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As
filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on January 16, 2007
Registration No. 333-______
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, DC 20549
FORM S-8
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
WINDSTREAM CORPORATION
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)
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Delaware
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20-0792300 |
(State of Incorporation)
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(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) |
4001 Rodney Parham Road
Little Rock, Arkansas 72212
(Address, including zip code, of
registrants principal executive offices)
WINDSTREAM 2007 DEFERRED COMPENSATION PLAN
(Full title of the plan)
John P. Fletcher
Executive Vice President and General Counsel
Windstream Corporation
4001 Rodney Parham Road
Little Rock, Arkansas 72212
Tel: (501) 748-7000
Fax: (501) 748-7400
(Name, address and telephone number,
including area code, of agent for service)
CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
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Proposed Maximum |
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Amount to be |
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Aggregate Offering |
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Title of Securities to be Registered |
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Registered |
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Price |
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Amount of Registration Fee |
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Deferred Compensation Obligations(1) |
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42,000,000 |
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100 |
% |
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$ |
4,494 |
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(1) |
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The Deferred Compensation Obligations being registered are unsecured obligations of
Windstream Corporation to pay deferred compensation in the future in accordance with the terms and
conditions of the Windstream 2007 Deferred Compensation Plan. |
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PART II
INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT
Item 3. Incorporation of Documents by Reference.
The following documents filed by Windstream Corporation (formerly known as Valor
Communications Group, Inc.) (the Registrant) are incorporated herein by reference as of their
respective dates of filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC):
(a) The Registrants registration statement on Form S-4 (Reg. No. 333-132073) filed with
the SEC on February 28, 2006, as amended by Amendment No. 1 to Form S-4 filed April 12, 2006,
Amendment No. 2 to Form S-4 filed May 2, 2006, Amendment No. 3 to Form S-4 filed May 23, 2006,
Amendment No. 4 to Form S-4 filed May 26, 2006, and by the Registrants prospectus filed on
May 26, 2006 pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the
Securities Act).
(b) The Registrants Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended June 30, 2006
and September 30, 2006.
(c) The Registrants Current Reports on Form 8-K filed on June 23, 2006, June 30, 2006,
July 21, 2006, August 4, 2006, August 16, 2006, August 31, 2006, November 13, 2006, November
14, 2006, November 30, 2006, December 15, 2006, December 20, 2006 and January 4, 2007.
All reports and other documents subsequently filed by the Registrant pursuant to Sections
13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment which indicates that
all securities offered hereunder have been sold or which deregisters all securities then remaining
unsold hereunder shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference herein and to be a part hereof
from the date of filing of such documents.
Item 4. Description of Securities.
Under the Windstream 2007 Deferred Compensation Plan (the Plan), the Registrant will provide
eligible employees of the Registrant and its participating affiliates with the opportunity to elect
to defer a specified percentage of their future annual base salary and bonus. The Registrant may,
in its sole discretion, credit additional contributions on behalf of certain participants. The
deferred compensation obligations to be offered pursuant to the Plan (Obligations) consist of the
unsecured contractual commitment of the Registrant and its participating affiliates to deliver at a
future date any of the following: (i) deferred salary and bonus, (ii) Registrant contribution
credits and (iii) hypothetical investment earnings on the foregoing amounts and (iv) in each case
subject to reduction for losses on hypothetical investments. The Obligations are payable in cash
at certain future dates specified by participants in accordance with the Plan or upon the
occurrence of certain events, such as death, disability, other termination of employment or as
otherwise contemplated in the Plan. The Obligations generally are payable in a lump sum or in
installments, as elected by a participant in accordance with the Plan, and are subject to
applicable tax withholdings. The Obligations are not transferable except at death. The Registrant
may amend, terminate or freeze the Plan, in whole or in part except that no such action may
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reduce the amounts credited to a participants account or change the payment terms, unless required
to comply with applicable laws. Up to $42,000,000 of Obligations are being registered under this
Registration Statement to be offered pursuant to the Plan.
Item 5. Interests of Named Experts and Counsel.
Not applicable.
Item 6. Indemnification of Directors and Officers.
Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law authorizes a court to award, or a
corporation to grant, indemnity to directors and officers in terms sufficiently broad to permit
such indemnification under certain circumstances for liabilities (including reimbursement of
expenses incurred) arising under the Securities Act of 1933.
As permitted by the Delaware General Corporation Law, the Registrants Amended and Restated
Certificate of Incorporation eliminates the personal liability of its directors for monetary
damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director, except for liability (a) for any breach of the
directors duty of loyalty to the Registrant or its stockholders, (b) for acts or omissions not in
good faith or that involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law, (c) under Section
174 of the Delaware General Corporation Law (regarding unlawful dividends and stock purchases) or
(d) for any transaction from which the director derived an improper personal benefit. If the
Delaware General Corporation Law is amended to authorize further elimination or limiting of
directors personal liability, then the Amended and Restated Certificate provides that the personal
liability of directors will be eliminated or limited to the fullest extent provided under the
Delaware General Corporation Law.
