S-8 1 forms8.htm

 

As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 21, 2009

 

Registration No. 333-

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

______________

 

FORM S-8

REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

______________

 

National Financial Partners Corp.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Delaware

(State or other jurisdiction of

incorporation or organization)

13-4029115

(I.R.S. Employer

Identification No.)

______________

 

340 Madison Avenue, 19th Floor

New York, New York 10173

(Address of principal executive offices)

 

EMPLOYMENT INDUCEMENT AWARD CONSISTING OF RESTRICTED STOCK UNITS GRANTED TO DONNA J. BLANK

(Full title of the plan)

______________

 

Stancil E. Barton, Esq.

Executive Vice President and General Counsel

National Financial Partners Corp.

340 Madison Avenue, 19th Floor

New York, New York 10173

(212) 301-4000

(212) 301-4001 (facsimile)

(Name, address and telephone number of agent for service)

______________

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

 

Large accelerated filer  x

Accelerated filer  o

Non-accelerated filer  o

Smaller reporting company  o

 

CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

Title of

securities to be registered

Amount to be

registered (1)

Proposed maximum

offering price

per share(3)

Proposed maximum

aggregate

offering price(3)

Amount of

registration

fee

Common stock, par value $0.10 per share

25,775 (2)

$4.03

$103,873.25

$5.80

 

(1)

This Registration Statement covers 25,775 shares of common stock, par value $0.10 per share (“Common Stock”), of National Financial Partners Corp. available for issuance upon vesting of restricted stock units (“RSUs”) granted to Donna J. Blank, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of the Registrant, pursuant to an employment inducement award under New York Stock Exchange Rule 303A.08. Pursuant to Rule 416 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), this registration statement also covers additional shares that may become issuable by reason of certain corporate transactions or events, including any stock dividend, stock split, recapitalization or any other similar transaction effected without the receipt of consideration which results in an increase in the number of the Registrant's outstanding shares of Common Stock.

(2)

Total represents the maximum number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon vesting of RSUs granted to Donna J. Blank, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of the Registrant, as an employment inducement award.  

(3)

Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee. Computed in accordance with Rule 457(c) and (h) under the Securities Act by averaging the high and low sales prices of NFP Common Stock as reported by the New York Stock Exchange on April 16, 2009.

 

 

 

 

 


EXPLANATORY NOTE

 

This registration statement registers shares of common stock, par value $0.10 per share (the "Common Stock"), of National Financial Partners Corp. (the "Company") that may be issued upon vesting of restricted stock units (“RSUs”) granted to Donna J. Blank, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of the Registrant, pursuant to the Employment Inducement Award Consisting of Restricted Stock Units Granted to Donna J. Blank (the “Plan”) awarded to Ms. Blank as part of an inducement for employment in accordance with New York Stock Exchange Rule 303A.08. As previously disclosed in the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended June 30, 2008, the Company has awarded RSUs to Ms. Blank under the New York Stock Exchange’s employment inducement exemption from the shareholder approval requirement generally applicable to equity compensation grants. The number of RSUs awarded was determined using a price equal to the average of the closing sales price per share of NFP’s Common Stock during the 20-day trading period ended August 29, 2008.

 

PART I

 

INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE SECTION 10(a) PROSPECTUS

 

Item 1. Plan Information.*

 

Item 2. Registrant Information and Employee Plan Annual Information.*

 

* The documents containing the information specified in this Part I of Form S-8 and the statement of availability of information required by Item 2 of Form S-8 and information relating to the Plan and other information required by Item 2 of Form S-8 have previously been, or will be, sent or given to the Plan participant as specified by Rule 428(b)(1) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). In accordance with the instructions to Part I of Form S-8, such documents need not be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") either as part of this registration statement or as prospectuses or prospectus supplements pursuant to Rule 424 of the Securities Act. These documents and the documents incorporated by reference in this registration statement pursuant to Item 3 of Part II of this registration statement, taken together, constitute a prospectus that meets the requirements of Section 10(a) of the Securities Act and are available without charge upon oral or written request to: National Financial Partners Corp., 340 Madison Avenue, 19th Floor, New York, New York 10173, Attention: Office of the General Counsel.

