Southwestern Energy (SWN) S-8 POS Registration of securities for employees (post-effective amendment)

As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 10, 2022

Registration No. 333-233049

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

POST-EFFECTIVE AMENDMENT NO. 1

TO

Form S-8

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

SOUTHWESTERN ENERGY COMPANY

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

Delaware	71-0205415
(State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation or Organization)	(I.R.S. Employer Identification Number)

10000 Energy Drive

Spring, Texas 77389

(832) 796-1000

(Address including zip code, telephone number, including area code, of registrant’s principal executive offices)

Southwestern Energy Company 2022 Incentive Plan

Southwestern Energy Company 2013 Incentive Plan

(Full Title of the Plan)

Chris Lacy

Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary

10000 Energy Drive

Spring, Texas 77389

(832) 796-1000

(Name, address including zip code, telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

with a copy to:

Matthew R. Pacey, P.C.

Kirkland & Ellis LLP

609 Main Street, Suite 4700

Houston, Texas 77002

(713) 836-3600

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

Large accelerated filer	☒	Accelerated filer	☐
Non-accelerated filer	☐	Smaller reporting company	☐
		Emerging growth company	☐

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act.  ☐

EXPLANATORY NOTE

On April 7, 2022, the Board of Directors of Southwestern Energy Company (the “Company”) approved the Southwestern Energy Company 2022 Incentive Plan (the “2022 Plan”), which was subsequently approved by the Company’s stockholders on May 19, 2022.

As of the date hereof, 9,614,495 shares of Common Stock (the “2013 Plan Shares”) remained available for issuance under the Southwestern Energy Company 2013 Incentive Plan, as amended (the “2013 Plan”). The purpose of this Post-Effective Amendment No. 1 (this “Post-Effective Amendment”) to the Registration Statement on Form S-8 (Registration No. 333-233049) (“Registration Statement”) is to register for issuance the 2013 Plan Shares under the 2022 Plan in accordance with Item 512(a)(1)(iii) of Regulation S-K and Securities Act Forms Compliance and Disclosure Interpretation 126.43. No additional securities are being registered by this Post-Effective Amendment.

PART I

INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE SECTION 10(a) PROSPECTUS

The document(s) containing the information specified in Part I of Form S-8 will be sent or given to participants of the 2022 Plan as specified by Rule 428(b)(l) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). Such documents are not being filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) either as part of this Post-Effective Amendment or as prospectuses or prospectus supplements pursuant to Rule 424 under the Securities Act. Such documents and the documents incorporated by reference in this Post-Effective Amendment pursuant to Item 3 of Part II hereof, taken together, constitute a prospectus that meets the requirements of Section 10(a) of the Securities Act.

PART II

INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

Item 3. Incorporation of Documents by Reference.

The following documents, which have been filed (or will be filed) by the Company with the Commission, are incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement:

(1) The Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021 (the “Annual Report”) filed with the Commission on March 1, 2022; Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal period ended March 31, 2022 filed with the Commission on April 28, 2022; and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal period ended June  30, 2022 filed with the Commission on August 4, 2022;

(2) The Company’s Current Reports on Form 8-K filed with the Commission on January  5, 2022, January  5, 2022, April  12, 2022, May  23, 2022, and June 21, 2022 (Item 8.01 only), and on Form 8-K/A filed with the Commission on March 3, 2022; and

(3) The description of the Company’s company stock contained in the Registration Statement on Form 8-A dated October 23, 1981, as amended by Amendment No. 1 filed with the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K dated July 8, 1993 and Amendment No. 2 filed with the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K/A dated August 3, 2006 and set forth in Exhibit 4.1 to the Annual Report, including any amendment or report filed for the purpose of updating such description.

In addition, all documents subsequently filed by the Company pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment which indicates that all securities offered hereby 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 a part thereof from the date of filing of such documents. Any statement contained herein or in a document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference herein shall be deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this Registration Statement to the extent that a statement contained in any subsequently filed document which also is or is deemed to be incorporated by reference herein modifies or supersedes such statement. Any such statement so modified or superseded shall not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to constitute a part of this Registration Statement. Nothing in this Registration Statement shall be deemed to incorporate any information provided in these documents that is furnished (rather than filed) or is otherwise not deemed to be filed under applicable Commission rules.

Item 4. Description of Securities.

Not applicable.

Item 5. Interests of Named Experts and Counsel.

Not applicable.

Item 6. Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

Subsection (a) of Section 145 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the “DGCL”), empowers a corporation to indemnify any person who was or is a party or who is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (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 request of the corporation 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 such action, suit or proceeding if the person acted in good faith and in a manner the person 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 the person’s conduct was unlawful.

Subsection (b) of Section 145 empowers a corporation to indemnify any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action or suit by or in the right of the corporation to procure a judgment in its favor 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 request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise against expenses (including attorneys’ fees) actually and reasonably incurred by the person in connection with the defense or settlement of such action or suit if the person acted in good faith and in a manner the person reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation and except that no indemnification shall be made in respect of any claim, issue or matter as to which such person shall have been adjudged to be liable to the corporation unless and only to the extent that the Court of Chancery or the court in which such action or suit was brought shall determine upon application that, despite the adjudication of liability but in view of all the circumstances of the case, such person is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for such expenses which the Court of Chancery or such other court shall deem proper.

