SEC Company Response from CBL & ASSOCIATES PROPERTIES INC (CBL) (CIK 0000910612) (CBL) — Oct 26, 2007
CBL & ASSOCIATES PROPERTIES INC (CBL) (CIK 0000910612)
Date: Oct. 26, 2007 · CIK: 0000910612 · Accession: 0000910612-07-000170
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File numbers found in text: 001-12494
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CBL & ASSOCIATES PROPERTIES, INC.
CBL
Center
2030
Hamilton Place Blvd., Suite 500
Chattanooga, Tennessee 37421-6000
October
26, 2007
Ms. Pam Howell
Special Counsel
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
100 F Street, NE
Mail Stop 3561
Washington, DC 20549
RE:
CBL & Associates Properties, Inc. (herein the
“Company” or “CBL”)
Definitive Schedule 14A
Filed March 28, 2007
File No. 001-12494
Via EDGAR Filing System
Dear
Ms. Howell:
In reference to your comment letter of August 21, 2007 and with respect
to your review of CBL’s definitive proxy materials filed on Schedule 14A for the
Company’s 2007 Annual Meeting of Shareholders, this letter sets forth our
response to each comment, numbered to correspond to the Staff’s
letter.
Schedule 14A
Compensation Discussion and Analysis, page 20
1.
The base salary and cash bonus reward the named
executive officers for their contributions to the company’s
performance, “including the successful completion of specific
projects or attainment of other specified objectives considered by the
Compensation Committee in determining the amount of annual bonus
payments to certain officers.” Provide a detailed discussion of
the specific projects and objectives that were considered by the
Compensation Committee and analyze how these projects and objectives
were used to determine the actual salary and bonus. For restricted
stock awards, disclose the specific elements of officer performance
that were considered and analyze how these elements of performance were
used to determine the actual stock award.
The Compensation Committee of the Company’s Board of Directors
receives recommendations from CBL’s senior management as to the three elements
that make up the compensation of the named executive officers: (1) the base salaries
for the named executive officers, in conjunction with the preparation and approval of
an annual executive compensation budget for the Company; (2) the maximum potential
bonus to be provided for each named executive officer, in conjunction with the
preparation and approval of the annual executive compensation budget; and (3) the
recommended amount of annual restricted stock grants to each
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named
executive officer, in conjunction with the preparation and approval of annual grants of
restricted stock under the Company’s Stock Incentive Plan. Management’s
recommended executive compensation budget, pursuant to which annual base salaries and
bonus opportunities are determined, is normally approved for each year during the
fourth quarter of the preceding fiscal year. Management’s recommendations
concerning the annual restricted stock grants historically have been reviewed and
approved at the Compensation Committee’s May meeting following CBL’s annual
meeting of shareholders (although management presently is recommending a change in the
timing of these grants, as noted below). As discussed in more detail in response to
Comment 3 below, management’s recommendations are presented to the Compensation
Committee by the Company’s Chief Executive Officer, Charles B. Lebovitz. The
following discussion provides additional information as to the factors considered by
the Compensation Committee in evaluating and acting upon management’s
recommendations with respect to each of these three elements of compensation for
CBL’s named executive officers.
Base Salaries. Management’s
recommendations in the annual executive compensation budget as to base salaries are
based on the historical levels of base salaries paid to the named executive officers,
with adjustments that management subjectively has deemed appropriate based on the
overall performance of the Company and the overall performance of the named executive
officer. In reviewing and acting upon management’s recommendations as to base
salaries, the Compensation Committee considers each officer’s level of
responsibility, experience and tenure with the Company, in addition to the performance
of such officer in carrying out his responsibilities and in overseeing the
responsibilities of those under his supervision. The achievements of the particular
division over which a named executive officer has supervision are also considered by
the Compensation Committee. The Compensation Committee’s evaluation of each named
executive officer also includes an evaluation of the overall performance of the
Company. While neither management nor the Compensation Committee utilizes any specific
formulas or quantitative metrics in recommending and approving base salaries for the
named executive officers, management’s recommendations and the Compensation
Committee’s review of those recommendations are not arbitrary processes. The
performance of each named executive officer is considered as set forth above, along
with consideration of a number of indicators of the overall performance of the Company,
including without limitation (i) the Company’s annual growth in funds from
operations (or “FFO”, since FFO is one of the performance measures most
commonly utilized by the market in analyzing the performance of REITs); (ii) the
Company’s achievement of growth in net operating income (or “NOI”);
(iii) the Company’s maintenance of occupancy levels in its shopping centers and
achievement of increases in such occupancy levels; and (iv) the stock price
appreciation for the Company’s equity securities;.