 

PART II

 

INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

 

Item 3. Incorporation of Documents by Reference.

 

The following documents previously filed with the SEC are incorporated by reference in this registration statement:

 

(a)         The Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2008, filed on February 13, 2009;

 

(b)         The Company's Current Reports on Form 8-K, filed with the SEC on February 10, 2009, February 11, 2009, February 18, 2009, March 27, 2009 and April 6, 2009; and

 

(c)         The description of the Common Stock contained in the Registration Statement on Form 8-A dated August 21, 2003 filed with the SEC by the Company to register such securities under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), including any amendment or report filed for the purpose of updating such description.

 

All documents subsequently filed by the Company pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act, prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment which indicates that all securities offered have been sold or which deregisters all securities then remaining unsold, shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference in this registration statement and to be part hereof from the date of filing of such documents. The Company is not, however, incorporating by reference any documents or portions thereof, whether specifically listed above or filed in the future, that are not deemed “filed” with the SEC, or any information furnished pursuant to Items 2.02 or 7.01 of any Current Report on Form 8-K.

 

Any statement contained in a document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in this registration statement shall be deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this registration statement to the extent that a statement contained in this registration statement, or in any other subsequently filed document that also is or is deemed to be incorporated by reference in this registration statement, modifies or supersedes such prior statement. Any statement contained in this registration statement shall be deemed to be modified or superseded to the extent that a statement contained in a subsequently filed document that is or is deemed to be incorporated by reference in this registration statement modifies or supersedes such prior statement. Any statement so modified or superseded shall not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to constitute a part of this registration statement.

 

Item 4. Description of Securities.

 

Not applicable.

 

Item 5. Interests of Named Experts and Counsel.

 

The legality of the shares of Common Stock offered hereby has been passed upon for the Company by Stancil E. Barton, Executive Vice President and General Counsel of the Company. As of April 16, 2009, Mr. Barton beneficially owned 6,495 shares of Common Stock of the Company and 59,758 RSUs with original vesting schedules of two and three years.

 


 

Item 6. Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

 

The Registrant is incorporated under the laws of the State of Delaware. Section 102 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware ("DGCL") allows a corporation to eliminate the personal liability of a director of a corporation to the corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director, except where the director breached his or her duty of loyalty to the corporation or its stockholders, failed to act in good faith, engaged in intentional misconduct or knowingly violated a law, authorized the payment of a dividend or approved a stock purchase or redemption in violation of Delaware corporate law or obtained an improper personal benefit.

 

Section 145 of the DGCL provides, among other things, that a corporation may indemnify any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding (other than an action by or in the right of the corporation) by reason of the fact that the person is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation, or is or was serving at the corporation’s request as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, against expenses, including attorneys’ fees, judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by the person in connection with the action, suit or proceeding. The power to indemnify applies (i) if such person is successful on the merits or otherwise in defense of any action, suit or proceeding or (ii) if such person acted in good faith and in a manner he reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation, and with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe his conduct was unlawful. The power to indemnify applies to actions brought by or in the right of the corporation as well, but only to the extent of defense expenses, (including attorneys’ fees but excluding amounts paid in settlement) actually and reasonably incurred and not to any satisfaction of judgment or settlement of the claim itself, and with the further limitation that in such actions no indemnification shall be made in the event of any adjudication of negligence or misconduct in the performance of his duties to the corporation, unless a court believes that in light of all the circumstances indemnification should apply.

 

Section 174 of the DGCL provides, among other things, that a director who willfully or negligently approves of an unlawful payment of dividends or an unlawful stock purchase or redemption shall be held liable for such actions. A director who was either absent when the unlawful actions were approved or dissented at the time, may avoid liability by causing his or her dissent to such actions to be entered in the books containing the minutes of the meetings of the board of directors at the time the action occurred or immediately after the absent director receives notice of the unlawful acts.

