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  xþ                             Filed by a Party other than the Registrant  ¨

Check the appropriate box:

 

þ

¨

Preliminary Proxy Statement (deemed filed pursuant to General Instruction E to Form S-4 referenced below)

¨

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

x

¨

Definitive Proxy Statement

¨

Definitive Additional Materials

¨

Soliciting Material underPursuant to §240.14a-12

SIGNATURE GROUP HOLDINGS, INC.SIGNATURE GROUP HOLDINGS, INC.

(Name of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter)

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

Payment of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box):

x

þ

No fee required.

No fee required pursuant to Rule 14a-6(j)(2), by reason of registration statement on Form S-4, registration number 333-191685, filed by SGH Holdco, Inc., which includes the proxy statement to which this Schedule 14A relates

o

¨

Fee computed on table below per Exchange Act Rules 14a-6(i)(1) and 0-11.

(1)

Title of each class of securities to which transaction applies:

 

 

(2)

Aggregate number of securities to which transaction applies:

 

 

(3)

Per unit price or other underlying value of transaction computed pursuant to Exchange Act Rule 0-11 (set forth the amount on which the filing fee is calculated and state how it was determined):

 

 

(4)

Proposed maximum aggregate value of transaction:

 

 

(5)

Total fee paid:

 

 

o

¨

Fee paid previously with preliminary materials.

o

¨

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.

(1)

Amount Previously Paid:

 

 

(2)

Form, Schedule or Registration Statement No.:

 

 

(3)

Filing Party:

 

 

(4)

Date Filed:

 

 

 

 

 


LOGO

SIGNATURE GROUP HOLDINGS, INC.PRELIMINARY PROXY STATEMENT - SUBJECT TO COMPLETION

PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUSDATED April 10, 2015

A REINCORPORATION AND HOLDING COMPANY MERGER IS PROPOSED

YOUR VOTE IS IMPORTANT

15301 Ventura Boulevard Suite 400

Sherman Oaks, California 91403

Dear Fellow Stockholder:

On behalf of the Board of Directors and senior management of Signature Group Holdings, Inc. (the(“we” or the “Company”), you are cordially invited to attend a special meetingthe 2015 Annual Meeting of stockholdersStockholders of the Company (the “Annual Meeting”), which will be held at the offices of Real Alloy, 25825 Science Park Drive, Beachwood, Ohio 44122, on May 28, 2015, beginning at 9:30 a.m. Eastern Time. The accompanying Notice of Annual Meeting of Stockholders and proxy statement are designed to answer your questions and provide you with important information regarding our Board of Directors and senior management, and provide you with information about the items of business that will be acted upon at the Annual Meeting.

Our Board of Directors has determined that the matters to be considered at the Annual Meeting are in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders. For the reasons set forth in the proxy statement, the Board of Directors strongly recommends that you vote (i) “FOR” each of the director nominees specified under Proposal 1; (ii) “FOR” approval of the amendment to the Company’s Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation to change the name of the Company to be held“Real Industry, Inc.” under Proposal 2; (iii) “FOR” the ratification of the appointment of Ernst & Young LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2015 under Proposal 3; (iv) “FOR” approval of the adoption of the Signature Group Holdings, Inc. 2015 Equity Award Plan under Proposal 4; (v) “FOR” the approval of, on December 30, 2013, at 10 a.m., local time, atan advisory basis, the officescompensation of our counsel, Crowell & Moring LLP, 515 South Flower St., 40th Floor, Los Angeles CA 90071.

At the special meeting, you will be asked to considernamed executive officers under Proposal 5; and vote upon (i) a proposal to approve an agreement and plan of merger, pursuant to which the Company will merge with and into a wholly owned limited liability company subsidiary of a newly formed Delaware corporation (we refer to this proposal as the “Reincorporation Proposal”), and (ii) a proposal to approve the(vi) “FOR adjournment of the special meeting,Annual Meeting to a later date or dates, if necessary, to solicit additionalpermit further solicitation of proxies if there are insufficientnot sufficient votes at the time of the special meetingAnnual Meeting to approve Proposal 2 and/or Proposal 4. All of these proposals will be listed in the merger agreement.proxy card included with the enclosed proxy statement that you receive for the Annual Meeting.

We encourage you to attend the Annual Meeting in person if it is convenient for you to do so. If you are unable to attend, it is important your shares be represented and voted at the Reincorporation Proposal is approvedAnnual Meeting. We urge you to read the enclosed proxy statement and then sign, date and return the transactions contemplatedenclosed proxy card (or follow the instructions in the enclosed proxy card to vote by telephone or via the merger agreement, which we refer to as the “Reincorporation,” are completed, we will become a wholly owned limited liability subsidiaryInternet) at your earliest convenience.

If you need assistance voting, please contact our proxy solicitor, Morrow & Co., LLC, by calling 800-662-5200. Banks and brokerage firms should call Morrow at 203-658-9400.

On behalf of the newBoard of Directors, we look forward to greeting in person as many of our stockholders as possible.

Sincerely,

Craig T. Bouchard

Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer

April [●], 2015


PRELIMINARY PROXY STATEMENT - SUBJECT TO COMPLETION

15301 Ventura Boulevard Suite 400

Sherman Oaks, California 91403

NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS To Be Held May 28, 2015

The 2015 Annual Meeting of Stockholders of Signature Group Holdings, Inc. (the “Annual Meeting”), a Delaware holding company, and your sharescorporation, (“Signature” or the “Company”) will automatically be exchangedheld at the offices of Real Alloy, 25825 Science Park Drive, Beachwood, Ohio 44122, on May 28, 2015, beginning at 9:30 a.m. Eastern Time, for the same numberfollowing purposes:

1.

To elect the following seven directors to the Board of Directors, each to hold such office until the next annual meeting of stockholders or until his successor has been qualified and elected : Craig T. Bouchard, Peter C.B. Bynoe, Patrick Deconinck, William Hall, Patrick E. Lamb, Raj Maheshwari and Philip G. Tinkler;

2.

To amend the Company’s Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation to change the name of the Company to “Real Industry, Inc.”;

3.

To ratify the selection of Ernst & Young LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2015;

4.

To approve the adoption of the Signature Group Holdings, Inc. 2015 Equity Award Plan;

5.

To approve, by advisory vote, the compensation of our named executive officers, as described in the proxy statement accompanying this notice;

6.

To adjourn the Annual Meeting to a later date or dates, if necessary, to permit further solicitation of proxies if there are not sufficient votes at the time of the Annual Meeting to approve Proposal 2 and/or Proposal 4; and

7.

To transact such other business as may properly come before the Annual Meeting, and any adjournment or postponement thereof.

Our Board of sharesDirectors recommends that you vote “FOR” the election of each of the Delaware holding company (unless you properly exercise dissenters’ rights, which will entitle youdirector nominees; “FOR” the amendment to obtain paymentthe Company’s Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation; “FOR” the ratification of the fair valueselection of your shares according toour independent registered public accounting firm;  “FOR the provisions of Sections 92A.300 to 92A.500approval of the Nevada Revised Statutes). We intend to rename the holding company “SignatureSignature Group Holdings, Inc. 2015 Equity Award Plan; “FOR the approval, by advisory vote, of the compensation of our named executive officers;  and “FOR” the adjournment of the Annual Meeting to a later date or dates, if necessary, to permit further solicitation of proxies if there are not sufficient votes at the time of the Reincorporation.Annual Meeting to approve Proposal 2 and/or Proposal 4.

Our BoardOnly stockholders of Directors believes that reincorporationrecord at the close of business on April 20, 2015 (the “Record Date”) will help usbe entitled to implement our acquisition strategy, including through benefiting from Delaware’s leadership rolenotice of, and to vote at, the Annual Meeting. Please vote in corporate law and adjudication of disputes, which will provide us with greater certainty in connection with operational and strategic planning, and permitting us to keep acquired businesses structurally separate from the Company. Our Board of Directors has unanimously determined that the Reincorporation is advisable and in the best interests of our stockholders.Accordingly, our board has unanimously approved the merger agreement and recommends that you vote “FOR” the Reincorporation Proposal and “FOR” the adjournmentone of the special meeting, if necessary, to solicit additional proxies.following ways:

·

Vote by Telephone: You can vote your shares by telephone by calling the toll-free number indicated on your proxy card on a touch-tone telephone 24 hours a day. Easy-to-follow voice prompts enable you to vote your shares and confirm that your instructions have been properly recorded. If you are a beneficial owner, or you hold your shares in “street name,” please check your voting instruction card or contact your bank, broker or nominee to determine whether you will be able to vote by telephone.

·

Vote by Internet: You can also vote via the Internet by following the instructions on your proxy card. The website address for Internet voting is indicated on your proxy card. Internet voting also is available 24 hours a day. If you are a beneficial owner, or you hold your shares in “street name,” please check your voting instruction card or contact your bank, broker or nominee to determine whether you will be able to vote via the Internet.

·

Vote by Mail: If you choose to vote by mail, complete, sign, date and return your proxy card in the postage-paid envelope provided. Please promptly mail your proxy card to ensure that it is received prior to the Annual Meeting.


Your vote is very important. We cannot completeWhether or not you plan to attend the Reincorporation unless holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of our common stock vote to approve the Reincorporation Proposal. IfAnnual Meeting, you fail to vote on the Reincorporation Proposal, it will have the same effect as if you were to vote against the Reincorporation Proposal.

WHETHER OR NOT YOU PLAN TO BE PRESENT AT THE SPECIAL MEETING, IT IS IMPORTANT THAT YOUR SHARES BE REPRESENTED. ACCORDINGLY, WE URGE YOU TO VOTE


BY COMPLETING, SIGNING, DATING AND RETURNING THE ENCLOSED PROXY CARD AS SOON AS POSSIBLE IN THE ENCLOSED POSTAGE-PAID, SELF-ADDRESSED ENVELOPE, OR VIA TELEPHONE OR THE INTERNET IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE INSTRUCTIONS ON THE PROXY CARD. IF YOU RECEIVE MORE THAN ONE PROXY CARD BECAUSE YOU OWN SHARES THAT ARE REGISTERED DIFFERENTLY, PLEASE VOTE ALL OF YOUR SHARES SHOWN ON ALL OF YOUR PROXY CARDS.

We encourage youare urged to read the accompanyingenclosed proxy statement/prospectus carefully because it explainsstatement and then vote your proxy card promptly by telephone, via the proposed Reincorporation,Internet, or by completing, signing, dating and returning the documents relatedenclosed proxy card in the postage-paid envelope provided. If you are the beneficial owner or you hold your shares in “street name,” please follow the voting instructions provided by your bank, broker, or other nominee to direct them to vote your shares on your behalf.

If you decide to attend the Reincorporation andAnnual Meeting, you will be able to vote in person, even if you have previously submitted your proxy. However, in order to vote your shares in person at the Annual Meeting, you must be a stockholder of record on the Record Date or hold a legal proxy from your bank, broker or other related matters. You can also obtain other information about us from documents that we have filed withholder of record permitting you to vote at the Securities and Exchange Commission.Annual Meeting.

Sincerely,

/s/ Craig T. Bouchard

Craig T. Bouchard

Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board

Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of the securities to be issued under this proxy statement/prospectus or passed upon the adequacy or accuracy of this proxy statement/prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

This proxy statement/prospectus is dated November 27, 2013 and is being first mailed to Signature Group Holdings, Inc. stockholders on or about November 27, 2013.


If you have any questions or need assistance in voting please call:

MORROW & CO., LLC

(800) 662-5200 or (203) 658-9400


LOGO

SIGNATURE GROUP HOLDINGS, INC.

NOTICE OF SPECIAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS

To Be Held on December 30, 2013

Dear Fellow Stockholder:

A Special Meeting of the Stockholdersyour shares of Signature Group Holdings, Inc.common stock, please contact our proxy solicitor Morrow & Co., LLC (“Morrow”) by calling 800-662-5200. Banks and brokerage firms should call Morrow at 203-658-9400.

IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING THE AVAILABILITY OF PROXY MATERIALS

FOR THE ANNUAL MEETING TO BE HELD ON MAY 28, 2015

The proxy statement, the proxy card and related proxy materials for this Annual Meeting and Signature’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2014 can be obtained free of charge at the Company’s website at signaturegroupholdings.com, or at the Securities and Exchange Commission’s website at sec.gov.

Only the latest validly executed proxy that you submit will be held at the offices of our counsel, Crowell & Moring LLP, 515 South Flower St., 40th Floor, Los Angeles CA 90071 on December 30, 2013, at 10:00 a.m., local time, for the following purposes:

1.Consider a proposal, which we refer to as the “Reincorporation Proposal,” to approve an agreement and plan of merger, pursuant to which Signature Group Holdings, Inc. will merge with and into a wholly owned limited liability company subsidiary of a newly formed Delaware corporation, which we refer to as “Holdings,” and each outstanding share of common stock of Signature Group Holdings, Inc. (other than shares held by stockholders that properly exercise dissenters’ rights), will be converted into one share of common stock of Holdings;

2.Consider a proposal, which we refer to as the “adjournment proposal,” to approve, if necessary, the adjournment of the Special Meeting to solicit additional proxies in favor of the Reincorporation Proposal;

3.Transact such other business as properly may be brought before the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof.

Our Board of Directors has approved the proposed agreement and plan of merger and determined it is advisable and in the best interest of our stockholders, and unanimously recommends that stockholders vote “FOR” the Reincorporation Proposal. In addition, our Board unanimously recommends that stockholders vote “FOR” the adjournment proposal. Your vote “FOR” the Reincorporation Proposal will also constitute a vote “FOR” the assumption by Holdings of the Amended and Restated Signature Group Holdings, Inc. 2006 Performance Incentive Plan (including the existing share reserves under the plan), which was previously approved by stockholders, and all the outstanding equity awards under the plan.

Stockholders as of the record date are entitled to assert dissenters’ rights under Sections 92A.300 to 92A.500 of the Nevada Revised Statutes with respectcounted. To obtain directions to the Reincorporation Proposal. A copy of Sections 92A.300 to 92A.500 is attached as Annex E to the accompanying proxy statement/prospectus.

The Board of Directors has set the close of business on November 21, 2013 as the record date for the meeting. Owners of Signature Group Holdings, Inc. stockAnnual Meeting, contact Morrow at the close of business on that date are entitled to receive notice of and to vote at the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof. Stockholders will be asked at the meeting to present a valid photo identification. Stockholders holding stock in brokerage accounts must present a copy of a brokerage statement reflecting stock ownership as of the record date.800-662-5200.

IT IS IMPORTANT THAT YOUR SHARES BE REPRESENTED AT THE MEETING. WHETHER OR NOT YOU PLAN TO ATTEND THE MEETING, PLEASE PROMPTLY VOTE VIA THE INTERNET OR BY TELEPHONE, OR MARK, SIGN AND DATE THE ENCLOSED PROXY AND RETURN IT IN THE ENVELOPE PROVIDED.

By Order of the Board of Directors

/s/ ChrisW. Christopher Manderson

Chris Manderson

Executive Vice PresidentCorporate Secretary and General Counsel

Sherman Oaks, California

November 27, 2013


TABLE OF CONTENTSApril [●], 2015

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT CONCERNING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

1

SUMMARY

6

CERTAIN FINANCIAL INFORMATION

10

RISK FACTORS

11

THE REINCORPORATION PROPOSAL

13

THE SPECIAL MEETING

20

DESCRIPTION OF HOLDINGS CAPITAL STOCK

25

COMPARISON OF STOCKHOLDER RIGHTS BEFORE AND AFTER THE REINCORPORATION

30

MATERIAL U.S. FEDERAL TAX CONSEQUENCES

36

PROPOSAL TO ADJOURN THE SPECIAL MEETING

38

LEGAL MATTERS

38

EXPERTS

38

OTHER BUSINESS

38

STOCKHOLDER PROPOSALS FOR 2014

39

WHERE YOU CAN FIND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

40

ANNEX A

42

ANNEX B

47

ANNEX C

55

ANNEX D

72

ANNEX E

77


SIGNATURE GROUP HOLDINGS, INC.


ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

This document, which is sometimes referred to as this proxy statement/prospectus, constitutes a proxy statement of Signature Group Holdings, Inc., which we refer to as the “Company,” with respect to the solicitation of proxies by the Company for the special meeting described within, and a prospectus of SGH Holdco, Inc., which we refer to as “Holdings,” for the shares of common stock of Holdings to be issued to Company stockholders in connection with the proposed Reincorporation. As permitted under the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC, this proxy statement/prospectus incorporates important business and financial information about us that is contained in documents filed with the SEC that are not included in or delivered with this proxy statement/prospectus. You may obtain copies of these documents, without charge, from the website maintained by the SEC at www.sec.gov, as well as other sources. See “Where You Can Find Additional Information” beginning on page 40. You may also obtain copies of these documents, without charge, from the Company by writing or calling:

Signature Group Holdings, Inc.

1530315301 Ventura Boulevard Suite 1600400

Sherman Oaks, California 91403

Telephone: (805) 435-1255PROXY STATEMENT

You also may obtain documents incorporated by reference into this proxy statement/prospectus by requesting them in writingFOR THE 2015 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS

Our Board of Directors is soliciting proxies to be voted at our 2015 Annual Meeting of Stockholders (the “Annual Meeting”) on May 28, 2015, at 9:30 a.m. Eastern Time, and at any adjournment or by telephone from the proxy solicitorpostponement thereof, for the merger atpurposes set forth in the following addressattached Notice of Annual Meeting of Stockholders (the “Notice”). This proxy statement and telephone numbers:the proxies solicited hereby are being first sent or delivered to stockholders on or about April [●], 2015.

Morrow & Co., LLC

470 West Avenue

Stamford, CT 06902

Stockholders Call Toll-Free at: 800-662-5200

Banks and Brokerage Firms Call Collect at: 203-658-9400

To receive timely delivery of requested documents in advance of the special meeting, you should make your request no later than December 18, 2013.

You should rely only on the information contained or incorporated by referenceAs used in this proxy statement/prospectusstatement, the terms “Signature,” “Company,” “we,” “us” and “our” refer to Signature Group Holdings, Inc., a Delaware corporation, and the registration statementterms “Board of which thisDirectors” and the “Board” refer to the Board of Directors of Signature.

INFORMATION ABOUT THE ANNUAL MEETING AND VOTING

Why did I receive these proxy statement/prospectus is a partmaterials from Signature?

The Board of Directors has made these materials available to voteyou on the proposals being presented at the special meeting. No oneInternet or has been authorizeddelivered printed versions of these materials to provide you with information that is different from what is contained in this document or in the incorporated documents.

This proxy statement/prospectus is dated November 27, 2013. You should not assume the information contained in this proxy statement/prospectus is accurate as of any date other than this date, and neither the mailing of this proxy statement/prospectus to stockholders nor the issuance of the Holdings common stockby mail in connection with the Reincorporation implies that information is accurate as of any other date.


CAUTIONARY STATEMENT CONCERNING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Certain statements in this proxy statement/prospectus, and in documents incorporated by reference in this proxy statement/prospectus, contain “forward-looking” information, as defined in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), which represent our management’s beliefs and assumptions concerning future events. When used in this proxy statement/prospectus and in documents incorporated herein by reference, forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements regarding financial forecasts or projections, and our expectations, beliefs, intentions or future strategies that are signified by the words “expects”, “anticipates”, “believes”, “intends”, “plans”, “may”, “estimates”, “predicts”, “potential”, “should”, “will”, “would”, “will be”, “will continue”, “will likely result” or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause our actual results and the timing of certain events to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements.

You should understand that many important factors, in addition to those discussed or incorporated by reference in this proxy statement/prospectus, could cause our results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements. Potential factors that could affect our results include those described in this proxy statement/prospectus under “Risk Factors,” and those identified in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2012 and in the other documents incorporated by reference. In light of these risks and uncertainties, the forward-looking results discussed or incorporated by reference in this proxy statement/prospectus might not occur.


QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Q: Why am I receiving this document?

A:You are receiving this proxy statement/prospectus in connection with the solicitation of proxies by the Board of Directors of proxies for use at the Company (the “Company Board”) in favor of a Reincorporation Proposal.

Q: What is the Reincorporation Proposal?

A:We are asking you to approve a merger agreement that would result in our becoming a wholly owned limited liability company subsidiary of a new Delaware holding company,Annual Meeting, which we refer to as “Holdings.” As a result of the merger, Holdings will be the publicly held corporation through which you hold your shares, and the Company will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Holdings. We refer to this transaction as the “Reincorporation.” We intend to rename the holding company “Signature Group Holdings, Inc.”on May 28, 2015 at the time of the Reincorporation.

To review the details of the proposed Reincorporation in greater detail, see “The Reincorporation Proposal—Reincorporation Procedure.” Further, a copy of the merger agreement is attached as Annex A to this proxy statement/prospectus. You are encouraged to read the merger agreement carefully.

Q: Why are you undertaking the Reincorporation?

A: We are undertaking the Reincorporation:

to take advantage of the benefits of Delaware corporate law; and

to provide us with additional flexibility as we pursue our goal of growth through acquisitions, including permitting us to keep the companies we acquire structurally separate from the Company.

To review the reasons for our Reincorporation in greater detail, see “The Reincorporation Proposal—Reasons for the Reincorporation.”

Q: What other matters will be voted on at the special meeting?

A: Besides the Reincorporation Proposal, you will be asked to consider and vote on a proposal to approve, if necessary, the adjournment of the Special Meeting to solicit additional proxies in favor of the Reincorporation Proposal (the “adjournment proposal”).

Q: Where and when is the special meeting?

A:The special meeting will be held9:30 a.m. Eastern Time, at the offices of our counsel, Crowell & Moring LLP, 515 South Flower St.Real Alloy, 25825 Science Park Drive, Beachwood, Ohio 44122. We made these materials available to stockholders beginning on or about April [●], 40th Floor, Los Angeles CA 900712015 on December 30, 2013 at 10:00 a.m.the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (“SEC” or the “Commission”) website, sec.gov, Pacific Time.

Q: Who can attend and vote at the special meeting?

A: AllCompany’s website, signaturegroupholdings.com. We will begin mailing the proxy statement and the proxies solicited hereby to stockholders beginning on or about April [●], 2015. Our stockholders are entitledinvited to attend the special meeting. If youAnnual Meeting and are requested to vote on the beneficial owner of shares heldproposals described in this proxy statement using the name of your broker, bank or nominee, you must bring proof of ownership (such as a current broker’s statement) in orderinstructions on the proxy card.

Who is entitled to be admitted to the special meeting.vote?

Stockholders who own shares of our common stock of record as ofor beneficially at the close of business on November 21, 2013,April 20, 2015 (the “Record Date”) are entitled to vote on matters that come before the record date forAnnual Meeting. As of the special meeting, areRecord Date, we had [●] shares of common stock outstanding and entitled to vote at the special meeting,Annual Meeting. Each share of common stock is entitled to one vote.

What is included in these proxy materials?

These materials include:

·

The Notice;

·

This proxy statement; and

·

Our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2014, which includes our audited consolidated financial statements.

If you were mailed a full set of proxy materials or requested printed versions of these materials by mail, these materials also include the proxy card for the Annual Meeting.

What am I voting on at the Annual Meeting?

Stockholders will be voting on the following proposals at the Annual Meeting:

·

Proposal 1—the election of the following seven directors to serve until the next annual meeting of stockholders or until their successors have been qualified and elected: Craig T. Bouchard, Peter C.B. Bynoe, Patrick Deconinck, William Hall, Patrick E. Lamb, Raj Maheshwari and Philip G. Tinkler;

·

Proposal 2—the approval of the amendment of the Company’s Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation to change the name of the Company to “Real Industry, Inc.”;


·

Proposal 3—the ratification of the selection of Ernst & Young LLP (“E&Y”) as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2015;

·

Proposal 4—the approval of the adoption of the Signature Group Holdings, Inc. 2015 Equity Award Plan (the “Plan”);

·

Proposal 5—the approval, by advisory vote, of the compensation of our named executive officers as described in this proxy statement; and

·

Proposal 6—the adjournment of the Annual Meeting to a later date or dates, if necessary, to permit further solicitation of proxies if there are not sufficient votes at the time of the Annual Meeting to approve Proposal 2 and/or Proposal 4.

We may also transact such other business as may properly come before the Annual Meeting, and any adjournment or postponement thereof. At the close of business on the record date there were 12,213,219 shares of Company common stock issued and outstanding.

Q: What is a quorum?

A:In order for any matter to be considered at the special meeting, there must beconstitutes a quorum present. for the Annual Meeting?

The presence in person or represented by proxy, of the holdersowners of a majority of the shares of our common stock eligible

to vote at the special meeting asAnnual Meeting is required in order to hold the Annual Meeting and conduct business. Presence may be in person or by proxy. You will be considered part of the record date forquorum if you voted by telephone, via the meeting will constituteInternet or by properly submitting a quorum. Sharesproxy card or voting instruction form by mail, or if you are present and vote at the Annual Meeting. Under the General Corporation Law of common stock represented by proxies reflectingthe State of Delaware (the “DGCL”), at the Annual Meeting, both the shares associated with withheld votes, abstentions and properly executed broker non-votes (if any) will be counted as present and entitled to vote and therefore, will count for purposes of determining a quorum. Ifwhether a quorum is not present either our Chairman or the stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting who are present or representedAnnual Meeting.

How does the Board recommend that I vote?

The Board recommends that you vote your shares (i) “FOR” each of the director nominees specified under Proposal 1; (ii) “FOR” the amendment to the Company’s Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation under Proposal 2;  (iii) “FOR” the ratification of the appointment of E&Y as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2015 under Proposal 3; (iv) “FOR” the approval of the adoption of the Plan under Proposal 4;  (v) “FOR” approval, by proxy may adjourn the meeting until a quorum is present. See “The Special Meeting—Record Date and Quorum” on page 20.

Q: Whatadvisory vote, of the compensation of our stockholders is requirednamed executive officers under Proposal 5; and (vi) “FOR” adjournment of the Annual Meeting to a later date or dates, if necessary, to permit further solicitation of proxies if there are not sufficient votes at the time of the Annual Meeting to approve Proposal 2 and/or Proposal 4.

How do I vote for the Reincorporation Proposal?Board’s recommended nominees and the various other proposals?

A:Under Nevada law and as a condition to completionOnly stockholders of the Reincorporation, stockholders holding at least a majority of the shares of the common stock outstanding and entitled to voterecord at the close of business on the record date must vote “FOR” the Reincorporation Proposal. See “The Special Meeting—Required Vote” on page 20.

AsRecord Date will be entitled to notice of, November 21, 2013, there were 12,213,219 shares of common stock outstanding.

Q: What will happen if I failand to vote fail to instruct my broker toat, the Annual Meeting. Please vote onin one of the Reincorporation Proposal or vote to abstain?following ways:

·

Vote by Telephone: You can vote your shares by telephone by calling the toll-free number indicated on your proxy card on a touch-tone telephone 24 hours a day. Easy-to-follow voice prompts enable you to vote your shares and confirm that your instructions have been properly recorded. If you are a beneficial owner, or you hold your shares in “street name,” please check your voting instruction card or contact your bank, broker or nominee to determine whether you will be able to vote by telephone.

·

Vote by Internet: You can also vote via the Internet by following the instructions on your proxy card. The website address for Internet voting is indicated on your proxy card. Internet voting also is available 24 hours a day. If you are a beneficial owner, or you hold your shares in “street name,” please check your voting instruction card or contact your bank, broker or nominee to determine whether you will be able to vote via the Internet.

·

Vote by Mail: If you choose to vote by mail, complete, sign, date and return your proxy card in the postage-paid envelope provided. Please promptly mail your proxy card to ensure that it is received prior to the Annual Meeting.

A:A failureBy submitting a proxy, you are legally authorizing another person to vote your shares on your behalf. We urge you to promptly vote your proxy “FOR” each of common stock,the Board’s nominees and the other proposals recommended by the Board by telephone, via the Internet, or voting to abstain, will haveby completing, signing, dating and returning the same effect as aenclosed proxy card in the postage-paid envelope. If you vote “AGAINST”your proxy by telephone, via the Reincorporation Proposal. BrokersInternet, or submit your executed proxy card by mail, but you do not have discretionary authorityindicate how your shares are to be voted, then your shares will be voted in accordance with the Board’s recommendations set forth in this proxy statement.


What if I hold my shares in “street name”?

If you hold your shares in “street name,” through a bank, broker, nominee or other holder of record (i.e., a “custodian”), your custodian is considered the stockholder of record for purposes of voting at the Annual Meeting. Your custodian is required to vote your shares on your behalf in accordance with your instructions. If you do not give instructions to your custodian, your custodian is permitted to vote your shares with respect to “routine” matters.  The “routine” matters at the Annual Meeting are the approval of an amendment to the Second Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation to change the Company’s name under Proposal 2, and the ratification of the appointment of E&Y as our independent registered public accounting firm under Proposal 3. However, if you do not give instructions to your custodian, your custodian will NOT be permitted to vote your shares with respect to “non-routine” matters.  Proposals 1, 4, 5 and 6 at the Annual Meeting are considered non-routine matters. Accordingly, if you do not give your custodian specific instructions on Proposals 1, 4, 5 or 6, then your shares will be treated as “broker non-votes” and will not be voted on the Reincorporation Proposal orproposal(s) for which you did not provide instructions. When the adjournment proposal.

Abstentions and properly executedvote is tabulated for any particular matter, broker non-votes, if any, will only be included in the calculation of the number of shares of common stock represented at the special meetingcounted for purposes of determining whether a quorum has been achieved. Seeis present. Accordingly, we urge you to promptly give instructions to your custodian to voteThe Special Meeting—Required VoteFORon page 20.

Q: How will our directors and executive officers vote on the proposal to adopt the merger agreement?

A:The directors and current executive officerseach of the Company have informedBoard’s director nominees in Proposal 1, and “FOR” Proposals 4, 5 and 6 by using the Companyvoting instruction card provided to you by your custodian. You will be given the option of voting by telephone, via the Internet, by mail or in person. Please note that as of the date of the filing of this proxy statement/prospectus, theyif you intend to vote “FOR” the Reincorporation Proposal. As of November 21, 2013, the directors and current executive officers owned,your street name shares in the aggregate, 445,389 shares of common stock entitled to voteperson at the special meeting, which represents approximately 3.6%Annual Meeting, you must provide a legal proxy from your custodian at the Annual Meeting.

What is required to approve each proposal?

Proposal 1: Directors are elected by a plurality of votes cast at the Annual Meeting. Therefore, the seven nominees who receive the most votes will be elected. Any shares not voted (whether by withheld vote, broker non-vote or otherwise) are not counted in determining the outcome of the election of directors. Stockholders may not cumulate votes.

Proposal 2: The approval of the amendment of the Company’s outstanding shares. This number does not include 1,128,047 shares held by Zell Credit Opportunities Master Fund, L.P.; Chai Trust Company, LLC, representing approximately 9.2% of our outstanding shares, which has also indicated that it intends to vote “FOR” the Reincorporation Proposal.

Q: How does the Company Board recommend that I vote?

A:The Company Board unanimously recommends that our stockholders vote:

“FOR” the Reincorporation Proposal;

“FOR” the proposal to approve the adjournment of the special meeting, if necessary or appropriate, to solicit additional proxies if there are insufficient votes at the time of the special meeting to approve the Reincorporation Proposal.

You should read “The Reincorporation Proposal—Reasons for the Reincorporation” beginning on page 12 for a discussion of the factors that the Company Board considered in deciding to recommend the approval of the merger agreement.

Q: Am I entitled to exercise dissenters’ rights instead of receiving Holdings common stock for my shares of common stock?

A:Stockholders who do not vote in favor of the Reincorporation Proposal may elect to exercise statutory dissenters’ rights. See “The Reincorporation Proposal—Dissenters’ Rights” beginning on page 17 and the text of the Nevada dissenters’ rights statute, Sections 92A.300 – 92A.500 of the Nevada Revised Statutes, which is reproduced in its entirety as Annex E to this proxy statement/prospectus.

Q: When is the Reincorporation expected to be completed?

A:If we receive the requisite stockholder approval at the special meeting, we currently expect to complete the Reincorporation promptly thereafter. However, we cannot assure completion of the Reincorporation by any particular date, if at all.

Q: Will the management or the business change as a result of the Reincorporation?

A: Until Holdings completes any acquisitions, the business will not change following the Reincorporation. We expect that the executive officers and the composition of the Board of Directors of Holdings (the “Holdings Board”) immediately after completion of the Reincorporation will be the same as the executive officers and the composition of the Company Board today.

Q: What will the name of the public company be following the Reincorporation?

A: The name of the public company following the Reincorporation will be “Signature Group Holdings, Inc.”

Q: Will the Company’s CUSIP number change as a result of the Reincorporation?

A: Yes, following the Reincorporation, Holdings’ CUSIP number will be 784184103.

Q: What will happen to my stock as a result of the Reincorporation?

A:Unless you properly exercise your dissenters’ rights, which will entitle you to obtain payment of the fair value of your shares pursuant to Nevada Revised Statutes Sections 92A.300 to 92A.500, your shares of Company common stock will automatically be converted in the Reincorporation into the same number of shares of common stock of Holdings. As a result, you will become a stockholder of Holdings and will own the same number of shares of Holdings common stock that you owned of Company common stock immediately prior to the Reincorporation. We expect that Holdings common stock will be quoted on the OTCQX under the trading symbol “SGGH.”

Q: Will I have to turn in my stock certificates?

A: No. Do not turn in your stock certificates. We will not require you to exchange your stock certificates as a result of the Reincorporation. After the Reincorporation, your common stock certificates will represent the same number of shares of Holdings common stock as they represented of Company common stock prior to the Reincorporation.

Within a reasonable period of time following completion of the Reincorporation, Holdings will mail you a letter of transmittal, in customary form, and instructions for use in effecting the surrender of your Company stock certificates, if you so choose, in exchange for Holdings stock certificates or non-certificated shares of Holdings common stock in book-entry form. If you hold uncertificated shares, your shares will automatically be exchanged for shares of Holdings common stock in the Reincorporation.

Q: Will the Reincorporation affect my federal income taxes?

A: The Reincorporation will be a tax-free “reorganization” within the meaning of Section 368(a) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”) and the completion of the Reincorporation is conditioned on the receipt by the Company of an opinion from its counsel to the effect that the Reincorporation if consummated in the manner provided in the merger agreement will qualify as a “reorganization” within the meaning of Section 368(a) of the Code. You will not recognize any gain or loss for federal income tax purposes upon your receipt of Holdings common stock in exchange for your shares of Company stock in the

Reincorporation. Holders that exercise their dissenters’ rights, however, may recognize gain or loss upon the Reincorporation. The tax consequences to you will depend on your own situation. You should consult your own tax advisors concerning the specific tax consequences of the Reincorporation to you, including any foreign, state, or local tax consequences of the Reincorporation. For further information, see “Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences” beginning on page 36 of this proxy statement/prospectus.

Q: What happens if the Reincorporation is not consummated?

A: If the Reincorporation Proposal is not approved by the Company’s stockholders, or if the Reincorporation is not consummated for any other reason, the Company will remain a public company and shares of Company common stock will continue to be quoted on the OTCQX.

Q: What do I need to do now?

A: We urge you to read this proxy statement/prospectus carefully, including its annexes and the documents referred to as incorporated by reference in this proxy statement/prospectus, and to consider how the Reincorporation affects you. If you are a stockholder of record, you can ensure that your shares are voted at the special meeting by submitting your proxy via:

mail, using the enclosed postage-paid envelope;

telephone, using the toll-free number listed on each proxy card; or

the Internet, at the address provided on each proxy card.

If you hold your shares in “street name” through a broker, bank or other nominee, you should follow the directions provided by your broker, bank or other nominee regarding how to instruct your broker, bank or other nominee to vote your shares. Without those instructions, your shares will not be voted, which will have the same effect as voting against the proposal to adopt the merger agreement.

Q: Can I revoke my proxy?

A:Yes. You can revoke your proxy at any time before the vote is taken at the special meeting. If you are a stockholder of record, you may revoke your proxy by notifying the Company’s Corporate Secretary in writing at Signature Group Holdings, Inc., Attn: Corporate Secretary, 15303 Ventura Boulevard, Suite 1600, Sherman Oaks, California 91403, or by submitting a new proxy by telephone, the Internet or mail, in each case, dated after the date of the proxy being revoked. In addition, you may revoke your proxy by attending the special meeting and voting in person, although simply attending the special meeting will not cause your proxy to be revoked. If you hold your shares in “street name” and you have instructed a broker, bank or other nominee to vote your shares, the options described above for revoking your proxy do not apply, and instead you must follow the instructions received from your broker, bank or other nominee to revoke your proxy or submit new voting instructions.

Q: What does it mean if I get more than one proxy card or voting instruction card?

A: If your shares are registered differently or are held in more than one account, you will receive more than one proxy or voting instruction card. Please complete and return all of the proxy cards or voting instruction cards you receive (or submit each of your proxies by telephone or the Internet, if available to you) to ensure that all of your shares are voted.

Q: What is householding and how does it affect me?

A: The SEC permits companies to send a single set of proxy materials to any household at which two or more stockholders reside, unless contrary instructions have been received, but only if the applicable company provides advance notice and follows certain procedures. In such cases, each stockholder continues to receive a separate notice of the meeting and proxy card. Certain brokerage firms may have instituted householding for

beneficial owners of common stock held through brokerage firms. If your family has multiple accounts holding common stock, you may have already received householding notification from your broker. Please contact your broker directly if you have any questions or require additional copies of this proxy statement. The broker will arrange for delivery of a separate copy of this proxy statement promptly upon your written or oral request. You may decide at any time to revoke your decision to household, and thereby receive multiple copies.

Q: Whom do I contact if I have questions about the Reincorporation Proposal?

A:You may contact our proxy solicitor:

Morrow & Co., LLC

470 West Avenue

Stamford, CT 06902

Stockholders Call Toll-Free at: 800-662-5200

Banks and Brokerage Firms Call Collect at: 203-658-9400

or the Company:

Signature Group Holdings, Inc.

15303 Ventura Boulevard, Suite 1600

Sherman Oaks, California 91403

Telephone: (805) 435-1255

SUMMARY

This section highlights key aspects of the Reincorporation Proposal, including the merger agreement, that are described in greater detail elsewhere in this proxy statement/prospectus. It does not contain all of the information that may be important to you. To better understand the holding company merger proposal, and for a more complete description of the legal terms of the merger agreement, you should read this entire document carefully, including the Annexes, and the additional documents to which we refer you. You can find information with respect to these additional documents in “Where You Can Find Additional Information.”

The Principal Parties

Signature Group Holdings, Inc.

15303 Ventura Boulevard, Suite 1600

Sherman Oaks, California 91403

Telephone: (805) 435-1255

Signature Group Holdings, Inc., or the “Company,” is an enterprise that was incorporated as Fremont General Corporation (“Fremont”) in 1972. On June 11, 2010 (the “Effective Date”), Fremont completed a plan of reorganization and emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings with (i) the present name, (ii) nine new board members and a new management team, (iii) various assets and liabilities, including a substantial amount of net operating loss tax carryforwards, or “NOLs,” which, as of December 31, 2012, included federal and California NOLs of $886.9 million and $980.0 million, respectively, and (iv) publicly traded common stock.

Since the Effective Date, the Company has been repositioned through the divestiture of non-core legacy assets, becoming a timely filer with the SEC, settling and resolving a substantial number of legacy legal actions, making select investments through Signature Special Situations and acquiring North American Breaker Co., LLC (“Industrial Supply”) on July 29, 2011, its wholly owned specialty industrial supply company. Management and the Company Board expect to grow through additional acquisitions, as well as through organic efforts within existing operations.

The Company operates through two principal operating segments: Industrial Supply and Signature Special Situations.

Industrial Supply. Industrial Supply, headquartered in Burbank, California, is one of the largest independent suppliers of circuit breakers in the country. Industrial Supply focuses on the replacement circuit breaker market, particularly for commercial and industrial circuit breakers, where replacement time is extremely important, but we also supply residential circuit breakers. It operates from seven warehouse locations (as of July 1, 2013) across the United States, which enables it to improve customer delivery times, a key attribute of the Company’s service-oriented model. Industrial Supply’s assets are primarily comprised of inventory, accounts receivable and intangible assets, and its liabilities are primarily comprised of trade payables, a line of credit and long-term debt.

Signature Special Situations. Signature Special Situations selectively acquires sub-performing and nonperforming commercial and industrial loans, leases and mortgages, typically at a discount to unpaid principal balance. It may also originate secured debt financings to middle market companies for a variety of situations, including supporting another transaction such as an acquisition, recapitalization or restructuring. The Company may take positions in corporate bonds and other structured debt instruments, which may be performing, sub-performing or nonperforming, as well as other specialized financial assets. Based on the Company’s periodic analyses of individual investments and portfolios, it may also opportunistically exit investment positions when the benefits of holding the assets no longer outweigh the benefits of selling them. During the second quarter of 2013, a majority of Signature Special Situations’ assets, specifically its portfolio of residential real estate loans, were sold generating cash proceeds of approximately $27.1 million and a gain of $5.0 million. The proceeds are expected to be used in the Company’s acquisition efforts and to support the organic growth of other Company businesses.

The Company’s operations also include a discontinued operations segment, where the Company holds and manages certain assets and liabilities related to the former businesses of Fremont and Cosmed, Inc., a small cosmetics company, for which management and the Company Board have formally adopted plans of disposal. These assets and liabilities are being managed to maximize cash recoveries and limit costs and exposures to the Company.

The Company’s principal executive offices are located at 15303 Ventura Boulevard, Suite 1600, Sherman Oaks, California 91403, and its telephone number is (805) 435-1255.

SGH Holdco, Inc.

15303 Ventura Boulevard, Suite 1600

Sherman Oaks, California 91403

Telephone: (805) 435-1255

Holdings is a newly formed Delaware corporation. The Company formed Holdings for the purpose of participating in the Reincorporation. Prior to the Reincorporation, Holdings will have no assets or operations other than those incident to its formation. We intend to rename the holding company “Signature Group Holdings, Inc.” at the time of the Reincorporation.

SGH Merger Sub, LLC

15303 Ventura Boulevard, Suite 1600

Sherman Oaks, California 91403

Telephone: (805) 435-1255

SGH Merger Sub, LLC, or “Merger Sub,” is a newly formed Delaware limited liability company that is wholly owned by Holdings. The Company caused Merger Sub to be formed for the purpose of participating in the Reincorporation. Prior to the Reincorporation, Merger Sub will have no assets or operations other than those incident to its formation.

The Reincorporation (Page 13)

This proxy statement/prospectus relates to the proposed Reincorporation of the Company pursuant to an agreement and plan of merger, pursuant to which the Company will merge with and into Merger Sub, which will survive as a wholly owned subsidiary of Holdings. The merger agreement is included in this proxy statement/prospectus as Annex A.

Treatment of common stock in the Reincorporation (Page 14)

As a result of the Reincorporation, each issued and outstanding share of Company common stock (other than shares held by stockholders that properly exercise dissenters’ rights) will be converted automatically into one share of common stock of Holdings. Stockholders that properly exercise their dissenters’ rights will not receive shares of Holdings, but will instead be entitled to obtain payment of the fair value of his or her shares according to the procedures set forth in Sections 92A.300 to 92A.500 of the Nevada Revised Statutes.

Treatment of Options and Warrants in the Reincorporation (Pages 14 and 15)

At the time of the Reincorporation, Holdings will assume the Amended and Restated Signature Group Holdings, Inc. 2006 Performance Incentive Plan, which we refer to as the 2006 Incentive Plan. Holdings will also assume all options to purchase Company common stock and all restricted stock awards that are outstanding under the 2006 Incentive Plan at the time of the merger. Upon completion of the Reincorporation, the reserve of Company common stock under the 2006 Incentive Plan will automatically be converted on a one-share-for-one-share basis into shares of Holdings common stock, and the terms and conditions that are in effect immediately prior to the Reincorporation under each outstanding equity award assumed by Holdings will continue in full force and effect after the Reincorporation, except that the shares of common stock issuable under each such award will be shares of Holdings common stock.

At the time of the Reincorporation, Holdings will also assume all outstanding warrants to purchase Company common stock. The terms and conditions of the warrants that are in effect immediately prior to the Reincorporation will continue in full force and effect after the Reincorporation, except that the shares of common stock issuable under each such warrant will be shares of Holdings common stock.

Reasons for the Reincorporation (Page 13)

In the judgment of the Company Board, it is highly desirable to be incorporated in Delaware to effect the Company Board’s business strategy, which includes acquiring and growing businesses in order to create stockholder value. Delaware has followed a policy of encouraging corporations to incorporate in that state, and has developed a legal and judicial system that supports that goal. The Delaware legislature plays a leading role in adopting comprehensive, modern and flexible statutes to meet the changing circumstances faced by corporations and their boards of directors. Delaware has a more extensive and well-defined body of corporate law interpreting these statutes than exists in states such as Nevada. The Delaware courts have developed a specialized business court system, the Court of Chancery, which has considerable expertise in interpreting the Delaware General Corporation Law, and in promptly adjudicating legal disputes relating to corporations. The more extensive body of law and greater judicial responsiveness to disputes provides boards of directors with greater certainty in connection with operational and strategic planning.

The Company Board also believes that the creation of a holding company structure will provide us with additional flexibility as we pursue our goal of growth through acquisitions. The holding company structure will permit us to keep the businesses we acquire as separate subsidiaries of Holdings, and thus structurally separate from the businesses of the Company which will, after the Reincorporation, be held and operated by Merger Sub, a Delaware limited liability company. This may permit us to keep the assets and liabilities of businesses acquired in the future by Holdings separate from the assets and liabilities of the businesses currently held by the Company for various corporate purposes, but not for federal income tax purposes. Consequently, new assets acquired by Holdings should be immune from liabilities of the Company as held by Merger Sub after the Reincorporation, and this should permit Holdings to acquire new lines of business outside of the reach of creditors of the Company. Notwithstanding the structural separation of the businesses, the Reincorporation is structured so that the Company’s existing federal NOLs (which as a result of the Reincorporation will be held and taken into account by Holdings), should be available for use against both taxable income of the Company and future taxable income of Merger Sub and Holdings. The Company Board also believes that the structural separation of the acquired business from the Company will facilitate our retention and incentivization of separate executives for these businesses.

The Company Board believes that the above benefits will be important factors in attracting and retaining qualified persons to serve on our board, and in attracting and retaining qualified persons to operate the Company and the other subsidiaries of Holdings formed in connection with future acquisitions.

Conditions to Completion of the Reincorporation (Page 15)

The completion of the Reincorporation depends on the satisfaction or waiver by the parties to the Reincorporation of the following conditions:

absence of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the registration statement, of which this proxy statement/prospectus forms a part, relating to the shares of Holdings common stock to be issued in the Reincorporation;

approval of the merger agreement by the affirmative vote of at least a majority of all issued and outstanding shares of Company common stock;

admission of Holdings to the OTCQX tier of the OTC Markets and eligibility of Holdings common stock issuable in the Reincorporation for quotation on the OTCQX tier of the OTC Markets, subject only to official notice of issuance;

absence of any order or proceeding that would prohibit or make illegal completion of the Reincorporation;

receipt by the Company of a legal opinion of Blank Rome LLP indicating that the Reincorporation will be treated as a “reorganization” within the meaning of Section 368(a) of the Code and that the Company will not recognize gain or loss for United States federal income tax purposes as a result of the transactions contemplated by the merger agreement;

the Company’s redemption of all of its outstanding 9.0% Notes under the Indenture, dated as of June 11, 2010, between the Company and Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as Trustee (the “Indenture”);

receipt of all material approvals, licenses and certifications from, and notifications and filings to, governmental entities and non-governmental third parties required to be made or obtained in connection with the Reincorporation; and

absence of the notice of exercise of dissenters’ rights which have not been waived or lost by the holders of more than 15% of the Company’s common stock.

The conditions in the first and second bullets above will not be waived, and the condition in the last bullet above will not be waived if such waiver would result in an “ownership change” within the meaning of Section 382 of the Code. Please see “Material U.S. Federal Tax Consequences” at page 36.

Termination of Merger Agreement (Page 16)

We may terminate the merger agreement at any time prior to consummation of the Reincorporation, even after approval of the Reincorporation Proposal by our stockholders, if the Company Board determines that, for any reason, the completion of the Reincorporation would be inadvisable or not in the best interest of the Company or our stockholders.

Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences (Page 36)

The Reincorporation will be a tax-free “reorganization” within the meaning of Section 368(a) of the Code. Company stockholders who do not exercise their dissenters’ rights will not recognize any gain or loss for U.S. federal income tax purposes upon receipt of Holdings common stock in exchange for shares of Company common stock. However, the tax consequences to you will depend on your own situation. You are urged to consult your own tax advisors concerning the specific tax consequences of the merger to you, including any state, local or foreign tax consequences of the Reincorporation.

Because Company stockholders are entitled to assert dissenters’ rights under Sections 92A.300 to 92A.500 of the Nevada Revised Statutes with respect to the Reincorporation, the Reincorporation may result in a shift in the Company’s total current share ownership. If a significant number of stockholders elect to exercise dissenters’ rights, the amount of that shift may increase. However, it is a condition to completion of the Reorganization that dissenters’ rights have not been properly exercised and not waived or lost with respect to more than 15% of the outstanding shares of Company common stock. As a result of that condition, the Company will not experience an “ownership change” within the meaning of section 382 of the Code as a result of the Reincorporation. Accordingly, the Reincorporation is not expected to impact the availability of the Company’s existing federal NOLs, as such federal NOLs will be held and taken into account by Holdings (including against income generated by Merger Sub) as of the close of the Reincorporation. The Company also has NOLs in California and other state jurisdictions (“State NOLs”). After the Reincorporation, the Company’s State NOLs should remain available to offset taxable income of the Company’s businesses in accordance with applicable state law.

Dissenters’ Rights (Page 17)

Under Nevada law, the Company’s stockholders have dissenters’ rights in connection with the Reincorporation. Shares of Company common stock held by stockholders that properly exercise dissenters’ rights will not be converted into shares of Holdings common stock in the merger. Instead, such dissenting stockholders will be entitled to receive payment of the fair value of such shares in accordance with Sections 92A.300 – 92A.500 of the Nevada Revised Statutes, unless they fail to perfect, withdraw or otherwise lose the right to dissent.

Markets and Market Prices (Page 18)

Holdings common stock is not currently traded on any stock exchange or quoted on any market. Following the Reincorporation, we expect Holdings common stock to be quoted on the OTCQX under the trading symbol “SGGH”. On November 21, 2013, the closing price per share of Company common stock was $11.00.

Governance of Holdings Following the Reincorporation (Page 19)

We expect that the composition of the Holdings Board immediately after completion of the Reincorporation will be the same as the composition of the Company Board today. We expect that upon completion of the Reincorporation, the executive officers of Holdings will be the same as the executive officers of the Company prior to completion of the Reincorporation.

Comparison of Stockholder Rights Before and After the Reincorporation (Page 30)

Upon completion of the Reincorporation, the rights of Company stockholders will be governed by theSecond Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of Holdings, which we refer to aschange the “Holdings Charter,” the Amended and Restated Bylaws of Holdings, which we refer to as the “Holdings Bylaws,” and applicable Delaware law. While there will be substantial similarities between their rights and their rights as Company stockholders prior to the Reincorporation, various differences are noted in “Comparison of Stockholder Rights Before and After the Reincorporation,” below.

CERTAIN FINANCIAL INFORMATION

Separate financial statements for Holdings have not been provided in this proxy statement/prospectus because prior to the Reincorporation, Holdings will have no assets, liabilities or operations other than incident to its formation. Immediately after completion of the Reincorporation, the consolidated financial statements of Holdings will be the same as the Company’s consolidated financial statements immediately prior to the Reincorporation.

RISK FACTORS

In considering whether to vote in favor of the Reincorporation Proposal, you should consider all of the information we have included in this proxy statement/prospectus, including its Annexes, and all of the information included in the documents we have incorporated by reference, including the Company’s annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2012, and the risk factors described in the documents incorporated by reference. In addition, you should pay particular attention to the risks described below.

We may not obtain the expected benefits of the Reincorporation.

We believe our reincorporation and organization into a holding company structure will provide us with benefits in the future, as described under “The Reincorporation Proposal—Reasons for the Reincorporation” at page 13. These expected benefits may not be obtained if Holdings fails to complete acquisitions or if market conditions or other circumstances prevent us from taking advantage of the strategic, business and financing flexibility that it affords us. In addition, the holding company structure may not keep the assets and liabilitiesname of the Company and any new businesses we acquire legally separate. As a result, we may incur the costs of implementing the Reincorporation Proposal without realizing the possible benefits. These costs include the increased administrative costs and expenses associated with keeping separate records, and in some cases making separate regulatory filings for Holdings and the Company.

As a holding company, Holdings will depend in large part on funding from its operating subsidiaries.

After the completion of the Reincorporation, Holdingsto “Real Industry, Inc.” will be a holding company with no business operations of its own. Until it has either formed or acquired other companies, its only significant asset will be the outstanding shares of the Company. As a result, it will rely on funding from the Company to meet its obligations. If the Company needs to retain its funds to meet its financial obligations, that may limit Holdings’ access to funds and Holdings’ ability to pursue its acquisition strategy or other strategic objectives.

As a stockholder of a Delaware corporation, your rights after the Reincorporation will be different from, and may be less favorable than, your current rights as a stockholder of a Nevada corporation.

Upon completion of the Reincorporation, the rights of Company stockholders will be governed by the Holdings Charter, the Holdings Bylaws and applicable Delaware law. While there will be substantial similarities between their rights after the Reincorporation and their rights as Company stockholders prior to the Reincorporation, various differences are noted in “Comparison of Stockholder Rights Before and After the Reincorporation,” at page 30. Some of these differences may be less favorable to stockholders.

These include a new forum selection provision in the Holdings Charter, which provides that the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware shall be the sole and exclusive forum for stockholder derivative actions or proceedings, claims asserting breaches of fiduciary duties by Holdings’ directors and officers, claims against Holdings or its directors or officers under the Holdings Charter, the Holdings Bylaws and applicable Delaware law, or actions against Holdings or its directors or officers under the internal affairs doctrine. While we believe that adoption of a Delaware forum selection provision is in the best interests of Holdings and its shareholders, currently, several legal challenges to companies’ forum selection provisions are pending. Further, state or federal courts in other jurisdictions may not be willing to adhere to our forum selection provision.

The Reincorporation is subject to conditions, including certain conditions that may not be satisfied, or completed on a timely basis, if at all. If we fail to complete the Reincorporation, we cannot obtain the expected benefits of the Reincorporation and we may suffer administrative losses based on our efforts to seek the Reincorporation.

The Reincorporation is subject to a number of conditions to completion. These include stockholder approval of the Reincorporation, acceptance of Holdings stock for OTCQX tier quotation on the OTC Markets, receipt of a legal opinion that the Reincorporation constitutes a “reorganization” under the Code, the Company’s redemption of its outstanding 9.0% Notes under the Indenture, the absence of an administrative stop order or judicial order or proceeding in respect of the Reincorporation, and the absence of exercise of dissenters’ rights with respect to more than 15% of the Company’s outstanding shares of common stock. Please see “The Reincorporation Proposal—Conditions to Completion of the Reincorporation,” at page 14, for a more detailed discussion. We cannot predict whether and when these other conditions will be satisfied. Any failure to complete or delay in completing the Reincorporation could cost the Company additional time, effort and attention, as well as cause us not to realize some or all of the expected benefits that we expect as a result of completing the Reincorporation successfully within its expected time frame.

If stockholders exercise dissenters’ rights in connection with the Reincorporation, the Company may experience a change in ownership for tax purposes that could impact the Company’s valuable federal NOLs. In addition, paying dissenting shareholders for their shares may force the Company to spend a material amount of its available cash to pay the fair value of such stockholders’ stock or in settlement of such dissenters’ rights claims.

Under Nevada law, our stockholders may exercise dissenters’ rights in connection with the Reincorporation. Please see “Dissenters’ Rights,” at page 16, for a more detailed discussion. Upon the proper exercise of dissenters’ rights, the Company must deliver the amount it determines to be the fair value of such shares, plus accrued interest, along with financial statements. If stockholders exercise dissenters’ rights in respect of a material amount of the Company’s shares, the Company could experience an “ownership change” within the meaning of section 382 of the Code as a result of the Reincorporation that could impact the availability of the Company’s existing federal NOLs to Holdings. Please see “Material U.S. Federal Tax Consequences” at page 36 for a more detailed discussion of the federal NOLs. It is a condition to completion of the Reorganization that dissenters’ rights have not been properly exercised and not waived or lost with respect to more than 15% of the outstanding shares of Company common stock. However, if this condition is waived, or if dissenters’ rights are exercised with respect to a lesser percentage of the outstanding shares that is nonetheless significant, the Holdings board of directors would have less flexibility to issue shares of common stock after the Reincorporation, which could have a negative impact on its ability to pursue acquisitions of other businesses.

Separately, in connection with the exercise of dissenters’ rights in respect of a significant number of Company shares or if dissenting stockholders disagree with the Company’s calculation of the fair value of their shares, the costs of the Reincorporation may materially increase and we may be forced to spend a material amount of our available cash in settlement of such dissenters’ rights claims.

THE REINCORPORATION PROPOSAL

This section of the proxy statement/prospectus describes the Reincorporation Proposal. Although we believe that the description in this section covers the material terms of the Reincorporation Proposal, this summary may not contain all of the information that is important to you. The summary of the material provisions of the merger agreement provided below is qualified in its entirety by reference to the merger agreement, which we have attached as Annex A to this proxy statement/prospectus and which we incorporate by reference into this proxy statement/prospectus. You should carefully read the entire proxy statement/prospectus and the merger agreement for a more complete understanding of the Reincorporation Proposal. Your approval of the Reincorporation Proposal will constitute your approval of the merger agreement, the merger, Holdings Charter, which we have attached as Annex B to this proxy statement/prospectus, and the Holdings Bylaws, which we have attached as Annex C to this proxy statement/prospectus.

Reasons for the Reincorporation

Beginning with the first meeting of the current Company Board, in July 2013, the Company Board has discussed reincorporating from Nevada to Delaware. In the judgment of the Company Board, it is highly desirable to be incorporated in Delaware to effect its acquisition strategy and create stockholder value. The Company Board has balanced the costs of the Reincorporation (primarily costs of legal counsel) and the benefits, particularly given the new business strategy and focus of the Company Board and senior management team. That strategy includes acquiring and growing businesses financed by the issuance of equity and debt securities. As part of that strategy, the Company has an effective universal shelf registration statement permitting the Company to sell $300 million in securities, and the senior management team has developed potential financing relationships for transactions with leading Wall Street investment banks. The Company also has said that it would seek to fund acquisitions through rights offerings pursuant to which current stockholders could maintain their pro rata ownership in the Company if they chose.

The Company Board believes that more than fifty percent of all publicly-traded companies in the United States are incorporated in Delaware, including sixty percent of companies that constitute the Fortune 500. Delaware has followed a policy of encouraging corporations to incorporate in that state, and has developed a legal and judicial system that supports that goal. The Delaware legislature plays a leading role in adopting comprehensive, modern and flexible statutes to meet the changing circumstances faced by corporations and their boards of directors. Delaware has a more extensive and well-defined body of corporate law interpreting these statutes than exists in states such as Nevada. The Delaware courts have developed a specialized business court system, the Court of Chancery, which has considerable expertise in interpreting the Delaware General Corporation Law, or DGCL, and in promptly adjudicating legal disputes relating to corporations. The more extensive body of law and greater judicial responsiveness to disputes provides boards of directors with greater certainty in connection with operational and strategic planning.

