Brewing Company, Inc., a California corporation (the
"Company"), of proxies to be used at the Annual Meeting of the Shareholders
of
the Company to be held at 2:00 p.m., Pacific Daylight Time, on Monday,
October 6, 2008, at our brewery located at 1601 Airport Road, Ukiah,
California, and at any adjournment or adjournments thereof (the "Annual
Meeting"). September 15, 2008 is the approximate first date for the sending
to
shareholders of this Proxy Statement and the accompanying form of proxy. The
mailing address of the principal executive offices of the Company is:
1601 Airport Road, Ukiah, CA 95482, and its telephone number is: (800)
733-3871.
Matters
for Consideration at the Annual Meeting
At
the
Annual Meeting, shareholders will be asked to consider and to vote upon the
following:
Proposal
No. 1
:
To
elect directors of the Company, each to serve until the next Annual Meeting
of
Shareholders and until his successor has been elected and qualified or until
his
earlier resignation or removal. The Board of Directors has nominated the
following candidates: Scott R. Heldfond, H. Michael Laybourn,
Dr. Vijay Mallya, Jerome G. Merchant, Sury Rao Palamand, Kent D.
Price, and Yashpal Singh.
Proposal
No. 2
:
To
ratify and approve the appointment of PMB Helin Donovan, LLP to serve as the
Company's independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year
ending December 31, 2008.
THE
BOARD
OF DIRECTORS OF THE CORPORATION UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS THAT SHAREHOLDERS VOTE
"
FOR
"
THE
FOREGOING PROPOSALS.
TABLE
OF
CONTENTS
Caption
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Page
No.
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INTRODUCTION
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1
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Matters
for Consideration at the Annual Meeting
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1
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GENERAL
INFORMATION
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3
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Persons
Making the Solicitation
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3
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Voting
Securities of the Company
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3
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Solicitation
of Proxies
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5
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Revocability
of Proxies
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5
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Market
Listing
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6
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Forward
Looking Statements Regarding the Company
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6
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Available
Information
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6
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PROPOSAL
NO. 1: ELECTION OF DIRECTORS
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6
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Nominees
for Director
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7
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Directors
and Executive Officers of the Company
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7
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Board
of Directors' Meetings and Committees
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10
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Report
of the Audit Committee
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15
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Director
Compensation
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16
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SECURITY
OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT AND RELATED
STOCKHOLDER MATTERS.
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16
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Stock
Option Grants
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18
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Certain
Relationships and Related Transactions
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18
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Section
16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance
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21
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Comparative
Performance Graph
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21
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VOTE
REQUIRED FOR THE ELECTION OF DIRECTORS
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22
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A
representative of PMB will be present at the Annual Meeting and will
be
available to answer questions.
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23
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Fees
and Services
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23
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Shareholder
Communications with the Board of Directors
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24
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Shareholder
Proposals to be Presented at the Next Annual Meeting
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24
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Availability
of Annual Report on Form 10-K/A
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25
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Other
Matters to be Considered at the Annual Meeting
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25
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Attached
Documents:
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Annual
Report on Form 10-K/A for the fiscal year ended
December
31, 2007 (WITHOUT EXHIBITS)
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GENERAL
INFORMATION
Persons
Making the Solicitation
This
solicitation of Proxies is being made by the Company's Board of Directors.
The
expenses of preparing, assembling, printing, and mailing this Proxy Statement
and the materials used in the solicitation of Proxies for the Annual Meeting
will be borne by the Company. It is contemplated that Proxies will be solicited
principally through the use of the mails, but officers, directors, and employees
of the Company may solicit Proxies personally or by telephone, without receiving
special compensation therefor. The Company will reimburse banks, brokerage
houses, and other custodians, nominees, and fiduciaries for their reasonable
expenses in forwarding these Proxy materials to shareholders whose stock in
the
Company is held of record by such entities.
Voting
Securities of the Company
All
properly executed Proxies delivered pursuant to this solicitation and not
previously revoked will be voted at the Annual Meeting in accordance with the
directions given; alternatively, shareholders may attend the Annual Meeting
and
vote their shares in person. The Company recommends that shareholders planning
to attend the meeting submit proxies so that such shareholders' votes will
be
counted if they later decide not to attend the meeting. Proxies which are
executed and returned to the Company without contrary instructions will be
voted
"For"
the
election of each of the Board of Directors' nominees for Director (as indicated
in Proposal No. 1), and
"For"
the
ratification of the approval of PMB Helin Donovan, LLP as the Company's
independent registered accounting firm. If other matters are properly presented
for voting at the Annual Meeting, the proxy holders will vote on such matters
in
their discretion.
Outstanding
Shares; Record Date
.
There
were approximately 11,991,686 shares of the Company's Common Stock (the "Common
Stock") and 227,600 shares of the Company's Series A Preferred Stock (the
"Series A Preferred Stock") that were issued and outstanding at the close
of business on August 29, 2008, which date has been fixed as the record date
for
the purpose of determining shareholders entitled to notice of, and to vote
at,
the Annual Meeting (the "Record Date").
Voting
Generally
.
Holders
of Common Stock
.
On any
matter submitted to the vote of the shareholders, other than the election of
directors, each holder of Common Stock will be entitled to one vote, in person
or by Proxy, for each share of Common Stock held of record on the Company's
books as of the Record Date. With respect to the special rules relating to
the
election of directors, please see below under the captions "Election of
Directors" and "Cumulative Voting."
Holders
of Series A Preferred Stock
.
The
Company's Series A Preferred Stock does not have voting rights, except to
the extent required by law, and accordingly the holders of the Series A
Preferred Stock will not have the right to vote on any matters scheduled to
come
before the Annual Meeting.
Voting
Procedures
.
Holders
of the Company's Common Stock may vote in favor of or against any of the
Proposals, or may abstain from voting on Proposal No. 2, by specifying
their choice as indicated on the enclosed proxy card. If no specific
instructions are given with respect to any Proposal, however, the shares
represented by any signed proxy will be voted FOR that Proposal. If a
shareholder wishes to do so, he or she may also attend the Annual Meeting in
person, and either submit a signed proxy card at that time or vote by ballot
at
the Annual Meeting.
Votes
Required for Approval
.
Directors of the Company will be elected (Proposal No. 1) by the vote of a
plurality of the shares of Common Stock which are present at the Annual Meeting,
as discussed below under the heading "Election of Directors." Thus, abstentions
and broker non-votes could have an indirect effect on the outcome of the
election of directors, since they will enable a smaller number of votes to
determine the outcome of the election.
Ratification
of Proposal No. 2 (approval of PMB Helin Donovan, LLP as the Company's
independent registered accounting firm for the fiscal year ending
December 31, 2008) will require only the affirmative vote of the holders of
a majority of the shares of Common Stock of the Company voting in person or
by
proxy at the Annual Meeting. Thus, abstentions and broker non-votes, although
they will be counted in determining whether a quorum is present for the vote
on
all matters to come before the Annual Meeting, will have no direct effect on
the
outcome of the votes on Proposal No. 2.
Election
of Directors
.
With
respect to the election of directors, shareholders may vote "For" all or some
of
the nominees or shareholders may vote "Withhold" with respect to one or more
of
the nominees, by following the instructions on the enclosed proxy card.
Directors will be elected by a plurality of the votes cast by the holders of
the
Company's Common Stock, voting in person or by proxy at the Annual Meeting.
A
shareholder may choose to withhold from the proxy holders the authority to
vote
for any of the individual candidates nominated by the Board of Directors, by
marking the appropriate box on the proxy card. In that event, the proxy holders
will not cast any of the shareholder's votes for candidates whose names have
been so indicated, whether or not cumulative voting is called for at the Annual
Meeting, but they will retain the authority to vote for the candidates nominated
by the Board of Directors whose names have not been so indicated, and for any
other candidates who may be properly nominated at the Annual Meeting. If a
shareholder wishes to specify the manner in which his or her votes are allocated
in the event of cumulative voting, then he or she must appear and vote in person
at the Annual Meeting. Ballots will be available at the Annual Meeting for
persons desiring to vote in person. All votes will be tabulated by the inspector
of elections appointed by the Board of Directors who will act as the tabulating
agent for the Annual Meeting.
Cumulative
Voting
.