 

Article Nine of the Company's amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that the Company's directors shall not be personally liable to the Company and the Company's stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director, except for liability:

 

for any breach of the director’s duty of loyalty to the Company or its stockholders;

 

for acts or omissions not in good faith or that involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law;

 

under section 174 of the DGCL regarding unlawful dividends, stock purchases or stock redemptions; or

 

for any transaction from which the director derived an improper personal benefit.

 

The Company’s amended and restated by-laws provide that the Company may indemnify, to the fullest extent authorized by law, any director or officer made party to any action, suit or proceeding, whether criminal, civil, administrative or investigative, by reason of the fact that such person was a director or officer of the Company or any predecessor of the Company, or serves or served any other enterprise as a director or officer at the request of the Company. The indemnification rights of directors or officers survive termination of service and any repeal or modification of the indemnification provisions, in each case to the extent such rights were in existence at the time of such termination, repeal or modification. Pursuant to the amended and restated by-laws, the Company is not obligated to indemnify a director or officer in a proceeding initiated by such director or officer against the Company or its directors and officers unless the Company’s board of directors consents to such proceeding. 

 

 


Item 7. Exemption from Registration Claimed.

 

Not applicable.

 

Item 8. Exhibits.

 

Exhibit

No.

 

 

Description

 

 

 

4.1

 

Specimen common stock certificate (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 of the registrant’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (Amendment No. 4) (No. 333-105104) filed on September 15, 2003)

 

 

 

4.2

 

Form of Second Amended and Restated Stockholders Agreement (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.2 to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2003)

 

 

 

4.3

 

Form of Lock-up Agreement (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.3 to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2003)

 

 

 

4.4a

 

Indenture, dated as of January 16, 2007, between National Financial Partners Corp. and Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as trustee (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on January 22, 2007)

 

 

 

4.4b

 

First Supplemental Indenture, dated as of January 22, 2007, between National Financial Partners Corp. and Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as trustee (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on January 25, 2007)

 

 

 

4.5

 

Confirmation regarding convertible bond hedge transaction, dated January 17, 2007, between National Financial Partners Corp. and Goldman Sachs Financial Markets, L.P. (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for period ended March 31, 2007 filed on May 4, 2007)

 

 

 

4.6a

 

Confirmation regarding issuer warrant transaction, dated January 17, 2007, between National Financial Partners Corp. and Goldman Sachs Financial Markets, L.P. (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2a to the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for period ended March 31, 2007 filed on May 4, 2007)

 

 

 

4.6b

 

Amendment to the Confirmation regarding issuer warrant transaction, dated January 18, 2007, between National Financial Partners Corp. and Goldman Sachs Financial Markets, L.P. (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2b to the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for period ended March 31, 2007 filed on May 4, 2007)

 

 

 

5.1*

 

Opinion of Stancil E. Barton, Executive Vice President and General Counsel of the Company

 

 

 

23.1*

 

Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

 

 

 

23.2*

 

Consent of Stancil E. Barton (included in Exhibit 5.1)

 

 

 

24.1*

 

Power of Attorney (included on signature page)

 

 * Filed herewith.

 

 

 


Item 9. Undertakings.

 

(a)          The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:

 

(1)          To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement:

 

(i)          To include any prospectus required by section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act;

 

(ii)          To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the SEC pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than 20 percent change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the "Calculation of Registration Fee" table in the effective registration statement;

 

(iii)        To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such information in the registration statement;

 

provided, however, that paragraphs (a)(1)(i) and (a)(1)(ii) of this section do not apply if the registration statement is on Form S-8, and the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in reports filed with or furnished to the SEC by the registrant pursuant to section 13 or section 15(d) of the Exchange Act that are incorporated by reference in the registration statement.

 

(2)          That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

 

(3)          To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering.

 

(b)          The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each filing of the registrant's annual report pursuant to section 13(a) or section 15(d) of the Exchange Act (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan's annual report pursuant to section 15(d) of the Exchange Act) that is incorporated by reference in the registration statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

 

(c)         Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the SEC such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

 

 


SIGNATURES

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in City of New York, State of New York, on April 21, 2009.

 

 

 

 

National Financial Partners Corp.