The Company Board also believes that the creation of a holding company structure will provide us with additional flexibility as we pursue our goal of growth through acquisitions. The holding company structure will permit us to keep the businesses we acquire as separate subsidiaries of Holdings, and thus structurally separate from the businesses of the Company which will, after the Reincorporation, be held and operated by Merger Sub, a Delaware limited liability company. This may permit us to keep the assets and liabilities of businesses acquired in the future by Holdings separate from the assets and liabilities of the businesses currently held by the Company for various corporate purposes, but not for federal income tax purposes. Consequently, new assets acquired by Holdings should be immune from liabilities of the Company as held by Merger Sub after the Reincorporation, and this should permit Holdings to acquire new lines of business outside of the reach of creditors of the Company. Notwithstanding the structural separation of the businesses, the Reincorporation is structured so that the Company’s existing federal NOLs (which as a result of the Reincorporation will be held and taken into account by Holdings), should be available for use against both taxable income of the Company and future taxable income of Merger Sub and Holdings. The Company Board also believes that the structural separation of the acquired business from the Company will facilitate our retention and incentivization of separate executives for these businesses.

The Company Board believes that the above benefits will be important factors in attracting and retaining qualified persons to serve on our board, and in attracting and retaining qualified persons to operate the Company and the other subsidiaries of Holdings formed in connection with future acquisitions.

Recommendation of the Company Board

After careful consideration, the Company Board concluded that the Reincorporation is advisable and in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders and unanimously approved the merger agreement. The Company Board unanimously recommends a vote “FOR” the approval of the Reincorporation Proposal.

Reincorporation Procedure

The Company currently owns all of the issued and outstanding common stock of Holdings and Holdings currently owns all of the issued and outstanding common stock of Merger Sub. Following the approval of the Reincorporation Proposal by Company stockholders and the satisfaction or waiver of the other conditions to the Reincorporation specified in the merger agreement (which are described below), the Company will merge with and into Merger Sub, with Merger Sub continuing as the surviving limited liability company, and the separate corporate existence of the Company will cease. As a result of the merger:

Each outstanding share of Company common stock (other than shares held by stockholders that properly exercise dissenters’ rights) will automatically be converted into one share of Holdings common stock and current stockholders of the Company will become stockholders of Holdings;

Holdings, as the new holding company, will own all of the outstanding shares of Merger Sub; and

Merger Sub will be operated as a separate company from Holdings.

We intend to rename the holding company “Signature Group Holdings, Inc.” at the time of the Reincorporation.

Treatment of common stock in the Reincorporation

Each share of Company common stock (other than shares held by stockholders that properly exercise dissenters’ rights) will automatically be converted into one share of Holdings common stock. Therefore, after the completion of the Reincorporation, you will own the same number of shares of Holdings common stock as you own of Company common stock immediately prior to the Reincorporation. Because stockholders may exercise dissenters’ rights, the number of shares of Holdings common stock outstanding may be lower than the number of shares of Company common stock outstanding, and as a result, you may own a slightly higher percentage of Holdings common stock than you own of Company common stock immediately prior to the Reincorporation. Stockholders that properly exercise dissenters’ rights will be entitled to obtain payment of the fair value of his or her shares according to Nevada Revised Statutes 92A.300 to 92A.500.

Treatment of Company 2006 Incentive Plan and Outstanding Awards in the Reincorporation

Pursuant to the terms of the merger agreement, the Company will assign to Holdings, and Holdings will assume and agree to perform, all obligations of the Company pursuant to the 2006 Incentive Plan and each outstanding award granted thereunder. Accordingly, Holdings will assume (i) all unexercised and unexpired options to purchase Company common stock and all restricted stock awards covering shares of Company common stock that are outstanding under the 2006 Incentive Plan at the time of the Reincorporation and (ii) the remaining unallocated reserve of Company common stock issuable under the 2006 Incentive Plan. As of November 21, 2013, there are 1,217,700 unexercised and unexpired options to purchase Company common stock outstanding under the 2006 Incentive Plan, and 575,753 shares reserved for issuance pursuant to future awards under the 2006 Incentive Plan. Upon completion of the Reincorporation, the reserve of Company common stock under the 2006 Incentive Plan, whether allocated to outstanding equity awards under the plan or unallocated at that time, will automatically be converted on a one-share-for-one-share basis into shares of Holdings common stock, and the terms and conditions that are in effect immediately prior to the Reincorporation under each outstanding equity award assumed by Holdings will continue in full force and effect after the Reincorporation, including (without limitation) the vesting schedule and applicable issuance dates, the per share exercise price, the expiration date and other applicable termination provisions, except that the shares of common stock issuable under each such award will be shares of Holdings common stock.

Issuances of Holdings Common Stock Under the 2006 Incentive Plan

The approval of the Reincorporation Proposal by the holders of Company common stock will also constitute approval of the assumption by Holdings of the 2006 Incentive Plan (including the existing share reserves under the

2006 Incentive Plan), which were previously approved by stockholders, and all the outstanding awards under the 2006 Incentive Plan and all future issuances of shares of Holdings common stock in lieu of shares of Company common stock under the 2006 Incentive Plan, as each will be amended in connection with the Reincorporation without further stockholder action.

Treatment of Warrants in the Reincorporation

As of the date of this proxy statement/prospectus, the Company has outstanding warrants to purchase 1,500,000 shares of Company common stock. Pursuant to the terms of the warrants, upon completion of the Reincorporation, each warrant will become exercisable for the same number of shares of Holdings common stock as the warrant holder would have been entitled to receive in the Reincorporation had the warrant holder exercised the warrant immediately prior to the Reincorporation. As a result, immediately following the merger the warrants will become exercise for an aggregate of 1,500,000 shares of Holdings common stock, and will be subject to the same exercise price and other terms and conditions as applied immediately prior to the Reincorporation.

Corporate Name Following the Reincorporation

The name of the public company following the Reincorporation will be “Signature Group Holdings, Inc.”

No Surrender of Stock Certificates Required

In the Reincorporation, shares of Company common stock (other than shares held by stockholders that properly exercise dissenters’ rights as described below) will be converted automatically into shares of Holdings common stock. Your certificates of Company common stock, if any, will represent, after the Reincorporation, an equal number of shares of Holdings common stock, and no action with regard to stock certificates will be required on your part. If your shares are held in book-entry form (i.e., uncertificated), a book entry will be made in the stockholder records of Holdings to evidence the issuance to you of the number of shares of Holdings common stock into which your shares of Company common stock have been converted.

If you hold certificates representing outstanding shares of Company common stock (each, a “Company Certificate”), within a reasonable period of time following the Reincorporation, Holdings will mail, or will cause to be mailed, to you (i) a letter of transmittal, in customary form, that will require you to specify certain information and (ii) instructions for use in effecting the surrender of your Company Certificates, if you so choose, in exchange for a certificate, or uncertificated shares in book-entry form, representing the number of shares of Holdings common stock into which the shares of Company common stock represented by your Company Certificates have been converted.

Conditions to Completion of the Reincorporation

We will complete the Reincorporation only if each of the following conditions is satisfied or waived by the parties to the Reincorporation:

absence of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the registration statement, of which this proxy statement/prospectus forms a part, relating to the shares of Holdings common stock to be issued in the Reincorporation;

approval of the merger agreement by the affirmative vote of at least a majority of all issued and outstanding shares of Company common stock;

admission of Holdings to the OTCQX tier of the OTC Markets and eligibility of Holdings common stock issuable in the Reincorporation for quotation on the OTCQX tier of the OTC Markets, subject only to official notice of issuance;

absence of any order or proceeding that would prohibit or make illegal completion of the Reincorporation;

receipt by the Company of a legal opinion of Blank Rome LLP indicating that the Reincorporation will be treated as a “reorganization” within the meaning of Section 368(a) of the Code and that the Company will not recognize gain or loss for United States federal income tax purposes as a result of the transactions contemplated by the merger agreement;

the Company’s redemption of all of its outstanding 9.0% Notes under the Indenture;

receipt of all material approvals, licenses and certifications from, and notifications and filings to, governmental entities and non-governmental third parties required to be made or obtained in connection with the Reincorporation; and

absence of the notice of exercise of dissenters’ rights which have not been waived or lost by the holders of more than 15% of the Company’s common stock;

The conditions in the first and second bullets above will not be waived, and the condition in the last bullet above will not be waived if such waiver would result in an “ownership change” within the meaning of Section 382 of the Code. Please see “Material U.S. Federal Tax Consequences” at page 36.

Effectiveness of the Reincorporation

The Reincorporation will become effective on the date we file the Articles of Merger with the Secretary of State of the State of Nevada and a Certificate of Ownership and Merger with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware, or a later date that we specify in these instruments.

Termination of Merger Agreement

The merger agreement may be terminated at any time prior to the completion of the Reincorporation (even after approval by our stockholders) by action of the Company Board if it determines that, for any reason, the completion of the transactions provided for therein would be inadvisable or not in the best interest of the Company or our stockholders.

Amendment of Merger Agreement

The merger agreement may be supplemented, amended or modified at any time prior to the completion of the Reincorporation (even after approval by our stockholders), by the mutual consent of the parties thereto. However, after the merger agreement has been approved by our stockholders, there may not be any amendment which adversely affects the rights of our stockholders without our stockholders’ further approval.

Anticipated Accounting Treatment

For accounting purposes, the Reincorporation will be treated as a merger of entities under common control. Accordingly, the financial position and results of operations of the Company will be included in the consolidated financial statements of Holdings on the same basis as currently presented.

Authorized and Outstanding Capital Stock

The Company’s Amended and Restated Articles of Association, which we refer to as the Company Articles, authorize the issuance of 66,500,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.01 per share, and 10,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.01 per share. Holdings’ Charter, which will govern the rights of our stockholders after the Reincorporation, authorizes the issuance of 66,500,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.001 per share, and 10,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.001 per share. Upon completion of the Reincorporation:

the number of shares of Holdings common stock that will be outstanding will be equal to the number of shares of Company common stock (excluding shares held by stockholders that properly exercise dissenters’ rights as described below) outstanding immediately prior to the Reincorporation;

the number of shares of Holdings common stock reserved for issuance under the Company’s 2006 Incentive Plan will be the same as the number of shares of Company common stock reserved for issuance

under the Company’s 2006 Incentive Plan immediately prior to the Reincorporation (which, as of November 21, 2013, is 1,793,453 shares, including 1,217,700 unexercised and unexpired options to purchase Company common stock, and 575,753 shares reserved for issuance pursuant to future awards;

the number of shares of Holdings common stock reserved for issuance upon exercise of outstanding warrants will be the same as the number of shares of Company common stock reserved for issuance under the warrants immediately prior to the Reincorporation (which, as of the date of this proxy statement/prospectus, is 1,500,000 shares); and

there will not be any shares of Holdings preferred stock outstanding.

Security Ownership of Directors and Executive Officers

On November 21, 2013, the record date for the Special Meeting, directors, executive officers and their affiliates beneficially owned approximately 3.6% of the issued and outstanding shares of Company common stock.

Regulatory Requirements in Connection With the Reincorporation

The Reincorporation is conditioned on, among other things: (i) the SEC declaring effective the registration statement, of which this proxy statement/prospectus forms a part, and (ii) admission of Holdings to the OTCQX and eligibility of Holdings common stock issuable in the Reincorporation for quotation on the OTCQX. No other material federal or state regulatory requirements must be complied with or material governmental approvals obtained in connection with the Reincorporation.

Dissenters’ Rights

Holders of shares of Company common stock who do not vote in favor of the Reincorporation Proposal, who hold their shares through the effective time of the merger and who follow the procedures set forth in Sections 92A.300 to 92A.500 inclusive, of the Nevada Revised Statutes, which we refer to as the Dissenters’ Rights Provisions, will be entitled to dissent from the merger and demand payment of the fair value of their shares. The “fair value” of the shares as used in the Dissenters’ Rights Provisions is the value of the shares immediately before the effectuation of the proposed merger, excluding appreciation or depreciation in anticipation of the merger unless exclusion would be inequitable, using customary and current valuation concepts and techniques generally employed for similar businesses in the context of a merger, and without discounting for lack of marketability or minority status.

If you elect to dissent, you must deliver to the Company a written notice of dissent stating that you intend to demand payment for your shares if the merger is consummated, and must refrain from voting on the Reincorporation Proposal. This notice must be delivered to the Company before the vote on the Reincorporation Proposal at the special meeting. If you fail to comply with these requirements, you will not be entitled to dissenters’ rights.

Within 10 days after the effective time of the merger, Merger Sub will give written notice of the effective date of the merger by certified mail to each Company stockholder who properly delivered a written notice of dissent. Merger Sub’s notice will also state where demand for payment must be sent and where and when share certificates must be deposited, among other information. Within the time period set forth in the notice, which may not be less than 30 days nor more than 60 days following the date notice is delivered, the dissenting stockholder must make a written demand on Merger Sub for payment of the fair value of his or her shares and deposit his or her share certificates in accordance with the notice.

Within 30 days after the receipt of the dissenters’ demand for payment, Merger Sub will pay each dissenter who complied with the required procedures the amount it estimates to be the fair value of the dissenters’ shares, plus accrued interest. Additionally, the payment must be accompanied by a balance sheet as of the end of a fiscal year ending not more than 16 months before the date of payment, a statement of income for that year, a statement of changes in the stockholders equity for that year and the latest available interim financial statements, if any, a statement as to how fair value was calculated, a statement as to how interest was calculated, and a statement of the dissenters’ right to demand payment of fair value under Nevada law.

Following receipt of payment for the shares, a dissenting stockholder, within 30 days, may send Merger Sub notice containing such stockholder’s own estimate of fair value and accrued interest, and demand payment for that amount less the amount received pursuant to Merger Sub’s payment of fair value to such stockholder. This right is waived if the stockholder does not make written demand within 30 days of receiving Merger Sub’s payment or offer of payment for the stockholders’ shares and the stockholder will only be entitled to the payment made or offered.

If a demand for payment remains unsettled, Merger Sub will petition the court to determine fair value and accrued interest. If Merger Sub fails to commence an action within 60 days following the receipt of the stockholder’s demand, Merger Sub will pay to the stockholder the amount demanded by the stockholder in the stockholder’s notice containing the stockholder’s estimate of fair value and accrued interest.

All dissenting holders, whether residents of Nevada or not, must be made parties to the action and the court will render judgment for the fair value of their shares. Each party must be served with the petition. The judgment shall include payment for the amount, if any, by which the court finds the fair value of such shares, plus interest, exceeds the amount already paid. The costs and expenses of bringing the action will be determined by the court. If the court finds that the demand of any dissenting stockholder for payment was arbitrary, vexatious or otherwise not in good faith, the court may assess costs, including reasonable fees of counsel and experts, against such stockholder. In addition, reasonable fees and expenses of counsel and experts may be assessed against Merger Sub if the court finds that it did not substantially comply with the requirements of the Dissenters’ Rights Provisions or that it acted arbitrarily, vexatiously, or not in good faith with respect to the rights granted to dissenters under Nevada law.

The foregoing discussion is not a complete statement of the law pertaining to dissenters’ rights under the Dissenters’ Rights Provisions and is qualified in its entirety by the full text of the Dissenters’ Rights Provisions, which is attached to this proxy statement/prospectus as Annex E. You are encouraged to read Annex E carefully. All references in the Dissenters’ Rights Provisions and in this summary to a “stockholder” are to the record holder of the shares of Company common stock as to which dissenters’ rights are asserted. A person having a beneficial interest in shares of Company common stock held of record in the name of another person, such as a broker, fiduciary, depositary or other nominee, must act promptly to cause the record holder to follow the steps summarized above properly and in a timely manner to perfect dissenters’ rights.

Trading of Holdings Common Stock

Holdings common stock is not currently traded on any stock exchange or quoted on any market. The completion of the Reincorporation is conditioned on Holdings having been admitted to the OTCQX and the shares of Holdings common stock issuable in the Reincorporation being eligible for quotation on the OTCQX. Following the Reincorporation, we expect Holdings common stock to be quoted on the OTCQX under the trading symbol “SGGH”. Following the Reincorporation, we expect that Holdings’ CUSIP number will be 784184103.

Computershare Inc., our transfer agent and registrar, will act as transfer agent and registrar for Holdings.

On November 21, 2013, the closing price per share of Company common stock was $11.00.

Termination of Quotation on the OTCQX and De-registration of Company Common Stock

Following the Reincorporation, the Company’s common stock will no longer be quoted on the OTCQX and will no longer be registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, which we refer to as the Exchange Act. In addition, the Company will cease to be a reporting company under the Exchange Act.

Consequences Under the Securities Act

After the Reincorporation, Holdings will file periodic reports and other documents with the SEC and provide to its stockholders the same types of information that the Company currently provides. Stockholders whose common stock is freely tradable before the Reincorporation will have freely tradable shares of Holdings common stock. Stockholders holding restricted shares of Company common stock will have shares of Holdings common stock which are subject to the same restrictions on transfer as those to which their present shares of Company common stock are subject, and their stock certificates, if surrendered for replacement certificates representing shares of Holdings common stock, will bear a similar restrictive legend as appears on their present stock certificates. For purposes of computing compliance with the holding period requirement of Rule 144 under the Securities Act, stockholders will be deemed to have acquired their shares of Holdings common stock on the date they acquired their shares of Company common stock.

The Company currently has effective shelf registration statements under the Securities Act covering the resale of shares of Company common stock and shares of Company common stock issuable upon exercise of outstanding stock options. We intend to file post-effective amendments to these registration statements so that these registration statements shall be deemed to be registration statements of Holdings for the purpose of continuing the offering of shares after the Reincorporation.

Governance of Holdings Following the Reincorporation

The current members of the Holdings Board are the same as the members of the Company Board, and include the following persons: Craig T. Bouchard (Chairman), Peter C.B. Bynoe, Patrick E. Lamb, Raj Maheshwari and Philip G. Tinkler. We expect that the composition of the Holdings Board will remain the same upon completion of the Reincorporation.

We expect that the committees of the Holdings Board will include an Audit Committee, a Compensation Committee and a Nominating and Governance Committee, the members of which will be the same as the current members of the equivalent Committees of the Company, which includes the following persons:

Audit Committee

Compensation CommitteeNominating and

Governance Committee

Patrick E. Lamb (Chair)Raj Maheshwari (Chair)Philip G. Tinkler (Chair)
Raj MaheshwariPeter C.B. BynoeRaj Maheshwari
Philip G. TinklerPhilip G. TinklerPeter C.B. Bynoe

The executive officers of Holdings are as follows:

Craig T. BouchardChief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board
Kyle RossExecutive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Chris MandersonExecutive Vice President and General Counsel

We expect that upon completion of the Reincorporation, the executive officers of Holdings will be the same as the executive officers of the Company today, and their employment agreements with the Company will be assumed by Holdings in connection with the Reincorporation.

Indebtedness of the Company in connection with the Reincorporation

As of September 30, 2013, the Company has approximately $44.9 million of indebtedness outstanding, including $37.2 million of indebtedness pursuant to outstanding 9.0% Notes under the Indenture, dated as of June 11, 2010, between the Company and Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as Trustee, $0.5 million of indebtedness pursuant to an $8.0 million asset-based revolving loan of our wholly owned subsidiary Industrial Supply, $6.0 million of indebtedness pursuant to a term loan of Industrial Supply, and $1.2 million of indebtedness to the former owners of Industrial supply. The Industrial Supply asset-based revolving loan, the Industrial Supply term loan and the Indenture contain covenants that prohibit a change of control. It is a condition to completion of the Reincorporation that we redeem the 9% Notes, and we may either seek waivers under the two Industrial Supply loans or repay them.

On November 15, 2013, we delivered a redemption notice to the Trustee with respect to all of the 9% Notes, at a redemption price of 100% of their principal amount plus accrued and unpaid interest through the redemption date, which is December 30, 2013.

THE SPECIAL MEETING

Date, Time and Place

This proxy statement is being furnished to Company stockholders as part of the solicitation of proxies by the Company Board for use at the special meeting to be held at 10:00 a.m., local time, on December 30, 2013, at the offices of our counsel, Crowell & Moring LLP, 515 South Flower St., 40th Floor, Los Angeles CA 90071.

Matters to be Considered

The purpose of the special meeting will be:

1.to consider a proposal to approve an agreement and plan of merger, pursuant to which the Company will merge with and into a wholly owned limited liability company subsidiary of Holdings, and each outstanding share of Company common stock (other than shares held by stockholders that properly exercise dissenters’ rights as described above), will be converted into one share of common stock of Holdings;

2.to consider a proposal to approve, if necessary, the adjournment of the Special Meeting to solicit additional proxies in favor of the Reincorporation Proposal; and

3.to transact such other business as properly may be brought before the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof.

Recommendation of the Company Board of Directors

After careful consideration, the Company Board concluded that the Reincorporation is advisable and in the best interests of the Company and our stockholders and unanimously approved the merger agreement. The Company Board unanimously recommends a vote “FOR” the approval of the Reincorporation Proposal.

Record Date and Quorum

Only the holders of record of our common stock as of the close of business on November 21, 2013, are entitled to receive notice of, and to vote at, the special meeting. On the record date, there were 12,213,219 shares of Company common stock outstanding.

The presence, in person or by proxy, of the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of Company common stock on the record date will constitute a quorum for purposes of the special meeting. A quorum is necessary to hold the special meeting. If no quorum exists, either the chairman of the special meeting or the holders of a majority of the common stock present in person or by proxy at the special meeting may adjourn the special meeting to permit the solicitation of additional proxies in favor of the Reincorporation Proposal. Any shares of our common stock that we hold in treasury and shares held by any of our subsidiaries are not considered to be outstanding for purposes of determining a quorum. Abstentions and “broker non-votes” will be treated as present for purposes of determining the presence of a quorum. Once a share is represented at the special meeting, it will be counted for the purpose of determining a quorum at the special meeting and any adjournment or postponement of the special meeting, unless the holder is present solely to object to the special meeting. If a new record date is set for the adjourned special meeting, however, then a new quorum will have to be established.

Required Vote

Each outstanding share of Company common stock on the record date entitles the holder to one vote at the special meeting. Completion of the Reincorporation requires approval of the Reincorporation Proposal by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of Company common stock. Approval of the proposal to adjourn the special meeting for the purpose of soliciting additional proxies, if necessary, requires that the number of votes cast in favor of the proposal exceeds the number of votes cast in opposition to it.

Proxies and Voting Instructions

In order for your shares to be included in the vote, you must vote your shares by one of the following means:

in person at the special meeting;

by completing, signing and dating the proxy card accompanying this document and returning it by mail in the enclosed postage-paid, self-addressed envelope;

by telephone, using the toll-free number listed on each proxy card; or

via the Internet, at the address provided on each proxy card.

If you hold your shares through a broker or other nominee, you will receive separate voting instructions with the proxy statement. Your broker or nominee may provide voting through the Internet or by telephone. Please contact your broker to determine how to vote.

Because the affirmative vote of the holders of a majorityall of the outstanding shares of Companyour common stock entitled to vote atas of the special meeting is needed to approve the Reincorporation Proposal,Record Date. Therefore, the failure to vote, either by proxy or in person, will have the same effect as a vote against the Reincorporation Proposal. As described below, abstentions and broker non-votesapproval of the proposal. Abstentions also will also have the same effect as a vote against the Reincorporation Proposal. Accordingly,approval of the Companyproposal. The proposed amendment is a “routine” item upon which brokerage firms may vote in their discretion on behalf of their clients if such clients have not furnished voting instructions.

Proposal 3: The ratification of E&Y as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2015 will be approved if the votes cast favoring the proposal exceed the votes cast opposing it. Any shares not voted (whether by abstention or otherwise) are not counted in determining the outcome of this proposal. The proposed amendment is a “routine” item upon which brokerage firms may vote in their discretion on behalf of their clients if such clients have not furnished voting instructions.

Proposal 4: The approval of the adoption of the Plan will be approved if the votes cast favoring the proposal exceeds the votes cast opposing it. Any shares not voted (whether by abstention, broker non-vote, or otherwise) are not counted in determining the outcome of this proposal.

Proposal 5: The compensation of our named executive officers will be approved, by advisory vote, if the votes cast favoring the proposal exceeds the votes cast opposing it. Any shares not voted (whether by abstention, broker non-vote or otherwise) are not counted in determining the outcome of this proposal. However, because this vote is advisory, the outcome of this vote will not be binding on the Board. The Board urges youwill review and consider the voting results of this Proposal 5 in making future decisions regarding the compensation of the Company’s named executive officers.

Proposal 6: The proposal regarding the adjournment of the Annual Meeting will be approved if the votes cast favoring the proposal exceeds the votes cast opposing it. Any shares not voted (whether by abstention, broker non-vote, or otherwise) are not counted in determining the outcome of this proposal.

Other Matters: Approval of any unscheduled matter, such as a matter incident to the conduct of the Annual Meeting, would require the affirmative vote of a majority of the votes cast. Any shares not voted (whether by abstention, broker non-vote, or otherwise) are not counted in determining the outcome of the vote.


Can I change my vote?

You can change your sharesvote by revoking your proxy at any time before it is exercised at the Annual Meeting in one of four ways:

·

vote again by telephone or via the Internet;

·

complete, sign, date and return the enclosed proxy card with a later date before the Annual Meeting;

·

vote in person at the Annual Meeting; or

·

notify the Corporate Secretary, Chris Manderson, in writing before the Annual Meeting, with a date later than your submitted proxy, that you are revoking your proxy.

Only the methods described abovelatest validly executed proxy that you submit will be counted.

How can I attend the Annual Meeting?

You are invited to attend the Annual Meeting only if you were a stockholder as of the close of business on the Record Date or if you hold a valid proxy for the Annual Meeting. In addition, if you are a stockholder of record (owning shares of common stock in your own name), prior to your being admitted to the Annual Meeting, your name will be verified against a list of registered stockholders on the Record Date. If you are not a stockholder of record but hold shares through a bank, broker or nominee to vote in accordance with the instructions provided to you by your broker or nominee.

Stockholders of Record

If your shares are registered directly in your name with our transfer agent, Computershare Inc.(in street name), you are considered, with respect to those shares,must provide proof of beneficial ownership on thestockholder of record, and these proxy materials are being sent directly to you by us. As thestockholder of record, you have the right to vote in person at the meeting Record Date, such as a recent account statement or direct the proxyholder how to vote your shares on your behalf at the meeting by voting by one of the methods described under “Proxies and Voting Instructions” above.

Beneficial Owners

If your shares are held through a broker, bank or other nominee, you are considered the beneficial owner of the shares, and these proxy materials are being forwarded to you together with a voting instruction card by, or at the direction of, your broker, bank or other nominee. As the beneficial owner, you have the right to direct your broker, bank or other nominee to vote your shares as you instruct in the voting instruction card. The broker, bank or other nominee may either vote in person at the meeting or grant a proxy and direct the proxyholder to vote your shares at the meeting, but only as you instruct in the voting instruction card. You may also vote in person at the meeting, but only after you obtain a “legal proxy” from the broker, bank or other nominee that is the record holder of your shares, giving you the right to vote your shares at the meeting. Your broker, bank or other nominee has enclosed or provided a voting instruction card for you to use in directing the broker, bank or other nominee how to vote your shares.

In addition, a large number of brokers, banks and certain other nominees participate in Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc.’s online program. This program provides eligible stockholders who receive a paper copy of this proxy statement the opportunity to vote via the Internet or by telephone. If your broker, bank or other nominee participates in Broadridge’s program, your broker, bank or other nominee will provide instructions. Please check the voting instruction card provided by your bank, broker bank or other nomineenominee. Both record and beneficial stockholders should bring photo identification for entrance to seethe Annual Meeting.

Why did I receive only one set of proxy materials although there are multiple stockholders at my address?

If one address is shared by two or more stockholders, companies and intermediaries (such as brokers) are permitted to use a delivery practice called “householding,” pursuant to which optionsonly one set of proxy materials will be sent to that address but a separate proxy card is included for each stockholder. This reduces printing and postage costs. Once you have received notice from the Company or your broker that it will be householding communications to your address, householding will continue until you are availablenotified otherwise or until you provide contrary instructions. If you share an address with another stockholder and the procedures to be followed.

Voting

Whether you hold shares directly as the stockholderhave received only one set of record or as a beneficial owner through a broker, bank or other nominee,voting materials, you may direct how your shares are voted without attending the meeting by completing, signing, datingwrite or call us to request a separate copy of these materials at no cost to you. Similarly, if you share an address with another stockholder and returning the enclosedhave received multiple copies of our proxy cardmaterials, you may write or voting instruction card, or by onecall us to request future delivery of a single copy of these materials. The address and telephone number of the other methods described above under “Proxies and Voting Instructions”.

All shares represented by properly completed proxies received prior to the special meeting will be voted at the special meeting in the manner specified in the proxies. Properly completed proxies that do not contain voting instructions will be voted “FOR” the Reincorporation Proposal and “FOR” the adjournment proposal, provided that no proxy that is specifically marked “AGAINST” the Reincorporation Proposal will be voted in favor of the adjournment proposal, unless it is specifically marked “FOR” the adjournment proposal.

If other matters do properly come before the special meeting, or at any adjournment or postponement thereof, we intend that shares represented by properly submitted proxies will be voted, or not voted, by and at the discretion of the persons named as proxies on the proxy card. In addition, the grant of a proxy will confer authority on the persons named as proxies on the proxy card to vote in accordance with their best judgment on procedural matters incident to the conduct of the special meeting.

Stockholders should not send stock certificates with their proxy cards. Please see “The Reorganization Proposal—No Surrender of Stock Certificates Required” above, for information regarding the treatment of stock certificates in connection with the Reincorporation.

Abstentions

Shares of Company common stock represented at the special meeting but not voting, including shares of Company common stock for which proxies have been received but with respect to which stockholders have voted to abstained, will be treated as present at the special meeting for purposes of determining whether a quorum exists, but will effectively count as votes against the Reincorporation Proposal. Shares of Company common stock for which proxies have been received but with respect to which stockholders have abstained will not be voted on the adjournment proposal, and will not have any effect on whether that proposal is approved.

Effect of Broker Non-Votes

Brokers will not have discretionary authority to vote on the Reincorporation Proposal or adjournment proposal. If no instructions are given to the broker holding shares for a customer, or if instructions are given to the broker indicating that the broker does not have authority to vote on the Reincorporation Proposal, then, in either case, a “broker non-vote” will generally occur and the shares will be counted as present for purposes of determining whether a quorum exists, but will not be voted on the Reincorporation Proposal. However, given that this proposal requires the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of Company common stock, broker non-votes will have the same effect as voting against the Reincorporation Proposal.

Any broker non-votes with respect to the adjournment proposal will also be counted as present for purposes of determining whether a quorum exists, but will not have any effect on whether that proposal is approved.

Adjournments and Postponements

Either the chairman of the meeting or the stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting, present in person or represented by proxy, may adjourn the meeting. For information relevant to an adjournment for purposes of soliciting additional proxies to approve the Reincorporation Proposal, please see “Proposal to Adjourn the Special Meeting,” below. Any adjournment may be made without notice, other than by an announcement made at the

special meeting, unless the adjournment is for more than sixty days or a new record date is fixed for the adjourned meeting. Any adjournment of the special meeting for the purpose of soliciting additional proxies will allow our stockholders who have already sent in their proxies to revoke them at any time prior to their use at the special meeting as adjourned.

At any time prior to convening the special meeting, the Company Board may postpone the special meeting for any reason without the approval of Company stockholders. If postponed, we will provide notice of the new meeting date at least ten days prior to the new meeting date. Although it is not currently expected, the Company Board may postpone the special meeting for the purposes of soliciting additional proxies if it concludes that by the meeting date it is reasonably likely that we will not have received sufficient proxies to constitute a quorum or sufficient votes to approve the Reincorporation Proposal. Any postponement of the special meeting for the purpose of soliciting additional proxies will allow stockholders who have already sent in their proxies to revoke them at any time prior to their use. If the special meeting is adjourned or postponed and the record date remains unchanged, unrevoked proxies will continue to be effective for purposes of voting on the new meeting date.

Revocability of Proxies

You can revoke your proxy at any time before the vote is taken at the special meeting.is: ATTN: Corporate Secretary, Signature Group Holdings, Inc., 15301 Ventura Boulevard, Suite 400, Sherman Oaks, California 91403, (805) 435-1255. If you are a stockholderbeneficial owner of record,shares held in street name, you may revokecan request or cancel householding by contacting your proxy by:bank, broker, or nominee.

submitting a later vote by telephone or viaWhere can I find the internet;

submitting written notice of revocation to the Secretaryvoting results of the Company priorAnnual Meeting?

We intend to theannounce preliminary voting of the proxy, which is dated a later date than the proxy;

submitting a duly completed and executed proxy bearing a later date; or

voting in personresults at the special meeting; however, simply attending the special meeting without voting will not revoke an earlier proxy.

Written notices of revocation and other communications about revoking your proxy should be addressed to:

Signature Group Holdings, Inc.

15303 Venture Boulevard, Suite 1600

Sherman Oaks, California 91403

Attention: Chris Manderson, Corporate Secretary

If you hold your shares through a broker, bank or other nominee, you should follow the instructions of your broker, bank or nominee regarding revocation of proxies. If your broker, bank or nominee allows you to vote by telephone or the Internet, you may be able to change your vote by voting again by telephone or the Internet.

Shares Owned by Our Directors and Executive Officers

As of the record date for the special meeting, our directors and executive officers owned, in the aggregate, approximately 445,389 shares of our common stock (excluding shares issuable upon exercise of options), or approximately 3.6% of the outstanding shares of our common stock. Our directors and executive officers have informed us that they intend to vote all of their shares of common stock “FOR” the Reincorporation Proposal and “FOR” the adjournment of the special meeting, if necessary, to solicit additional proxies.

This number does not include 1,128,047 shares held by Zell Credit Opportunities Master Fund, L.P.; Chai Trust Company, LLC, representing approximately 9.2% of our outstanding shares, which has also indicated that it intends to vote “FOR” the Reincorporation Proposal.

Solicitation of Proxies

The Company will pay for the costs associated with printing and filing this proxy statement and soliciting proxies for the special meeting. Some of the Company’s officers and employees may solicit proxies by telephone or in person, although they will not be paid for soliciting proxies. The Company also will request that persons and entities holding shares in their names, or in the names of their nominees, that are beneficially owned by others, send proxy materials to and obtain voting instructions from those beneficial owners,Annual Meeting and will reimburse those holderspublish final results in a Form 8-K after the Annual Meeting.

What is the deadline for their reasonable expenses in performing those services. The Company has retained Morrow & Co., LLC, a proxy solicitation firm,submitting proposals for next year’s annual meeting or to assist in the solicitation of proxies,nominate individuals to serve as directors?

You may submit proposals, including director nominations, for consideration at an anticipated cost of $15,000, plus reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses.

Please do not send your stock certificate(s) evidencing your shares of Company common stock with your proxy. Please see “The Reorganization Proposal—No Surrender of Stock Certificates Required” above, for information regarding the treatment of stock certificates in the merger.

Assistance

Iffuture stockholder meetings only if you need assistance in completing your proxy card or voting your shares, or have questions regarding the special meeting, please contact Morrow & Co., LLC, which is assisting us in the solicitation of proxies, at either of the numbers below, or write to the following address:

Morrow & Co., LLC

470 West Avenue

Stamford, CT 06902

Stockholders Call Toll-Free at: 800-662-5200

Banks and Brokerage Firms Call Collect at: 203-658-9400

DESCRIPTION OF HOLDINGS CAPITAL STOCK

The following description of Holdings’ capital stock is not complete and may not contain all the information you should consider before voting on the Reincorporation Proposal. This description is summarized from, and qualified in its entirety by reference to, the Holdings Charter, and the Holdings Bylaws, copies of which are included with this proxy statement/prospectus as Annexes B and C.

Holdings’ authorized capital stock consists of:

66,500,000 shares of common stock, $0.001 par value per share; and

10,000,000 shares of preferred stock, $0.001 par value per share.

Common Stock

Voting Rights. The holders of Holdings common stock are entitled to one vote per share on all matters submitted for action by the stockholders.

Dividend Rights. Subject to any preferential rights of any then outstanding preferred stock, all shares of Holdings common stock are entitled to share equally in any dividends the Holdings Board may declare from legally available sources.

Liquidation Rights. Upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up of Holdings, after payment in full of the amounts required to be paid to holders of any then outstanding preferred stock, all shares of Holdings common stock are entitled to share equally (together with holders of any class or series of stock entitled to participate with the common stock in the distribution of assets) in the assets available for distribution to stockholders after payment or provision for payment of all of Holdings’ debts and liabilities.

Other Matters. The holders of Holdings common stock do not have preemptive rights. The rights, preferences and privileges of holders of Holdings common stock are subject to the terms of any series of preferred stock that may be issued in the future.

Transfer Agent

The transfer agent and registrar for Holdings common stock is Computershare Inc.

Dividend

The decision to pay dividends is made by the Holdings Board and is dependent on Holdings’ earnings, management’s assessment of future capital needs, and other factors. Immediately after completion of the Reincorporation, Holdings will be a holding company that does not operate any business that is separate from those of the Company and the Company’s subsidiaries. Holdings will therefore be dependent on the Company, which has not paid a dividend since the fourth quarter of 2006, for any funds from which to pay dividends. Holdings does not expect to pay any cash dividends on its common stock in the foreseeable future.

Preferred Stock

Holdings’ authorized capital stock includes 10,000,000 shares of preferred stock, of which 665,000 have been designated Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock and will be issuable pursuant to the Stockholder Rights Plan, described below. The Holdings Board is authorized to divide the preferred stock into series and, with respect to each series, to determine the designations and the powers, preferences and rights, and the qualifications, limitations and restrictions thereof, including the voting rights, dividend rights, redemption rights and terms, liquidation preferences, and conversion or exchange rights. The Holdings Board could, without stockholder approval, issue preferred stock with voting and other rights that could adversely affect the voting power of the holders of common stock and which could have certain anti-takeover effects. Subject to the rights of the holders of any series of preferred stock, the number of authorized shares of any series of preferred stock may be increased (but not above the number of authorized shares) or decreased (but not below the number of shares thereof then outstanding) by resolution adopted by the Holdings Board.

Certain Restrictions on Transfer of Shares

The Holdings Bylaws contain the same restrictions on transfer of shares as the Company Bylaws, which are intended to preserve certain of tax benefits. The transfer restrictions apply until the earlier of (i) the repeal of Section 382 of the United States Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “IRC”), or any successor statute if the Holdings Board determines that the bylaw restrictions are no longer necessary to preserve the tax benefits; (ii) the beginning of a taxable year with respect to which the Holdings Board determines that no tax benefits may be carried forward; or (iii) such other date as the Holdings Board shall fix in accordance with the Holdings Bylaws.

Until the expiration of the transfer restrictions, any attempted transfer of the Holdings common stock or other equity securities of Holdings shall be prohibited and void ab initio to the extent that, as a result of the transfer (or any series of transfers of which such transfer is a part), either (i) any person, entity or group would become a “4.9% Shareholder”, (ii) the percentage share ownership in Holdings (as determined pursuant to IRC Section 382) of any 4.9% Shareholder would be increased, or (iii) any stockholder holding 5% or more of the total market value of the Holdings equity securities transfers, or agrees to transfer, any of Holdings’ equity securities (excluding any transfers on the New York Stock Exchange).

A “4.9% shareholder” is a person, entity or group that owns, directly or indirectly, 4.9% or more of the outstanding Holdings common stock, including shares deemed constructively owned or which otherwise would be aggregated with shares owned, pursuant to IRC Section 382.

Transfers to a new or existing “public group” of Holdings, as defined in Treasury Regulation Section 1.382-2T(f)(13), are not prohibited. The transfer restrictions do not apply to transfers that have been approved by the Holdings Board in accordance with the procedures set forth in the Holdings Bylaws.

Registration Rights

The Company issued and sold an aggregate of 12.5 million shares of Company common stock (equivalent to 1.25 million shares after our recent reverse stock split) for aggregate proceeds of $10.0 million in June 2010. The Company also issued warrants to purchase an aggregate of 15.0 million shares of common stock (equivalent to 1.5 million shares post-split) (the “Warrants”), vesting 20% on the issuance date and 20% each year thereafter on the anniversary of the issuance date. Upon completion of the merger, the shares of Company common stock will automatically be converted into shares of Holdings common stock (unless the holders thereof properly exercise dissenters’ rights as described above), and the warrants will become exercisable for shares of Holdings common stock.

The Company entered into a registration rights agreement with the share purchasers and Warrant holders, pursuant to which the Company agreed to use commercially reasonable efforts to register the purchased shares and the shares issuable upon exercise of the Warrants in accordancecomply with the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), pursuant to a resale shelf registration statement on Form S-3 or, if it is not eligible to use Form S-3, on a registration statement on Form S-1. The Company is obligated to use commercially reasonable efforts to cause the registration statement to remain effective until the date on which all registrable securities have been sold, or may be sold pursuant to Rule 144 under the Securities Act without restriction or limitation. The registration rights agreement is binding upon the Company’s successors and assigns.

Stockholder Rights Plan

The Company’s rights and obligations under its Rights Agreement, dated October 23, 2007, between the Company and Mellon Investor Services LLC, as Rights Agent, as amended, will be assumed by Holdings in connection with the Reincorporation. The following describes application of the Rights Agreement after it has been assumed by Holdings. The following description is subject in its entirety to the terms and conditions of the Rights Agreement. See “Where You Can Find More Information; Incorporate by Reference—Available Information” at page 40.

Exercisability of Rights. Pursuant to the Rights Agreement, ten whole rights will attach to each share of common stock outstanding. Each right entitles the registered holder to purchase from Holdings a unit consisting of one one-thousandth (1/1000) of a share of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, par value $0.001 per share, of Holdings at a purchase price of $12.00 per Unit, subject to adjustment. The rights do not become exercisable until the earlier to occur of:

10 business days following a public announcement that a person or group has acquired beneficial ownership of 5% or more of outstanding Holdings common stock (any such person or group is referred to as an acquiring person), or

10 business days (or a later date as determinedproxy rules established by the Holdings Board) following the commencement of a tender offer or exchange offer that would result in a person or entity becoming an acquiring person.

The rights will expire on November 2, 2017, unless they are redeemed or exchanged by us before that time.

Flip-In” Feature. When a person or group becomes an acquiring person then each registered holder of a right, except for such person or group, will be entitled to purchase, for the purchase price, shares of Holdings common stock having a then current market value equal to two times the purchase price of the right.

Flip-Over” Feature. Subject to specified exemptions, in the event that Holdings is involved in a merger in which it is not the surviving corporation, or the Holdings common stock is changed or exchanged, or fifty percent or more of Holdings’ assets, cash flow or earning power is sold or transferred, each right will entitle the holder, other than an acquiring person, to purchase, upon exercise, a number of shares of common stock of the acquiring company having a then current market value of two times the purchase price of the right.

Redemption. Holdings may, at its option, at any time prior to the close of business on the tenth day following the day a person or group becomes an acquiring person, redeem all of the then-outstanding rights at a redemption price of $0.001 per right, subject to certain adjustments.

Exchange of Rights. At any time after a person or group becomes an acquiring person and prior to the acquisition by that person or group of fifty percent or more of the outstanding Holdings common stock, the Holdings Board may exchange the rights (other than rights owned by the acquiring person), in whole or in part, at an exchange ratio of one share of Holdings common stock, or one-thousandth of a share of preferred stock, per right (subject to adjustment).

No Rights as a Stockholder. Until a right is exercised, the holder thereof, as such, will have no rights as a stockholder of Holdings and will not have the right to vote or to receive dividends by virtue of the right.

Amendment of the Rights. While the rights are redeemable, the Holdings Board may supplement or amend any provision of the Rights Agreement in any respect without the approval of any holders of rights or shares of Holdings common stock. When the rights are no longer redeemable, the Holdings Board may supplement or amend the Rights Agreement without the approval of any holders of rights certificates to cure any ambiguity, to make changes that do not adversely affect the interests of the holders of rights (other than an acquiring person), or to shorten or lengthen any time periods under the Rights Agreement.

Anti-takeover Effects. The Rights Agreement is designed to prevent an “ownership change” within the meaning of IRC Section 382 and thereby preserve our ability to utilize certain federal tax benefits. The rights could discourage, delay or prevent certain types of transactions involving an actual or potential change in control of Holdings, including transactions in which stockholders might otherwise receive a premium for their shares over current market prices. The rights should not interfere with any merger or other business combination approved by the Holdings Board since it may amend the rights agreement to make it inapplicable to such a transaction or redeem the rights.

Anti-Takeover Effects of Delaware Law

Upon completion of the Reincorporation, Holdings will be governed by the provisions of Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law regulating corporate takeovers. This section prevents some Delaware corporations from engaging, under some circumstances, in a business combination, which includes a merger or sale of at least 10% of the corporation’s assets with any interested stockholder, meaning a stockholder who, together with affiliates and associates, owns or, within three years prior to the determination of interested stockholder status, did own 15% or more of the corporation’s outstanding voting stock, unless:

the transaction is approved by the board of directors prior to the time that the interested stockholder became an interested stockholder;

upon consummation of the transaction which resulted in the stockholder’s becoming an interested stockholder, the interested stockholder owned at least 85% of the voting stock of the corporation outstanding at the time the transaction commenced, excluding stock owned by directors who are also officers of the corporation; or

subsequent to such time that the stockholder became an interested stockholder the business combination is approved by the board of directors and authorized at an annual or special meeting of stockholders by at least two-thirds of the outstanding voting stock which is not owned by the interested stockholder.

A Delaware corporation may “opt out” of these provisions with an express provision in its original certificate of incorporation or an express provision in its certificate of incorporation or bylaws resulting from a stockholders’ amendment approved by at least a majority of the outstanding voting shares. Holdings has not opted out of these provisions. As a result, mergers or other takeover or change in control attempts of Holdings may be discouraged or prevented.

Certain Other Anti-Takeover, Limited Liability and Indemnification Provisions

The Holdings Charter and Holdings Bylaws contain provisions that could make more difficult the acquisition of Holdings by means of a tender offer, a proxy contest or otherwise, or to remove or replace the Holdings management.

Requirements for Advance Notification of Stockholder Nominations and Proposals. The Holdings Bylaws establish advance notice procedures with respect to stockholder proposals and the nomination of candidates for election as directors, other than nominations made by or at the direction of the Holdings Board or one of its committees.

Removal of Directors. The Holdings Bylaws (and Delaware law) provide that a director may be removed, with or without cause, by the holders of a majority of the shares then entitled to vote at an election of directors.

Number of Directors and Vacancies. The Holdings Bylaws permit the number of directors to be fixed by the Holdings Board, except that the number shall be not less than five nor more than eleven. Any vacancy on the Holdings Board may be filled by vote of a majority of the Holdings directors then in office.

Blank Check” Preferred Stock. The Holdings Charter authorizes the issuance of “blank check” preferred stock that could be issued by the Holdings Board to increase the number of outstanding shares, making a takeover more difficult and expensive.

Amendments to Holdings Charter and Holdings Bylaws. Any amendment to the Holdings Charter requires approval by the Holdings Board and a majority of the outstanding shares of Holdings common stock. The Holdings Bylaws can be amended, rescinded or repealed by the Holdings Board, or by approval of the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of Holdings common stock.

Special Meetings of Stockholders. The Holdings Bylaws provide that special meetings of stockholders can be called only by the Chairman of the Holdings Board, the president or chief executive officer, by action of the Holdings Board, or by a stockholder or group of stockholders holding collectively 35% of the outstanding shares of Holdings common stock.

Actions by Written Consent. The Holdings Charter prohibits stockholders from acting by written consent.

Forum Selection Provision. The Holdings Charter provides that unless Holdings consents to the selection of an alternative forum, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware shall be the sole and exclusive forum for any (i) derivative action or proceeding brought on behalf, to the fullest extent permitted by law, of Holdings, (ii) action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any director or officer of Holdings to Holdings or Holdings’ stockholders, creditors or other constituents, (iii) action asserting a claim against Holdings or any director or officer of Holdings arising pursuant to any provision of the DGCL or the Holdings charter or Holdings Bylaws, or (iv) action asserting a claim against Holdings or any director or officer of Holdings governed by the internal affairs doctrine, in each such case subject to the Court of Chancery having personal jurisdiction over the indispensable parties named as defendants therein. Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in shares of capital stock of Holdings shall be deemed to have notice of and consented to the forum provisions in the Holdings Charter.

While we believe that adoption of a Delaware forum selection provision is in the best interests of Holdings and its stockholders, currently, several legal challenges to forum selection provisions of other companies are pending, and such cases may result in the invalidation of such provisions. Further, state or federal courts in other jurisdictions may not be willing to adhere to our forum selection provision.

Limitation of Officer and Director Liability and Indemnification Arrangements. Under Delaware law, a 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, other than liability for:

any breach of the director’s duty of loyalty,

acts or omissions not in good faith or that involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law,

certain unlawful dividend payments or stock redemptions or repurchases, or

any transaction for which the director derives an improper personal benefit.

The Holdings Charter eliminates the personal liability of directors to Holdings or its stockholder for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director to the fullest extent permitted by law.

The Holdings Charter provides that to the fullest extent permitted by Delaware law, Holdings must indemnify any person who was or is made a party to or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative, by reason of the fact that the person is or was or has agreed to become a director or officer of the Company, or is or was serving or has agreed to serve at the request of Holdings as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation or other enterprise against costs, charges, expenses, judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by the person or on his or her behalf in connection with such action, suit or proceeding. Holdings is not required to provide indemnification:

if the person did not act in good faith and in a manner he or she reasonably believed to be in, or not opposed to, the best interests of Holdings;

with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, if the person had reasonable cause to believe his or her conduct was unlawful;

in connection with an action, suit or proceeding initiated by such person against Holdings unless such action, suit or proceeding, or part thereof, was authorized or consented to by the Holdings Board; or

in any derivative action, in respect of any claim, issue or matter as to which such person shall have been adjudged to be liable to Holdings, except to the extent the court determines, in view of all the circumstances of the case, such person is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for such costs, charges and expenses which the court shall deem proper.

COMPARISON OF STOCKHOLDER RIGHTS BEFORE AND AFTER THE REINCORPORATION

Upon completion of the Reincorporation, our stockholders will become stockholders of Holdings, and their rights will be governed by the Delaware General Corporation Law, or DGCL, and other applicable Delaware law, the Holdings Charter, the Holdings BylawsSEC and our Rights Agreement.

While there are substantial similarities between Delaware lawSecond Amended and Nevada law, as well as between our amended and restated articles of incorporation, as amended, and amended and restated bylaws (which we refer to as the Company Articles and Company Bylaws) and the Holdings Charter and Bylaws, a number of differences do exist. The following is a comparison of the material differences between the rights of Company stockholders prior to the Reincorporation and the rights they will have as stockholders of Holdings after completion of the Reincorporation. This summary is not intended to be a complete discussion of those material differences, and it is qualified in its entirety by reference to the various documents of the Company and Holdings described in this summary. You should carefully read these documents in their entirety for a more complete understanding of the material differences between your rights as a stockholder of the Company before the merger and as a stockholder of Holdings after the merger.

CompanyHoldings
Removal of DirectorsUnder Nevada law, directors may be removed from office by a two-thirds stockholder vote, or if provided for in the articles of incorporation, by the vote of a larger percentage of shares. However, if a corporation’s articles of incorporation provide for cumulative voting to elect directors, such directors may not be removed other than by a vote or a sufficient number of shares to have prevented their election in the first instance.Under Delaware law, directors may be removed from office by a majority stockholder vote and in the case of corporations with classified boards, stockholders may effect such removal only for cause.
The Company Bylaws provide that any director may be removed, with or without cause, by the affirmative vote of stockholders of record holding in the aggregate at least two-thirds of the outstanding shares at a special meeting called for that purpose.The Company Bylaws provide that any director may be removed, with or without cause, by the affirmative vote of stockholders of record holding in the aggregate at least a majority of the outstanding shares at a special meeting called for that purpose.
ProxyUnder Nevada law, at any meeting of the stockholders of a corporation, a stockholder may designate another person to act as a proxy. A proxy is effective only for a period of six months unless the stockholder specifies a different term which cannot exceed seven years. A proxy may be irrevocable if it is coupled with an interest.Under Delaware law, at any meeting of the stockholders of a corporation, a stockholder may designate another person to act for such stockholder by proxy, but no such proxy shall be voted or acted upon after three years from its date, unless the proxy provides for a longer period.
The Company Bylaws provide that no proxy shall be valid after the expiration of eleven months from its date of execution, unless otherwise provided in the proxy.The Holdings Bylaws contain a similar provision to the CompanyRestated Bylaws.
Dividends

Under Nevada law, the Company Board may make distributions to stockholders, unless otherwise provided in the articles of incorporation. However, no distribution may be made if it would cause:

•   the corporation to be unable to pay its debts as they become due; or

Under Delaware law, a corporation may pay dividends out of surplus or net profits for the current or preceding fiscal year, provided that the capital of the corporation is not less than the aggregate liquidation preference of the corporation’s outstanding stock having a preference upon distribution of assets.

•   except as otherwise specifically allowed by the articles of incorporation, the corporation’s assets to be less than the sum of its liabilities plus the amount that would be needed, if the corporation were to be dissolved at the time of the distribution, to satisfy the preferential stockholders whose rights are superior to those receiving the distribution.

Limitation of Personal Liability of Directors and Officers

Under Nevada law and the Company Articles, a director or officer is not individually liable to the Company or its stockholders or creditors for any damages as a result of any act or failure to act in his or her capacity as a director or officer unless it is proven that:

•   The director’s or officer’s act or failure to act constituted a breach of his or her fiduciary duties as a director or officer; and

•   The breach of those duties involved intentional misconduct, fraud or a knowing violation of law.

Under Delaware law, a 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, other than liability for:

•   any breach of the director’s duty of loyalty,

•   acts or omissions not in good faith or that involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law,

•   certain unlawful dividend payments or stock redemptions or repurchases, or

•   any transaction for which the director derives an improper personal benefit.

The Holdings Charter eliminates the personal liability of directors to the corporation or its stockholder for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director to the fullest extent permitted by law.

Appraisal Rights

Nevada law provides that stockholders have the right to dissent and instead demand payment of the fair value of their shares in the event of:

•   a merger, if approval by the stockholders is required or if the Nevada corporation is a subsidiary and is merged with its parent,

•   a plan of exchange in which the Nevada corporation’s securities will be acquired, or

•   any corporate action taken pursuant to a vote of the stockholders, if the articles of incorporation, bylaws or a board resolution provides for dissenters’ rights.

Unless a corporation’s articles of incorporation provide otherwise, dissenters do not have rights of appraisal with respect to a merger or consolidation by a corporation, if the shares of the corporation are either:

•   listed on a national securities exchange,

Delaware law provides that stockholders have the right to dissent and instead demand payment of the fair cash value of their shares in the event of:

•   most types of mergers, other than a merger between a parent and a wholly-owned subsidiary, or

•   if provided for in the certificate of incorporation, an amendment to the certificate of incorporation, any merger or consolidation to which the corporation is a constituent corporation or the sale of all or substantially all of the assets of the corporation.

Delaware law contains a similar exception to appraisal rights with respect to a merger or consolidation by a corporation with shares either listed on an exchange, designated as a national market system security or held by at least 2,000 stockholders of record. However,

•   designated as a national market system security on an interdealer quotation system by the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc., or

•   held by at least 2,000 stockholders of record and the Company has at least a market value of $20 million exclusive of the value of shares held be directors, senior officers and beneficial stockholders of 10% or more of such shares.

However, this exception does not apply if the stockholders receive in exchange for their shares anything other than cash, shares or other proprietary interest of another entity. The shares or proprietary interest must be of the surviving corporation or of another entity that is publicly listed or held by more than 2,000 stockholders.

this exception does not apply if the stockholders receive in exchange for their shares anything other than cash in lieu of fractional shares, shares, or a combination of the foregoing. In each case, the shares must be of the surviving corporation or of another corporation that are publicly listed or held by more than 2,000 stockholders.
Certain Business Combination Restrictions

Nevada law prohibits certain “combinations” between a corporation and an “interested stockholder” for a period of two years following the time that the stockholder became an interested stockholder unless:

•   the combination or the transaction by which the person first became an interested stockholder is approved by the corporation’s board before the person first became an interested stockholder; or

•   the combination is approved by the corporation’s board and is thereafter approved by its stockholders at an annual or special meeting by the affirmative vote of holders of at least sixty percent of its outstanding voting stock not beneficially owned by the interested stockholder or its affiliates or associates.

The corporation is also prohibited from engaging in any combination with any interested stockholder after the expiration of the two year period unless either:

•   the combination or the transaction by which the person first became an interested stockholder is approved by our the Company Board before the person first became an interested stockholder; or

•   the combination is approved by the corporation’s stockholders at an annual or special meeting held no earlier than two years after the date the person first became an interested stockholder by the affirmative vote of holders of a majority of outstanding voting stock not beneficially owned by the interested stockholder or its affiliates or associates; or

Upon completion of the Reincorporation, Holdings will be governed by the provisions of Section 203 of the DGCL regulating corporate takeovers. This section prevents some Delaware corporations from engaging, under some circumstances, in a business combination, which includes a merger or sale of at least 10% of the corporation’s assets with any interested stockholder, meaning a stockholder who, together with affiliates and associates, owns or, within three years prior to the determination of interested stockholder status, did own 15% or more of the corporation’s outstanding voting stock, unless:

•   the transaction is approved by the Holdings Board prior to the time that the interested stockholder became an interested stockholder;

•   upon consummation of the transaction which resulted in the stockholder’s becoming an interested stockholder, the interested stockholder owned at least 85% of the voting stock of the corporation outstanding at the time the transaction commenced, excluding stock owned by directors who are also officers of the corporation; or

•   subsequent to such time that the stockholder became an interested stockholder the business combination is approved by the Holdings Board and authorized at an annual or special meeting of stockholders by at least two-thirds of the outstanding voting stock which is not owned by the interested stockholder.

•   the consideration received by stockholders satisfies certain minimum valuation and other criteria, and after the date the person became an interested stockholder and before completing the combination, the interested stockholder has not become the beneficial owner of any additional voting shares, subject to exceptions.

A “combination” includes a number of transactions, such as (i) a merger or consolidation of the corporation or its subsidiaries with the interested stockholder or certain related entities, (ii) an assets disposition to the interested stockholder or certain related entities having a threshold market value; (iii) certain share issuance having a threshold market value; (iv) the adoption of a liquidation or dissolution plan or proposal; (iv) certain reclassifications, recapitalizations and similar transactions; and (v) the receipt by the interested stockholder or certain related entities of any financial assistance or tax advantage, unless proportionately received as a stockholder.

A corporation may expressly exclude itself from application of the foregoing business combination provisions of Nevada law, but we have not done so.

A Delaware corporation may “opt out” of these provisions with an express provision in its original certificate of incorporation or an express provision in its certificate of incorporation or bylaws resulting from a stockholders’ amendment approved by at least a majority of the outstanding voting shares. Holdings has not opted out of these provisions.

