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SPAR GROUP
STATEMENT OF POLICY REGARDING
PERSONAL SECURITIES TRANSACTIONS IN SGRP STOCK AND
NON-PUBLIC INFORMATION
Dated, Amended and Restated as of May 1, 2004
The Board of Directors and Governance
Committee of SPAR Group, Inc. (SGRP), have adopted this SPAR Group Statement
of Policy Regarding Personal Securities Transactions in SGRP Stock and Non-Public
Information Dated, Amended and Restated as of May 1, 2004 (as the same may be modified,
amended, restated or replaced from time to time in the manner provided herein, this
Policy). Company shall mean each of SGRP, each of
its subsidiaries and (to the extent they have agreed to adopt this Policy and apply it to
their Covered Persons) each of SGRPs other affiliates. SGRP has asked SPAR Marketing
Services, Inc., SPAR Management Services, Inc., and SPAR Infotech, Inc. (the three SGRP
affiliates currently providing services to SGRP and its subsidiaries) to adopt this Policy
to apply to their respective Covered Employees as if they were SGRP subsidiaries, and each
has done so. Accordingly, such SPAR affiliates shall be included as part of the Company
for purposes of this Policy.
1. Non-Public
Information Introduction
Each officer, director or employee of
the Company may from time to time receive or become aware of material, non-public
information regarding the Company that may be of significance to the securities markets.
Material information is any information that an investor would consider important in a
decision to buy, hold or sell a security. While it is impossible to provide a detailed
list of all generic types of material information, the following list illustrates events
that are often considered material: internal non-public financial reports and forecasts;
mergers or acquisitions, increases or decreases in revenues or profits, important new
contracts or projects and important financing developments. Non-public information is
information that has not been generally known or available to the investing community for
at least two full trading days.
Under the Insider Trading and
Securities Fraud Enforcement Act of 1988, it is illegal for any person to trade securities
based on material, non-public information (insider trading) or to give
such information to someone else who then makes a trade (tipping).
Under federal law, penalties for insider violations include disgorgement of profits, civil
penalties of three times the amount of profit gained or loss avoided, criminal fines of up
to $1,000,000 and jail terms of up to ten years.
In addition, the Securities and
Exchange Commission (SEC) may seek penalties of up to $1,000,000 or
three times the amount of profit gained or loss avoided (whichever is greater) against
controlling persons for failing to take proper steps to prevent insider
trading or tipping violations by those under their supervision. Under current law,
controlling persons may include the Company, its directors and its officers.
2.
Policy and Procedures No Trading on or Disclosure of Non-Public
Information, Etc.
The Company is committed to the
maintenance of its reputation for ethical conduct as well as to full compliance with
applicable laws. In order to help ensure that trading in securities of SGRP does not
result in violations of law, the Company has implemented the following policies and
procedures applicable to each director, officer and employee of the Company, each of its
subsidiaries and each of its affiliates providing services to the Company (each a
Covered Person), except as otherwise noted in item 3, below.
It is the Companys policy that
a Covered Person shall not under any circumstances use any non-public information with
respect to the Company for his or her benefit or trade in any securities related to such
information.
Company personnel should not discuss
or disclose non-public information to anyone else within the Company unless such person
has a clear right and need to know such information in order to fulfill his or her job
responsibilities. Company personnel should not discuss or disclose such information under
any circumstance with anyone outside the Company, including (without limitation) any
family member, relative or business or social acquaintance. If you are unsure whether
certain information should be considered inside information, you should resolve any doubt
by assuming that it is such inside information. Questions concerning what is or is not
inside information should be directed to the Chief Financial Officer of the Company.
3. Blackout Period on
SGRP Securities for Specified Restricted Persons
The Company has determined that the
individuals holding any of the following positions (each a Restricted
Person) may not under any circumstance trade in securities of SGRP in which they
have a beneficial interest (except as otherwise provided below) during a period that (i)
begins on the tenth day of the third month of any fiscal quarter (i.e., March 10,
June 10, September 10 and December 10), and (ii) ends on that date which is two full
trading days after the announcement of financial results for the applicable period
(i.e., the first, second or third fiscal quarter or the fiscal year, respectively).
The Restricted Persons
are:
o Each member of the Board of Directors;
o The Chairman, Vice-Chairman, President, Treasurer, Secretary, Controller and each other executive manager
of the Company;
o Any assistant controller, director of accounting services or other similar financial staff member of the
Company;
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Any other person receiving copies (whether hard copy, electronic or otherwise) of internal
non-public financial reports, forecasts or similar materials; and |
o Any Related Person (as defined below).