Section 145 further provides that to the extent a director or officer of a corporation has been successful on the merits or otherwise in the defense of any action, suit or proceeding referred to in subsections (a) and (b) of Section 145, or in defense of any claim, issue or matter therein, such person shall be indemnified against expenses (including attorneys’ fees) actually and reasonably incurred by such person in connection therewith; that indemnification provided for by Section 145 shall not be deemed exclusive of any other rights to which the indemnified party may be entitled; and the indemnification provided for by Section 145 shall, unless otherwise provided when authorized or ratified, continue as to a person who has ceased to be a director, officer, employee or agent and shall inure to the benefit of such person’s heirs, executors and administrators. Section 145 also empowers the corporation to purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of any person who is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise against any liability asserted against such person and incurred by such person in any such capacity, or arising out of his status as such, whether or not the corporation would have the power to indemnify such person against such liabilities under Section 145.

Section 102(b)(7) of the DGCL provides that a corporation’s certificate of incorporation may contain a provision eliminating or limiting the personal liability of a director to the corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director, provided that such provision shall not eliminate or limit the liability of a director (i) for any breach of the director’s duty of loyalty to the corporation or its stockholders, (ii) for acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law, (iii) under Section 174 of the DGCL, or (iv) for any transaction from which the director derived an improper personal benefit.

Under Article SEVENTH of the Company’s certificate of incorporation, the Company will indemnify its directors and officers to the fullest extent authorized or permitted by law, and such right to indemnification shall continue as to a person who has ceased to be a director or officer of the Company and shall inure to the benefit of his or her heirs, executors and personal and legal representatives.

The Company maintains directors’ and officers’ reimbursement and liability insurance pursuant to standard form policies. The risks covered by such policies include certain liabilities under the securities laws.

Section 4 of the Plan provides that no member of the Committee shall be liable for any action, omission, or determination relating to the Plan, and the Company shall indemnify and hold harmless each member of the Committee and each other director or employee of the Company to whom any duty or power relating to the administration or interpretation of the Plan has been delegated against any cost or expense (including counsel fees) or liability (including any sum paid in settlement of a claim with the approval of the Committee) arising out of any action, omission or determination relating to the Plan, unless, in either case, such action, omission or determination was taken or made by such member, director or employee in bad faith and without reasonable belief that it was in the best interests of the Company. (Capitalized terms as defined in the Plan.)

Item 7. Exemption From Registration Claimed.

Not applicable.

Item 8. Exhibits.

Exhibit No.	Description
4.1	Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of Southwestern Energy Company (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed May 24, 2010)
4.2	Certificate of Amendment to Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, dated September  1, 2021 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed September 1, 2021)
4.3	Amended and Restated Bylaws of Southwestern Energy Company, as amended on April  28, 2020 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.2 to the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2020)
4.4	Southwestern Energy Company 2013 Incentive Plan (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.3 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-8 filed May 22, 2013)
4.5	First Amendment to Southwestern Energy Company 2013 Incentive Plan (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed May 20, 2016)
4.6	Second Amendment to Southwestern Energy Company 2013 Incentive Plan (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed May 30, 2017)
4.7	Third Amendment to Southwestern Energy Company 2013 Incentive Plan (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed May 21, 2019)
4.8*	Southwestern Energy Company 2022 Incentive Plan
4.9	Form of Specimen Certificate Representing Common Stock (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.4 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K dated August 3, 2006)
5.1*	Opinion of Kirkland & Ellis LLP
5.2	Opinion of Latham  & Watkins LLP (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 5.1 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-8 filed August 6, 2019)
23.1*	Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, independent registered public accounting firm
23.2*	Consent of Netherland, Sewell & Associates, Inc.
23.3*	Consent of Kirkland & Ellis LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1)
23.4	Consent of Latham & Watkins LLP (included in Exhibit 5.2)
24.1	Powers of Attorney (included in the signature page to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-8 filed August 6, 2019)

* 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 this 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; and

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

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

(h) 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 Commission 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, Southwestern Energy Company 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 Spring, State of Texas, on this tenth day of August, 2022.

SOUTHWESTERN ENERGY COMPANY
By:	/s/ WILLIAM J. WAY
	William J. Way
	President and Chief Executive Officer

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this Registration Statement has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the registrant in the capacities and on the tenth day of August, 2022.

[Signature Page Follows]

Signature	Title
/s/ WILLIAM J. WAY	President, Chief Executive Officer and Director (Principal Executive Officer)
William J. Way
/s/ CARL F. GIESLER, JR.	Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial Officer)
Carl F. Giesler, Jr.
*	Vice President, Controller (Principal Accounting Officer)
Colin O’Beirne
*	Director
John D. Gass
/s/ SYLVESTER P. JOHNSON IV	Director
Sylvester P. Johnson IV
*	Director
Catherine A. Kehr
*	Director
Greg D. Kerley
*	Director
Jon A. Marshall
*	Director
Patrick M. Prevost
*	Director
Anne Taylor
*	Director
Denis J. Walsh, III.

* By:	/s/ WILLIAM J. WAY
	William J. Way
	Attorney-in-Fact