Control share Acquisition
Statute
The Company is subject to Nevada’s control share acquisition statute, which restricts voting rights of an “acquiring person” that acquires a “controlling interest” in Nevada corporations to which the statute applies. The statute provides that an acquiring person and its associates obtain only those voting rights in their “control shares” as are conferred by stockholder resolution at an annual or special meeting. The resolution must be approved by both a majority of the voting power of the corporation, and a majority of each class or series for which the acquisition of control shares would adversely alter or change any preference or right. If the control shares are afforded full voting rights and the acquiring person has acquired at least a majority of the voting power, stockholders who have not voted in favor of the voting rights may dissent in accordance with Nevada law and obtain payment of the fair value of their shares, which shall not be less than the highest price per share paid by the acquiring person.There is no control share acquisition statute under applicable Delaware law.

An “acquiring person” means any person who, individually or in association with others, acquires or offers to acquire, directly or indirectly, a controlling interest in the Company.

A “controlling interest” is the acquisition of voting shares representing any of the following proportions of the voting power of the corporation: (a) one-fifth or more but less than one-third, (b) one-third or more but less than a majority, or (c) a majority or more.

“Control shares” means outstanding voting shares of the Company that an acquiring person and its associates acquire or offer to acquire in connection with obtaining a controlling interest, and acquire within ninety days preceding the date of becoming an acquiring person.

Constituency Provision

The Company is subject to Nevada’s constituency statute, which provides that in exercising their respective powers with a view to the interests of the corporation, officers and directors may consider the following:

•   the interests of the corporation’s employees, suppliers, creditors and customers;

•   the economy of the state and nation;

•   the interests of the community and of society; and

•   the long-term as well as short-term interests of the corporation and its stockholders, including the possibility that these interests may be best served by the continued independence of the corporation.

Officers and directors are not required to consider the effect of a proposed corporate action upon any particular group having an interest in the corporation as a dominant factor.

Delaware Law does not contain a similar “constituency” provision.
Forum Selection ProvisionNeither the Company Articles nor the Company Bylaws contains a forum selection provision.The Holdings Charter provides that unless Holdings consents to the selection of an alternative forum, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware shall be the sole and exclusive forum for any (i) derivative action or proceeding brought on behalf, to the fullest extent permitted by law, of Holdings, (ii) action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any director or officer of Holdings to Holdings or Holdings’

stockholders, creditors or other constituents, (iii) action asserting a claim against Holdings or any director or officer of Holdings arising pursuant to any provision of the DGCL or the Holdings charter or Holdings Bylaws, or (iv) action asserting a claim against Holdings or any director or officer of Holdings governed by the internal affairs doctrine, in each such case subject to the Court of Chancery having personal jurisdiction over the indispensable parties named as defendants therein.
Inspection RightsUnder Nevada law, any stockholder who owns at least 15% of the outstanding shares of the corporation’s capital stock or has been authorized in writing by the holders of at least 15% of all its issued and outstanding shares may inspect, copy and audit the books of account and all financial records of the corporation. These rights may be denied if such inspection, copies or audit is desired for any purpose not related to the stockholder’s interest in the corporation as a stockholder.Under Delaware law, any stockholder of record has the right to inspect and copy the books and records of the corporation for a proper purpose. A “proper purpose” means a purpose reasonably related to such person’s interest as a stockholder.
Non-Voting SecuritiesThe Company Articles prohibit the Company from issuing non-voting securities.The Holdings Charter does not contain such a prohibition.

MATERIAL U.S. FEDERAL TAX CONSEQUENCES

The following discussion is based upon current provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (which we refer to as the “Code”), current and proposed Treasury regulations and judicial and administrative decisions and rulings as of the date of this proxy statement/prospectus, all of which are subject to change (possibly with retroactive effect) and all of which are subject to differing interpretation. This discussion does not address all aspects of U.S. federal income taxation that may be relevant to you in light of your particular circumstances or to persons subject to special treatment under U.S. federal income tax laws. In particular, this discussion deals only with stockholders that are (1) U.S. holders and (2) hold the Company common stock as capital assets within the meaning of section 1221 of the Code (generally, assets held for investment). In addition, this discussion does not address the tax treatment of special classes of stockholders, such as banks, insurance companies, cooperatives, tax-exempt organizations, financial institutions, broker-dealers, persons holding shares of the Company common stock as part of a hedge, straddle or other risk reduction, constructive sale or conversion transaction, U.S. expatriates, persons subject to the alternative minimum tax , foreign corporations, foreign estates or trusts and persons who are not citizens or residents of the United States for tax purposes. This discussion may not be applicable to holders who acquired the Company stock pursuant to the exercise of options or warrants or otherwise as compensation.

As used in this summary, a “U.S. holder” is:

an individual U.S. citizen or resident alien;

a corporation or other entity treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes created or organized under the laws of the United States or any state thereof or in the District of Columbia;

an estate that is subject to U.S. federal income tax on its income regardless of its source; or

a trust, the substantial decisions of which are controlled by one or more U.S. persons and which is subject to the primary supervision of a U.S. court, or a trust that validly has elected under applicable Treasury Regulations to be treated as a U.S. person for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

If a partnership (including, for this purpose, any entity treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes) is a beneficial owner of the Company common stock, the U.S. federal income tax consequences to a partner in the partnership will generally depend on the status of the partner and the activities of the partnership. A holder of the Company common stock that is a partnership, and the partners in such partnership, are urged to consult their own tax advisors regarding the U.S. federal income tax consequences of the Reincorporation.

The discussion set forth below is not intended to be, nor should it be construed to be, legal or tax advice to any particular stockholder. Moreover, the discussion does not address any non-income, foreign, state or local tax consequences or tax return reporting requirements. ACCORDINGLY, ALL HOLDERS OF THE COMPANY COMMON STOCK ARE URGED TO CONSULT THEIR OWN TAX ADVISORS REGARDING THE TAX CONSEQUENCES OF THE REINCORPORATION TO THEIR PARTICULAR SITUATION, INCLUDING THE EFFECTS OF U.S. FEDERAL, STATE AND LOCAL, FOREIGN AND OTHER TAX LAWS.

The obligation of the Company to complete the Reincorporation is conditioned upon, among other things, the Company’s receipt of an opinion from Blank Rome LLP, dated as of the completion of the Reincorporation, that the Reincorporation will constitute a “reorganization” within the meaning of section 368(a) of the Code and that the Company and Holdings will each be a “party to the reorganization” within the meaning of section 368(b) of the Code. The opinion of counsel will be based on then-existing law and based in part upon representations, made as of the effective time of the Reincorporation, by the Company and Holdings, which counsel will assume to be true, correct and complete. If the representations are inaccurate, the opinion of counsel could be adversely affected. Neither the Company nor Holdings has requested nor will request a private letter ruling from the Internal Revenue Service as to the tax consequences of the Reincorporation. The opinion of counsel will not be binding upon the Internal Revenue Service or any court.

Assuming the Reincorporation constitutes a “reorganization” within the meaning of section 368(a) of the Code and that the Company and Holdings are each a “party to the reorganization” within the meaning of section 368(b) of the Code, the material U.S. federal income tax consequences of the Reincorporation are as follows:

No gain or loss will be recognized by the Company or Holdings as a result of the Reincorporation.

A U.S. holder that exchanges the Company common stock solely in exchange for Holdings common stock will recognize no gain or loss upon receipt of Holdings common stock.

The aggregate tax basis for shares of Holdings common stock that a U.S. holder receives in exchange for Company common stock in the Reincorporation will equal such U.S. holder’s aggregate tax basis in the Company common stock surrendered in the Reincorporation.

The holding period for the shares of Holdings common stock that a U.S. Holder receives in the Reincorporation will include the holding period of such holder’s Company common stock exchanged therefor.

A U.S. holder that properly exercises its dissenters’ rights will receive payment of the fair value of such shares. See “The Reincorporation Proposal—Dissenters’ Rights” beginning on page 17 and the text of the Nevada dissenters’ rights statute, Chapter 92, Sections 300 – 500 of the Nevada Revised Statutes, which is reproduced in its entirety as Annex E to this proxy statement/prospectus.

A U.S. holder that properly exercises its dissenters’ rights and accordingly receives cash in exchange for its Holdings common stock will recognize gain or loss equal to the difference between the amount of cash received by such U.S. holder and the U.S. holder’s adjusted tax basis in the Company common stock exchanged therefor. Any such gain or loss generally will be capital gain or loss. Any capital gain or loss will be long-term capital gain or loss if the U.S. holder held the shares of Company common stock for more than one year at the effective time of the merger. Long-term capital gains of non-corporate U.S. holders are generally subject to reduced rates of taxation. The deductibility of capital losses is subject to limitations.

If the Reincorporation is consummated in strict accordance with the terms of the merger agreement, Holdings will succeed to and take into account, as of the close of the Reincorporation, the Company’s existing federal NOLs. Because Company stockholders are entitled to assert dissenters’ rights under Sections 92A.300 to 92A.500 of the Nevada Revised Statutes with respect to the Reincorporation, the Reincorporation may result in a shift in the Company’s current share ownership. If a significant number of stockholders elect to exercise dissenters’ rights, the amount of the shift may increase. However, it is a condition to completion of the Reorganization that dissenters’ rights have not been properly exercised and not waived or lost with respect to more than 15% of the outstanding shares of Company common stock. As a result of that condition, the Company will not experience an “ownership change” within the meaning of section 382 of the Code as a result of the Reincorporation. Accordingly, the Reincorporation is not expected to impact the availability of the Company’s existing federal NOLs, as such federal NOLs will be held and taken into account by Holdings (including against income generated by Merger Sub) as of the close of the Reincorporation. The Company also has NOLs in California and other state jurisdictions (“State NOLs”). After the Reincorporation, the Company’s State NOLs should remain available to offset taxable income of the Company’s businesses in accordance with applicable state law.

PROPOSAL TO ADJOURN THE SPECIAL MEETING

The Adjournment Proposal

If at the special meeting of stockholders the number of shares of Company common stock represented and voting in favor of the Reincorporation Proposal is insufficient to adopt that proposal under Nevada law, we intend to move to adjourn the special meeting in order to enable the Company Board to solicit additional proxies in respect of the proposal. In that event, we will ask our stockholders to vote only upon the adjournment proposal, and not the Reincorporation Proposal.

In this proposal, we are asking you to authorize the holder of any proxy solicited by the Company Board to vote in favor of granting discretionary authority to the proxy or attorney-in-fact to adjourn the special meeting to another time and place for the purpose of soliciting additional proxies. If the stockholders approve the adjournment proposal, we could adjourn any adjourned session of the special meeting and use the additional time to solicit additional proxies, including the solicitation of proxies from stockholders that have previously voted. Among other things, approval of the adjournment proposal could mean that, even if we had received proxies representing a sufficient number of votes against the Reincorporation Proposal to defeat that proposal, we could adjourn the special meeting without a vote on the Reincorporation Proposal and seek to convince the holders of those shares to change their votes to vote in favor of the Reincorporation Proposal.

Vote Required and Board Recommendation

The proposal to adjourn the special meeting for the purpose of soliciting additional proxies, if necessary, requires that the number of votes cast in favor of the proposal exceeds the number of votes cast in opposition to it. No proxy that is specifically marked “AGAINST” the Reincorporation Proposal will be voted in favor of the adjournment proposal, unless it is specifically marked “FOR” the adjournment proposal.

The Company Board recommends that you vote “FOR” the adjournment proposal.

LEGALMATTERS

The legality of the shares of Holdings common stock to be issued pursuant to the merger will be passed upon for Holdings by Crowell & Moring LLP. Certain United States federal income tax consequences of the merger will be passed upon for Holdings by Blank Rome LLP.

EXPERTS

The consolidated financial statements of Signature Group Holdings, Inc. as of December 31, 2012 and 2011, and for the years then ended, have been incorporated by reference herein in reliance upon the report of Squar, Milner, Peterson, Miranda & Williamson, LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, incorporated by reference herein, and upon the authority of said firm as experts in accounting and auditing.

OTHER BUSINESS

As of the date of this proxy statement/prospectus, we know of no matters that will be presented for consideration at the special meeting other than as described in this proxy statement/prospectus. If, however, other matters are brought before the special meeting, the persons named as proxies will vote in accordance with their judgment on such other matters unless otherwise indicated on the proxy.

STOCKHOLDER PROPOSALS FOR 2014

Stockholders who wish to submit proposals for inclusion in Holding’sthe Company’s proxy statement for the 20142016 annual meeting of stockholders, pursuant to Rule 14a-8 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), must submit their proposals so that they are received at Holdings’our principal executive offices no later than the close of business on February 12, 2014. If the date of the 2014 annual meeting of Holdings stockholdersDecember [●], 2015, which is more than 30120 calendar days earlier or later thanprior to the anniversary of the 2013 annual meeting of the Company, proposals must be received a reasonable time before Holdings begins to print and send its 2014this year’s proxy materials.mailing date. A stockholder who wishes to submit a proposal under Rule 14a-8 must qualify as an “eligible” stockholder and meet other requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission” or “SEC”).SEC.


Pursuant to the Holdings’Company’s Second Amended and Restated Bylaws, if a stockholder wishes to submit a proposal that is not intended to be included in Holdings’our proxy statement under Rule 14a-8 of the Exchange Act, or wishes to nominate an individual for election to the Holdings Board, the stockholder must provide timely notice to Holdings.the Company. To be timely, the stockholder proposal or nomination must be mailed and received by, or delivered to, the secretary of Holdingsthe Company not later than the close of business on the 90th day prior to the anniversary date of the most recent annual meeting of stockholders of Holdings (or the Company, as the case may be)February 28, 2016 or, if the date of the 2016 annual meeting of stockholders is more than 30 days earlier or later than such anniversary date,May 28, 2016, then not later than the close of business on the 75th day prior to the anniversary date of the most recent annual meeting of stockholders, or, if no annual meeting of stockholders was held the previous year, no later than ten (10) days following the date that notice of the 2016 annual meeting of stockholders is first given.

As a result, any notice given by a stockholder pursuant to these provisions of the Holdings Bylaws (and not pursuant to the Commission Rule 14a-8) must be received no later than April 17, 2014, unless the date of the annual meeting is advanced more than 30 days prior to or delayed by more than 30 days after the anniversary of the 2013 annual meeting. In that case, proposals must be received not later than the close of business on the 75th day prior to such annual meeting. To be in proper form, a stockholder’s notice must include the specified information concerning the proposal as described in the HoldingsSecond Amended and Restated Bylaws. A copy of the HoldingsSecond Amended and Restated Bylaws may be obtained from the Corporate Secretary by written request, and also is included as Annex C to this proxy statement/prospectus.available on our corporate website at signaturegroupholdings.com.

Nominations for director candidates for consideration by the HoldingsBoard’s Nominating and Governance Committee should include the information specified in the Holdingsour Second Amended and Restated Bylaws, which includes, among other matters, as to each person whom the stockholder proposes to nominate: (A) the name, age, business address and residence address of the person,person; (B) the principal occupation or employment of the person,person; (C) the class or series and number of shares of capital stock of the Company whichthat are owned beneficially or of record by the personperson; and (D) any other information relating to the person that would be required to be disclosed in a proxy statement or other filings required to be made in connection with solicitations of proxies for the election of directors pursuant to Section 14 of the Exchange Act, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

Stockholder proposals and nominations must be in writing and should be directed to Holdings’our Corporate Secretary at itsour principal executive offices: Signature Group Holdings, Inc., 1530315301 Ventura Blvd.,Boulevard, Suite 1600,400, Sherman Oaks, CACalifornia 91403.

If the Reincorporation is not completed prior to the time of the Company’s 2014 annual meeting, the above instructions and deadlines will apply with respect to the 2014 annual meeting of the Company instead of the 2014 annual meeting of Holdings.

WHERE YOU CAN FIND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Available Information

The Company files reports, proxy statements and other informationHow may I communicate with the SEC. Information filed withBoard of Directors or the SEC by the Company can be inspected and copied at the Public Reference Room maintained by the SEC at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. You may also obtain copies of this information by mail from the Public Reference Section of the SEC at prescribed rates. Further informationindependent directors on the operation of the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington, D.C. can be obtained by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330. The SEC also maintains a website that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information about issuers, such as us, who file electronically with the SEC. The address of that website ishttp://www.sec.gov.

The Company’s website address iswww.signaturegroupholdings.com. The information on its website, however, is not, and should not be deemed to be, a part of this prospectus.

This proxy statement/prospectus and any prospectus supplement are part of a registration statement that Holdings filed with the SEC and do not contain all of the information in the registration statement and the accompanying exhibits and schedules in accordance with the rules and regulations of the SEC and we refer you to the omitted information. The statements this proxy statement/prospectus makes pertaining to the content of any contract, agreement or other document that is an exhibit to the registration statement necessarily are summaries of their material provisions and do not describe all exceptions and qualifications contained in those contracts, agreements or documents. You should read those contracts, agreements or documents for information that may be important to you. The registration statement, exhibits and schedules are available at the SEC’s public reference room or through its website, provided above.

Incorporation by Reference

The SEC’s rules allow the Company to “incorporate by reference” information into this proxy statement/prospectus, which means that the Company can disclose important information to you by referring you to another document filed separately with the SEC. The information incorporated by reference is deemed to be part of this proxy statement/prospectus, and subsequent information that the Company files with the SEC will automatically update and supersede that information. Any statement contained in a previously filed document incorporated by reference will be deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this prospectus to the extent that a statement contained in this prospectus modifies or replaces that statement.

The Company incorporates by reference its documents listed below and any future filings made by it with the SEC under Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, which we refer to as the “Exchange Act” in this proxy statement/prospectus, between the date of this proxy statement/prospectus and the termination of the offering of the securities described in this proxy statement/prospectus. We are not, however, incorporating by reference any documents or portions thereof, whether specifically listed below or filed in the future, that are not deemed “filed” with the SEC, including any Compensation Committee report or performance graph or any information furnished pursuant to Items 2.02 or 7.01 of Form 8-K or related exhibits furnished pursuant to Item 9.01 of Form 8-K.

This proxy statement/prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement incorporate by reference the documents set forth below that have previously been filed with the SEC:

The Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2012, filed with the SEC on April 1, 2013, as amended by Amendment No. 1 thereto, filed with the SEC on April 30, 2013.

The Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly periods ended March 31, 2013, June 30, 2013 and September 30, 2013, filed with the SEC on May 15, 2013, August 12, 2013 and November 12, 2013.

The Company’s Definitive Revised Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A, filed with the SEC on June 10, 2013.

The Company’s Current Reports on Form 8-K, filed with the SEC on April 17, 2013, May 1, 2013, May 10, 2013, June 5, 2013, June 24, 2013, July 18, 2013, October 15, 2013 and November 15, 2013.

The description of the Company common stock contained in our Registration Statement on Form 8-A, filed with the SEC on March 17, 1993, and any amendment or report filed with the SEC for the purpose of updating the description.

The description of the rights agreement, contained in the Company’s Registration Statement on Form 8-A, filed with the SEC on October 24, 2007, and any amendment or report filed with the SEC for the purpose of updating the description.

All reports and other documents the Company subsequently files pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act prior to the special meeting, excluding any information furnished to, rather than filed with, the SEC, will also be incorporated by reference into this proxy statement/prospectus and deemed to be part of this proxy statement/prospectus from the date of the filing of such reports and documents.Board?

You may request a free copy ofcontact any member of the documents incorporated by reference in this proxy statement/prospectus (other than exhibits, unless they are specifically incorporated by reference in the documents)Board of Directors by writing or telephoning the Company at the following address:

SIGNATURE GROUP HOLDINGS, INC.

15303 VENTURA BOULEVARD, SUITE 1600

SHERMAN OAKS, CALIFORNIA 91403

TELEPHONE: (805) 435-1255

Exhibits to the filings will not be sent, however, unless those exhibits have specifically been incorporated by reference in this proxy statement/prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement.

ANNEX A

AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF MERGER

THIS AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF MERGER, dated as of November 25, 2013 (the “Agreement”), is entered into by and betweenmember c/o Signature Group Holdings, Inc., a Nevada corporation (the “Company”), SGH Holdco, Inc., a Delaware corporation and a wholly-owned subsidiary15301 Ventura Boulevard, Suite 400, Sherman Oaks, California 91403. Board members may also be contacted via email through investor relations at investor.relations@signaturegroupholdings.com. Each communication should specify the applicable director or directors to be contacted as well as the general topic of the Company (“Holdings”)communication. Our Corporate Secretary will be primarily responsible for collecting, organizing and SGH Merger Sub, LLC,monitoring communications from stockholders and forwarding such communications to the intended recipients where appropriate. We generally will not forward to the directors a Delaware limited liability company and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Holdings (“Merger Sub” and, together withstockholder communication that is determined to be primarily commercial in nature, that relates to an improper or irrelevant topic, or that requests general information about Signature. Concerns about accounting or auditing matters or communications intended for independent directors should be sent to the Company and Holdings, each a “Party” and collectively the “Parties”).

WHEREAS, asattention of the close of business on November 21, 2013, the authorized capital stockChair of the Company consistsAudit Committee at investor.relations@signaturegroupholdings.com. Our directors may at any time review a log of 66,500,000all correspondence received by Signature that is addressed to the independent members of the Board and request copies of any such correspondence.

Whom do I contact with additional questions?

We have retained Morrow & Co., LLC to act as proxy solicitor. If you have additional questions or need assistance voting your shares of common stock, par value $0.01 per share (“Common Stock”)you should contact them at:

Morrow & Co., LLC

470 West Avenue

Stamford, CT 06902

Stockholders Call Toll-Free: 800-662-5200

Banks and Brokerage Firms, Please Call: 203-658-9400


PROPOSAL 1: ELECTION OF DIRECTORS

Seven directors are to be elected at the Annual Meeting. All directors are elected annually and hold office until the next annual meeting of which 12,213,219 sharesstockholders, and until their successors are issuedduly qualified and outstanding, 10,000,000 shareselected, or until their earlier death, resignation or removal.

Our Board of Preferred Stock, par value $0.01 per share (“Preferred Stock”), no shares of which are issued and outstanding, 200,000 shares of which have been designated Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock and no shares of which are issued and outstanding;

WHEREAS, asDirectors recently increased the size of the closeBoard of businessDirectors to seven directors.  Our Board decided to increase the size of the Board of Directors given our recent transformative acquisition in which the size and complexity of our Company increased substantially, and which is expected to increase the amount of time, attention and participation of directors on our existing and possible additional committees in the future.  The Nominating and Governance Committee has recommended and our Board of Directors has selected, qualified and approved the following persons as nominees for election at the Annual Meeting, and other than Patrick Deconinck and William Hall, each of whom currently serves on the date hereof,Board and was elected by the authorized capital stock of Holdings consists of 66,500,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.001 per share (“Holdings Common Stock”), of which 100 shares are issuedCompany’s stockholders at the last annual meeting: Craig T. Bouchard, Peter C.B. Bynoe, Patrick Deconinck, William Hall, Patrick E. Lamb, Raj Maheshwari and outstanding, and 10,000,000 shares of Preferred Stock, par value $0.001 per share (“Holdings Preferred Stock”), 665,000 shares of which have been designated Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock (“Holdings Series A Preferred Stock”) and no shares of which are issued and outstanding;

WHEREAS, the Boards of Directors of the CompanyPhilip G. Tinkler. Each nominee for election has determined that it is advisable and in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders that the Company merge with and into Merger Sub (the “Merger”) upon the terms and conditions herein provided and in accordance with Section 18-209 of the Delaware Limited Liability Company Act (the “DLLCA”) and Section 92A.190 of the Nevada Revised Statutes (the “NRS”), and has approved this Agreement; and

WHEREAS, the respective Boards of Directors of the Parties have approved and declared advisable this Agreement and the Merger and adopted this Agreement.

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual agreements and covenants set forth herein, the Parties hereby agreeconsented to be nominated, named as follows:

ARTICLE I

THE MERGER

1.1The Merger. Upon the terms and subject to the conditions set fortha nominee in this Agreement,proxy statement and in accordance withto serve if elected, and we do not know of any reason why any nominee would be unable to serve as a director.

If any nominee is unable to serve, the DLLCA andshares represented by all valid proxies will be voted for the NRS, at the Effective Time the Company shall be merged with and into Merger Sub. As a resultelection of the Merger, the separate existence of the Company shall cease and Merger Sub shall continuesuch other person as the surviving corporation inBoard may nominate. The proxies solicited by this proxy statement may not be voted for more than seven nominees.

The Board recommends that you use the Merger (the “SurvivingCorporation”) and shall succeed to and assume allenclosed proxy card (or follow the rights and obligations of the Company in accordance with the DLLCA and the NRS, unless another date and time isdirections set forth in the proxy card to vote by telephone or via the Internet) to vote “FOR” each of the Board’s seven director nominees.

Background Information on Director Nominees

Set forth below is certain information, as of April 6, 2015, regarding each director nominee, including information regarding the experience, qualifications, attributes or skills of each nominee and a statement of why the Board determined that the person should serve on the Board.

Craig T. Bouchard (Age 61): Mr. Bouchard has served as the Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Signature since June 2013. Mr. Bouchard is a New York Times Best Selling Author, co-authoring a book on corporate management, “The Caterpillar Way: Lessons in Leadership, Growth and Stockholder Value,” Copyright 2013, (McGraw Hill, November 2013).  Mr. Bouchard is also Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Cambelle-Inland, LLC, a small, private entity created in 2013 through which Mr. Bouchard manages certain investment activities in China. Prior to founding Cambelle-Inland, LLC, in 2010, Mr. Bouchard founded Shale-Inland, a leading master distributor of stainless steel pipe, valves and fittings, and stamped and fabricated parts to the United States energy industry with revenues approaching $1 billion. Mr. Bouchard served as the Chief Executive Officer and later as the Chairman of the Board of Shale-Inland through 2012. Before founding Shale-Inland, Mr. Bouchard was President and Vice Chairman of Esmark, Inc., a publicly traded company on the NASDAQ. Mr. Bouchard co-founded Esmark, Inc. in 2004. From 1998-2003, Mr. Bouchard was the President and Chief Executive Officer of New York based NumeriX, a risk management software company commanding a leading market share on Wall Street.  Mr. Bouchard is currently a member of the Board of the Department of Athletics at Duke University. Mr. Bouchard holds United States Patent No. 4,212,168, Power Producing Dry-Type Cooling Systems.Mr. Bouchard holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Illinois State University, a Master of Economics degree from Illinois State University, and a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Chicago.

The Board will benefit from Mr. Bouchard’s significant executive experience in a variety of industries, particularly metals as well as risk management, strategic planning, raising capital, financial engineering, a distinctive record of business successes and considerable experience in growing his companies both organically and through accretive acquisitions.

Peter C.B. Bynoe (Age 64): Mr. Bynoe has served as a director of Signature since July 2013 and is currently Chairman of the Compensation Committee of the Board and a member of the Audit Committee of the Board.  Mr. Bynoe is currently a Managing Director of Equity Group Investments, a private equity firm based in Chicago, IL. From September 2013 to October 2014, Mr. Bynoe served as the Chief Executive Officer of Rewards Network, Inc., a provider of credit card loyalty and rewards programs. Prior to Rewards Network, Mr. Bynoe served, since February 2009, as a partner and Chief Operating Officer of Loop Capital LLC, a full-service investment banking firm based in Chicago. He joined Loop Capital as a Managing Director in February 2008. As Chief Operating Officer, Mr. Bynoe oversaw the firm’s mergers and acquisitions practice in the utility and power sector. Mr. Bynoe also currently serves as a Senior Counsel in the Chicago office of the international law firm DLA Piper US LLP. From March 1995 until December 2007, Mr. Bynoe was a senior Partner at DLA Piper US LLP and served on its Executive Committee. Mr. Bynoe has also been a principal of Telemat Ltd., a consulting and project management firm, since 1982. Since 2004, Mr. Bynoe has been a director of


Covanta Holding Corporation (“Covanta”) (NYSE: CVA), an internationally recognized owner of energy-from-waste and power generation projects. Since 2007, Mr. Bynoe has been a director of Frontier Communications Corporation (formerly known as Citizens Communication Corporation) (NASDAQ: FTR), a telephone, television and internet service provider, and was formerly a director of Rewards Network Inc. from 2003 to May 2008. Mr. Bynoe served as the Executive Director of the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority, a joint venture of the City of Chicago and State of Illinois created to develop the new Comiskey Park for the Chicago White Sox and was Managing General Partner of the National Basketball Association’s Denver Nuggets. Mr. Bynoe also served as a consultant to the Atlanta Fulton County Recreation Authority and the Atlanta Committee to Organize the Olympic Games in preparation for the 1996 Summer Olympic Games. Mr. Bynoe holds Juris Doctor, Master of Business Administration and Bachelor of Arts degrees from Harvard University and is a member of the Illinois Bar and a registered real estate broker.

The Board will benefit from Mr. Bynoe’s extensive legal and financial expertise, his background in infrastructure projects, his public sector service and his extensive knowledge of public policy issues. Mr. Bynoe’s service as a board member for other public and private companies will also enable him to provide valuable insight and perspective on governance matters, mergers and acquisitions activity and the utilization of net operating loss carryforwards, a strategy effectively implemented by Covanta during the period that Mr. Bynoe served on the Covanta Board of Directors.

Patrick Deconinck (Age 61): Mr. Deconinck is a director nominee and is not currently serving on the Board. Mr. Deconinck served as Senior Vice President-West Europe for 3M Company (“3M”) from 2011 to 2015, with overall responsibility for 3M’s West Europe business. 3M’s West Europe business accounted for approximately 20% of 3M’s total revenues and Mr. Deconinck oversaw approximately 16,000 employees in 16 countries. During this period, Mr. Deconinck orchestrated the restructuring of 3M’s European supply chain organization. From 2005 to 2011, Mr. Deconinck was Vice President and General Manager of 3M’s Industrial Adhesives & Tapes Division where he provided global leadership for 3M’s largest operating unit. Mr. Deconinck retired in March 2015 after providing more than 35 years of service with 3M. Mr. Deconinck holds an Acceptance degree in Applied Sciences from Catholic University of Leuven (Belgium) and is fluent in English, Flemish, French and German.

The Board will benefit from Mr. Deconinck’s long global executive experience, leadership positions in the United States and Europe, and responsibility for global profitability. Mr. Deconinck has a record of setting strategic direction and driving operational execution to deliver quarterly and annual targets, including driving growth through organic innovation, mergers and acquisitions integration, and Lean Six Sigma driven operational excellence.

William Hall (Age 71): Mr. Hall is a director nominee and is not currently serving on the Board. Mr. Hall has served as the General Partner of Procyon Advisors LLP, a Chicago-based private equity firm providing consulting and growth capital for healthcare services companies, since 2006 following the sale of Procyon Technologies, Inc. (“Procyon Technologies”). Mr. Hall has over thirty years of senior operating executive experience at Procyon Technologies (aerospace actuation components), Eagle Industries (capital goods) (LON: ATK), Fruit of the Loom (consumer goods) (NYSE: FOL), Cummins Inc. (industrial power equipment) (NYSE:CMI), and Falcon Building Products, Inc. (specialty building products) (NYSE: FBP) where Mr. Hall, as Chief Executive officer, completed an initial public offering and later completed a leveraged buyout to take the company private.

Since 2004, Mr. Hall has been a member of the board of directors of Stericycle, Inc. (“Stericycle”) (NASDAQ: SRCL) and currently serves as the Chairman of the Compensation Committee and formerly served as a member of the Audit Committee. Stericyle is a compliance company specializing in collecting and disposing regulated substances, such as medical waste and sharps, pharmaceuticals, hazardous waste, and providing services for recalled and expired goods. Since 2002, Mr. Hall has also been a member of the board of directors of W. W. Grainger, Inc. (“Grainger”) (NYSE: GWW) and currently serves on both the Audit Committee as a financial expert, and the Governance Committee. Grainger is an industrial supply company offering motors, lighting, materials handling, fasteners, plumbing, tools and safety supplies. From 2001 to 2014, Mr. Hall served as a member of the board of directors of Actuant Corporation (“Actuant”) (NYSE: ATU) and served on both the Audit and Governance Committees. Actuant is a diversified multi-national industrial company and a leader in a broad array of niche markets including branded hydraulic tools and solutions, specialized products and services for energy markets and highly engineered position and motion control systems. From 1984 to 2011, Mr. Hall also served as a member of the board of directors of A. M. Castle (“Castle”) (NYSE: CAS) and served as the chairman of the Governance Committee and was a member of the Audit and Compensation Committees. Castle is a global specialty metals and plastics distribution company.

Mr. Hall volunteers as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Michigan, where he has developed and taught graduate and undergraduate courses in entrepreneurial leadership of the College of Engineering and the Ross School of Business. Mr. Hall also serves as a member of the Executive Committee at the Rush University Medical Center in Chicago and as an advisory board member at the Depression Center, the Zell Lurie Institute and the Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership at the University of Michigan. During


the 1970’s, Mr. Hall served as a professor at the University of Michigan, the European Institute of Business Administration and the Harvard Business School. Mr. Hall holds degrees in aeronautical engineering (B.S.E.), mathematical statistics (M.S.) and business administration (M.B.A. and Ph.D.), all from the University of Michigan. Go Blue!

The Board will benefit from Mr. Hall’s extensive operational management, broad industrial background and financial expertise. Mr. Hall’s service as a board member for other public and private companies will also enable him to provide valuable insight and perspective on governance matters, mergers and acquisitions activity and global business initiatives.

Patrick E. Lamb (Age 55): Mr. Lamb has served as a director of Signature since April 2011 and is currently the Chairman of the Audit Committee and a member of the Nominating and Governance Committee. Mr. Lamb has over twenty years of chief financial officer experience in various public, public subsidiary and private entities, specifically in the financial services industry, including banking, commercial finance, commercial and residential real estate, debt and equity capital markets and insurance.  He also has experience in mergers, divestitures and acquisitions, financing and securitization structures and public accounting. In addition, Mr. Lamb served as the Chief Financial Officer for the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association from July 2007 until December 2014. From 2004 to July 2007, Mr. Lamb served as the Senior Vice President, Treasurer, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Accounting Officer of Fremont General Corporation (“Fremont”), the Company’s predecessor. Prior to that, Mr. Lamb served as Vice President-Finance for Fremont and as the Chief Financial Officer of Fremont Financial Corporation, a subsidiary of Fremont. Before joining Fremont, Mr. Lamb worked at Ernst & Whinney (now Ernst & Young), serving primarily the financial services industries in various audit and consulting engagements. Mr. Lamb holds Bachelor of Science and Master in Accountancy degrees from the Marriott School of Management at Brigham Young University. Mr. Lamb also serves on two advisory boards for the Marriott School of Management at Brigham Young University and is also involved in various community and educational organizations.

The Board will benefit from Mr. Lamb’s considerable experience as a chief financial officer for over twenty years as well as his valuable insight to management on a multitude of strategic, governance, regulatory, compliance, public policy and operating issues.

Raj Maheshwari (Age 52): Mr. Maheshwari has served as a director of Signature since July 2013 and is currently a member of both the Compensation Committee and the Nominating and Governance committee. Since 2005, Mr. Maheshwari has been Managing Director of Charlestown Capital Advisors, LLC, a private merchant banking company he founded in 2005 specializing in financial advisory/merchant banking services (including mergers and acquisitions advisory) to public and private market emerging companies. In particular, Charlestown Capital assisted in Shale-Inland’s acquisitions of Main Steel in 2011 and HDSupply IPVF in 2012. In 2011, Charlestown Capital led the successful reorganization of Meruelo Maddux Properties (subsequently renamed EVOQ Properties), a commercial real estate company based in Los Angeles under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. Charlestown Capital has been a mergers and acquisitions advisor to Esmark, Inc., a steel company that was sold to OAO Severstal of Russia in August, 2008 for $1.3 billion and has also advised Akela Pharmaceuticals, LTS Lohmann, Artevea Digital, among other emerging companies, in their mergers and acquisitions activities. In September 2013, Mr. Maheshwari was appointed Chief Operating Officer of Cambelle-Inland, LLC, an entity founded by Mr. Bouchard. From 1999 to 2005, Mr. Maheshwari was a Portfolio Manager and Managing Director at Weiss Peck and Greer Investments and its successor parent company Robeco Investment Management. From 1996 to 1999, Mr. Maheshwari was a Vice President of Research at Robert Fleming, Inc., where he helped run a $250 million (approximately) equity arbitrage portfolio. Mr. Maheshwari holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics and Computer Sciences from the State University of New York at Albany and a Master of Business Administration degree from New York University.

The Board will benefit from Mr. Maheshwari’s considerable investing experience, as well as expertise in identifying and closing value enhancing strategic transactions and in reviewing financial statements and capital allocation.

Philip G. Tinkler (Age 50): Mr. Tinkler has served as a director of Signature since August 2012 and is currently the chairman of the Nominating and Governance Committee and a member of both the Compensation Committee and the Audit Committee. Mr. Tinkler is the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer at Equity Group Investments (“EGI”) and has served in various leadership capacities for EGI and its affiliates since 1990. He has been the firm’s Chief Financial Officer since 2002, and the Chief Operating Officer since 2006. Since 2009, he has also been Chief Financial Officer for Chai Trust Company, LLC, an Illinois registered trust company that is trustee for many of the Zell family trusts. He also serves as Chief Operating Officer, managing EGI’s human resources, administration and facilities functions. From 2003 to 2004, Mr. Tinkler worked at the company that is known today as Covanta (NYSE: CVA), an internationally recognized owner/operator of energy-from-waste and power generation projects. During his tenure as Chief Financial Officer at Covanta, a publicly-traded company with significant net operating loss carryforwards, it was then known as Danielson Holding Corporation when it acquired Covanta Energy Corporation out of bankruptcy proceedings, successfully integrated the acquired business and changed its name to Covanta Holding Corporation, as it is currently known. He also served on the board of directors of Covanta’s wholly-owned, legacy insurance subsidiaries. He began his career at Ernst & Young,


LLP. Mr. Tinkler holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Northern Illinois University and a Master of Science degree in Taxation from DePaul University.

The Board will benefit from Mr. Tinkler’s significant broad financial, tax and acquisition experience, including structuring, diligence, bank financings, and securities offerings, as well as his success with working with other companies to optimize the utilization of their net operating loss carryforwards.

Director Nominee Qualifications and Attributes

The following table identifies the areas of expertise, experience, qualifications, skills or attributes that the Nominating and Governance Committee of the Board reviews for each potential director nominee. Further, the table below provides the Board’s assessment of the qualifications of each of the current Board members, which led to the Board’s conclusion that such director should be named as a nominee. This information supplements the biographical information provided above.

Experience, Qualification, Skill, or Attribute

Bouchard

Bynoe

Deconinck

Hall

Lamb

Maheshwari

Tinkler

Professional standing in chosen field

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Mergers and acquisitions

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Audit Committee financial expert (actual or potential)

X

X

X

Public company experience (current or past)

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Leadership and team building skills

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Specific skills/knowledge:

Finance

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Income taxes

X

X

X

Operations

X

X

X

X

X

X

Integration of acquisitions

X

X

X

X

X

X

Public affairs

X

X

X

X

X

Human resources

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Governance

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Stockholder

X

X

X

X

X

Vote Required

The seven candidates receiving the highest number of affirmative votes will be elected as our directors. Shares associated with withhold votes and broker non-votes will not be counted as votes cast and, therefore, will not have an effect on this proposal. Further, the failure to vote, either by proxy or in person, will not have an effect on this proposal, assuming the quorum requirements for the Annual Meeting have been met. Unless instructions to the contrary are specified, the proxy holders will vote the proxies received by them “FOR” the nominees listed above.

Recommendation of the Board of Directors

THE BOARD RECOMMENDS THAT YOU VOTE “FOR” THE ELECTION OF EACH OF THE SEVEN DIRECTOR NOMINEES LISTED ABOVE.


PROPOSAL 2: AMENDMENT TO THE COMPANY’S SECOND

AMENDED AND RESTATED CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION

The Board unanimously adopted a resolution to submit to a vote of stockholders a special resolution to change the name of the Company from “Signature Group Holdings, Inc.” to “Real Industry, Inc.” If stockholders approve this proposal, the change in the Company’s name will become effective promptly after the Annual Meeting upon the filing by the Company of an amendment, in the form of the amendment attached hereto as Appendix A, to its Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Merger and Articles of Merger.

1.2Effective Time. The Merger shall become effective (the “Effective Time”) upon the latest to occur of:

(a) the filingIncorporation with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware reflecting the new name of the Company.

Purpose and Rationale for the Proposed Change of Name

As previously disclosed, the Company’s indirect wholly owned subsidiary Real Alloy Holding, Inc. (“Real Alloy”) recently completed the acquisition of the global recycling and specification alloys business of Aleris Corporation (the “Real Alloy Acquisition”).  The Real Alloy Acquisition follows through on the Company’s previous publicly announced strategy to become a holding company known as a stable, strategic acquirer of businesses focused on sectors that include transportation, food, water and energy.  The Company seeks to acquire companies that are consistently profitable and accretive to earnings. As shown by the Real Alloy Acquisition, the Company seeks businesses with management teams that have shown success through various business cycles, and have built strong margins and defensible market positions. The Company regularly considers acquisitions in what it views as undervalued industries, as well as businesses with underlying values that we believe to be misunderstood by the marketplace.

The Company's new name has been designed as part of an effort to develop a brand that will better represent a holding company following the above described acquisition strategy, and the Board feels that the name Signature Group Holdings, Inc. no longer appropriately represents the current operations and acquisition strategy of the Company. The new name will also allow for continued strategic investment, without limiting the image of the Company to the public, as new opportunities emerge.

Effect of the Proposed Amendment

If approved by stockholders, the change in our name will not affect the validity or transferability of any existing share certificates that bear the name “Signature Group Holdings, Inc.”  If the proposed name change is approved, stockholders with certificated shares should continue to hold their existing share certificates. The rights of stockholders holding certificated shares under existing share certificates and the number of shares represented by those certificates will remain unchanged. Direct registration accounts and any new share certificates that are issued after the name change becomes effective will bear the name “Real Industry, Inc.”

Our common stock currently trades on OTCQX under the symbol “SGRH.” If the proposed name change is approved, our shares will continue to trade under this symbol. However, a new CUSIP number will be assigned to the common stock shortly following the name change, and we expect to change our trading symbol to “RELY.”

We believe the name change will result in an immaterial cost to the Company.

If stockholders do not approve the proposal to change our name, our name and CUSIP number will remain unchanged.

Vote Required

This proposal will be approved if the holders of a certificatemajority of merger (the “Certificateall outstanding shares entitled to vote on this proposal affirmatively vote to approve this proposal. Abstentions will have the same effect as a vote against the approval of Merger”the proposal. The proposed amendment is a “routine” item upon which brokerage firms may vote in their discretion on behalf of their clients if such clients have not furnished voting instructions.  Unless instructions to the contrary are specified, the proxy holders will vote the proxies received by them “FOR” this proposal.

Recommendation of the Board of Directors

THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS RECOMMENDS THAT STOCKHOLDERS VOTE “FOR” THE APPROVAL OF THE CHANGE IN THE NAME OF THE COMPANY FROM “SIGNATURE GROUP HOLDINGS, INC.” TO “REAL INDUSTRY, INC.”


PROPOSAL 3: RATIFY THE SELECTION OF OUR

INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

The Company’s independent auditor for the year ended December 31, 2014 was Squar, Milner, Peterson, Miranda & Williamson, LLP (“Squar Milner”) executed, an independent registered public accounting firm. The Audit Committee and acknowledgedthe Board have selected E&Y as the independent registered public accounting firm to audit the financial statements of the Company for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2015. The Board is submitting the appointment of E&Y to the stockholders for ratification as a matter of good corporate practice.

On March 16, 2015, the Audit Committee approved the appointment of E&Y as the Company’s new independent registered public accounting firm to perform audit services for the Company for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2015, replacing Squar Milner. As previously disclosed in the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K on March 19, 2015, there were no “disagreements” (as that term is used in Item 304(a)(1)(iv) of Regulation S-K and the related instructions) between the Company and Squar Milner on any matter of accounting principles or practices, financial statement disclosure, or auditing scope or procedure, which, if not resolved to the satisfaction of Squar Milner would have caused Squar Milner to make reference to the subject matter of the disagreement in connection with its reports on the Company’s consolidated financial statements for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013.

In the event that the stockholders fail to ratify the appointment of E&Y, the Audit Committee will reconsider its selection of audit firms, but may decide not to change its selection. Even if the appointment is ratified, the Audit Committee may appoint a different independent registered public accounting firm at any time if it determines that such a change would be in the best interest of the Company’s stockholders.

A representative of E&Y is expected to attend the Annual Meeting, and that representative will have an opportunity to make a statement if he or she desires to do so and is expected to be available to respond to appropriate questions from stockholders.

Please see “Audit Information” for a discussion of the fees paid by the PartiesCompany to its predecessor auditor, Squar Milner, for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013.

Vote Required

This proposal will be approved if the votes cast for the proposal exceed the votes cast against it. Shares associated with abstentions will not be counted as votes cast and, therefore, will not have an effect on this proposal. Further, the failure to vote, either by proxy or in accordance withperson, will not have an effect on this proposal, assuming the relevant provisionsquorum requirements for the Annual Meeting have been met. Unless instructions to the contrary are specified, the proxy holders will vote the proxies received by them “FOR” this proposal.

Recommendation of the DLLCA; andBoard of Directors

(b)THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS RECOMMENDS THAT STOCKHOLDERS VOTE “FOR” THE RATIFICATION OF THE SELECTION OF E&Y AS THE COMPANY’S INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 31, 2015.


PROPOSAL 4: APPROVAL OF THE EQUITY AWARD PLAN FOR EMPLOYEES, OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS

In April 2015, the filing withBoard, upon the Secretary of Staterecommendation of the StateCompensation Committee, unanimously approved and adopted the Signature Group Holdings, Inc. 2015 Equity Award Plan (the “Plan”) and directed that it be submitted to our stockholders for approval at the Annual Meeting. As described below, the Plan will replace our existing equity plan and increase the total number of Nevadashares authorized for issuance. If approved by our stockholders, future equity grants will be made under the Plan and not the prior plan. The Plan will become effective when it is approved by our stockholders.

The purpose of Articlesthe Plan is to promote the interests of Mergerthe Company (including its subsidiaries and affiliates) and its stockholders by using equity interests in the Company to attract, retain and motivate its management, nonemployee directors and other eligible persons and to encourage and reward their contributions to the Company’s performance and profitability. The Compensation Committee and the Board believe that the ability to provide equity-based incentives has been, and will continue to be, vital to the Company’s ability to continue to attract and retain individuals in the competitive labor markets in which we compete.

The Plan replaces the currently existing equity plan: the Amended and Restated Signature Group Holdings, Inc. 2006 Performance Incentive Plan (the “Articles“Former Plan”). The Former Plan was originally effective May 18, 2006 and expires by its terms on May 17, 2016. An amendment to the Former Plan was approved by stockholders on July 24, 2012. Upon approval of Merger”) executedthe Plan by our stockholders, the Former Plan will be terminated with respect to any awards under such plan that have not yet been granted. The Former Plan is currently the only compensation plan under which the Company’s equity securities are authorized for issuance. As of March 31, 2015, 281,739 shares of common stock remained available for issuance under the Former Plan.

If approved by our stockholders, the total shares of common stock issuable under the Plan will be 1,600,000 shares, plus shares of common stock remaining available for issuance under the Former Plan, and acknowledgedother shares, if any, that become available pursuant to the terms of the Former Plan. The Company has not sought an increase in the number of shares issuable under the Former Plan since July 24, 2012.

Highlights of the Plan

The Board recommends that our stockholders approve the Plan because it believes that employee and nonemployee director ownership in the Company serves the best interests of all stockholders by promoting a focus on long-term increase in stockholder value. The Plan permits the Company to take a flexible approach to its equity awards by permitting the grant of restricted stock, restricted stock units, stock options, stock appreciation rights, performance awards and other stock awards. We have also designed the Plan to include a number of provisions that we believe promote best practices by reinforcing the alignment of equity compensation arrangements for nonemployee directors, officers, and employees and stockholders’ interests. These provisions include, but are not limited to, the following:

No Discounted Awards. Awards that have an exercise price cannot be granted with an exercise price less than the fair market value on the grant date.

No Repricing Without Stockholder Approval. We cannot, without stockholder approval, reduce the exercise price of an award (except for adjustments in connection with a Company recapitalization), and at any time when the exercise price of an award is above the market value of our common stock, we cannot, without stockholder approval, cancel and re-grant or exchange such award for cash, other awards or a new award at a lower (or no) exercise price.

No Evergreen Provision. There is no evergreen feature under which the shares of common stock authorized for issuance under the Plan can be automatically replenished.

No Automatic Grants. The Plan does not provide for “reload” or other automatic grants to recipients.

No Transferability. Awards generally may not be transferred, except by will or the laws of descent and distribution or pursuant to a qualified domestic relations order, unless approved by the PartiesCompensation Committee.

No Tax Gross-Ups. The Plan does not provide for any tax gross-ups.

Minimum Vesting requirements. Subject to certain limited exceptions, awards under the Plan will be subject to a minimum vesting period of one year.


No liberal change-in-control definition. The change-in-control definition contained in accordancethe Plan is not a “liberal” definition that would be activated on mere stockholder approval of a transaction.

“Double-trigger” change in control vesting.  If awards granted under the Plan are assumed by a successor in connection with the relevant provisionsa change in control of the NRS.

1.3EffectsCompany, such awards will not automatically vest and pay out solely as a result of the Mergerchange in control.

No dividends on unearned performance awards.  The Merger shallPlan prohibits the current payment of dividends or dividend equivalent rights on unearned performance-based awards.

Limitation on amendments.  No amendments to the Plan may be made without stockholder approval if any such amendment would materially increase the number of shares reserved or the per-participant award limitations under the Plan, diminish the prohibitions on repricing stock options or stock appreciation rights, or otherwise constitute a material change requiring stockholder approval under applicable laws, policies or regulations or the applicable listing or other requirements of the principal exchange on which the Company’s shares are traded.

Administered by an independent committee.  The Plan will be administered by the Compensation Committee, which is comprised entirely of independent directors. See page 29 for more information about the Compensation Committee.

Clawbacks. Awards based on the satisfaction of financial metrics that are subsequently reversed, due to a financial statement restatement or reclassification, are subject to forfeiture.

Plan Principal Features

The principal features of the Plan are summarized below. This summary is not complete, however, and is qualified by the terms of the Plan, a copy of which is attached to this proxy statement as Appendix B.

Shares Available Under the Plan

The maximum aggregate number of shares of common stock available for issuance under the Plan is 1,600,000, plus the number of shares of common stock remaining available for issuance under the Former Plan and shares forfeited or otherwise not issued on exercise of awards under the Former Plan. As of March 31, 2015, a total of 281,739 shares of common stock were available for future grant under the Former Plan. Shares subject to an award may be authorized but unissued, or reacquired shares of common stock or treasury shares. If an award under the Plan (or an award under the Former Plan) expires or becomes unexercisable without having been exercised in full, or an award is settled for cash, the unissued shares that were subject to the award will become available for future grant under the Plan, as will any shares that are withheld by the Company when an option is exercised or tax withholdings are satisfied by the tendering of shares. However, shares that have actually been issued under the effectsPlan will not be returned to the Plan and will not be available for future distribution under the Plan.

Plan Administration

The Plan is administered by the Compensation Committee of the Board. The Compensation Committee has the exclusive authority, subject to the terms and conditions set forth in Section 18-209the Plan, to determine all matters relating to awards under the Plan, including the selection of individuals to be granted an award, the type of award, the number of shares of common stock subject to an award, and all terms, conditions, restrictions and limitations, if any, including, without limitation, vesting, acceleration of vesting, exercisability, termination, substitution, cancellation, forfeiture, or repurchase of an award and the terms of any instrument that evidences the award. The Compensation Committee may, however, authorize any one or more of its members or an officer of the DLLCACompany to execute and Section 92A.250deliver documents on behalf of the NRS.

Compensation Committee, or delegate to an officer the authority to make certain decisions under the Plan.

Term

1.4CertificateThe Plan will become effective upon the approval of Formation. The Certificate of Formation of Holdings asthe Company’s stockholders and shall continue in effect immediately priorfor a term of ten (10) years, unless sooner terminated pursuant to its provisions.

Eligibility

Awards under the Effective Time shallPlan may be the Certificate of Formation of the Surviving Corporation until thereafter changed or amended as provided therein or by applicable law.

1.5Officersgranted to employees (including officers) and Directors. The directors of Merger Sub immediately prior to the Effective Time shall be the directors of the Surviving Corporation untilCompany, its subsidiaries and affiliates. In addition, an award under the earlier of their resignationPlan may be granted to a person who is offered employment by the Company or removal a subsidiary


or until their respective successors are duly elected and qualified, as the case may be. The officersaffiliate of the Company, provided that such award shall be immediately priorforfeited if such person does not accept such offer of employment within an established time period. If otherwise eligible, an employee or director who has been granted an award under the Plan may be granted other awards. Although all employees of the Company, its subsidiaries and affiliates are eligible to receive awards under the Plan, it is not possible to estimate the number of additional individuals who may become eligible to receive awards under the Plan from time to time.

Limitations on Awards Granted to Recipient

No recipient may be granted (i) options or stock appreciation rights during any 12-month period with respect to more than 500,000 shares, and (ii) restricted stock awards, restricted stock unit awards, or performance shares during any calendar year that are intended to comply with the “performance-based” exception under Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Tax Code”) and are denominated in shares under which more than 500,000 shares may be earned for each twelve (12) months in the vesting period or performance period. During any calendar year no recipient may be granted performance units that are intended to comply with the “performance-based” exception under Section 162(m) of the Tax Code and are denominated in cash under which more than $5,000,000 may be earned for each twelve (12) months in the performance period. Each of the limitations in this section shall be multiplied by two (2) with respect to awards granted to a recipient during the first calendar year in which the recipient commences employment with the Company and its Subsidiaries. In addition, no director, except the Chairman of the Board and any Vice Chairman of the Board, may be granted equity awards under the Plan with an aggregate grant date fair value in excess of $300,000 in any calendar year, excluding any shares received in lieu of fees. If any award (or portion of an award) is cancelled, the shares subject to the Effective Timecancellation will count toward these limits.

Awards

The Plan is broad-based and flexible, providing for awards to be made in the form of (a) restricted stock and restricted stock units, (b) incentive stock options, which are intended to qualify under Section 422 of the Tax Code, (c) non-qualified stock options, which are not intended to qualify under Section 422 of the Tax Code, (d) stock appreciation rights, (e) performance awards, (f) performance shares, (g) performance units or (f) other stock-based awards that relate to or serve a similar function to the awards described above. Awards may be made on a standalone, combination or tandem basis. Additional information about some of the awards is set forth below.

Restricted Common Stock Awards and Restricted Stock Units

Awards of Restricted Common Stock Awards and Restricted Stock Units. Awards of restricted common stock are shares of common stock awarded to the recipient, all or a portion of which are subject to a restriction period set by the Compensation Committee during which restriction period the recipient shall not be permitted to sell, transfer or pledge the restricted common stock. Restricted stock units are notional accounts that are valued solely by reference to shares of common stock, subject to a restriction period set by the Compensation Committee and payable in common stock, cash or a combination thereof. The restriction period for both restricted stock and restricted stock units may be based on period of service, which shall not be less than one (1) year, performance of the recipient or the Company, subsidiary, division or department for which the recipient is employed or such other factors as the Compensation Committee may determine.

Rights as a Stockholder. Subject to any restrictions set forth in the award agreement, a recipient of restricted common stock will possess all of the rights of a holder of common stock of the Company, including the right to vote and receive dividends. Cash dividends on the shares of common stock that are the subject of a restricted common stock award shall be paid in cash to the officersrecipient and may be subject to forfeiture as set forth in the award agreement. The recipient of restricted stock units shall not have any of the Surviving Corporation untilrights of a stockholder of the earlierCompany; the Compensation Committee shall be entitled to specify with respect to any restricted stock unit award that upon the payment of their resignationa dividend by the Company, the Company will hold in escrow an amount in cash equal to the dividend that would have been paid on the restricted stock units had they been converted into the same number of shares of common stock and held by the recipient on that date. Upon adjustment and vesting of the restricted stock unit, any cash payment due with respect to such dividends shall be made to the recipient.

Termination of Employment or removalDirector Relationship. Generally, upon termination of employment or until their respective successors are duly electeda director relationship for any reason during the restricted period, the recipient will forfeit the right to the shares of restricted common stock to the extent that the applicable restrictions have not lapsed at the time of such termination.


Common Stock Options

Types. Common stock options may be granted under the Plan to directors in the form of nonqualified stock options and qualified, asto employees in the form of incentive stock options or nonqualified stock options.

Exercise Price. The per share exercise price for shares underlying common stock options will be determined by the Compensation Committee, provided that the exercise price must be at least equal to 100% of the fair market value per share of common stock on the date of grant. In the case may be.

ARTICLE II

EFFECT OF THE MERGER ON CAPITAL STOCK

2.1Effect on Capital Stock. Atof an incentive stock option granted to an employee who, at the Effective Time, by virtuetime of grant, owns more than 10% of the Merger and without any actiontotal combined voting power of all classes of stock of the Company, the per share exercise price must be at least equal to 110% of the fair market value per share of common stock on the partdate of grant.

Term of Option; Vesting. The term during which a common stock option may be exercised will be determined by the Compensation Committee, provided that no common stock option will be exercisable more than ten (10) years from the date of grant. In the case of an incentive stock option granted to an employee who, at the time of grant, owns more than 10% of the holdertotal combined voting power of all classes of stock of the Company or its subsidiaries, the term of such common stock option may not be more than five (5) years. The Compensation Committee has full authority, subject to the terms of the Plan, to determine the vesting period or limitation or waiting period with respect to any common stock option granted to a participant or the shares purchased upon exercise of such option; provided, however, that such vesting restriction or limitation or waiting period shall not be less than one (1) year.  In addition, the Compensation Committee may, for any reason, accelerate the exercisability of any common stock option.

Other Awards

Stock Appreciation Rights. The Compensation Committee may grant to an employee or a director a right to receive the excess of the fair market value of shares of Common Stockthe Company’s common stock on the date the stock appreciation right is exercised over the fair market value of such shares on the date the stock appreciation right was granted. Such spread may, in the sole discretion of the Compensation Committee, be paid in cash or Holdings Common Stock:common stock or a combination of both.

(a) Each sharePerformance Awards. The Compensation Committee may grant performance awards to employees based on the performance of Common Stock issued and outstanding immediately priora recipient over a specified period. Such performance awards may be awarded contingent upon future performance of the Company or its affiliates or subsidiaries during that period. A performance award may be in the form of common stock (or cash in an amount equal to the Effective Time (excluding shares held by stockholders who perfect their dissenters’ rights as provided in Section 2.4 of this Agreement) shall be converted into one (the “Exchange Ratio”) fully paid and nonassessable share of Holdings Common Stock (the “Merger Consideration”). At the Effective Time, all such shares of Common Stock shall no longer be outstanding and shall automatically be canceled and shall cease to exist, and each holder of a certificate which immediately prior to the Effective Time represented any such shares of Common Stock (each, a “Certificate”) shall cease to have any rights with respect thereto, exceptfair market value thereof) or the right to receive an amount equal to the Merger Considerationappreciation, if any, in the fair market value of common stock over a specified period. Performance awards may be paid, in the Compensation Committee’s discretion, in cash or stock or some combination thereof. Each performance award will have a maximum value established by the Compensation Committee at the time the award is made. Unless otherwise provided in an award or by the Compensation Committee, performance awards terminate if the recipient does not remain an employee or director of the Company, or its affiliates or subsidiaries, at all times during the applicable performance period.