In
connection with the election of directors, shares may be voted cumulatively,
but
only for persons whose names have been placed in nomination prior to the voting
for election of directors and only if a shareholder present at the Annual
Meeting gives written notice at the Annual Meeting to the chairman of the
meeting, prior to the vote, of his or her intention to vote cumulatively.
(Notice of intention to vote cumulatively may not be given by simply marking
and
returning a proxy.) If any Company shareholder gives such notice, then all
shareholders eligible to vote will be entitled to cumulate their votes in voting
for the election of the directors. Cumulative voting allows a shareholder to
cast a number of votes equal to the number of shares held in his or her name
as
of the Record Date, multiplied by the number of directors to be elected. All
of
these votes may be cast for any one nominee, or they may be distributed among
as
many nominees as the shareholder sees fit. The nominees receiving the highest
number of votes, up to the number of places to be filled, shall be
elected.
If
one of
the Company's shareholders gives notice of intention to vote cumulatively,
the
persons holding the proxies solicited by the Board of Directors will exercise
their cumulative voting rights, at their discretion, to vote the shares they
hold in such a way as to ensure the election of as many of the Board's nominees
as they deem possible.
Under
the
California General Corporation Law, cumulative voting may not be used in
connection with any matter other than the election of directors.
Quorum
.
The
presence of the persons entitled to vote a majority of the voting shares of
the
Company at the Annual Meeting, whether those persons are present in person
or by
proxy, will constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at the Annual
Meeting. If a quorum is not present at the time the Annual Meeting is convened,
or if for any other reason the Company believes that additional time should
be
allowed for the solicitation of proxies or consideration of the issues raised
at
the Annual Meeting, the Company may adjourn the Annual Meeting. If the Company
proposes to adjourn the Annual Meeting by a vote of the shareholders, the
persons named in the enclosed form of proxy will vote all shares for which
they
have voting authority in favor of such adjournment.
Votes
Cast at the Annual Meetings
.
The
inspector of election appointed by the Board of Directors will be in attendance
at the Annual Meeting in order to receive and tabulate any votes cast at that
time.
Solicitation
of Proxies
The
expense of soliciting proxies in the form accompanying this Proxy Statement
will
be paid by the Company. Following the original mailing of the proxies and other
soliciting materials, the Company and/or its agents may also solicit proxies
by
mail, telephone or facsimile, or in person. The Company will request that
brokers, custodians, nominees, and other record holders of the Company's Common
Stock forward copies of the proxy and other soliciting materials to persons
for
whom they hold such shares and request authority for the exercise of proxies.
In
such cases, the Company, upon the request of the record holders, will reimburse
such holders for their reasonable expenses.
Revocability
of Proxies
A
form of
proxy for voting your shares at the Annual Meeting is enclosed. Any shareholder
who executes and delivers such a proxy has the right to, and may, revoke it
at
any time before it is exercised, by filing with the Secretary of the Company
at
Mendocino Brewing Company, Inc., 1601 Airport Road, Ukiah, CA 95482 an
instrument revoking the Proxy or a duly executed proxy bearing a later date.
In
addition, if the person executing a proxy is present at the Annual Meeting,
and
elects to vote in person, the powers of the proxy holders will be superseded
as
to those proposals on which the shareholder actually votes at the Annual
Meeting.
Market
Listing
The
Company's Common Stock is quoted on the OTC Bulletin Board of The Nasdaq Stock
Market, Inc. under the symbol "MENB".
Forward
Looking Statements Regarding the Company
Certain
information contained in this proxy statement which does not relate to
historical financial information may be deemed to constitute forward looking
statements. The words or phrases "will likely result," "are expected to," "will
continue," "is anticipated," "estimate," "project," "believe," "intend," "plan,"
"budget," or similar expressions identify "forward looking statements" within
the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. This proxy
statement contains certain forward-looking statements with respect to the plans,
objectives, future performance, and business of the Company. Because such
statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, actual results may differ
materially from historical results and those presently anticipated or projected.
The Company's shareholders are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such
statements, which speak only as of the date of this Proxy Statement. The Company
does not undertake any obligation to release publicly any revisions to such
forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances occurring after
the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.
Available
Information
The
Company is subject to the informational reporting requirements of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), and in accordance
therewith periodically files reports, proxy statements, and other information
with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission"). Such reports,
proxy statements and other information can be inspected and copies can be made
or obtained at or by writing to the public reference facilities of the
Commission at 100 F Street, N.E., Room 1580, Washington, D.C.
20549. Such material may also be accessed electronically through the Company's
filings on EDGAR on the Commission's internet website
(http://www.sec.gov).
PROPOSAL
NO. 1: ELECTION OF DIRECTORS
At
the
Annual Meeting, shareholders will elect directors to hold office until the
next
Annual Meeting of Shareholders and until their respective successors have been
elected or until their earlier resignation or removal. Under the Company's
Bylaws, the Company's Board of Directors may consist of between five (5) and
nine (9) members, with the exact number within that range being determined
by
the Board of Directors. At present the Board has set the number of directors
at
seven (7).
Shares
represented by the accompanying proxy will be voted for the election of the
nominees recommended by the Board of Directors unless the proxy is marked in
such a manner as to withhold authority so to vote for any specific nominee.
If
any nominee for any reason is unable to serve, or for good cause will not serve,
the proxies may be voted for such substitute nominee as the proxy holder may
determine. The Company is not aware of any nominee who will be unable to, or
for
good cause will not, serve as a Director.
Nominees
for Director
The
entire Board of Directors acts as the nominating committee in the consideration
of director nominees. The Board of Directors has nominated seven (7) individuals
to serve as directors of the Company until the next Annual Meeting, all of
whom
are current members of the Board of Directors. The Board of Director's nominees
are: Scott R. Heldfond, H. Michael Laybourn, Dr. Vijay Mallya,
Kent D. Price, Sury Rao Palamand, Jerome G. Merchant, and Yashpal
Singh. As of the date of this Proxy Statement, no other names had been placed
in
nomination for consideration by the shareholders at the Annual Meeting.
The
Board
of Directors has not adopted a charter or any other set of rules with respect
to
the nominating process. While the Board of Directors would carefully consider
the nomination of any candidate for director who may be recommended by the
Company's shareholders, due to the lack of such nominations in the past it
has
not felt the need to adopt any specific policy in this regard. Similarly, it
has
not adopted any specific minimum qualifications for candidates for election
as
director or identified any specific qualities or skills that such candidates
should possess. Any shareholder wishing to submit a recommendation for a nominee
for the Board of Directors should follow the procedures set forth herein under
the caption "Shareholder Communications With the Board of
Directors".
Directors
and Executive Officers of the Company
The
following table sets forth the names, ages as of August 31, 2008, and
positions and offices with the Company for each of the Company's current
Directors and executive officers, and each of the Board of Director's nominees
for director:
Name
|
|
Age
|
|
Position(s)
|
|
Director
Since
|
Scott
R. Heldfond * +
|
|
63
|
|
Director
|
|
2005
|
Michael
Laybourn +
|
|
70
|
|
Director
|
|
1993
|
Vijay
Mallya, Ph.D.
|
|
52
|
|
Director
and Chairman of the Board
|
|
1997
|
Jerome
G. Merchant *
|
|
47
|
|
Director
|
|
1997
|
Mahadevan
Narayanan
|
|
50
|
|
Chief
Financial Officer and Secretary
|
|
N/A
|
Sury
Rao Palamand, Ph.D.
|
|
78
|
|
Director
|
|
1998
|
Kent
D. Price *+
|
|
63
|
|
Director
|
|
1998
|
Yashpal
Singh
|
|
62
|
|
Director,
President and Chief Executive Officer
|
|
1997
|
______________
*
Member
of
the Audit/Finance Committee.
+
Member
of
the Compensation Committee.
Business
Experience
The
material occupations, positions, offices or employments for at least the past
five (5) years of each current director, each of the Board of Director's
nominees for director and the Company's executive officers are set forth
below.
Mr.
Scott
Heldfond joined the Board in January 2005. He is a Director of NASDAQ Insurance
Group, LLC, a national insurance brokerage and consulting firm owned by the
NASDAQ Stock Market. Mr. Heldfond has also served as the Managing Partner of
eSEED Capital, LLC, a technology-focused merchant banking firm since 1999.