As permitted by the Delaware General Corporation Law, the Registrants Amended and Restated
Certificate of Incorporation and its Bylaws provide that (a) the Registrant is required to
indemnify its directors and officers to the fullest extent permitted by the Delaware General
Corporation Law, subject to certain very limited exceptions, (b) the Registrant may indemnify its
other employees and agents as set forth in the Delaware General Corporation Law, (c) the Registrant
is required to advance expenses, as incurred, to its directors and executive officers in connection
with a legal proceeding to the fullest extent permitted by the Delaware General Corporation Law,
subject to certain conditions and (d) the rights conferred by the Amended and Restated Certificate
of Incorporation and Bylaws are not exclusive.
The Delaware General Corporation Law authorizes a corporation to indemnify its directors and
officers provided that the corporation shall not eliminate or limit the liability of a director as
follows:
(a) for any action brought by or in the right of a corporation where the director or officer
is adjudged to be liable to the corporation, except where a court determines the director or
officer is entitled to indemnity;
(b) for acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve conduct that the director or
officer believes is not in the best interests of the corporation;
(c) for knowing violations of the law;
(d) for any transaction from which the directors derived an improper personal benefit; and
(e) for payment of dividends or approval of stock repurchases or redemptions leading to
liability under Section 174 of the Delaware General Corporation Law.
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The Delaware General Corporation Law requires a corporation to indemnify a director or officer
to the extent that the director or officer has been successful, on the merits or otherwise, in
defense of any action, suit or proceeding for which indemnification is lawful.
The Registrant maintains a director and officer insurance policy which insures the directors
and officers of the Registrant against damages, judgments, settlements and costs incurred by reason
of certain wrongful acts committed by such persons in their capacities as directors and officers.
Item 7. Exemption from Registration Claimed.
Not applicable.
Item 8. Exhibits.
See Index to Exhibits following signature pages.
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 of 1933;
(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 this 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 the undertakings set forth in paragraphs (a)(1)(i) and (a)(1)(ii) above do
not apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those
paragraphs is contained in periodic reports filed by the registrant with the Securities and
Exchange Commission or furnished to the Commission pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that are incorporated by reference in this registration statement.
(2) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, 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.
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(b) The undersigned registrant hereby further undertakes that, for purposes of determining
any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the registrants annual report
pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (and, where
applicable, each filing of any employee benefit plans annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) that is incorporated by reference in this 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 of 1933 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
Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in
the 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 Act and
will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.
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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 the City of Little Rock, State of
Arkansas, on this 16th day of
January, 2007.
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WINDSTREAM CORPORATION |
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By
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/s/ Jeffery R. Gardner |
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Jeffery R. Gardner |
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President and Chief Executive Officer |
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this Registration Statement has
been signed by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the
dates indicated:
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Name |
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/s/ Jeffery R. Gardner
Jeffery R. Gardner
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President and Chief Executive Officer;
Director (Principal Executive Officer)
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January 16, 2007 |
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/s/ Brent K. Whittington
Brent K. Whittington
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Executive Vice President and Chief
Financial Officer
(Principal Financial Officer)
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January 16, 2007 |
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/s/ Tony Thomas
Tony Thomas
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Corporate Controller
(Principal Accounting Officer)
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January 16, 2007 |
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Director
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January 16, 2007 |
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Director
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January 16, 2007 |
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Director
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January 16, 2007 |
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Director
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January 16, 2007 |
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Director
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January 16, 2007 |
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Name |
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Date |
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Director
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January 16, 2007 |
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Director
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January 16, 2007 |
* The undersigned, by signing his name hereto, executes this Registration Statement pursuant to
powers of attorney executed by the above-named persons and filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission as an Exhibit to this Registration Statement.
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/s/ John P. Fletcher |
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John P. Fletcher |
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Attorney-in-Fact |
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INDEX TO EXHIBITS
The following exhibits are filed with this registration statement:
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(4) |
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INSTRUMENTS DEFINING THE RIGHTS OF SECURITY HOLDERS |
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4.1 |
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Windstream 2007 Deferred Compensation Plan (incorporated
herein by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Corporations Current
Report on Form 8-K dated December 29, 2006) |
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*5.1 |
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Opinion of John P. Fletcher. |
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(23) |
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CONSENTS OF EXPERTS AND COUNSEL |
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*23.1 |
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Consent of Deloitte & Touche LLP with respect to
Valor Communications Group, Inc. |
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*23.2 |
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Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP with
respect to Alltel Holding Corp. |
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*23.3 |
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Consent of John P. Fletcher (contained in his opinion filed as
Exhibit 5.1). |
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*24.1 |
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Powers of Attorney of each person whose signature on this
registration statement was signed by another pursuant to a power of attorney. |
* Filed Herewith
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