Other Stock-Based Awards. The Compensation Committee may, in its discretion, grant other stock-based awards that are related to or serve a similar function to the awards described above.

Material Terms of Performance Goals for Qualified Performance-Based Compensation

Under section 162(m) of the Tax Code, in order for the Company to deduct compensation in excess of $1,000,000 that is paid in any year to any “covered employee,” such compensation must be treated as “qualified performance-based,” within the meaning of section 162(m) of the Tax Code. A “covered employee” is defined under section 162(m) of the Tax Code as a company’s principal executive officer or any of such company’s three other most highly compensated executive officers named in the proxy statement (other than the principal executive officer or principal financial officer). Section 7 of the Plan sets forth the procedures the Compensation Committee should follow to avoid the deductibility limitations of section 162(m) of the Tax Code when making long-term incentive performance awards under the Plan to current covered employees and employees whom the Compensation Committee anticipates may become covered employees between the time of grant and payment of the award. However, there can be no guarantee that amounts payable under the Plan will be treated as “qualified performance-based” compensation and the rights set forthCompany reserves the flexibility to pay nondeductible compensation when necessary to achieve our compensation objectives.


Among other things, in order for an award under Section 2.2.7 of the Plan to be treated as “qualified performance-based” compensation that is not subject to the $1,000,000 cap, stockholder approval of the material terms of the performance goals is required at least every five (5) years. The right of any holder of a Certificatematerial terms include the employees eligible to receive the Merger Considerationcompensation, a description of the performance criteria and the maximum amount of compensation that may be paid to any one employee. A description of the material terms for qualified performance-based compensation in the Plan follows.

Employees Eligible to Receive Compensation. A performance-based award under the Plan may be granted to employees (including officers) of the Company, its subsidiaries and affiliates. In addition, a performance-based award may be granted to a person who is offered employment by the Company or a subsidiary or affiliate of the Company, provided that such award shall be immediately forfeited if such person does not accept such offer of employment within an established time period.

Performance Criteria. When making an award under the Plan, the Compensation Committee may designate the award as “qualified performance-based compensation,” which means that performance criteria must be satisfied in order for an employee to be paid the award. Qualified performance-based compensation may be made in the form of restricted common stock, restricted stock units, common stock options, performance shares, performance units or other stock equivalents. Section 7 of the Plan includes the performance criteria the Compensation Committee has adopted, subject to stockholder approval, for a “qualified performance-based compensation” award, which shall consist of objective tests based on one or more of the following:

·

earnings;

·

operating profits (including measures of earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, referred to in this proxy statement as “EBITDA”, or adjusted EBITDA);

·

free cash flow or adjusted free cash flow;

·

cash from operating activities;

·

revenues;

·

net income;

·

financial return ratios;

·

market performance;

·

stockholder return and/or value;

·

net profits, before or after tax;

·

earnings per share;

·

profit returns and margins;

·

stock price;

·

stock price compared to a peer group of companies;

·

working capital;

·

capital investments;

·

returns on assets;

·

returns on equity;

·

returns on capital investments;

·

selling, general and administrative expenses;

·

discounted cash flows;

·

productivity;

·

expense targets;

·

market share;

·

cost control measures;

·

strategic initiatives;

·

changes between years or periods that are determined with respect to any of the above-listed performance criteria;

·

net present value;

·

sales volume;

·

cash conversion costs;


·

leverage ratios;

·

maintenance of liquidity;

·

integration of acquired businesses;

·

operational efficiencies, including Lean Six Sigma initiatives;

·

regulatory compliance, including the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002; and

·

economic profit.

Performance criteria may be measured solely on a corporate, subsidiary or business unit basis, on specific capital projects or groups of projects or a combination thereof. Further, performance criteria may reflect absolute entity performance or a relative comparison of entity performance to the performance of one or more peer groups of entities or other external measure of the selected performance criteria. The measure for any such award may include or exclude items to retain the intents and purposes of specific objectives, such as losses from discontinued operations, extraordinary gains or losses, the cumulative effect of accounting changes, acquisitions or divestitures, foreign exchange impacts, acceleration of payments, costs of capital invested, discount factors, and any unusual or nonrecurring gain or loss. In order to qualify as performance-based under section 162(m) of the Tax Code, the performance criteria will be established before 25% of the performance period has elapsed and will not be subject to change (although future awards may be based on different performance criteria). The performance periods may extend over one to five calendar years, and reducedmay overlap one another.

Other Provisions

Termination, Amendment and Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (“ERISA”) Status. The Plan provides that the Board may generally amend, alter, suspend or terminate the Plan and the Compensation Committee may prospectively or retroactively amend any or all of the terms of awards granted under the Plan, so long as any such amendment does not impair the rights of any recipient without the recipient’s consent. Stockholder approval is required for any material Plan amendment or any amendment necessary to comply with the Tax Code or any other applicable laws or stock exchange requirements. The Plan is not subject to the provisions of ERISA.

Antidilution Provisions. Subject to any required action by the amount of any withholding that is required under applicable tax law.

(b) Each share of Holdings Common Stock issued and outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time shall be cancelled and returned to the status of authorized but unissued shares of Holdings Common Stock, without the payment of any consideration therefor.

2.2Stock Certificates. From and after the Effective Time, each outstanding Certificate shall be deemed for all purposes to evidence ownership of and to represent the shares of Holdings Common Stock into which the shares of Company Stock represented by such Certificate have been converted as provided herein and shall be so registered on the books and records of Holdings or its transfer agents. The registered owner of any such outstanding Certificate shall, until such Certificate shall have been surrendered for transfer or conversion or otherwise accounted for to Holdings or its transfer agents, have and be entitled to exercise all voting and other rights with respect to and to receive all dividends and other distributions upon the shares of Holdings Common Stock evidenced by such outstanding Certificate as provided above.

2.3Stock Options; Warrants. As soon as practicable after the date hereof, the Parties shall take such actions as shall be reasonably necessary or appropriate to cause the following to occur:

(a) each outstanding stock option and warrantstockholders of the Company, whether or not then exercisable, shall be converted, without any action on the part of the holder thereof, into an option or warrant, as the case may be, to purchase a number of shares of Holdings Common Stock equal tocommon stock covered by each outstanding award (and the purchase or exercise price thereof), and the number of shares of Common Stock that were issuable upon exercise thereof immediately priorhave been authorized for issuance under the Plan, but as to which no awards have yet been granted (or which have been returned to the Effective Time,Plan upon cancellation or expiration of an award or the withholding of shares by the Company) will be proportionately adjusted to prevent dilution or enlargement of rights in the event of any stock split, stock dividend, combination or reclassification of the common stock or other relevant capitalization change.

Prohibition on Loans to Participants. The Company may not lend money to any participant under the Plan for the purpose of paying the exercise or base price associated with any award or for the purpose of paying any taxes associated with the exercise or vesting of an award.

Withholding Obligations. The Company may take such steps as are considered necessary or appropriate for the withholding of any federal, state, local or foreign taxes of any kind that the Company is required by any law or regulation of any governmental authority to withhold in connection with any award under the Plan, including, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the withholding of all or any portion of any payment or the withholding of the issue of Common Stock to be issued under the Plan, until such time as the recipient has paid the Company for any amount the Company is required to withhold with respect to taxes. Unless otherwise determined by the Compensation Committee, withholding obligations may be settled with vested common stock, including vested common stock that is part of the award that gives rise to the withholding requirement. The Compensation Committee may establish such procedures as it deems appropriate, including the making of irrevocable elections, for the settlement of withholding obligations with vested common stock.


Annual Awards. The Company has not approved any awards that are conditioned on stockholder approval of the Plan proposal. The Company cannot currently determine the benefits or number of shares subject to awards that may be granted in the future to executive officers and shall otherwise continueemployees under the Plan due to the discretionary nature of the Company’s equity grant awards. The following table sets forth information regarding annual benefits under the Plan that would have been received by nonemployee directors, based on the closing price of our common stock on December 31, 2014, had the Plan been in place on January 2, 2015.

Group

Shares Granted

Nonemployee Directors (4 persons)

41,960

The following table provides the number of shares of common stock subject to equity award grants under the Former Plan, for the listed individuals and specified groups, during the year ended December 31, 2014:

Group

Shares Granted

Craig T. Bouchard

12,500

Kyle Ross

7,500

W. Christopher Manderson

7,500

   Executive Officers (3 persons)

27,500

Employees, excluding Executive Officers (11 persons)

17,986

Potential Dilutive Impact of Plan

We are committed to effectively managing our employee equity compensation programs while minimizing stockholder dilution. For this reason, in administering our equity compensation program, we consider both our “burn rate” and our “overhang” in evaluating the impact of the program on our stockholders. We define “burn rate” as the number of equity awards granted during the year, divided by the weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding during the period. The burn rate measures the potential dilutive effect of our equity grants. We define “overhang” as the number of full value awards granted (but not yet vested or issued) and stock options granted (but not yet exercised) divided by the number of shares of common stock outstanding at the end of the period.

Burn Rate Analysis. The Compensation Committee approved and recommended that the Board approve the Plan, which would increase the number of available shares of Common Stock by 1,600,000 to 1,881,739, based on its analysis that this amount will be sufficient to cover awards for at least three years depending on the price of our common stock at the time of actual grants. The Board subsequently approved the Plan, subject to approval by our stockholders. In setting the amount of shares subject to the Plan, the Compensation Committee and the Board considered the historical amounts of equity awards the Company has granted in the past three years. In fiscal years 2012, 2013, and 2014, the Company granted equity awards under the Former Plan representing approximately 4.0%, 2.7%, and 0.6% of weighted average common shares outstanding in each year, respectively. Using grants under the Former Plan, the Company calculated its three-year average equity share usage at 2.4% of weighted average common shares outstanding. The Compensation Committee intends to manage the Company’s burn rate by continuing to review institutional investor guidelines and market practices, and, in connection with that, believes the 1,600,000 shares of Common Stock for which stockholder approval is being sought represents an appropriate increase at this time.

Overhang Analysis. In setting the amount of additional shares to be subject to the same termsPlan, the Compensation Committee and conditions (including exercise price and vesting schedule) as set forth in the applicable option agreement or warrant, asBoard also considered the case may be, immediately prior to the Effective Time; and

(b) the Company’s stock option plans shall be assumed and continued as planstotal amount of Holdings after the Merger.

2.4Dissenting Stockholders. Any holderawards outstanding under existing grants. As of March 31, 2015, awards covering an aggregate of 1,141,502 shares of Common Stock who perfects his or her dissenters’ rights in accordance withwere outstanding under the Former Plan (if the Plan is approved, the shares available for issuance under the Former Plan will be moved to the Plan and as contemplated by NRS 92A.300 to 92A.500 shall be entitled to receive the fair value of such shares in cash as determined pursuant to Sections 92A.300 to 92A.500 of the NRS; provided, however, that no such payment shallnew awards will be made to any dissenting stockholder unlessunder the Former Plan). Accordingly, our outstanding awards and until such dissenting stockholder has complied withshares available for issuance under the applicable provisionsFormer Plan, consisting of the NRS. In the event that after the Effective Time of the Merger a dissenting stockholder of the Company fails to perfect, or effectively withdraws or loses, his or her right to appraisal

and of payment for his or her shares, such dissenting stockholder shall be entitled to receive the Merger Consideration in accordance with Section 2.1 of this Agreement upon surrender of the certificate or certificates representing theapproximately 1.4 million shares of Common Stock held by such stockholder.

2.5Rights Agreement. The Parties shall take such actions(commonly referred to as shall be necessary or appropriate to cause Holdings to assume the Rights Agreement, dated as“overhang”), represented approximately 5.0 % of October 23, 2007, by and between the Company and Mellon Investor Services LLC, as Rights Agent, as amended to date, and to cause the Rights issued or issuable thereunder to become exercisable for Holdings Preferred Stock.

ARTICLE III

CONDITIONS TO MERGER

3.1Conditions Precedent. The respective obligation of each Party to effect the Merger is subject to the satisfaction of each of the following conditions, or waiver thereof by mutual agreement of the Parties:

(a) The Company stockholders shall have approved the merger agreement by the affirmative vote of at least a majority of all issued andour outstanding shares of Common Stock.common stock as of March 31, 2015, on a fully diluted basis. If stockholders approve the Plan, an additional 1.6 million shares will be available for future grants, which will bring the total overhang to approximately 10.1%, which we believe is within industry norms.

(b) New Plan Benefits Table

The registration statementbenefits under the Plan that will be received by or allocated to participants, other than nonemployee directors, are not currently determinable. Such awards are within the discretion of the Compensation Committee, and the Compensation Committee has not determined future awards or who might receive them. As evidenced by our reasonable burn rate and the fact that we have not sought to authorize and increase in common shares since July 24, 2012, the Compensation Committee and the Board have been judicious in granting such awards and have displayed a sensitivity to minimizing the impact of the potential dilution that such awards


could have on Form S-4 filedour stockholders. However, as the Plan does not contemplate the amount or timing of specific equity awards, it is not possible to calculate the amount of subsequent dilution that may ultimately result from such awards. Based on the foregoing, the Compensation Committee and the Board believe that the Plan, which represents an increase of 1,600,000 shares of common stock above the combined shares of common stock available as of March 31, 2015 under the Former Plan, is appropriate at this time. Information about awards granted in 2014 under the Former Plan to our named executive officers can be found in the table under the heading “Grants of Plan-Based Awards - 2014” in this proxy statement.

Criteria Relied Upon for Equity Award Grant Decisions

In making its decisions regarding equity award grants, the Compensation Committee generally considers the scope of the potential grantee’s responsibility at the Company, the relative internal value to the Company of the position, the potential grantee’s experience, past performance, and expected future contributions to the Company, the need to attract or retain the particular potential grantee, and, in the case of executive officers, peer group data provided by the Compensation Committee’s independent consultant. The Compensation Discussion and Analysis (“CD&A”), found on pages 34—41 of this Proxy Statement, describes in further detail the criteria and measures used by the Compensation Committee in making equity award grant determinations for our named executive officers in 2014. These determinations are in turn submitted by the Compensation Committee to the Board for ratification. The Compensation Committee and Board intend to continue to consider the Company’s equity expenditures in a manner that effectively attracts, retains, and motivates individuals to achieve long-term value creation in line with the Securitiesinterests of our stockholders.

Our Security Ownership Guidelines

Stockholders should also consider the Company’s security ownership guidelines that define ownership expectations for directors and Exchange Commissioncertain executive officers. We believe that our directors and executive officers should have a significant financial stake in the Company to encourage alignment of their interests with those of our stockholders.  Accordingly, we recently adopted security ownership guidelines for our directors and executive officers that is discussed more fully on page 39 of this Proxy Statement. The Company’s security ownership guidelines contemplate that nonemployee directors should own shares of common stock equal to at least five (5) times their annual cash compensation as a director, and that officers should hold Company securities equal in value to five (5) times base salary (for our Chief Executive Officer), three (3) times base salary (for Executive Vice Presidents), and one (1) times base salary (for Senior Vice Presidents). The Compensation Committee will annually review each officer’s progress toward meeting the stock ownership guidelines.

Certain Federal Income Tax Consequences

The following is a brief summary of the principal federal income tax consequences of the receipt of restricted common stock and restricted stock units, the grant and exercise of common stock options awarded under the Plan and the subsequent disposition of shares acquired upon such exercise and the receipt of certain other awards under the Plan. This summary is based upon the provisions of the Tax Code as in effect on the date of this proxy statement, current regulations adopted and proposed thereunder and existing judicial decisions, as well as administrative rulings and pronouncements of the Internal Revenue Service (all of which are subject to change, possibly with retroactive effect). This summary is not intended to be exhaustive and does not describe all federal, state or local tax laws. Furthermore, the general rules discussed below may vary, depending upon the personal circumstances of the individual holder. Accordingly, participants should consult a tax advisor to determine the income tax consequences of any particular transaction.

Taxation of Restricted Common Stock. In general, except in the case of an election under section 83(b) of the Tax Code, a participant will not incur any tax upon the grant of shares of stock which are subject to a substantial risk of forfeiture. However, when the restrictions lapse or the shares become freely transferable, the participant will recognize ordinary income equal to the fair market value of the applicable shares at such time, less the amount, if any, paid for such shares, unless the participant has made a section 83(b) election with respect to such shares or has elected to defer receipt of such shares, as discussed below.

If a participant makes a section 83(b) election within 30 days of a grant of restricted common stock, the participant will recognize ordinary income at the time of grant in an amount equal to the difference between the fair market value of the restricted shares on the grant date and the amount, if any, paid for such restricted shares. If the participant makes such an election, he or she will not recognize any further income with respect to such shares solely as a result of a later lapse of the restrictions.

If a participant holds the restricted common stock as a capital asset after the earlier of either (1) the vesting of such restricted common stock or (2) the making of a timely section 83(b) election with respect to such restricted common stock, any subsequent gain or loss will be taxable as long-term or short-term capital gain or loss, depending upon the holding period. For this purpose, the basis in the restricted common stock generally will be equal to the sum of the amount (if any) paid for the restricted common stock and the


amount included in ordinary income as a result of the vesting event or section 83(b) election, as applicable; provided, however, that, if a participant forfeits restricted common stock with respect to which a section 83(b) election was made prior to vesting, the participant’s capital loss is limited to the amount (if any) paid for such restricted common stock.

In general, at the time a participant recognizes ordinary income with respect to the restricted common stock, the Company will be entitled to a deduction in an amount equal to the ordinary income recognized by Holdingsthe participant, which deduction may be limited by section 162(m) of the Tax Code.

Taxation of Restricted Stock Units; Stock Appreciation Rights; Performance Shares and Performance Units. In general, a participant will not incur any tax upon the grant of either restricted stock units, stock appreciation rights, performance shares or performance units. However, when the restrictions lapse, the participant will recognize ordinary income in an amount equal to the sum of the cash and the fair market value of any property received.

Taxation of Non-Qualified Stock Options. In general, a participant will not recognize any income upon the grant of a non-qualified stock option. Upon the exercise of a non-qualified stock option, however, a participant generally will recognize ordinary income in an amount equal to the excess of the fair market value of the non-qualified option stock on the date of exercise over the exercise price (i.e., the “spread”) and the Company will be entitled to a deduction in an equal amount, which may be limited by section 162(m) of the Tax Code.

Upon subsequent sales of shares obtained through the exercise of non-qualified stock options, the participant may realize short-term or long-term capital gain or loss, depending upon the holding period of the shares, if such shares constitute capital assets in the participant’s hands. The gain or loss will be measured by the difference between the sales price and the tax basis of the shares sold. The tax basis for this purpose generally will be fair market value of the shares on the date of exercise.

Taxation of Incentive Stock Options. A participant who is granted an incentive stock option does not recognize taxable income at the time the option is granted or upon its exercise, although the exercise is an adjustment item for alternative minimum tax purposes and may subject the participant to alternative minimum tax. If the shares acquired upon exercise are sold after the expiration of two years from the grant of the option and one year after exercise of the option, any gain or loss is treated as long-term capital gain or loss. If these holding periods are not satisfied, the participant recognizes ordinary income at the time of disposition equal to the difference between the exercise price and the lower of (1) the fair market value of the shares at the date of the option exercise or (2) the sale price of the shares. Any gain or loss recognized on such a premature disposition of the shares in excess of the amount treated as ordinary income is treated as long-term or short-term capital gain or loss, depending on the holding period. Unless limited by section 162(m) of the Tax Code, the Company is generally entitled to a deduction in the same amount as the ordinary income recognized by the participant.

Taxation of Other Stock Based Awards. Other awards may be granted under the Plan. Since the amount, character and timing of income recognized in connection with such awards will vary depending upon the issuancespecific terms and conditions of such awards, no information regarding the tax consequences of the receipt of such awards may be provided at this time.

Tax Withholding. The obligations of the Company under the Plan are conditioned upon proper arrangements being in place with participants in the Plan for the payment of withholding tax obligations. Unless otherwise determined by the Compensation Committee, withholding tax obligations may be settled with shares of common stock, including shares that are part of the award that gives rise to the withholding obligation.

In light of the factors described above, including the limited increase in the total number of shares of Holdings Common Stockcommon stock available for issuance as future equity awards, and the fact that the Company has not sought an increase in shares of common stock available for issuance as equity awards since July 24, 2012, the Merger shall have become effective underCompensation Committee believes that the ability to grant equity compensation is vital to the Company’s ability to continue to attract, motivate, reward, and retain individuals.

* * *

The inclusion of certain information in this Proxy should not be regarded as an indication that the assumptions used to determine the number of additional shares will be predictive of actual future equity grants. These assumptions are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and shallSection 21E of the Exchange Act, and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties,


assumptions and other factors which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including our ability to attract and retain talent, achievement of performance metrics with respect to certain equity-based awards, and others described in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2014 and our other filings with the SEC.

Vote Required

This proposal will be approved if the votes cast for the proposal exceed the votes cast against it. Shares associated with abstentions and broker non-votes will not be counted as votes cast and, therefore, will not have an effect on this proposal. Further, the subjectfailure to vote, either by proxy or in person, will not have an effect on this proposal, assuming the quorum requirements for the Annual Meeting have been met. Unless instructions to the contrary are specified, the proxy holders will vote the proxies received by them “FOR” this proposal.

Recommendation of the Board of Directors

THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS RECOMMENDS THAT STOCKHOLDERS VOTE “FOR” THE APPROVAL OF THE ADOPTION OF THE PLAN.


PROPOSAL 5: ADVISORY VOTE REGARDING EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act added Section 14A to the Exchange Act, which requires that we provide stockholders with the opportunity to vote to approve, on an advisory basis, the compensation of our named executive officers. Commonly known as a “say-on-pay” vote, this proposal gives our stockholders the opportunity to express their views on our executive compensation policies and programs and the compensation paid to the named executive officers.

The Company’s current policy, upon the recommendation of our stockholders, is to provide stockholders with an opportunity to approve, on an advisory basis, the compensation of the named executive officers each year at the annual meeting of stockholders. Therefore, it is expected that the next such vote will occur at the 2016 annual meeting of stockholders.

In the CD&A section of this proxy statement, we describe how the Company, the Compensation Committee and the Board view basic compensation, bonus, equity opportunities and goals of our named executive officers.  We are asking our stockholders to indicate their support for the compensation of our named executive officers as described in this proxy statement by approving the following resolution at the Annual Meeting:

“RESOLVED, that the Company’s stockholders approve, on an advisory basis, the compensation paid to the named executive officers, as disclosed in the Company’s proxy statement for the 2015 Annual Meeting of Stockholders pursuant to the compensation disclosure rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the compensation tables and accompanying narrative disclosure.”

The Board of Directors recommends a vote “FOR” approval of the advisory resolution because it believes that the Company’s executive compensation policies and practices are effective in achieving the Company’s goals of rewarding sustained financial and operating performance, aligning the executives’ interests with those of the stockholders, and attracting, retaining, motivating and rewarding highly talented executives. We strongly encourage stockholders to read “Executive Compensation and Other Information,” “Compensation Committee,” and the CD&A section in this proxy statement, including the tabular and narrative disclosure regarding executive compensation, for details about our executive compensation policies and programs and information about the 2014 compensation of our named executive officers.

The vote on this proposal is advisory and therefore not binding on the Company, the Board of Directors or the Compensation Committee. However, the Board of Directors and the Compensation Committee will review and consider the voting results in future decisions regarding executive compensation.  

Vote Required

This proposal will be approved if the votes cast for the proposal exceed the votes cast against it. Shares associated with abstentions and broker non-votes will not be counted as votes cast and, therefore, will not have an effect on this proposal. Further, the failure to vote, either by proxy or in person, will not have an effect on this proposal, assuming the quorum requirements for the Annual Meeting have been met. Unless instructions to the contrary are specified, the proxy holders will vote the proxies received by them “FOR” this proposal.

Recommendation of the Board of Directors

THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS RECOMMENDS THAT YOU VOTE “FOR” THE ADVISORY RESOLUTION APPROVING THE COMPENSATION OF OUR NAMED EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AS DISCLOSED IN THIS PROXY STATEMENT.


PROPOSAL 6: ADJOURNMENT OF THE ANNUAL MEETING

In the event there are not sufficient votes at the time of the Annual Meeting to approve Proposal 2 and/or Proposal 4, our Board may propose to adjourn the Annual Meeting to a later date or dates in order to permit the solicitation of additional proxies. Pursuant to the DGCL, the Board is not required to fix a new record date to determine the stockholders entitled to vote at the adjourned meeting. If the Board does not fix a new record date, it is not necessary to give any notice of the time and place of the adjourned meeting other than an announcement at the meeting at which the adjournment is taken unless the adjournment is for more than 60 days. If a new record date is fixed, notice of the adjourned meeting will be given as in the case of an original meeting.

In order to permit proxies that have been received by us at the time of the Annual Meeting to be voted for an adjournment, if necessary, we have submitted this proposal to you as a separate matter for your consideration (the “Adjournment Proposal”). If approved, the Adjournment Proposal will authorize the holder of any stop order proxy solicited by our Board to vote in favor of adjourning the Annual Meeting and any later adjournments. If our stockholders approve this Adjournment Proposal, we could adjourn the Annual Meeting, and any adjourned session of the Annual Meeting, to use the additional time to solicit additional proxies in favor of Proposal 2 and/or proceedings seekingProposal 4, including the solicitation of proxies from our stockholders who have previously voted against these proposals. Among other things, approval of the Adjournment Proposal could mean that, even if proxies representing a stop order.sufficient number of votes against Proposal 2 and/or Proposal 4, have been received, we could adjourn the Annual Meeting without a vote on the proposal and seek to convince the holders of those shares to change their votes to votes in favor of Proposal 2 and/or Proposal 4.

(c) The Company shallVote Required

This proposal will be approved if the votes cast for the proposal exceed the votes cast against it. Abstentions and broker non-votes will not be counted as votes cast and, therefore, will not have an effect on this proposal. Further, the failure to vote, either by proxy or in person, will not have an effect on this proposal, assuming the quorum requirements for the Annual Meeting have been met. Unless instructions to the contrary are specified, the proxy holders will vote the proxies received a legal opinionby them “FOR” this proposal.

Recommendation of Blank Rome LLP in form and substance reasonably satisfactorythe Board of Directors

THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS RECOMMENDS THAT STOCKHOLDERS VOTE “FOR” THE ADJOURNMENT OF THE ANNUAL MEETING TO A LATER DATE OR DATES, IF NECESSARY, TO PERMIT FURTHER SOLICITATION OF PROXIES IF THERE ARE NOT SUFFICIENT VOTES AT THE TIME OF THE ANNUAL MEETING TO APPROVE PROPOSAL 2 AND/OR PROPOSAL 4.


CORPORATE GOVERNANCE AND BOARD MATTERS

Director Independence

Based on information supplied to it by the directors in April 2015, the Board determined that each of Messrs. Bynoe, Deconinck, Hall, Lamb, Maheshwari and Tinkler were “independent” under both the rules of the New York Stock Exchange and the NASDAQ Stock Market. The Board made such determinations based on the fact that such directors have not had, and currently do not have, any material relationship with the Company or its affiliates or any executive officer of the Company or their affiliates that would impair their independence, including, without limitation, any commercial, industrial, banking, consulting, legal, accounting, charitable or familial relationship. In addition, the Board considered any business relationships that the directors may have outside of the Company, including those described herein, and determined that such relationships would not impair their independence.

Meetings and Committees of the Board

At the beginning of 2014, the Board of Directors had three standing committees: the Audit Committee, the Nominating and Governance Committee and the Compensation Committee.

During 2014, the Board of Directors and the various committees of the Board held the following number of meetings: Board of Directors—39; Audit Committee—4; Compensation Committee—3; and Nominating and Governance Committee—3. During 2014, no director attended fewer than 75% of the aggregate of the total number of meetings of the Board of Directors and the total number of meetings of any committees of the Board held while such director was serving on the Board or such committee. Each of the Audit Committee, the Compensation Committee and the Nominating and Governance Committee has a written charter that is reviewed annually and revised as appropriate. A copy of each committee’s charter is available on the “Governance” page of our corporate website at signaturegroupholdings.com or a copy may be obtained without charge upon request by writing to the following address: Corporate Secretary, Signature Group Holdings, Inc., 15301 Ventura Boulevard, Suite 400, Sherman Oaks, California 91403.

Audit Committee

The Audit Committee assists the Board in monitoring: (a) the integrity of the Company’s financial statements and the Company’s accounting and financial reporting processes; (b) the qualifications and independence of the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm; (c) the engagement and performance of the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm; (d) the Company’s systems of disclosure controls and procedures, internal control over financial reporting, and compliance with ethical standards adopted by the Company; and (e) the Company’s compliance with legal and regulatory requirements. The Audit Committee evaluates the performance of the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm, and makes decisions regarding the selection, retention and, where appropriate, the replacement of, the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm.  As noted in Proposal 2 of this Annual Meeting, on March 16, 2015, the Audit Committee recommended and the Board approved the replacement of Squar Milner with E&Y as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2015.  The Audit Committee also reviews with management and the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm the Company’s interim and annual consolidated financial statements and internal control over financial reporting and discusses with management and the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm any significant accounting, internal control or reporting issues and conformance of the Company’s consolidated financial statements with applicable accounting and regulatory requirements. The Audit Committee is responsible for recommending to the Board of Directors whether the Company’s audited consolidated financial statements should be included in the Company’s annual report on Form 10-K and is responsible for the oversight of the creation and implementation of corporate risk policies and procedures.

The current members of the Audit Committee are Messrs. Lamb (Chairman), Bynoe and Tinkler.  Mr. Bynoe joined the committee in April 2014, replacing Mr. Maheshwari who served on the committee until April 2014. Each of Messrs. Lamb, Bynoe and Tinkler is, and Mr.  Maheshwari was during his time of service as a member of the committee, “independent” under the rules of the New York Stock Exchange, the NASDAQ Stock Market and Rule 10A-3 under the Exchange Act. The Board determined that each of Messrs. Lamb and Tinkler satisfies the criteria for classification as an “audit committee financial expert” as set forth in the applicable rules of the Commission.

In 2014 and thru March 15, 2015, the Audit Committee met with management and the Company’s registered independent public accounting firm, Squar Milner, to make inquiries regarding the manner in which the responsibilities of each were being discharged and to report their findings to the Board. The Audit Committee also met separately with Squar Milner, without management present. The Audit Committee was primarily concerned with the integrity of the Company’s consolidated financial statements, compliance with legal and regulatory requirements and the independence and performance of Squar Milner.


Nominating and Governance Committee

The current members of the Nominating and Governance Committee are Messrs. Tinkler (Chairman), Maheshwari and Lamb. The Board determined that all members of the Nominating and Governance Committee were nonemployee, independent directors within the meaning of Rule 16b-3 under the Exchange Act.

The Nominating and Governance Committee assists the Board in: (a) identifying individuals qualified to become members of the Board and its committees, and recommends individuals to the Board for nomination as members of the Board and its committees; (b) evaluating and recommending to the Board the composition and compensation of the Board and its committees; and (c) developing and recommending to the Board a set of corporate governance principles applicable to the Company. The Nominating and Governance Committee also oversees the evaluation process of the Board and management.

The Nominating and Governance Committee will consider all qualified director candidates identified by members of the Nominating and Governance Committee, by senior management and, as described below, by stockholders. However, the Nominating and Governance Committee has not, at this time, put in place a formal policy with regard to procedures to identify such candidates. The Board believes that it is appropriate for the Company not to have a specific policy because stockholders are always free to submit recommendations for Board candidates, simply by following the procedures described below.

In nominating candidates, the Nominating and Governance Committee takes into consideration such factors as a candidate’s experience with businesses and other organizations of comparable size, their judgment, skill, diversity, the interplay of the candidate’s experience with the experience of other Board members, and the extent to which the candidate would be a desirable addition to the Board and any committees of the Board. The minimum qualifications and attributes that the Nominating and Governance Committee will consider necessary for a director nominee include: the ability to apply good business judgment, the ability to exercise his or her duties of loyalty and care, proven leadership skills, diversity of experience, high integrity and ethics, the ability to understand principles of business and finance and familiarity with issues affecting the Company’s businesses.

The Nominating and Governance Committee will consider director candidates recommended by stockholders, provided the recommendations are timely and include certain specified information. To be timely, the recommendation must be received by the Company’s Secretary within the time period prescribed for stockholder proposals. (See “What is the deadline for submitting proposals for next year’s annual meeting or to nominate individuals to serve as directors?” on page 8.) The Nominating and Governance Committee does not intend to alter the manner in which it evaluates candidates, including the criteria set forth above, based on whether the candidate was recommended by a stockholder or not.

The Nominating and Governance Committee has the authority to retain and/or replace, as needed, such experts, advisors or consultants as it believes to be necessary or appropriate. In connection with the Nominating and Governance Committee’s review of the compensation of the Board’s nonemployee directors and committee members, in 2014, the Nominating and Governance Committee retained Frederic W. Cook & Co., Inc. (“FWC”), an independent compensation consulting firm, to assist in the review of the Company’s nonemployee director compensation. FWC reports directly to the Nominating and Governance Committee and except as described below under Compensation Committee, does not provide any other services, beyond compensation consulting, to the Company. The services of Pearl Meyer & Partners (“PM&P”), an independent compensation consultant, were retained by Nominating and Governance Committee in December 2013, to assist in the review of the Company’s nonemployee director compensation and executive compensation. Such services have been terminated and PM&P provided no other services to the Company.

Compensation Committee

The current members of the Compensation Committee are Messrs. Bynoe (Chairman), Maheshwari and Tinkler. The Board determined that all members of the Compensation Committee were nonemployee independent directors, within the meaning of Rule 16b-3 under the Exchange Act, and each are considered “outside directors” for purposes of section 162(m) of the Tax Code.

The primary responsibilities of the Compensation Committee include reviewing and making recommendations to the Board with respect to awards and other contractual arrangements for the named executive officers and management’s proposals regarding the Company’s various compensation programs, and administering the Company’s long-term or equity-based incentive plans. The Compensation Committee conducts an annual performance review of the Chief Executive Officer and approves compensation and stock grants to senior executives. In addition, the committee also periodically evaluates and, at least annually, recommends to the Board the compensation of executive officers.


The Compensation Committee has the authority to retain and/or replace, as needed, any compensation and benefits consultants, independent counsel or other outside experts, advisors or consultants as the committee believes to be necessary or appropriate. In addition, the Compensation Committee may delegate any or all of its responsibilities to a subcommittee of the committee, to the extent consistent with the Company’s certificate of incorporation, bylaws and other rules and regulations.

In 2014, the Compensation Committee retained FWC to assist in the review of the Company’s executive compensation. FWC reports directly to the Compensation Committee and, except as described above under “Nominating and Governance Committee,” does not provide any other services, beyond compensation consulting, to the Company. In 2014, the Compensation Committee considered and assessed all relevant factors that could give rise to a potential conflict of interest with respect to FWC’s work and FWC has confirmed its independence to the Committee in writing. Based on this review and FWC’s confirmation, we are not aware of any conflict of interest of FWC.

Code of Ethics for Senior Financial Officers

We maintain a Code of Ethics for Senior Financial Officers, which is our code of ethics that applies to our principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer, controller and other persons performing similar functions. The code of ethics is posted on our corporate website at signaturegroupholdings.com. A copy may also be obtained without charge upon request by writing to the following address: Corporate Secretary, Signature Group Holdings, Inc., 15301 Ventura Boulevard, Suite 400, Sherman Oaks, California 91403. We intend to satisfy the disclosure requirement under Item 5.05 of Form 8-K regarding an amendment to, or waiver from, a provision of our code of ethics by posting the required information on our website, at the Internet address and location specified above. In addition, the Company has a code of conduct that applies to all employees and directors.

Board of Directors Leadership Structure

Our Board of Directors has no fixed policy with respect to the separation of the offices of Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer. Our Board retains the discretion to make this determination on a case-by-case basis from time to time as it deems to be in the best interests of the Company and our stockholders at any given time. Currently, the Chairman of the Board also serves as the Chief Executive Officer of the Company, and the Board believes this is the best structure to fit the Company’s present needs.

The Board does not have a separate lead independent director, but all of the independent directors of the Company are actively involved in decision-making by the Board. The Board has determined that the current structure is appropriate for the Company and enhances the Company’s ability to execute its business and strategic plans, while maintaining strong independence over Board decisions and oversight through the involvement and participation of the independent directors.

Board of Directors Risk Oversight

The understanding, identification and management of risk are essential elements for the successful management of our Company. The entire Board is responsible for oversight of the Company’s risk management processes. The Board delegates many of these functions to the Audit Committee. Under its charter, the Audit Committee is responsible for monitoring business risk practices and legal and ethical programs. In this way, the Audit Committee helps the Board fulfill its risk oversight responsibilities relating to the Company’s financial statements, financial reporting process and regulatory requirements. The Audit Committee also oversees our corporate compliance programs, as well as the internal audit function. In addition to the Audit Committee’s work in overseeing risk management, our full Board regularly engages in discussions of the most significant risks that the Company is facing and how these risks are being managed, and the Board receives reports on risk management from senior officers of the Company and from the Chairman of the Audit Committee. The Board receives periodic assessments from the Company’s ongoing enterprise risk management process that are designed to identify potential events that may affect the achievement of the Company’s objectives. In addition, our Board and its standing committees periodically request supplemental information or reports as they deem appropriate.

Annual Meeting Attendance

We do not have a formal policy regarding attendance by members of our Board of Directors at annual meetings of our stockholders; however, directors are encouraged to attend all such meetings. All of our then-current directors attended our 2014 annual meeting of stockholders.


Director Compensation

The following table sets forth information regarding total compensation paid to each director in respect of his service on the Board in 2014, excluding Mr. Bouchard, whose service on the Board was always concurrent with service as an executive officer during 2014.  Messrs. Deconinck and Hall did not serve on the Board in 2014.

Name

 

Fees Earned or Paid in Cash

 

 

Stock

Awards(1)

 

 

Current Directors(2):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Peter C.B. Bynoe

 

$

25,000

 

 

$

75,003

 

 

Patrick E. Lamb

 

 

45,000

 

 

 

75,003

 

 

Raj Maheshwari

 

 

25,000

 

 

 

75,003

 

 

Philip G. Tinkler

 

 

25,000

 

 

 

75,003

 

 

(1)

The dollar amounts shown represent the aggregate grant date fair value of restricted common stock awards granted, determined in accordance with Financial Accounting Standards Board Accounting Standards Codification 718, Compensation—Stock Compensation (“ASC 718”). For additional information about equity grants, see Note 12—Share-based Payments and Employee Benefits in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part IV, Item 15 of our Annual Report.

(2)

As of December 31, 2014, the independent directors held the following number of shares of restricted common stock, all of which vested on January 1, 2015: Mr. Bynoe—6,977; Mr. Lamb—6,977; Mr. Maheshwari—6,977; and Mr. Tinkler—6,977.

Each independent member of the Board receives annual compensation of $100,000, comprised of $25,000 in cash, payable in advance in quarterly installments, and $75,000 in shares of restricted common stock, issued annually in advance on the first business day of each calendar year. In each case, the per share value of the restricted common stock is determined on the basis of the closing price on the last business day of the immediately preceding year. The restricted common stock vests on the first day of the year following the grant, but will vest immediately in the event of a change in control, death or disability of a director, or in the event a member is not re-elected to the Board or is not nominated for election to the Board by the Company after indicating a willingness to serve. In addition, independent members of the Board are entitled to annual supplements (payable in advance in quarterly installments) as follows: Chairman of the Board—$25,000; and Audit Committee Chair—$20,000. No additional amounts are paid for attending meetings of the Board or any committee of the Board.  From time to time, the Board approves additional fees for independent directors for significant additional work on behalf of the Board or its committees.

EXECUTIVE OFFICERS, COMPENSATION AND OTHER INFORMATION

Executive Officers

Set forth below is information concerning the executive officers of Signature as of December 31, 2014. All executive officers of Signature serve at the discretion of the Board. There are no family relationships among any of our directors or executive officers.

Craig T. Bouchard (Age 61): Mr. Bouchard has served as the Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Signature since June 2013. For the rest of Mr. Bouchard’s biographical information, please refer to “Background Information on Director Nominees” on page 10 above.

Kyle Ross (Age 38): Mr. Ross has served as the Executive Vice President and Assistant Secretary of Signature since June 2010, and as the Chief Financial Officer of Signature since March 2011. Mr. Ross was part of the management team that holderssponsored the Company’s predecessor entity, Fremont General Corporation’s (“Fremont”) reorganization process. Prior to participating in the Fremont bankruptcy, Mr. Ross was a co-founder of CommonSignature Capital Partners, LLC, a special situations investment firm formed in 2004. Mr. Ross was directly involved in all of Signature Capital’s investment activity, including playing active roles in structuring, underwriting, overseeing portfolio companies, and managing the exit of transactions. Mr. Ross previously spent over four years with the investment banking firm Murphy Noell Capital where he was directly involved in more than 20 transactions, including both healthy and distressed mergers and acquisitions, capital raises, and debt restructurings. He was also responsible for managing the firm’s analyst and associate staff. Mr. Ross holds a Bachelor of Science degree and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the Haas School of Business and the College of Letters and Science, respectively, at the University of California, Berkeley.


W. Christopher Manderson (Age 45): Mr. Manderson has served as our Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary since November 2012. Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Manderson founded Manderson, Schafer & McKinlay LLP, a law firm specializing in business and transactional law, in February 2009. From 2009 to 2010, Mr. Manderson and his firm represented Signature Group Holdings, LLC as the successful plan proponent against four competing plans of reorganization in the bankruptcy of Fremont. Mr. Manderson also represented the Company in its July 2011 acquisition of North American Breaker Co., Inc. Prior to that, he worked as a corporate lawyer, specializing in mergers and acquisitions and corporate law, at international law firms including Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker LLP and Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP. Mr. Manderson holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from University of California, Santa Barbara and a Juris Doctor degree from the UCLA School of Law.



STOCK PERFORMANCE GRAPH

The following Stock Price Performance Graph includes comparisons required by the Commission. The graph does not constitute soliciting material and should not be deemed filed or incorporated by reference into any other Signature filings under the Securities Act of 1933 or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

The graph below compares cumulative total return (i.e., change in stock price plus reinvestment of dividends of Signature common stock) measured against the five-year cumulative total return of the Russell 2000 Index™ and the S&P 600 Materials Index™ from 2010 through 2014. The stock price performance shown in this graph is not necessarily indicative of, and not intended to suggest future stock price performance.

Comparison of Five-Year Total Returns Among

Signature Group Holdings, Inc., the Russell 200 Index and

the S&P 600 Materials Index



EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

Compensation Discussion and Analysis

Introduction

This CD&A is designed to provide stockholders with an understanding of our compensation program and to discuss the compensation earned for 2014 by our named executive officers. Our Compensation Committee (the “Committee”) oversees our executive compensation program. The Committee reviews and establishes the compensation for our executive officers and is responsible for administering and awarding equity grants under our existing stock incentive plans.

Our 2014 executive compensation program:

·

Aligns the interests of our executives with those of our stockholders through long-term stock-based awards and cash payouts linked to Company performance; and

·

Reflected the transitional nature of the Company in 2014 with compensation directly tied to our success in transforming the Company.

2014 Key Business Highlights and Compensation Actions

Compensation for 2014 was primarily driven by our success in the following:

·

entering into a definitive agreement for the Real Alloy Acquisition with Aleris Corporation for $525 million;

·

implementing a creative financing structure involving secured and unsecured debt, common stock offerings and a stapled rights offering of common stock to existing stockholders to fund the Real Alloy Acquisition; and

·

positioning our transformation from a wholesale distributor with annual revenues of approximately $42 million into a global recycling and specification alloys company with annual revenues that we expect to be in the range of $1.5 billion.  

Accordingly, our compensation actions in 2014 were based upon and in response to these transformative transactions.  We expect that the core elements of our executive compensation program in the future will incentivize the profitable operation of Real Alloy, support our ongoing acquisition strategy and encourage the creation of stockholder value.  The Committee is also committed to continued improvement in response to executive compensation trends and regulatory developments.

Named Executive Officers

For 2014, our named executive officers were:

·

Craig T. Bouchard, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer;

·

Kyle Ross, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer; and

·

W. Christopher Manderson, Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary.

Our Philosophy on Executive Compensation

Our compensation for 2014 reflected the transitional nature of our business and our efforts to acquire Real Alloy and to position us to use our significant net operating loss tax carryforwards (“NOLs”) with base compensation and bonus consistent with these goals.  Going forward, we intend to design a compensation program to enable the Company and its subsidiaries to provide competitive compensation packages that attract, retain and motivate talented executives and managers to operate their businesses and identify and acquire additional businesses while aligning management’s and stockholders’ interests in the enhancement of Company performance and stockholder value.

Our compensation programs are generally structured to provide a balance of both cash and equity compensation elements and beginning in 2015 will involve multiple elements to deliver a total package including cash and equity compensation components.  In addition, the Committee has and will retain discretion to make adjustments necessary to balance the overall performance of the Company and the individual performance of our executive officers such that we maintain a “pay-for-performance” philosophy.

Due to the relatively short tenure of our named executive officers, we do not recognize gaincurrently consider the size of previous equity-based grants and current equity holdings in current compensation decisions.  The Committee does expect over time to begin to review tally sheets showing cumulative wealth associated with prior awards as it considers future grants when making long-term incentive award decisions and overall compensation decisions.  The Committee generally applies its compensation philosophy and policies consistently in determining the compensation of each of our senior executives, while being mindful of individual differences such as experience, level of responsibility, potential contributions to future growth opportunities and individual performance, as well as the practical implications of arms-length negotiations at the time each executive is hired or losspromoted. Greater relative percentages of


potential compensation are at risk for United States federal income tax purposesthe most senior officers to reflect their respective areas and levels of responsibility for the Company’s performance. 

Consideration of Say-on-Pay Results  

At the Company's annual meeting of stockholders held in April 2014, approximately 94% of the votes cast on the advisory vote to approve the compensation of our named executive officers were voted in favor of the proposal. The Committee believes this affirms our stockholders’ support for the Company’s approach to executive compensation and therefore we have not implemented any changes to our executive compensation program as a direct result of the advisory vote.  

Our Process for Executive Compensation

The Committee oversees our executive compensation program. Each Committee member is an independent nonemployee director and qualifies as an “outside director” under Section 162(m) of the Tax Code.  The Committee develops and recommends to the Board the overall compensation package for our Chief Executive Officer and, with the additional assistance of our Chief Executive Officer, for each of our other executive officers.  Our Chief Executive Officer does not participate in determining his compensation. Although objective criteria may be used, the Committee retains final discretion in determining the compensation of our executive officers.  In general, the Committee makes its final determination of both annual incentive awards and awards earned based on long-term performance in the first quarter following the end of each performance period.

In implementing and administering the Company’s compensation philosophy, the Committee, in consultation with its independent executive compensation consultants, regularly:

·

Reviews market data to assess the competitiveness of the Company’s compensation policies;

·

Evaluates the Company’s compensation policies compared to its peers and in the context of broader industry surveys;

·

Reviews the Company’s performance against the Company’s plans and budgets and considers the degree of attainment of performance goals and objectives; and

·

Reviews the individual performance of each executive officer.

As a general practice, the Committee makes significant decisions over multiple meetings, discussing conceptual matters, reviewing preliminary recommendations, reviewing final recommendations and reviewing advice of independent executive compensation and legal advisors before acting.  The Committee also holds special meetings as necessary in order to perform its duties.

Benchmarking Executive Compensation

Our philosophy emphasizes “pay for performance” with competitive objectives for executive pay, while being mindful of individual differences such as tenure and performance, as well as the practical implications of pay, on occasion, being the product of an arms-length negotiation at the time an executive is hired or promoted.  In December 2013, the Committee engaged Pearl Meyer & Partners (“PM&P”) to conduct a competitive review of our executive compensation program.  Due to our holding company structure and strategy, with the objective to acquire other businesses to take advantage of significant NOLs, development of a relevant peer group of similarly-situated publicly-traded companies was challenging, due to the following:  

·

our financial characteristics, including significant NOLs, were difficult to match in a competitive marketplace; and

·

the Company’s revenues in 2014 were relatively low compared to the expected future revenues following implementation of its business acquisition strategy.

We initially referenced a peer group of approximately 20 businesses, but refined the analysis to the following eight publicly traded companies that more-closely resembled our near-term growth expectation for the Company.  The following peer group had average annual revenues centered in the range of $325 million, and involved multi-sector holdings in the businesses of (i) asset management and custody banks and (ii) specialized finance:

American Capital Ltd.

JMP Group Inc.

Blucora, Inc.

NewStar Financial Inc.

Griffon Corp.

PICO Holdings Inc.

HFF Inc.

Triangle Capital Corp.


Given the limited size of the applicable peer group, we also examined broader industry surveys of publicly traded companies with annual revenues in the range of $600 million, where the Company had initially projected 2014 revenues to be following implementation of its business acquisition strategy.

However, due to the substantial differences between the peer group companies and the transformative nature of the Real Alloy Acquisition pursued by the Company during 2014, the Committee’s ultimate decisions on compensation for 2014 reflected the actual performance of entering into a definitive purchase agreement to acquire Real Alloy for $525 million and arranging financing from multiple sources, including (1) an asset-backed secured financing arrangement, (2) a high-yield debt issuance, (3) common stock offerings, and (4) a stapled rights offering of common stock to existing stockholders, in order to position the Company to consummate the Real Alloy Acquisition in the first quarter of 2015.  Accordingly, compensation decisions for 2014 were not based on the December 2013 compensation review, and instead were predicated on the success of these transformative transactions.

As a result of the transactions contemplatedtransformative nature of the sale of the legacy North American Breaker Co. (“NABCO”) business, de-emphasizing the specialty finance business, and the consummation of the Real Alloy Acquisition to the business conducted by this Agreement.the Company going forward, the Compensation Committee is in the process of evaluating and developing a new peer group to assist the Company in establishing appropriate compensation levels and components for 2015.

(d) No court or governmental entityBeginning in 2015 we intend to design our incentive plans to provide the Committee with the flexibility to reward outstanding performance significantly above the targeted range in the case of competent jurisdiction shall have enacted, issued, promulgated, enforced or entered any law or order (whether temporary, preliminary or permanent)outstanding performance; conversely, when performance is below expectations, our plans will be designed to deliver compensation that is below the targeted range and to allow the Committee the discretion to reduce or eliminate certain compensation elements.  

Role of the Chief Executive Officer

As part of its review and determination of the Company’s compensation objectives, philosophy, programs and decisions, the Committee works with and receives advice and recommendations from our Chief Executive Officer (other than with respect to his own compensation).  The Committee’s charter provides that our Chief Executive Officer may attend meetings at which the compensation of other named executive officers is under review and consideration. In this capacity, the Chief Executive Officer may take the following actions:

·

Work with the Committee regarding the approval of all general compensation plans and policies, including pension, savings, incentive and equity-based plans;

·

Review and determine the respective corporate and individual goals and objectives for the other named executive officers relevant to their compensation;

·

Provide the Committee with an evaluation of the performance of the other named executive officers in light of their respective corporate and individual goals and objectives; and

·

Recommend to the Committee the compensation levels of the other named executive officers.

The Committee considers the recommendations of our Chief Executive Officer, together with the review by its independent compensation consultant, in effectmaking independent determinations regarding executive compensation.  

Our Chief Executive Officer attends all Committee meetings, other than those portions that are held in executive session, and he is not present during voting or deliberations on matters involving his compensation in accordance with the Committee's charter.

Role of Compensation Committee Consultants

The Committee has authority under its charter to retain its own advisers, including compensation consultants. To assist in its review and oversight of our executive compensation program in late 2013, the Compensation Committee engaged PM&P as its independent compensation consultant.  The Committee consulted with PM&P throughout 2014 and representatives from PM&P attended certain Committee meetings at the Committee’s request. PM&P advised the Committee in connection with developing the peer group and industry survey used in the December 2013 competitive review and in establishing initial compensation levels for 2014 and equity awards granted in 2014 for 2013 performance.  In compliance with SEC rules, the Committee assessed the independence of PM&P and concluded that no conflict of interest existed that prevented PM&P from independently representing the Committee.  PM&P did not provide any services to the Company in 2014 other than the services provided directly to the Committee and the Nominating and Governance Committee.

In 2015 the Committee engaged FWC as its independent compensation consultant. The Committee expects to consult with FWC regularly throughout the year and FWC may attend Committee meetings upon the Committee’s request. FWC advised the Committee in connection with reviewing and assessing the pay-for-performance, stockholder alignment and executive retention goals of the Committee in approving compensation for 2014 performance that was paid in 2015.  In addition, FWC is providing advice on


designing and implementing the Company’s executive compensation program for 2015, including with respect to compensation philosophy, objectives, annual and long-term plan designs and market pay levels.  In compliance with SEC rules, the Committee has assessed the independence of FWC and concluded that no conflict of interest exists that would prevent FWC from independently representing the Committee. FWC has confirmed its independence to the Committee in writing. FWC did not provide any services to the Company in 2014.  FWC does not currently provide any services to the Company other than the services provided directly to the Committee and the Nominating and Governance Committee as previously discussed. Billing by FWC is provided directly to, and approved for payment by, the Committee.

Overview of Compensation Elements

The general elements and characteristics of our executive compensation programs are summarized below.  Detailed narratives of these compensation elements are provided below under “Compensation Program Details” and a table of executive compensation is provided below under “Summary Executive Compensation.”

·

Base salary: Base salary is determined by our philosophy, the position (skills, duties, responsibilities, etc.), market pay levels and trends, individual performance and prior salary;

·

Annual incentive awards: Variable compensation payable in cash (or at the discretion of the Committee, shares of restricted stock) following the fiscal year the pay is earned based upon the Committee’s determination in their discretion of performance; and

·

Long-term incentive awards: Variable compensation payable in time-vested and/or performance based shares of restricted stock and/or stock options.

Compensation Program Details

Base Salary

Base salary provides a secure fixed-level of compensation in an amount that recognizes the role and responsibility of the executive officer, as well as experience, performance and expected contributions. The Committee typically reviews the salaries of our named executive officers annually (in the fourth quarter or early the following year). The amount of any increase is based primarily on the named executive officer’s performance, level of responsibilities and external competitiveness of their base salary and overall total compensation. In addition, the Committee may review the salaries of our named executive officers in connection with a promotion or other change in responsibility. The Committee’s review of these factors is subjective and no fixed value or weight is assigned to any specific factor when making salary decisions.

In 2014, the Committee increased Mr. Bouchard’s annual base salary from $225,000 to $300,000 retroactive to the beginning of 2014 in recognition of leading the Company on a number of successful corporate initiatives including the reincorporation into a Delaware holding company, the substantial reduction of corporate expenses and positioning the Company for growth with the filing of a $300 million shelf registration on Form S-3. 2014 annual base salaries for Mr. Ross, $275,000, and Mr. Manderson, $270,000, remained unchanged from their 2013 base salaries.

Annual Incentive Awards

Annual incentive awards are intended to motivate and reward our executive officers for achieving the Company’s financial and operational objectives through awards of cash, restricted common stock and/or options to purchase our common stock.

In determining the compensation of our named executive officers in 2014, the Committee considered not only our operating and financial performance as a whole, but also, and more importantly, management’s success in the following accomplishments:  

·

Entering into a definitive agreement to acquire Real Alloy from Aleris Corporation and implementing a creative financial structure, including an asset-based lending facility, high-yield debt, common stock offerings and a stapled rights offering to existing stockholders to finance such purchase and transform the Company from a wholesale distributor into a global leader in aluminum recycling and specification alloys;

·

Completing the reincorporation of Signature as a Delaware holding company;

·

Expanding NABCO markets and positioning it as a more desirable and valuable acquisition target; and

·

Continuing efforts to exit or reduce ongoing exposure to non-core, legacy businesses, including the specialty finance business.

Based on the foregoing, the alignment of annual incentive awards with the Committee’s goals of “paying for performance” and aligning the interests of management and the Company’s stockholders, in February 2015, the Committee in the exercise of its discretion after taking into account the recommendations of the Chief Executive Officer and the advice of its independent compensation consultants at FWC, determined that the annual incentive award for 2014 would be payable 50% as a cash incentive


bonus and 50% in the form of a restricted common stock award vesting in equal annual installments over three years.  We did not award any common stock options to named executive officers in 2014.  The annual incentive awards to the named executive officers relating to 2014 performance were as follows:

Named Executive Officer

 

Cash

 

 

Restricted Common Stock

 

 

Total

 

Craig T. Bouchard

 

$

175,000

 

 

$

175,000

 

 

$

350,000

 

Kyle Ross

 

 

137,500

 

 

 

137,500

 

 

 

275,000

 

W. Christopher Manderson

 

 

25,000

 

 

 

25,000

 

 

 

50,000

 

In addition, although not included in 2014 compensation, in connection with its compensation decisions in February 2015, the Committee also approved and recommended the following additional awards in 2015 subject to and conditioned upon the consummation of the Real Alloy Acquisition:

Named Executive Officer

 

Cash

 

 

Restricted Common Stock

 

 

Total

 

Craig T. Bouchard

 

$

112,500

 

 

$

337,500

 

 

$

450,000

 

Kyle Ross

 

 

43,750

 

 

 

131,250

 

 

 

175,000

 

W. Christopher Manderson

 

 

12,500

 

 

 

37,500

 

 

 

50,000

 

The restricted common stock vests in equal annual installments over three years following issuance, conditioned upon continued employment on each anniversary date.

In determining the compensation of Mr. Bouchard, as our Chief Executive Officer, the Committee believes that the Chief Executive Officer has the most control and responsibility for our overall performance of any officer and, accordingly, it is appropriate that he have the relatively greatest percentage of compensation be at risk and tied to our overall performance in order to best align his interests with those of our stockholders. Due to his responsibility for our performance as Chief Executive Officer, consistent with the intents and purposes of the compensation structure, Mr. Bouchard’s compensation was materially higher than the other named executive officers.

Beginning in 2015, the Committee intends to annually review and approve performance metrics and target goals supportive of our business strategies.  The Committee intends to develop target goals that it believes are challenging but reasonably attainable.  If the Company achieves its targeted performance goal for each of the metrics, the payout percentage for the Company portion of the target bonus would be 100%. The maximum payout percentage for the Company portion of the target bonus will be 200%. If the threshold amounts are not achieved for a particular metric, no amount will be paid for that metric.  However, in each case, the Committee will retain discretion to modify or eliminate any incentive awards if the Committee determines such actions are warranted.  

Target annual incentive compensation opportunities for 2015 for named executive officers will be based upon the following respective percentages of base salary:  Mr. Bouchard 80%; Mr. Ross 60%; and Mr. Manderson 40%.  In addition, in 2015, Terrance Hogan, President of Real Alloy Holding, Inc. and John Miller, Executive Vice President, Operations will be deemed named executive officers with annual incentive compensation targeted at 70% of their annual base salaries.  The Committee determined these target annual incentive opportunities as part of its total compensation program to provide the Company’s named executive officers total compensation with incentive compensation arrangements to drive strong operational performance and create stockholder value.  The specific nature of the annual target financial performance measures, individual performance measures and the allocation of awards between such measures, as well as the targets and thresholds for such awards, will be determined by the Committee.

