UNITED STATES

 

 

 

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

 

 

 

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SCHEDULE 14A

Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (Amendment No.         )

Filed by the Registrant  x

Filed by a Party other than the Registrant  o

Check the appropriate box:

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Preliminary Proxy Statement

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Confidential, for Use of the Commission Only (as permitted by Rule 14a-6(e)(2))

x

Definitive Proxy Statement

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Definitive Additional Materials

o

Soliciting Material Pursuant to §240.14a-12

 

Catalyst Semiconductor, Inc

(Name of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter)

 

(Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if other than the Registrant)

 

 

 

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Fee paid previously with preliminary materials.

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Check box if any part of the fee is offset as provided by Exchange Act Rule 0-11(a)(2) and identify the filing for which the offsetting fee was paid previously. Identify the previous filing by registration statement number, or the Form or Schedule and the date of its filing.

 

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Persons who are to respond to the collection of information contained in this form are not required to respond unless the form displays a currently valid OMB control number.

 




CATALYST SEMICONDUCTOR, INC.
1250 Borregas Avenue
Sunnyvale, CA 94089

Dear Fellow Stockholders:

You are cordially invited to attend the Annual Meeting of Stockholders of Catalyst Semiconductor, Inc. which will be held on Friday, September 23, 2005, at 9:00 a.m., local time, at our principal executive offices at 1250 Borregas Avenue, Sunnyvale, California 94089.

At the Annual Meeting, you will be asked to consider and vote upon the proposals set forth in the Notice of Annual Meeting accompanying this Letter. The enclosed Proxy Statement more fully describes the details of the business to be conducted at the Annual Meeting.

After reading the Proxy Statement, please mark date, sign and return, as promptly as possible, the proxy in the accompanying reply envelope. If you decide to attend the Annual Meeting in person, please notify the Secretary of the Company that you wish to vote in person and your proxy will not be voted. Your shares cannot be voted unless you sign, date and return the enclosed proxy, vote your shares by telephone (as instructed on the enclosed proxy), vote your shares via the Internet (as instructed on the enclosed proxy) or attend the annual meeting in person.

A copy of the Catalyst Semiconductor, Inc. Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended May 1, 2005 is enclosed.

We look forward to seeing you at the Annual Meeting.

 

Sincerely,

 

GRAPHIC

 

GELU VOICU

 

President, Chief Executive Officer and Director

Sunnyvale, California

August 24, 2005

 

IMPORTANT

Please mark, date and sign the enclosed proxy and return it at your earliest convenience in the enclosed postage-paid return envelope, vote your shares by telephone or vote your shares via the Internet so that your shares may be voted if you are unable to attend the annual meeting.




CATALYST SEMICONDUCTOR, INC.


NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS

To Be Held September 23, 2005


To the Stockholders of Catalyst Semiconductor, Inc.:

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Annual Meeting of Stockholders of Catalyst Semiconductor, Inc., a Delaware corporation, will be held on September 23, 2005 at 9:00 a.m., local time, at our principal executive offices located at 1250 Borregas Avenue, Sunnyvale, California 94089 for the following purposes:

1.      To elect two Class I Directors to serve for a three-year term expiring at the 2008 Annual Meeting of Stockholders or until such directors’ successors are elected or appointed and qualified.

2.      To ratify the appointment of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending April 30, 2006.

3.      To transact such other business as may properly come before the meeting and any adjournment or postponement thereof.

The enclosed Proxy Statement more fully describes the foregoing items and business to be conducted at the Annual Meeting.

The Board of Directors has fixed the close of business on August 19, 2005 as the record date for determining the stockholders entitled to notice of and to vote at the Annual Meeting and any adjournments and postponements thereof.

After careful consideration, the Board of Directors recommends a vote in favor of each proposal set forth above.

After reading the Proxy Statement, please mark, date, sign and return, as soon as possible, the enclosed proxy in the accompanying reply envelope. If you decide to attend the Annual Meeting in person, please notify in writing the Secretary of Catalyst at our principal executive offices that you wish to vote in person and your proxy will not be voted. Your shares cannot be voted unless you sign, date and return the enclosed proxy, or attend the Annual Meeting in person.

 

By Order of the Board of Directors

 

GRAPHIC

 

THOMAS E. GAY III

 

Secretary

Sunnyvale, California

August 24, 2005

 

IMPORTANT

Whether or not you plan to attend the meeting, please sign and return the enclosed proxy as promptly as possible. You may also vote your shares by following the vote via the Internet or vote by telephone instructions on your proxy. If you attend the meeting and so desire, you may withdraw your proxy and vote in person.

Thank you for acting promptly.




CATALYST SEMICONDUCTOR, INC.


PROXY STATEMENT FOR THE 2005
ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS
To Be Held September 23, 2005


General

The enclosed proxy is solicited on behalf of the Board of Directors of Catalyst Semiconductor, Inc., a Delaware corporation, for use at the Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be held on September 23, 2005 at 9:00 a.m., local time, or at any adjournment thereof, for the purposes set forth herein and in the accompanying Notice of Annual Meeting of Stockholders. The Annual Meeting will be held at our principal executive offices located at 1250 Borregas Avenue, Sunnyvale, California 94089.

These definitive proxy materials were first mailed to our stockholders on or about August 26, 2005.

Record Date and Voting Securities

The close of business on August 19, 2005 has been fixed as the record date for determining the stockholders who are entitled to notice of and to vote at the meeting. As of the close of business on the record date, there were 16,949,620 shares of our common stock issued and outstanding. We have 2,000,000 shares of authorized preferred stock, none of which were issued and outstanding as of the record date.

Revocability of Proxies

You or such other person as you have authorized to vote your shares may revoke any proxy given pursuant to this solicitation at any time before its use by delivering a written notice of revocation or a duly executed proxy bearing a later date to the Secretary of Catalyst at our principal executive offices at 1250 Borregas Avenue, Sunnyvale, California 94089 or by attending the meeting and voting in person.

Voting Generally; Solicitation

Each stockholder is entitled to one vote for each share of common stock owned by such stockholder on all matters presented at the Annual Meeting. The inspector of election appointed for the Annual Meeting will separately tabulate the affirmative and negative votes, abstentions and broker non-votes. You may vote your shares in the following manner:

·       You may vote in person at the Annual Meeting; or

·       You may vote by mail by signing your proxy and returning it as instructed on the proxy.

In addition, if your shares of our common stock are registered directly in your name you may vote either via the Internet or by telephone. Specific instructions for voting via the Internet or by telephone are set forth on the enclosed proxy. The Internet and telephone voting procedures are designed to authenticate your identity and to allow you to give your voting instructions and confirm that your voting instructions have been properly recorded.

If your shares are registered in the name of a bank or brokerage firm, you may be eligible to vote your shares electronically via the Internet or by telephone. A large number of banks and brokerage firms offer Internet and telephone voting. If your bank or brokerage firm offers Internet and telephone voting, your proxy will provide specific instructions. If your proxy does not reference Internet or telephone voting information please complete and return your proxy in the self-addressed, postage-paid envelope provided.

1




We will pay the cost of soliciting proxies, consisting of the printing, handling and mailing of the proxy and related material and the actual expense incurred by brokerage houses, custodians, nominees and fiduciaries in forwarding proxy material to the beneficial owners of our common stock. In order to assure that a majority vote will be present in person or by proxy at the Annual Meeting, it may be necessary for certain of our officers, directors, regular employees and other representatives to solicit proxies by telephone, facsimile, telegraph, electronic means or in person. These persons will receive no extra compensation for their services.

To reduce the expenses of delivering duplicate voting materials to our stockholders who may have more than one Catalyst stock account, we are delivering only one set of the proxy statement and the Annual Report on Form 10-K for Fiscal 2005 to certain stockholders who share an address unless otherwise requested. A separate proxy is included in the voting materials for each of these stockholders. If you share an address with another stockholder and have received only one set of voting materials, you may write or call us to request a separate copy of these materials at no cost to you. For future annual meetings, you may request separate voting materials, or request that we send only one set of voting materials to you if you are receiving multiple copies, by calling us at (408) 542-1051 or by writing us at Catalyst Semiconductor, 1250 Borregas Avenue, Sunnyvale, California, 94089 Attn: Secretary. You may receive an additional copy of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended May 1, 2005 without charge by sending a written request to Catalyst Semiconductor, Inc., 1250 Borregas Avenue, Sunnyvale, California 94089 Attn: Secretary.