He
also served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Frank Crystal & Co.
of California, a New York-based insurance brokerage from 1995 to 1999, Chairman
of Hales Capital LLC, an investment banking firm from 1994 to February 1997
and
President of AON Real Estate & Investments. Mr. Heldfond also served as a
Director of HomeGain, Inc (recently sold to Classified Ventures), a private
venture backed company and UBICS, a NASDAQ traded firm that provides information
technology staffing and solutions for domestic and international businesses.
Mr.
Heldfond has also served as a Director of Galoob Toys, which was the third
largest toy manufacture before its sale to Hasbro. Mr. Heldfond holds an
undergraduate degree from the University of California, Berkeley and a J.D.
from
the University of San Francisco Law School. He is a Commissioner and the
President of the Health Services Commission of the City and County of San
Francisco, in addition he serves as an advisor to or on the Board of Directors
of a number of local, state, and national charitable and community service
organizations. Mr. Heldfond is the Honorary Consul General to the U.S. for
the
Republic of Rwanda.
H.
Michael Laybourn, co-founder of the Company, served as the Company's President
from its inception in 1982 through December 1999, and as its Chief Executive
Officer from inception through October 1997. Mr. Laybourn was elected a Director
in November 1993 when the Company began the process of converting from a limited
partnership to a corporation and served as Chairman of the Board from June
1994
through October 1997. Mr. Laybourn is a former Vice President of the California
Small Brewers Association and a former Chairman of the Board of Directors of
the
Brewers Association of America. Mr. Laybourn holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts
degree from Arizona State University.
Vijay
Mallya, Ph.D., became Chairman of the Board in October 1997 and was its Chief
Executive Officer until January 2005. Dr. Mallya is Chairman of UBICS, Inc.,
United Breweries Limited (an affiliate of the Company), UB Engineering Limited,
Mangalore Chemicals and Fertilizers Ltd., Herbertsons Limited, McDowell &
Co. Ltd., and other affiliated companies (collectively the "UB Group"). United
Breweries Limited and McDowell & Co., Ltd. are two of Asia's leading beer
and spirits companies. The UB Group has annual sales in excess of U.S. dollars
$1 billion. He also sits on the boards of several foreign companies and
organizations including companies comprising the UB Group, The Institute of
Economic Studies (India), and the Federation of the Indian Chamber of Commerce
and Industries. Dr. Mallya was recently elected to serve as a member of the
Upper House of the Indian Parliament. Dr. Mallya holds a Bachelor of Commerce
degree from the University of Calcutta in India and an honorary Doctorate in
Business Administration from California Southern University, Santa
Ana.
Jerome
G.
Merchant became a director in October 1997 and was Chief Financial Officer
of
the Company from November 1997 to October 1998. Mr. Merchant served as the
Strategic Planning Consultant to the Chairman's Office of the Company from
July
1996 until January 2007. Mr. Merchant is currently a Managing Director with
RSM
EquiCo Capital Markets, LLC a mid market investment bank. He has over 20 years
experience in investment banking and capital raising. Previously, he held
executive positions at Citigroup and MetLife Investors. Mr. Merchant has advised
the investment division and clients of Citibank, Smith Barney, Bank of America,
Wells Fargo and U.S. Bank amongst others. In executive and strategic planning
capacities, he has advised public and private companies and institutional and
high-net worth investors. Between April 1993 and December 2003, Mr. Merchant
served in various senior capacities for Cal Fed Investments, a wholly owned
subsidiary of Cal Fed Bank. Previously, Mr. Merchant directed the West Coast
capital raising for a private equity group making equity oriented management
buyouts and strategic acquisitions. He received his B.S. degree in Managerial
Economics-Finance from the University of California at Davis.
Mahadevan
Narayanan joined the company in early 2001 as Secretary, Corporate Controller
and Chief Financial Officer. Before joining the Company, he served the United
Breweries Group in India for 17 years in various financial and accounting
capacities. Mahadevan Narayanan was most recently employed as Senior Manager
of
Accounting Services of Herbertsons Ltd. for the past six years. He holds a
Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics from Madurai Kamaraj University in
India and is an associate member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants
of
India.
Sury
Rao
Palamand became a director of the Company in January 1998. Dr. Palamand is
a
director and partner of Summit Products, Inc, a beverage development and
consulting company serving the food and beverage industry. He is also a director
and partner in the Historic Lemp Brewery involved in the development of
microbreweries and brewpubs in addition to his real estate activities in the
restoration of historic buildings. Dr. Palamand has over 40 years of experience
in the brewing industry and has published numerous scientific and technical
papers on beer and other fermented beverages in various Technical Journals
in
the USA and abroad. He is an associate member of the Institute of Brewing,
London and is a member of several brewing organizations in the United States.
In
addition, Dr. Palamand possesses technical and technological expertise in wine
making as well as in the development of soft drinks. Prior to joining the
Company as a director, Dr. Palamand served as Director of Beer and New Beverage
Development at Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc. Dr. Palamand holds a Bachelor
of
Science degree from the University of Mysore, India, a Master of Science degree
in Applied Chemistry from the University of Bombay, India and a Masters degree
in Food Microbiology and a Ph.D. degree in Food and Flavor technology from
Ohio
State University. Dr. Palamand is listed in the MARQUIS WHO is WHO in America
and in the WHO is WHO in the Midwest.
Kent
D.
Price became a director in January 1998. Kent Price is a founder and President
of Parker Price Venture Capital. Mr. Price was a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford
University, attended the University of Montana, UCLA and Harvard Business
School. Mr. Price is a member of the board of directors of the University of
Montana and a member of its Investment Committee. Mr. Price has extensive
operational experience, including his role as CEO of The Chloride Group, a
global battery company, CEO of the Bank of San Francisco, General Manager of
Banking, Finance and Securities Group at IBM, Chief Financial Office at the
Bank
of New England, Executive Vice President of the Bank of America and a senior
officer at Citibank. He has lived and worked in England, Germany, Ireland,
Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore as well as the United
States. He has served on boards in the UK, India, South Africa, Hong Kong,
Taiwan, China and the United States. Mr. Price served as a Captain in the United
States Air Force.
Yashpal
Singh, President of the Company since January 2000, became a director in October
1997 and has served as its Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer
since May 1998. Mr. Singh became the Chief Executive Officer in January 2005.
From May 1997 to March 1998, Mr. Singh served as Executive Vice-President-
Operations for UBA. In that capacity, he was responsible for UBA's United States
brewing operations. Between 1992 and 1997, Mr. Singh also served as Senior
Vice
President-Operations for United Breweries Ltd., an Indian Corporation, where
he
was responsible for the operations of 12 breweries, instituting new projects,
and technical and operational evaluations of potential acquisition opportunities
worldwide. Mr. Singh has over 38 years of experience in the brewing industry.
Mr. Singh holds a Bachelors degree in Science from Punjab University in India,
and has graduate training in the fields of Brewing, Malting, and Mineral Water
Technology. Mr. Singh is an associate member of the Institute of Brewing,
London, a member of the Master Brewers Association of America, and was a former
executive member of the Managing Committee of the All India Brewer's
Association.
Corporate
Governance
Director
Independence
The
Board
of Directors has determined that the following directors qualify as
"independent" in accordance with the published listing requirements of NASDAQ:
Mr. Heldfond, Mr. Laybourn, Mr. Palamand, Mr. Merchant and Mr. Price. Mr. Singh
is not "independent" because he is an employee of the Company. Dr. Mallya is
not
independent since he has received payments in excess of $60,000 from the Company
during the last three (3) years.
The
NASDAQ rules have both objective tests and a subjective test for determining
who
is an "independent director." The objective test provides that a director is
not
considered independent if he (i) is an employee of the Company (or has been
in
the past three (3) years); (ii) has accepted (or a family member has accepted)
compensation from the Company in excess of $100,000 during any period of twelve
(12) consecutive months within the preceding three (3) year period (subject
to
certain exceptions); (iii) has a family member that was employed as an executive
officer of the Company during the past three (3) years; (iv) is (or a family
member is) a controlling shareholder or an executive officer of an organization
to which the Company made or received payments that exceed the greater of (a)
five percent (5%) of the recipient's consolidated gross revenues for that year
or (b) $200,000 for the current year or the preceding three (3) years. The
subjective test is based on the standard that an independent director must
be a
person who lacks a relationship that, in the opinion of the Board, would
interfere with the exercise of independent judgment in carrying out the
responsibilities of a director.