The prohibition against trading by a
Restricted Person during such a blackout period in securities issued by the Company shall
not apply to: (a) any private purchase or sale by a Restricted Person from or to an
accredited investor not involving a market transaction so long as such accredited investor
acknowledges such status and releases the Company and the Restricted Person from any
potential liability relating to insider trading or knowledge; (b) any cash or cashless
exercise by such individual of any employee, director or affiliate stock option; (c) any
purchase in the market through any 401k, employee or consultant stock purchase plan or
other employee benefit plan for the benefit of such individual in accordance with any
directions given by such individual outside of any blackout period; (d) any sale to (and
purchase by), any gift to or any other transfer to or from (1) such individuals
spouse, children, or grandchildren, (2) any trust, rollover account or other plan for the
benefit of such individual and/or such other persons, or (3) any partnership, limited
liability company or other entity in which such individual and/or such other persons are
the only equity holders, in each case so long as such sale, purchase
or other transfer is not made in a market transaction; (e) any purchase permitted under
Rule 10b-18 promulgated by the SEC under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended
(the Exchange Act), or any other similar statutory, regulatory or
interpretive safe harbor or exception; or (f) any trade permitted at the time under any
applicable emergency order issued by the SEC and its related extensions and
interpretations, including (without limitation) those issued pursuant to Section 12(k)(2)
of the Exchange Act.
However, no Restricted Person (or
other Covered Person) shall at any time or under any circumstance trade in any securities
issued by SGRP using material non-public information, even if such a prohibition period is
not then in effect.
4. Beneficial Interests
and Responsibility for Related Persons
A Covered Person will generally be
deemed to have a beneficial interest in the securities issued by SGRP when (among other
things): (a) the Covered Person has the power to vote or direct the vote of such
securities; (b) the Covered Person has to power to sell or direct the sale of such
securities; (c) the Covered Person has the right to profit or share in any profit from
such securities; (d) the Covered Person owns options, warrants, convertible securities or
other rights to acquire securities issued by SGRP; or (e) any Related Person (to the
Covered Person) owns any securities issued by SGRP or any options, warrants, convertible
securities or other rights to acquire them.
A Related Person
includes (i) any 401k, benefit plan, stock purchase plan or other plan for the benefit of
a Covered Person, (ii) any trust where a Covered Person is a trustee, (iii) any
corporation, limited liability company, partnership or other entity owned or controlled by
a Covered Person, (iv) the spouse of any Covered Person, and (v) any family member of a
Covered Person or his or her spouse who lives with either of them. A Covered Person also
may under certain circumstances be deemed to have a beneficial interest in the securities
issued by SGRP that are held by other family members, trusts and affiliates. Covered
Persons include (without limitation) all Restricted Persons.
A Covered Person may be liable for
any violation of this Policy by his or her Related Person(s).
5. Recommended Notice
Before Each Purchase or Sale of SGRP Securities
For their own protection, the Company
recommends that each Restricted Person notify the Chief Financial Officer before or
contemporaneously with any purchase or sale by such Restricted Person or his or her
Related Person of any securities issued by SGRP.
6. Penalty for Violation
of Policy
Any Covered Person violating this
Policy in any material respect (as determined by the Board) will be subject to
disciplinary action, and (depending on the circumstances and severity) may be terminated
by the Company.
Please note that acts or omissions of
a Covered Person in violation of this Policy also may violate applicable law and subject
the Covered Person to possible civil or criminal liability, whether or not the Company may
take any such disciplinary action.
7. Questions Regarding
this Policy
Questions concerning this Policy
should be referred to the Chief Financial Officer. If any person believes that they
inadvertently violated the law or this policy in connection with purchase or sale of
securities, such person should consult with their own counsel before discussing the
details thereof with the Chief Financial Officer.
8. Code of Ethical
Conduct Provisions Incorporated by Reference
This Policy is part of the
Companys codes of ethical conduct, including (without limitation) the SPAR Group,
Inc., Code of Ethical Conduct for its Directors, Senior Executives and Employees Dated (as
of) May 1, 2004 (as the same may be supplemented, modified, amended, restated or replaced
from time to time in the manner provided therein, the Code). This
Policy shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the provisions contained in
Article VI (entitled Covered Persons Responsibilities) and Article VII
(entitled Miscellaneous) of the Code (and any successor provisions, however
numbered), which provisions are incorporated by reference into this Policy as if such
provisions were fully set forth in this Policy and this Policy were the Code
referred to in such incorporated provisions.
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