Quorum; Abstentions; Broker Non-Votes

Holders of a majority of our outstanding shares of common stock entitled to vote must be present, in person or by proxy, at the Annual Meeting in order to have the required quorum for the transaction of business. If the shares present in person and by proxy at the meeting do not constitute the required quorum, the meeting may be adjourned to a subsequent date for the purpose of obtaining a quorum.

Shares that are voted “for,” “against” or “withheld” are treated as being present at the meeting for purposes of establishing a quorum. Shares that are voted “for,” “against” or “abstain” with respect to a matter will also be treated as being present.

While no definitive statutory or case law authority exists in Delaware as to the proper treatment of abstentions, we believe that abstentions should be counted for purposes of determining both the presence or absence of a quorum for the transaction of business and the number of votes cast with respect to a proposal (other than the election of directors). In the absence of controlling precedent to the contrary, we intend to treat abstentions in this manner. Accordingly, abstentions will have the same effect as a vote against the proposal.

Under the rules that govern brokers who have record ownership of shares that are held in street name for their clients, who are the beneficial owners of the shares, brokers have discretion to vote these shares on routine matters but not on non-routine matters. Your broker will have discretionary authority to vote your shares on each of the proposals, which are all routine matters. A “broker non-vote” occurs when a broker expressly instructs on a proxy that it is not voting on a matter, whether routine or non-routine. Broker non-votes are counted for the purpose of determining the presence or absence of a quorum but are not counted for determining the number of votes cast for or against a proposal. Thus, a broker non-vote will make a quorum more readily obtainable, but the broker non-vote will not otherwise affect the outcome of the vote on a proposal. With respect to a proposal that requires a majority of the outstanding shares, however, a broker non-vote has the same effect as a vote against the proposal.

2




“Householding” of Proxy Materials

We have adopted a procedure approved by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) called “householding.” Under this procedure, stockholders who have the same address and last name will receive only one set of our proxy materials unless one or more of these stockholders notifies us that they wish to continue receiving individual copies. We believe this will provide greater convenience to our stockholders, and reduce the expenses of delivering duplicate proxy materials to the same home.

Stockholders who participate in householding will continue to receive separate proxies. Householding will not in any way affect your rights as a stockholder.

If you share an address with another stockholder and have received only one set of proxy materials, you may write or call us to request a separate copy of these materials at no cost to you. For future Annual Meetings of Stockholders, you may request separate proxy materials, or request that we send only one set of proxy materials to you if you are receiving multiple copies, by calling us at (408) 542-1000 or by writing us at Catalyst Semiconductor, Inc., 1250 Borregas Avenue, Sunnyvale, California 94089, Attn: Investor Relations.

Deadline for Receipt of Stockholder Proposals for the 2006 Annual Meeting of Stockholders

As a stockholder, you may be entitled to present proposals for action at a forthcoming meeting if you comply with the requirements of the proxy rules established by the SEC. Proposals of our stockholders intended to be presented for consideration at our 2006 Annual Meeting of Stockholders must be received by us no later than April 28, 2006, in order that they may be included in the proxy statement and proxy related to that annual meeting.

If you intend to submit a proposal at the 2006 Annual Meeting of Stockholders that is not to be included in the proxy statement and proxy relating to that meeting, you must give us notice in accordance with the requirements set forth in our bylaws. In general, notice of the proposal must be received by our Secretary not less than 90 days prior to the date of the 2006 Annual Meeting, or, if less than 100 days’ prior notice of the date of the meeting is given to the stockholders, not later than 10 days following the notice of the meeting was mailed. Our bylaws also require that certain information and representations relating to the proposal and the stockholder making the proposal be set forth in the notice. A copy of the relevant bylaw provision is available upon written request to: Catalyst Semiconductor, Inc., 1250 Borregas Avenue, Sunnyvale, California, 94089, Attn: Secretary.

Director Communications

Stockholders may communicate directly with our non-management directors by mail by writing to Thomas E. Gay III, our chief financial officer and secretary, at 1250 Borregas Avenue, Sunnyvale, California 94089. Mr. Gay will monitor these communications and will ensure that appropriate summaries of received messages are provided to the Board of Directors at its regularly scheduled meetings. Where the nature of a communication warrants, Mr. Gay may decide to obtain the more immediate attention of the appropriate committee of the Board of Directors or a non-management director, or our management or independent advisors, as he considers appropriate.

3




PROPOSAL 1

ELECTION OF TWO CLASS I DIRECTORS

Nominees

Our bylaws provide that the number of directors shall be established by the Board or our stockholders. Our certificate of incorporation provides that the membership of the Board shall be divided into three classes, with the classes serving for staggered, three-year terms. After the election of the Class I directors at the 2005 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, the terms of the Class I directors, Class II directors and Class III directors will expire at the Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be held in 2008, 2006 and 2007, respectively.

Currently, the authorized number of directors is five. Two directors will be elected at the Annual Meeting to serve as the Class I directors until the 2008 Annual Meeting of Stockholders or until such directors’ successors are elected or appointed and qualified.

The Board has nominated Henry C. Montgomery and Gelu Voicu, each of whom is a current director, for election as the Class I directors.

Unless otherwise instructed, the proxy holders will vote the proxies received by them for Messrs. Montgomery and Voicu. In the event that Messrs. Montgomery and Voicu become unable or decline to serve as directors at the time of the Annual Meeting, the proxy holders will vote the proxies for any substitute nominee who is designated by the current Board to fill such vacancy. However, we do not expect that Messrs. Montgomery and Voicu will be unable or will decline to serve as directors. In the event that additional persons are nominated for election as directors, the proxy holders intend to vote all proxies received by them in such a manner as to assure the election of Messrs. Montgomery and Voicu.

Vote Required for Election

If a quorum is present and voting, the two nominees receiving the highest number of affirmative votes will be elected as the Class I directors. Votes withheld from any director are counted for purposes of determining the presence or absence of a quorum, but have no other legal effect under Delaware law. If you hold your shares through a broker, bank or other nominee and you do not instruct them how to vote on this proposal, your broker may have the authority to vote your shares.

THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS RECOMMENDS A VOTE “FOR”
MR. HENRY C. MONTGOMERY AND MR. GELU VOICU AS CLASS I DIRECTORS.

4




Information with Respect to Nominee and Other Current Directors

Set forth below are the names of and certain information about Messrs. Montgomery and Voicu and the current Class II and Class III directors as of April 30, 2005.

Name

 

 

 

Age

 

Principal Occupation

Nominee for Class I Directors

 

 

 

 

Henry C. Montgomery

 

69

 

Chairman of the Board, Catalyst Semiconductor, Inc.; Chairman of the Board, Montgomery Professional Services Corporation; Chairman of the Board, ASAT Holdings Ltd

Gelu Voicu

 

55

 

President and Chief Executive Officer, Catalyst Semiconductor, Inc.

Continuing Class II Directors

 

 

 

 

Garrett A. Garrettson

 

61

 

President, G. Garrettson LLC

Glen G. Possley

 

64

 

Managing General Partner, Glen-Ore Associates

Continuing Class III Director

 

 

 

 

Roland M. Duchâtelet

 

58

 

Chairman of the Board, Elex NV; Chairman of the Board, Melexis NV

 

There are no family relationships between any of our directors or executive officers.