Board
of Directors' Meetings and Committees
During
the fiscal year ended December 31, 2007, the Board of Directors held three
(3) meetings. Dr. Mallya, Mr. Palamand and Mr. Laybourne failed to
attend one meeting. No other director attended fewer than 75% of the aggregate
of the total number of meetings of the Board of Directors and any committees
of
which such Director was a member.
Directors
are encouraged to attend the Annual Meeting of Shareholders. At the 2007 Annual
Meeting, six members of the Board of Directors were in attendance.
Listed
below are the committees of the Board of Directors, along with the names of
the
Directors who served as members of each committee during 2007.
Audit
and Finance Committee
.
The
Board of Directors has a standing Audit/Finance Committee and a standing
Compensation Committee.
Messrs. Merchant,
Price, and Palamand served as the members of the Audit/Finance Committee
(established in accordance with Section 3(a)(58)(A) of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, as amended) until June 21, 2007, which met two times
during fiscal year 2007. The committee was reconstituted and
Messrs. Merchant, Price, and Heldfond serve as the members of the
reconstituted Audit/Finance Committee (established in accordance with
Section 3(a)(58)(A) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended)
This committee met two times during the remainder of fiscal year 2007. The
Audit/Finance Committee reviews, acts on, and reports to the Board of Directors
with respect to various auditing, accounting and finance matters, including
the
selection of the Company's auditors, the scope of the annual audits, fees to
be
paid to the auditors, the performance of the Company's auditors, and the
accounting practices of the Company. In the judgment of the Company's Board
of
Directors, the members of the committee are "independent," as that term is
defined in Section 4200(a)(15) of the Rules of the National Association of
Securities Dealers, Inc.
Nominating
Committee
.
Because
of its limited size, the Board of Directors does not have a nominating committee
or a committee performing similar functions. Instead, all of the directors
participate in the consideration of director nominees. Several of the Company's
Directors would not be considered to be "independent" under the rules of NASDAQ
or any of the other national securities exchanges.
Compensation
Committee
.
Messrs. Merchant, Price, and Palamand served as the members of the
Company's Compensation Committee until June 21, 2007. This committee was
reconstituted on June 21, 2007 to include Messrs. Heldfond (Chair), Price,
and Laybourne. The committee considers all matters of compensation with respect
to the chief executive officer, president, any vice president, and any other
senior executive, and makes recommendations to the Board of Directors regarding
the compensation of such persons. The Compensation Committee also makes
determinations with respect to the granting of stock options with respect to
directors who are also employees of the Company. The Compensation Committee
did
not meet during fiscal year 2007.
Compensation
Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation
.
Messrs. Merchant, Price, and Palamand served as the members of the
Company's Compensation Committee until June 21, 2007. This committee was
reconstituted on June 21, 2007 to include Messrs. Heldfond (Chair), Price,
and Laybourne. Mr. Laybourne was formerly an officer of the registrant. During
2007, no executive officer of the Company served on the Compensation Committee
(or equivalent committee) or on the board of directors of another entity whose
executive officer(s) served on the Company's Compensation Committee or Board
of
Directors.
COMPENSATION
DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
The
Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors (the "Committee") determines
and administers the compensation for MBC's executive officers. The Committee
reviews and determines all components of the executive officers' compensation,
including making individual compensation decisions and reviewing and revising
compensation guidelines as appropriate. The Committee also consults with the
Chief Executive Officer regarding revisions to the compensation of the Chief
Financial Officer and other non-executive employees, as
appropriate.
The
Company has entered into an Employment Agreement with its Chief Executive
Officer that sets forth the term of his employment and provides for certain
benefits. The Company does not currently have an employment agreement in place
with its Chief Financial Officer, but may enter into an employment agreement
with such executive officer in the future. The Company does not have any
severance payment arrangements other than with the Chief Executive Officer.
The
Company has agreed to reimburse travel expenses for the Chief Executive Officer
and his family to return to their home country upon the termination of the
Chief
Executive Officer's employment with the Company. In addition, if the Chief
Executive Officer is terminated prior to the expiration of a twelve-month notice
period, he is entitled to be paid an amount equal to his remaining unpaid
compensation for the remainder of the period. The Company does not have any
payment arrangements that would be triggered by a "change in control" of the
Company. The Company also does not maintain any retirement plan programs or
provide the executive officers with any benefits following their retirement
or
termination from the Company.
Total
compensation for the Chief Executive Officer consists of base salary, annual
cash bonus payments, health benefits for him and his immediate dependent family
members, key person life insurance, use of a company vehicle and vacation
reimbursement.
Elements
of Compensation
Base
Salary
The
Committee establishes the executive officers' base salaries on an annual basis.
Historically, approximately 25% of the cash compensation paid to the Chief
Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, respectively, was paid in the
form of a bonus rather than as salary due to the lack of sufficient available
working capital during certain periods. Given the Company's stock performance
and financial situation, there is currently no salary component directly tied
to
the Company's stock price nor to its financial performance.
Annual
Cash Bonus
The
compensation packages for the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial
Officer also contain a component providing for payment of annual cash bonuses.
Given the working capital constraints of the Company in the past, the Committee
historically determined that a percentage of the cash compensation of the
executive officers would be in the form of annual cash bonuses that could be
disbursed following the completion of the applicable fiscal year.
Perquisites
and Personal Benefits
In
addition to salary and the annual bonus, the total compensation of the Company's
Chief Executive Officer includes perquisites and personal benefits. The types
of
perquisites and personal benefits awarded to the Chief Executive Officer were
determined when he commenced employment with the Company and are substantially
of the same nature as the perquisites provided to such executive officer by
previous employers. The perquisites available to the Chief Executive Officer
consists of: use of a company vehicle, health care reimbursement for him and
his
immediate family, reimbursement of certain specified vacation expenses and
life
insurance.
Equity
Plans
The
Company does not currently maintain any equity compensation plans or provide
any
form of equity compensation to its executive officers.
Retirement
Plans
The
Company does not currently maintain any retirement plans, nor does it provide
any post-retirement benefits to any of its employees (including its executive
officers).
Compensation
Committee Report
The
Compensation Committee, which is composed solely of independent members of
the
Board of Directors, assists the Board in fulfilling its responsibilities with
regard to compensation matters and is responsible for determining the
compensation of the Company's executive officers. The Compensation Committee
has
reviewed and discussed the "Compensation Discussion Analysis" section of this
Proxy Statement with management, including our Chief Executive Officer, Yashpal
Singh, and our Chief Financial Officer, N. Mahadevan. Based on this review
and
discussion, the Compensation Committee recommended to the Board of Directors
that the "Compensation Discussion and Analysis" section be included in this
Proxy Statement.
Compensation
Committee
Scott
R.
Heldfond (
Chair
)
Kent
D.
Price
Michael
Laybourne
Compensation
Committee Charter
The
Compensation Committee has not adopted a formal written charter.
SUMMARY
COMPENSATION TABLE
The
following table sets forth the annual compensation of the executive officers
and
employees whose total compensation exceeded $100,000 during the fiscal year
ended December 31, 2007.
None
of
these executive officers were issued any shares of capital stock or stock
options as compensation to date.
Dr.
Vijay
Mallya, currently Chairman of the Board, served as the Company's Chief Executive
Officer until January 13, 2005. Mr. Yashpal Singh, the Company's President,
was
appointed as Chief Executive Officer, effective as of January 14,
2005.
Name
and Principal Position
|
|
Year
|
|
Salary
($)
|
|
Bonus
($)
|
|
Stock
Awards
($)
|
|
Option
Awards
($)
|
|
Non
Equity Incentive Plan Compensation ($)
|
|
Nonqualified
Deferred Compensation Earnings ($)
|
|
All
Other Compensation ($)*
|
|
Total
($)
|
|
(a)
|
|
(b)
|
|
(c)
|
|
(d)
|
|
(e)
|
|
(f)
|
|
(g)
|
|
(h)
|
|
(i)
|
|
(j)
|
|
Yashpal
Singh
President
and Chief Executive Officer
|
|
|
2007
|
|
|
189,000
|
|
|
40,825
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
32,976
|
|
|
262,801
|
|
|
|
|
2006
|
|
|
150,000
|
|
|
46,900
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
19,006
|
|
|
215,906
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Mahadevan
Narayanan
Chief
Financial Officer and Corporate Secretary
|
|
|
2007
|
|
|
114,000
|
|
|
21,481
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
135,481
|
|
|
|
|
2006
|
|
|
81,250
|
|
|
23,069
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
|
|
104,319
|
|
*
|
Other
compensation of the Chief Executive Officer includes use of a company
vehicle, health care reimbursement for him and his immediate family
and
vacation reimbursement.
|
DIRECTORS'
COMPENSATION FOR THE YEAR 2007
Dr.