 

 

By:

 

/s/ Jessica M. Bibliowicz

 

 

 

 

Name:

 

Jessica M. Bibliowicz

Title:

 

Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer

 

 

 

 

POWER OF ATTORNEY

 

Each of the undersigned officers and directors of National Financial Partners Corp., a Delaware corporation, hereby constitutes and appoints Jessica M. Bibliowicz, Douglas W. Hammond and Stancil E. Barton and each of them, severally, as his or her attorney-in-fact and agent, with full power of substitution and resubstitution, in his or her name and on his or her behalf, to sign in any and all capacities this Registration Statement and any and all amendments (including post-effective amendments) and exhibits to this Registration Statement and any and all applications and other documents relating thereto, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, with full power and authority to perform and do any and all acts and things whatsoever which any such attorney or substitute may deem necessary or advisable to be performed or done in connection with any or all of the above-described matters, as fully as each of the undersigned could do if personally present and acting, hereby ratifying and approving all acts of any such attorney or substitute.

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this registration statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the date indicated.

 

 

Signature

 

Title

 

Date

 

 

/s/ Jessica M. Bibliowicz

 

Jessica M. Bibliowicz

Chairman, President and Chief
Executive Officer

(Principal executive officer)

April 21, 2009

 

 

 

/s/ Donna J. Blank

 

Donna J. Blank

Executive Vice President and Chief
Financial Officer

(Principal financial officer)

 

April 21, 2009

/s/ Brett R. Schneider

 

Brett R. Schneider

Senior Vice President and Controller

(Principal accounting officer)

April 21, 2009

 

 

 

/s/ Stephanie W. Abramson

 

Stephanie W. Abramson

Director

April 21, 2009

 

 

 

/s/ Arthur S. Ainsberg

 

Arthur S. Ainsberg

Director

April 21, 2009

 

 

 

/s/ R. Bruce Callahan

 

R. Bruce Callahan

Director

April 21, 2009

 

 

 

/s/ John A. Elliott

 

John A. Elliott

Director

April 21, 2009

 

 

 

/s/ Shari Loessberg

 

Shari Loessberg

Director

April 21, 2009

 

 

 

/s/ Kenneth C. Mlekush

 

Kenneth C. Mlekush

Director

April 21, 2009

 


 

EXHIBIT INDEX

 

Exhibit

No.

 

 

Description

 

 

 

4.1

 

Specimen common stock certificate (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 of the registrant’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (Amendment No. 4) (No. 333-105104) filed on September 15, 2003)

 

 

 

4.2

 

Form of Second Amended and Restated Stockholders Agreement (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.2 to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2003)

 

 

 

4.3

 

Form of Lock-up Agreement (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.3 to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2003)

 

 

 

4.4a

 

Indenture, dated as of January 16, 2007, between National Financial Partners Corp. and Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as trustee (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on January 22, 2007)

 

 

 

4.4b

 

First Supplemental Indenture, dated as of January 22, 2007, between National Financial Partners Corp. and Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as trustee (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on January 25, 2007)

 

 

 

4.5

 

Confirmation regarding convertible bond hedge transaction, dated January 17, 2007, between National Financial Partners Corp. and Goldman Sachs Financial Markets, L.P. (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for period ended March 31, 2007 filed on May 4, 2007)

 

 

 

4.6a

 

Confirmation regarding issuer warrant transaction, dated January 17, 2007, between National Financial Partners Corp. and Goldman Sachs Financial Markets, L.P. (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2a to the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for period ended March 31, 2007 filed on May 4, 2007)

 

 

 

4.6b

 

Amendment to the Confirmation regarding issuer warrant transaction, dated January 18, 2007, between National Financial Partners Corp. and Goldman Sachs Financial Markets, L.P. (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2b to the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for period ended March 31, 2007 filed on May 4, 2007)

 

 

 

5.1*

 

Opinion of Stancil E. Barton, Executive Vice President and General Counsel of the Company

 

 

 

23.1*

 

Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

 

 

 

23.2*

 

Consent of Stancil E. Barton (included in Exhibit 5.1)

 

 

 

24.1*

 

Power of Attorney (included on signature page)

 

 * Filed herewith.