Mr. Montgomery has served as our director since July 2000 and has served as the chairman of our board of directors since August 2002. Mr. Montgomery previously served as a member of our board of directors from 1990 to 1996. Since 1980, Mr. Montgomery has served as the chairman of the board of Montgomery Professional Services Corporation, a management consulting and financial services firm. From January 2000 to March 2001, Mr. Montgomery served as executive vice president, finance and administration and chief financial officer of Indus International, Inc., a public company engaged in enterprise asset management systems. From May 1999 to September 1999, Mr. Montgomery served as interim executive vice president of finance and administration and from November 2000 to December 2002 as a director of Spectrian Corporation, a power amplifiers company that was acquired by REMEC, Inc. in December 2002. Mr. Montgomery also serves as a director of Swift Energy Company, an independent oil and gas company and ASAT Holdings Ltd., a provider of semiconductor assembly, test and package design services. In June 2005, Mr. Montgomery began serving as chairman of the board of ASAT Holdings Ltd. He holds a B.A. in Economics from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.

Mr. Voicu has served as our president and chief executive officer and as a director since October 2002. From August 2002 to October 2002, he served as our executive vice president and chief operating officer. From April 1998 to August 2002, he served as our vice president of engineering and manufacturing. From July 1995 to April 1998, Mr. Voicu was our director of flash product lines. Mr. Voicu holds an M.S. in Electrical Engineering from the Polytechnical Institute, Bucharest, Romania.

Dr. Garrettson has served as our director since February 2003. From October 2004 to present, Dr. Garrettson has served as the president of G. Garrettson LLC. From November 2001 to September 2004, Dr. Garrettson has served as the president, chief executive officer and a director of Clairvoyante, Inc., an intellectual property licensing company of flat panel display technology. From April 2000 to December 2002, Dr. Garrettson served as the chairman of the board of directors of Spectrian. From April 1996 to March 2000, Dr. Garrettson served as president, chief executive officer and a director of Spectrian Corporation. From March 1993 to March 1996, Dr. Garrettson served as president and CEO of Censtor Corporation. Dr. Garrettson holds a B.S. and an M.S. in Engineering Physics and a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University.

5




Dr. Possley has served as our director since July 2000 and served as our lead director from May 2001 to August 2002. From January 1998 to the present, Dr. Possley served as a managing general partner at Glen-Ore Associates, a consulting company focused on the semiconductor business. From January 1998 to January 2000, Dr. Possley was a partner at International Technology Ventures and N-Able Group. Dr. Possley is a director of Novellus Systems, Inc., a semiconductor equipment company. He received a B.S. in Mathematics from Western Illinois University and a Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry from the University of Kentucky.

Dr. Duchâtelet has served as our director since September 1999. From September 1989 to the present, Dr. Duchâtelet has served as chairman of Elex N.V., a holding company. Additionally, Dr. Duchâtelet serves as chairman of the board of directors of Melexis N.V., a semiconductor company, a position he has held since May 1994, and is also a director of EPIQ N.V., a semiconductor company. Dr. Duchâtelet holds a B.S. in Applied Economic Sciences, an M.B.A. and a Ph.D. in Electronic Engineering from the University of Leuven, Belgium.

Board Meetings and Committees; Corporate Governance Matters

Our Board held six meetings during fiscal 2005. No director attended fewer than 75% of the meetings of the Board and of the committees on which he served that were held during fiscal 2005. Our directors are expected, absent exceptional circumstances, to attend all Board meetings and meetings of committees on which they serve, and are also invited to attend our Annual Meeting of Stockholders. Five of our directors attended our 2005 Annual Meeting of Stockholders.

The Board currently has four committees: an Audit Committee, a Compensation Committee, a Nominating and Governance Committee and a Non-Section 16 Option Committee.

The Audit Committee consists of Messrs. Garrettson, Montgomery and Possley, each of whom is independent within the meaning of the rules of the SEC and the listing standards of the Nasdaq National Market. The Board of Directors has determined that Mr. Montgomery is an “audit committee financial expert” as defined in the rules of the SEC. Our Board of Directors amended the charter of the Audit Committee in February 2004 to comply with requirements of the Nasdaq National Market and the rules of the SEC. A copy of the charter is available on our website at www.catalyst-semiconductor.com. The Audit Committee held four meetings during fiscal 2005.

The Compensation Committee consists of Messrs. Garrettson, Montgomery and Possley. The Compensation Committee is responsible for reviewing and approving our compensation policies and the Compensation paid to executive officers. The Compensation Committee held eight meetings and acted by unanimous written consent two times during fiscal 2005.

The Nominating and Governance Committee consists of Messrs. Garrettson, Montgomery and Possley, each of whom is independent within the meaning of the rules of the SEC and the listing standards of the Nasdaq National Market. The Nominating and Governance Committee is responsible for assisting the Board in identifying prospective director nominees and to select the director nominees for the next annual meeting of stockholders, and that the Board and the company adopt and follow appropriate governance standards. Our Board of Directors amended the charter of the Nominating and Governance Committee in June 2005 to address continuing education of Directors and Section 16 Officers. A copy of which is available on our website at www.catalyst-semiconductor.com. The Nominating and Governance Committee held three meetings during fiscal 2005.

The Non-Section 16 Option Committee may make grants of up to 50,000 shares to persons who are not our executive officers or directors. Mr. Voicu served as the sole member of our Non-Section 16 Option Committee during fiscal 2005. During fiscal 2005, the Non-Section 16 Option Committee acted by written consent on 11 occasions.

6




Policy for Director Recommendations and Nominations

The Nominating and Governance Committee was established in August 2004 and adopted guidelines regarding director recommendations and nominations at that time. The Nominating and Governance Committee will consider candidates for Board membership suggested by a Board member, management, stockholders and others. It is the policy of our Nominating and Governance Committee to consider recommendations for candidates to the Board of Directors from stockholders who have held not less than 1% shares of the outstanding shares of our common stock for at least 12 months prior to the date of the submission of the recommendation. The Nominating and Governance Committee will consider persons recommended by our stockholders in the same manner as a nominee recommended by the Board of Directors, a Board member or management.

A stockholder may also nominate a person directly for election to the Board of Directors at an Annual Meeting of our Stockholders provided they meet the requirements set forth in our bylaws related to stockholder proposals.

Where the Nominating and Governance Committee has either identified a prospective nominee or determines that an additional or replacement director is required, the Nominating and Governance Committee may take such measures that it considers appropriate in connection with its evaluation of a candidate for nomination, including candidate interviews, inquiry of the person or persons making the recommendation or nomination, engagement of an outside search firm to gather additional information, or reliance on the knowledge of the members of the committee, the Board or management. In its evaluation of director candidates, including incumbent directors, the Nominating and Governance Committee will consider a number of factors, including:

·       The current size and composition of the Board of Directors and the needs of the Board of Directors and its committees; and

·       Factors such as judgment, independence, character and integrity, area of expertise, diversity of experience, length of service and potential conflicts of interest.

While the Nominating and Governance Committee has not specified specific, minimum qualifications for candidates, it also believes that the following qualifications are desirable for a nominee for director:

·       The highest personal and professional ethics and integrity;

·       Proven achievement and competence in the nominee’s field and the ability to exercise sound business judgment;

·       Skills that are complementary to those of the existing directors;

·       The ability to assist and support management and make contributions to our success; and

·       An understanding of the fiduciary obligations of a Board member and the commitment of time and energy necessary to diligently carry out those duties.

After completing the evaluation and review, the Nominating and Governance Committee will make a recommendation to the Board as to a slate of the persons for nomination to the Board. The Board will review the slate and adjust or approve it after considering the recommendation and report of the Nominating and Governance Committee.

Director Independence

The Board had determined that Messrs. Garrettson, Montgomery and Possley are independent within the meaning of the rules of the Nasdaq National Market.

7




Code of Business Conduct and Ethics

Our Board has adopted the Catalyst Semiconductor, Inc. Code of Ethics for Principal Executive and Senior Financial Officers, which applies to our principal executive officer, our principal financial officer and our principal accounting officer. The Board has also adopted the Catalyst Semiconductor, Inc. Code of Business Conduct and Ethics applicable to all of our employees, officers and directors. Our Code of Ethics for Principal Executive and Senior Financial Officers and Code of Business Conduct and Ethics are publicly available on our website at www.catalyst-semiconductor.com. The information contained on or connected to our website is not incorporated by reference into this proxy statement and should not be considered part of this or any other report that we file with or furnish to the SEC. We intend to post amendments to or waivers from these codes on our website or as otherwise required by the rules of the Nasdaq National Market.