Vijay
Mallya, Chairman of the Board, is paid $120,000 per year by MBC for services
rendered as Chairman, and £70,000 per year (approximately $140,140 in U.S.
dollars at the average exchange rate for the year 2007) by UBI for promoting
the
Company’s products in the European territory outside the United
Kingdom.
Directors
who are not in receipt of fixed remuneration from the Company receive fees
for
their service as a director consisting of payments in the amount of $3,000
per
Board meeting and $1,000 per committee meeting attended by such director. The
following table provides details of directors' compensation for the year
2007.
Name
|
|
Fees
earned or Paid in Cash ($)
|
|
Stock
Awards
($)
|
|
|
|
Option
Awards
($)
|
|
Non
Equity Incentive Plan Compensation ($)
|
|
Change
in Pension Value and Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Earnings
($)
|
|
All
Other Compensation ($)
|
|
Total
($)
|
|
(a)
|
|
(b)
|
|
(c)
|
|
|
|
(d)
|
|
(e)
|
|
(f)
|
|
(g)
|
|
(h)
|
|
Dr.
Vijay Mallya
|
|
|
260,140
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
260,140
|
|
Kent
Price
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
24,000
|
|
|
*
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
24,000
|
|
Sury
Rao Palamand
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
19,000
|
|
|
**
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
19,000
|
|
Jerome
Merchant
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
24,000
|
|
|
*
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
24,000
|
|
Scott
Heldfond
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
22,000
|
|
|
#
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
22,000
|
|
Michael
Laybourne
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
14,000
|
|
|
##
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
14,000
|
|
*
|
Includes
fee for attending three board meetings and four committee meetings
calculated at $3,000 per board meeting and $1,000 per committee meeting,
to be compensated in the form of Company’s common stock calculated at
$0.39 per share being the average value of the stock during the year
2007.
|
**
|
Includes
fee for attending two board meetings and two committee meetings calculated
at $3,000 per board meeting and $1,000 per committee meeting, to
be
compensated in the form of Company’s common stock calculated at $0.39 per
share being the average value of the stock during the year 2007.
|
#
|
Includes
fee for attending three board meetings and two committee meetings
calculated at $3,000 per board meeting and $1,000 per committee meeting,
to be compensated in the form of Company’s common stock calculated at
$0.39 per share being the average value of the stock during the year
2007.
|
##
|
Includes
fee for attending one board meeting calculated at $3,000 per board
meeting, to be compensated in the form of Company’s common stock
calculated at $0.39 per share being the average value of the stock
during
the year 2007.
|
Stock
awards also include ad hoc compensation of $11,000 to Messrs. Heldfond,
Laybourn, Merchant, Palamand and Price in the form of common stock of the
Company calculated at the rate of $0.22 per share based on the trading value
of
the stock on the date of issuance.
Report
of the Audit Committee
The
following audit committee report is provided in accordance with the rules and
regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"). Pursuant
to
such rules and regulations, this report shall not be deemed to be
(i) "soliciting materials," (ii) "filed" with the SEC,
(iii) subject to Regulation 14A or 14C, or (iv) subject to the
liabilities of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended.
The
Board
of Directors maintains an Audit/Finance Committee comprised of three (3) of
the
Company's outside directors. The Board of Directors and the Audit/Finance
Committee believe that the Audit/Finance Committee's current member composition
satisfies the NASDAQ rules governing audit committee composition, including
the
requirement that all audit committee members be "independent directors." The
Audit/Finance Committee has adopted a written charter, attached to this proxy
as
Exhibit
A
.
The
Audit/Finance Committee assists the Board of Directors with fulfilling its
oversight responsibility regarding the quality and integrity of accounting,
auditing, and financial reporting practices of the Company. In discharging
its
oversight responsibilities regarding the audit process, the Audit/Finance
Committee has (i) reviewed and discussed the audited financial statements
with management, (ii) discussed with the independent accountants the
material required to be discussed by Statement on Auditing Standards
No. 61, as amended, and (iii) received and reviewed the written
disclosures and the letter from the independent accountants required by the
Independence Standards Boards Standard No. 1, and discussed with the
independent accountants any relationships that may impact their objectivity
and
independence.
Based
on
the review and discussions referred to above, the Audit/Finance Committee
recommended to the Board of Directors that the audited financial statements
be
included in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K/A for the year ended
December 31, 2007, as filed with the SEC.
Approved
by the Members of the Audit Committee:
Kent D.
Price (Chairman)
Jerome G.
Merchant
Scott R.
Heldfond
Director
Compensation
The
Company's policy with respect to compensation of outside directors for their
services as directors is as follows: each outside director receives $3,000
per
meeting of the Board of Directors he attends and $1,000 per committee meeting
he
attends. The outside directors have opted to receive such compensation in shares
of the Company's Common Stock pursuant to the terms of the Directors'
Compensation Plan. Such shares are valued at the higher of the book value of
the
Company's Common Stock for the applicable year or the average fair market value
of such stock over the course of the applicable year of the meeting for which
the Director is being compensated.
SECURITY
OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER
MATTERS.
The
following table sets forth certain information known to the Company regarding
the beneficial ownership of the Company's Common Stock and Series A Preferred
Stock as of August 31, 2008, for (a) each shareholder known by the Company
to own beneficially 5% or more of the outstanding shares of its Common Stock
or
Series A Preferred Stock; (b) each director; (c) each named executive
officer; and (d)
all
directors and executive officers of the Company as a group. Except as otherwise
noted, the Company believes that the beneficial owners of the Common Stock
and
Series A Preferred Stock listed below, based on information furnished by such
owners, have sole investment and voting power with respect to such shares,
subject to community property laws where applicable.
Name
and Address
|
|
Amount
and Nature of Beneficial Ownership (1)
|
|
Percent
of Class
|
|
COMMON
STOCK
|
|
|
|
|
|
United
Breweries of America, Inc.
1050,
Bridge way,
Sausalito,
CA 94965
|
|
|
3,087,818
(2
|
)
|
|
25.7
|
%
|
Inversiones
Mirabel S.A.
Hong
Kong Bank Building
6th
Floor, Samuel Lewis Avenue
P
O
Box 6-4298, El Dorado
Panama
City, Panama
|
|
|
5,500,000
(2
|
)
|
|
45.9
|
%
|
United
Breweries (Holdings) Limited.
100/1,
Richmond Road,
Bangalore
- 560 025, India
|
|
|
8,587,818
(3
|
)
|
|
71.6
|
%
|
H.
Michael Laybourn +
|
|
|
416,948
|
|
|
3.5
|
%
|
Vijay
Mallya
|
|
|
8,587,818
(4
|
)
|
|
71.6
|
%
|
Kent
D Price
c/o
Parker Price Venture Capital, Inc.
101,
California Street
Suite
2830
San
Francisco, CA 94111
|
|
|
274,907
|
|
|
2.3
|
%
|
Sury
Rao Palamand, Ph.D. +
|
|
|
240,065
|
|
|
2.0
|
%
|
Jerome
G. Merchant+
|
|
|
155,665
|
|
|
1.3
|
%
|
Yashpal
Singh+
|
|
|
--
|
|
|
--
|
|
Scott
R. Heldfond +
|
|
|
93,505
|
|
|
*
|
|
Mahadevan
Narayanan
|
|
|
--
|
|
|
--
|
|
All
Directors and executive officers as a group (8 persons)
|
|
|
9,768,908
(5
|
)
|
|
81.5
|
%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
SERIES
A PREFERRED STOCK
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
H.
Michael Laybourn +
|
|
|
6,100
|
|
|
2.7
|
%
|
All
Directors and executive officers as a group (8 persons)
|
|
|
6,100
|
|
|
2.7
|
%
|
*
Amount
represents less than 1% of the outstanding securities of the class.
+
1601
Airport Road, Ukiah, CA 95402
(1)
Applicable percentages of ownership are based on 11,991,686 shares of Common
Stock outstanding.
(2)
Does
not include 2,003,811 shares issuable to UBA upon conversion of certain
convertible notes issued by MBC to UBA under a Master Line of Credit Agreement.