Long-Term Incentive Awards

The Long-Term Incentive Plan (the “LTIP”) is designed to align executive compensation with the interests of the Company's stockholders by linking compensation to share price performance over a multi-year period and supporting the retention of our management team.  LTIP awards currently take the form of awards of restricted common stock vesting in equal annual installments over three years, conditioned upon continued employment.  The Committee believes that awarding long-term incentive awards in the form of time-vested equity compensation encourages retention and aligns the interests of our named executive officers with the interests of our stockholders in creating incentives for long-term value creation.  As noted above, 50% of the 2014 incentive award was in the form of restricted common stock awards and 75% of the compensation related to the successful completion of the Real Alloy Acquisition was awarded in 2015 in the form of restricted common stock.  

In the future, the Committee intends to continue to grant equity awards and to structure guidelines to stress alignment with stockholders (in addition to retention) as a primary goal of the equity component of compensation.


Stock Options

Stock option grants are made on a case-by-case basis to executive officers in connection with hiring awards and to recognize promotions and under other circumstances where deemed appropriate in the Committee’s discretion.  It has been the Committee’s practice to approve all option grants at Committee meetings.   Option grants are a high-risk, high-return component of the executive total compensation program because common stock options deliver value to an executive only if the share price is above the grant price after the date of vesting.  Therefore, common stock options directly align executive officer and stockholder interests.  We did not award any common stock options to any named executive officers in 2014.  

Retirement Benefits

In 2012, the Company implemented a 401(k) savings plan (the “Savings Plan”) under which all full-time employees, including the named executive officers, are eligible to participate. Employee contributions are limited to the maximum amount allowed by the Tax Code. For 2014, the Company matched 100% of each employee contribution to the Savings Plan, up to a maximum match of 4% of each employee’s annual base compensation.

Perquisites

The Company offers only limited perquisites to its named executive officers, which for 2014 consisted of matching 401(k) contributions, health club reimbursements of less than $3,000 per year, and supplemental insurance. The following table provides details of perquisites provided to our named executive officers in 2014:

Named Executive Officer

 

401(k) Matching Contribution

 

 

Executive Benefit Program

 

 

Health Club Membership

 

 

Total

 

Craig T. Bouchard

 

$

10,400

 

 

$

 

 

$

 

 

$

10,400

 

Kyle Ross

 

 

10,400

 

 

 

2,144

 

 

 

 

 

 

12,544

 

W. Christopher Manderson

 

 

10,400

 

 

 

17,660

 

 

 

2,800

 

 

 

30,860

 

Determining Benefit Levels

The Committee reviews benefit levels periodically to ensure that the plans and programs create the desired incentives for our employees, including named executive officers, which are generally competitive with the applicable marketplace, are cost-effective, and support our human capital needs. Benefit levels are not tied to company, business area or individual performance and due to the relatively short history of our named executive officers with Signature, we have not reviewed or tied retirement benefits to gains realized upon the exercise of common stock options or the sale of restricted common stock.

Compensation Policies

Stock Ownership Guidelines

Prior to March 2015, we did not maintain stock ownership guidelines for our executives and independent directors.  Following the consummation of our transformative Real Alloy Acquisition, and consistent with our Board’s belief that it is important for all of our officers, including officers of our subsidiaries, to acquire and maintain a substantial equity ownership position in our Company, we have established stock ownership guidelines for our officers in order to specifically identify and align the interests of our officers with our stockholders and focus attention on managing our business as an equity owner.  Shares counted as ownership include shares owned outright and time-based restricted stock awards.  Until officers achieve the required stock ownership level, they are required to retain 50% of the net-after-tax shares received from the vesting or exercise of equity compensation.  The current guidelines for officers are as follows:

Title

Multiple of

Base Salary

Chief Executive Officer

5.0 x Base Salary

Executive Vice President

3.0 x Base Salary

Senior Vice President

1.0 x Base Salary

The Compensation Committee has the sole discretion and authority to modify the stock ownership guidelines at any time.


Insider Derivative and Short-Sale Trading Restrictions

In order to avoid any appearance of a conflict of interest and to prevent opportunities for trading in violation of applicable securities laws, the Company’s insider trading policy prohibits our officers, directors and all other employees from engaging in transactions in which they may profit from short-term speculative swings in the value of the Company’s securities. This includes “short sales” (selling borrowed securities that the seller hopes can be purchased at a lower price in the future), “put” and “call” options, straddles, equity swaps or other derivative securities that are linked directly to our common stock. These prohibitions prevent our employees, officers and directors from hedging the economic risk inherent with their ownership of our common stock.  In addition, this policy is designed to ensure compliance with all insider trading rules relating to the Company’s securities.

While we do not prohibit either hedging or monetization transactions involving our securities or holding or pledging our securities in margin accounts, we do require that such officer, director or employee first obtain the consent of our compliance officer prior to entering into any such transaction.

Return and/or Forfeiture of Performance-Based Payments or Awards

As required by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, or of any applicable laws, rules or regulations promulgated by the SEC from time to time, our Board of Directors will, to the extent permitted by applicable law, in all appropriate cases, require reimbursement of any bonus or incentive compensation paid to an employee, cause the cancellation of restricted common stock awards and outstanding common stock options, and seek reimbursement of any gains realized on the exercise of common stock options attributable to such awards, if and to the extent that: (a) the amount of incentive compensation was calculated based upon the achievement of certain financial results that were subsequently reduced due to a restatement; (b) our Board of Directors or an appropriate committee determines that the employee engaged in any fraud or misconduct that caused or contributed to the need for the restatement; and (c) the amount of the bonus or incentive compensation that would have been awarded to the employee had the financial results been properly reported would have been lower than the amount actually awarded.

Timing of Equity Awards

Generally, the Committee makes incentive pay decisions at regularly scheduled Committee and Board of Director meetings.  The Committee may also make compensation determinations at other times during the year for newly-hired executives or in connection with the promotion of existing employees.  The Committee does not time any form of compensation award, including equity-based awards, to coincide with the release of material non-public information.  

Income Tax Consequences

Section 162(m) of the Tax Code generally disallows a tax deduction for annual compensation in excess of $1 million paid to certain executive officers; however, compensation above $1 million is deductible if such compensation is “performance-based” and meets other criteria as specified under Section 162(m) of the Tax Code.

The Committee agrees with the premise of pay-for-performance and it has considered the impact of Section 162(m) on the design of our compensation program.  However, the nature of our business, not the least of which is the impact of metal prices on our results, limits the ability to pre-determine meaningful goals without substantial subsequent discretionary adjustments.  The Committee believes that such discretion is necessary and would not be available as a compensation management tool if incentive payments were to be “performance-based” as defined and required under Section 162(m).  Accordingly, it is not the Committee's goal for all compensation to be deductible by us under Section 162(m).

The Committee will continue to consider and weigh the potential loss of expense deductions against its need for discretion in designing programs for the named executive officers.  The Committee does not expect the loss of any such deductions to have a significant impact on the Company.

Compensation Risk Assessment

The Committee reviews the relationship between our risk management policies and practices and the incentive compensation we provide to our named executive officers to confirm that our incentive compensation does not encourage unnecessary or excessive risks.  Following the transformative Real Alloy Acquisition, we intend to review our compensation programs with regard to the discretion, balance and focus of compensation on the long-term growth and success of the Company. The Committee will also review the relationship between risk management policies and practices, corporate strategy and senior executive compensation.  Accordingly, our intention is to develop a structure in which management can achieve the highest amount of compensation through consistent superior performance over extended periods of time. This will incentivize management to manage the Company for the long-term and to avoid excessive risk-taking in the short-term. With limited exceptions, the Committee retains discretion to modify or eliminate any


incentive awards if the Committee determines such actions are warranted.  Based on its assessment of our compensation policies and practices, the Committee has determined that it is not reasonably likely that Company’s compensation and benefit plans would have a material adverse effect on the Company or enjoins or otherwise prohibits consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and no judicial or administrative proceeding that seeks any such result shall continue to be pending.Company.

(e) All required approvals, licenses and certifications from, and notifications and filings to, governmental entities and non-governmental third parties shall have been obtained or made, as applicable.Employment Arrangements with Named Executive Officers

(f) Holdings shall have been admitted to the OTCQX tier of the OTC Markets and the shares of Holdings Common Stock issuable in the Merger pursuant to Article II and such other shares to be reserved for issuance in connection with the Merger shall have been listed or admitted for quotation on the OTCQX tier of the OTC Markets, subject only to official notice of issuance.Agreements

(g) The Company shall have redeemed all ofhas entered into a term employment agreement with its outstanding 9.0% Notes underChief Executive Officer, Craig T. Bouchard (the “Bouchard Agreement”) reflecting the Indenture, dated as of June 11, 2010, betweenCommittee’s belief that the Company and Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as Trustee.

(h) The Company shall have not received valid written notice of dissent pursuant to Sections 92A.300 to 92A.500 of the Nevada Revised Statutes with respect to more than 15% of the issued and outstanding shares of Common Stock, which notices of dissent have not been waived or otherwise lost as of the Effective Time pursuant to Sections 92A.300 to 92A.500 of the Nevada Revised Statutes.

ARTICLE IV

MISCELLANEOUS

4.1Further Assurances. From time to time, as and when required by Holdings or by its successors or assigns, there shall be executed and delivered on behalf of the Company such deeds and other instruments, and there shall be taken or caused to be taken by Holdings such further and other actions, as shall be appropriate or necessary in order to vest or perfect in or conform of record or otherwise by Holdings the title to and possession of all the property,best interests assets, rights, privileges, immunities, powers, franchises and authority of the Company and otherwiseits stockholders would be served by securing a long-term employment relationship with its Chief Executive Officer at the time of his hire.   Following the expiration of the extended terms of the employment agreements entered into by the Company with its Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Kyle Ross, and its Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary, Christopher Manderson, on July 31, 2014, the Company replaced those agreements on August 1, 2014 with evergreen employment agreements providing for a continuing at-will employment relationship (the “Evergreen Agreements”).  Based on the Company’s businesses, revenues, prospects and potential benefits to carry outbe realized through leveraging the purposes of this Agreement, andCompany’s NOLs to support a business acquisition strategy, the officers and directors of Holdings are fully authorized inCommittee believed that the name and on behalfbest interests of the Company or otherwise to take any and all such actionits stockholders would be served by securing employment relationships with its named executive officers and to execute and deliver any and all such deedsproviding severance and other instruments.

benefits to retain their services.  

Bouchard Employment Arrangements

4.2Abandonment. At any time beforeThe Bouchard Agreement provides for a two-year term subject to automatic renewal unless terminated within thirty (30) days prior to the filingrenewal period. Mr. Bouchard was initially entitled to an annual base salary of $225,000, which was increased in March 2014 to $300,000, retroactive to January 1, 2014.  Additionally, Mr. Bouchard was entitled to earn, on a pro-rated basis, an annual bonus of $100,000 during the term of the CertificateBouchard Agreement if certain common stock price targets were achieved as of Merger withDecember 31, 2013 and 2014.  The common stock target was achieved as of December 31, 2013 and a pro-rated $100,000 bonus was paid to Mr. Bouchard in addition to his discretionary cash award.  In 2014, the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware or the Articles of Merger with the Secretary of State of the State of Nevada, this Agreement may be terminatedcommon stock price target was not achieved and the Merger may be abandoned for any$100,000 bonus was not awarded; however, in consideration of Mr. Bouchard’s efforts in structuring and guiding the Real Alloy Acquisition, he received a discretionary award in 2014 as described above and presented below in the Summary Compensation Table.  The Bouchard Agreement also entitles Mr. Bouchard to participate in all employee benefit plans, programs or arrangements, generally made available to the Company’s senior executives, including, but not limited to, annual discretionary bonus programs, medical, dental and vision plans.

In the event of Mr. Bouchard’s termination of employment (i) by reason whatsoeverof death or disability, (ii) by the Board of Directors of either the Company or Holdings, or both, notwithstanding the approval of this Agreement by the stockholders of the Company or by the sole stockholder of Holdings, or by both.

4.3Amendment. The Boards of Directors of the Parties may amend this Agreement at any time prior tofor “Cause” (as defined below), or (iii) by Mr. Bouchard without a “change in control” event (as defined below), the filingBouchard Agreement provides that Mr. Bouchard will receive from the Company: (a) any earned but unpaid base salary through the date of the Certificate of Merger with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware or the Articles of Merger with the Secretary of State of the State of Nevada, provided that an amendment made subsequent to the adoption and approval of this Agreement and the Merger by the stockholders of either Party shall not (1) alter or change the amount or kind of shares, securities, cash, property and/or rights to be received in exchange for or on conversion of all or any of the sharestermination; (b) reimbursement of any class unreimbursed expenses properly incurred and paid through the date of termination; (c) payment of any accrued but unused vacation time in accordance with Company policy; and (d) such vested accrued benefits, and other benefits and/or series thereof of such Party, (2) alter or changepayments, if any, term of the Certificate of Incorporation of the Surviving Corporationas to which Mr. Bouchard (and his eligible dependents) may be effected by the Merger, or (3) alter or change any ofentitled under, and in accordance with the terms and conditions of, the employee benefit arrangements, plans and programs of the Company as of the date of termination other than any severance payment plan (collectively, the “Amounts and Benefits”).  For the purposes of the Bouchard Agreement, “cause” is defined, subject to certain rights to cure, to include the following:

·

the executive’s willful failure to attempt in good faith to substantially perform the duties of their employment other than due to disability;

·

the executive’s willfully engaging in fraud or other financial dishonesty, including theft or misappropriation of funds or property of the Company, insider trading or any unauthorized attempt to secure personal profit related to the business or from any business opportunities of the Company;

·

the executive’s material breach or violation of the Bouchard Agreement, the Company’s Code of Conduct or other written policies of the Company;

·

the executive’s conviction of, or plea of nolo contendere to, a felony or other crime involving moral turpitude or dishonesty;

·

The Executive’s other willful misconduct, gross negligence or knowing violations of securities laws has or may have a materially adverse impact on the Company, as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors.

Severance is payable in the event that Mr. Bouchard is terminated for reasons other than cause.  See also “Employment Arrangements and Potential Payments upon Termination or Change in Control” below in this proxy statement for more information regarding the severance payments and payments following a change in control.  In the event of Mr. Bouchard’s  termination of employment (i) by the Company without “cause” (other than a termination by reason of death or disability) or (ii) by Mr. Bouchard within the 90-day period following the occurrence of a change in control event, then the Company will pay or provide Mr. Bouchard the Amounts and Benefits and, subject to Mr. Bouchard executing and not revoking a waiver and general release in a form acceptable


to the Company, an amount equal to one year’s base salary in effect as of the date of termination, paid in equal installments over a period of one year from the date of termination in accordance with the usual payroll practices of the Company. In addition, in the event that Mr. Bouchard properly elects to continue health benefit coverage under COBRA, he shall only be responsible to pay the active employee rate for such coverage (the “subsidized rate”) for so long as he remains eligible to receive COBRA continuation coverage and for so long as the subsidized rate is permissible by law and/or would not result in a penalty. If Mr. Bouchard’s employment is terminated in connection with or following the occurrence of a change in control event, the aforementioned severance payments and any other compensation to be received from the Company will be subject to reduction to the extent that such payments would constitute an “excess parachute payment” pursuant to Section 280G of the Tax Code.

The Bouchard Agreement also contains provisions requiring Mr. Bouchard not to solicit the Company’s employees or its customers or clients for a period of one year following his termination.

The terms of Mr. Bouchard’s outstanding award agreements also provide that unvested shares of restricted common stock and common stock options will be accelerated and vest in full upon a “change in control.” For purposes of these agreements, a “change in control” shall be deemed to occur upon a majority of members of the Corporation’s Board of Directors being replaced during any 12-month period by directors whose appointment or election is not endorsed by a majority of the members of the Board of Directors prior to the date of the appointment or election.   See also “Employment Arrangements and Potential Payments upon Termination or Change in Control” below in this proxy statement for more information regarding the acceleration of rights following a change in control.  

Ross Employment Agreement

Mr. Ross entered into an employment agreement dated August 2, 2011, which was amended as of June 4, 2013, and terminated on July 31, 2014 upon its expiration. Upon the expiration of such employment agreement, Mr. Ross and the Company entered into an Evergreen Agreement on August 1, 2014, which provided for the continuation of employment on an at-will basis on the terms of the initial employment agreement, reviewed annually and provided set compensation for Mr. Ross upon separation with the Company but eliminated a set term for the duration of the Evergreen Agreement. The Evergreen Agreement provides Mr. Ross with an annual base salary of $275,000, with such increases as may be determined by the Board from time to time in its sole discretion. Under the Evergreen Agreement, Mr. Ross is eligible to participate in all employee benefit plans, programs or arrangements, generally made available to the Company’s senior executives, including, but not limited to, annual discretionary bonus programs, and medical, dental and vision plans.

Under Mr. Ross’ Evergreen Agreement, in the event of Mr. Ross’ termination of employment (i) by the Company at any time for “cause” (as defined below), or (ii) by Mr. Ross for other than Good Reason (as defined below), Mr. Ross’ Evergreen Agreement will terminate and he will receive the Amounts and Benefits, as described above under “Bouchard Employment Arrangements,” from the Company.  For the purposes of the Evergreen Agreements, “cause” is defined to include the following:

·

the executive’s willful and continued failure or refusal to attempt in good faith to perform the duties of their employment in a reasonably satisfactory manner;

·

the executive’s conviction of, or plea of nolo contendere to, a felony or other crime involving moral turpitude or dishonesty; 

·

the executive’s willfully engaging in misconduct in the performance of their duties, including theft, fraud, embezzlement, securities law violations or violations of the Company’s Code of Conduct or other applicable policies, that is injurious to the Company; or

·

the executive’s willfully engaging in misconduct not in the performance of their duties, including theft, fraud, embezzlement, or securities law violations , that is materially injurious to the Company or is determined in good faith to be potentially materially injurious to the Company by the Board of Directors.

For purposes of the Evergreen Agreements, “Good Reason” is defined to include the following:  

·

a material reduction of the executive’s base salary;

·

a material demotion in position and job duties; 

·

a relocation by more than fifty driving miles from the Company’s current location (unless closer to the executive’s primary residence); or

·

a material breach of the Evergreen Agreement and failure to cure such breach within thirty days.

Pursuant to the Evergreen Agreement entered into in 2014, severance is payable in the event that Mr. Ross is terminated for reasons other than cause.  See also “Employment Arrangements and Potential Payments upon Termination or Change in Control” below in this proxy statement for more information regarding the severance payments and payments following a “change in control”


(as defined below).  In the event of Mr. Ross’ termination of employment (i) by the Company without cause, (ii) by Mr. Ross for Good Reason, (iii) by reason of death or disability, or (iv) by the Company within the 90-day period following the occurrence of a change in control event and without cause, then the Company will pay or provide Mr. Ross the Amounts and Benefits and, subject to Mr. Ross executing and not revoking a waiver and general release, an amount equal to one year’s base salary at the rate in effect as of the date of termination, paid within fifteen (15) days of the date of termination.  For purposes of the Evergreen Agreement, a “change in control” event is defined as:

·

any person becoming the beneficial owner, directly or indirectly, of securities of the Company representing fifty percent (50%) or more of the combined voting power of the Company’s then outstanding securities;

·

the consummation of a merger or consolidation of the Company with any other corporation that results in a change in ownership of more than 50% of the total voting power represented by the voting securities of the Company or approval by the stockholders of the Company of an agreement to sell or dispose of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company; or

·

a change in the composition of the Board, as a result of which fewer than a majority of the directors are directors who either (A) are directors of the Company as of the date of the Evergreen Agreement, or (B) are elected, or nominated for election, to the Board with the affirmative votes of at least a majority of the continuing directors at the time of such election or nomination (but shall not include an individual whose election or nomination is in connection with an actual or threatened proxy contest relating to the election of directors to the Company).

In addition, in the event that Mr. Ross properly elects to continue health benefit coverage under COBRA, he shall only be responsible to pay the subsidized rate for so long as he remains eligible to receive COBRA continuation coverage and for so long as the subsidized rate is permissible by law and/or would not result in a penalty.   

Pursuant to his initial employment agreement and subject to the terms of the Former Plan and the respective award agreements, Mr. Ross was granted awards of restricted common stock and options to acquire common stock, with respect to which 81,000 options to purchase shares of our common stock vested in 2014.

W. Christopher Manderson Employment Agreement

Mr. Manderson entered into an employment agreement dated as of November 5, 2012, which was amended as of June 4, 2013, and terminated on July 31, 2014 upon its expiration.  Upon the expiration of such employment agreement, Mr. Manderson and the Company entered into an Evergreen Agreement, dated August 1, 2014, which provided for the continuation of employment on an at-will basis on the terms of the employment agreement, reviewed annually and provided set compensation for Mr. Manderson upon separation with the Company but eliminated a set term for the duration of the employment agreement.  The Evergreen Agreement provides Mr. Manderson with an annual base salary of $270,000, with such increases as may be determined by the Board from time to time in its sole discretion. Under the Evergreen Agreement, Mr. Manderson is eligible to participate in all employee benefit plans, programs or arrangements, generally made available to the Company’s senior executives, including, but not limited to, annual discretionary bonus programs, and medical, dental and vision plans.

Under Mr. Manderson’s Evergreen Agreement, in the event of Mr. Manderson’s termination of employment (i) by the Company at any time for “cause,” or (ii) by Mr. Manderson for other than Good Reason, Mr. Manderson’s Evergreen Agreement will terminate and he will receive the Amounts and Benefits from the Company.

Pursuant to the Evergreen Agreement entered into in 2014, severance is payable in the event that Mr. Manderson is terminated for reasons other than cause.  See also “Employment Arrangements and Potential Payments upon Termination or Change in Control” below in this proxy statement for more information regarding the severance payments and payments following a change in control.  In the event of Mr. Manderson’s termination of employment (i) by the Company without cause, (ii) by Mr. Manderson for Good Reason, (iii) by reason of death or disability, or (iv) by the Company within the 90-day period following the occurrence of a change in control event and without cause, then the Company will pay or provide Mr. Manderson the Amounts and Benefits and, subject to Mr. Manderson executing and not revoking a waiver and general release, an amount equal to one year’s base salary at the rate in effect as of the date of termination, paid within fifteen (15) days  from the date of termination.  In addition, in the event that Mr. Manderson properly elects to continue health benefit coverage under COBRA, he shall only be responsible to pay the subsidized rate for so long as he remains eligible to receive COBRA continuation coverage and for so long as the subsidized rate is permissible by law and/or would not result in a penalty.  

Pursuant to his initial employment agreement and subject to the terms of the Former Plan and the respective award agreements, Mr. Manderson was granted awards of restricted common stock and options to acquire common stock, with respect to which 37,800 options to purchase shares of our common stock vested in 2014.


Severance and Change in Control Benefits

Our policy is to provide certain severance and change in control protections to our named executive officers based on competitive practice in the industry.  As incorporated into the Bouchard Agreement and the Evergreen Agreements with Messrs. Ross and Manderson, we believe that providing our named executive officers with specified benefits in the event of termination of employment under certain circumstances (such as by the Company without cause) or in connection with a change in control of the Company, helps us to retain executives and maintain leadership stability.   These arrangements have been intended to attract and retain qualified executives that could have other job alternatives that may appear to them to be less risky absent these arrangements.  Furthermore, we believe the change in control protections serve to maximize stockholder value by creating incentives for named executive officers to explore strategic transactions and work to bring such transactions to fruition, if appropriate.

Severance benefits under the Evergreen Agreements for Messrs. Ross and Manderson following a change in control event are only provided on a “double trigger” basis, meaning that payment of the benefit is not awarded unless the executive’s employment is terminated by the Company without cause or by the executive upon certain enumerated changes in the Evergreen Agreements (as specified in the applicable agreement or plan) within an agreed period following the transaction.

We believe the double trigger vesting structure strikes a balance between the incentives and the executive hiring and retention effects described above, without providing these benefits to executives who continue to enjoy employment with an acquiring company in the event of a change in control transaction.  We also believe this structure is more attractive to potential acquiring companies, who may place significant value on retaining members of our executive management and who may perceive this goal to be undermined if executives receive significant acceleration payments in connection with such alterationa transaction and are no longer required to continue employment to earn these payments.

Provisions of these arrangements for our named executive officers that relate to severance pay and termination benefits (including upon a change in control) are described below in further detail below in the section entitled “Employment Arrangements and Potential Payments upon Termination or Change in Control”.

COMPENSATION COMMITTEE REPORT

The Compensation Committee has reviewed and discussed the Compensation Discussion and Analysis set forth in this proxy statement with the Company management and based on such review and discussions, the Compensation Committee recommended to the Company’s Board of Directors that the Compensation Discussion and Analysis be included in the Company’s 2014 Annual Report on Form 10-K and Company’s 2015 proxy statement.

Respectfully Submitted,

The Compensation Committee 

Peter C.B. Bynoe (Chair)
Raj Maheshwari

Philip G. Tinkler



The table below presents information regarding the compensation earned during the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013 by (i) Mr. Bouchard, who has served as our Chief Executive Officer since June 2013; (ii) Mr. Ross, who served as our Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer in 2012, 2013 and 2014; and (iii) Mr. Manderson, who has served as our Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary since November 2012.

Summary Compensation Table

Name and

Principal Position

 

Year

 

Salary

 

 

Bonus

 

 

Restricted Common Stock Awards(1)

 

 

Stock Option Awards(1)

 

 

All Other Compensation

 

 

Total

 

Craig T. Bouchard(2)

 

2014

 

$

300,000

 

 

$

175,000

 

 

$

175,001

 

 

$

 

 

$

10,400

 

 

$

660,401

 

Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer (PEO)

 

2013

 

 

125,336

 

 

 

100,000

 

 

 

292,500

 

 

 

549,714

 

 

 

4,500

 

 

 

1,072,050

 

Kyle Ross(3)

 

2014

 

 

275,000

 

 

 

137,500

 

 

 

137,504

 

 

 

 

 

 

12,544

 

 

 

562,548

 

Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (PFO and

 

2013

 

 

275,000

 

 

 

75,000

 

 

 

75,000

 

 

 

 

 

 

13,482

 

 

 

438,482

 

PAO)

 

2012

 

 

275,000

 

 

 

91,713

 

 

 

25,469

 

 

 

 

 

 

10,000

 

 

 

402,182

 

W. Christopher Manderson(4)

 

2014

 

 

270,000

 

 

 

25,000

 

 

 

25,000

 

 

 

 

 

 

30,860

 

 

 

350,860

 

Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary

 

2013

 

 

270,000

 

 

 

75,000

 

 

 

75,000

 

 

 

 

 

 

11,850

 

 

 

431,850

 

 

 

2012

 

 

38,942

 

 

 

 

 

 

85,800

 

 

 

125,000

 

 

 

900

 

 

 

250,642

 

(1)

The value of restricted common stock awards and common stock option awards granted represents the aggregate grant date fair value as computed pursuant to ASC 718. For additional information about equity grants, see Note 12—Share-based Payments and Employee Benefits in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part IV, Item 15 of our Annual Report.

(2)

Mr. Bouchard was appointed Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer on June 4, 2013. In connection with his appointment, Mr. Bouchard entered into the Bouchard Agreement, a restricted common stock agreement and nonqualified stock option agreement. Pursuant to these agreements, on June 5, 2013, Mr. Bouchard was granted (i) 25,000 shares of our restricted common stock with a grant date fair value of $6.70 per share, which vested in full on January 1, 2014, (ii) options to purchase 50,000 shares of our common stock with an above fair market value exercise price of $8.50 per share, which vested in full on December 5, 2013, and (iii) options to purchase 150,000 shares of our common stock with an above fair market value exercise price of $10.00 per share, which vest in three equal tranches on June 5, 2014, December 5, 2014 and June 5, 2015, provided that, for the final tranche, either (x) the Company’s common stock price has been trading above $12.50 per share for ten of the twenty trading days prior to June 5, 2015, or (y) if the weighted average trading price for the ten trading day period immediately preceding the last trading day immediately preceding June 5, 2015 averages or exceeds $12.50 per share. The Bouchard Agreement further provides that a pro rated $100,000 cash bonus (“Cash Bonus”) would be earned as of December 31, 2013 and 2014, if the closing price of our common stock exceeded $10.00 per share for ten of the twenty days prior to December 31, 2013 ($12.50 for December 31, 2014) or if the weighted average trading price for the ten trading day period prior to December 31, 2013 equaled or exceeded $10.00 per share ($12.50 for December 31, 2014). Pursuant to the terms of the Bouchard Agreement, Mr. Bouchard earned the 2013 cash bonus, totaling $57,808. Mr. Bouchard also participated in the Company’s annual discretionary bonus program in 2013 and 2014.  For 2014, Mr. Bouchard was awarded a $175,000 cash bonus and 26,677 shares of the Company’s restricted common stock with a grant date fair value of $175,001 (based on an estimated grant date fair value of $6.56 per share), which shares vest in equal annual installments over three years.  For 2013, Mr. Bouchard was awarded a $42,192 discretionary cash bonus and 12,500 shares of the Company’s restricted common stock with a grant date fair value of $125,000, which shares vest in equal annual installments over three years. All other compensation for Mr. Bouchard consists of employer matching 401(k) contributions totaling $10,400 and $4,500 in 2014 and 2013, respectively.

(3)

Mr. Ross participated in the Company’s annual discretionary bonus program in 2012, 2013 and 2014.  For 2014, Mr. Ross was awarded a $137,500 cash bonus and 20,961 shares of the Company’s restricted common stock with a grant date fair value of $137,504 (based on an estimated grant date fair value of $6.56 per share), which shares vest in equal annual installments over three years.  For 2013, Mr. Ross was awarded a $75,000 cash bonus and 7,500 shares of the Company’s restricted common stock with a grant date fair value of $75,000, which shares vest in equal annual installments over three years. For 2012, Mr. Ross was awarded a $91,713 cash bonus and 5,724 shares of restricted common stock with a grant date fair value of $4.40 per share, which shares vested immediately. All other compensation for Mr. Ross consists of employer matching 401(k) contributions totaling $10,400, $10,200 and $10,000 in 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively, and executive health benefits totaling $2,144 and $3,282 in 2014 and 2013, respectively.


(4)

Mr. Manderson participated in the Company’s annual discretionary bonus program in 2013 and 2014.  For 2014, Mr. Manderson was awarded a $25,000 cash bonus and 3,811 shares of the Company’s restricted common stock with a grant date fair value of $25,000 (based on an estimated grant date fair value of $6.56 per share), which shares vest in equal annual installments over three years.  For 2013, Mr. Manderson was awarded a $75,000 cash bonus and 7,500 shares of the Company’s restricted common stock with a grant date fair value of $75,000, which shares vest in equal annual installments over three years. For 2012, in connection with his employment agreement, Mr. Manderson was granted (i) 19,000 shares of restricted common stock with a grant date fair value of $85,800, which shares vested on December 31, 2013, and options to purchase 75,600 shares of common stock with a grant date fair value of $125,000, of which 18,900 shares vested on each of May 5, 2013, January 1, 2014 and May 5, 2014; the remaining 18,900 shares are scheduled to vest on May 5, 2015.  All other compensation for Mr. Manderson consists of employer matching 401(k) contributions totaling $10,400, $10,200 and $900 in 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively, health club membership fees totaling $2,800 and $1,650 in 2014 and 2013, respectively, and executive health benefits totaling $17,660 in 2014.

Grants of Plan-Based Awards

The following table provides information about grants of equity awards made under the Former Plan in the year ended December 31, 2014.

 

 

 

 

Estimated future payouts under

non-equity incentive plan awards

 

 

Estimated future payouts under

equity incentive plan awards

 

 

All other stock awards: Number of shares of stock or units (#)

 

 

All other option awards: Number of securities underlying options (#)

 

 

Exercise or base price of option awards ($/Sh)

 

 

Grant date fair value of stock and option awards

 

Name

 

Grant Date

 

Threshold ($)

 

 

Target ($)

 

 

Maximum ($)

 

 

Threshold (#)

 

 

Target (#)

 

 

Maximum (#)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Craig T. Bouchard

 

2/24/14

 

$

 

 

$

 

 

$

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

12,500

 

 

 

 

 

$

 

 

$

125,000

 

Kyle Ross

 

2/24/14

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7,500

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

75,000

 

W. Christopher Manderson

 

2/24/14

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7,500

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

75,000

 

Option Exercises and Stock Vested

The following table provides information about common stock options exercised and restricted common stock that vested during the year ended December 31, 2014:

 

 

Common Stock Option Awards

 

 

Restricted Common Stock Awards

 

Name

 

Number of shares acquired on exercise (#)

 

 

Value realized on exercise ($)

 

 

Number of shares acquired on vesting

 

 

Value realized on vesting ($)

 

Craig T. Bouchard

 

 

 

 

$

 

 

 

25,000

 

 

$

178,750

 

Kyle Ross

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

W. Christopher Manderson

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Outstanding Equity Awards

The following table shows the equity awards that have been previously awarded to each of the named executive officers and which remain outstanding as of December 31, 2014.

 

 

Option Awards

 

Restricted Stock Awards

 

Named Executive

 

Number of Securities Underlying Unexercised Options - Exercisable

 

 

Number of Securities Underlying Unexercised Options - Unexercisable

 

 

 

Option Exercise Price

 

 

 

Option Expiration Date

 

Number of Shares or Units of Restricted Common Stock that Have Not Vested

 

 

 

Market Value of Shares or Units of Restricted Common Stock that Have Not Vested(1)

 

Craig T. Bouchard

 

 

150,000

 

 

 

50,000

 

(2)

 

$

9.63

 

(2)

 

6/5/23

 

 

12,500

 

(3)

 

$

89,375

 

Kyle Ross

 

 

162,000

 

 

 

 

(4)

 

 

5.72

 

 

 

8/8/21

 

 

7,500

 

(3)

 

 

53,625

 

W. Christopher Manderson

 

 

56,700

 

 

 

18,900

 

(5)

 

 

4.40

 

 

 

11/5/22

 

 

7,500

 

(3)

 

 

53,625

 

(1)

The market value of shares of restricted common stock that have not vested is calculated based on $7.15 per share, the closing price of our common stock on December 31, 2014, as reported by OTCQX under the trading symbol “SGGH.”

(2)

The option award was granted on June 5, 2013 and vested as follows: (i) 25% on December 5, 2013; (ii) 25% on June 5, 2014; and (iii) 25% on December 5, 2014.  The final 25% will vest on June 5, 2015, provided that either (x) the Company’s stock price has been trading above $12.50 per share for ten of the twenty trading days prior to June 5, 2015, or (y) if the weighted average trading price for the ten trading day period immediately preceding the last trading day immediately preceding June 5, 2015 averages or exceeds $12.50 per share. The exercise prices under the option award are as follows; (i) $8.50 per share on the tranche vesting on December 5, 2013; and (ii) $10.00 per share on the tranches vesting thereafter, resulting in a weighted average exercise price of $9.63 per share.

(3)

The restricted common stock awards were granted on February 24, 2014 and vest in equal installments on February 24, 2015, 2016 and 2017.

(4)

The option award was granted on August 8, 2011 and is fully vested. Options to purchase 81,000 shares of common stock vested during the year ended December 31, 2014.

(5)

The option award was granted on November 5, 2012 and 25% of the total shares awarded vested on each of May 5, 2013; January 1, 2014; and May 5, 2014; and the final 25% of the total shares awarded vests on May 5, 2015.

Employment Arrangements and Potential Payments upon Termination or Change in Control

The Company provides severance and change in control arrangements in the employment agreements it has executed with its named executive officers, as discussed in the sections titled “Employment Arrangements with Named Executive Officers” and “Employment Arrangements and Potential Payments upon Termination or Change in Control” in this Proxy Statement.  Below is a summary of the payments that the Company’s named executive officers would adversely affecthave received in the holdersevent of termination or a change in control on December 31, 2014.

Involuntary Termination Other Than for Cause or Upon, or Within Ninety Days of, Change in Control

Named Executive Officer

 

Salary

 

 

Restricted Common Stock(1)

 

 

Common Stock Options(2)

 

 

Total

 

Craig T. Bouchard

 

$

300,000

 

 

$

89,375

 

 

$

 

 

$

389,375

 

Kyle Ross

 

 

275,000

 

 

 

53,625

 

 

 

 

 

 

328,625

 

W. Christopher Manderson

 

 

270,000

 

 

 

53,625

 

 

 

51,975

 

 

 

375,600

 

(1)

Under the Former Plan, all of the Company’s named executive officers’ shares of unvested restricted common stock vest immediately upon a termination that occurs within ninety days of a change in control.  The value of the potential payment related to restricted common stock is based on the $7.15 closing price of the Company’s common stock on December 31, 2014 and the number of shares of restricted common stock that would have vested.


(2)

Under the Former Plan, all of the Company’s named executive officers’ unvested common stock options vest immediately upon a termination that occurs within ninety days of a change of control. The value of the potential payment related to common stock options is based on the $7.15 closing price of the Company’s common stock on December 31, 2014, the exercise price of unvested common stock options, and the number of common stock options that would have vested. As of December 31, 2014, Mr. Bouchard held 50,000 unvested options to purchase common stock with an exercise price in excess of $7.15 per share; Mr. Ross did not hold any unvested common stock options; and Mr. Manderson held unvested options to purchase 18,900 shares of common stock with an exercise price of less than $7.15 per share.

Involuntary Termination Other Than for Cause or Upon, or Within Ninety Days of, Change in Control

Named Executive Officer

 

Salary

 

 

Restricted Common Stock(1)

 

 

Common Stock Options(2)

 

 

Total

 

Craig T. Bouchard

 

$

300,000

 

 

$

89,375

 

 

$

 

 

$

389,375

 

Kyle Ross

 

 

275,000

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

275,000

 

W. Christopher Manderson

 

 

270,000

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

270,000

 

(1)

All of Mr. Bouchard’s unvested shares of restricted common stock, awarded under the Former Plan, vest immediately upon an involuntary termination other than for cause (but excluding any termination within ninety days of a change in control).  The value of the potential payment related to restricted common stock is based on the $7.15 closing price of the Company’s common stock on December 31, 2014 and the number of shares of restricted common stock that would have vested. Under the Former Plan, Messrs. Ross and Manderson are not entitled to any acceleration or the vesting of any of their shares of restricted common stock in the event of a termination, which does not occur within ninety days of a change of control.

(2)

All of Mr. Bouchard’s unvested common stock options, awarded under the Former Plan, vest immediately upon an involuntary termination other than for cause (but excluding any termination within ninety days of a change in control). The value of the potential payment related to common stock options is based on the $7.15 closing price of the Company’s common stock on December 31, 2014, the exercise price of unvested common stock options, and the number of common stock options that would have vested.  As of December 31, 2014, Mr. Bouchard did not hold any unvested common stock options that had an exercise price less than $7.15 per share.  Under the Former Plan, Messrs. Ross and Manderson are not entitled to any acceleration or the vesting of any of their unvested options in the event of a termination that does not occur within ninety days of a change of control.

Payments Upon Death or Disability

Under the terms of Mr. Bouchard’s employment agreement, if Mr. Bouchard dies or becomes permanently disabled (as determined pursuant to the terms of the Company’s long-term disability plan then in effect) while he is employed, the employment relationship created pursuant to his employment agreement with the Company will immediately terminate and no further compensation for service will become payable to Mr. Bouchard.  On the occurrence of such an event, the Company will only be required to pay to Mr. Bouchard or his estate, as applicable, his Amounts and Benefits, as discussed in the section titled “Employment Arrangements with Named Executive Officers.

Under the terms of each of their respective Evergreen Agreements, if Messrs. Ross or Manderson die or become permanently disabled (as determined pursuant to the terms of the Company’s long-term disability plan then in effect) while they are employed, the employment relationship created pursuant to each of their respective Evergreen Agreements will immediately terminate and an amount equal to one year of their then current base salary will become payable to such named executive officer or their estate, as applicable.  On the occurrence of such an event, the Company will also be required to pay to Messrs. Ross or Manderson or their estate, as applicable, their respective Amounts and Benefits, as discussed in the section titled “Employment Arrangements with Named Executive Officers.



SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF MANAGEMENT AND CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS

The table below sets forth certain information regarding beneficial ownership of our common stock as of April 6, 2015 by (i) each of our directors and director nominees, (ii) each of the named executive officers, (iii) all of our directors and executive officers as a group, and (iv) each person, or group of affiliated persons, known to us to beneficially own more than 5% of our outstanding common stock. To our knowledge, except as otherwise indicated below, each of the persons named in the table has sole voting and investment power with respect to all shares beneficially owned, subject to applicable community property and similar laws.

Beneficial ownership is determined in accordance with the rules of the Commission. In computing the number of shares beneficially owned by a person and the percentage ownership of that person, shares of common stock subject to options, warrants, or other rights held by that person that were exercisable as of April 6, 2015, or will become exercisable within 60 days after April 6, 2015, are deemed outstanding, but such shares are not deemed outstanding for purposes of computing the percentage ownership of any other person.

Name and Address of Beneficial Owner(1)

 

Number of Shares

 

 

Percentage of Class(2)

Executive Officers, Directors and Director Nominees:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Craig T. Bouchard(3)

 

 

465,542

 

 

 

1.7

 

%

Kyle Ross(4)

 

 

484,332

 

 

 

1.7

 

%

W. Christopher Manderson(5)

 

 

121,099

 

 

*

 

%

Peter C.B Bynoe(6)

 

 

44,788

 

 

*

 

%

Patrick Deconinck(7)

 

 

 

 

*

 

%

William Hall(7)

 

 

 

 

*

 

%

Patrick E. Lamb(6)

 

 

75,036

 

 

*

 

%

Raj Maheshwari(6)

 

 

247,987

��

 

*

 

%

Philip G. Tinkler(6)

 

 

66,473

 

 

*

 

%

All current Executive Officers and Directors as a group (nine persons)(8)

 

 

1,554,117

 

 

 

5.6

 

%

Holders of More Than 5% of Outstanding Shares:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hotchkis & Wiley Capital Management(9)

 

 

3,264,524

 

 

 

12.0

 

%

Zell Credit Opportunities Master Fund, L.P.; Chai Trust Company, LLC(10)

 

 

1,862,208

 

 

 

6.8

 

%

 * Less than 1.0%

(1)

The address of each of the directors and executive officers is 15301 Ventura Boulevard, Suite 400, Sherman Oaks, California 91403.

(2)

Based on 27,300,606 shares of common stock outstanding as of April 6, 2015, as adjusted on an individual or group basis for any options, warrants, or other rights held by such person(s) that were exercisable as of April 6, 2015 or will become exercisable within sixty days after April 6, 2015.

(3)

Includes (i) 178,219 shares held through Bouchard 10S, LLC, and (ii) options to acquire 200,000 shares of common stock, exercisable within 60 days of April 6, 2015, granted pursuant to Mr. Bouchard’s employment agreement. The final tranche of 50,000 options is scheduled to vest on June 5, 2015 and is subject to certain performance targets associated with Signature’s common stock. Also includes 8,333 shares of unvested restricted common stock, scheduled to vest in equal installments on February 24, 2016 and 2017; 26,677 shares of unvested restricted common stock, scheduled to vest in equal installments on February 6, 2016, 2017 and 2018; and 48,146 shares of unvested restricted common stock, scheduled to vest in equal installments on February 27, 2016, 2017, and 2018. All of the restricted common stock is entitled to cash dividends and voting rights even though such shares are not vested.

(4)

Includes (i) 233,750 shares underlying warrants exercisable within 60 days of April 6, 2015 held though the Ross Family Trust, and (ii) options to acquire 162,000 shares of common stock, exercisable within 60 days of April 6, 2015, granted pursuant to Mr. Ross’ initial employment agreement.  Also includes 5,000 shares of unvested restricted common stock, scheduled to vest in equal installments on February 24, 2016 and 2017; 20,961 shares of unvested restricted common stock, scheduled to vest in equal installments on February 6, 2016, 2017 and 2018; and 18,724 shares of unvested restricted common stock, scheduled to vest in equal installments on February 27, 2016, 2017 and 2018. All of the restricted common stock is entitled to cash dividends and voting rights even though such shares are not vested.

(5)

Includes (i) 16,667 shares underlying warrants exercisable within 60 days of April 6, 2015 held though Signature Group Holdings, LLC (the “LLC”), of which Mr. Manderson is one of the five beneficiary nominees, and (ii) options to acquire 75,600 shares of common stock, exercisable within 60 days of April 6, 2015, granted pursuant to Mr. Manderson’s initial employment agreement. Also includes 5,000 shares of unvested restricted common stock, scheduled to vest in equal


installments on February 24, 2016 and 2017; 3,811 shares of unvested restricted common stock, scheduled to vest in equal installments on February 6, 2016, 2017 and 2018; and 5,350 shares of unvested restricted common stock, scheduled to vest in equal installments on February 27, 2016, 2017, and 2018. All restricted common stock is entitled to cash dividends and voting rights even though such shares are not vested.

(6)

Includes 10,490 shares of unvested restricted common stock, scheduled to vest on January 1, 2016, which are entitled to cash dividends and voting rights even though such shares are not vested.

(7)

Director nominees.

(8)

Includes 48,860 shares of unvested restricted common stock held by individuals that were designated executive officers in 2015.

(9)

Pursuant to a Schedule 13G/A filed with the SEC on February 13, 2015, as supplemented by a letter dated March 19, 2015 from its counsel, Hotchkis and Wiley Capital Management, LLC (“HWCM”) reported that, as of March 19, 2015, it had sole dispositive power with respect to 2,100,100 shares, and, as of February 13, 2015, it had sole voting power with regard to 2,003,700 of such shares, with certain of its clients having retained voting power over the shares that they beneficially own.  Furthermore, in addition to those shares disclosed in the February 13, 2015 Schedule 13G/A, Hotchkis and Wiley Small Cap Value Fund acquired shares in the Company’s Rights Offering consummated February 27, 2015, as approved by the Company’s Board because of the Tax Benefit Preservation Provision of the Bylaws and enforced by the mechanics of the Rights Offering, and HWCM has confirmed in a letter dated March 19, 2015 that as of that date, Hotchkis and Wiley Small Cap Value Fund had sole dispositive and voting power with respect to 2,518,824 shares.  The business address of HWCM is 725 S. Figueroa Street 39th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90017.

(10)

Pursuant to a Schedule 13D filed with the SEC on February 27, 2015, Zell Credit Opportunities Master Fund, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership (“Master Fund”), and Chai Trust Company, LLC, an Illinois limited liability company (“Chai Trust”), reported that, as of February 27, 2015, they had shared dispositive and voting power with respect to the shares. Master Fund is a limited partnership, the general partner of which is Chai Trust. Philip G. Tinkler, one of our directors, is the Chief Financial Officer of Chai Trust. The business address of Master Fund and Chai Trust is Two North Riverside Plaza, Suite 600, Chicago, Illinois 60606.



AUDIT INFORMATION

Fees Paid to Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

The Company’s independent auditor for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013 was Squar, Milner, Peterson, Miranda & Williamson, LLP (“Squar Milner”), an independent registered public accounting firm. The following table presents the aggregate fees billed to us for such years by Squar Milner for the indicated services:

 

 

Year Ended December 31,

 

 

 

2014

 

 

2013

 

Audit fees

 

$

473,200

 

 

$

718,080

 

Audit-related fees

 

 

166,400

 

 

 

41,060

 

Tax fees

 

 

 

 

 

 

All other fees

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

$

639,600

 

 

$

759,140

 

Audit Fees. Audit fees consist of fees for professional services rendered in connection with the audit of our annual consolidated financial statements, the review of the consolidated financial statements included in our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and other regulatory filings, the stand-alone audit of the annual financial statements for our Industrial Supply segment (in 2013) and the audit of our internal control over financial reporting (in 2014 and 2013).

Audit-Related Fees. Audit-related fees consist of fees for professional services, including assurance and related services that are reasonably related to the performance of the audit or review of our consolidated financial statements but are not reported under “Audit Fees.” For 2014, audit-related fees included services provided in connection with prospectus supplements for registration statements filed related to our primary equity offering completed on December 19, 2014, and for 2013, audit-related fees included services provided in connection with registration statements on Form S-3 and Form S-4, all filed by the Company with the SEC.

Tax Fees. Tax fees consist of fees for tax compliance, tax analysis, tax advice and tax planning services, including the preparation of federal, state and international tax returns, and for tax consultations, including tax planning and federal, state and international tax advice. Squar Milner performed no such services for Signature for the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013.

All Other Fees. All other fees are fees for any services not included in the first three categories. There were no fees billed to us by Squar Milner in this category in 2013 or 2014.

Audit Committee Pre-Approval Policies and Procedures

The prior approval of the Audit Committee was obtained for all services provided by Squar Milner for 2014. Such pre-approval was given as part of the Audit Committee’s approval of the scope of the engagement of the independent auditor, on an individual basis or pursuant to policies and procedures established by the Audit Committee in accordance with Section 2-01 of Regulation S-X of the Commission.


REPORT OF THE AUDIT COMMITTEE

The Audit Committee reviews the Company’s financial reporting process on behalf of the Board. Management has the primary responsibility for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting, for preparing the financial statements and for the public reporting process. Squar Milner, the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm for 2014, was responsible for expressing an opinion on the conformity of the Company’s consolidated financial statements with generally accepted accounting principles and on the operating effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting.

In this context, the committee has reviewed and discussed with management the audited consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2014. The committee has discussed with Squar Milner the matters required to be discussed by Statement on Auditing Standards No. 61, as amended (AICPA, Professional Standards, Vol. 1 AU Section 380), as adopted by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board in Rule 3200T as well as other relevant standards. Squar Milner has provided to the committee the written disclosures and the letter required by applicable requirements of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board regarding the independent registered public accounting firm’s communications with the Audit Committee concerning independence, and the committee has discussed with Squar Milner that firm’s independence. The Audit Committee has concluded that Squar Milner’s provision of audit and non-audit services to the Company and its affiliates is compatible with Squar Milner’s independence.

Based on the review and discussions referred to above, the Audit Committee recommended to our Board of Directors (and the Board approved) that the audited consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2014 be included in the Annual Report for filing with the Commission. This report is provided by the following directors, who comprised the Audit Committee as of the date of the review and recommendation referred to above:

Respectfully Submitted,

The Audit Committee 

Patrick E. Lamb (Chair)
Peter C.B.Bynoe

Philip G. Tinkler



CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS

Since January 1, 2014, there has not been, nor is there any proposed transaction, where we (or any of our subsidiaries) were or will be a party in which the amount involved exceeded or will exceed the lesser of $120,000 or one percent of the average of the Company’s total assets at year end for the last two fiscal years and in which any director, director nominee, executive officer, holder of more than 5% of any class of sharesour voting securities, or series thereofany member of the immediate family of any of the foregoing persons had or will have a direct or indirect material interest.

SECTION 16(a) BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP REPORTING COMPLIANCE

Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act requires our directors, executive officers and persons who own more than 10% of our common stock (collectively, “Reporting Persons”) to file reports of ownership and changes in ownership of common stock and other securities of the Company on Forms 3, 4 and 5 with the SEC. Reporting Persons are required, by SEC regulations, to furnish the Company with copies of all Section 16(a) forms they file. Specific due dates for these reports have been established, and we are required to report any failure to file by such Party.dates by a Reporting Person. Based solely on our review of reports received by us or written representations from the Reporting Persons, we believe that all of the Reporting Persons complied timely with all applicable Section 16(a) filing requirements.

4.4PartiesOTHER MATTERS

Other Matters Brought Before the Annual Meeting

The Board of Directors does not presently intend to bring any other business before the Annual Meeting, and, we are not aware of any matters to be presented, other than those described in Interest. This Agreement shall be binding upon and insure solelythis proxy statement. However if any business matters other than those referred to in this proxy statement should properly come before the Annual Meeting, the persons named in the proxy will, to the benefitextent permitted by applicable rules of the PartiesCommission, use their discretion to determine how to vote your shares.

Proxy Solicitation

The cost of soliciting proxies on behalf of the Board of Directors will be borne by Signature. These costs will include the expense of preparing, assembling, printing and their respective successorsmailing the Notice, this proxy statement and assigns and nothing herein, express or implied, is intended or shall confer upon any other personmaterial used in the Board’s solicitation of proxies to stockholders of record and beneficial owners, and reimbursements paid to banks, brokerage firms, custodians and others for their reasonable out-of-pocket expenses for forwarding proxy materials to stockholders and obtaining beneficial owners’ voting instructions.

We have retained Morrow as our proxy solicitor in conjunction with the Annual Meeting for an estimated fee of $15,000, plus reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses. Morrow expects that approximately 7 of its employees will assist in the solicitation; however, Morrow has indicated that if a contest is initiated, up to 40 of their employees may assist in the solicitation.

In addition to solicitations by Morrow and solicitations of proxies by mail, solicitations may be made personally, by telephone, fax, or entityother electronic means by our directors and officers and regular employees, who will not be additionally compensated for any right, benefitsuch services. Stockholders voting via the telephone or remedy of any nature whatsoever underInternet should understand that there may be costs associated with telephonic or by reason of this Agreement.

4.5Governing Law. This Agreement shallelectronic access, such as usage charges from telephone companies and Internet access providers, which must be governedborne by the lawsstockholder.

CERTAIN INFORMATION REGARDING PARTICIPANTS IN THE SOLICITATION OF PROXIES

Under applicable SEC rules and regulations, the members of the StateBoard of Delaware without regardDirectors and certain executive officers of the Company are “participants” with respect to the conflictsCompany’s solicitation of laws principles thereof that could causeproxies in connection with the applicationAnnual Meeting.

By order of the lawsBoard of another state or jurisdiction.Directors,

4.6Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an originalW. Christopher Manderson

Corporate Secretary and all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument.

4.7Severability. The provisions of this Agreement are severable, and in the event any provision hereof is determined to be invalid or unenforceable, such invalidity or unenforceability shall not in any way affect the validity or enforceability of the remaining provisions hereof.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties have caused this Agreement to be executed by their respective officers hereunto duly authorized, all as of the date first written above.General Counsel

 

SGH HOLDCO, INC.

a Delaware corporation

By:/s/ Chris Manderson

Name:Chris Manderson
Title:Secretary

SIGNATURE GROUP HOLDINGS, INC.

a Nevada corporation

By:/s/ Craig T. Bouchard
Name:Craig T. Bouchard
Title:Chief Executive Officer

SGH MERGER SUB, LLC

a Delaware limited liability company

By:/s/ Chris Manderson
Name:Chris Manderson
Title:Secretary

Appendix A

ANNEX BCERTIFICATE OF AMENDMENT

HOLDINGS CHARTERTO

SECOND AMENDED AND RESTATED

CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION

OF

SGH HOLDCO,SIGNATURE GROUP HOLDINGS, INC.

SGH Holdco,Signature Group Holdings, Inc. (the “Corporation”), a corporation organized and existing under the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the “DGCL”), does hereby certify as follows:

1. The name of the Corporation is SGH Holdco,Signature Group Holdings, Inc.  The Corporation was originally incorporated under the name SGH Holdco, Inc., pursuant to the original Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation (the “Original Certificate of Incorporation”) filed with the office of the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware on September 27, 2013, as amended and restated by the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation filed with the office of the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware on November 25, 2013, as amended and restated by the Second and Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation (the “Charter”) filed with the office of the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware on December 30, 2013.

2. This Amendment to the Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (this “Certificate of Incorporation”“Amendment”) was duly adopted by the Board of Directors of the Corporation (the “Board of Directors”) and by the stockholders of the Corporation in accordance with Sections 228 242 and 245242 of the DGCL.

3. This Certificate of Incorporation restates and integrates and further amendsAmendment shall amend the Original Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation, as heretofore amended or supplemented.

4. The text of the Original Certificate of Incorporation is amended and restatedCharter by deleting Article I in its entirety and replacing it as follows:

ARTICLE I

NAME

The name of the corporation is SGH HOLDCO, INC.Real Industry, Inc. (the “Corporation”).

ARTICLE II

REGISTERED AGENT AND ADDRESS


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, Signature Group Holdings, Inc. has caused its corporate seal to be hereunto affixed and this Amendment to the Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation to be signed by its President and attested to by its Secretary this [   ] day of [     ], 2015.

SIGNATURE GROUP HOLDINGS, INC.

/s/ Craig T. Bouchard

Craig T. Bouchard

President

ATTEST

/s/ Christopher Manderson

Christopher Manderson

Secretary


Appendix B

SIGNATURE GROUP HOLDINGS, INC.

2015 EQUITY AWARD PLAN

B-1


SIGNATURE GROUP HOLDINGS, INC.

2015 EQUITY AWARD PLAN

Section 1. Purpose; Definitions.

The addresspurposes of the registered officePlan are to promote the interests of the CorporationCompany (including any Subsidiaries and Affiliates) and its stockholders by using equity interests in the StateCompany to attract, retain and motivate its management, non-employee directors and other eligible persons and to encourage and reward their contributions to the Company’s performance and profitability. The Board of Delaware is Corporation Trust Center, 1209 Orange Street, Wilmington, New Castle County, 19801. Directors of the Company adopted the Plan on March 30, 2015, subject to stockholder approval, due to the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors’ determination that the Company’s existing plan, the Amended and Restated 2006 Performance Incentive Plan, must be revised to achieve the Company’s intended objectives under such Plan and to authorize additional shares for issuance.

The namefollowing capitalized terms shall have the following respective meanings when used in the Plan:

(a) “Administrator” means the Board or any one of its registered agent at that address is The Corporation Trust Company.

ARTICLE III

PURPOSE

The purposeCommittees as shall be administering the Plan, in accordance with Section 3 of the Corporation isPlan.

(b) “Affiliate” means any corporation or other entity controlled by the Company and designated by the Committee as such.

(c) “Applicable Laws” means the legal requirements relating to engagethe administration of plans providing one or more of the types of Awards described in the Plan and the issuance of Shares thereunder pursuant to U.S. state corporate laws, U.S. federal and state securities laws, the Code and the applicable laws of any lawful actforeign country or activity for which a corporation mayjurisdiction where Awards are, or will be, organizedgranted under the General Corporation LawPlan.

(d) “Award” means a grant of an Option, Restricted Stock Award, Restricted Stock Unit, Stock Appreciation Right, Performance Award, Performance Share, Performance Unit or other stock-based Award under the Plan, all on a standalone, combination or tandem basis, as described in or granted under the Plan.

(e) “Award Agreement” means a written agreement between the Company and a Recipient evidencing the terms and conditions of an individual Award. The Award Agreement is subject to the terms and conditions of the State of Delaware (the “DGCL”).Plan.

ARTICLE IV

CAPITAL STOCK

Section 4.1 Shares, Classes and Series Authorized. This Corporation is authorized to issue two classes of stock to be designated, respectively, “Common Stock” and “Preferred Stock”. The total number of shares of all classes of capital stock which the Corporation shall have authority to issue is Seventy Six Million Five Hundred Thousand (76,500,000) shares, of which Sixty Six Million Five Hundred Thousand (66,500,000) shares shall be designated as Common Stock with a par value of $0.001 per share, and Ten Million (10,000,000) shares shall be designated as Preferred Stock with a par value of $0.001 per share. The Common Stock and Preferred Stock may be collectively referred to herein as the “Capital Stock.”

Section 4.2 Designations, Powers, Preferences, Rights, Qualifications, Limitations and Restrictions Relating to the Capital Stock. The following is a statement of the designations, powers, preferences and rights in respect of the classes of the Capital Stock, and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof, and of the authority with respect thereto expressly vested in(f) “Board” means the Board of Directors of the Corporation (the “Board”):Company.