Compensation of Directors

Messrs. Duchâtelet, Garrettson and Possley received cash remuneration for serving on the board of directors, which consisted of fees of $40,000 in fiscal 2005. Mr. Montgomery received cash remuneration for serving as Chairman of the Board of Directors, which consisted of fees of $55,000 in fiscal 2005. Lionel Allan received cash remuneration as a non-voting emeritus director, which consisted of fees of $40,000 in fiscal 2005. Directors are also reimbursed for reasonable expenses incurred in attending board of directors and committee meetings. Directors do not receive additional compensation for serving on a committee.

Pursuant to our 2003 Director Stock Option Plan, or Director SOP, each non-employee director who has served for six months or more is granted an option to purchase 15,000 shares on May 1 of each calendar year, provided that he or she is in office on May 1. Each new non-employee director is entitled to a one-time grant of 30,000 options when he or she becomes a director. Option grants under the Director SOP must be at prices equal to 100% of the fair market value of the stock at the date of grant. Options granted under prior plans before the adoption of the Director SOP in December 2002 vested over a period of three years. Options granted to non-employee directors under the Director SOP are fully vested on the date of the grant.

Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation

The compensation committee of the board of directors currently consists of Messrs. Garrettson, Montgomery and Possley. No interlocking relationship exists between any member of our board of directors or compensation committee and any member of the board of directors or compensation committee of any other company, nor has any such interlocking relationship existed in the past. No member of the compensation committee is or was formerly an officer or an employee of us or our subsidiaries.

8




PROPOSAL 2

RATIFICATION OF APPOINTMENT OF INDEPENDENT
REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

The Audit Committee of the Board has selected PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, or PwC, an independent registered public accounting firm, to audit our financial statements for the fiscal year ending April 30, 2006, and the Board recommends that the stockholders vote for the ratification of such appointment.

Representatives of PwC are expected to be present at the Annual Meeting and will have the opportunity to make a statement if they desire to do so. The PwC representatives also are expected to be available to respond to appropriate questions from stockholders. The Board believes that reappointing PwC is in our best interest.

Vote Required

Stockholder ratification of the selection of PwC as our independent registered public accounting firm is not required by our bylaws or other applicable legal requirement. However, the Board is submitting the selection of PwC to our stockholders for ratification as a matter of good corporate practice. If the stockholders fail to ratify the selection, the Audit Committee will reconsider whether or not to retain that firm. Even if the selection is ratified, the Audit Committee at its discretion may direct the appointment of a different independent registered public accounting firm at any time during the year if it determines that such a change would be in our best interests and in the best interests of our stockholders.

The affirmative vote of a majority of the shares present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote is required to ratify the appointment of PricewaterhouseCoopers as our independent registered public accounting firm.

THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS RECOMMENDS A VOTE “FOR” THE
RATIFICATION OF THE APPOINTMENT OF PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS LLP
AS OUR INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING
FIRM FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING APRIL 30, 2006.

Fees Paid to Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm in Fiscal 2004 and 2005

PwC fees for professional services during fiscal 2004 and 2005:

 

 

Fiscal Years Ended
April 30,

 

 

 

2004

 

2005

 

Audit fees

 

$

298,000

 

$

1,672,000

 

Audit-related fees

 

 

 

Tax fees

 

 

 

All other fees

 

 

 

Total professional fees

 

$

298,000

 

$

1,672,000

 

 

Audit Fees

Audit fees consist of the aggregate fees for professional services rendered by PwC for the audit of our consolidated financial statements, the review of management’s assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting and for their attestation of the effectiveness of our internal controls over financial report as well as the review of our unaudited condensed consolidated interim financial statements. The aggregate audit fees includes $818,000 for compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, $624,000 related to audit work of our consolidated financial statements and $230,000 related to the

9




filing of a Form S-3 registration statement in July 2004. Of the aggregate audit fees, approximately $231,000 represents unbilled services at year end.

Audit-Related Fees

Audit-related fees consist of fees billed for assurance and related services that are reasonably related to the performance of the audit, review of our unaudited condensed consolidated interim financial statements or assistance with SEC matters and are not reported under “Audit Fees.” These services include accounting consultations concerning financial accounting and reporting standards.

Tax Fees

Tax fees consist of the aggregate fees for professional services rendered by PwC for tax compliance, tax advice and tax planning.

All Other Fees

All other fees consist of the aggregate fees for professional services rendered by PwC for other services.

In accordance with the charter of our Audit Committee, the Audit Committee is required to review and approve in advance the annual budget for independent audit services and review and pre-approve all non-audit services rendered by our independent registered public accounting firm. All services described above were pre-approved by the audit committee prior to their commencement.

Audit Committee Report

Notwithstanding any statement to the contrary in any of our previous or future filings with the SEC, this Report of the Audit Committee of the Board of shall not be deemed “filed” with the SEC or “soliciting material” under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and shall not be incorporated by reference into any such filings.

The Audit Committee currently consists of Messrs. Garrettson, Montgomery and Possley, each of whom is independent within the meaning of the rules of the SEC and the listing standards of the Nasdaq National Market. The Board of Directors has determined that Mr. Montgomery is an “audit committee financial expert” as defined in the rules of the SEC. A copy of the charter is available on our website at www.catalyst-semiconductor.com.

The Audit Committee oversees a comprehensive system of internal controls to ensure the integrity of Catalyst Semiconductor’s financial statements and our compliance with legal and regulatory requirements. Among the Audit Committee’s responsibilities are:

·       Providing oversight and monitoring of management and the independent registered public accounting firm (“External Auditors”) and their activities with respect to Catalyst Semiconductor’s financial reporting process;

·       Direct responsibility for appointing, compensating and overseeing the work of the External Auditors (including resolving disagreements between management and the External Auditors regarding financial reporting);

·       Pre-approving all audit and non-audit services provided to us by the External Auditors (or subsequently approving non-audit services in those circumstances where a subsequent approval is necessary and permissible) and the fees related to these services;

10




·       Reviewing with management and the auditors, before release, the audited financial statements and Management’s Discussion and Analysis in our Annual Reports on Form 10-K and the unaudited interim financial statements in the Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q (management may facilitate the communication between the Audit Committee and the External Auditors); and

·       Establishing procedures for receiving, retaining and treating complaints received by us regarding accounting, internal control over financial report or auditing matters and procedures for the confidential, anonymous submission by employees of concerns regarding questionable accounting or auditing matters.

Management is responsible for the preparation, presentation and integrity of our financial statements; selection of accounting and financial reporting principles; and maintaining internal controls and procedures designed to ensure compliance with accounting standards, applicable laws and regulations.

Our External Auditors are responsible for performing an independent audit of the consolidated financial statements and management’s assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting in accordance with the standards set by the Public Accounting Oversight Board of the United States.

The Audit Committee members are not professional accountants or auditors, and their functions are not intended to duplicate or to certify the activities of management and the External Auditors. The Audit Committee serves a board-level oversight role, in which it provides advice, counsel and direction to management and the External Auditors on the basis of information it receives, discussions with management and the External Auditors, and the experience of the audit committee’s members in business, financial and accounting matters.

The Audit Committee members have relied, without independent verification, on management’s representation that the financial statements have been prepared with integrity and objectivity and in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America, and that the Company’s internal control over financial reporting is effective as of May 1, 2005, and on the representations of our External Auditors included in their report on our financial statements. The audit committee’s oversight role does not provide it with an independent basis to determine that management has maintained appropriate accounting and financial reporting principles or policies, or appropriate internal controls and procedures designed to assure compliance with accounting standards and applicable laws and regulations. Furthermore, the audit committee’s considerations and discussions with management and the internal and External Auditors do not assure that our financial statements are presented in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America, or that the audit of our financial statements and management’s assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting has been carried out in accordance with the standards set by the Public Accounting Oversight Board of the United States.