UBHL is the ultimate beneficiary of substantially all of the shares owned by
both UBA and Inversiones.
(3)
Includes all shares held by the Company's two largest shareholders, UBA and
Inversiones. UBHL is the beneficial owner of UBA and Inversiones because they
are both controlled by Rigby International Corp., a company registered in the
British Virgin Island with its primary offices at Vanterpool Plaza, 2nd Floor,
Wickhams Cay I, Road Town, Tortola, British Virgin Island 2 and its mailing
address c/o CAS SA, 12-14 Avenue, Riverdil, CH-1260, Lyon, Switzerland, which
in
turn is a wholly-owned subsidiary of UBHL. Such amount does not include
2,003,811 shares issuable to UBA upon conversion of certain convertible notes
issued by MBC to UBA under a Master Line of Credit Agreement.
(4)
Includes all shares held indirectly by UBHL. Does not include 2,003,811 shares
issuable to UBA upon conversion of certain convertible notes issued by MBC
to
UBA described in footnotes (2) and (3) above. Dr. Mallya disclaims beneficial
ownership of the reported securities except to the extent of his pecuniary
interest therein.
(5)
Does
not include shares which may be obtained upon the conversion of the Notes
described in footnotes (2) and (3), above.
Stock
Option Grants
No
stock
options nor freestanding stock appreciation rights were held by, granted to,
or
exercised by any of the Company's executive officers during the fiscal year
ended December 31, 2007; and no such options nor stock appreciation rights
have been granted to or exercised by any executive officer to date during 2008.
Policies
of the Company
Although
there is no formal written policy in place regarding related party transactions,
historically, the Board has generally reviewed and approved or ratified the
Company's related party transactions.
Certain
Relationships
and Related Transactions
During
fiscal year 2007, and through the date of this Proxy Statement, the Company
is a
participant in the following transactions where (i) the amount involved exceeds
$120,000 and (ii) a related person had or will have a direct or indirect
material interest:
Master
Line of Credit Agreement
On
August 31, 1999, the Company and United Breweries of America, Inc. ("UBA")
entered into a Master Line of Credit Agreement, which was subsequently amended
on April 28, 2000, and February 12, 2001 (the "Credit Agreement"). The
terms of the Credit Agreement provide the Company with a line of credit in
the
principal amount of up to $1,600,000.
UBA
has
made thirteen (13) separate advances to the Company under the Credit Agreement,
and one separate advance with a principal amount of $400,000 on terms
substantially similar to those of the Credit Agreement, each pursuant to an
eighteen-month promissory note, (collectively, the "UBA Notes"). Interest
accrued on the UBA Notes at an interest rate equal to the lesser of (i) one
and
one-half percent (1.5%) per annum above the prime rate offered from time to
time
by the Banc of America in San Francisco, California, or (ii) ten percent (10%).
As
of
August 31, 2008, the aggregate outstanding principal amount of the UBA Notes
is
$1,915,400, and the accrued but unpaid interest thereon is equal to
approximately $1,090,300. The entire amount of the outstanding principal and
accrued but unpaid interest is convertible into shares of common stock of the
Company at a conversion price of $1.50 per share. As of the date of this Proxy
Statement, UBA beneficially owns approximately 25.7% of the Company's
outstanding Common Stock (excluding any shares issuable upon the conversion
of
the UBA Notes). The Company's Chairman, Dr. Vijay Mallya, is also the Chairman
of the board of directors of UBA.
In
July
2001, the Company entered into a Kingfisher Trademark and Trade Name License
Agreement with Kingfisher America, Inc., a Delaware corporation affiliated
with
UBHL, pursuant to which the Company obtained a royalty-free, exclusive license
to use the Kingfisher trademark and trade name in connection with the brewing
and distribution of beer in the United States. Under its terms, this agreement
will remain in effect for so long as the Distribution Agreement (described
below) between UBI and UBSN remains in effect. Currently, that Agreement is
scheduled to expire in October 2013.
Because
the Company's Chairman, Dr. Vijay Mallya, is also the Chairman of the board
of
directors of UBHL, the transactions represented by these license agreements
may
be deemed to be related party transactions.
Shepherd
Neame, Ltd.
As
described more fully below, the Company's principal European subsidiary, UBSN,
is a party to a Brewing Agreement and a Loan Agreement with Shepherd Neame.
Shepherd Neame and the Company may be deemed to be related parties, because
Mr.
R.H.B. Neame (Shepherd Neame's Chairman of the Board) was also a director of
the
Company until 2004, and Mr. David Townshend (a senior Shepherd Neame employee)
was serving as the President of UBSN (pursuant to an agreement between UBSN
and
Shepherd Neame) and was also a director of the Company until 2004.
Brewing
Agreement
On
October 9, 1998, UBI and UBSN entered into a Brewing Agreement with Shepherd
Neame, and on October 24, 2001, this agreement was amended by a Supplemental
Agreement (as so amended, the "Brewing Agreement").
The
Brewing Agreement, which was entered into (and amended) in conjunction with
the
SN Loan Agreement described below, grants Shepherd Neame the exclusive right
to
brew, keg, bottle, can, label, and package all beers and related products sold
under the Kingfisher trademark in the United Kingdom, and with respect to the
distribution of such products elsewhere in the European Territory, UBI and
UBSN
further agreed that they would require any other distributor of such products
(subject to applicable laws and regulations) both to obtain such products
directly from a company related to UBI or its subsidiaries and to refrain from
seeking customers, or establishing a distribution network for such products,
in
the United Kingdom. In exchange, Shepherd Neame agreed to brew and/or supply
Kingfisher Premium Lager and related products to UBSN for destinations within
(and, with the consent of Shepherd Neame, outside) the United Kingdom. The
price
UBSN pays to Shepherd Neame for brewing Kingfisher Premium Lager for
distribution in the United Kingdom is set by a formula which varies according
to
the applicable duty on Kingfisher Premium Lager and other factors. For 2007,
the
purchases from Shepherd Neame by UBSN equaled approximately $16,235,100 at
the
average exchange rate in effect during 2007.
SN
Loan Agreement
Concurrently
with the Brewing Agreement described above, UBSN and Shepherd Neame entered
into
a loan agreement (the "SN Loan Agreement"), pursuant to which Shepherd Neame
advanced to UBSN £600,000 (the full amount available under the Loan Agreement)
in October 2001, at a fixed interest rate of 5%, for general corporate purposes.
This loan is payable in ten annual installments of £60,000 each, commencing on
June 30, 2003 and continuing on each anniversary thereof until the loan is
fully
repaid. Any remaining balance of principal or interest will become due and
payable (and the loan will terminate) on June 30, 2013. It would be an event
of
default under the SN Loan Agreement, and the lender would have the right, at
will, not only to cancel the SN Loan Agreement and accelerate all sums due
under
it, but also to terminate the Brewing Agreement, if UBSN were to terminate
or
default under the Brewing Agreement, or if either of the License Agreements
that
UBI and UBSN have entered into with UBHL are terminated (except in accordance
with their terms or in connection with the parties' entry into an equivalent
Brewing Agreement).
Distribution
Agreement
UBI
entered into a Distribution Agreement with its wholly-owned subsidiary UBSN
on
October 9, 1998. Under this agreement, which was subsequently amended by a
Supplemental Agreement dated as of October 24, 2001 (together, the "Distribution
Agreement"), UBI granted UBSN an exclusive sublicense for the distribution
of
all lager and other beer products brewed or prepared for sale in the Company's
European Territory, and a sublicense to use the Kingfisher trademark and trade
name, to manufacture, package, market, distribute, and sell beer and other
products using the Kingfisher trademark and logo, and to enter into a Brewing
License Agreement described below. The Distribution Agreement, which also
requires UBSN to pay UBI a royalty fee of 50 British pence (approximately $1.00
at the average exchange rates in effect during fiscal year 2007) for every
100
liters (26 gallons) of beer brewed for sale in the European Territory, will
expire (unless its term is extended) in October 2013. For 2007, UBSN paid
royalties to UBI of approximately $79,200.