(a)Preferred Stock. The Preferred Stock may be issued from time to time(g) “Cause” shall mean, unless otherwise set forth in onean Award Agreement or more series,determined in writing by the number of shares and any designation of each series andCommittee: (i) the powers, preferences and rightsconviction of the shares of each series, and the qualifications, limitationsRecipient for committing, or restrictions thereof, to be as stated and expressed in a resolution or resolutions providing for the issue of such series adopted by the Board, subject to the limitations prescribed by law, including 11 U.S.C. §1123(a)(6). The Board in any such resolution or resolutions is expressly authorized to state for each such series:

(i) the voting powers, if any, of the holders of shares of such series in addition to any voting rights affirmatively required by law;

(ii) the rights of stockholders in respect of dividends, including, without limitation, the rate or rates per annum and the time or times at which (or the formula or other method pursuant to which such rate or rates and such time or times may be determined) and conditions upon which the holders of shares of such series shall be entitled to receive dividends and other distributions, and whether any such dividends shall be cumulative or non-cumulative and, if cumulative, the terms upon which such dividends shall be cumulative;

(iii) whether any shares of the stock of each such series shall be redeemable by the Corporation at the option of the Corporation or the holder thereof and, if redeemable, the terms and conditions upon which any shares of the stock of such series may be redeemed;

(iv) the amount payable and the rights or preferences to which the holders of the stock of such series shall be entitled upon any voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation;

(v) the terms, if any, upon which shares of stock of such series shall be convertible into, or exchangeable for, shares of stock of any other class or classes or of any other series of the same or any other class or classes, including the price or prices or the rate or rates of conversion or exchange and the terms of adjustment, if any; and

(vi) any other powers, designations, preferences and relative, participating, optional or other special rights, and qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof, so far as they are not inconsistent with the provisions of this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (“Certificate of Incorporation”) and to the full extent now or hereafter permitted by the laws of the State of Delaware.

Subject to any limitations or restrictions stated in the resolution or resolutions of the Board originally fixing the number of shares constituting a series, the Board may by resolution or resolutions likewise adopted increase (but not above the total number of authorized shares of Preferred Stock) or decrease (but not below the number of shares of the series then outstanding) the number of shares of the series subsequent to the issue of shares of that series; and, in case the number of shares of any series shall be so decreased, the shares constituting the decrease shall resume that status that they had prior to the adoption of the resolution originally fixing the number of shares constituting such series.

(b)Common Stock. Except as otherwise provided for by law, the shares of Common Stock shall entitle the holders thereof to one vote for each share on all matters on which stockholders have the right to vote. The holders of shares of Common Stock shall not be permitted to cumulate their votes for the election of directors. Notwithstanding the foregoing, except as otherwise required by law, holders of Common Stock, as such, shall not be

entitled to vote on any amendment to this Certificate of Incorporation (including any Certificate of Designations relating to any series of Preferred Stock) that relates solely to the terms of one or more outstanding series of Preferred Stock if the holders of such affected series are entitled, either separately or together with the holders of one or more other such series, to vote thereon pursuant to this Certificate of Incorporation (including any Certificate of Designations relating to any series of Preferred Stock) or pursuant to the DGCL.

Subject to the preferences, privileges and powers with respect to each class or series of Preferred Stock having any priority over the Common Stock, and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof, the holders of the Common Stock shall have and possess all rights pertaining to the Capital Stock;provided,however, that in the event of any liquidation, dissolution, or winding up of the Corporation, the holders of the Common Stock (and the holders of any class or series of stock entitled to participate with the Common Stock in the distribution of assets) shall be entitled to receive, in cash or in kind, the assets of the Corporation available for distribution remaining after: (i) payment or provision for payment of the Corporation’s debts and liabilities and (ii) distributions or provisions for distributions to holders of any class or series of Capital Stock having preference over the Common Stock in the liquidation, dissolution, or winding up of the Corporation.

ARTICLE V

LIMITATION OF DIRECTOR LIABILITY

No director shall be personally liable to the Corporation or any of its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director, except for liability (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) pursuant to Section 174 of the DGCL or (iv) for any transaction from which the director derived an improper personal benefit. If the DGCL is amended to authorize the further elimination or limitation of the liability of a director, then the liability of the directors shall be eliminated or limited to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL, as so amended. Any repeal or modification of thisArticle V by the stockholders of the Corporation shall not adversely affect any right or protection of a director of the Corporation existing at the time of such repeal or modification with respect to acts or omissions occurring prior to such repeal or modification.

ARTICLE VI

INDEMNIFICATION

Section 6.1 Actions, Suits or Proceedings Other than by or in the Right of the Corporation To the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL, the Corporation shall indemnify any person who is or was or has agreed to become a director or officer of the Corporation who was or is made a party to or 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 he or she is or was or has agreed to become a director or officer of the Corporation, or is or was serving or has agreed to serve at the request of the Corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, or by reason of any action alleged to have been taken or omitted in such capacity, and the Corporation may indemnify any other person who is or was or has agreed to become an employee or agent of the Corporation who was or is made a party to or 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 he or she is or was or has agreed to become an employee or agent of the Corporation, or is or was serving or has agreed to serve at the request of the Corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, or by reason of any action alleged to have been taken or omitted in such capacity, against costs, charges, expenses (including attorneys’ fees and expenses), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by him or her or on his or her behalf in connection with such action, suit or proceeding and any appeal therefrom, if he or she acted in good faith and in a manner he or she 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 his or her conduct was unlawful. The termination of any action, suit or proceeding by judgment, order, settlement or conviction, or uponentering a plea of nolo contendere or its equivalent, shall not, of itself, create a presumption thatby the person did not act in good faith and in a manner which he or she reasonably believed to be in, or not opposed to, the best interests of the Corporation and,Recipient with respect to, any criminal actiona felony under federal or proceeding, had reasonable cause to

believe that hisstate law or her conduct was unlawful. Notwithstanding anything contained in thisArticle VI, but subject toSection 6.7 hereof,a crime involving moral turpitude; (ii) the Corporation shall not be obligated to indemnify any directorcommission of an act of personal dishonesty or officer in connection with an action, suit or proceeding, or part thereof, initiated by such person against the Corporation unless such action, suit or proceeding, or part thereof, was authorized or consented to by the Board.

Section 6.2 Actions or Suits by or in the Right of the Corporation To the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL, the Corporation shall indemnify any person who is or was or has agreed to become a director or officer of the Corporation 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 he or she is or was or has agreed to become a director or officer of the Corporation, or is or was serving or has agreed to serve at the request of the Corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, or by reason of any action alleged to have been taken or omitted in such capacity, and the Corporation may indemnify any other person who is or was or has agreed to become an employee or agent of the Corporation who was or is made 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 he or she is or was or has agreed to become an employee or agent of the Corporation, or is or was serving or has agreed to serve at the request of the Corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, or by reason of any action alleged to have been taken or omitted in such capacity, against costs, charges and expenses (including attorneys’ fees and expenses) actually and reasonably incurred by him or her or on his or her behalffraud involving personal profit in connection with the defenseRecipient’s employment by the Company; (iii) the willful misconduct, gross negligence or settlement of such action or suit and any appeal therefrom, if he or she acted in good faith and in a manner he or she reasonably believed to be in, or not opposed to,deliberate failure on the best interestspart of the Corporation, except no indemnification shall be made in respect of any claim, issue or matter asRecipient to which such person shall have been adjudged to be liable to the Corporation unless and only to the extent that the court in which such action or suit was brought shall determine upon application that, despite the adjudication of such liability but in view of all the circumstances of the case, such person is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for such costs, charges and expenses which the court shall deem proper. Notwithstanding anything contained in thisArticle VI, but subject toSection 6.7 hereof, the Corporation shall not be obligated to indemnify any director or officer in connection with an action or suit, or part thereof, initiated by such person against the Corporation unless such action or suit, or part thereof, was authorized or consented to by the Board.

Section 6.3 Indemnification for Costs, Charges and Expenses of a Successful Party To the extent that a present or former director or officer of the Corporation has been successful, on the merits or otherwise (including, without limitation, the dismissal of an action without prejudice), in defense of any action, suit or proceeding referred to inSection 6.1 or6.2, or in defense of any claim, issue or matter therein, such person shall be indemnified against all costs, charges and expenses (including attorneys’ fees and expenses) actually and reasonably incurred by such person or on such person’s behalf in connection therewith.

Section 6.4 Indemnification for Expenses of a Witness To the extent that any person who is or was or has agreed to become a director or officer of the Corporation is made a witness to any action, suit or proceeding to which he or she is not a party by reason of the fact that he or she was, is or has agreed to become a director or officer of the Corporation, or is or was serving or has agreed to serve as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, at the request of the Corporation, such person shall be indemnified against all costs, charges and expenses actually and reasonably incurred by such person or on such person’s behalf in connection therewith.

To the extent that any person who is or was or has agreed to become an employee or agent of the Corporation is made a witness to any action, suit or proceeding to which he or she is not a party by reason of the fact that he or she was, is or has agreed to become an employee or agent of the Corporation, or is or was serving or has agreed to serve as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, at the request of the Corporation, such person may be indemnified against all costs, charges and expenses actually and reasonably incurred by such person or on such person’s behalf in connection therewith.

Section 6.5 Determination of Right to Indemnification Any indemnification underSection 6.1 or6.2 (unless ordered by a court) shall be made, if at all, by the Corporation only as authorized in the specific case upon a determination that indemnification of the director, officer, employee or agent is proper under the

circumstances because he or she has met the applicable standard of conduct set forth inSection 6.1 or6.2. Any indemnification underSection 6.4 (unless ordered by a court) shall be made, if at all, by the Corporation only as authorized in the specific case upon a determination that indemnification of the director, officer, employee or agent is proper under the circumstances. Such determinations shall be made with respect to a person who is a director or officer at the time of such determination (1) by a majority vote of directors who were not parties to such action, suit or proceeding even though less than a quorum of the Board, (2) by a committee of such directors designated by majority vote of such directors, even though less than a quorum, (3) if there are no such directors, or if such directors so direct, by independent counsel in a written opinion or (4) by the stockholders of the Corporation. To obtain indemnification under thisArticle VI, any person referred to inSection 6.1,6.2,6.3 or6.4 shall submit to the Corporation a written request, including therewith such documents as are reasonably available to such person and are reasonably necessary to determine whether and to what extent such person is entitled to indemnification.

Section 6.6 Advancement of Costs, Charges and Expenses Costs, charges and expenses (including attorneys’ fees and expenses) incurred by or on behalf of a director or officer in defending a civil or criminal action, suit or proceeding referred to inSection 6.1 or6.2 shall be paid by the Corporation in advance of the final disposition of such action, suit or proceeding;provided,however, that the payment of such costs, charges and expenses incurred by or on behalf of a director or officer in advance of the final disposition of such action, suit or proceeding shall be made only upon receipt of a written undertaking, by or on behalf of the director or officer to repay all amounts so advanced in the event that it shall ultimately be determined that such director or officer is not entitled to be indemnified by the Corporation as authorized in thisArticle VI or by law. No security shall be required for such undertaking and such undertaking shall be accepted without reference to the recipient’s financial ability to make repayment. The majority of the directors who were not parties to such action, suit or proceeding may, upon approval of such director or officer of the Corporation, authorize the Corporation’s counsel to represent such person, in any action, suit or proceeding, whether or not the Corporation is a party to such action, suit or proceeding.

Section 6.7 Procedure for Indemnification Any indemnification underSection 6.1,6.2,6.3 or6.4 or advancement of costs, charges and expenses underSection 6.6 shall be made promptly, and in any event within sixty (60) days (except indemnification to be determined by stockholders which will be determined at the next annual or special meeting of stockholders), upon the written request of the director or officer. The right to indemnification or advancement of expenses as granted by thisArticle VI shall be enforceable by the director, officer, employee or agent in any court of competent jurisdiction in the event the Corporation denies such request, in whole or in part, or if no disposition of such request is made within sixty (60) days of the request. Such person’s costs, charges and expenses incurred in connection with successfully establishingperform his or her right to indemnification or advancement, toemployment duties with the extent successful,Company in any such action shall also be indemnified by the Corporation. It shall be a defense to any such action (other than an action brought to enforce a claim for the advancement of costs, charges and expenses underSection 6.6 where the required undertaking, if any, has been received by the Corporation) that the claimant has not met the standard of conduct set forth inSection 6.1material respect; or6.2, but the burden of proving such defense shall be on the Corporation. Neither (iv) the failure ofto comply with Company policies or agreements with the Corporation (including its directors, its independent counsel and its stockholders) to have made a determination prior to the commencement of such action that indemnification of the claimant is proper in the circumstances because he or she has met the applicable standard of conduct set forth inSection 6.1 or6.2, nor the fact that there has been an actual determination by the Corporation (including its directors, its independent counsel and its stockholders) that the claimant has not met such applicable standard of conduct, shall be a defense to the action or create a presumption that the claimant has not met the applicable standard of conduct.

Section 6.8 Settlement The Corporation shall not be obligated to reimburse the costs, charges and expenses of any settlement to which it has not agreed. If,Company, in any action, suit or proceeding (including any appeal) withinmaterial respect.

(h) “Change in Control” shall mean the scopeoccurrence ofSection 6.1 or6.2, the person to be indemnified shall have unreasonably failed to enter into a settlement thereof offered or assented to by the opposing party or parties in such action, suit or proceeding, then, notwithstanding any other provision of thisArticle VI, the indemnification obligation of the Corporation to such person in connection with such action, suit or proceeding shall not exceed the total of the amount at which settlement could have been made and the expenses incurred by or on behalf of such person prior to the time such settlement could reasonably have been effected.

Section 6.9 Other Rights; Continuation of Right to Indemnification; Individual Contracts The indemnification and advancement of costs, charges and expenses provided by or granted pursuant to this

Article VI shall not be deemed exclusive of any other rights to which any person seeking indemnification or advancement of costs, charges and expenses may be entitled under law (common or statutory) or any Bylaw, agreement, policy of indemnification insurance or vote of stockholders or directors or otherwise, both as to action in his or her official capacity and as to action in any other capacity while holding office, and shall continue as to any person who has ceased to be a director, officer, employee or agent and shall inure to the benefit of the legatees, heirs, distributees, executors and administrators of any such person. Nothing contained in thisArticle VI shall be deemed to prohibit the Corporation from entering into, and the Corporation is specifically authorized to enter into, agreements with directors, officers, employees and agents providing indemnification rights and procedures different from those set forth herein. All rights to indemnification under thisArticle VI shall be deemed to be a contract between the Corporation and each director, officer, employee or agent of the Corporation who serves or served in such capacity (or is or was serving or has agreed to serve at the request of the Corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise) at any time while thisArticle VI is in effect.

Section 6.10 Savings Clause If thisArticle VI or any portion shall be invalidated on any ground by any court of competent jurisdiction, the Corporation shall nevertheless indemnify each director or officer, and may indemnify each employee or agent, of the Corporation as to any costs, charges, expenses (including attorneys’ fees and expenses), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement with respect to any action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (including any action by or in the right of the Corporation), to the full extent permitted by any applicable portion of thisArticle VI that shall not have been invalidated and to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law.

Section 6.11 Insurance The Corporation may purchase and maintain insurance, at its expense, to protect itself and any person who is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the Corporation or is or was serving or has agreed to serve 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 costs, charges or expenses, liability or loss incurred by such person in any such capacity, or arising out of such persons status as such, whether or not the Corporation would have the power to indemnify such person against such costs, charges or expenses, liability or loss under this Certificate of Incorporation or applicable law;provided,however, that such insurance is available on acceptable terms as determined by a vote of the Board. To the extent that any director, officer, employee or agent is reimbursed by an insurance company under an indemnification insurance policy for any costs, charges, expenses (including attorneys’ fees and expenses), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement to the fullest extent permitted by any applicable portion of thisArticle VI, the Bylaws, any agreement, the policy of indemnification insurance or otherwise, the Corporation shall not be obligated to reimburse the person to be indemnified in connection with such proceeding.

Section 6.12 Definitions For purposes of thisArticle VI, the following terms shall have the following meanings:

(a) “The Corporation” shall include, in addition to the resulting corporation, any constituent corporation or entity (including any constituent of a constituent) absorbed by way of an acquisition, consolidation, merger or otherwise, which, if its separate existence had continued, would have had power and authority to indemnify its directors, officers, employees or agents so that any person who is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of such constituent corporation or entity, or is or was serving at the written request of such constituent corporation or entity as a director or officer of another corporation, entity, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, shall stand in the same position under the provisions of thisArticle VI with respect to the resulting or surviving corporation or entity as such person would have with respect to such constituent corporation or entity if its separate existence had continued;

(b) “Other enterprises” shall include employee benefit plans, including, but not limited to, any employee benefit plan of the Corporation;

(c) “Director or officer” of the Corporation shall include any director or officer of the Corporation who is or was or has agreed to serve at the request of the Corporation as a director, officer, partner or trustee of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise;

(d) “Serving at the request of the Corporation” shall include any service that imposes duties on, or involves services by a director, officer, employee or agent of the Corporation with respect to an employee benefit plan, its participants or beneficiaries, including acting as a fiduciary thereof;

(e) “Fines” shall include any penalties and any excise or similar taxes assessed on a person with respect to an employee benefit plan;

(f) To the fullest extent permitted by law, a person shall be deemed to have acted in “good faith and in a manner he or she 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 his or her conduct was unlawful,” if his or her action is based on the records or books of account of the Corporation or another enterprise, or on information supplied to him or her by the officers of the Corporation or another enterprise in the course of their duties, or on the advice of legal counsel for the Corporation or another enterprise or on information or records given or reports made to the Corporation or another enterprise by an independent certified public accountant or by an appraiser or other expert selected with reasonable care by the Corporation or another enterprise; and

(g) A person shall be deemed to have acted in a manner “not opposed to the best interests of the Corporation,” as referred to inSections 6.1 and6.2 if such person acted in good faith and in a manner he or she reasonably believed to be in the interest of the participants and beneficiaries of an employee benefit plan.

Section 6.13 Subsequent Amendment and Subsequent Legislation Neither the amendment, termination or repeal of thisArticle VI or of relevant provisions of the DGCL or any other applicable laws, nor the adoption of any provision of this Certificate of Incorporation or the Bylaws of the Corporation or of any statute inconsistent with thisArticle VI shall eliminate, affect or diminish in any way the rights of any director, officer, employee or agent of the Corporation to indemnification under the provisions of thisArticle VI with respect to any action, suit or proceeding arising out of, or relating to, any actions, transactions or facts occurring prior to the final adoption of any such amendment, termination, repeal, provision or statute.

If the DGCL is amended to expand further the indemnification permitted to directors and officers of the Corporation, then the Corporation shall indemnify such persons to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL, as so amended.

ARTICLE VII

CHOICE OF FORUM

Unless the Corporation consents in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, be the sole and exclusive forum for (1) any derivative action or proceeding brought on behalf of the Corporation, (2) any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by, or other wrongdoing by, any director, officer, employee or agent of the Corporation to the Corporation or the Corporation’s stockholders, (3) any action asserting a claim arising pursuant to any provision of the DGCL or the Certificate of Incorporation or Bylaws, (4) any action to interpret, apply, enforce or determine the validity of the Certificate of Incorporation or Bylaws or (5) any action asserting a claim governed by the internal affairs doctrine, in each such case subject to said Court of Chancery having personal jurisdiction over the indispensable parties named as defendants therein. Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in shares of capital stock of the Corporation shall be deemed to have notice of and consented to the provisions of thisArticle VII.

ARTICLE VIII

NO STOCKHOLDER ACTION BY WRITTEN CONSENT

Any action required or permitted to be taken by the stockholders of the Corporation must be effected at a duly called annual or special meeting of stockholders of the Corporation, and the ability of the stockholders to consent in writing to the taking of any action is hereby specifically denied.

ARTICLE IX

AMENDMENTS

Section 9.1 Amendments of Certificate of Incorporation The Corporation reserves the right to amend, alter, change or repeal any provision contained in this Certificate of Incorporation in the manner now or hereafter prescribed in this Certificate of Incorporation, the Corporation’s Bylaws or the DGCL, and all rights herein conferred upon stockholders are granted subject to such reservation.

Section 9.2 Amendments of Bylaws In furtherance and not in limitation of the powers conferred by the laws of the State of Delaware, the Board of the Corporation is expressly authorized to make, alter, amend, rescind or repeal from time to time any of the Bylawsfollowing events, each of which shall be determined independently of the Corporationothers: (i) any “Person” (as hereinafter defined) becomes a “beneficial owner” (as such term is used in accordance withRule 13d-3 promulgated under the terms thereof;provided,however, that any Bylaw made by the Board may be altered, amended, rescinded or repealed in accordance with the terms thereof by the holdersExchange Act) of a majority of the sharesstock of Capital Stockthe Company entitled to vote thereon at any annual meeting or at any special meeting called for that purpose. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any provision of the Bylaws that contains a supermajority voting requirement shall only be altered, amended, rescinded or repealed by a vote of the Board or holders of shares of Capital Stock entitled to vote thereon that is not less than the supermajority specified in such provision.

[Signature Page Follows]

ANNEX C

AMENDED AND RESTATED

BYLAWS

OF

SGH HOLDCO, INC.

ARTICLE 1

OFFICES

The registered office of SGH Holdco, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Corporation”) shall be located in the City and State designated in the Corporation’s Certificate of Incorporation, as amended (the “Certificate of Incorporation”). The Corporation may also maintain offices at such other places within or without the United States as the Board of Directors may, from time to time, determine.

ARTICLE 2

STOCKHOLDERS

Section 2.1 Place of Meetings

Meetings of stockholders of the Corporation shall be held at such place as may be designated by the President or the Chief Executive Officer or the Board, or by the written consent of all stockholders entitled to vote thereat given either before or after the meeting and filed with the Secretary of the Corporation.

Section 2.2 Annual Meetings

The annual meeting of stockholders of the Corporation for the election of directors and the transaction of any other business which may properly come before such meeting shall be held each year on a date and at a time to be designated by the Board. Failure to hold the annual meeting shall not cause a forfeiture or dissolution of the Corporation.

Section 2.3 Special Meetings

Special meetings of stockholders, for any purpose or purposes, may be called at any time only by the Chairman, the President or the Chief Executive Officer, by an action of the board of directors of the Corporation then in office (the “Board”), or by a stockholder or group of stockholders holding collectively 35% of the outstanding shares. Special meetings shall be held on the date and at the time and place as may be designated by the Board. At a special meeting, no business shall be transacted and no corporate action shall be taken other than that stated in the notice of meeting.

Section 2.4 Notice of Meetings

(a) Except as otherwise provided by the Delaware General Corporation Law (“DGCL”), written notice of each meeting of stockholders, whether annual or special, stating the time when and place where it is to be held, shall be served not less than ten (10) or more than sixty (60) days before the date on which the meeting is to be held, upon each stockholder of record entitled to vote at such meeting, and to any other stockholder to whom the giving of notice may be required by law. Notice, if mailed, is given when deposited in the United States mail, postage prepaid, directed to the stockholder at his address as it appears on the records of the corporation. Without limiting the manner by which notice otherwise may be given effectively to stockholders, any notice to stockholders may be given by electronic mail or other electronic transmission, in the manner provided in Section 232 of the DGCL. An affidavit of the secretary or an assistant secretary or of the transfer agent of the corporation that the notice has been given shall, in the absence of fraud, be prima facie evidence of the facts stated therein. Notice of a special meeting shall also state the purpose or purposes for which the meeting is called, and shall indicate that it is being issued by, or at the direction of, the person or persons calling the meeting. If, at any meeting, action is proposed to be taken that would, if taken, entitle stockholders to receive payment for their shares pursuant to the DGCL, the notice of such meeting shall include a statement of that purpose and to that effect.

(b) Notice of any meeting need not be given to any person who may become a stockholder of record after the mailing of such notice and prior to the meeting, or to any stockholder who attends such meeting, in person or by proxy, or to any stockholder who, in person or by proxy, submits a signed waiver of notice either before or after such meeting. Notice of any adjourned meeting of stockholders need not be given, unless otherwise required by statute.

Section 2.5 Fixing of Record Date

For the purpose of determining stockholders entitled to notice of or to vote at any meeting of stockholders or any adjournment thereof, or stockholders entitled to receive payment of any dividend or other distribution or the allotment of any rights, or in order to make a determination of stockholders for any other proper purpose, the Board shall fix a date as the record date for any such determination of stockholders, which date shall not precede the date upon which the resolution fixing the record date is adopted by the Board. Such date in any case shall be not more than sixty (60) days, and in the case of a meeting of stockholders not less than ten (10) days, prior to the date of the meeting or event for the purposes of which it is fixed. When a record date is so fixed, only stockholders of record on that date shall be entitled to notice of and to vote at the meeting, or to receive the dividend, other distribution or the allotment of rights, or to exercise rights, as the case may be, notwithstanding any transfer of any shares of stock on the books of the Corporation after the record date. When a determination of stockholders entitled to vote at any meeting of stockholders has been made as provided in this Section 2.5, such determination shall, unless otherwise provided by the Board, also apply to any adjournment thereof. If no record date is fixed, (a) the record date for determining stockholders entitled to notice of or vote at a meeting of stockholders shall be at the close of business on the day preceding the day on which the notice is given, or, if notice is waived, at the close of business on the day preceding the day on which the meeting is held, and (b) the record date for determining stockholders for any other purpose shall be at the close of business on the day on which the Board adopts the resolution relating thereto.

Section 2.6 Quorum; Adjournment

The holders of record of a majority of the total number of votes eligible to be cast in the election of directors represented in person or by proxy, shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at any meeting of stockholders, except as otherwise provided by law, these Bylaws or the Certificate of Incorporation. In the absence of a quorum, the Chairman of the meeting or a majority of the number of votes so represented at the meeting of stockholders may adjourn the meeting from time to time, but no other business may be transacted at any such meeting. When a meeting of stockholders is adjourned, it shall not be necessary to give any notice of the time and place of the adjourned meeting or of the business to be transacted thereat, other than an announcement at the meeting at which such adjournment is taken, provided, that if such adjournment is for more than sixty (60) days, a notice of the adjourned meeting shall be given to each stockholder of record entitled to vote at the meeting as in the case of an original meeting. At such adjourned meeting at which a quorum is present, any business may be transacted that might have been transacted at the meeting as originally called. When a quorum is once present to organize a meeting of stockholders, such quorum is not broken by the subsequent withdrawal of any stockholders.

Section 2.7 Conduct of Meetings

The Chairman shall serve as chairman at all meetings of the stockholders or, if the Chairman is absent or otherwise unable to so serve, the President or Chief Executive Officer shall serve as chairman, unless another person is appointed chairman of the meeting by a majority of the entire Board. The Secretary or, in his or her absence, such other person as the chairman of the meeting shall appoint, shall serve as secretary of the meeting. The chairman of the meeting shall conduct all meetings of the stockholders in accordance with the best interests of the Corporation and shall have the authority and discretion to establish reasonable procedural rules for the conduct of such meetings, including such regulation of the manner of voting and the conduct of discussion as he or she shall deem appropriate. The chairman of the meeting shall also have the authority to adjourn the meeting from time to time and from place to place as he or she may deem necessary and in the best interests of the Corporation.

Section 2.8 Voting; Voting of Shares in the Name of Two or More Persons

In all matters other than the election of directors, the affirmative vote of the majority of shares present in person or represented by proxy at the meeting and entitled to vote on the subject matter shall be the act of the stockholders, except as otherwise provided in the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws. Directors shall, except as otherwise required by law, these Bylaws or the Certificate of Incorporation, be elected by a plurality of the votes cast by each class of shares entitled to vote at a meeting of stockholders, present and entitled to vote in the election. Except as otherwise provided by statute or by the Certificate of Incorporation, at each meeting of stockholders, each holder of record of stock of the Corporation entitled to vote thereat, shall be entitled to one vote for each share of stock registered in his name on the books of the Corporation.

If ownership of a share of voting stock of the Corporation stands in the name of two or more persons, in the absence of written directions to the Corporation to the contrary, any one or more of such stockholders may cast, in person or by proxy, all votes to which such ownership is entitled. If an attempt is made to cast conflicting votes by the several persons in whose names shares of stock stand, the vote or votes to which those persons are entitled shall

be cast as directed by a majority of those holding such stock and present, in person or by proxy, at such meeting. If such conflicting votes are evenly split on any particular matter, each faction may vote the securities in question proportionally, or any person voting the shares, or a beneficiary, if any, may apply to such court as may have jurisdiction to appoint an additional person to act with the persons so voting the shares, which shall then be voted as determined by a majority of such persons and the person appointed by such court.

Section 2.9 Proxies

Each stockholder entitled to vote at a meeting of stockholders or to express consent or dissent to corporate action in writing without a meeting may authorize another person or persons to act for such stockholder by an instrument in writing or by an electronic transmission permitted by law filed with the secretary of the corporation, but no such proxy shall be voted or acted upon after three years from its date, unless the proxy provides for a longer period. A proxy shall be deemed signed if the stockholder’s name is placed on the proxy (whether by manual signature, typewriting, facsimile, electronic or telegraphic transmission or otherwise) by the stockholder or the stockholder’s attorney-in-fact. The revocability of a proxy that states on its face that it is irrevocable shall be governed by the provisions of Section 212(e) of the DGCL.

Section 2.10 Procedure for Nominations to the Board of Directors

(a) No person will be eligible for election, or elected, as a director of the Corporation unless nominated in accordance with the procedures set forth in this Section 2.10.

(b) Subject to the provisions hereof, the Nominating and Governance Committee shall select, and recommend to the Board for its approval, nominees for election as directors. Provided the Nominating and Governance Committee makes such nominations, no nominations for directors except those made by the Nominating and Governance Committee and approved by the Board shall be voted upon at the annual meeting of stockholders unless other nominations by stockholders are made in accordance with the provisions of this Section 2.10.

(c) Nominations of individuals for election to the Board at an annual meeting of stockholders may be made by any stockholder of record of the Corporation entitled to vote for the election of directors at such meeting who provides timely notice in writing to the Secretary as set forth in this Section 2.10. To be timely, a nomination by a stockholder must be mailed and received by, or delivered to, the Secretary at the principal executive offices of the Corporation not later than the close of business on the 90th day prior to the anniversary date of the most recent annual meeting of stockholders or, if the date of the annual meeting of stockholders is more than 30 days earlier or later than such anniversary date, then not later than the close of business on the 75th day prior to the anniversary date of the most recent annual meeting of stockholders, or, if no annual meeting of stockholders was held the previous year, no later than ten (10) days following the date that notice of the annual meeting of Stockholders is first given pursuant to Section 2.10(d).

(d) For purposes of this Section 2.10, notice shall be deemed to be first given to stockholders when disclosure of such date of the meeting of stockholders is first made in a press release reported to Dow Jones News Services, Associated Press or comparable national news service, or in a document publicly filed by the Corporation with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Section 13, 14 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “1934 Act”).

(e) Such stockholder’s notice must set forth (i) as to each person, whom the stockholder proposes to nominate for election or re-election as a director: (A) the name, age, business address and residence address of such person, (B) the principal occupation or employment of such person, (C) the class and number of shares of the Corporation which are beneficially owned by such person, (D) a description of all arrangements or understandings between the stockholder and each nominee and any other person or person (naming such person or persons) pursuant to which the nominations are to be made by the stockholder, and (E) any other information relating to such person that is required to be disclosed in solicitations of proxies for elections of directors, or is otherwise required, in each case pursuant to Regulation 14A (or any successor thereto) under the 1934 Act (including without limitation such person’s written consent to being named in the proxy statement, if any, as a nominee and to serving as a director if elected);Company; (ii) as to such stockholder giving notice: (W) the name and address, as they appear on the Corporation’s books, of the stockholder, (X) the class and number of shares of the Corporation which are owned beneficially by such stockholder, (Y) any other information that is required to be provided by the stockholder pursuant to Regulation 14A (or any successor thereto) under the 1934 Act in such stockholder’s capacity as a proponent of a stockholder nomination, and (Z) a representation whether the stockholder intends or is part of a group which intends to (1) deliver a proxy statement and/or form of proxy to holders of at least the percentage of the Corporation’s

outstanding capital stock required to elect the nominee and/or (2) otherwise solicit proxies from stockholders in support of such nomination; and (iii) the identification of any person employed, retained or to be compensated by the stockholder submitting the nomination or by the person nominated, or any person acting on his or her behalf to make solicitations or recommendations to stockholders for the purpose of assisting in the election of such director, and a brief description of the terms of such employment, retainer or arrangement for compensation.

(f) At the request of the Secretary, any person nominated by the Nominating and Governance Committee for election as a director shall furnish to the Secretary that information required to be set forth in a stockholder’s notice of nomination which pertains to the nominee together with the required written consent. The Corporation may also require any proposed nominee to furnish such other information as it may reasonably require, in order to determine the eligibility of such proposed nominee to serve as a director of the Corporation.

(g) Upon the receipt of a stockholder nomination made in accordance with the procedures prescribed by these Bylaws, such nomination shall be evaluated by the Corporation’s Nominating and Governance Committee (or any successor thereto) in accordance with its evaluation procedures, in order to determine whether such nominee should be included in the slate of persons recommended by the Board of Directors to the Corporation’s stockholders for election at the next annual meeting.

(h) The chairman of the meeting will, if the facts warrant, determine and declare at the meeting that a nomination was not made in accordance with the procedures prescribed by these Bylaws, and if the Chairman so determines, the chairman will so declare at the meeting, and the defective nomination will be disregarded and not considered.

Section 2.11 Substitution of Nominees

In the event that a person is validly designated as a nominee in accordance with Section 2.10 and shall thereafter become unwilling or unable to stand for election to the Board, the Board, upon recommendation by the Nominating and Governance Committee, may designate a substitute nominee upon delivery of a written notice to the Secretary setting forth such information regarding such substitute nominee as would have been required to be delivered to the Secretary pursuant to Section 2.10 had such substitute nominee been initially proposed as a nominee. Such notice shall include a signed consent to serve as a director of the Corporation, if elected, of each such substituted nominee.

Section 2.12 Proposals Other Than Director Nominations

(a) Any new business to be taken up at the annual meeting at the request of the Chief Executive Officer or the President or by resolution of at least three-fourths of the directors then in office shall be stated in writing and filed with the Secretary at least fifteen (15) days before the date of the annual meeting, and all business so stated, proposed and filed shall be considered at the annual meeting, but, except as provided in this Section 2.12, no other proposal shall be acted upon at the annual meeting.

(b) Any proposal offered by a stockholder may be made at the annual meeting and the same may be discussed and considered, but unless properly brought before the meeting such proposal shall not be acted upon at the meeting. For a proposal to be properly brought before an annual meeting by a stockholder, the stockholder must be a stockholder of record and have given timely notice thereof in writing to the Secretary. To be timely, a proposal offered by a stockholder must (i) be sent to the Corporation in compliance with the requirements of Rule 14a-8 under the 1934 Act, if the proposal is submitted under such rule, or (ii) if not, be mailed and received by, or delivered to, the Secretary at the principal executive offices of the Corporation not later than the close of business on the 90th day prior to the anniversary date of the most recent annual meeting of stockholders or, if the date of the annual meeting of stockholders is more than 30 days earlier or later than such anniversary date, then not later than the close of business on the 75th day prior to the anniversary date of the most recent annual meeting of stockholders, or, if no annual meeting of stockholders was held the previous year, no later than ten (10) days following the date that notice of the annual meeting is first given pursuant to Section 2.12(c).

(c) For purposes of this Section 2.12, notice shall be deemed to be first given to stockholders when disclosure of such date of the meeting of stockholders is first made in a press release reported to Dow Jones News Services, Associated Press or comparable national news service, or in a document publicly filed by the Corporation with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Section 13, 14 or 15(d) of the 1934 Act.

(d) A stockholder’s notice to the Secretary shall set forth as to the matter the stockholder proposes to bring before the annual meeting (a) a brief description of the proposal desired to be brought before the annual meeting, the reasons for conducting such business at the meeting and any material interest in such business of such stockholder

and the beneficial owner, if any, on whose behalf the proposal is made; (b) the name and address of the stockholder proposing such business; (c) the class and number of shares of the Corporation which are owned of record by the stockholder and the dates upon which he or she acquired such shares; (d) the identification of any person employed, retained, or to be compensated by the stockholder submitting the proposal, or any person acting on his or her behalf, to make solicitations or recommendations to stockholders for the purpose of assisting in the passage of such proposal, and a brief description of the terms of such employment, retainer or arrangement for compensation; (e) a representation that the stockholder is a holder of record of stock of the Corporation entitled to vote at such meeting and intends to appear in person or by proxy at the meeting to propose such new business; (f) a representation whether the stockholder intends or is part of a group which intends to (1) deliver a proxy statement and/or form of proxy to holders of at least the percentage of the Corporation’s outstanding capital stock required to approve or adopt the proposal and/or (2) otherwise solicit proxies from stockholders in support of such proposal; and (g) all such other information regarding such proposal as would be required to be included in a proxy statement filed pursuant to the proxy rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission or required to be delivered to the Corporation pursuant to the proxy rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission (whether or not the Corporation is then subject to such rules).

(e) This provision shall not prevent the consideration and approval or disapproval at an annual meeting of reports of officers, directors and committees of the Board or the management of the Corporation, but in connection with such reports, no new business shall be acted upon at such annual meeting unless stated and filed as herein provided. This provision shall not constitute a waiver of any right of the Corporation under the proxy rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission or any other rule or regulation to omit a stockholder’s proposal from the Corporation’s proxy materials.

(f) The chairman of the meeting shall, if the facts warrant, determine and declare to the meeting that any new business was not properly brought before the meeting in accordance with the procedures prescribed by these Bylaws, and, if the chairman so determines, the chairman will so declare at the meeting, and such new business will be disregarded and not considered.

Section 2.13 Inspectors of Election

In advance of any meeting of stockholders, the Board shall, to the extent permitted by applicable law, appoint one or more persons, which may include individuals who serve the Corporation in other capacities, including without limitation as officers, employees, agents or representatives of the Corporation, as inspectors of election to act at such meeting or any adjournment thereof. Such appointment shall not be altered at the meeting. If inspectors of election are not so appointed, the chairman of the meeting shall make such appointment at the meeting. If any person appointed as inspector fails to appear or fails or refuses to act at the meeting, the vacancy so created may be filled by appointment by the Board in advance of the meeting or at the meeting by the chairman of the meeting. The duties of the inspectors of election shall include determining the number of shares outstanding and the voting power of each, the shares represented at the meeting, the existence of a quorum, the validity and effect of proxies, receiving votes, ballots or consents, hearing and deciding all challenges and questions arising in connection with the right to vote, counting and tabulating all votes, ballots or consents, determining the results and doing such acts as are proper to the conduct of the election or the vote with fairness to all stockholders. Any report or certificate made by them shall be prima facie evidence of the facts stated and of the vote as certified by them. Each inspector shall be entitled to a reasonable compensation for his or her services, to be paid by the Corporation.

Section 2.14 No Stockholders’ Action Without a Meeting

The stockholders shall not take any action without a meeting properly held in accordance with the DGCL and these Bylaws.

ARTICLE 3

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Section 3.1 Number, Election and Term of Office

(a) The number of directors which shall constitute the whole Board of Directors shall be such number as the Board of Directors shall from time to time have designated, except that in the absence of any such designation, such number shall be not less than five (5) and not more than eleven (11).

(b) Except as may otherwise be provided herein or in the Certificate of Incorporation, the members of the Board ofContinuing Directors of the Corporation, who need not be stockholders, shall be elected by a plurality of the votes cast at a meeting of stockholders, by the holders of shares, present in person or by proxy, entitled to vote in the election.

(c) Each director shall hold office until the annual meeting of the stockholders next succeeding his election, and until his successor is elected and qualified, or until his prior death, resignation or removal.

Section 3.2 Duties and Powers

The business and affairs of the corporation shall be managed and all corporate powers shall be exercised by or under the direction of the Board of Directors, except as are in the Certificate of Incorporation or by statute expressly conferred upon or reserved to the stockholders.

Section 3.3 Regular Meetings; Notice

(a) Regular meetings of the Board of Directors shall be held at such place or places, on such date or dates, and at such time or times as shall have been established by the Board of Directors and publicized among all directors.

(b) Notice of any regular meeting of the Board of Directors shall not be required to be given and, if given, need not specify the purpose of the meeting; provided, however, that in case the Board of Directors shall fix or change the time or place of any regular meeting, notice of such action shall be given to each director who shall not have been present at the meeting at which such action was taken within the time limited, and in the manner set forth in paragraph (b) Section 3.4 of this Article 3, with respect to special meetings, unless such notice shall be waived in the manner set forth in paragraph (c) of such Section 3.4.

Section 3.4 Special Meetings; Notice

(a) Special meetings of the Board of Directors shall be held whenever called by the President or by two of the directors, at such time and place as may be specified in the respective notices or waivers of notice thereof.

(b) Except as otherwise required by statute, notice of special meetings shall be mailed directly to each director, addressed to him at his residence or usual place of business, at least forty-eight (48) hours before the meeting is to be held, or shall be sent to him at such place by facsimile, electronic mail or other electronic means, or shall be delivered to him personally or given to him orally, not later than the day before the day on which the meeting is to be held.

(c) Notice of any meeting of the Board of Directors may be waived by any director at any time, by a signed writing, delivered to the Corporation for inclusion in the minutes, either before or after the meeting. Attendance or participation by a director at a meeting shall constitute a waiver of any required notice of the meeting unless the director promptly objects to holding the meeting or to the transaction of any business on the grounds that the meeting was not lawfully convened and the director does not thereafter vote for or assent to action taken at the meeting. Notice of any adjourned meeting shall not be required to be given.

Section 3.5 Chairman

At all meetings of the Board of Directors, the Chairman of the Board, if any and if present, shall preside. If there shall be no Chairman, or he shall be absent, then the President shall preside, and in his absence, a Chairman chosen by the directors shall preside.

Section 3.6 Quorum and Adjournments

(a) At all meetings of the Board of Directors, the presence of a majority of the entire Board shall be necessary and sufficientCompany (as hereinafter defined) cease to constitute a quorum for the transaction of business, except as otherwise provided by law, by the Certificate of Incorporation, or by these Bylaws.

(b) A majority of the directors present at the time and place of any regular or special meeting, although less than a quorum, may adjourn the same from time to time without notice, until a quorum shall be present.

Section 3.7 Participation in Meetings by Conference Telephone

Members of the Board of Directors, or of any committee thereof, may participate in a meeting of such Board or committee by means of conference telephone or other communications equipment by means of which all persons participating in the meeting can hear each other and such participation shall constitute presence in person at such meeting.

Section 3.8 Conduct of Business

At any meeting of the Board of Directors, business shall be transacted in such order and manner as the Board may from time to time determine, and all matters shall be determined by the vote of a majority of the directors present, except as otherwise provided herein or required by law.

Section 3.9 Directors’ Action Without a Meeting

The Board of Directors or a committee thereof may take any action without a meeting that it could properly take at a meeting if by executing a resolution setting forth the action signed by all of the directors, or all of the members of the committee, as the case may be, either before or after the action is taken, and if the signed resolution is delivered to the Corporation for inclusion in the minutes or filing with the corporate records. Such action shall be effective upon the signing of a resolution by the last director to sign, unless the consent specifies a later effective date.

Section 3.10 Manner of Acting

(a) At all meetingsBoard; (iii) stockholders of the BoardCompany adopt and consummate (x) a plan of Directors, each director present shall have one vote, irrespective of the number of shares of stock, if any, which he may hold.

(b) Except as otherwise provided by statute, by the Certificate of Incorporation,liquidation for all or by these Bylaws, the action of a majority of the directors present at any meeting at which a quorum is present shall be the act of the Board of Directors. Any action authorized, in writing, bysubstantially all of the directors entitled to vote thereon and filed with the minutesassets of the corporation shallCompany or (y) an agreement

B-2


providing for the distribution of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company; (iv) consummation of a merger, consolidation, other form of business combination or a sale of all or substantially all of its assets, with an unaffiliated third party, unless the business of the Company following consummation of such merger, consolidation or other business combination is continued following any such transaction by a resulting entity (which may be, but need not be, the actCompany) and the stockholders of the Board of Directors with the same force and effect as if the same had been passed by unanimous vote at a duly called meeting of the Board.

Section 3.11 Vacancies

Any vacancy in the Board of Directors occurring by reason of an increase in the number of directors,Company immediately prior to such transaction hold, directly or by reason of the death, resignation, disqualification, removal (unless a vacancy created by the removal of a director by the stockholders may be filled by the stockholders at the meeting at which the removal was effected) or inability to act of any director, or otherwise, may be filled for the unexpired portion of the term by a majority vote of the remaining directors, though less than a quorum, at any regular meeting or special meeting of the Board of Directors called for that purpose.

Section 3.12 Resignation

Any director may resign at any time by giving written notice to the Board of Directors, the President or the Secretary of the Corporation. Unless otherwise specified in such written notice, such resignation shall take effect upon receipt thereof by the Board of Directors or such officer, and the acceptance of such resignation shall not be necessary to make it effective.

Section 3.13 Removal

Any director may be removed with or without cause at any time by the affirmative vote of stockholders holding of record in the aggregateindirectly, at least a majority of the outstanding sharesvoting power of the Corporation atresulting entity; provided, however, that a special meetingmerger or consolidation effected to implement a recapitalization of the stockholders called for that purpose.

Section 3.14 Salary

Directors who areCompany (or similar transaction) shall not officers or employeesconstitute a Change in Control; (v) there is a Change in Control of the Corporation shall be entitledCompany of a nature that is reported in response to such compensation for their servicesItem 5.01 of Current Report on Form 8-K or any similar item, schedule or form under the Exchange Act, as directors as may be determined byin effect at the Board of Directors from time to time. Directors who are officers or employees of the Corporation shall not be compensated for their services as directors; provided that nothing herein shall be construed to preclude any such director from receiving compensation for serving the Corporation in any other capacity. Directors shall be reimbursed for their reasonable expenses, if any, incurred in connection with attending regular or special meetings of the Board or any committee thereof.

Section 3.15 Contracts

(a) No contract or other transaction between this Corporation and any other Corporation shall be impaired, affected or invalidated, nor shall any director be liable in any way by reason of the fact that any one or more of the directors of this Corporation is or are interested in, or is a director or officer, or are directors or officers of such other Corporation, provided that such facts are disclosed or made known to the Board of Directors.

(b) Any director, personally and individually, may be a party to or may be interested in any contract or transaction of this Corporation, and no director shall be liable in any way by reason of such interest, provided that the fact of such interest be disclosed or made known to the Board of Directors, and provided that the Board of

Directors shall authorize, approve or ratify such contract or transaction by the vote (not counting the vote of any such director) of a majority of a quorum, notwithstanding the presence of any such director at the meeting at which such action is taken. Such director or directors may be counted in determining the presence of a quorum at such meeting. This Section shall not be construed to impair or invalidate or in any way affect any contract or other transaction which would otherwise be valid under the law (common, statutory or otherwise) applicable thereto.

Section 3.16 Committees

The Board of Directors, by resolution adopted by a majority of the entire Board, may from time to time designate from among its members an executive committee and such other committees, and alternate members thereof, as they may deem desirable, each consisting of two or more members, with such powers and authority (to the extent permitted by law) as may be provided in such resolution. Each such committee shall serve at the pleasure of the Board.

ARTICLE 4

OFFICERS

Section 4.1 Number, Qualifications, Election and Term of Office

(a) The officers of the Corporation shall consist of a President, a Secretary, a Treasurer, and such other officers, including a Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Chairman of the Board of Directors, and one or more Vice Presidents, as the Board of Directors may from time to time deem advisable. Any officer other than the Chairman of the Board of Directors may be, but is not required to be, a director of the Corporation. Any two or more offices may be held by the same person.

(b) The officers of the Corporation shall be elected by the Board of Directors, which shall consider that subject at its first meeting after every annual meeting of stockholders.

(c) Each officer shall hold office until the annual meeting of the Board of Directors next succeeding his election, and until his successor shall have been elected and qualified, or until his death, resignation or removal.

Section 4.2 Resignation

Any officer may resign at any time by giving written notice of such resignation to the Board of Directors, or to the President or the Secretary of the Corporation. Unless otherwise specified in such written notice, such resignation shall take effect upon receipt thereof by the Board of Directors or by such officer, and the acceptance of such resignation shall not be necessary to make it effective.

Section 4.3 Removal

Any officer may be removed, either with or without cause, and a successor elected by a majority vote of the Board of Directors at any time.

Section 4.4 Vacancies

A vacancy in any office by reason of death, resignation, inability to act, disqualification, or any other cause, may at any time be filled for the unexpired portion of the term by a majority vote of the Board of Directors.

Section 4.5 Duties of Officers

Unless otherwise prescribed by the Board of Directors, the duties of the officers shall be as follows:

(a) Chairman of the Board. The Chairman of the Board, if one is elected, shall preside at meetings of the Board of Directors and of the stockholders, shall be responsible for carrying out the plans and directives of the Board of Directors, shall report to and consult with the Board of Directors, and, if the Board so resolves, shall be the Chief Executive Officer. The Chairman of the Board shall have such other powers and duties as the Board of Directors may from time to time prescribe.

(b) Chief Executive Officer. The Chief Executive Officer shall be so designated by the Board and may also hold the title of Chairman of the Board, and/or President. The Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation, subject to the direction of the Board, shall be responsible for assuring that the policy decisions of the Board are implemented as formulated. The Chief Executive Officer shall be responsible for managing the day-to-day business operations of the Corporation consistent with the policies, standards and plans of the Corporation and any specific instruction or directions of the Board, and shall be responsible, in consultation with such officers and members of the Board as he or she deems appropriate, for planning the growth of the Corporation.

(c) President. The President shall exercise the usual executive powers and duties pertaining to the office of President, subject to the Board of Directors, including but not limited to; general control over the day to day management of the corporation; signing and countersigning all certificates, contracts and other instruments of the corporation; and any other powers or duties assigned by the Board of Directors from time to time. In the absence of a Chairman of the Board, the President shall preside at meetings of the Board of Directors and of the stockholders, perform the other duties of the Chairman of the Board prescribed in this Section, and perform such other duties as the Board of Directors may from time to time designate.

(d) Treasurer. The Treasurer shall have the care and custody of, and be responsible for, all funds and securities of the Corporation and shall cause to be kept regular books of account. The Treasurer shall cause to be deposited all funds and other valuable effects in the name of the Corporation in such depositories as may be designated by the Board of Directors and disperse funds of the corporation in payment of the just demands against the corporation, or as may be ordered by the Board of Directors, making proper vouchers for such disbursements and shall render to the Board of Directors, from time to time as may be required of him, an account of all transactions as treasurer and of the financial condition of the corporation. In general, the Treasurer shall perform all of the duties incident to the office of Treasurer, and such other duties as from time to time may be assigned by the Board of Directors.

(e) Chief Financial Officer. The Chief Financial Officer shall perform all acts and duties as are generally incident to the office of the Chief Financial Officer. The Chief Financial Officer may be the Treasurer of the Corporation, as determined by the Board.

(f) Vice President. Each Vice President shall perform such duties as the Board of Directors may from time to time designate. In addition, the Vice President, or if there is more than one, the most senior Vice President available, shall act as President in the absence or disability of the President.

(g) Secretary. The Secretary shall be responsible for and shall keep, personally or with the assistance of others, records of the proceedings of the directors and stockholders; authenticate records of the Corporation; attest all certificates of stock in the name of the Corporation; keep the corporate seal, if any, and affix the same to certificates of stock and other proper documents; keep a record of the issuance of certificates of stock and the transfers of the same; shall issue notices for all meetings as required by the Bylaws; shall have charge of the corporate books; and shall make such reports and perform such other duties as are incident to the office, or properly required by the Board of Directors.

ARTICLE 5

CAPITAL STOCK

Section 5.1 Certificates of Stock

Certificates representing shares of stock may be issued by the Corporation and shall be in such form as shall be determined by the Board. Each certificate shall state that the Corporation will furnish to any stockholder upon request and without charge a statement of the powers, designations, preferences and relative, participating, optional or other special rights of the shares of each class or series of stock and the qualifications or restrictions of such preferences and/or rights, or shall set forth such statement on the certificate itself. The certificates shall be numbered in the order of their issue and entered in the books of the Corporation or its transfer agent or agents as they are issued. Each certificate shall state the registered holder’s name and the number and class of shares and shall be signed by the Chairman or the President and the Secretary or any Assistant Secretary, and may, but need not, bear the seal of the Corporation or a facsimile thereof. Any or all of the signatures of such officers on the certificates may be facsimiles, provided the Corporation is not acting as Registrar with respect to the registration thereof. In case any officer or officers who shall have signed any such certificate shall cease to be such officer or officers of the Corporation, whether because of death, resignation or otherwise, before such certificate shall have been delivered by the Corporation, such certificate may nevertheless be adopted by the Corporation and be issued and delivered as though the person or persons who signed such certificate or certificates had not ceased to be such officer or officers of the Corporation. The Board of Directors of the Corporation may provide by resolution or resolutions that some or all of any or all classes or series of its stock shall be uncertificated shares.

Section 5.2 Transfer Agent and Registrar

The Board shall have the power to appoint one or more Transfer Agents and Registrars for the transfer and registration of certificates of stock of any class and may require that stock certificates be countersigned and registered by one or more of such Transfer Agents and Registrars. Whenever any stock certificate is countersigned or otherwise authenticated by a Transfer Agent, and by a Registrar, then a facsimile of the signatures of the Transfer Agent or the Registrar of the Corporation may be printed or lithographed upon the certificate in lieu of the actual signatures.

Section 5.3 Registration and Transfer of Shares

Subject to the provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation, the name of each person owning a share of the capital stock of the Corporation shall be entered on the books of the Corporation together with the number of shares held by him or her, the numbers of the certificates covering such shares and the dates of issue of such certificates. Subject to the provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation, the shares of stock of the Corporation shall be transferable on the books of the Corporation by the holders thereof in person, or by their duly authorized attorneys or legal representatives, on surrender and cancellation of certificates for a like number of shares, accompanied by an assignment or power of transfer endorsed thereon or attached thereto, duly executed, with such guarantee or proof of the authenticity of the signature as the Corporation or its agents may reasonably require and with proper evidence of payment of any applicable transfer taxes. Subject to the provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation, a record shall be made of each transfer.

Section 5.4 Lost, Destroyed and Mutilated Certificates

The holder of any shares of stock of the Corporation shall immediately notify the Corporation of any loss, theft, destruction or mutilation of the certificates therefor. The Corporation may issue, or cause to be issued, a new certificate of stock in the place of any certificate theretofore issued by it alleged to have been lost, stolen or destroyed upon evidence satisfactory to the Corporation of the loss, theft or destruction of the certificate and, in the case of mutilation, the surrender of the mutilated certificate. The Corporation may, in its discretion, require the owner of the lost, stolen or destroyed certificate, or his or her legal representatives, to give the Corporation a bond sufficient to indemnify it against any claim that may be made against it on account of the alleged loss, theft, destruction or mutilation of any such certificate and the issuance of such new certificate, or may refer such owner to such remedy or remedies as he or she may have under the DGCL.

Section 5.5 Holder of Record

Subject to the provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation, the Corporation shall be entitled to treat the holder of record of any share or shares of stock as the holder thereof in fact and shall not be bound to recognize any equitable or other claim to or interest in such shares on the part of any other person,change, whether or not it shall have express or other notice thereof, except as otherwise expressly provided by law.

ARTICLE 6

DIVIDENDS

The Board shall have the power,Company is then subject to such reporting requirements; or (vi) the provisions of law and the requirementsCompany consummates a transaction which constitutes a “Rule 13e-3 transaction” (as such term is defined in Rule 13e-3 of the Certificate of Incorporation, to declare and pay dividends out of surplus (or, if no surplus exists, out of net profits of the Corporation, for the fiscal year in which the dividend is declared and/or the preceding fiscal year, except where there is an impairment of capital stock), to pay such dividends to the stockholders in cash, in property or in shares of the capital stock of the Corporation and to fix the date or dates for the payment of such dividends.

ARTICLE 7

MISCELLANEOUS

Section 7.1 Inspection of Corporate Record

Stockholders may inspect such corporate records at such times and based upon such limitations of such rights as may be set forth in the DGCL from time to time.

Section 7.2 Checks, Drafts, Etc.

All checks, drafts, bonds, bill of exchange, or other orders for payment of money, notes, or other evidences of indebtedness issued in the name or payable to the Corporation shall be signed or endorsed by such person or persons and in such manner as, from time to time, shall be determined by resolution of the Board.

Section 7.3 Contracts, Etc., How Executed

The Board, except as in these Bylaws otherwise provided, may authorize any officer or officers, agent or agents, to enter into any contract or execute any instrument or document in the name of and on behalf of the Corporation, and such authority may be general or confined to specific instances. Unless otherwise specifically determined by the Board or otherwise required by law, formal contracts, promissory notes and other evidences of

indebtedness, deeds of trust, mortgages and corporate instruments or documents requiring the corporate seal, shall be executed, signed or endorsed by the President or any Vice President and by the Secretary (or any Assistant Secretary), the Chief Financial Officer or the Treasurer (or any Assistant Treasurer). The Board may, however, authorize any one (1) of such officers to sign any of such instruments for and on behalf of the Corporation, without necessity of countersignature; may designate officers or employees of the Corporation, other than those named above, who may, in the name of the Corporation, sign such instruments; and may authorize the use of facsimile signatures of any of such persons. No officer, agent or employee shall have any power or authority to bind the Corporation by any contract or engagement or to pledge its credit to render it liable for any purpose or to any amount except as specifically authorized in these Bylaws or by the Board in accordance with these Bylaws.

Section 7.4 Representation of Shares of Stock of Other Corporations

The President or any Vice President and the Secretary or any Assistant Secretary of this Corporation are authorized to vote, represent and exercise on behalf of this Corporation all rights incident to any and all shares of stock of any other corporation or corporations standing in the name of this Corporation. The authority herein granted to said officers to vote or represent on behalf of this Corporation any and all shares of stock held by this Corporation in any other corporation or corporations may be exercised either by such officers in person or by any persons authorized so to do by proxy or power of attorney duly executed by said officers.

Section 7.5 Inspection, of Bylaws

The Corporation shall keep at its registered office the original or a copy of the Bylaws as amended or otherwise altered to date, certified by the Secretary, which shall be open to inspection by the stockholders at all reasonable times during office hours.

Section 7.6 Conflict

In the event of any conflict between any provision in these Bylaws and in the Corporation’s Certificate of Incorporation, the provision in the Certificate of Incorporation shall control.

ARTICLE 8

RESTRICTIONS ON TRANSFER OF SHARES

Section 8.1 Definitions

As used in this Article 8, the following capitalized terms have the following meanings when used herein with initial capital letters (and any references to any portions of Treasury Regulation §§ 1.382-2T, 1.382-3 and 1.382-4 shall include any successor provisions):

(a) “4.9-percent Transaction” means any Transfer described in clause (a) or (b) of Section 8.2.

(b) “4.9-percent Stockholder” a Person who owns 4.9% or more of the Corporation’s then-outstanding Common Shares, whether directly or indirectly, and including shares such Person would be deemed to constructively own or which otherwise would be aggregated with shares owned by such Person pursuant to Section 382 of the Code, or any successor provision or replacement provision and the Treasury Regulations thereunder.

