2. review and approve any auditing and non-auditing services
to be provided by the Company’s independent auditors,
including the adoption by the Committee of any policies and
procedures detailing services which the independent auditors
are permitted to provide to the Company without specific advance
approval by the Committee, if any, except that if services rendered
by the auditors were not recognized as non-audit services at
the time of the independent auditor’s engagement, such
services shall be promptly brought to the attention of the Committee
and approved by the Committee prior to the completion of the
audit.
3. review and discuss with management and the independent auditor
on a regular basis: (i) the adequacy of the Company’s
internal and disclosure controls and procedures, including computerized
information system disclosure controls and procedures and security;
(ii) any significant deficiencies or material weaknesses in
the design or operation of the Company’s internal controls
which could adversely affect the Company’s ability to
record, process, summarize and report financial data that are
reported to the Committee; (iii) any fraud, whether or not material,
that involves management or other employees who have a significant
role in the Company’s internal controls that are reported
to the Committee; and (iv) any findings and recommendations
of the independent auditor with regard to such matters, together
with management’s responses;
4. review and discuss with management, including the chief
financial officer and chief accounting officer, and the independent
auditor (i) any significant audit findings during the year,
including the status of previous audit recommendations; (ii)
any audit problems or difficulties encountered in the course
of the auditor’s work, including any restrictions on the
scope of activities or access to required information; (iii)
any changes required in the scope of the audit plan; (iv) the
audit budget and staffing; and (v) the coordination of audit
efforts in order to monitor completeness of coverage, reduction
of redundant efforts, and the effective use of audit resources;
5. review and discuss with management and the independent auditor
accounting policies that may be viewed as critical; review and
discuss significant changes in Company accounting policies and
any accounting and financial reporting proposals (including
changes in generally accepted accounting principles) that may
have a material impact on the Company’s financial reports;
inquire as independent auditor’s view of the accounting
treatment related to significant new Company transactions or
other significant matters or events not in the ordinary course
of the Company’s business and inquire as to the independent
auditor’s views about whether Company accounting principles
as applied are conservative, moderate, or aggressive from the
perspective of income, asset, and liability recognition, and
whether or not those principles reflect common or minority practices;
6. review and discuss with management and the independent auditor
any financial or non-financial arrangements that do not appear
in the financial statements of the Company but are material
to the Company’s financial position or performance; and
review, discuss with management and the independent auditor,
and approve, any transactions or courses of dealing with related
parties (e.g., including significant shareholders of the Company,
directors, corporate officers or other members of senior management
or their family members) that are material in size or involve
terms or other aspects that differ from those that would likely
be negotiated with independent parties, as determined by the
Committee to warrant review by the Committee;
7. review and discuss with the independent auditor: (i) any
accounting adjustments that were noted or proposed by the independent
auditor but were “passed” (as immaterial or otherwise),
(ii) any communications between the audit team and the audit
firm’s national office respecting auditing or accounting
issues presented by the engagement and (iii) any “management”
or “internal control” letter issued, or proposed
to be issued, by the independent auditor to the Company;
8. review and discuss with management, including the chief
financial officer and chief accounting officer, and the independent
auditor any significant risks or exposures to which the Company
is subject and assess the Company’s underlying policies
with respect to risk assessment and risk management and the
steps management has taken to minimize risks;
9. review the Company’s financial statements, including:
(i) prior to public release, reviewing and discussing with management
and the independent auditor the Company’s annual and quarterly
financial statements to be filed with the SEC, including (a)
the Company’s disclosures under “Management’s
Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of
Operations”, (b) the certifications regarding the financial
statements or the Company’s internal accounting and financial
controls and procedures and disclosure controls or procedures
filed with SEC by the Company’s chief executive and financial
officers and personnel and any qualifications thereon, (c) the
matters required to be discussed with the independent auditor
by Statement of Auditing Standards No. 61 or No. 71; (ii) with
respect to the independent auditor’s annual audit report
and certification, before release of the annual audited financial
statements, meet separately with the independent auditor without
any management member present and discuss the independent auditor’s
assessment of the adequacy of the Company’s system of
internal accounting and financial controls and the appropriateness
of the accounting principles used in and the judgments made
in the preparation of the Company’s audited financial
statements and the quality of the Company’s financial
reports; (iii) also in connection with the release of the Company’s
audited annual financial statements, meet separately with management
and the Company’s financial personnel and discuss management’s
evaluation of the adequacy of the Company’s system of
internal accounting and financial controls and the appropriateness
of the accounting principles used in and the judgments made
in the preparation of the Company’s audited financial
statements and the quality of the Company’s financial
reports; (iv) make a
recommendation to the Board of Directors regarding the inclusion
of the audited annual financial statements in the Company’s
Annual Report on Form 10-K to be filed with the SEC; and (v)
prior to submission to any governmental authority of any financial
statements of the Company with the SEC, review such financial
statements and any report, certification or opinion thereon
provided by the independent auditor;
10. discuss with management and the independent auditor, as
appropriate, earnings press releases and financial information
and earnings guidance provided to analysts and to rating agencies;
11. establish and maintain procedures for the receipt, retention
and treatment of complaints regarding accounting, internal accounting
controls or auditing matters, and the confidential, anonymous
submission by employees of concerns regarding questionable accounting
or auditing matters;
12. review periodically with the General Counsel: (i) legal
and regulatory matters that may have a material impact on the
Company’s financial statements and (ii) the scope and
effectiveness of the Company’s legal compliance policies
and programs;
13. receive and act upon any reports of a material violation
of law received from any attorney for the Company in accordance
with the SEC’s Rule of practice, any reports from legal
counsel appointed or retained, with the authorization of the
Committee, to investigate any such report and any reports of
the General Counsel on any proceeding relating to such reports;
14. review periodically with management the adequacy of the
Company’s codes of conduct (including the Company’s
policies and procedures concerning trading in Company securities
and use in trading of proprietary or confidential information)
and the compliance therewith by Company personnel and review
and approve any waivers sought under such codes with respect
to directors, executive officers and senior financial officers)
but any waiver reviewed by the Committee shall be reported by
the Committee to the Board and approval of the Board as well
shall be required for any such waiver to any officer who is
a member of the Board;
15. review and advise the Board with respect to the appointment,
reassignment, replacement or dismissal of the chief financial
officer and chief accounting officer and other financial or
accounting personnel and consult with the Compensation Committee,
if any, regarding any reduction in the salary or benefits of,
the terms of participation in any incentive compensation program
by and any discretionary bonus or incentive award to the chief
financial officer and chief accounting officer;
16. prepare a report to be included in the Company’s
annual proxy statement stating whether or not the Committee:
(i) has reviewed and discussed the Company’s audited financial
statements with management; (ii) has discussed with the independent
auditor the matters required to be discussed by SAS No. 61 and
90; (iii) has received the written disclosure and letter from
the independent auditor (delineating all relationships such
firm has with the Company) and has discussed with such firm
its independence; and (iv) based on the review and discussions
referred to above, the members of the Committee recommended
to the Board that the audited financials be included in the
Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for filing with the
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission;
17. conduct an annual self-evaluation of the performance of
the Committee, including its compliance with this Charter, and
review and reassess the adequacy of this Charter; and
18. maintain minutes and other records of Committee meetings
and activities.