Among other matters, the Audit Committee monitors the activities and performance of our External Auditors, including the audit scope, external audit fees, auditor independence, and the extent to which the External Auditors may be retained to perform non-audit services. The audit committee has sole responsibility to retain and replace our External Auditors. The audit committee reviews the performance of the External Auditors on an annual basis in order to determine whether rotation of audit firms is appropriate. The audit committee also reviews the results of the External Auditor’s work with regard to the adequacy and appropriateness of our financial accounting and internal control over financial reporting.

Review with Management

The Audit Committee has reviewed and discussed our audited financial statements and management’s report on internal control over financial reporting with management. Management represented to the

11




audit committee that our consolidated financial statements were prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America and that internal control over financial reporting was effective as of May 1, 2005.

Review and Discussions with Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

The Audit Committee also reviewed with the External Auditors their judgments as to the quality and the acceptability of our financial reporting and such other matters required to be discussed with the Audit Committee under standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) including Statement on Auditing Standards No. 61. The Audit Committee has received the written disclosures and the letter from the External Auditors required by Independence Standards Board Statement No. 1. The Audit Committee discussed with the External Auditors their independence from management and the company, including the matters in their written disclosures required by Independence Standards Board Statement No. 1.

The Audit Committee further discussed with the External Auditors the overall scope and plans for their audits. The Audit Committee meets periodically with the External Auditors, with and without management present, to discuss the results of the External Auditors’ examination and evaluation of our internal control over financial reporting and the overall quality of our financial reporting.

Conclusion

Based on the review and discussions with management and our External Auditors, the audit committee recommended to our board of directors that our audited financial statements be included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended May 1, 2005.

 

THE AUDIT COMMITTEE

 

OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

 

Henry C. Montgomery, Garrett A. Garrettson

 

and Glen G. Possley

 

Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management

The following table sets forth the beneficial ownership of our common stock for the following: (i) each person known by us to beneficially own more than 5% of our outstanding common stock; (ii) each of our executive officers listed in the summary compensation table in the section entitled “Executive Compensation and Other Information” below; (iii) each of our directors; and (iv) all of our executive officers and directors as a group.

12




Except as otherwise noted below, the address of each person listed on the table is 1250 Borregas Avenue, Sunnyvale, California, 94089.

We have determined beneficial ownership in accordance with the rules of the SEC. In computing the number of shares beneficially owned by a person and the percentage ownership of that person, we include shares of common stock subject to options held by that person that are currently exercisable or will become exercisable within 60 days after August 19, 2005, while those shares are not included for purposes of computing percentage ownership of any other person. Unless otherwise indicated, the persons and entities named in the table have sole voting and investment power with respect to all shares beneficially owned, subject to community property laws where applicable.

 

Shares Beneficially Owned

 

Name and Address of Beneficial Owner

 

 

 

Number of
Outstanding
Shares

 

Number of Shares
Underlying Options
Exercisable on or Before
October 18, 2005

 

Total Shares
and Shares
Underlying
Exercisable
Options

 

Percent
of
Total

 

5% Stockholders:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Individuals and entities affiliated with Fidelity Management & Research Co(1)

 

2,367,685

 

 

 

 

2,367,685

 

 

14.0

%

 

82 Devonshire Street
Boston, MA 02109

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Individuals and entities affiliated with Wellington Management Co. LLP(2)

 

2,201,000

 

 

 

 

2,201,000

 

 

13.0

%

 

75 State Street
Boston, MA 02109

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gelu Voicu

 

214,046

 

 

710,499

 

 

924,545

 

 

5.2

%

 

Elex N.V.

 

728,700

 

 

120,000

 

 

848,700

 

 

5.0

%

 

Transportstraat 1
B 3980
Tessenderlo, Belgium

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Executive Officers and Directors:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gelu Voicu

 

214,046

 

 

710,499

 

 

924,545

 

 

5.2

%

 

Thomas E. Gay III

 

50,000

 

 

291,987

 

 

341,987

 

 

2.0

%

 

Sorin Georgescu

 

 

 

256,249

 

 

256,249

 

 

1.5

%

 

Irvin W. Kovalik

 

 

 

252,916

 

 

252,916

 

 

1.5

%

 

George Smarandoiu

 

16,000

 

 

109,166

 

 

125,166

 

 

*

 

 

Henry C. Montgomery

 

36,000

 

 

105,000

 

 

141,000

 

 

*

 

 

Roland Duchâtelet(3)

 

728,700

 

 

120,000

 

 

848,700

 

 

5.0

%

 

Garrett A. Garrettson

 

 

 

45,000

 

 

45,000

 

 

*

 

 

Glen G. Possley

 

32,407

 

 

87,593

 

 

120,000

 

 

*

 

 

All directors and executive officers as a group (10 persons)

 

1,077,153

 

 

1,978,410

 

 

3,055,563

 

 

16.1

%

 


(1)          Based on a Schedule 13G/A filed with the SEC on February 14, 2005.

(2)          Based on a Schedule 13G filed with the SEC on February 14, 2005.

(3)          All outstanding shares held by Elex N.V. Dr. Duchâtelet is the chairman of Elex N.V. Dr. Duchâtelet disclaims beneficial ownership of the shares held by Elex N.V. except to the extent of his pecuniary interest in the shares.

*                    Less than 1% of shares beneficially owned.

13




Executive Compensation and Other Information

Summary Compensation Table.   The following table shows the compensation paid by us in fiscal 2005, 2004 and 2003 to (i) our chief executive officer and (ii) our four most highly compensated executive officers other than the chief executive officer who served as executive officers at April 30, 2005.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Long Term
Compensation Payouts

 

 

 

 

 

Annual Compensation

 

Number of Securities

 

 

 

Name and Principal Position

 

 

 

Fiscal Year

 

Salary

 

Bonus

 

Other Annual Compensation(1)

 

Underlying Options

 

All Other Compensation(2)

 

Gelu Voicu(3)

 

2005

 

$

380,284

(4)

$

206,387

 

 

$

12,000

 

 

 

200,000

 

 

 

$

8,105

 

 

President and Chief Executive Officer

 

2004

 

340,384

 

219,410

 

 

12,000

 

 

 

200,000

 

 

 

4,956

 

 

 

2003

 

259,000

 

188,250

 

 

12,000

 

 

 

500,000

 

 

 

455

 

 

Thomas E. Gay

 

2005

 

212,882

 

89,420

 

 

12,000

 

 

 

80,000

 

 

 

6,110

 

 

Vice President, Finance and Administration and Chief Financial Officer

 

2004

 

197,019

 

101,300

 

 

12,000

 

 

 

120,000

 

 

 

2,952

 

 

 

2003

 

178,307

 

91,708

 

 

12,000

 

 

 

 

 

 

331

 

 

Irvin W. Kovalik

 

2005

 

196,000

 

85,089

 

 

12,000

 

 

 

60,000

 

 

 

9,682

 

 

Vice President, Sales

 

2004

 

185,615

 

96,754

 

 

12,000

 

 

 

110,000

 

 

 

5,203

 

 

 

2003

 

171,642

 

87,250

 

 

12,000

 

 

 

 

 

 

1,734

 

 

Sorin Georgescu

 

2005

 

186,998

 

82,309

 

 

 

 

 

60,000

 

 

 

4,426

 

 

Vice President, Technology Development

 

2004

 

177,192

 

92,542

 

 

 

 

 

100,000

 

 

 

1,586

 

 

 

2003

 

166,654

 

80,750

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

311

 

 

George Smarandoiu(5)

 

2005

 

187,002

 

81,085

 

 

 

 

 

60,000

 

 

 

6,161

 

 

Vice President, Product Design

 

2004

 

177,194

 

92,542

 

 

 

 

 

80,000

 

 

 

2,584

 

 

 

2003

 

83,038

 

131,500

 

 

 

 

 

200,000

 

 

 

103

 

 


(1)          Amounts included under “Other Annual Compensation” represent the dollar value of car allowances paid by us for the benefit of such executive officer.

(2)          Amounts included under “All Other Compensation” represent the dollar value of 401(k) matching, group and term life insurance premiums paid by us for the benefit of such executive officer.