(c) “Agent” has the meaning set forth in Section 8.5.

(d) “Common Shares” means any interest in shares of common shares, par value $0.001 per share, of the Corporation that would be treated as “stock” of the Corporation pursuant to Treasury Regulation § 1.382-2T(f)(18)Exchange Act).

(e) “Code” (i) “Code” means the United States Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended or replaced from time to time.

(j) “Committee” means the Compensation Committee of the Board, or another committee appointed by the Board to administer the Plan, in accordance with Section 3 of the Plan.

(k) “Common Stock” means the common stock, par value $0.001, of the Company.

(l) “Company” means Signature Group Holdings, Inc., a Delaware corporation.

(m) “Continuing Directors” shall mean the members of the Board on the Effective Date, provided that any person becoming a member of the Board subsequent to such date whose election or nomination for election was supported by at least a majority of the directors who then comprised the Continuing Directors shall be considered to be a Continuing Director; provided, however, that no individual initially elected or nominated as a Director as a result of an actual or threatened election contest with respect to Directors or as a result of any other actual or threatened solicitation of proxies by or on behalf of any person other than the Board shall be deemed to be a Continuing Director.

(n) “Director” means a director serving on the Board who is not also an Employee; and who has been duly elected to the Board by the stockholders of the Company or by the Board under applicable corporate law. Neither service as a Director nor payment of a director’s fee by the Company shall, without more, constitute “employment” by the Company.

(o) “Disability” means permanent and total disability as determined under procedures established by the Committee for the purposes of the Plan; provided, however, that (i) with respect to an Incentive Stock Option, such Disability must also fall within the meaning of “permanent and total disability” as defined in Section 22(e)(3) of the Code, and (ii) with respect to all Awards, to the extent required by Section 409A of the Code, such Disability must also fall within the meaning of “disabled” as defined in Section 409A(a)(2)(C) of the Code.

(p) “Effective Date” means the date described in Section 14(a) of the Plan.

(q) “Employee” means any common-law employee of the Company or a Subsidiary or Affiliate of the Company, including Officers employed by the Company or any Subsidiary or Affiliate of the Company; provided, however, that a person serving solely as an interim officer of the Company or any Subsidiary or Affiliate of the Company shall not be deemed an Employee for the purposes of the Plan. Neither service as a Director nor payment of a director’s fee by the Company shall, without more, constitute “employment” by the Company.

(r) “Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended from time to time, and any successor thereto, or the rulings issuedrules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

(f) “Corporation Security”B-3


(s) “Fair Market Value” means, as of any date, the value of Common Stock determined as follows:

(i) If the Common Stock is listed on a U.S. national securities exchange, its Fair Market Value shall be either the mean of the highest and lowest reported sale prices of the stock (or, if no sales were reported, the average of the closing bid and asked price) or “Corporation Securities” means (i) Common Shares, (ii) sharesthe last reported sale price of preferredthe stock, issuedas determined by the Corporation (other than preferred stock describedCommittee in Section 1504(a)(4)its discretion, on a U.S. national securities exchange for any given day or, if not listed on such exchange, on any other national securities exchange on which the Common Stock is listed as reported in The Wall Street Journal or such other source as the Committee deems reliable;

(ii) If the Common Stock is regularly quoted by a recognized securities dealer but selling prices are not reported, the Fair Market Value of a Share of Common Stock shall be either the Code), (iii) warrants, rights,mean between the high bid and low asked prices or options (including options within the meaning of Treasury Regulation §§ 1.382-2T(h)(4)(v)) and 1.382-4 to purchase Corporation Securities, and (iv) any Shares.

(g) “Effective Date” means the date that these Bylaws were adoptedlast asked price, as determined by the Board of Directors.

(h) “Excess Securities” has the meaning given such term in Section 8.4.

(i) “Expiration Date” means the earlier of (i) the repeal of Section 382 of the Code or any successor statute if the Board of Directors determines that this Article 8 is no longer necessaryCommittee for the preservationCommon Stock on any given day, as reported in The Wall Street Journal or such other source as the Committee deems reliable;

(iii) In the absence of Tax Benefits, (ii)an established regular public market for the beginningCommon Stock, the Fair Market Value shall be determined in good faith by the Committee pursuant to the reasonable application of a taxable year of the Corporation to which the Board of Directors determines that no Tax Benefits may be carried forward or (iii) such date as the Board of Directors shall fix in accordance with Section 8.12.

(j) “Percentage Share Ownership” means the percentage Share Ownership interest of any Person or group (as the context may require) for purposes of Section 382 of the Code as determinedreasonable valuation method in accordance with the Treasury Regulation §§ 1.382-2T(g), (h), (j) and (k) and 1.382-4 or any successor provision.

(k) “Person” means any individual, firm, corporation or other legal entity, including a group of persons treated as an entity pursuant to Treasury Regulation § 1.382-3(a)(1)(i); and includes any successor (by merger or otherwise) of such entity.

(l) “Prohibited Distributions” means any and all dividends or other distributions paid by the Corporation with respect to any Excess Securities received by a Purported Transferee.

(m) “Prohibited Transfer” means any Transfer or purported Transfer of Corporation Securities to the extent that such Transfer is prohibited and/or void under this Article 8.

(n) “Public Group” has the meaning set forth in Treasury Regulation § 1.382-2T(f)(13).

(o) “Purported Transferee” has the meaning set forth in Section 8.4.

(p) “Shares” means any interest that would be treated as “stock” of the Corporation pursuant to Treasury Regulation § 1.382-2T(f)(18).

(q) “Share Ownership” means any direct or indirect ownership of Shares, including any ownership by virtue of application of constructive ownership rules, with such direct, indirect, and constructive ownership determined under the provisions of Section 382409A of the Code and the regulations thereunder.thereunder and, with respect to an Incentive Stock Option, in accordance with such regulations as may be issued under the Code; provided that with respect to an individual described in Section 5(c)(i)(A)(1) hereof, this Section 1(s)(iii) shall not be available if the resulting price fails to represent the Fair Market Value of the stock on the date of grant as determined in accordance with Sections 1(s)(i) or (ii) above.

(r) “Tax Benefits”(t) “Former Plan” means the net operating loss carryforwards, capital loss carryforwards, general business credit carryforwards, alternative minimum tax credit carryforwardsAmended and foreign tax credit carryforwards,Restated Signature Group Holdings, Inc. 2006 Performance Incentive Plan.

(u) “Incentive Stock Option” means an Option intended to qualify as well as any loss or deduction attributable to a “net unrealized built-in loss” of the Corporation or any direct or indirect subsidiary thereof,an incentive stock option within the meaning of Section 382422 of the Code and the regulations promulgated thereunder.

(v) “Non-Qualified Stock Option” means any Option that is not an Incentive Stock Option.

(w) “Officer” unless otherwise noted herein, means a person who is an officer of the Company or a Subsidiary or Affiliate.

(x) “Option” means a stock option granted pursuant to the Plan.

(y) “Performance Award” means an Award granted pursuant to Section 6(b) of the Plan.

(z) “Performance Share” means an Award granted pursuant to Section 6(c) of the Plan of a unit valued by reference to a designated number of Shares, which value may be paid to the Recipient upon achievement of such performance goals as the Committee may establish.

(aa) “Performance Unit” means an Award granted pursuant to Section 6(d) of the Plan of a unit valued by reference to a designated number of Shares, which value may be paid to the Recipient upon achievement of such performance goals as the Committee may establish.

(ab) "Plan” means this Equity Award Plan.

(ac) "Recipient” means an Employee, former Employee, Director or former Director who holds an outstanding Award.

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(ad) “Reprice” means the reduction of the exercise price of Options or Stock Appreciation Rights previously awarded, and, at any time when the exercise price of Options or Stock Appreciation Rights is above the Fair Market Value of a share of Common Stock, the cancellation and re-grant or the exchange of such outstanding Options or Stock Appreciation Rights for either cash or a new Award with a lower (or no) exercise price.

(ae) "Restricted Stock Award” means an Award of shares of Common Stock acquired granted pursuant to Section 4 of the Plan.

(af) “Restricted Stock Unit” means a notional account established pursuant to an Award granted pursuant to Section 4 of the Plan that is (i) valued solely by reference to shares of Common Stock, (ii) subject to restrictions specified in the Award Agreement, and (iii) payable in Common Stock, cash or a combination thereof. The Restricted Stock Unit awarded to the Recipient will vest according to time-based or performance-based criteria specified in the Award Agreement.

(ag) “Retirement” means an Employee’s retirement from active employment with the Company or any Subsidiary or Affiliate as determined under a pension plan of the Company or any Subsidiary or Affiliate applicable to the Employee; or the Employee’s termination of employment at or after age 55 under circumstances that the Committee, in its sole discretion, deems equivalent to retirement.

(ah) “Rule 16b-3” means Rule 16b-3 promulgated under Section 16 of the Exchange Act, as such rule may be amended from time to time, and any successor rule, regulation, or statue fulfilling the same or a similar function.

(ai) “Section 162(m) Exception” means the exception on “applicable employee remuneration” under Section 162(m) of the Code for “qualified performance-based compensation.”

(aj) “Service Provider” means an Employee or Director. A Service Provider who is an Employee shall not cease to be a Service Provider (i) during any leave of absence approved by the Company; provided that, for purposes of Incentive Stock Options, no such leave may exceed ninety (90) days, unless reemployment upon expiration of such leave is guaranteed by statute or contract; or (ii) as a result of transfers between locations of the Company or between the Company and any Subsidiary or Affiliate. If reemployment upon expiration of a leave of absence approved by the Company is not guaranteed by statute or contract, then on the 91st day of such leave any Incentive Stock Option held by the Service Provider shall cease to be treated as an Incentive Stock Option and shall be treated for tax purposes as a Non-Qualified Stock Option.

(ak) “Stock Appreciation Right” means an Award granted pursuant to Section 6(a) of the Plan.

(al) “Share” means a share of the Common Stock, as adjusted in accordance with Section 9 of the Plan.

(am) “Subsidiary” means a “subsidiary corporation,” whether now or hereafter existing, as defined in Section 424(f) of the Code.

(s) “Transfer”(an) “Substitute Awards” means any directAwards granted or indirect sale, transfer, assignment, conveyance, pledgeShares issued by the Company in assumption of, or other dispositionin substitution or other action takenexchange for, awards previously granted, or the right or obligation to make future awards, in each case by a person, other thancompany acquired by the Corporation, that altersCompany or any Subsidiary or Affiliate or with which the Percentage Share OwnershipCompany or any Subsidiary or Affiliate combines.

Section 2. Shares Subject to the Plan.

(a) Shares Available for Issuance. Subject to the provisions of Section 9 of the Plan, the total number of Shares available for grants of Awards under the Plan will consist of (i) Shares available as of the Effective Date under the Former

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Plan; (ii) any Shares which become available from the Former Plan after the Effective Date in accordance with this Section 2; and (iii) 1,600,000 additional Shares. Awards may be issued entirely in the form of Incentive Stock Options or through any combination of any Person. A Transfer alsoone or more of the forms of Awards authorized under the terms of the Plan. As of the Effective Date, no additional Awards will be made from the Former Plans. The Shares subject to an Award under the Plan may be authorized but unissued, or reacquired Common Stock or treasury shares.

(b) General Award Limitations. Subject to adjustment as provided in Section 9 of the Plan, no Recipient may be granted (i) Options or Stock Appreciation Rights during any 12-month period with respect to more than 500,000 Shares, and (ii) Restricted Stock Awards, Restricted Stock Unit Awards, or Performance Shares during any calendar year that are intended to comply with the Section 162(m) Exception and are denominated in Shares under which more than 500,000 shares may be earned for each twelve (12) months in the vesting period or performance period. During any calendar year no Recipient may be granted Performance Units that are intended to comply with the Section 162(m) Exception and are denominated in cash under which more than $5,000,000 may be earned for each twelve (12) months in the performance period. Each of the limitations in this section shall includebe multiplied by two (2) with respect to Awards granted to a Recipient during the creationfirst calendar year in which the Recipient commences employment with the Company and its Subsidiaries. In determining the number of Shares with respect to which a Recipient may be granted an Award in any calendar year, any Award which is canceled shall count against the maximum number of Shares for which an Award may be granted to a Recipient.

(c) Limitations on Director Awards. In addition and subject to Section 9, no Director, except the Chairman of the Board or any Vice Chairman of the Board, may be granted Awards with an aggregate grant date value in excess of $300,000 in any calendar year. Such limitation on Director Awards does not apply to any cash retainer fees, including cash retainer fees converted into equity awards at the election of the Director.

(d) Shares Eligible for Reissuance. If (i) any Shares subject to an option (includingAward are forfeited, an option within the meaningAward expires or otherwise terminates without issuance of Treasury Regulation §§ 1.382-2T(h)(4)(v) and 1.382-4). For the avoidance of doubt, a Transfer shallShares, or an Award is settled for cash (in whole or in part) or otherwise does not include the creation or grant of an option by the Corporation, nor shall a Transfer includeresult in the issuance of all or a portion of the Shares bysubject to such Award (including on payment in Shares on exercise of a Stock Appreciation Right), such Shares shall, to the Corporation.

(t) “Transferee” means any Personextent of such forfeiture, expiration, termination, cash settlement or non-issuance, be added to whom Corporation Securities are Transferred.

(u) “Treasury Regulations” means the regulations, including temporary regulations or any successor regulations promulgatedShares available for grant under the Code, as amended from time to time.

Section 8.2 Transfer and Ownership Restrictions

In order to preserve the Tax Benefits, from andPlan on a one-for-one basis or (ii) after the Effective Date of this Article 8the Plan any attempted TransferShares subject to an award under any Former Plan are forfeited, an award under any Former Plan expires or otherwise terminates without issuance of Corporation Securities priorsuch Shares, or an award under any Former Plan is settled for cash (in whole or in part), or otherwise does not result in the issuance of all or a portion of the Shares subject to such award (including on payment in Shares on exercise of a Stock Appreciation Right), then the Shares subject to the Expiration Date andaward under any attempted Transfer of Corporation Securities pursuant to an agreement entered into priorFormer Plan shall, to the Expiration Date,extent of such forfeiture, expiration, termination, cash settlement or non-issuance, be added to the Shares available for grant under the Plan on a one-for-one basis. In the event that (i) any Option or other Award granted hereunder is exercised through the tendering of Shares (either actually or by attestation) or by the withholding of Shares by the Company, or (ii) withholding tax liabilities arising from such Option or other Award are satisfied by the tendering of Shares (either actually or by attestation) or by the withholding of Shares by the Company, then in each such case the Shares so tendered or withheld shall be prohibitedadded to the Shares available for grant under the Plan on a one-for-one basis. In the event that after the Effective Date of the Plan (i) any option or award granted under any Former Plan is exercised through the tendering of Shares (either actually or by attestation) or by the withholding of Shares by the Company, or (ii) withholding tax liabilities arising from options or awards granted under any Former Plan are satisfied by the tendering of Shares (either actually or by attestation) or by the withholding of Shares by the Company, then in each such case the Shares so tendered or withheld shall be added to the Shares available for grant under the Plan on a one-for-one basis.

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(e) Dividends on Awards with Performance Goals. If an Award under the Plan is subject to vesting based on achievement of certain performance goals, any dividend and voidab initiodividend equivalents with respect to such Award shall be paid only upon and to the extent that the underlying Award vests.

(f) Substitute Awards. Substitute Awards shall not reduce the Shares authorized for grant under the Plan or the applicable limitations on grants to a Recipient under Section 2(b), nor shall Shares subject to a Substitute Award be added to the Shares available for Awards under the Plan as provided in paragraphs (a) and (b) above. Additionally, in the event that a company acquired by the Company or any Subsidiary or Affiliate or with which the Company or any Subsidiary or Affiliate combines has shares available under a pre-existing plan approved by stockholders and not adopted in contemplation of such acquisition or combination, the shares available for grant pursuant to the terms of such pre-existing plan (as adjusted, to the extent appropriate, using the exchange ratio or other adjustment or valuation ratio or formula used in such acquisition or combination to determine the consideration payable to the holders of common stock of the entities party to such acquisition or combination) may be used for Awards under the Plan and shall not reduce the Shares authorized for grant under the Plan (and Shares subject to such Awards shall not be added to the Shares available for Awards under the Plan as provided in paragraphs (a) and (b) above); provided, that Awards using such available shares shall not be made after the date awards or grants could have been made under the terms of the pre-existing plan, absent the acquisition or combination, and shall only be made to individuals who were not Employees or Directors prior to such acquisition or combination.

Section 3. Administration of the Plan.

(a) Administration. The Plan shall be administered by the Committee; provided, that with (i) respect to any Award that is intended to satisfy the requirements of Rule 16b-3, such Committee shall consist of at least the number of Directors as is required by Rule 16b-3 and each such Director shall satisfy the required qualifications of such rule and (ii) with respect to any Award that is intended to satisfy the requirements of the Section 162(m) Exception, such Committee shall consist of at least the number of Directors satisfying the requirements of the Section 162(m) Exception. Committee members shall serve for such term(s) as the Board may determine, subject to removal by the Board at any time. The Committee shall act by a majority of its members, or if there are only two members of such Committee, by unanimous consent of both members. If at any time there is no Committee in office, the functions of the Committee specified in the Plan shall be carried out by the Board.

(b) Powers of the Committee.  Except for the terms and conditions explicitly set forth in the Plan, the Committee shall have exclusive authority, in its discretion, to determine the Fair Market Value of the Common Stock in accordance with Section 1(s) of the Plan and to determine all matters relating to Awards under the Plan, including the selection of individuals to be granted an Award, the type of Award, the number of shares of Common Stock subject to an Award, all terms, conditions, restrictions and limitations, if any, including, without limitation, vesting, acceleration of vesting, exercisability, termination, substitution, cancellation, forfeiture, or repurchase of an Award and the terms of any instrument that evidences the Award. The Committee shall also have exclusive authority to interpret the Plan and its rules and regulations, and to make all other determinations deemed necessary or advisable under or for administering the Plan, subject to Section 13 of the Plan. All actions taken and determinations made by the Committee pursuant to the Plan shall be conclusive and binding on all parties involved or affected. The Committee may, by a majority of its members then in office, authorize any one or more of its members or any Officer of the Company to execute and deliver documents on behalf of the Committee, or delegate to an Officer of the Company the authority to make decisions pursuant to Section 5(d) of the Plan, provided that the Committee may not delegate its authority with regard to the selection for participation of or the granting of Awards to persons subject to Section 13 of the Exchange Act.

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(c) Compliance with Section 409A of the Code. Awards granted under the Plan shall be designed and administered in such a manner that they are either exempt from the application of, or comply with, the requirements of Section 409A of the Code and the regulations thereunder. To the extent that the Committee determines that any Award granted under the Plan is subject to Section 409A of the Code, the Award Agreement shall incorporate the terms and conditions necessary to avoid the imposition of an additional tax under Section 409A of the Code upon a Recipient. Notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan or any Award Agreement (unless the Award Agreement provides otherwise with respect to this Section 3): (i) an Award shall not be granted, deferred, accelerated, extended, paid out, settled, substituted or modified under the Plan in a manner that would result in the imposition of an additional tax under Section 409A of the Code upon a Recipient; and (ii) if an Award constitutes “deferred compensation” within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code, and if the Recipient holding the Award is a “specified employee” (as defined in Section 409A of the Code, with such classification to be determined in accordance with the methodology established by the Company), no distribution or payment of any amount on account of a “separation from service” (as defined in Section 409A of the Code) shall be made before a date that is six (6) months following the date of such separation from service, or, if earlier, the date of the Recipient’s death. Although the Company intends to administer the Plan so that Awards will be exempt from, or will comply with, the requirements of Section 409A of the Code, the Company does not warrant that any Award under the Plan will qualify for favorable tax treatment under Section 409A of the Code or any other provision of federal, state, local or non-United States law. Neither the Company, its Subsidiaries and Affiliates, nor their respective Directors, Officers, Employees or advisers shall be liable to any Recipient (or any other individual claiming a benefit through the Recipient) for any tax, interest, or penalties the Recipient might owe as a result of such Transfer (or any series of Transfers of which such Transfer is a part), either (a) any Personthe grant, holding, vesting, exercise, or Persons would become a 4.9-percent Stockholder, (b) the Percentage Share Ownership in the Corporationpayment of any 4.9-percent Stockholder would be increased, of (c) any Stockholder holding 5% or more ofAward under the total market value of the Corporate Securities Transfers, or agrees to Transfer, Corporate Securities; provided, however, that nothing herein contained shall preclude the settlement of any transactionPlan.

(d) “Double Trigger” Change in the Corporation Securities entered into through the facilities of the New York Stock Exchange, Inc.

Section 8.3 Exceptions

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein:

(a) Transfers to a Public Group (including a new Public Group created under Treasury Regulation § 1.382-2T(j)(3)(i)) shall be permitted.

(b) The restrictionsControl Vesting.  Unless otherwise expressly set forth in Section 8.2 shall not apply to an attempted Transfer that isaward agreement, if awards granted under the Plan are assumed by a 4.9-percent Transaction if the transferor or the Transferee obtains the written approval of the Board of Directors or a duly authorized committee thereof. As a condition to granting its approval pursuant to this Section 8.3, the Board of Directors, may, in its discretion, require (at the expense of the transferor and/or Transferee) an opinion of counsel selected by the Board of Directors that the Transfer shall not result in the application of any Section 382 of the Code limitation on the use of the Tax Benefits; provided that the Board of Directors may grant such approval notwithstanding the effect of such approval on the Tax Benefits if it determines that the approval is in the best interests of the Corporation. The Board of Directors may impose any conditions that it deems reasonable and appropriatesuccessor in connection with a change in control of the Company, such approval,awards will not automatically vest and pay out solely as a result of the Change in Control

Section 4. Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units.

(a) Awards of Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units. Shares of Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Units may be issued either alone, in addition to, or in tandem with other Awards granted under the Plan and/or cash awards made outside of the Plan. The Committee shall determine the individuals to whom it will award Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Units under the Plan, and it shall advise the Recipient in writing, by means of an Award Agreement, of the terms, conditions and restrictions related to the Award, including without limitation,the number of Shares of Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Units to be awarded to the Recipient, the time or times within which such Awards may be subject to forfeiture and any other terms and conditions of the Awards, in addition to those contained in this Section 4. The Committee may condition the grant or vesting of Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Units upon the attainment of specified performance goals of the Recipient or of the Company, Subsidiary or Affiliate for or within which the Recipient is primarily employed, or upon such other factors as the Committee shall determine. The provisions of an Award need not be the same with respect to each Recipient. The terms of the Award of Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Units shall comply in all respects with Applicable Law and the terms of the Plan.

(b) Awards and Certificates. Each Award shall be confirmed by, and subject to the terms of, an Award Agreement. Shares of Restricted Stock shall be evidenced in such manner as the Committee may deem appropriate, including book-entry registration or issuance of one or more stock certificates. The Committee may require that the certificates evidencing such Shares be held in custody by the Company until the restrictions on the abilitythereon shall have lapsed and that, as a condition of any TransfereeAward of Restricted Stock, the Recipient shall have delivered to Transferthe Company a stock power, endorsed in blank, relating to the Shares acquired through a Transfer. Approvalscovered by such Award. Any certificate issued with respect to Shares of Restricted Stock shall be

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registered in the name of such Recipient and shall bear an appropriate legend referring to the terms, conditions and restrictions applicable to such Award, substantially in the following form:

“The transferability of this certificate and the shares of common stock represented hereby are subject to the terms and conditions (including forfeiture) of the BoardSignature Group Holdings, Inc. 2015 Equity Award Plan and an Award Agreement. Copies of Directors hereundersuch Plan and Award Agreement are on file at the office of the Secretary of Signature Group Holdings, Inc.”

If and when the Restriction Period (hereinafter defined) expires without a prior forfeiture of the Restricted Stock subject to such Restriction Period, the Recipient may request that unlegended certificates for such Shares be given prospectively or retroactively. The Board of Directors,delivered to the fullest extent permitted by law,Recipient. Such certificates may exercisebear a legend pursuant to Section 13, despite the authority granted byremoval of any legend under this Article 8 through duly authorized officers or agentsSection 4.

(c) Terms and Conditions. Shares of Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units shall be subject to the following terms and conditions:

(i) Restriction Period. Subject to the provisions of the Corporation. Nothing in this Section 8.3 shall be construed to limit or restrictPlan and the Board of Directors in the exercise of its fiduciary duties under applicable law.

Section 8.4 Excess Securities

(a) No employee or agentterms of the Corporation shall record any Prohibited Transfer, andAward Agreement, during a period set by the purported transfereeCommittee, commencing with the date of grant of such a Prohibited TransferAward (the “Purported Transferee”“Restriction Period”), which shall not be recognizedless than one (1) year, the Recipient shall not be permitted to sell, assign, transfer, pledge or otherwise encumber Shares of Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Units (the “Restrictions”). The Committee may provide for the lapse of such Restrictions in installments or otherwise and may accelerate or waive such Restrictions, in whole or in part, in each case based on period of service, performance of the Recipient or of the Company, Subsidiary or Affiliate, division or department for which the Recipient is employed or such other factors or criteria as the Committee may determine.

(ii) Rights of Restricted Stock Recipients. Except as provided in this Section 4(c) of the Plan, the applicable Award Agreement and Applicable Law, the Recipient shall have, with respect to the Shares of Restricted Stock, all of the rights of a stockholder of the Corporation for any purpose whatsoever in respectCompany holding the class or series of Common Stock that is the subject of the Corporation Securities whichAward Agreement, including, if so provided in the Award Agreement, the right to vote the Shares and the right to receive any cash dividends. Unless otherwise determined by the Committee in the applicable Award Agreement for the Restriction Period, (A) cash dividends on the Shares that are the subject of the Prohibited Transfer (the “Excess Securities”). UntilAward Agreement shall be paid in cash to the Excess Securities areRecipient and may be subject to forfeiture as provided in the Award Agreement and (B) dividends payable in Common Stock shall be paid in the form of Restricted Stock. If there is a pro rata distribution of warrants or other rights to acquire shares of Common Stock, then the Recipient shall have the right to participate in or receive such warrants or other rights, provided, however, that any shares of Common Stock acquired by another personpursuant to the exercise of such warrants or other rights shall be subject to the same vesting requirements and restrictions as the underlying Common Stock.

(iii) Rights of Restricted Stock Unit Recipients. The Recipient of Restricted Stock Units shall not have any of the rights of a stockholder of the Company and has no right to vote any shares of Common Stock or to receive any cash dividend. The Committee shall be entitled to specify in a TransferRestricted Stock Unit Award Agreement that is notin the event that the Company declares a Prohibited Transfer,dividend on its Common Stock, the Purported Transferee shall not be entitledCompany will hold in escrow an amount in cash equal to the dividend that would have been paid on the Restricted Stock Units had they been converted into the same number of shares of Common Stock and held by Recipient on the record date of such dividend. Upon adjustment and vesting of the Restricted Stock Unit, any cash payment due with respect to such Excess Securitiesdividends shall be made to any rightsthe Recipient.

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(iv) Termination of stockholders ofService Provider Relationship. Except to the Corporation, including, without limitation,extent otherwise provided in the right to vote such Excess Securities and to receive dividendsapplicable Award Agreement or distributions, whether liquidatingthe Plan or otherwise expressly authorized by the Committee in respect thereof,its sole discretion, if a Recipient ceases to be a Service Provider for any andreason during the Excess SecuritiesRestriction Period, all Shares or Restricted Stock Units still subject to restriction shall be deemed to remainforfeited by the Recipient.

(d) Other Provisions. The Award Agreement shall contain such other terms, provisions and conditions not inconsistent with the transferor unless and until the Excess Securities are transferred to the Agent pursuant to Section 8.5 or until an approval is obtained under Section 8.3. After the Excess Securities have been acquired in a Transfer that is not a Prohibited Transfer, the Corporation Securities shall cease to be Excess Securities. For this purpose, any Transfer of Excess Securities not in accordance with the provisions of Sections 8.4 or 8.5 shall also be a Prohibited Transfer.

(b) The Corporation may require as a condition to the registration of the Transfer of any Corporation Securities or the payment of any distribution on any Corporation Securities that the proposed Transferee or payee furnish to the Corporation all information reasonably requested by the Corporation with respect to its direct or indirect ownership interests in such Corporation Securities. The Corporation may make such arrangements or issue such instructions to its share transfer agentPlan as may be determined by the Board of Directors to be necessary or advisable to implement this Article 8,Committee in its sole discretion, including, without limitation, authorizingprovisions relating to tax matters including wage withholding requirements and prohibitions on elections by the Recipient under Section 83(b) of the Code. In addition, the terms of the Award Agreements for Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Units need not be the same with respect to each Recipient.

Section 5. Options.

(a) Limitations on Options. For a Director, each Option shall be designated in the written Award Agreement as a Non-Qualified Stock Option. For an Employee, each Option shall be designated in the written Award Agreement as either an Incentive Stock Option or a Non-Qualified Stock Option. However, notwithstanding such designation for an Employee, to the extent that Incentive Stock Options are amended, the aggregate Fair Market Value of the Shares with respect to which Incentive Stock Options are exercisable for the first time by the Recipient during any calendar year (under all plans of the Company and any Subsidiary or Affiliate) exceeds $100,000 or other circumstances exist that would cause the Options to lose their status as Incentive Stock Options, such Options shall be treated as Non-Qualified Stock Options. For purposes of this Section��5, Incentive Stock Options shall be taken into account in the order in which they were granted. The Fair Market Value of the Shares shall be determined as of the time the Option with respect to such Shares is granted. If an Option is granted hereunder that is part Incentive Stock Option and part Non-Qualified Stock Option due to becoming first exercisable in any calendar year in excess of $100,000, the Incentive Stock Option portion of such Option shall become exercisable first in such calendar year, and the Non-Qualified Stock Option portion shall commence becoming exercisable once the $100,000 limit has been reached.

(b) Term of Option. The term of each Option shall be stated in the Award Agreement but shall be no longer than ten (10) years from the date of grant or such shorter term as may be provided in the Award Agreement. Moreover, in the case of an Incentive Stock Option granted to a Recipient who, at the time the Incentive Stock Option is granted, owns stock representing more than ten percent (10%) of the voting power of all classes of stock of the Company or any Subsidiary (taking into account the attribution rules under Section 424(d) of the Code), the term of the Incentive Stock Option shall be five (5) years from the date of grant or such shorter term as may be provided in the Award Agreement.

(c) Option Exercise Price and Consideration.

(i) Exercise Price. The per share exercise price for the Shares to be issued pursuant to exercise of an Option shall be determined by the Committee, subject to the following:

(A) In the case of an Incentive Stock Option

(1) granted to an Employee who, at the time the Incentive Stock Option is granted, owns stock representing more than ten percent (10%) of the voting power of all classes of stock of the Company or any Subsidiary (taking into account the attribution rules under Section 424(d) of the Code), the per Share exercise price shall be not less than 110% of the Fair Market Value per Share on the date of grant, or

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(2) granted to any Employee other than an Employee described in paragraph (A)(1) immediately above, the per Share exercise price shall be not less than 100% of the Fair Market Value per Share on the date of grant.

(B) In the case of a Non-Qualified Stock Option, the per Share exercise price shall be not less than 100% of the Fair Market Value per Share on the date of grant; provided, that in the case of Substitute Awards, the exercise price may be less than 100% of Fair Market Value per Share on the date of grant.

(ii) Waiting Period and Exercise Dates. The Committee shall have the authority, subject to the terms of the Plan, to determine any vesting restriction or limitation or waiting period with respect to any Option granted to a Recipient or the Shares acquired pursuant to the exercise of such Option; provided, however, that such vesting restriction or limitation or waiting period shall not be less than one (1) year.

(iii) Form of Consideration. The Committee shall determine the acceptable form of consideration for exercising an Option, including the method of payment. In the case of an Incentive Stock Option, the Committee shall determine the acceptable form of consideration at the time of grant. Unless limited by the Committee, such consideration may consist entirely of:

(A) cash (in the form of a certified or bank check or such other instrument as the Company may accept);

(B) other Shares owned on the date of exercise of the Option by the Recipient based on the Fair Market Value of the Common Stock on the date the Option is exercised; provided, however, that in the case of an Incentive Stock Option, the right to make a payment in the form of already owned Shares may be authorized only at the time the Option is granted;

(C) any combination of (A) and (B) above;

(D) by delivery of a properly executed exercise notice together with such other documentation as the Committee and a qualified broker, if applicable, shall require to effect an exercise of the Option, and delivery to the Company of the proceeds required to pay the exercise price;

(E) by requesting that the Company withhold such number of Shares then issuable upon exercise of the Option as will have a Fair Market Value equal to the exercise price of the Shares being acquired upon the exercise of the Option; or

(F) such other consideration and method of payment for the issuance of Shares to the extent permitted by the Committee and Applicable Laws.

(d) Exercise of Option.

(i) Procedure for Exercise; Rights as a Stockholder. Except as otherwise authorized by the Committee, any Option granted hereunder shall be exercisable according to the terms of the Plan and at such times and under such conditions as determined by the Committee and set forth in the Award Agreement. If the Committee provides that any Option is exercisable only in installments, the Committee may at any time waive such installment exercise provisions, in whole or in part, based on such factors as the Committee may determine. The Committee may at any time, in whole or in part, accelerate the exercisability of any Option.

An Option shall be deemed exercised when the Company receives: (i) written notice of exercise (in accordance with the Award Agreement) from the person entitled to exercise the Option, and (ii) full payment for the Shares with respect to which the Option is exercised. Full payment may consist of any consideration and method of payment

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authorized by the Committee in accordance with Section 5(c)(iii) of the Plan and permitted by the Award Agreement. Shares issued upon exercise of an Option shall be issued in the name of the Recipient. Until the stock certificate evidencing such Shares is issued (as evidenced by the appropriate entry on the books of the Company or of a duly authorized transfer agent of the Company), no right to requirevote or receive dividends or any other rights as a stockholder shall exist with respect to such Shares, notwithstanding the exercise of the Option. The Company shall issue (or cause to be issued) such stock certificate promptly after the Option is exercised. No adjustment will be made for a dividend or other right for which the record date is prior to the date the stock certificate is issued, except as provided in Section 9 of the Plan.

(ii) Termination of Relationship as Employee. If a Recipient ceases to be an affidavitEmployee, other than for Cause or upon the Recipient’s death, Disability or Retirement, the Recipient, subject to the restrictions of this Section 5(d)(ii), may exercise his or her Option within the time specified in this Section 5(d)(ii) to the extent that the Option is vested on the date of termination, including any acceleration of vesting granted by the Committee, and has not yet expired as set forth in the Award Agreement. Unless otherwise set forth in the Award Agreement, such Option may be exercised as follows: (i) if the Option is a Non-Qualified Stock Option, it shall remain exercisable for the lesser of the remaining term of the Option or three (3) months from the date of such termination of the relationship as a Purported Transferee regardingService Provider; provided, however, that if the Recipient dies within such  Person’s actualthree-month period, any unexercised Option held by such Recipient shall, notwithstanding the expiration of such three-month period, continue to be exercisable (to the extent to which it was exercisable at the time of death) for the lesser of a period of twelve (12) months from the date of such death, the expiration of the stated term of such Option; or (ii) if the Option is an Incentive Stock Option, it shall remain exercisable for the lesser of the term of the Option or three (3) months following the Recipient’s termination of his or her relationship as a Service Provider; provided, however, that if the Recipient dies within such three-month period, any unexercised Option held by such Recipient shall, notwithstanding the expiration of such three-month, period continue to be exercisable (to the extent to which it was exercisable at the time of death) for the lesser of a period of twelve (12) months from the date of such death, the expiration of the stated term of such Option, or the exercise period that applies for purposes of Section 422 of the Code. If, on the date of termination, the Recipient is not vested as to his or her entire Option and constructive ownershipthe Committee has not granted any acceleration of vesting, the Shares covered by the unvested portion of the Option shall revert to the Plan. If a Recipient ceases to be a Service Provider for Cause, the Option shall immediately terminate, and the Shares covered by such Option shall revert to the Plan. If, after termination, the Recipient does not exercise his or her Option within the time specified herein, the Option shall terminate, and the Shares covered by such Option shall revert to the Plan.

Notwithstanding the above, in the event of a Recipient’s change in status from Employee to non-Employee Officer or Director, the Recipient shall not automatically be treated as if the Recipient terminated his or her relationship as a Service Provider, nor shall the Recipient be treated as ceasing to provide services to the Company solely as a result of such change in status. In the event a Recipient’s status changes from Employee to non-Employee Officer or Director, an Incentive Stock Option held by the Recipient shall cease to be treated as an Incentive Stock Option and shall be treated for tax purposes as a Non-Qualified Stock Option three (3) months and one (1) day following such change of status.

(iii) Disability of Employee. If, as a result of the Recipient’s Disability, a Recipient ceases to be an Employee, the Recipient may exercise his or her Option subject to the restrictions of this Section 5(d)(iii) and within the period of time specified herein to the extent the Option is vested on the date of termination, including any acceleration of vesting granted by the Committee, and has not yet expired as set forth in the Award Agreement. Unless otherwise set forth in the Award Agreement, such Option shall be exercisable for the lesser of the remaining period of time specified in the Award Agreement or twelve (12) months from the date of such termination. If, on the date of

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termination, the Recipient is not vested as to his or her entire Option and the Committee has not granted any acceleration of vesting, the Shares covered by the unvested portion of the Option shall revert to the Plan. If, after termination, the Recipient does not exercise his or her Option within the time specified herein, the Option shall terminate, and the Shares covered by such Option shall revert to the Plan. In the event of termination of employment by reason of Disability, if an Incentive Stock Option is exercised after the expiration of the exercise periods applicable under Section 422 of the Code, such Option will thereafter be treated as a Non-Qualified Stock Option.

(iv) Death of Employee. If a Recipient dies while an Employee, the Option may be exercised subject to the restrictions of this Section 5(d)(iv) and within such period of time as is specified in the Award Agreement (but in no event later than the earlier of twelve (12) months from the date of such death or the expiration of the term of such Option as set forth in the Award Agreement), but only to the extent that the Option is vested on the date of death, including any acceleration of vesting granted by the Committee, and has not yet expired as set forth in the Award Agreement. If, at the time of death, the Recipient is not vested as to his or her entire Option and the Committee has not granted any acceleration of vesting, the Shares covered by the unvested portion of the Option shall immediately revert to the Plan. The Option may be exercised by the executor or administrator of the Recipient’s estate or, if none, by the person(s) entitled to exercise the Option under the Recipient’s will or the applicable laws of descent or distribution. If the Option is not so exercised within the time specified herein, the Option shall terminate, and the Shares covered by such Option shall revert to the Plan. In the event of termination of employment by reason of death, if an Incentive Stock Option is exercised after the expiration of the exercise periods that apply for purposes of Section 422 of the Code, such Option will thereafter be treated as a Non-Qualified Stock Option.

(v) Retirement of Employee.

(A) Non-Qualified Stock Options. If, as a result of the Recipient’s Retirement, a Recipient ceases to be an Employee, the Recipient may, subject to the restrictions of this Section 5(d)(v), exercise his or her Non-Qualified Stock Option within the time specified herein to the extent the Option is vested on the date of termination, including any acceleration of vesting granted by the Committee, and has not yet expired as set forth in the Award Agreement. Unless otherwise set forth in the Award Agreement, such Option may be exercised for the lesser of the remaining period of time specified in the Award Agreement or three (3) years following the Recipient’s Retirement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Recipient dies within such three-year (or shorter) period, any unexercised Non-Qualified Stock Option held by such Recipient shall, notwithstanding the expiration of such period, continue to be exercisable to the extent to which it was exercisable at the time of death for a period of twelve (12) months from the date of death or the expiration of the stated term of such Option, whichever period is shorter.

(B) Incentive Stock Options. If the Recipient holds an Incentive Stock Option and ceases to be an Employee by reason of his or her Retirement, such Incentive Stock Option may continue to be exercisable by the Recipient to the extent to which it was exercisable at the time of Retirement for a period of three (3) months from the date of Retirement or the expiration of the stated term of such Option, whichever period is the shorter of the two. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Recipient dies within such three-month period, any unexercised Incentive Stock Option held by such Recipient shall, notwithstanding the expiration of such period, continue to be exercisable to the extent to which it was exercisable at the time of death for a period of twelve (12) months from the date of such death, the expiration of the stated term of such Option, or the exercise period that applies for purposes of Section 422 of the Code, whichever period is shorter.

If, on the date of termination due to Retirement, the Recipient is not vested as to his or her entire Option and the Committee has not granted any acceleration of vesting, the Shares covered by the unvested portion of

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the Option shall revert to the Plan. If, after termination due to Retirement, the Option is not exercised within the time specified herein, the Option shall terminate, and the Shares covered by such Option shall revert to the Plan.

(vi) Termination of Relationship as Director. Except as otherwise set forth in the Award Agreement, if a Recipient ceases to be a Director, other than for Cause, the Recipient, subject to the restrictions of this Section 5(d)(vi) and to the extent that the Option is vested on the date of termination of service as a Director, including any acceleration of vesting granted by the Committee, may exercise his or her Option for the lesser of the remaining term of the Option or three (3) years from the date of such termination of the service as a Director. If, on the date of termination, the Recipient is not vested as to his or her entire Option and the Committee has not granted any acceleration of vesting, the Shares covered by the unvested portion of the Option shall revert to the Plan. If a Recipient ceases to be a Director for Cause, the Option shall immediately terminate, and the Shares covered by such Option shall revert to the Plan. If, after termination, the Recipient does not exercise his or her Option within the time specified herein, the Option shall terminate, and the Shares covered by such Option shall revert to the Plan.

(vii) Death of Director. If a Recipient dies while a Director, the Option may be exercised subject to the restrictions of this Section 5(d)(vii) and within such period of time as is specified in the Award Agreement (but in no event later than the earlier of three (3) years or the expiration of the term of such Option as set forth in the Award Agreement), but only to the extent that the Option is vested on the date of death, including any acceleration of vesting granted by the Committee, and has not yet expired as set forth in the Award Agreement. If, at the time of death, the Recipient is not vested as to his or her entire Option and the Committee has not granted any acceleration of vesting, the Shares covered by the unvested portion of the Option shall immediately revert to the Plan. The Option may be exercised by the executor or administrator of the Recipient’s estate or, if none, by the person(s) entitled to exercise the Option under the Recipient’s will or the applicable laws of descent or distribution. If the Option is not so exercised within the time specified herein, the Option shall terminate, and the Shares covered by such Option shall revert to the Plan.

(viii) Cash Out Provisions. On receipt of written notice of exercise, to the extent permitted by Section 409A of the Code and the regulations thereunder, the Committee may elect, but shall not be required, to cash out all or any part of the shares of Common Stock for which an Option is being exercised by paying the Recipient an amount, in cash, equal to the excess of the Fair Market Value of the Common Stock over the option price times the number of shares of Common Stock for which an Option is being exercised on the effective date of such cash out. Cash outs pursuant to this Section 5(d)(viii) relating to Options held by Recipients who are actually or potentially subject to Section 16(b) of the Exchange Act shall comply with the provisions of Section 16 of the Exchange Act and the rules promulgated thereunder, to the extent applicable.

(ix) No Option Repricing. Except as provided in Section 9 of the Plan, the Committee shall not be permitted to Reprice an Option after the date of grant without the approval of the Company’s stockholders.

Section 6. Other Awards.

The Committee, in its sole discretion, but subject to the terms of the Plan, may grant the following types of Awards (in addition to or in combination with the Awards of Options and Restricted Stock described above) under the Plan on a standalone, combination or tandem basis:

(a) Stock Appreciation Right. The Committee may grant a right to receive the excess of the Fair Market Value of a Share on the date the Stock Appreciation Right is exercised over the Fair Market Value of a Share on the date the Stock Appreciation Right was granted (the “Spread”). Upon exercise of a Stock Appreciation Right, the Spread with respect to a

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Stock Appreciation Right will be payable in cash, Shares with a total Fair Market Value equal to the Spread or a combination of these two. The terms of the Award Agreements granting Stock Appreciation Rights need not be the same with respect to each Recipient. The term of each Stock Appreciation Right shall be stated in the Award Agreement but shall be no longer than ten (10) years from the date of grant or such shorter term as may be provided in the Award Agreement. A Stock Appreciation Right shall be subject to adjustment as provided in Section 9 of the Plan. Except as provided in Section 9 of the Plan, the Committee shall not be permitted to Reprice a Stock Appreciation Right after the date of grant without the approval of the Company’s stockholders. The Committee may provide for the automatic exercise on the last day of the term for any Stock Appreciation Right where the Fair Market Value of the Stock Appreciation Right is greater than zero.

(b) Performance Award. The Committee may grant a Performance Award based on the performance of the Recipient over a specified performance period. A Performance Award may be awarded to an Employee contingent upon future performance of the Company or any Affiliate, Subsidiary, division or department thereof in which such Employee is employed, if applicable, during the performance period. The Committee shall establish the performance measures applicable to such performance prior to the beginning of the performance period, but subject to such later revisions as the Committee may deem appropriate to reflect significant, unforeseen events or changes. The Performance Award may consist of a right to receive Shares (or cash in an amount equal to the Fair Market Value thereof) or the right to receive an amount equal to the appreciation, if any, in the Fair Market Value of Shares over a specified period. Payment of a Performance Award may be made following the end of the performance period in cash, Shares (based on the Fair Market Value on the payment date) or a combination thereof, as determined by the Committee, and in a lump sum or installments as determined by the Committee. Except as otherwise provided in an Award Agreement or as determined by the Committee, a Performance Award shall terminate if the Recipient does not remain continuously in the employ of the Company at all times during the applicable performance period. The terms of the Award Agreements granting Performance Awards need not be the same with respect to each Recipient.

(c) Performance Shares. The Committee may grant Performance Shares to a Recipient. Performance Shares may be awarded to an Employee contingent upon future performance of the Company or any Affiliate, Subsidiary, division or department thereof in which such Employee is employed, if applicable, during the performance period. The Committee will set the performance periods and performance objectives that, depending on the extent to which they are met, will determine the number of Performance Shares payable in cash, Shares, or a combination of cash and Shares, as applicable.  Unless otherwise provided in an Award Agreement or determined by the Committee, Performance Share Awards shall terminate if the Recipient does not remain an Employee of the Company, or its Affiliates or Subsidiaries at all times during the applicable performance period. The terms of the Award Agreements granting Performance Shares need not be the same with respect to each Recipient.

(d) Performance Units. The Committee may grant Performance Units that will result in a payment to an Employee only if performance goals established by the Committee are achieved. The Committee will set the performance periods and performance objectives that, depending on the extent to which they are met, will determine the amount of Performance Units payable in cash, Shares, or a combination of cash and Shares, as applicable. Unless otherwise provided in an Award Agreement or determined by the Committee, Performance Unit awards shall terminate if the Recipient does not remain an Employee of the Company, or its Affiliates or Subsidiaries at all times during the applicable performance period. The terms of the Award Agreements granting Performance Units need not be the same with respect to each Recipient.

(e) Other Share-Based Awards. The Committee may, in its discretion, grant other evidenceShare-based Awards which are related to or serve a similar function to those Awards set forth in this Section 6.

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Section 7. Qualified Performance-Based Compensation

The Committee may designate any Award as “qualified performance-based compensation” for purposes of the Section 162(m) Exception. Accordingly, in the case of such Awards, the Plan shall be administered and the provisions of the Plan or any related Award Agreement shall be interpreted in a manner consistent with the Section 162(m) Exception. Any Awards designated as “qualified performance-based compensation” shall be conditioned on the achievement of objective goals based on one or more of the following performance measures as determined by the Committee:

(i) earnings;

(ii) operating profits (including measures of earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (“EBITDA”), or adjusted EBITDA);

(iii) free cash flow or adjusted free cash flow;

(iv) cash from operating activities;

(v) revenues;

(vi) net income (before or after tax);

(vii) financial return ratios;

(viii) market performance;

(ix) stockholder return and/or value;

(x) net profits;

(xi) earnings per share;

(xii) profit returns and margins;

(xiii) stock price;

(xv) working capital;

(xvi) capital investments;

(xvii) returns on assets;

(xviii) returns on equity;

(xix) returns on capital investments;

(xx) selling, general and administrative expenses;

(xxi) discounted cash flows;

(xxii) productivity;

(xxiii) expense targets;

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(xxiv) market share;

(xxv) cost control measures;

(xxvi) strategic initiatives;

(xxvii) changes between years or periods that are determined with respect to any of the above-listed performance criteria;

(xxviii) net present value;

(xxix) sales volume;

(xxx) cash conversion costs;

(xxxi) leverage ratios;

(xxxii) maintenance of liquidity;

(xxxiii) integration of acquired businesses;

(xxxiv) operational efficiencies, including Lean Six Sigma initiatives;

(xxxv) regulatory compliance, including the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002; and

(xxxvi) economic profit.

Performance criteria may be measured solely on a TransferCompany, Subsidiary or business unit basis, on specific capital projects or groups of projects or a combination thereof. Further, performance criteria may reflect absolute entity performance or a relative comparison of entity performance to the performance of a peer group of entities or other external measure of the selected performance criteria. The measure for any such award may include or exclude items to retain the intents and purposes of specific objectives, such as losses from discontinued operations, extraordinary gains or losses, the cumulative effect of accounting changes, acquisitions or divestitures, foreign exchange impacts, acceleration of payments, costs of capital invested, discount factors, and any unusual or nonrecurring gain or loss.  The performance criteria (and any exclusions) will be established by the Committee before the earlier of (i) 90 days after the commencement of the applicable performance period and (ii) 25% of the performance period has elapsed and will not be prohibitedsubject to change (although future awards may be based on different performance criteria). The performance periods may extend over one (1) to five (5) calendar years, and may overlap one another.

Notwithstanding any provision of the Plan (other than Article 11), with respect to any Award that is subject to this Section 7, the Committee may adjust downwards, but not upwards, the amount payable pursuant to such Award, and the Committee may not waive the achievement of the applicable performance goals except in the case of the death or disability of the Recipient or as otherwise determined by this Article 8 as a condition to registering any transfer.the Committee in special circumstances.  The Committee must certify, in writing the amount of the Award for each Recipient for such performance period before payment of the Award is made

Section 8.5 Transfer8. Non-Transferability of Awards.

Unless otherwise specified by the Committee in the Award Agreement, an Award may not be sold, pledged, assigned, hypothecated, transferred, or disposed of in any manner other than (i) by will or by the laws of descent or

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distribution, (ii) pursuant to Agenta qualified domestic relations order (as defined in the Code or Title I of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended, or the rules thereunder) or (iii) to family members of a Recipient or trusts for the benefit of family members of a Recipient in transactions not involving payment of consideration. Options and other Awards may be exercised, during the lifetime of the Recipient, only by the Recipient or by the guardian or legal representative of the Recipient or by an alternate payee pursuant to a qualified domestic relations order. Any attempt to assign, pledge or otherwise transfer any Award or any right or privileges conferred thereby, contrary to the Plan, or the sale or levy or similar process upon the rights and privileges conferred hereby, shall be void.

IfSection 9. Adjustments upon Changes in Capitalization.

Subject to any required action by the stockholders of the Company, the number of Shares covered by each outstanding Award, the limitations set forth in Section 2(b) and Section 2(c), and the number of Shares which have been authorized for issuance under the Plan but as to which no Awards have yet been granted or which have been returned to the Plan upon cancellation or expiration of an Award, as well as the price per Share covered by each such outstanding Award, shall be proportionately adjusted for any increase or decrease in the number of issued shares of Common Stock resulting from a stock split, reverse stock split, stock dividend, special cash dividend, combination or reclassification of the Common Stock, or any other increase or decrease in the number of issued shares of Common Stock effected without receipt of consideration by the Company; provided, however, that (a) conversion of any convertible securities of the Company shall not be deemed to have been “effected without receipt of consideration;” and (b) no adjustment shall be made below par value and no fractional shares of Common Stock shall be issued. Such adjustment shall be made by the Board in its sole discretion, whose determination in that respect shall be final, binding and conclusive. In the event of Directors determines that a Transferan extraordinary cash dividend, the Committee may, in its sole discretion, equitably adjust the aggregate number of Corporation Securities constitutes a Prohibited Transfer then, upon written demandShares available under the Plan, as well as the exercise price, number of Shares and other appropriate terms of any outstanding Award in order to preserve the intended benefits of the Plan. Except as expressly provided herein, no issuance by the Corporation sentCompany of shares of stock of any class, or securities convertible into shares of stock of any class, shall affect, and no adjustment by reason thereof shall be made with respect to, the number or price of Shares subject to an Award.

Section 10. Eligibility for Awards.

Awards may be granted to Employees and Directors. In addition, an Award may be granted to a person who is offered employment by the Company, a Subsidiary or an Affiliate, provided that such Award shall be immediately forfeited if such person does not accept such offer of employment within thirty dayssuch time period as the Company, Subsidiary or Affiliate may establish. If otherwise eligible, an Employee or Director who has been granted an Award may be granted additional Awards.

Section 11. Date of Grant.

The date of grant of an Award shall be, for all purposes, the date on which the Board of Directors determines thatCommittee makes the attempted Transfer would result in Excess Securities,determination granting such Award, or such other later date as is determined by the Purported Transferee shall transfer or cause to be transferred any certificate or other evidence of ownershipCommittee. Notice of the Excess Securitiesdetermination shall be provided to each Recipient within a reasonable time after the Purported Transferee’s possession or control, together with any Prohibited Distributions,date of such grant.

Section 12. Amendment and Termination of the Plan.

(a) Amendment and Termination. Subject to an agent designated bythis Section 12, the Board may at any time amend, alter, suspend or terminate the Plan. Subject to Section 7 and the other terms of Directors (the “Agent”)the Plan, the Committee may amend the terms of any Award theretofore granted, prospectively or retroactively, but no such amendment shall impair the rights of any Recipient without the Recipient’s consent.

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(b) Stockholder Approval. The AgentCompany shall thereupon sell to a buyer or buyers, which may include the Corporation, the Excess Securities transferred to it in one or more arm’s-length transactions (on the public securities market on which such Excess Securities are traded, if possible, or otherwise privately); provided, however, thatobtain stockholder approval of any such sale must not constitute a Prohibited Transfermaterial Plan amendment and provided, further, that the Agent shall effect such sale or sales in an orderly fashion and shall not be required to effect any such sale within any specific time frame if, in the Agent’s discretion, such sale or sales would disrupt the market for the Corporation Securities or otherwise would adversely affect the value of the Corporation Securities. If the Purported Transferee has resold the Excess Securities before receiving the Corporation’s demand to surrender Excess Securities to the Agent, the Purported Transferee shall be deemed to have sold the Excess Securities for the Agent, and shall be required to transfer to the Agent any Prohibited Distributions and proceeds of such sale, except to the extent that the Corporation grants written permission to the Purported Transferee to retain a portion of such sales proceeds not exceeding the amount that the Purported Transferee would have received from the Agent pursuant to Section 8.6 if the Agent rather than the Purported Transferee had resold the Excess Securities.

Section 8.6 Application of Proceeds and Prohibited Distributions

The Agent shall apply any proceeds of a sale by it of Excess Securities and, if the Purported Transferee has previously resold the Excess Securities, any amounts received by it from a Purported Transferee, together, in either case, with any Prohibited Distributions, as follows: (a) first, such amounts shall be paid to the Agentamendment to the extent necessary and desirable to cover its costs and expenses incurred in connectioncomply with its duties hereunder; (b) second,the Code (or other applicable law, rule or regulation, including the requirements of any remaining amountsexchange or quotation system on which the Common Stock is listed or quoted). Such stockholder approval, if required, shall be paidobtained in such a manner and to the Purported Transferee, up to the amount paidsuch a degree as is required by the Purported Transferee for the Excess Securities (or the fair market value at the timeApplicable Law, rule or regulation.

(c) Effect of Amendment or Termination. No amendment, alteration, suspension or termination of the Transfer, inPlan shall impair the event the purported Transferrights of the Excess Securities was, in whole or in part, a gift, inheritance or similar Transfer) which amount shall be determined at the discretion of the Board of Directors; and (c) third, any remaining amounts shall be paidRecipient (except such an amendment made to one or more organizations qualifying undercomply with Applicable Law, including without limitation, Section 501(c)(3)409A of the Code, (or any comparable successor provision) selectedstock exchange rules or accounting rules), unless mutually agreed otherwise between the Recipient and the Committee, which agreement must be in writing and signed by the BoardRecipient and the Company.

Section 13. Conditions upon Issuance of Directors. The Purported TransfereeShares.

(a) Legal Compliance. Shares shall not be issued pursuant to the exercise or settlement of Excessan Award unless the exercise or settlement of such Award and the issuance and delivery of such Shares shall comply with all relevant provisions of law, including, without limitation, the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the Exchange Act, the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, Applicable Laws, and the requirements of any stock exchange or quotation system upon which the Shares may then be listed or quoted and shall have no claim, causebe further subject to the approval of action or any other recourse whatsoever against any transferor of Excess Securities. The Purported Transferee’s sole rightcounsel for the Company with respect to such shares shall be limited to the amount payable to the Purported Transferee pursuant to this Section 8.6. In no event shall the proceeds of any sale of Excess Securities pursuant to this Section 8.6 inure to the benefit of the Corporation or the Agent, except to the extent used to cover costs and expenses incurred by the Agent in performing its duties hereunder.

Section 8.7 Modification of Remedies for Certain Indirect Transfers

In the event of any Transfer which does not involve a transfer of securities of the Corporation within the meaning of Delaware law (“Securities,” and individually, a “Security”) but which wouldcompliance. The Committee may cause a 4.9-percent Stockholderlegend or legends to violate a restrictionbe placed on Transfers providedany certificates for in this Article 8,Shares or other securities delivered under the application of Sections 8.5 and 8.6 shall be modifiedPlan as described in this Section 8.7. In such case, no such 4.9-percent Stockholder shall be requiredit may deem appropriate to dispose of any interest that is not a Security, but such 4.9-percent Stockholder and/or any Person whose ownership of Securities is attributedmake reference to such 4.9-percent Stockholder shall be deemed to have disposed oflegal rules and shall be required to dispose of sufficient Securities (which Securities shall be disposed of in the inverse order in which they were acquired) to cause such 4.9-percent Stockholder, following such disposition, not to be in violation of this Article 8. Such disposition shall be deemed to occur simultaneously with the Transfer giving rise to the application of this provision, and such number of Securities that are deemed to be disposed of shall be considered Excess Securities and shall be disposed of through the Agent as provided in Sections 8.5 and 8.6, except that the maximum aggregate amount payable either to such 4.9-percent Stockholder,restrictions, or to such other Person that was the direct holder of such Excess Securities, in connection with such sale shall be the fair market value of such Excess Securities at the time of the purported Transfer. All expenses incurred by the Agent in disposing of such Excess Securities shall be paid out ofimpose any amounts due such 4.9-percent Stockholder or such other Person. The purpose of this Section 8.7 is to extend the restrictions in Sections 8.2 and 8.5 to situations in which there is a 4.9-percent Transaction without a direct Transfer of Securities, and this Section 8.7, along with the other provisions of this Article 8, shall be interpreted to produce the same results, with differences as the context requires, as a direct Transfer of Corporation Securities.