Market
Development Agreement
Effective
October 26, 2001, the Company and UBSN entered into a Market Development,
General and Administrative Services Agreement (the "Market Development
Agreement"), under the terms of which UBSN engaged the Company to perform a
variety of advertising, promotional, and other market development activities
in
the United States, in connection with Kingfisher beer and related consumer
products (the "Products"), provide certain legal and business management support
services to UBSN, and provide assistance with the establishment and management
of distribution channels for the Products in the United States. In consideration
for the services received under this agreement, UBSN agreed to pay the Company
service fees amounting in the aggregate to $1,500,000 over the period from
2001
through 2003. Such payments have been made in full and no additional payments
are anticipated to be made in the future. The Company and UBSN agreed to extend
the agreement for an additional five (5) year period.
Brewing
License Agreement
Concurrently
with the Market Development Agreement described above, the Company entered
into
a Brewing License Agreement with UBSN, under the terms of which UBSN granted
to
the Company an exclusive license to brew and distribute Kingfisher Premium
Lager
in the United States, in exchange for a royalty, payable to UBSN, of eighty
cents ($0.80) for each case of Kingfisher Premium Lager brewed by the Company
under this agreement. The Company and UBSN agreed to extend the agreement for
an
additional 5 year period. The royalty due to UBSN pursuant to the Brewing
License Agreement for the year 2007 was approximately $101,700.
Section 16(a)
Beneficial
Ownership Reporting Compliance
Section 16(a)
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"),
requires each of the Company's directors and executive officers, and each person
who is a beneficial owner of more than 10% of the Company's Common Stock, to
file reports with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") of such
person's ownership of equity securities of the Company and changes in such
person's ownership. These persons are required by SEC regulations to furnish
the
Company with copies of all such forms they file.
Based
solely on a review of written statements of the Company's insiders and Forms
3,
4, and 5 furnished to the Company, except as previously disclosed, no
transactions were not reported on a timely basis nor were there any known
failures to file a required report.
Comparative
Performance Graph
Set
forth
below is a graph comparing the cumulative total return to shareholders on the
Company's Common Stock with the cumulative total return of the Russell 2000
Index and an index comprised of other publicly-traded craft beer companies
(the
"Peer Group") for the period beginning on December 31, 2002 and ended on
December 31, 2007. The total return on the Company's Common Stock, the
Russell 2000 Index and the Peer Group Index assumes the value of each investment
was $100 on December 31, 2002, and that any dividends were reinvested. The
points represent fiscal year-end index levels based on the last trading day
in
each fiscal year. Return information is historical and not necessarily
indicative of future performance.
|
2002
|
2003
|
2004
|
2005
|
2006
|
2007
|
MENDOCINO
BREWING
|
100
|
61
|
52
|
33
|
79
|
91
|
PEER
GROUP
|
100
|
126
|
146
|
166
|
242
|
262
|
RUSSEL
2000 INDEX
|
100
|
145
|
170
|
176
|
206
|
200
|
The
Company's Peer Group is comprised of three publicly traded craft beer companies.
As required, the returns of each of the component companies in the Peer Group
return are calculated and weighted according to their respective market
capitalization at the beginning of the period. The Peer Group is composed of:
Red Hook Ale Brewery, Inc. (NASDAQ: HOOK), The Boston Beer Company, Inc. (NYSE:
SAM), and Pyramid Breweries Inc. (Nasdaq: PMID).
VOTE
REQUIRED FOR THE ELECTION OF DIRECTORS
The
affirmative vote of the holders of a plurality of the shares of Common Stock
present and voting at the Annual Meeting is required to elect each of the
nominees for director. Each share of Common Stock which is represented, in
person or by proxy, at the Annual Meeting will be accorded one vote on each
nominee for director, unless one or more shareholders express an intention
to
exercise their right to cumulative voting, in which case all shares will be
accorded cumulative voting rights. For purposes of this vote, abstentions and
broker non-votes will in effect not be counted. Please see "GENERAL INFORMATION
-- Voting Securities of the Company - Cumulative Voting," above, for a brief
description of the voting procedures in the event that cumulative voting is
requested at the Annual Meeting in connection with the election of
directors.
THE
COMPANY'S BOARD OF DIRECTORS RECOMMENDS A VOTE "
FOR
"
EACH
OF
THE NOMINEES FOR DIRECTOR DESCRIBED ABOVE.
PROPOSAL
NO. 2: RATIFICATION OF INDEPENDENT AUDITORS
The
Company has appointed PMB Helin Donovan, LLP. ("PMB"), as its independent
auditors to perform the audit of the Company's financial statements for the
year
2008, and the shareholders are being asked to ratify that appointment. PMB
audited the Company's 2007 and 2006 financial statements. The Company's Annual
Report on Form 10-K/A for the year ended December 31, 2007, which incorporates
the 2007 financial statements, is included (without Exhibits) with this Proxy
Statement.
All
audit
and other services performed by PMB on behalf of the Company are approved in
advance by the Audit Committee, on a case-by-case basis.
A
representative of PMB will be present at the Annual Meeting will have an
opportunity to make a statement if they so desire and will be available to
answer questions.
Fees
and Services
AUDIT
FEES. The aggregate fees billed by PMB for the audit of the Company's annual
consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2007 was
$90,000; fees of an additional $39,000 were billed to the Company during 2007
in
connection with PMB’s review of interim financial statements in connection with
the Company's Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for that year. Such fees
represented approximately 90% of the total fees for services rendered to the
Company by PMB during 2007.
The
aggregate fees billed by PMB for the audit of the Company's annual consolidated
financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2006 was $90,000; fees
of
an additional $45,685 were billed to the Company during 2006 in connection
with
PMB’s review of interim financial statements in connection with the Company's
Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for this year. Such fees represented
approximately 90% of the total fees for services rendered to the Company by
PMB
during 2006.
AUDIT
RELATED FEES. PMB did not bill any amount in fees for assurance or related
services to the Company in 2007 or 2006.
TAX
FEES.
The aggregate fees billed during 2007 for tax products and services related
to
the preparation of the Company's tax returns provided by PMB, other than those
described in the foregoing paragraphs, was $15,000. Such fees represented
approximately 10% of the total fees for services rendered to the Company by
PMB
during 2007.
The
aggregate fees billed during 2006 for tax products and services related to
the
preparation of the Company's tax returns provided by PMB, other than those
described in the foregoing paragraphs, was $15,000. Such fees represented
approximately 10% of the total fees for services rendered to the Company by
PMB
during 2006.
ALL
OTHER
FEES. During the years 2007 and 2006, PMB did not bill the Company for any
products or services other than those mentioned above.
All
audit
and other services performed by PMB on behalf of the Company are approved in
advance by the Company's audit committee.
The
Company is not aware that any significant amount of the work done during the
course of the audits of the Company's 2007 and 2006 Financial Statements was
performed by persons other than full-time, permanent, employees of
PMB.
THE
COMPANY'S BOARD OF DIRECTORS RECOMMENDS A VOTE
'"FOR"
RATIFICATION
OF THE
APPOINTMENT
OF PMB HELIN DONOVAN, LLP AS THE COMPANY'S INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC
ACCOUNTING FIRM.
Shareholder
Communications with the Board of Directors
The
Board
of Directors has a process by which shareholders may communicate with the Board
of Directors, the non-management directors, or with any individual director
concerning the Company. Shareholders wishing to do so may write to the Board
of
Directors or to the applicable director or directors; such communications should
be addressed as follows: Mahadevan Narayanan, Corporate Secretary, Mendocino
Brewing Company, Inc., 1601 Airport Road, Ukiah, CA 95482. The envelope
should indicate that it contains a shareholder communication. All such
communications relating to the Company will be forwarded to the entire Board
of
Directors, the director or directors to whom they are addressed, as
applicable.
Shareholder
Proposals to be Presented at the Next Annual Meeting
Any
proposal which a shareholder wishes to have presented at the next annual meeting
and included in the management proxy materials relating to such meeting must
be
received at the main office of the Company a reasonable time before the Company
begins to print and mail its proxy materials in connection with that meeting.
The Company will advise its shareholders of the date of its next (2009) Annual
Meeting of Shareholders, once that date has been set, through its Quarterly
Reports on Form 10-Q or by a Current Report on Form 8-K. If a
shareholder proposal for consideration at the 2009 Annual Meeting is in
compliance with all of the requirements of Rule 14a-8 promulgated under the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, it will be included in the proxy
statement for that meeting, and set forth on the form of proxy issued for the
2009 Annual Meeting of Shareholders.
For
a
shareholder proposal that is not intended to be included in the Company's proxy
statement under Rule 14a-8, the Shareholder must deliver written notice to
the Secretary of the Company at the Company's principal executive offices a
reasonable time before the Company mailed its proxy materials for this year.