The overall success and growth of the Company (including the matters
listed above) are certainly factors considered by the Compensation Committee in
determining whether the named executive officers receive increase in their base
salaries as well as in setting the amount of any such increases. As stated above,
however, the Compensation Committee does not utilize “thresholds” or
“targets” in its consideration of such factors, and there is no formulaic
correlation between the Company’s growth and the determination of any increase in
base salaries for the named executive officers. The Compensation Committee also reviews
(for informational purposes only) the base salaries of similarly-situated executive
officers at a group of seven comparable publicly traded mall REITs (listed in the 2007
CD&A) that are deemed to be peers of the Company. This review of the base salaries
of similarly-situated executive officers is for the purposes of giving the Compensation
Committee a general sense of the manner in which the
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base
salaries for the named executive officers compare with similarly-situated executive
officers in the peer group and to provide to the Compensation Committee an
understanding of whether the Company is competitive in the base salaries paid to the
named executive officers (taking into account differences in size and scope of
operations between the Company and certain of its peers). The Compensation Committee
does not, however, set specific competitive pay targets or objectives in this review or
otherwise engage in any formal “benchmarking” comparisons of the
compensation of the Company’s named executive officers against that of the
executives of these peer companies.
Annual Bonus Opportunities. As part of
establishing the annual executive compensation budget submitted to the Compensation
Committee for approval, management also recommends a targeted maximum amount of annual
bonus that may be earned by each named executive officer for performance during the
upcoming fiscal year. Management’s recommendations for these bonus targets are
generally based on the amount of such awards that have been made in past years in
relation to the criteria considered for each officer (as discussed below), with such
increases or other adjustments as management deems advisable in light of the
Company’s business plans for the current year. As with the base salary
recommendations discussed above, management subjectively considers the overall
performance of both the named executive officers and the Company, including
consideration of the factors referenced above under the Base Salaries discussion, in
preparing its recommendations as to annual bonus awards. The Compensation Committee
does not, however, set targets or utilize specific formulas or quantitative metrics in
developing such recommendations.
For three of the Company’s named executive officers (John N. Foy,
Stephen D. Lebovitz and Eric P. Snyder), the determination of the maximum targeted
bonus for each officer as set forth in the annual compensation budget, as well as the
determination of the amount of bonus ultimately paid, also reflects consideration by
both senior management (particularly the Chief Executive Officer) and the Compensation
Committee of various factors related to the successful continuation and/or completion
of development, financing, leasing and re-leasing, expansions, acquisitions, joint
ventures and market transactions with respect to the Company and its properties
identified by senior management and the Compensation Committee as being within such
executive’s areas of responsibility. The material factors considered in making
bonus determinations with reference to such projects include successful completion of
development projects (i.e., completion of construction or phases of construction on
multi-phased projects and grand openings); achievement of acceptable pro forma returns;
achievement of lease up levels for new developments and maintaining and increasing
occupancy levels in existing projects in the Company’s portfolio; successful
completion of financings (i.e., closing on financings and re-financings and enhancement
of the Company’s debt structure); successful closing of acquisitions of
additional properties for the Company’s portfolio; and successful completion of
market transactions (i.e., issuances of additional equity securities and other market
transactions including stock repurchase programs). Since each of these factors may be
significantly influenced by events affecting the national economy, as well as the local
economies of the markets in which our shopping center properties are located, the
degree of challenge presented to each officer in achieving successful performance will
vary significantly from year to year, and may differ within a given year from that
which was anticipated by the Compensation Committee in budgeting for annual executive
bonuses. Accordingly, the Compensation Committee’s final decision as to the
bonuses paid each year is based on its overall, qualitative evaluation of each
officer’s performance with regard to such factors in light of the Company’s
performance and the external factors (economic and otherwise) that impacted such
performance during the year.
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It also is not unusual for changes in the projects so considered for
each officer to be made during the course of the year based on changes in the
Company’s development, acquisition, financing and market plans which may occur
throughout any given year. Certain of these changes may be due to internal
considerations, while others may be due to changes in market factors that are beyond
the control of the Company or any of its individual executives. Accordingly, while the
bonus paid to each executive for the year typically is not increased beyond the
targeted amount approved by the Compensation Committee, the final bonus payment may be
decreased (or, in cases of exceptional performance, increased within an approved level
of allowable increases set forth in the overall executive compensation budget) versus
the budgeted amount, and the projects ultimately considered in determining the amount
of annual bonus paid to each officer may differ from those utilized in setting such
officer’s maximum targeted bonus in the initial executive compensation budget
based on such changes in the Company’s business plans during the year. These
matters are reviewed by the Compensation Committee with the Chief Executive Officer,
and revised as needed, when the Compensation Committee meets during the year, with
final decisions for the year typically being made at the Compensation Committee’s
meeting during the fourth quarter. Historically, the Compensation Committee typically
meets twice during each year; however, the Committee may meet more often if needed. The
final bonus payout for each named executive officer is determined by the Compensation
Committee based on the Committee’s ultimate evaluation of such officer’s
performance during the year, but within the parameters of the approved executive
compensation budget and giving such consideration as the Compensation Committee deems
appropriate, based on developments throughout the year, to the project-related matters
and other factors described above.
For John N. Foy, a named executive officer and Vice Chairman of the
Board and Chief Financial Officer of the Company, and Stephen D. Lebovitz, a named
executive officer and the Company’s President, the projects among which the
Compensation Committee allocates various components of their potential annual bonuses
typically include the completion of acquisitions, closing of financing transactions,
completion of phases of construction on development of shopping centers, completion and
grand opening of shopping centers, completion of joint ventures and completion of
securities offerings.
For Eric P. Snyder, a named executive offic