Section 8.8 Legal Proceedings; Prompt Enforcement

If the Purported Transferee fails to surrender the Excess Securities or the proceeds of a sale thereof to the Agent within thirty days from the date on which the Corporation makes a written demand pursuant to Section 8.5 (whether or not made within the time specified in Section 8.5), then the Corporation shall promptly take all cost effective actions which it believes are appropriate to enforce the provisions hereof, including the institution of legal proceedings to compel the surrender. Nothing in this Section 8.8 shall (i) be deemed inconsistent with any Transfer of the Excess Securities provided in this Article 8 being void ab initio, (ii) preclude the Corporation in its discretion from immediately bringing legal proceedings without a prior demand or (iii) cause any failure of the Corporation to act within the time periods set forth in Section 8.5 to constitute a waiver or loss of any right of the Corporation under this Article 8. The Board of Directors may authorize such additional actions as it deems advisable to give effect to the provisions of this Article 8.

Section 8.9 Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, any stockholder subject to the provisions of this Article 8 who knowingly violates the provisions of this Article 8 and any Persons controlling, controlled by or under common control with such stockholder shall be jointly and severally liable to the Corporation for, and shall indemnify and hold the Corporation harmless against, any and all damages suffered as a result of such violation,transfer, including, but not limited to damages resulting from a reduction in, or elimination of, the Corporation’s ability to utilize its Tax Benefits, and attorneys’ and auditors’ fees incurred in connection with such violation.

Section 8.10 Obligation to Provide Information

As a condition to the registration of the Transfer of any Shares, any Person who is a beneficial, legal or record holder of Shares, and any proposed Transferee and any Person controlling, controlled by or under common control with the proposed Transferee, shall provide such information as the Corporation may request from time to time in order to determine compliance with this Article 8 or the status of the Tax Benefits of the Corporation.

Section 8.11 Legends

The Board of Directors may require that any certificates issued by the Corporation evidencing ownership of Shares that are subject to the restrictions on transfer and ownership contained in this Article 8 bear the following legend:

“THE BY-LAWS, AS AMENDED FROM TIME TO TIME (THE “BY-LAWS”), OF THE CORPORATION CONTAIN RESTRICTIONS PROHIBITING THE TRANSFER (AS DEFINED IN THE BY-LAWS) OF COMMON SHARES OF THE CORPORATION (INCLUDING THE CREATION OR GRANT OF CERTAIN OPTIONS, RIGHTS AND WARRANTS) WITHOUT THE PRIOR AUTHORIZATION OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE CORPORATION (THE “BOARD OF DIRECTORS”) IF SUCH TRANSFER AFFECTS THE PERCENTAGE OF STOCK OF THE CORPORATION (WITHIN THE MEANING OF SECTION 382 OF THE INTERNAL REVENUE CODE OF 1986, AS AMENDED (THE “CODE”) AND THE TREASURY REGULATIONS PROMULGATED THEREUNDER), THAT IS TREATED AS OWNED BY A 4.9 PERCENT STOCKHOLDER UNDER THE CODE AND SUCH REGULATIONS. IF THE TRANSFER RESTRICTIONS ARE VIOLATED, THEN THE TRANSFER WILL BE VOID AB INITIO AND THE PURPORTED TRANSFEREE OF THE SHARES WILL BE REQUIRED TO TRANSFER EXCESS SECURITIES (AS DEFINED IN THE BY-LAWS) TO THE CORPORATION’S AGENT. IN THE EVENT OF A TRANSFER WHICH DOES NOT INVOLVE SECURITIES OF THE CORPORATION WITHIN THE MEANING OF THE BUSINESS CORPORATIONDELAWARE SECURITIES ACT OF THE STATE OF NEVADA (“SECURITIES”) BUT WHICH WOULD VIOLATE THE TRANSFER RESTRICTIONS, THE PURPORTED TRANSFEREE (OR THE RECORD OWNER) OF THE SECURITIES WILL BE REQUIRED TO TRANSFER SUFFICIENT SECURITIES PURSUANT TO THE TERMS PROVIDED FOR IN THE CORPORATION’S BY-LAWS TO CAUSE THE 4.9 PERCENT STOCKHOLDER TO NO LONGER BE IN VIOLATION OF THE TRANSFER RESTRICTIONS. THE CORPORATION WILL FURNISH WITHOUT CHARGE TO THE HOLDER OF RECORD OF THIS CERTIFICATE A COPY OF THE BY-LAWS, CONTAINING THE ABOVE-REFERENCED TRANSFER RESTRICTIONS, UPON WRITTEN REQUEST TO THE CORPORATION AT ITS PRINCIPAL PLACE OF BUSINESS.”

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(b) Withholding Obligations. The BoardCommittee may take such steps as are considered necessary or appropriate for the withholding of Directors may also require that any certificates issuedfederal, state, local or foreign taxes of any kind which the Company is required by any law or regulation of any governmental authority to withhold in connection with any Award under the Corporation evidencing ownership of Shares that are subject to conditions imposed by the Board of Directors under Section 8.3 also bear a conspicuous legend referencing the applicable restrictions.

Section 8.12 Authority of Board of Directors

(a) The Board of Directors shall have the power to determine all matters necessary for assessing compliance with this Article 8,Plan, including, without limitation, (i) the identification of 4.9-percent Stockholders, (ii) whether a Transfer is a 4.9-percent Transaction or a Prohibited Transfer, (iii) the Percentage Share Ownership in the Corporation of any 4.9-percent Stockholder, (iv) whether an instrument constitutes a Corporation Security, (v) the amount (or fair market value) due to a Purported Transferee pursuant to Section 8.6, and (vi) any other matters which the Board of Directors determines to be relevant; and the good faith determination of the Board of Directors on such matters shall be conclusive and binding for all the purposes of this Article 8. In addition, the Board of Directors may, to the extent permitted by law, from time to time establish, modify, amend or rescind by-laws, regulations and procedures of the Corporation not inconsistent with the provisions of this Article 8 for purposes of determining whether any Transfer of Corporation Securities would jeopardize the Corporation’s ability to preserve and use the Tax Benefits and for the orderly application, administration and implementation of this Article 8.

(b) Nothing contained in this Article 8 shall limit the authority of the Board of Directors to take such other action to the extent permitted by law as it deems necessary or advisable to protect the Corporation and its stockholders in preserving the Tax Benefits. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the withholding of all or any portion of any payment or the withholding of the issue of Common Stock to be issued under the Plan, until such time as the Recipient has paid the Company for any amount which the Company is required to withhold with respect to taxes. Unless otherwise determined by the Committee, withholding obligations may be settled with vested Common Stock, including vested Common Stock that is part of the Award that gives rise to the withholding requirement. The Committee may establish such procedures as it deems appropriate, including the making of irrevocable elections, for the settlement of withholding obligations with vested Common Stock.

(c) Inability to Obtain Authority. The inability of the Company to obtain authority from any regulatory body having jurisdiction, which authority is deemed by the Company’s counsel to be necessary to the lawful issuance and sale of any Shares hereunder, shall relieve the Company of any liability in respect of the failure to issue or sell such Shares as to which such requisite authority shall not have been obtained.

(d) Grants Exceeding Allotted Shares. If the number of Shares covered by an Award exceeds, as of the date of grant, the number of Shares which may be issued under the Plan without additional stockholder approval, such Award shall be void with respect to such excess Shares, unless stockholder approval of an amendment sufficiently increasing the number of Shares subject to the Plan is timely obtained in accordance with Applicable Law and Section 12(b) of the Plan.

Section 14. General Provisions.

(a) Term of Plan. The Plan shall become effective upon its approval by the stockholders of the Company (“Effective Date”), provided that such approval occurs on or before the first anniversary of the date of its adoption by the Board. Such stockholder approval shall be obtained in the manner and to the degree required under Applicable Laws and the rules of any stock exchange upon which the Common Stock is listed. It shall continue in effect for a term of ten (10) years unless terminated earlier under Section 12 of the Plan.

(b) No Contract of Employment. Neither the Plan nor any Award hereunder shall confer upon an individual any right with respect to continuing such individual’s employment relationship with the Company, nor shall they interfere in any way with such individual’s right or the Company’s right to terminate such employment relationship at any time, with or without cause.

(c) Severability. In the event that any provision of the Plan shall be held illegal or invalid for any reason, the illegality or invalidity shall not affect the remaining parts of the Plan, and the Plan shall be construed and enforced as if the illegal or invalid provision had not been included.

(d) Governing Law. The Plan and all Awards made and actions taken thereunder shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware.

(e) Prohibition on Loans to Recipients. The Company shall not lend funds to any Recipient for the purpose of paying the exercise or base price associated with any Award or for the purpose of paying any taxes associated with the exercise or vesting of an Award.

(f) Unfunded Status of Plan. It is intended that the Plan constitute an “unfunded” plan for incentive and deferred compensation. The Committee may authorize the creation of trusts or other arrangements to meet the obligations created

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under the Plan to deliver Common Stock or make payment; provided, however, that, unless the Committee otherwise determines, the existence of such trusts or other arrangements is consistent with the “unfunded” status of the Plan.

(g) Liability of Committee Members. Except as provided under Applicable Law, no member of the Board or the Committee will be liable for any action or determination made in good faith by the Board or the Committee with respect to the Plan or any Award under it. Neither the Company, the Board nor the Committee, nor any Subsidiary or Affiliate, nor any directors, officers or employees thereof, shall be liable to any Recipient or other person if it is determined for any reason by the Internal Revenue Service or any court that an Incentive Stock Option granted hereunder does not qualify for tax treatment as an “incentive stock option” under Section 422 of the Code.

(h) Return and/or Forfeiture of Performance-Based Payments or Awards. Notwithstanding any other provision in this Plan or in any Award Agreement, in the event of a change in law making onethat pursuant to the terms or morerequirements of the following actions necessarySarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, or desirable, the Board of Directors may, by

adopting a written resolution, (i) accelerate or extend the Expiration Date, (ii) modify the ownership interest percentage in the Corporation or the Persons or groups covered by this Article 8, (iii) modify the definitions of any terms set forth in this Article 8applicable laws, rules or (iv) modify the terms of this Article 8 as appropriate, in each case, in order to prevent an ownership change for purposes of Section 382 of the Code as a result of any changes in applicable Treasury Regulations or otherwise; provided, however, that the Board of Directors shall not cause there to be such acceleration, extension or modification unless it determines,regulations promulgated by adopting a written resolution, that such action is reasonably necessary or advisable to preserve the Tax Benefits or that the continuation of these restrictions is no longer reasonably necessary for the preservation of the Tax Benefits. Stockholders of the Corporation shall be notified of such determination through a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission or such other method of notice as the Secretary of the Corporation shall deem appropriate.

(c) In the case of an ambiguity in the application of any of the provisions of this Article 8, including any definition used herein, the Board of Directors shall have the power to determine the application of such provisions with respect to any situation based on its reasonable belief, understanding or knowledge of the circumstances. In the event this Article 8 requires an action by the Board of Directors but fails to provide specific guidance with respect to such action, the Board of Directors shall have the power to determine the action to be taken so long as such action is not contrary to the provisions of this Article 8. All such actions, calculations, interpretations and determinations which are done or made by the Board of Directors in good faith shall be conclusive and binding on the Corporation, the Agent, and all other parties for all other purposes of this Article 8. The Board of Directors may delegate all or any portion of its duties and powers under this Article 8 to a committee of the Board of Directors as it deems necessary or advisable and, to the fullest extent permitted by law, may exercise the authority granted by this Article 8 through duly authorized officers or agents of the Corporation. Nothing in this Article 8 shall be construed to limit or restrict the Board of Directors in the exercise of its fiduciary duties under applicable law.

Section 8.13 Reliance

To the fullest extent permitted by law, the Corporation and the members of the Board of Directors shall be fully protected in relying in good faith upon the information, opinions, reports or statements of the chief executive officer, the chief financial officer, the chief accounting officer or the corporate controller of the Corporation and the Corporation’s legal counsel, independent auditors, transfer agent, investment bankers or other employees and agents in making the determinations and findings contemplated by this Article 8. The members of the Board of Directors shall not be responsible for any good faith errors made in connection therewith. For purposes of determining the existence and identity of, and the amount of any Corporation Securities owned by any stockholder, the Corporation is entitled to rely on the existence and absence of filings of Schedule 13D or 13G under the 1934 Act (or similar filings), as of any date, subject to its actual knowledge of the ownership of Corporation Securities.

Section 8.14 Benefits of This Article 8

Nothing in this Article 8 shall be construed to give to any Person other than the Corporation or the Agent any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under this Article 8. This Article 8 shall be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the Corporation and the Agent.

Section 8.15 Severability

The purpose of this Article 8 is to facilitate the Corporation’s ability to maintain or preserve its Tax Benefits. If any provision of this Article 8 or the application of any such provision to any Person or under any circumstance shall be held invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any respect by a court of competent jurisdiction, such invalidity, illegality or unenforceability shall not affect any other provision of this Article 8.

Section 8.16 Waiver

With regard to any power, remedy or right provided herein or otherwise available to the Corporation or the Agent under this Article 8, (a) no waiver will be effective unless expressly contained in a writing signed by the waiving party; and (b) no alteration, modification or impairment will be implied by reason of any previous waiver, extension of time, delay or omission in exercise, or other indulgence.

ARTICLE 9

FISCAL YEAR

The fiscal year of the Corporation shall be fixed by the Board of Directors from time to time, subjectand in the event any Award is based upon the satisfaction of financial performance metrics which are subsequently reversed due to applicable law.

ARTICLE 10

CORPORATE SEAL

The corporate seal, ifa restatement or reclassification of financial results of the Company, then any payments made or awards granted shall be in such form as shall be approved from time to time by the Board of Directors.

ARTICLE 11

RELIANCE UPON BOOKS, REPORTS AND RECORDS

Each director, each member of any committee designated by the Board of Directors,returned and each officer of the Corporation shall, in the performance of his or her duties, be fully protected in relying in good faith upon the books of account or other records of the Corporation and upon such information, opinions, reports or statements presentedforfeited to the Corporation by any of its officers or employees, or committees of the Board of Directors so designated, or by any other person as to matters which such director or committee member reasonably believes are within such other person’s professional or expert competenceextent required and who has been selected with reasonable care by or on behalf of the Corporation.

ARTICLE 12

AMENDMENTS

These Bylaws, except as provided by applicable lawlaws, rules, regulations or listing requirements.

(i) Participants in Foreign Countries. The Committee shall have the Certificate of Incorporation, orauthority to adopt such modifications, procedures and sub-plans as otherwise set forth in these Bylaws, may be amendednecessary or repealed at any regular or special meeting of the entire Board; provided, however, that (a) a written statement describing the change or amendment shall be made in the notice delivereddesirable to the directors of the meeting at which the change or amendment shall be acted upon; and (b) any Bylaw made by the Board may be altered, amended, rescinded or repealed by the holders of shares of capital stock presenting a majority of the securities entitled to vote thereon at any annual meeting or at any special meeting called for that purpose in accordancecomply with the percentage requirements set forth in the Certificate of Incorporation and/or these Bylaws. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any provision of these Bylaws that contains a supermajority voting requirement shall only be altered, amended, rescinded or repealed by a vote of the Board or holders of capital stock entitled to vote thereon that is not less than the supermajority specified in such provision.

ANNEX D

FORM OF

CERTIFICATE OF DESIGNATION

OF

SERIES A JUNIOR PARTICIPATING PREFERRED STOCK

OF

SGH HOLDCO, INC.

(Pursuant to Section 151 of the

Delaware General Corporation Law)

SGH Holdco, Inc., a corporation organized and existing under the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (hereinafter called the “Corporation”), hereby certifies that the following resolution was adopted by the Board of Directors of the Corporation (hereinafter called the “Board of Directors”) as required by Section 151 of the General Corporation Law at a meeting duly called and held on                     , 2013.

RESOLVED, that pursuant to the authority expressly granted to and vested in the Board of Directors in accordance with the provisions of the Amended and Restated Certificatelaws of Incorporation of the Corporation, the Board of Directors hereby creates a series of Preferred Stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Preferred Stock”), of the Corporation and hereby states the designation and number of shares, and fixes the relative rights, powers and preferences, and qualifications, limitations and restrictions thereof as follows:

Section 1.Designation and Amount. The shares of such series shall be classified and designated as Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock”), and the number of shares constituting such series shall be 665,000.

Section 2.Dividends and Distributions.

(a) Subject to the prior and superior rights of the holders of any shares of any series of Preferred Stock ranking prior and superior to the shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock with respect to dividends, the holders of shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall be entitled to receive, when, as and if authorized by the Board of Directors and declared by the Corporation out of funds legally available for the purpose, quarterly dividends payable in cash on or before the 30th day of January, April, July and October in each year (each such date being referred to herein as a “Quarterly Dividend Payment Date”), commencing on the first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date after the first issuance of a share or fraction of a share of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, in an amount per share (rounded to the nearest cent) equal to the greater of (a) $0.01 or (b) subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth, 1,000 times the aggregate per share amount of all cash dividends, and 1,000 times the aggregate per share amount (payable in kind) of all non-cash dividends or other distributions other than a dividend payable in shares of Common Stock or a subdivision of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise), declared on the Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share, of the Corporation (the “Common Stock”) since the immediately preceding Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, or, with respect to the first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, since the first issuance of any share or fraction of a share of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock. In the event the Corporation shall at any time after                      (the “Rights Declaration Date”) (i) declare any dividend on Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, (ii) subdivide the outstanding Common Stock, or (iii) combine the outstanding Common Stock into a smaller number of shares, then in each such case the amount to which holders of shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock were entitled immediately prior to such event under clause (b) of the preceding sentence shall be adjusted by multiplying such amount by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event.

(b) The Corporation may not declare or pay a dividend or distribution on the Common Stock (other than a dividend payable in shares of the Common Stock) unless it simultaneously declares and pays a dividend or distribution on the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock as provided in paragraph (a) above; provided that,

in the event no dividend payable in shares of or distribution shall have been declared on the Common Stock during the period between any Quarterly Dividend Payment Date and the next subsequent Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, a dividend of $0.01 per share on the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall nevertheless be payable on such subsequent Quarterly Dividend Payment Date.

(c) Dividends shall begin to accrue and be cumulative on outstanding shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock from the Quarterly Dividend Payment Date next preceding the date of issue of such shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, unless the date of issue of such shares is prior to the record date for the first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, in which case dividends on such shares shall begin to accrue from the date of issue of such shares, or unless the date of issue is a Quarterly Dividend Payment Date or is a date after the record date for the determination of holders of shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock entitled to receive a quarterly dividend and before such Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, in either of which events such dividends shall begin to accrue and be cumulative from such Quarterly Dividend Payment Date. Accrued but unpaid dividends shall not bear interest. Dividends paid on the shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock in an amount less than the total amount of such dividends at the time accrued and payable on such shares shall be allocated pro rata on a share-by-share basis among all such shares at the time outstanding. The Board of Directors may fix a record date for the determination of holders of shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock entitled to receive payment of a dividend or distribution declared thereon, which record date shall be no more than 30 days prior to the date fixed for the payment thereof.

Section 3.Voting Rights. The holders of shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall have the following voting rights:

(a) Subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth, each share of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall entitle the holder thereof to 1,000 votes on all matters submitted to a vote of the holders of Common Stock. In the event the Corporation shall at any time after the Rights Declaration Date (i) declare any dividend on Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, (ii) subdivide the outstanding Common Stock, or (iii) combine the outstanding Common Stock into a smaller number of shares, then in each such case the number of votes per share to which holders of shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock were entitled immediately prior to such event shall be adjusted by multiplying such number by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event.

(b) Except as otherwise provided herein or by law, the holders of shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock and the holders of shares of Common Stock shall vote together as one class on all matters submitted to a vote of stockholders of the Corporation.

(c)(i) If at any time dividends on any Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall be in arrears in an amount equal to six quarterly dividends thereon, the occurrence of such contingency shall mark the beginning of a period (herein called a “default period”) which shall extend until such time when all accrued and unpaid dividends for all previous quarterly dividend periods and for the current quarterly dividend period on all shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock then outstanding shall have been declared and paid or set apart for payment. During each default period, all holders of Preferred Stock (including holders of the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock) with dividends in arrears in an amount equal to six quarterly dividends thereon, voting as a class, irrespective of series, shall have the right to elect two directors.

(ii) During any default period, such voting right of the holders of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock may be exercised initially at a special meeting called pursuant to subparagraph (iii) of this Section 3(c) or at any annual meeting of stockholders, and thereafter at annual meetings of stockholders, provided that neither such voting right nor the right of the holders of any other series of Preferred Stock, if any, to increase in certain cases the authorized number of directors shall be exercised unless the holders of ten percent in number of shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock outstanding shall be present in person or by proxy. The absence of a quorum of the holders of Common Stock shall not affect the exercise by the holders of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock of such voting right. At any meeting at which the holders of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall exercise such voting right initially during an existing default period, they shall have the right, voting as a class, to elect directors to fill such vacancies, if any, in the Board of Directors as may then exist up to two directors or, if

such right is exercised at an annual meeting, to elect two directors. If the number which may be so elected at any special meeting does not amount to the required number, the holders of the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall have the right to make such increase in the number of directors as shall be necessary to permit the election by them of the required number. After the holders of the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall have exercised their right to elect directors in any default period and during the continuance of such period, the number of directors shall not be increased or decreased except by vote of the holders of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock as herein provided or pursuant to the rights of any equity securities ranking senior to or pari passu with the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock.

(iii) Unless the holders of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall, during an existing default period, have previously exercised their right to elect directors, the Board of Directors may authorize, or any stockholder or stockholders owning in the aggregate not less than ten percent of the total number of shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock outstanding, may request, the calling of a special meeting of the holders of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, which meeting shall thereupon be called by the President, a Vice President or the Secretary of the Corporation. Notice of such meeting and of any annual meeting at which holders of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock are entitled to vote pursuant to this paragraph (c)(iii) shall be given to each holder of record of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock by mailing a copy of such notice to such holder at its last address as the same appears on the books of the Corporation. Such meeting shall be called for a time not earlier than 20 days and not later than 60 days after such order or request or in default of the calling of such meeting within 60 days after such authorization or request, such meeting may be called on similar notice by any stockholder or stockholders owning in the aggregate not less than ten percent of the total number of shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock outstanding. Notwithstanding the provisions of this paragraph (c)(iii), no such special meeting shall be called during the period within 60 days immediately preceding the date fixed for the next annual meeting of the stockholders.

(iv) In any default period, the holders of Common Stock, and other classes of stock of the Corporation if applicable, shall continue to be entitled to elect the whole number of directors until the holders of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall have exercised their right to elect two directors voting as a class, after the exercise of which right (x) the directors so elected by the holders of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall continue in office until their successors shall have been elected by such holders or until the expiration of the default period, and (y) any vacancy in the Board of Directors may (except as provided in paragraph (c)(ii) of this Section 3) be filled by vote of a majority of the remaining directors theretofore elected by the holders of the class of stock which elected the director whose office shall have become vacant. References in this paragraph (c) to directors elected by the holders of a particular class of stock shall include directors elected by such directors to fill vacancies as provided in clause (y) of the foregoing sentence.

(v) Immediately upon the expiration of a default period, (x) the right of the holders of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock as a class to elect directors shall cease, (y) the term of any directors elected by the holders of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock as a class shall terminate, and (z) the number of directors shall be such number as may be provided for in the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation (the “Certificate of Incorporation”) or Bylaws of the Corporation irrespective of any increase made pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (c)(ii) of this Section 3 (such number being subject, however, to change thereafter in any manner provided by law or in the Certificate of Incorporation or Bylaws of the Corporation). Any vacancies in the Board of Directors effected by the provisions of clauses (y) and (z) in the preceding sentence may be filled by a majority of the remaining directors.

(d) Except as set forth herein, holders of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall have no special voting rights and their consent shall not be required (except to the extent they are entitled to vote with holders of Common Stock as set forth herein) for taking any corporate action.

Section 4.Certain Restrictions.

(a) Whenever quarterly dividends or other dividends or distributions payable on the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock as provided in Section 2 are in arrears, thereafter and until all accrued and unpaid dividends and distributions, whether or not declared, on shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock outstanding shall have been paid in full, the Corporation shall not:

(i) declare or pay dividends on, make any other distributions on, or redeem or purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration any shares of stock ranking junior (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) to the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock;

(ii) declare or pay dividends on or make any other distributions on any shares of stock ranking on a parity (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) with the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, except dividends paid ratably on the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock and all such parity stock on which dividends are payable or in arrears in proportion to the total amounts to which the holders of all such shares are then entitled;

(iii) redeem or purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration shares of any stock ranking on a parity (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) with the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, provided that the Corporation may at any time redeem, purchase or otherwise acquire shares of any such parity stock in exchange for shares of any stock of the Corporation ranking junior (either as to dividends or upon dissolution, liquidation or winding up) to the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock; or

(iv) redeem or purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration any shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, or any shares of stock ranking on a parity with the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, except in accordance with a purchase offer made in writing or by publication (as determined by the Board of Directors) to all holders of such shares upon such terms as the Board of Directors, after consideration of the respective annual dividend rates and other relative rights and preferences of the respective series and classes, shall determine in good faith will result in fair and equitable treatment among the respective series or classes.

(b) The Corporation shall not permit any subsidiary of the Corporation to purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration any shares of stock of the Corporation unless the Corporation could, under paragraph (a) of this Section 4, purchase or otherwise acquire such shares at such time and in such manner.

Section 5.Reacquired Shares. Any shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock purchased or otherwise acquired by the Corporation in any manner whatsoever shall become authorized but unissued shares of Preferred Stock and may be reissued as part of a new series of Preferred Stock to be created by resolution or resolutions of the Board of Directors, subject to the conditions and restrictions on issuance set forth herein.

Section 6.Liquidation, Dissolution or Winding Up.

(a) Upon any liquidation (voluntary or otherwise), dissolution or winding up of the Corporation, no distribution shall be made to the holders of shares of stock ranking junior (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) to the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock unless, prior thereto, the holders of shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall have received an amount equal to $1,000.00 per share of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, plus an amount equal to accrued and unpaid dividends and distributions thereon, whether or not declared, to the date of such payment (the “Series A Liquidation Preference”). Following the payment of the full amount of the Series A Liquidation Preference, no additional distributions shall be made to the holders of shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock unless, prior thereto, the holders of shares of Common Stock shall have received an amount per share (the “Common Adjustment”) equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (i) the Series A Liquidation Preference by (ii) 1,000 (as appropriately adjusted as set forth in subparagraph (c) below to reflect such events as stock splits, stock dividends and recapitalizations with respect to the Common Stock) (such number in clause (ii), the “Adjustment Number”). Following the payment of the full amount of the Series A Liquidation Preference and the Common Adjustment in respect of all outstanding shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock and Common Stock, respectively, holders of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock and holders of shares of Common Stock shall receive their ratable and proportionate share of the remaining assets to be distributed in the ratio of the Adjustment Number to 1 with respect to such Preferred Stock and Common Stock, on a per share basis, respectively.

(b) In the event, however, that there are not sufficient assets available to permit payment in full of the Series A Liquidation Preference and the liquidation preferences of all other series of preferred stock, if any, which rank on a parity with the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, then such remaining assets shall be distributed ratably to the holders of such parity shares in proportion to their respective liquidation preferences. In the event, however, that there are not sufficient assets available to permit payment in full of the Common Adjustment, then such remaining assets shall be distributed ratably to the holders of Common Stock.

(c) In the event the Corporation shall at any time after the Rights Declaration Date (i) declare any dividend on Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, (ii) subdivide the outstanding Common Stock, or (iii) combine the outstanding Common Stock into a smaller number of shares, then in each such case the Adjustment Number in effect immediately prior to such event shall be adjusted by multiplying such Adjustment Number by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event.

(d) In determining whether a distribution (other than upon voluntary or involuntary liquidation) by dividend, redemption or other acquisition of shares of stock of the Corporation or otherwise is permitted under the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, no effect shall be given to amounts that would be needed, if the Corporation were to be dissolved at the time of the distribution, to satisfy the preferential rights upon dissolution of holders of shares of stock of the Company whose preferential rights upon dissolution are superior to those receiving the distribution.

(e) Neither the merger nor consolidation of the Corporation into or with another corporation nor the merger or consolidation of any other corporation into or with the Corporation shall be deemed to be a liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation within the meaning of this Section 6.

Section 7.Consolidation, Merger, etc. In case the Corporation shall enter into any consolidation, merger, combination or other transactionforeign countries in which the shares of Common Stock are exchanged forCompany or changed into other stockits Subsidiaries or securities, cash and/or any other property, then in any such caseAffiliates may operate to assure the shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall at the same time be similarly exchanged or changed in an amount per share (subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth) equal to 1,000 times the aggregate amount of stock, securities, cash and/or any other property (payable in kind), as the case may be, into which or for which each share of Common Stock is changed or exchanged. In the event the Corporation shall at any time after the Rights Declaration Date (i) declare any dividend on Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, (ii) subdivide the outstanding Common Stock, or (iii) combine the outstanding Common Stock into a smaller number of shares, then in each such case the amount set forth in the preceding sentence with respect to the exchange or change of shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall be adjusted by multiplying such amount by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event.

Section 8.No Redemption. The shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall not be redeemable.

Section 9.Ranking. The Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall rank junior to all other series of Preferred Stock as to the payment of dividends and the distribution of assets, unless the terms of any such series shall provide otherwise.

Section 10.Amendment. At any time when any shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock are outstanding, the Certificate of Incorporation, including the terms of this Certificate of Designation, shall not be amended in any manner which would materially alter or change the powers, preferences or special rightsviability of the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock so asbenefits from Awards granted to affect them adversely withoutRecipients performing services in such countries and to meet the affirmative voteobjectives of the holders of a majority or more of the outstanding shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, voting separately as a class.Plan.

Section 11.Fractional Shares. Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock may be issued in fractions of a share which shall entitle the holder, in proportion to such holder’s fractional shares, to exercise voting rights, receive dividends, participate in distributions and to have the benefit of all other rights of holders of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock.

ANNEX E

NEVADA DISSENTERS’ RIGHTS STATUTE

NRS 92A.300 Definitions. As used inNRS 92A.300 to92A.500, inclusive, unless the context otherwise requires, the words and terms defined inNRS 92A.305 to92A.335, inclusive, have the meanings ascribed to them in those sections.

(Added to NRS by 1995, 2086)

NRS 92A.305 “Beneficial stockholder” defined. “Beneficial stockholder” means a person who is a beneficial owner of shares held in a voting trust or by a nominee as the stockholder of record.

(Added to NRS by 1995, 2087)

NRS 92A.310 “Corporate action” defined. “Corporate action” means the action of a domestic corporation.

(Added to NRS by 1995, 2087)

NRS 92A.315 “Dissenter” defined. “Dissenter” means a stockholder who is entitled to dissent from a domestic corporation’s action underNRS 92A.380 and who exercises that right when and in the manner required byNRS 92A.400 to92A.480, inclusive.

(Added to NRS by 1995, 2087; A1999, 1631)

NRS 92A.320 “Fair value” defined. “Fair value,” with respect to a dissenter’s shares, means the value of the shares determined:

1. Immediately before the effectuation of the corporate action to which the dissenter objects, excluding any appreciation or depreciation in anticipation of the corporate action unless exclusion would be inequitable;

2. Using customary and current valuation concepts and techniques generally employed for similar businesses in the context of the transaction requiring appraisal; and

3. Without discounting for lack of marketability or minority status.

(Added to NRS by 1995, 2087; A2009, 1720)

NRS 92A.325 “Stockholder” defined. “Stockholder” means a stockholder of record or a beneficial stockholder of a domestic corporation.

(Added to NRS by 1995, 2087)

NRS 92A.330 “Stockholder of record” defined. “Stockholder of record” means the person in whose name shares are registered in the records of a domestic corporation or the beneficial owner of shares to the extent of the rights granted by a nominee’s certificate on file with the domestic corporation.

(Added to NRS by 1995, 2087)

NRS 92A.335 “Subject corporation” defined. “Subject corporation” means the domestic corporation which is the issuer of the shares held by a dissenter before the corporate action creating the dissenter’s rights becomes effective or the surviving or acquiring entity of that issuer after the corporate action becomes effective.

(Added to NRS by 1995, 2087)

NRS 92A.340 Computation of interest. Interest payable pursuant toNRS 92A.300 to92A.500, inclusive, must be computed from the effective date of the action until the date of payment, at the rate of interest most recently established pursuant toNRS 99.040.

(Added to NRS by 1995, 2087; A2009, 1721)

NRS 92A.350 Rights of dissenting partner of domestic limited partnership. A partnership agreement of a domestic limited partnership or, unless otherwise provided in the partnership agreement, an agreement of merger or exchange, may provide that contractual rights with respect to the partnership interest of a dissenting general or limited partner of a domestic limited partnership are available for any class or group of partnership interests in connection with any merger or exchange in which the domestic limited partnership is a constituent entity.

(Added to NRS by 1995, 2088)

NRS 92A.360 Rights of dissenting member of domestic limited-liability company. The articles of organization or operating agreement of a domestic limited-liability company or, unless otherwise provided in the articles of

organization or operating agreement, an agreement of merger or exchange, may provide that contractual rights with respect to the interest of a dissenting member are available in connection with any merger or exchange in which the domestic limited-liability company is a constituent entity.

(Added to NRS by 1995, 2088)

NRS 92A.370 Rights of dissenting member of domestic nonprofit corporation.

1. Except as otherwise provided in subsection 2, and unless otherwise provided in the articles or bylaws, any member of any constituent domestic nonprofit corporation who voted against the merger may, without prior notice, but within 30 days after the effective date of the merger, resign from membership and is thereby excused from all contractual obligations to the constituent or surviving corporations which did not occur before the member’s resignation and is thereby entitled to those rights, if any, which would have existed if there had been no merger and the membership had been terminated or the member had been expelled.

2. Unless otherwise provided in its articles of incorporation or bylaws, no member of a domestic nonprofit corporation, including, but not limited to, a cooperative corporation, which supplies services described inchapter 704 of NRS to its members only, and no person who is a member of a domestic nonprofit corporation as a condition of or by reason of the ownership of an interest in real property, may resign and dissent pursuant to subsection 1.

(Added to NRS by 1995, 2088)

NRS 92A.380 Right of stockholder to dissent from certain corporate actions and to obtain payment for shares.

1. Except as otherwise provided inNRS 92A.370 and92A.390 and subject to the limitation in paragraph (f), any stockholder is entitled to dissent from, and obtain payment of the fair value of the stockholder’s shares in the event of any of the following corporate actions:

(a) Consummation of a plan of merger to which the domestic corporation is a constituent entity:

(1) If approval by the stockholders is required for the merger byNRS 92A.120 to92A.160, inclusive, or the articles of incorporation, regardless of whether the stockholder is entitled to vote on the plan of merger; or

(2) If the domestic corporation is a subsidiary and is merged with its parent pursuant toNRS 92A.180.

(b) Consummation of a plan of conversion to which the domestic corporation is a constituent entity as the corporation whose subject owner’s interests will be converted.

(c) Consummation of a plan of exchange to which the domestic corporation is a constituent entity as the corporation whose subject owner’s interests will be acquired, if the stockholder’s shares are to be acquired in the plan of exchange.

(d) Any corporate action taken pursuant to a vote of the stockholders to the extent that the articles of incorporation, bylaws or a resolution of the board of directors provides that voting or nonvoting stockholders are entitled to dissent and obtain payment for their shares.

(e) Accordance of full voting rights to control shares, as defined inNRS 78.3784, only to the extent provided for pursuant toNRS 78.3793.

(f) Any corporate action not described in this subsection that will result in the stockholder receiving money or scrip instead of a fraction of a share except where the stockholder would not be entitled to receive such payment pursuant toNRS 78.205,78.2055 or78.207. A dissent pursuant to this paragraph applies only to the fraction of a share, and the stockholder is entitled only to obtain payment of the fair value of the fraction of a share.

2. A stockholder who is entitled to dissent and obtain payment pursuant toNRS 92A.300 to92A.500, inclusive, may not challenge the corporate action creating the entitlement unless the action is unlawful or fraudulent with respect to the stockholder or the domestic corporation.

3. Subject to the limitations in this subsection, from and after the effective date of any corporate action described in subsection 1, no stockholder who has exercised the right to dissent pursuant toNRS 92A.300 to92A.500, inclusive, is entitled to vote his or her shares for any purpose or to receive payment of dividends or any other distributions on shares. This subsection does not apply to dividends or other distributions payable to stockholders on a date before the effective date of any corporate action from which the stockholder has dissented. If a stockholder exercises the right to dissent with respect to a corporate action described in paragraph (f) of subsection 1, the restrictions of this subsection apply only to the shares to be converted into a fraction of a share and the dividends and distributions to those shares.

(Added to NRS by 1995, 2087; A2001, 1414,3199;2003, 3189;2005, 2204;2007, 2438;2009, 1721;2011, 2814)

NRS 92A.390 Limitations on right of dissent: Stockholders of certain classes or series; action of stockholders not required for plan of merger.

1. There is no right of dissent with respect to a plan of merger, conversion or exchange in favor of stockholders of any class or series which is:

(a) A covered security under section 18(b)(1)(A) or (B) of the Securities Act of 1933, 15 U.S.C. § 77r(b)(1)(A) or (B), as amended;

(b) Traded in an organized market and has at least 2,000 stockholders and a market value of at least $20,000,000, exclusive of the value of such shares held by the corporation’s subsidiaries, senior executives, directors and beneficial stockholders owning more than 10 percent of such shares; or

(c) Issued by an open end management investment company registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Investment Company Act of 1940, 15 U.S.C. §§80-a-1 et seq., as amended, and which may be redeemed at the option of the holder at net asset value, unless the articles of incorporation of the corporation issuing the class or series or the resolution of the board of directors approving the plan of merger, conversion or exchange expressly provide otherwise.

2. The applicability of subsection 1 must be determined as of:

(a) The record date fixed to determine the stockholders entitled to receive notice of and to vote at the meeting of stockholders to act upon the corporate action requiring dissenter’s rights; or

(b) The day before the effective date of such corporate action if there is no meeting of stockholders.

3. Subsection 1 is not applicable and dissenter’s rights are available pursuant toNRS 92A.380 for the holders of any class or series of shares who are required by the terms of the corporate action requiring dissenter’s rights to accept for such shares anything other than cash or shares of any class or any series of shares of any corporation, or any other proprietary interest of any other entity, that satisfies the standards set forth in subsection 1 at the time the corporate action becomes effective.

4. There is no right of dissent for any holders of stock of the surviving domestic corporation if the plan of merger does not require action of the stockholders of the surviving domestic corporation underNRS 92A.130.

5. There is no right of dissent for any holders of stock of the parent domestic corporation if the plan of merger does not require action of the stockholders of the parent domestic corporation under NRS 92A.180.

(Added to NRS by 1995, 2088; A2009, 1722; [2013, SB 441])

NRS 92A.400 Limitations on right of dissent: Assertion as to portions only to shares registered to stockholder; assertion by beneficial stockholder.

1. A stockholder of record may assert dissenter’s rights as to fewer than all of the shares registered in his or her name only if the stockholder of record dissents with respect to all shares of the class or series beneficially owned by any one person and notifies the subject corporation in writing of the name and address of each person on whose behalf the stockholder of record asserts dissenter’s rights. The rights of a partial dissenter under this subsection are determined as if the shares as to which the partial dissenter dissents and his or her other shares were registered in the names of different stockholders.

2. A beneficial stockholder may assert dissenter’s rights as to shares held on his or her behalf only if the beneficial stockholder:

(a) Submits to the subject corporation the written consent of the stockholder of record to the dissent not later than the time the beneficial stockholder asserts dissenter’s rights; and

(b) Does so with respect to all shares of which he or she is the beneficial stockholder or over which he or she has power to direct the vote.

(Added to NRS by 1995, 2089; A2009, 1723)

NRS 92A.410 Notification of stockholders regarding right of dissent.

1. If a proposed corporate action creating dissenter’s rights is submitted to a vote at a stockholders’ meeting, the notice of the meeting must state that stockholders are, are not or may be entitled to assert dissenter’s rights underNRS 92A.300 to92A.500, inclusive. If the domestic corporation concludes that dissenter’s rights are or may be available, a copy ofNRS 92A.300 to92A.500, inclusive, must accompany the meeting notice sent to those record stockholders entitled to exercise dissenter’s rights.

2. If the corporate action creating dissenter’s rights is taken by written consent of the stockholders or without a vote of the stockholders, the domestic corporation shall notify in writing all stockholders entitled to assert dissenter’s rights that the action was taken and send them the dissenter’s notice described inNRS 92A.430.

(Added to NRS by 1995, 2089; A1997, 730;2009, 1723; [2013, SB 441])

NRS 92A.420 Prerequisites to demand for payment for shares.

1. If a proposed corporate action creating dissenter’s rights is submitted to a vote at a stockholders’ meeting, a stockholder who wishes to assert dissenter’s rights with respect to any class or series of shares:

(a) Must deliver to the subject corporation, before the vote is taken, written notice of the stockholder’s intent to demand payment for his or her shares if the proposed action is effectuated; and

(b) Must not vote, or cause or permit to be voted, any of his or her shares of such class or series in favor of the proposed action.

2. If a proposed corporate action creating dissenter’s rights is taken by written consent of the stockholders, a stockholder who wishes to assert dissenter’s rights with respect to any class or series of shares must not consent to or approve the proposed corporate action with respect to such class or series.

3. A stockholder who does not satisfy the requirements of subsection 1 or 2 andNRS 92A.400 is not entitled to payment for his or her shares under this chapter.

(Added to NRS by 1995, 2089; A1999, 1631;2005, 2204;2009, 1723; [2013, SB 441])

NRS 92A.430 Dissenter’s notice: Delivery to stockholders entitled to assert rights; contents.

1. The subject corporation shall deliver a written dissenter’s notice to all stockholders of record entitled to assert dissenter’s rights in whole or in part, and any beneficial stockholder who has previously asserted dissenter’s rights pursuant to NRS 92A.400.

2. The dissenter’s notice must be sent no later than 10 days after the effective date of the corporate action specified inNRS 92A.380, and must:

(a) State where the demand for payment must be sent and where and when certificates, if any, for shares must be deposited;

(b) Inform the holders of shares not represented by certificates to what extent the transfer of the shares will be restricted after the demand for payment is received;

(c) Supply a form for demanding payment that includes the date of the first announcement to the news media or to the stockholders of the terms of the proposed action and requires that the person asserting dissenter’s rights certify whether or not the person acquired beneficial ownership of the shares before that date;

(d) Set a date by which the subject corporation must receive the demand for payment, which may not be less than 30 nor more than 60 days after the date the notice is delivered and state that the stockholder shall be deemed to have waived the right to demand payment with respect to the shares unless the form is received by the subject corporation by such specified date; and

(e) Be accompanied by a copy ofNRS 92A.300 to92A.500, inclusive.

(Added to NRS by 1995, 2089; A2005, 2205;2009, 1724; [2013, SB441])

NRS 92A.440 Demand for payment and deposit of certificates; loss of rights of stockholder; withdrawal from appraisal process.

1. A stockholder who receives a dissenter’s notice pursuant toNRS 92A.430 and who wishes to exercise dissenter’s rights must:

(a) Demand payment;

(b) Certify whether the stockholder or the beneficial owner on whose behalf he or she is dissenting, as the case may be, acquired beneficial ownership of the shares before the date required to be set forth in the dissenter’s notice for this certification; and

(c) Deposit the stockholder’s certificates, if any, in accordance with the terms of the notice.

2. If a stockholder fails to make the certification required by paragraph (b) of subsection 1, the subject corporation may elect to treat the stockholder’s shares as after-acquired shares underNRS 92A.470.

3. Once a stockholder deposits that stockholder’s certificates or, in the case of uncertified shares makes demand for payment, that stockholder loses all rights as a stockholder, unless the stockholder withdraws pursuant to subsection 4.

4. A stockholder who has complied with subsection 1 may nevertheless decline to exercise dissenter’s rights and withdraw from the appraisal process by so notifying the subject corporation in writing by the date set forth in the dissenter’s notice pursuant toNRS 92A.430. A stockholder who fails to so withdraw from the appraisal process may not thereafter withdraw without the subject corporation’s written consent.

5. The stockholder who does not demand payment or deposit his or her certificates where required, each by the date set forth in the dissenter’s notice, is not entitled to payment for his or her shares under this chapter.

(Added to NRS by 1995, 2090; A1997, 730;2003, 3189;2009, 1724)

NRS 92A.450 Uncertificated shares: Authority to restrict transfer after demand for payment. The subject corporation may restrict the transfer of shares not represented by a certificate from the date the demand for their payment is received.

(Added to NRS by 1995, 2090; A2009, 1725)

NRS 92A.460 Payment for shares: General requirements.

1. Except as otherwise provided inNRS 92A.470, within 30 days after receipt of a demand for payment pursuant to NRS 92A.440, the subject corporation shall pay in cash to each dissenter who complied withNRS 92A.440 the amount the subject corporation estimates to be the fair value of the dissenter’s shares, plus accrued interest. The obligation of the subject corporation under this subsection may be enforced by the district court:

(a) Of the county where the subject corporation’s principal office is located;

(b) If the subject corporation’s principal office is not located in this State, in the county in which the corporation’s registered office is located; or

(c) At the election of any dissenter residing or having its principal or registered office in this State, of the county where the dissenter resides or has its principal or registered office.

The court shall dispose of the complaint promptly.

2. The payment must be accompanied by:

(a) The subject corporation’s balance sheet as of the end of a fiscal year ending not more than 16 months before the date of payment, a statement of income for that year, a statement of changes in the stockholders’ equity for that year or, where such financial statements are not reasonably available, then such reasonably equivalent financial information and the latest available quarterly financial statements, if any;

(b) A statement of the subject corporation’s estimate of the fair value of the shares; and

(c) A statement of the dissenter’s rights to demand payment underNRS 92A.480 and that if any such stockholder does not do so within the period specified, such stockholder shall be deemed to have accepted such payment in full satisfaction of the corporation’s obligations under this chapter.

(Added to NRS by 1995, 2090; A2007, 2704;2009, 1725; [2013, SB 441])

NRS 92A.470 Withholding payment for shares acquired on or after date of dissenter’s notice: General requirements.

1. A subject corporation may elect to withhold payment from a dissenter unless the dissenter was the beneficial owner of the shares before the date set forth in the dissenter’s notice as the first date of any announcement to the news media or to the stockholders of the terms of the proposed action.

2. To the extent the subject corporation elects to withhold payment, within 30 days after receipt of a demand for payment pursuant to NRS 92A.440, the subject corporation shall notify the dissenters described in subsection 1:

(a) Of the information required by paragraph (a) of subsection 2 ofNRS 92A.460;

(b) Of the subject corporation’s estimate of fair value pursuant to paragraph (b) of subsection 2 ofNRS 92A.460;

(c) That they may accept the subject corporation’s estimate of fair value, plus interest, in full satisfaction of their demands or demand appraisal underNRS 92A.480;

(d) That those stockholders who wish to accept such an offer must so notify the subject corporation of their acceptance of the offer within 30 days after receipt of such offer; and

(e) That those stockholders who do not satisfy the requirements for demanding appraisal underNRS 92A.480 shall be deemed to have accepted the subject corporation’s offer.

3. Within 10 days after receiving the stockholder’s acceptance pursuant to subsection 2, the subject corporation shall pay in cash the amount offered under paragraph (b) of subsection 2 to each stockholder who agreed to accept the subject corporation’s offer in full satisfaction of the stockholder’s demand.

4. Within 40 days after sending the notice described in subsection 2, the subject corporation shall pay in cash the amount offered under paragraph (b) of subsection 2 to each stockholder described in paragraph (e) of subsection 2.

(Added to NRS by 1995, 2091; A2009, 1725; [2013, SB 441])

NRS 92A.480 Dissenter’s estimate of fair value: Notification of subject corporation; demand for payment of estimate.

1. A dissenter paid pursuant toNRS 92A.460 who is dissatisfied with the amount of the payment may notify the subject corporation in writing of the dissenter’s own estimate of the fair value of his or her shares and the amount of interest due, and demand payment of such estimate, less any payment pursuant toNRS 92A.460. A dissenter offered payment pursuant toNRS 92A.470 who is dissatisfied with the offer may reject the offer pursuant toNRS 92A.470 and demand payment of the fair value of his or her shares and interest due.

2. A dissenter waives the right to demand payment pursuant to this section unless the dissenter notifies the subject corporation of his or her demand to be paid the dissenter’s stated estimate of fair value plus interest under subsection 1 in writing within 30 days after receiving the subject corporation’s payment or offer of payment underNRS 92A.460 or92A.470 and is entitled only to the payment made or offered.

(Added to NRS by 1995, 2091; A2009, 1726)

NRS 92A.490 Legal proceeding to determine fair value: Duties of subject corporation; powers of court; rights of dissenter.

1. If a demand for payment pursuant to NRS 92A.480 remains unsettled, the subject corporation shall commence a proceeding within 60 days after receiving the demand and petition the court to determine the fair value of the shares and accrued interest. If the subject corporation does not commence the proceeding within the 60-day period, it shall pay each dissenter whose demand remains unsettled the amount demanded by each dissenter pursuant toNRS 92A.480 plus interest.

2. A subject corporation shall commence the proceeding in the district court of the county where its principal office is located in this State. If the principal office of the subject corporation is not located in this State, the right to dissent arose from a merger, conversion or exchange and the principal office of the surviving entity, resulting entity or the entity whose shares were acquired, whichever is applicable, is located in this State, it shall commence the proceeding in the county where the principal office of the surviving entity, resulting entity or the entity whose shares were acquired is located. In all other cases, if the principal office of the subject corporation is not located in this State, the subject corporation shall commence the proceeding in the district court in the county in which the corporation’s registered office is located.

3. The subject corporation shall make all dissenters, whether or not residents of Nevada, whose demands remain unsettled, parties to the proceeding as in an action against their shares. All parties must be served with a copy of the petition. Nonresidents may be served by registered or certified mail or by publication as provided by law.

4. The jurisdiction of the court in which the proceeding is commenced under subsection 2 is plenary and exclusive. The court may appoint one or more persons as appraisers to receive evidence and recommend a decision on the question of fair value. The appraisers have the powers described in the order appointing them, or any amendment thereto. The dissenters are entitled to the same discovery rights as parties in other civil proceedings.

5. Each dissenter who is made a party to the proceeding is entitled to a judgment:

(a) For the amount, if any, by which the court finds the fair value of the dissenter’s shares, plus interest, exceeds the amount paid by the subject corporation; or

(b) For the fair value, plus accrued interest, of the dissenter’s after-acquired shares for which the subject corporation elected to withhold payment pursuant toNRS 92A.470.

(Added to NRS by 1995, 2091; A2007, 2705;2009, 1727;2011, 2815; [2013, SB 441])

NRS 92A.500 Assessment of costs and fees in certain legal proceedings.

1. The court in a proceeding to determine fair value shall determine all of the costs of the proceeding, including the reasonable compensation and expenses of any appraisers appointed by the court. The court shall assess the costs against the subject corporation, except that the court may assess costs against all or some of the dissenters, in amounts the court finds equitable, to the extent the court finds the dissenters acted arbitrarily, vexatiously or not in good faith in demanding payment.

2. The court may also assess the fees and expenses of the counsel and experts for the respective parties, in amounts the court finds equitable:

(a) Against the subject corporation and in favor of all dissenters if the court finds the subject corporation did not substantially comply with the requirements ofNRS 92A.300 to92A.500, inclusive; or

(b) Against either the subject corporation or a dissenter in favor of any other party, if the court finds that the party against whom the fees and expenses are assessed acted arbitrarily, vexatiously or not in good faith with respect to the rights provided byNRS 92A.300 to92A.500, inclusive.

3. If the court finds that the services of counsel for any dissenter were of substantial benefit to other dissenters similarly situated, and that the fees for those services should not be assessed against the subject corporation, the court may award to those counsel reasonable fees to be paid out of the amounts awarded to the dissenters who were benefited.

4. In a proceeding commenced pursuant toNRS 92A.460, the court may assess the costs against the subject corporation, except that the court may assess costs against all or some of the dissenters who are parties to the proceeding, in amounts the court finds equitable, to the extent the court finds that such parties did not act in good faith in instituting the proceeding.

5. To the extent the subject corporation fails to make a required payment pursuant to NRS 92A.460,92A.470 or92A.480, the dissenter may bring a cause of action directly for the amount owed and, to the extent the dissenter prevails, is entitled to recover all expenses of the suit.

6. This section does not preclude any party in a proceeding commenced pursuant toNRS 92A.460 or92A.490 from applying the provisions ofN.R.C.P. 68 orNRS 17.115.

(Added to NRS by 1995, 2092; A2009, 1727)

 


LOGOPRELIMINARY PROXY CARD

SIGNATURE GROUP HOLDINGS,   INC. 15301   VENTURA BLVD SUITE 400 SHERMAN OAKS, CA 91403 Investor Address Line 1 Investor Address Line 2 Investor Address Line 3 Investor Address Line 4 Investor Address Line 5 John Sample 1234  ANYWHERE STREET ANY CITY, ON  A1A 1A1 VOTE BY INTERNET - www.proxyvote.com Use the Internet to transmit your voting instructions and for electronic delivery of information up until 11:59 P.M. Eastern Time the day before the cut-off date or meeting date. Have your proxy card in hand when you access the web sitewebsite and follow the instructions to obtain your records and to create an electronic voting instruction form. SIGNATURE GROUP HOLDINGS, INC. 15303 VENTURA BLVD ELECTRONIC DELIVERY OF FUTURE PROXY MATERIALS SUITE 1600 If you would like to reduce the costs incurred by our companyCompany in mailing proxy SHERMAN OAKS, CA 91403 materials, you can consent to receiving all future proxy statements, proxy cards and annual reports electronically via e-mail or the Internet. To sign up for electronic delivery, please follow the instructions above to vote using the Internet and, when prompted, indicate that you agree to receive or access proxy materials electronically in future years. VOTE BY PHONE - 1-800-690-6903 Use any touch-tone telephone to transmit your voting instructions up until 11:59 P.M. Eastern Time the day before the cut-off date or meeting date. Have your proxy card in hand when you call and then follow the instructions. VOTE BY MAIL Mark, sign and date your proxy card and return it in the postage-paid envelope we have provided or return it to Vote Processing, c/o Broadridge,Broadridge. 51 Mercedes Way, Edgewood, NY 11717. NAME THE COMPANY NAME INC. - COMMON THE COMPANY NAME INC. - CLASS A THE COMPANY NAME INC. - CLASS B  THE COMPANY NAME INC, - CLASS C THE COMPANY NAME INC. - CLASS D THE COMPANY NAME INC. - CLASS E THE COMPANY NAME INC. - CLASS F THE COMPANY NAME INC. - 401 K CONTROL # —> oooooooooooooooo SHARES 123,456,789, 012.12345 123,456,789, 012.12345 123,456,789, 012.12345 123,456,789, 012.12345 123,456,789, 012.12345 123,456,789, 012.12345  123,456,789, 012.12345 123,456,789, 012.12345 PAGE 1 OF 2 TO VOTE, MARK BLOCKS BELOW IN BLUE OR BLACK INK AS FOLLOWS: TKEEP THIS PORTION FOR YOUR RECORDS DETACH AND RETURN THIS PORTION ONLY THIS PROXY CARD IS VALID ONLY WHEN SIGNED AND DATED. Detach and return this portion only For All Withhold All For All Except To withhold authority to vote for any individual nominee(s) . mark “For All Except” and write the number(s) of the nominee(s) on the line below. The Board of Directors recommends you vote FOR the following:1.   Election of Directors Nominees 01. Craig T. Bouchard 02 Peter C.B. Bynoe 03 Patrick Deconinck 04 William Hall 05 Patrick E. Lamb 06 Raj  Maheshwari 07 Philip G. Tinkler The Board of Directors recommends you vote FOR proposals 1 and 2: 2 through 6. For Against Abstain 1 Agreement2. To amend the Company's Second Amended and PlanRestated Certificate of Merger, dated November 25, 2013, amongIncorporation to change the name of the Company to “Real Industry, Inc." 3. To ratify the selection of Ernst & Young LLP as our Independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2015. 4. To approve the adoption of the Signature Group Holdings, Inc., SGH Holdco, Inc. and SGH Merger 0 0 0 Sub, LLC (referred to as 2015 Equity Award Plan. 5. To approve, by advisory vote, the Reincorporation Proposal). 2compensation of our named executive officers. 6. To adjourn the SpecialAnnual Meeting to a later date, if necessary, to permit further solicitation of proxies if there are not 0 0 0 sufficient votes at the time of the SpecialAnnual Meeting to approve Proposal 1. NOTE: Such other business as may properly come before the meeting 2 and/or any adjournment thereof. Proposal 4. PRELIMINARY PROXY CARD - SUBJECT TO COMPLETION Please sign exactly as your name(s) appear(s) hereon. When signing as attorney, executor, administrator, or other fiduciary, please give full title as such. Joint owners shouldOwners Should each sign personally.personally. All holders must sign. If a corporation or partnership, please sign in full corporate or partnership name, by authorized officer. Investor Address Line 1 Investor Address Line 2 Investor Address Line 3 Investor Address Line 4 Investor Address Line 5 John Sample 1234 ANYWHERE STREET ANY CITY, ON A1A 1A1 JOB #SHARES  CUSIP#  SEQUENCE# Signature [PLEASE SIGN WITHIN BOX] Date Signature (Joint Owners) Date 0000188381_10000244059_1          R1.0.0.51160 02 0000000000



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Important Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materials for the SpecialAnnual Meeting: The Form 10-K, Notice & Proxy Statement is/are available at www.proxyvote.com . www.proxyvote.com. SIGNATURE GROUP HOLDINGS, INC. SpecialAnnual Meeting of Stockholders December May 28, 2015 9:30 2013 10:00 AM  This proxy is solicited by the Board of Directors The stockholder(s) hereby appoint(s) Kyle Ross and Jeff Crusinberry, as proxies and each of them, as proxy holders with full power of substitution and authority to act withoutin the absence of the other, and with power of substitutions, and hereby authorizes thenthem to represent and to vote, as designated herein,on the reverse side of this ballot, all of the shares of common stock of Signature Group Holdings, Inc.SIGNATURE GROUP HOLDINGS, INC. that the stockholder(s) is/are entitled to vote at the SpecialAnnual Meeting of Stockholders to be held at 109:30 AM, Pacific TimeEDT on December 30, 2013May 28, 2015, and any adjournment or postponement thereof. THISThis proxy, when properly executed, will be voted in the manner directed herein. If no such direction is made, this proxy will be voted in accordance with the Board of Director's recommendations. PRELIMINARY PROXY WHEN PROPERLY EXECUTED, WILL BE VOTED IN THE MANNER DIRECTED HEREIN AND UNLESS OTHERWISE DIRECTED, WILL BE VOTED “FOR” PROPOSALS 1 AND 2 AND, IN THE DISCRETION OF THE PROXY HOLDERS, UPON SUCH OTHER BUSINESS AS MAY PROPERLY COME BEFORE THE DECEMBER 30, 2013 SPECIAL MEETING AND ANY ADJOURMENT OR POSTPONEMENT THEREOF. CARD - SUBJECT TO COMPLETION Continued and to be signed on reverse side 0000188381_20000244059_2          R1.0.0.51160