Notice of such proposals should be addressed to:
Mahadevan
Narayanan
Corporate
Secretary
Mendocino
Brewing Company, Inc.
1601 Airport
Road
Ukiah,
California 95482
It
is
urged that any shareholder proposals be sent by certified mail, return receipt
requested.
Availability
of Annual Report on Form 10-K
/A
Included
with this Proxy Statement, and partially incorporated herein, is a copy of
the
Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K/A for the fiscal year ended
December 31, 2007 (without exhibits). THE COMPANY WILL PROVIDE TO ANY
SHAREHOLDER, UPON WRITTEN REQUEST AND WITHOUT CHARGE, AN ADDITIONAL COPY OF
THIS
REPORT (also without Exhibits). Such written requests should be made to the
Company at Mendocino Brewing Company, Inc., Attn: Sarah T. McDaniel,
Manager, Shareholder Relations, 1601 Airport Road, Ukiah, CA 95482,
Telephone: (800) 733-3871.
Other
Matters to be Considered at the Annual Meeting
The
Board
of Directors does not presently intend to present matters other than the
foregoing for action by the shareholders at the Annual Meeting, and, so far
as
is known to the Board of Directors, no matters are to be brought before the
Annual Meeting except as specified herein. As to any business that may properly
come before the Annual Meeting, however, it is intended that proxies, in the
form accompanying this Proxy Statement, will be voted in accordance with the
judgment of the persons voting such proxies.
Attached
Documents
A
copy of
the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K/A for the year ended
December 31, 2007 (not including the Exhibits thereto) accompanies this
Proxy Statement.
EXHIBIT A
MENDOCINO
BREWING COMPANY, INC.
CHARTER
OF THE AUDIT COMMITTEE OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
I.
Purpose
The
purpose of the Audit Committee (the "Committee") of the Board of Directors
(the
"Board") of Mendocino Brewing Company, Inc. (the "Company") is to assist the
Board in fulfilling its statutory and fiduciary oversight responsibilities
relating to the Company's financial accounting, reporting and controls. The
Committee's principal functions are to:
o
monitor
the periodic reviews of the adequacy of the accounting and financial reporting
process and systems of internal control that are conducted by the Company's
independent auditors and the Company's financial and senior
management;
o
review
and evaluate the independence and performance of the Company's independent
auditors; and
o
facilitate
communication among the Company's independent auditors, the Company's financial
and senior management, and the Board.
The
Committee will fulfill these functions primarily by carrying out the activities
enumerated in Part IV of this charter. In order to serve these functions,
the Committee shall have unrestricted access to Company personnel and documents,
and shall have authority to direct and supervise an investigation into any
matters within the scope of its duties, including the power to retain outside
counsel in connection with any such investigation.
While
the
Audit Committee has the responsibilities and powers set forth in this charter,
it is not the duty of the Committee to plan or conduct audits or to determine
that the Company's financial statements are complete and accurate and are in
accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. This is the
responsibility of the management and the Company's independent auditors. Nor
is
the duty of the Committee to conduct investigations, to resolve disagreements,
if any, between management and its independent auditors or to assure compliance
with laws and regulations and the Company's policies and
procedures.
II.
Membership
All
members of the Committee will be appointed by, and shall serve at the discretion
of, the Board. Unless a Chair is elected by the full Board, the members of
the
Committee may designate a Chair by majority vote of the Committee
membership.
As
of the
date this charter is adopted, the Committee shall consist of three or more
members of the Board, with the exact number being determined by the Board.
Each
member of the Committee shall be "independent" as defined by the rules of The
Nasdaq Stock Market, as they may be amended from time to time (the "Rules"),
except as otherwise permitted by such Rules. Each member of the Committee shall
have the ability to read and understand fundamental financial statements (or
become able to do so within a reasonable time after joining the Committee)
and
at least one member shall have prior experience in accounting, financial
management or financial oversight, as required by the Rules.
III.
Meetings
Meetings
of the Committee shall be held from time to time as determined by the members
of
the Committee. The Committee should periodically meet with the independent
auditors out of the presence of management about internal controls, the fullness
and accuracy of the Company's financial statements and any other matters that
the Committee or these groups believe should be discussed privately with the
Committee. The Committee members, or the Chairman of the Committee on behalf
of
all of the Committee members, should communicate with management and the
independent auditors on a quarterly basis in connection with their review of
the
Company's financial statements.
IV.
Responsibilities
and duties
The
following shall be the principal recurring process of the Committee in carrying
out its oversight responsibilities. These processes are set forth as a guide
with the understanding that the Committee may supplement them as appropriate
and
may establish policies and procedures from time to time that it deems necessary
or advisable in fulfilling its responsibilities.
1.
Review
the Company's quarterly and annual financial statements, including any report
or
opinion by the independent auditors, prior to distribution to the public or
filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
2.
In
connection with the Committee's review of the financial statements:
o
Discuss
with the independent auditors and management the financial statements and the
results of the independent auditors' audit of the financial
statements.
o
Discuss
any items required to be communicated by the independent auditors in accordance
with SAS 61, as amended. These discussions should include the independent
auditors' judgment about the quality and appropriateness of the Company's
accounting principles, the reasonableness of significant judgments, the clarity
of disclosures in the Company's financial statements and any significant
difficulties encountered during the course of the audit, including any
restrictions on the scope of work or access to required
information.
3.
In
connection with the Committee's review of the quarterly financial
statements:
o
Discuss
with the independent auditors and management the results of the independent
auditors' SAS 71 review of the quarterly financial statements.
o
Discuss
significant issues, events and transactions and any significant changes
regarding accounting principles, practices, judgments or estimates with
management and the independent auditors, including any significant disagreements
among management and the independent auditors.
4.
Discuss
any comments or recommendations of the independent auditors outlined in their
annual management letter. Approve a schedule for implementing any recommended
changes and monitor compliance with the schedule.
5.
Discuss
with the independent auditors and management their periodic reviews of the
adequacy of the Company's accounting and financial reporting processes and
systems of internal control, including the adequacy of the systems of reporting
to the Audit Committee by each group.
6.
Periodically
consult with the independent auditors out of the presence of management about
internal controls, the fullness and accuracy of the Company's financial
statements and any other matters that the Committee or these groups believe
should be discussed privately with the Committee.
7.
Review
the independence and performance of the independent auditors. Recommend to
the
Board the appointment or discharge of the independent auditors.
8.
Communicate
with the Company's independent auditors about the Company's expectations
regarding its relationship with the auditors, including the following;
(i) the independent auditors' ultimate accountability to the Board and the
Committee, as representatives of the Company's stockholders; and (ii) the
ultimate authority and responsibility of the Board and the Committee to select,
evaluate and, where appropriate, replace the independent auditors.
9.
Review
and approve processes and procedures to ensure the continuing independence
of
the Company's independent auditors. These processes shall include obtaining
and
reviewing, on an annual basis, a letter from the independent auditors describing
all relationships between the independent auditors and the Company required
to
be disclosed by Independence Standards Board Standard No. 1, reviewing the
nature and scope of such relationships and discontinuing any relationships
that
the Committee believes could compromise the independence of the
auditors.
10.
Review
the independent auditor's audit plan.
11.
Approve
the fees and other significant compensation to be paid to the independent
auditors.
12.
Periodically
review the status of any legal matters that could have a significant impact
on
the Company's financial statements.
13.
Annually
prepare a report to the Company's stockholders for inclusion in the Company's
annual proxy statement as required to by the rules and regulations of the
Securities and Exchange Commission, as they may be amended from time to
time.
14.
Maintain
minutes and periodically report to the Board on significant matters related
to
the Committee's responsibilities.
15.
Review
and reassess the adequacy of the Committee's charter at least
annually.
16.
Perform
any other activities required by applicable law, rules or regulations, including
the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission and any stock exchange
or
market on which the Company's Common Stock is listed, and perform other
activities that are consistent with this charter, the Company's Bylaws, and
governing laws, as the Committee or the Board deems necessary or
appropriate.
4
Mendocino Brewing (CE) (USOTC:MENB)
Gráfica de Acción Histórica
De May 2024 a Jun 2024
Mendocino Brewing (CE) (USOTC:MENB)
Gráfica de Acción Histórica
De Jun 2023 a Jun 2024