Compliance with Legal and Regulatory Requirements
| P. | The Committee shall review with management, and any internal or external counsel as the Committee considers appropriate, any legal matters (including the status of pending litigation) that may have a material impact on the Company and any material reports or inquiries from regulatory or governmental agencies. |
| Q. | The Committee shall review with management the adequacy and effectiveness of the Company’s procedures to ensure compliance with its legal and regulatory responsibilities. The Committee shall oversee the administration of the Company’s Code of Business Conduct and Ethics and any other appropriate compliance policies over which the Audit Committee has authority, and will review requests for waivers under the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics sought with respect to any executive officer or director, as applicable. |
| R. | The Committee shall establish procedures for (a) the receipt, retention and treatment of complaints received by the Company regarding accounting, internal accounting controls, auditing matters or potential violations of law, and (b) the confidential, anonymous submission by employees of the Company of concerns regarding questionable accounting or auditing matters or potential violations of law. |
| S. | The Committee shall review any material transaction between the Company and the Chief Financial Officer and Chief Accounting Officer that has been approved by the General Counsel in accordance with the Company’s Code of Ethics for Senior Financial Officers, and shall review and provide prior written approval of any such transaction between the Company and the Chief Executive Officer. |
| T. | The Committee shall also review and approve all transactions involving an amount in excess of $120,000 in which the Company is to be a participant and in which any related person (as defined in Item 404(a) under the Exchange Act) has a direct or indirect material interest. |
IV. | Clarification of Audit Committee’s Role |
The Committee’s responsibility is one of oversight. It is the responsibility of the Company’s management to prepare consolidated financial statements in accordance with applicable law and regulations and of the Company’s independent auditor to audit those financial statements. It is not the responsibility of the Committee to duplicate the activities of management or the independent auditor or to provide expert or special assurance as to, or otherwise certify, the Company’s financial statements or internal control over financial reporting, the independent auditor’s work or compliance of the financial statements with GAAP. The Committee fulfills its oversight role on the basis of the information it receives from management and the independent auditor. Therefore, in carrying out its oversight responsibilities, each member of the Committee shall be entitled to rely, to the fullest extent permitted by law, on the integrity of those persons and organizations within and outside the Company from whom he or she receives information, and the accuracy of the financial and other information provided to the Committee by such persons or organizations.
V. | Committee Structure and Operations |
The Board shall designate one member of the Committee as its chairperson. The Committee shall meet at least four times per year at a time and place determined by the Committee chairperson, with further meetings to occur, or actions to be taken by unanimous written consent, when deemed necessary or desirable by the Committee or its chairperson. Members of the Committee may participate in a meeting of the Committee by means of conference call or similar communications equipment by means of which all persons participating in the meeting can hear each other. The Committee shall meet separately, periodically, with management, the internal auditors and the independent auditor. The Committee shall report regularly to the entire Board on Committee findings and recommendations and any other matters the Committee deems appropriate or the Board requests, and maintain minutes or other records of Committee meetings and activities.
VI. | Delegation to Subcommittee |
The Committee may, in its discretion, delegate all or a portion of its duties and responsibilities to a subcommittee of the Committee.
VII. | Performance Evaluation |
The Committee shall conduct an annual performance evaluation of the Committee, which evaluation shall compare the performance of the Committee with the requirements of this charter. The performance evaluation by the Committee shall be conducted in such manner as the Committee deems appropriate. The Committee shall also review its charter annually and approve any improvements necessary or desirable to the Committee.