(3)          Mr. Voicu was appointed executive vice president and chief operating officer as of August 21, 2002, and was promoted to president and chief executive officer effective as of October 29, 2002.

(4)          Mr. Voicu’s base salary is $350,000. In fiscal year 2005, Mr. Voicu cashed out unused vacation time valued at approximately $30,000.

(5)          Dr. Smarandoiu became our Vice President, Product Design in October 2002.

14




Option Grants in Fiscal 2005.   The following table contains information concerning the grant of stock options during fiscal 2005 to the officers listed in the summary compensation table above. The options granted in fiscal 2005 vest at a rate of 25% of the shares subject to the option after 12 months, and 1/48th of the shares subject to the option vest each month thereafter. The options have a 10-year term, but are subject to earlier termination in connection with a termination of employment. The percentage of total options granted is based on the aggregate grants of stock options to all of our employees in fiscal 2005.

 

 

Individual Grants(1)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Number of Securities Underlying Options

 

Percent of Total Options Granted to Employees in

 

Exercise or Base Price per

 

Expiration

 

Potential Realizable Value at Assumed Annual Rates of Stock Price Appreciation for Option Term(4)

 

Name

 

 

 

Granted

 

Fiscal Year(2)

 

share(3)

 

Date

 

5%

 

10%

 

Gelu Voicu

 

 

200,000

 

 

 

15.5

%

 

 

$

4.27

 

 

3/31/2015

 

$

537,076

 

$

1,361,056

 

Thomas E. Gay III

 

 

80,000

 

 

 

6.2

%

 

 

$

4.27

 

 

3/31/2015

 

$

214,830

 

$

544,422

 

Irvin W. Kovalik

 

 

60,000

 

 

 

4.7

%

 

 

$

4.27

 

 

3/31/2015

 

$

161,123

 

$

408,317

 

Sorin Georgescu

 

 

60,000

 

 

 

4.7

%

 

 

$

4.27

 

 

3/31/2015

 

$

161,123

 

$

408,317

 

George Smarandoiu

 

 

60,000

 

 

 

4.7

%

 

 

$

4.27

 

 

3/31/2015

 

$

161,123

 

$

408,317

 


(1)          Options are incentive stock options to the extent qualified and nonstatutory options otherwise. See also “Employment Contracts and Change-in-Control Arrangements” for a description of certain acceleration provisions which may be applicable to these options under certain circumstances.

(2)          We granted stock options representing a total of 1,287,800 shares to all employees, including the officers listed above, in fiscal 2005.

(3)          Options were granted at an exercise price equal to the fair market value of our common stock, as determined by reference to the closing price reported on the Nasdaq National Market on the date of grant.

(4)          In accordance with SEC rules, the table sets forth the hypothetical gains or options spread that would exist for the options at the end of their respective 10 year terms based on assumed annualized rates of compound stock price appreciation of 5% and 10% from the dates the options were granted until the expiration of the option term. The disclosure of 5% and 10% assumed rates is required by the rules of the SEC and does not represent our estimate or projection of future stock price or stock price growth. If the stock price does not increase over the exercise price, the value to the executive officer would be zero.

Aggregate Option Exercises in Fiscal 2005 and Year-End Option Value.   The following table sets forth information regarding options exercised by each of the executive officers listed in the summary compensation table above during fiscal 2005. The table also shows information regarding the number and value of unexercised in-the-money options held by such executive officers at the end of fiscal 2005.

 

 

Number of Shares Acquired on

 

Value

 

Number of Securities Underlying Unexercised Options at April 30, 2005

 

Value of Unexercised In-the-Money Options at April 30, 2005(1)

 

 

 

Exercise

 

Realized

 

Exercisable

 

Unexercisable

 

Exercisable

 

Unexercisable

 

Gelu Voicu

 

 

100,000

 

 

$

570,190

 

 

631,333

 

 

 

516,667

 

 

$

1,005,095

 

 

$

503,125

 

 

Thomas E. Gay III

 

 

90,000

 

 

$

481,003

 

 

345,000

 

 

 

145,000

 

 

$

791,125

 

 

$

78,925

 

 

Irvin W. Kovalik

 

 

50,000

 

 

$

302,750

 

 

241,457

 

 

 

118,543

 

 

$

341,625

 

 

$

71,925

 

 

Sorin Georgescu

 

 

 

 

 

 

227,083

 

 

 

132,917

 

 

$

578,375

 

 

$

117,625

 

 

George Smarandoiu

 

 

90,000

 

 

$

302,750

 

 

82,083

 

 

 

167,917

 

 

$

125,238

 

 

$

152,063

 

 


(1)          Represents the per share closing market price on April 30, 2005 of $4.62 less the exercise price per share.

15




Employment Contracts, Change-in-Control Arrangements

In May 2003, we entered into an employment agreement with Gelu Voicu, our president and chief executive officer. The agreement provided for a base salary of $300,000 with an annual bonus equal to up to 65% of Mr. Voicu’s base salary upon achievement of specified performance milestones. In November 2003, the Board of Directors adjusted Mr. Voicu’s base salary to $350,000. In August 2004, the Board of Directors adjusted Mr. Voicu’s annual bonus so that Mr. Voicu may receive an annual bonus equal to up to 130% of his base salary upon achievement of specified performance milestones. In the event that Mr. Voicu is involuntary terminated by us without cause, he is entitled to 12 months of severance pay and continued benefits. In addition, the number of his unvested stock options equal to the greater of (i) 50% of his then unvested stock options or (ii) the number of his unvested stock options that would have vested in the 12 months following such termination will become immediately vested and remain exercisable for a period of one year following such termination. In the event that following a merger, sale or change in ownership of our company (a “change of control”) following which Mr. Voicu is not made the chief executive officer of the successor corporation, all of Mr. Voicu’s then unvested stock options will become immediately vested and remain exercisable for a period of three years following such change of control. Also, in the event that Mr. Voicu is involuntarily terminated following a change of control, he is entitled to 12 months of severance pay and continued benefits.

In August 2005, we entered into a severance agreement with each of Thomas Gay, our vice president of finance and administration and chief financial officer; Sorin Georgescu, our vice president of technology development; Irvin Kovalik, our vice president of sales; and George Smarandoiu, our vice president of product design. Under each severance agreement, in the event of the officer’s involuntary termination prior to or more than 12 months following a change of control, we and the officer will negotiate in good faith a consulting arrangement pursuant to which the officer will provide consulting services for a period of 6 months following the termination (9 months in the case of Mr. Gay) and will be compensated for these services based upon a full-time monthly rate equal to his monthly base salary on the date of termination. If, however, we and the officer cannot agree upon the terms of the consulting arrangement, the officer will be entitled to a lump-sum severance payment upon the termination equal to 6 months’ base salary (9 months in the case of Mr. Gay). We will also pay for continuing health insurance coverage for a period of 6 months following the date of termination (9 months in the case of Mr. Gay). In the event of the officer’s involuntary termination within 12 months following a change of control, we and the officer will negotiate in good faith a consulting arrangement pursuant to which the officer will provide consulting services for a period of 9 months following the termination (12 months in the case of Mr. Gay) and will be compensated for these services based upon a full-time monthly rate equal to the his monthly base salary on the date of termination. If, however, we and the officer cannot agree upon the terms of the consulting arrangement, the officer will be entitled to a lump-sum severance payment upon the termination equal to 9 months’ base salary (12 months in the case of Mr. Gay). We will also pay for continuing health insurance coverage for a period of 9 months following the date of termination (12 months in the case of Mr. Gay). In addition, all unvested options and shares of restricted common stock held by the officer will immediate vest upon an involuntary termination within 12 months following a change of control.

16




Equity Compensation Plan Information

The following table provides information as of April 30, 2005 about our common stock that may be issued upon the exercise of options, warrants and rights under all of our existing equity compensation plans, including the 2003 Stock Incentive Plan, the 2003 Director Stock Option Plan and the 1998 Special Equity Incentive Plan, each of which has been approved by our stockholders. We do not have any compensation plans under which equity securities are authorized for issuance which have not been approved by our stockholders.

 

Equity Plan or Arrangement

 

 

 

Number of Securities to be Issued upon Exercise of Outstanding Options, Warrants and Rights

 

Weighted-Average Exercise Price of Outstanding Options, Warrants and Rights

 

Number of Securities Remaining Available for Future Issuance Under Equity Compensation Plans (Excluding Securities Reflected in Column (a))

 

2003 Stock Incentive Plan(1)

 

 

5,390,174

 

 

 

$

4.162

 

 

 

66,486

 

 

2003 Director Stock Option Plan

 

 

240,000

 

 

 

$

5.761

 

 

 

292,505

 

 

1998 Special Equity Incentive Plan

 

 

697,093

 

 

 

$

2.339

 

 

 

95,210

 

 

Total Plans or Arrangements Approved by Security Holders

 

 

6,327,267

 

 

 

$

4.022

 

 

 

454,201

 

 

Total Plans or Arrangements Not Approved by Security Holders

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


(1)          This plan provides for annual increases in the number of shares available for issuance under the plan, on the first day of each fiscal year, of 1.0 million shares, 5% of the then outstanding shares or an amount approved by our board of directors, whichever is less.

Board Compensation Committee Report on Executive Compensation

Notwithstanding any statement to the contrary in any of our previous or future filings with the SEC, this Report of the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors on Compensation shall not be deemed “filed” with the SEC or “soliciting material” under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and shall not be incorporated by reference into any such filings.

The following is a report of the Compensation Committee of our Board describing the compensation philosophy and policies applicable to our executive officers with respect to the compensation paid to such officers during fiscal 2005. The actual compensation paid to the executive officers during fiscal 2005 is shown in the “Summary Compensation Table” above.

The Compensation Committee is responsible for reviewing and approving our compensation policies and the actual compensation paid to our executive officers. The Committee is comprised of Messrs. Garrettson, Montgomery and Possley.

Compensation Philosophy.   The general philosophy of our compensation program is to offer our chief executive officer and other executive officers competitive compensation packages based upon both our performance as well as the individual’s performance and contributions. Our compensation policies are intended to motivate and reward highly qualified executives for long-term strategic management and the enhancement of stockholder value, to support a performance-oriented environment that rewards achievement of our specific internal goals and to attract and retain executives whose abilities are critical to our long-term success and competitiveness. Our compensation policies also consider our financial condition and results of operations. Our compensation program is comprised of three main components: base salary, bonus plan and stock options.

17




Base Salary.   Base salary for executive officers is set annually by reviewing the pay practices of comparable companies, the skills, responsibilities and performance level of the individual executives, the expected contributions of such individuals to our business and our needs.

Bonus Plan.   Our executive officers are eligible for bonuses under the terms of our cash bonus plan. Under the plan, bonuses are based upon our performance and financial condition, the individual’s achievement of specific corporate goals as well as the individual’s level of experience, responsibilities and contributions to our success. During fiscal 2005, all executive officers received a bonus.

Stock Options.   The Compensation Committee believes that stock options provide additional incentives to officers to work toward maximizing stockholder value. The Compensation Committee views stock options as one of the more important components of our long-term, performance-based compensation philosophy. These options are provided through initial grants at or near the date of hire and through subsequent periodic grants based upon performance and promotions, as well as additional grants to provide continuing motivation as earlier grants vest in full. Options granted by us to our executive officers and other employees have exercise prices equal to fair market value at the time of grant and generally vest over a four-year period.

Severance Arrangements.   See above “Employment Contracts, Change-in-Control Arrangements” for a description of severance arrangements for certain executive officers.

Compensation for the Chief Executive Officer.   In May 2003, we entered into an employment agreement with Mr. Voicu. The agreement provided for a base salary of $300,000 with an annual bonus equal to up to 65% of Mr. Voicu’s base salary upon achievement of specified performance milestones. In November 2003, the Board of Directors adjusted Mr. Voicu’s base salary to $350,000. In August 2004, the Board of Directors adjusted Mr. Voicu’s annual bonus so that Mr. Voicu may receive an annual bonus equal to up to 130% of his base salary upon achievement of specified performance milestones. Mr. Voicu’s bonus was $206,387 in fiscal 2005 and reflected his achievement of specified goals.

The Committee considers equity based compensation, in the form of stock options, to be an important component of a chief executive officer’s compensation. These grants are intended to motivate leadership for our long-term growth and profitability. In April 2005, Mr. Voicu was granted options to purchase 200,000 shares of our common stock at an exercise price per share of $4.27.

Tax Deductibility of Executive Compensation.   The Compensation Committee has considered the potential impact of Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. Section 162(m) disallows a tax deduction for any publicly-held corporation for individual compensation exceeding $1,000,000 in any taxable year for any of the executive officers named in a proxy statement, unless compensation is performance-based. The Compensation Committee has studied the impact of Section 162(m) on our option plan and believes that options granted under or equity compensation plans to our executive officers will meet the requirements for qualifying as performance-based. The Compensation Committee therefore believes that Section 162(m) will not affect the tax deductions available to us with respect to the compensation of our executive officers. It is the Compensation Committee’s policy to qualify, to the extent reasonable, our executive officers’ compensation for deductibility under applicable tax law. However, if competitive or business circumstances warrant we may in the future pay compensation to our executive officers that may not be deductible.

 

THE COMPENSATION COMMITTEE

 

OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

 

Garrett A. Garrettson, Henry C. Montgomery

 

and Glen G. Possley

 

18




Certain Relationships and Related Transactions

Elex N.V.

During the fourth quarter of fiscal 2000, we began taking delivery of wafers fabricated by X-FAB, a wholly owned subsidiary of Elex N.V., a Belgian holding company, that owned 728,700 shares, or 4.4% of our outstanding shares, as of August 24, 2005. Roland Duchâtelet, the chairman and chief executive officer of Elex N.V., serves as a member of our board of directors. The wafers provided by X-FAB include wafers for our analog and mixed-signal products and EEPROM products. We believe that the cost of the wafers we purchase from X-FAB is no greater than comparable materials available from alternative foundries. We periodically negotiate the prices of wafers purchased from X-FAB with X-FAB management and compare those prices to quotes we obtain from other prospective foundries and pricing surveys published by various industry trade organizations. We purchased $2.4 million, $3.7 million and $1.4 million of wafers from X-FAB in fiscal 2005, 2004 and 2003, respectively. As of April 30, 2005 and 2004, the total amount owed to X-FAB was $314,000 and $137,000, respectively. Other than purchase orders currently open with X-FAB, there is no purchasing agreement in place with X-FAB.

On April 22, 2004, we purchased 600,000 shares of our common stock from Elex N.V. for $6.77 per share and an aggregate of $4.1 million.

LXI Corporation

We had an informal arrangement from 1995 through January 2003 to obtain engineering services from LXI Corporation, a California corporation, or Lxi, a provider of engineering services through Essex com SRL, or Essex, Lxi’s wholly owned subsidiary in Romania. The number of full time engineers we used was dependent upon the scope and number of research and development projects in process at a given time. These services related to our key development projects including development, design, layout and test program development services. We believe that we received these engineering services from Lxi on terms and at rates that were at least as favorable, if not more favorable, than we could obtain from unaffiliated third parties. Two of our officers, Gelu Voicu and Thomas E. Gay III, owned approximately 3% and 1%, respectively, of Lxi until February 2003. Mr. Gay, who had served as a director of Lxi, resigned from that position in January 2003. Mr. Voicu and Mr. Gay received no payments from Lxi during fiscal 2005, fiscal 2004 and fiscal 2003 other than $40,000 and $12,000, respectively, from the repurchase of their shares at net book value by Lxi in February 2003. Additionally, we believe that our former chief executive officer, Radu Vanco, continues to own a majority of the outstanding shares of Lxi. In January 2003, we formed a wholly owned subsidiary in Romania to perform these engineering design services on our behalf and discontinued our use of the engineering services of Lxi.

Allan Advisors, Inc.

One of our former directors, Lionel Allan, served as a consultant to us through his consulting company, Allan Advisors, Inc. Under the terms of his consulting agreement, we paid Mr. Allan consulting fees of $8,333 per month throughout fiscal 2003. In April 2003, we terminated the agreement and paid the $29,000 balance due as required by the agreement. Mr. Allan no longer provides consulting services to us and we have no continuing obligations to Mr. Allan under the terminated agreement. Mr. Allan retired from our board of directors on September 2004, and has continued to serve as a non-voting, emeritus director.

19




Section 16(a) Beneficial Reporting Compliance

Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act requires our executive officers, directors and persons who own more than 10% of a registered class of the our equity securities to file reports of ownership and changes in ownership with the SEC. Such executive officers, directors and 10% stockholders are also required by SEC rules to furnish us with copies of all forms that they file pursuant to Section 16(a).

Based solely on our review of copies of Forms 3 and 4 and amendments thereto furnished to us pursuant to Rule 16a-3 and Forms 5 and amendments thereto furnished to the Company with respect to the last fiscal year, and any written representations referred to in Item 405(b)(2)(i) of Regulation S-K stating that no Forms 5 were required, we believe that all Section 16(a) filing requirements applicable to our officers and directors were complied with during the fiscal year ended April 30, 2005.

Our Insider Trading Policy allows directors, officers and other employees covered under such policy to establish, under the limited circumstances contemplated by Rule 10b5-1 promulgated under the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, written programs that permit automatic trading of our stock or trading of our stock by an independent person (such as an investment bank) who is not aware of material inside information at the time of the trade. To our knowledge, none of our directors, officers or employees have adopted Rule 10b5-1 trading plans.

20




PERFORMANCE GRAPH

Notwithstanding any statement to the contrary in any of our previous or future filings with the SEC, the following information relating to the price performance of our common stock shall not be deemed “filed” with the SEC or “soliciting material” under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and shall not be incorporated by reference into any such filings.

The following line graph compares the annual percentage change in the cumulative total stockholder return for our common stock with the S&P 500 Index and the S&P Electronics (Semiconductors) Index for the period commencing April 28, 2000 and ending on April 29, 2005. The graph assumes that $100 was invested on April 28, 2000 and that all dividends were reinvested. Historic stock price performance should not necessarily be considered indicative of future stock price performance.

COMPARISON OF 5 YEAR CUMULATIVE TOTAL RETURN*
AMONG CATALYST SEMICONDUCTOR, INC., THE S & P 500 INDEX
AND THE S & P SEMICONDUCTORS INDEX

GRAPHIC


*       $100 invested on 4/28/00 in stock or index-including reinvestment of dividends.  Fiscal year ending April 30.

Copyright © 2002, Standard & Poor's, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. www.researchdatagroup.com/S&P.htm

 

 

Cumulative Total Return(*)

 

 

 

4/00

 

4/01

 

4/02

 

4/03

 

4/04

 

4/05

 

Catalyst Semiconductor, Inc.

 

$

100.00

 

$

55.48

 

$

36.72

 

$

36.07

 

$

95.74

 

$

60.59

 

S&P 500

 

100.00

 

87.03

 

76.04

 

65.92

 

81.00

 

86.14

 

S&P Semiconductors

 

100.00

 

46.85

 

38.24

 

24.71

 

34.16

 

31.09

 


*                    $100 invested on 4/28/00 in stock or index-including reinvestment of dividends. Fiscal year ending April 30.

21




1934 Exchange Act Reports

We hereby undertake to mail, without charge, to any of our stockholders upon written request, copies of our Annual Report on Form 10-K, including financial statements, schedules and exhibit lists contained therein. Requests should be sent to our Secretary at our principal executive offices located at 1250 Borregas Avenue, Sunnyvale, California 94089. Such documents are also available on the website of the SEC at www.sec.gov.

Other Matters

Other than the proposals listed above, our Board does not intend to present any other matters to be voted on at the Annual Meeting. Our Board is not currently aware of any other matters that will be presented by others for action at the Annual Meeting. If other matters are properly presented at the Annual Meeting and you have signed and returned your proxy, the proxy holders will have discretion to vote your shares on these matters in accordance with their judgment.

For the Board of Directors

 

GRAPHIC

 

THOMAS E. GAY III

 

Secretary

Dated: August 24, 2005

 

 

22




CAS-PS-05




 

 

 

DETACH HERE

 

ZCASC2

 

PROXY

 

CATALYST SEMICONDUCTOR, INC.

 

Proxy for the Annual Meeting of Stockholders

To be Held September 23, 2005

Solicited by the Board of Directors

 

The undersigned hereby appoints Gelu Voicu and Thomas E. Gay III, and each of them with full power of substitution, to represent the undersigned and to vote all shares of stock in CATALYST SEMICONDUCTOR, INC., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”) which the undersigned is entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting of Stockholders of the Company to be held at 1250 Borregas Avenue, Sunnyvale, California 94089 at 9:00 a.m., local time, and at any adjournment or postponement thereof (i) as hereinafter specified upon the proposals listed on the reverse side and as more particularly described in the Proxy Statement of the Company dated August 24, 2005 (the “Proxy Statement”), receipt of which is hereby acknowledged, and (ii) in their discretion upon such other matters as may properly come before the meeting.

 

THE SHARES REPRESENTED HEREBY SHALL BE VOTED AS SPECIFIED. IF NO SPECIFICATION IS MADE, SUCH SHARES SHALL BE VOTED FOR PROPOSALS 1 AND 2.

 

 

 

 

 

 

SEE REVERSE

 

 

 

SEE REVERSE

 

 

CONTINUED AND TO BE SIGNED ON REVERSE SIDE

 

 

SIDE

 

 

 

SIDE

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

CATALYST SEMICONDUCTOR, INC.

 

C/O Computershare

P.O. BOX 8694

EDISON, NJ 08818-8694

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Your vote is important. Please vote immediately.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Vote-by-Internet

 

 

 

Vote-by-Telephone

 

Log on to the Internet and go to

 

 

 

Call toll-free

 

http://www.eproxyvote.com/cats

 

OR

 

1-877-PRX-VOTE (1-877-779-8683)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you vote over the Internet or by telephone, please do not mail your card.

 



 

DETACH HERE IF YOU ARE RETURNING YOUR PROXY CARD BY MAIL

 

ZCASC1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Please mark

 

x

votes as in

 

 

this example.

 

 

 

 

 

WHETHER OR NOT YOU PLAN TO ATTEND THE MEETING IN PERSON, YOU ARE URGED TO SIGN AND PROMPTLY MAIL THIS PROXY IN THE RETURN ENVELOPE SO THAT YOUR STOCK MAY BE REPRESENTED AT THE MEETING. A vote FOR the following proposals is recommended by the Board of Directors.

 

1.

To elect the following persons as Class I (one) directors to hold office for a three-year term and until their successors are elected and qualified:

 


2.


To ratify the appointment of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as the independent registered public accounting firm of the

 

 

 

 

Company for the fiscal year ending April 30, 2006.

 

Nominee: (01) Henry C. Montgomery

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FOR

 

AGAINST

 

ABSTAIN

 

 

FOR

 

o

 

o

WITHHELD

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

o

 

o

 

o

 

 

Nominee: (02) Gelu  Voicu

 

 

 

 

 

 

3.

The proxies are also authorized to vote, in their discretion

 

FOR

 

o

 

o

WITHHELD

 

 

on such other business as may properly come before the

 

 

 

 

meeting or any adjournment or postponement hereof.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MARK HERE FOR ADDRESS CHANGE AND NOTE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AT LEFT

o

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MARK HERE IF YOU PLAN TO ATTEND THE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MEETING

o

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Please sign here. Sign exactly as name(s) appear on your stock certificate. If shares of stock are held of record in the name of two or more persons or in the name of husband and wife, whether as joint tenants or otherwise, both or all of such persons should sign the Proxy. If shares of stock are held of record by a corporation, the Proxy should be executed by the President or Vice President and the Secretary or Assistant Secretary. Executors or administrators or other fiduciaries who execute the Proxy for a deceased stockholder should give their full title. Please date the Proxy.

 

 

Signature:

 

 

Date:

 

 

Signature:

 

 

Date: