UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

SCHEDULE 14A INFORMATION 

ProxyConsent Revocation Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

 

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☐  Definitive Proxy Statement

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oSoliciting Material under Rule 14a-12

Calmare Therapeutics Incorporated
(Name of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter)

 

N/ACALMARE THERAPEUTICS INCORPORATED

(Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

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

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Alan Talesnick, Esq. 

Haynes and Boone, LLP. 

1050 17th Street

Suite 1800 

Denver, CO 80265

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October 21, 2016PRELIMINARY CONSENT REVOCATION STATEMENT 

Dear Stockholder:SUBJECT TO COMPLETION DATED JANUARY [●], 2018

 

You are cordially invitedCALMARE THERAPEUTICS INCORPORATED 

1375 Kings Hwy. 

Suite 400 

Fairfield, CT 06824 

(203) 368-6044 

CONSENT REVOCATION STATEMENT OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF  

CALMARE THERAPEUTICS INCORPORATED IN OPPOSITION TO THE

CONSENT SOLICITATION BY THE

COMPLAINING MINORITY STOCKHOLDERS

This consent revocation statement filed on Schedule 14A (the “Consent Revocation Statement”) is furnished by the Board of Directors (the “Board”) of Calmare Therapeutics Incorporated, a Delaware corporation (the “Company” or “Calmare”), to attend an annual meetingthe holders of ouroutstanding shares of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.01 per share (the “Shares”), in connection with the Board’s opposition to the solicitation of written stockholder consents (the “Minority Consent Solicitation”) by the Calmare Committee to Restore Stockholder Value (the “Complaining Minority Stockholders”).

On December 5, 2017, the Complaining Minority Stockholders filed a definitive consent solicitation (the “Complaining Minority Statement”) with the SEC in commencing a process to solicit written consents from the Calmare stockholders to facilitate the removal of all of the current members of the Board except for Stan Yarbro. The Complaining Minority Stockholders state in the Complaining Minority Statement that the record date is November 16, 2017, but the Company does not believe the Complaining Minority Stockholders have followed the appropriate and legally valid procedures to establish November 16, 2017 as the record date. Even though the Company believes that the Complaining Minority Stockholders have not properly established a record date, the Company plans to seek consent revocations for all Calmare stockholders of record as of the close of business on November 9, 2016, at 10 A.M, EST, at The Princeton Club, 15 West 43rd Street, New York, New York 10036. Matters16, 2017.

Your Board believes that the Complaining Minority Stockholders seek to control the future of Calmare - your Company - without paying a control premium for Calmare to you and all remaining stockholders and that the Complaining Minority Stockholders are seeking your support for their attempt to seize control of the Board by advancing a series of arguments based on which action willhalf-truths and incomplete or just plain misleading arguments about Calmare, including what we perceive to be taken atmisleading arguments about the meetingCompany’s prospects for future success. We also are explained in detailconcerned that Stanley Yarbro, the spokesman for the Complaining Minority Stockholders, has yet to disclose to you that, as a director of Calmare, he personally approved much of, if not all, of the issues he has raised in the attached NoticeComplaining Minority Statement, including the appointment of, and Proxy Statement.the compensation paid to, Calmare’s CEO, Conrad Mir, and Mr. Mir’s five-year business plan for the Company. Finally, Mr. Yarbro has yet to tell you about what we believe is his own role in undermining the Company’s prospects for success, which began long before the Company adopted its current five-year business plan for development.

 

Our Annual ReportWe urge you not to be fooled by what we perceive to be the specious arguments of the Complaining Minority Stockholders and to reject their appeals for your support by refusing to sign or return any form of consent sent to you by them.

There are several false and misleading statements in the Complaining Minority Statement. The Company has the following responses to the statements in the Complaining Minority Statement:


1.The statements in the Complaining Minority Statement that the decrease in the Company’s stock price since 2013 was due to the actions of Conrad Mir are, in our opinion, false and misleading.

The statements by the Complaining Minority Stockholders throughout the Complaining Minority Statement that the actions and inactions of Mr. Mir were the cause of the Company’s stock losing value are, in our opinion, false and misleading. When Mr. Mir became the CEO of the Company in September 2013, the Company’s stock price was already in the midst of a severe decline in price as the price per share of the Company’s stock had dropped from $14.20 in 2005 to $0.05 in the weeks after Mr. Mir assumed the office of CEO. When Mr. Mir joined the Company, he set out on a five-year plan to turn around the Company’s economic outlook. It was a five-year plan because it was anticipated to take approximately 5 years, to achieve FDA approval for the Company’s medical devices, and the Company now expects to receive this approval for certain of its devices 2018.

When Mr. Mir joined Calmare, he inherited several economically difficult business transactions that previously had been agreed to during Mr. Yarbro’s tenure on the Board and as Chairman of the Audit Committee. It is our opinion that Mr. Yarbro cannot, in hindsight, criticize these transactions and the Board that agreed to them without criticizing himself as well. Mr. Mir, working with the Board, was able to unwind many of these transactions, or what he believed to be their negative effects, for the benefit of the Company and its stockholders.

Although the Company’s stock price currently is not trading at high levels, we believe that this is not because of the action or inaction of Mr. Mir. Rather, in our observation, Mr. Mir and the Company’s current management team and Board members (except for Mr. Yarbro) have worked tirelessly on the Company’s five-year plan to turn the Company around. We strongly believe that the Company is getting very close to realizing the benefits of these efforts.

In short, we believe that the Complaining Minority Stockholders are incorrect in stating that the Company is in the position it is because of Mr. Mir. In our view, Mr. Mir has tried to correct the shortfalls of the Company. Again, we believe that Mr. Yarbro is unfairly criticizing – in hindsight – the decisions of the earlier Board as if he were not part of it – even though Mr. Yarbro was a Board member at that time and fully participated in those decisions.

2.The statements in the Complaining Minority Statement regarding the Company’s contract with the U.S. General Services Administration are, in our opinion, misleading.

The Complaining Minority Stockholders state a belief that Mr. Mir misled the stockholders when the Company entered into an agreement with the U.S. General Services Administration (the “GSA”). The Company received a Blanket Purchase Agreement (the “BPA”) in 2015 under the Company’s government contractor status with the GSA, which totals $15,000,000, payable over the course of five years, and divided into five one-year contracts. The BPA was awarded to the Company for the purchase of the Company’s name-branded sensory and stimulation electrodes, and was and remains subject to final review by the GSA prior to the commencement of electrode purchases by way of the BPA. The GSA’s review is much more demanding for smaller companies due to available capital reserves and limited human capital resources in small companies, which is the case for Calmare. Mr. Mir originally estimated that the contract and the related payments would begin in spring 2015, but due to the rigorous review process and the change in administrations, the five-year contract and related payments have not yet begun. The Company expects that the GSA contract and related payments will begin in 2018. The GSA continues to buy electrodes from the Company, which is a consequence of the five-year contract.

The Complaining Minority Stockholders are incorrect in saying the Company lost its contract with the GSA. The Company continues to have two contracts, one for electrodes and one for devices, with the government. They are in interim status, pending final GSA review approval, as the Company continues to supply electrodes to the U.S. Veteran’s Administration and similar customers.


Finally, we believe that the Complaining Minority Stockholders have put the Company’s contract with the GSA at risk because it appears to us that at least one of them has shared highly confidential information with persons outside of Calmare. This improper and unauthorized disclosure of information related to the GSA contract, other than its existence, may lead the GSA to terminate the contract, which would materially harm the Company. The Complaining Minority Stockholders’ apparent lack of experience with these contracts has shown not only in that instance, but also because the Complaining Minority Stockholders have disclosed the terms to the public in the Complaining Minority Statement. This lack of experience could lead to substantial harm to the Company.

3.The statements in the Complaining Minority Statement regarding compensation are, in our opinion, false and misleading.

The Complaining Minority Stockholders present what we perceive to be false and misleading statements with respect to Mr. Mir’s compensation. Mr. Mir signed a contract for $270,000 per year, ended December 31,plus bonuses and equity compensation. This contract was approved by one of the Minority Complaining Stockholders (Mr. Yarbro), among others, all of whom were independent of Mr. Mir. Mr. Mir has repeatedly satisfied the bonus criteria that warranted the awarding of the associated bonus(es), where applicable. The bonus payments in 2015 onand 2016 were approved by the Board and Compensation Committee. Mr. Yarbro not only was a member of that Committee, at that time, but also voted in favor of the bonus(es) for Mr. Mir. In addition, Mr. Mir agreed to receive only one-half of his bonus payment in cash and the other half in stock, so as to reduce the cash owed by the Company. Contrary to references from the Minority Complaining Stockholders, at their own initiative Mr. Mir and the other executive officer (the CFO) have deferred and accrued a total of nine and a half months of salary that has not been paid by the Company so as not to burden the Company.

Contrary to references from the Minority Complaining Stockholders, Mr. Mir has not unilaterally given himself any compensation. All compensation provided to Mr. Mir has been pre-approved by all the members of the Board, which included Mr. Yarbro’s vote as a director. Furthermore, all such votes were unanimous. The Complaining Minority Statement incorrectly concluded that the Company has failed to pay its employees for four months. This is inaccurate. To date, the Company has paid all of its non-officer and non-management employees.

4.The statements in the Complaining Minority Statement regarding the removal of Stan Yarbro as director are, in our opinion, misleading.

Stan Yarbro is currently a director of the Company. A majority of the Board wanted to remove Mr. Yarbro from the Board because they believed that, as a director, he shared material non-public information with certain stockholders of the Company who were not directors or officers. These actions are not authorized for a director such as Mr. Yarbro to do. Nevertheless, the Board also understands that there are certain processes and procedures regarding the removal of a director under Delaware law that supersede the Company’s by-laws, and that Mr. Yarbro, who originally became a director in 2012, has remained a director since that time and was not removed from the Board in March 2017. Nonetheless, by sharing material non-public information in an unauthorized manner with persons outside the Calmare Board, we believe that Mr. Yarbro has directly harmed the Company and may jeopardize future business transactions, including the termination of any contract with the GSA. We believe that this behavior and any similar activity is highly detrimental to Calmare.


5.The statements regarding the Company firing its former accounting firm are, in our opinion, misleading.

The Complaining Minority Statement makes what we perceive to be misleading assertions concerning the Company’s firing of its former accounting firm without an explanation as to why the accounting firm was fired. The Company’s former accounting firm’s contract had expired. Upon review of the time taken to file the Company’s 2016 Form 10-K, is available through our website athttp://www.calmaretherapeutics.comundermanagement determined it was in the heading “Investors.” Additionally, a form of proxy cardCompany’s best interest to take the opportunity to change accounting firms and informationhelp keep the Company on howtrack to vote by mail, throughfile timely disclosures with the Internet, or by phone is included herein.SEC. The Company hired BDO USA as its new accounting firm.

 

6.The Complaining Minority Stockholders, in our opinion, do not have a clear plan that will help the Company.

We sincerely hope

The Complaining Minority Stockholders state that you willthey have a plan to turn around the value of the Company. Despite this statement, it is unclear how they would be able to attenddo this, particularly given the limited experience they have in the medical device field. They do not have experience with FDA approvals; and, they have stated their desire to utilize a sales process that, in our opinion, would greatly delay if not preclude the Company from gaining FDA approvals for a diagnosis. In turn, this would greatly harm the value of the Company in the future. The Complaining Minority Stockholders have limited experience with GSA contracts. For example, the contracts with the GSA contain most favored nations clauses for the products sold under the contract. If a vendor, such as the Company, sells the products at a price less than the pre-approved government price to another customer, the exclusive price of the products sold to the government will in turn be reduced. This is the main reason the Company has not sold discounted products to other customers for purported short-term gains that risk long-term revenues. If the Complaining Minority Stockholders sell the Company’s products at reduced prices, it will greatly harm the Company’s future revenue from the GSA contracts.

The Complaining Minority Stockholders have not acted in the best interests of the Company by disclosing certain aspects of the contracts with the GSA to persons outside the Company. Furthermore, Mr. Yarbro has disclosed material, non-public information to certain stockholders who have interests adverse to the Company, which is extremely harmful to the Company.

7.The biography of Mr. Yarbro in the Complaining Minority Statement is, in our opinion, misleading.

The Complaining Minority Statement fails to note that Mr. Yarbro has been a director of the Company since March 2012. Mr. Yarbro was a director of the Company prior to Mr. Mir’s involvement, and Mr. Yarbro approved many of the transactions that we believe resulted in significant reductions in the value of the Company’s stock prior to Mr. Mir initially becoming involved as CEO of the Company. We believe that the failure of the Complaining Minority Statement to discuss Mr. Yarbro’s involvement in the operation of the Company, and particularly the fact that he was involved when the problems occurred prior to Mr. Mir’s involvement, is misleading because it seeks to portray Mr. Mir as responsible for the damages that arose from the acts and omissions of others, including the acts and omissions of Stanley Yarbro in his roles at the Company before the appointment of Mr. Mir.

8.The assertion in the Complaining Minority Statement that the Complaining Minority Stockholders had requested a meeting with the Board and management is, in our opinion, misleading.

The Complaining Minority Statement asserts that the Complaining Minority Stockholders sent letters to the Board and management team of the Company to set up a meeting to voice their concerns, and that once a meeting was set up it was cancelled. The request for a meeting was relayed to Mr. Mir, and the requested meeting was scheduled, but it had to be cancelled due to a conflict in personMr. Mir’s schedule related to Company operational matters. Afterward, Mr. Mir offered to have a call with the Complaining Minority Stockholders to discuss their concerns, but the Complaining Minority Stockholders never agreed, and were not willing, to have a call.


9.The statements in the Complaining Minority Statement regarding the Company’s litigation are, in our opinion, false and misleading.

The Complaining Minority Stockholders’ statement that the Company has failed to defend and resolve major litigation, in our opinion, is false and misleading. The Company has attempted to protect itself in defending and opposing the lawsuit with GEOMC to the fullest extent and is currently fighting through the appeal process. This lawsuit arose from actions of the prior management and their failure to meet certain payment obligations. The Company has gone to great lengths to fight the lawsuit with GEOMC, and will continue to do so.

The statements by the Complaining Minority Stockholders that the Company has failed to fight a judgment with respect to a former employee for $400,000 also is, in our opinion, misleading as the Company is currently appealing this judgment. The complaint concerns a former government sales consultant’s contract (the “Sales Contract”), which was approved under Mr. Yarbro’s tenure as a director and as Chairman of the Audit Committee, and which was greatly detrimental to the Company. The Sales Contract had certain provisions that unduly protect the consultant. These provisions included no sales quotas or regular progress reports to management, and were approved by the Board, of which Mr. Yarbro was a member, with what we look forwardbelieved to seeing you.be ironclad, company-killing provisions. Given our belief that a successful outcome to our defense of this lawsuit in a court of law would be very difficult to achieve, we avoided trial and settled. Then, at the time that an installment payment was to be made, the Company experienced cash flow restrictions and the applicable penalty was triggered, which consequently progressed into a judgment. The Company has attended all proceedings related to this matter.

The Complaining Minority Stockholders are asking you for your written consent as to the following proposals (each, a “Minority Proposal” and collectively, the “Minority Proposals”), which the Company, as stated above, believes are not in the best interests of the Company and should be rejected by the Stockholders of the Company:

Proposal No. 1: This Proposal provides for the removal of four of the current members of the Board. The Company believes this proposal will greatly harm the future value of the Company’s stock, as these four Board members have been working on a five-year plan to increase the value of the Company going forward. This Minority Proposal will cause the Company to abandon this five-year plan, and will greatly undermine the potential future value the plan would bring to the Company, as the Complaining Minority Stockholders do not have a plan of their own that would be good for the business of the Company.

Proposal No. 2: This Proposal is to elect four new nominees to the Board. As previously stated, the Company does not believe the election of the directors proposed by the Complaining Minority Stockholders will benefit the Company. Again, in our opinion, the proposed nominees do not have the proper experience in running a company, as seen by the unhelpful Minority Proposals. We also believe that the proposed directors do not have the necessary experience in the medical device field to operate the Company and, in our opinion, their business plan would greatly undermine the Company’s future prospects for success. 

Proposal No. 3: This proposal will fix the number of directors on the Board at five (5) directors.

Proposal No. 4: This proposal would amend the Company’s Bylaws to require the unanimous vote of all the members of the Board for any amendment by the Board to the Bylaws which would change the number of directors constituting the Board. The Company does not believe this is a beneficial amendment. In fact, we believe that this proposal shows how the Complaining Minority Stockholders do not understand how to operate a company, particularly a publicly-traded company. The Board should operate by majority vote, just like most other boards of directors. If a board is required to act unanimously, one board member can hold the Company hostage and prevent future growth and development. The Company should not be hampered or prohibited from acting due to the voice of one member of the Board.


Proposal No. 5: The Complaining Minority Stockholders are seeking stockholder consent to amend the Company’s Bylaws so that only Calmare stockholders (and not the Board) can fill any vacancies on the Board. This proposal will make it difficult for the Company to operate because, among other issues, if any vacancies were to occur, the Board would not be able to fill those vacancies before the next stockholder meeting. If this amendment is approved, the Board will not be able to reorganize properly if a vacancy on the Board occurs, and this could cause great harm to the Company until a new director is appointed by the stockholders.

Proposal No. 6: Stockholders are being asked to adopt a resolution which would repeal each provision of the Company’s Bylaws or amendments of the Bylaws that have been adopted after October 10, 2010, but the Complaining Minority Stockholders have not disclosed what changes this would involve. This amendment should be rejected, because the Company has been operating under the current Bylaws for some time and should not have to revert to Bylaws that are over seven years old. This proposal is contradictory because some of the nominees proposed by the Complaining Minority Stockholders actually approved amendments to the Bylaws that were made since October 20, 2010. It does not make sense for these nominees to now revoke their previous approval to these amendments to the Bylaws.

THE BOARD IS COMMITTED TO ACTING IN THE BEST INTERESTS OF THE COMPANY’S STOCKHOLDERS AND HAS DETERMINED AS DESCRIBED ABOVE THAT THE PROPOSALS FROM THE COMPLAINING MINORITY STOCKHOLDERS ARE NOT IN THE BEST INTERESTS OF CALMARE’S STOCKHOLDERS.

ACCORDINGLY, THE BOARD URGES YOU NOT TO SIGN ANY CONSENT CARD SENT TO YOU BY THE COMPLAINING MINORITY STOCKHOLDERS AND INSTEAD URGES YOU TO SIGN AND RETURN THE GOLD CONSENT REVOCATION CARD INCLUDED WITH THESE MATERIALS FROM THE BOARD.

If you have previously signed and returned the Complaining Minority Stockholders’ consent card, you have the right to change your mind and revoke your consent to the Proposals. Whether or not you expecthave signed the Complaining Minority Stockholders’ consent card, we urge you to be present atmark the meeting, please promptly vote asYES, REVOKE MY CONSENT” boxes on the enclosedGOLD consent revocation card (the “Consent Revocation Card”) from the Board and to sign, date and mail the card in the postage-paid envelope provided. Even if you have not submitted the Complaining Minority Stockholders’ consent card, it will help us keep track of the progress of the consent process if you submit a Consent Revocation Card. Regardless of the number of Shares you own, your voteconsent revocation is important.Please act today.

If your Shares are held in “street name,” only your broker, bank or other nominee can exercise your right to revoke a consent with respect to your Shares. Please contact your broker, bank or other nominee and instruct it to submit aGOLD InstructionsConsent Revocation Card on your behalf today.

This Consent Revocation Statement and enclosedGOLD Consent Revocation Card are first being mailed to the Company’s stockholders on or about January [●], 2018.

Important Notice regarding the various methodsAvailability of voting are containedconsent revocation Materials in opposition to the consent solicitation by the Complaining Minority Stockholders:

In accordance with the rules of the SEC, the Company is advising its stockholders of the availability on the Internet of the Company’s consent revocation materials in opposition to the consent solicitation by the Complaining Minority Stockholders. These rules allow companies to provide access to proxy card, including votingand consent materials in one of two ways, and because the Company has elected to utilize the “full set delivery” option, the Company is delivering, to all stockholders, paper copies of the consent revocation materials, as well as providing access to those materials on a publicly accessible website. Under Delaware law, the Proposals may become effective if valid, unrevoked consents signed by mail, through the Internet, or by phone. holders of a majority of the outstanding Shares as of November 16, 2017 are delivered to the Company within sixty (60) days of the earliest-dated consent delivered to the Company. This Consent Revocation Statement and Consent Revocation Card are available at http://calmaretherapeutics.com/investors/sec.html.


If you attend the annual meeting, you may revokehave any questions about giving your proxy and vote your own shares.consent renovation or otherwise require assistance, please call or contact:

 

I personally look forwardHarkins Kovler, LLC 

1 Rockefeller Plaza 

10th Floor 

New York, NY 10020

Telephone: +1 (212) 468-5380

FAX: +1 (212) 468-5381

Email: cttc@harkinskovler.com

which has been retained by the Company to seeing you at the annual meeting and sharing with you the progress we have made during 2016 and our plans for 2017.solicit Consent Revocation Cards.

 Sincerely,
  
 Calmare Therapeutics Incorporated
/s/ Conrad Mir
Conrad Mir
President and
Chief Executive Officer

NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS

TO BE HELD ON NOVEMBER 9, 2016

To the stockholders of Calmare Therapeutics Incorporated (“CTI” or the “Company”),

You are cordially invited to attend an annual meeting of our stockholders on November 9, 2016, at 10:00 A.M. EST, at the Princeton Club, 15 West 43rd Street, New York, New York 10036. Matters on which action will be taken at the meeting are explained in detail in the attached Notice and Proxy Statement.

At the annual meeting you will be asked to vote on the following matters:

·Proposal 1: To elect our Board to hold office until our 2017 annual meeting of stockholders or until their respective successors have been duly elected and qualified;

·Proposal 2: To ratify the appointment of Mayer Hoffman McCann CPAs, the New York Practice of Mayer Hoffman McCann P.C. as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2016;

·Proposal 3: To amend our Certificate of Incorporation to authorize a new series of preferred stock, designated as Series D Convertible Preferred Stock;

·Proposal 4: To approve the adoption of the 2016 Stock Option Plan.

You will also be asked to consider and act upon any other business as may properly come before the annual meeting or any adjournments thereof.

The Board recommends that you vote at the annual meeting “FOR” Proposals 1, 2, 3 and 4. These items of business are more fully described in the proxy statement that is attached to this Notice. The Board has fixed the close of business on October 7, 2016 as the “Record Date” for determining the stockholders that are entitled to notice of and to vote at the annual meeting and any adjournments thereof. A list of stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting will be available for examination for a period of ten days before the meeting in person at our corporate offices in Fairfield, Connecticut, and also at the meeting. Stockholders may examine the list for purposes related to the meeting.

It is important that your shares are represented and voted at the meeting.You can vote your shares by completing, signing, dating, and returning your completed proxy card or vote by mail, over the Internet, or by phone by following the instructions included in the proxy statement. You can revoke a proxy at any time prior to its exercise at the meeting by following the instructions in the proxy statement.

You may attend the annual meeting and vote in person even if you have previously voted by proxy in one of the ways listed above. Your proxy is revocable in accordance with the procedures set forth in the proxy statement.

By OrderOn Behalf of the Board of Directors
  
 /s/ Conrad Mir
 President and Chief Executive Officer
  
October 21, 2016 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Fairfield, ConnecticutPage
General Synopsis1
Questions and Answers1
Who Can Help Answer Your Questions?4
Proposal 1 – Election of Our Board4
Information About Director Nominees4
Corporate Governance7
Beneficial Ownership of Shares9
Director Compensation11
Certain Relationships and Related Transactions12
Report of the Compensation Committee13
Report of the Audit Committee13
Executive Officers and Executive Compensation14
Proposal 2 – Ratification of the Appointment of Mayer Hoffman McCann CPAs, the New York Practice of Mayer Hoffman McCann, P.C.17
Proposal 3 – Authority to file an amendment to the Certificate of Incorporation to authorize a new series of Preferred Stock, designated Series D Convertible Preferred Stock18
Proposal 4 – Approve the Adoption of the 2016 Stock Option Plan 19
Proposals of Stockholders20
Other Matters20
AppendicesConrad Mir

 

Stockholders Should Read the Entire Proxy Statement Carefully Prior to Returning Their Proxies

January [●], 2018Calmare Therapeutics Incorporated, Chief Executive Officer


PROXYDESCRIPTION OF THEComplaining Minority Stockholders CONSENT STATEMENT

 

FORAs set forth in the Complaining Minority Statement filed by the Complaining Minority Stockholders on December 5, 2017 with the SEC, the Complaining Minority Stockholders are asking you for your written consent as to the following proposals, which the Company strongly believes are not in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders:

 

THE ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS

General

The enclosed proxy is solicited on behalfProposal No. 1 Removal of Four of the Board ofFive Existing Directors of Calmare Therapeutics Incorporatedthe Company: This Proposal provides for use at our annual meeting of stockholders to be held at the Princeton Club, 15 West 43rd Street, New York, New York, 10036, on November 9, 2016 at 10:00 A.M. EST. Voting materials, including this proxy statement and the proxy card, are being delivered to all or our stockholders on or about October 21, 2016.

Questions and Answers

Following are some commonly asked questions raised by our stockholders and answers to each of those questions.

What may I vote on at the annual meeting?

At the annual meeting, stockholders will consider and vote upon the following matters:

·Proposal 1: To elect our Board to hold office until our 2017 annual meeting of stockholders or until their respective successors have been duly elected and qualified;

· 

Proposal 2: To ratify the appointment of Mayer Hoffman McCann CPAs, the New York Practice of Mayer Hoffman McCann P.C. as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2016;

· 

Proposal 3: To amend the Certificate of Incorporation to authorize a new series of preferred stock designated Series D Convertible Preferred Stock;

· 

Proposal 4: To approve the adoption of the 2016 Stock Option Plan.

Stockholders will consider and act upon any other business as may properly come before the annual meeting or any adjournments thereof.

How does the Board recommend that I vote on the proposals?

The Board recommends a vote “FOR” the election of eachremoval without cause of the nominees identified below to our Board, “FOR” the proposal ratifying the appointment of Mayer Hoffman McCann CPAs, the New York Practice of Mayer Hoffman McCann P.C., “FOR” the amendment to the Certification of Incorporation to authorize a new series of preferred stock, and “FOR” the adoptionfour directors of the 2016 Stock Option Plan.

How do I vote?

You can vote either in person atfive-member Board who are not affiliated with the annual meeting or by proxy, by mail, by phone or overMinority Complaining Stockholders. As described above (under “Proposal No. 1”) are the Internet whether or not you attend the annual meeting. To obtain directions to attend the annual meeting, please call (203) 368-6044. If your shares are registered directly in your name with our transfer agent, American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, you are considered the stockholder of record with respect to those shares and we are sending a Notice directly to you. As the stockholder of record, you have the right to vote in person at the annual meeting. If you choose to do so, you may vote at the annual meeting using the ballot provided at the meeting. Even if you plan to attend the annual meeting in person, we recommend that you vote your shares in advance as described below so that your vote will be counted if you later decide not to attend the annual meeting in person.

1

Most of our stockholders hold their shares in street name through a stockbroker, bank or other nominee rather than directly in their own name. In that case, you are considered the beneficial owner of shares held in street name and the Notice is being forwarded to you. As the beneficial owner, you are also invited to attend the annual meeting. Because a beneficial owner is not the stockholder of record, you may not vote these shares in person at the annual meeting unless you obtain a “legal proxy” from the stockbroker, trustee or nominee that holds your shares, giving you the right to vote the shares at the meeting. You will need to contact your stockbroker, trustee or nominee to obtain a legal proxy, and you will need to bring it to the annual meeting in order to vote in person.

You can vote by proxy in three ways:

·By mail – If you received your proxy materials by mail, you can vote by mail by using the enclosed proxy card;

·By Internet – You can vote by Internet by following the instructions on the Notice to access the proxy materials or on your proxy card if you received your materials by mail; or

·By phone – You can vote by phone by following the instructions on the Notice to access the proxy materials or on your proxy card if you received your materials by mail.

If you vote by proxy, your shares will be voted at the annual meeting in the manner you indicate.

The Internet and phone voting system for stockholders of record will close at 11:59 p.m. EDT on November 8, 2016. Please refer to the proxy card for details on all methods of voting.

What happens if I do not give specific voting instructions?

If you hold shares in your name and you sign and return a proxy card without giving specific voting instructions, your shares will be voted as recommended by our Board on all matters. If you hold your shares through a stockbroker, bank or other nominee and you do not provide instructions on how to vote, your stockbroker or other nominee may exercise their discretionary voting power with respect to certain proposals that are considered as “routine” matters. For example, Proposal 2 - ratification of the appointment of Mayer Hoffman McCann CPAs, the New York Practice of Mayer Hoffman McCann P.C. as our independent registered public accounting firm is commonly considered as a routine matter, and thus your stockbroker, bank or other nominee may exercise their discretionary voting power with respect to Proposal 2.If the organization that holds your shares does not receive instructions from you on how to vote your shares on a non-routine matter, the organization that holds your shares will inform us that it does not have the authority to vote on these matters with respect to your shares.This is generally referred to as a “broker non-vote.” When the vote is tabulated for any particular matter, broker non-votes will be counted for purposes of determining whether a quorum is present, but will not otherwise be counted. In the absence of specific instructions from you, your broker does not have discretionary authority to vote your shares with respect to Proposal 1 - the election of our Board, with respect to Proposal 3 - Approval of Amendment to Articles of Incorporation to Authorize a new Series of Preferred Stock, or with respect to Proposal 4 – Approval of the 2016 Stock Option Plan.We encourage you to provide voting instructions to the organization that holds your shares by carefully following the instructions provided in the notice.

What is the quorum requirement for the annual meeting?

The Company’s bylaws providereasons that the holders ofCompany and a majority of the stock issued and outstanding and entitledexisting Board oppose this proposal.

Proposal No. 2 Election of Nominees: This Proposal is to vote generallyelect five nominees of the Complaining Minority Shareholders in case Minority Stockholders’ Proposal 1 is approved. (One of these nominees currently is a director.) The name of each nominee is set forth in the electionComplaining Stockholders Statement. It can be noted that three of these five persons were members of the Board during part or all of the time for which the Complaining Minority Stockholders are objecting.


Proposal No. 3 Amendment to Bylaws Fixing the Number of Directors: This proposal will fix the number of directors presenton the Board at five (5) directors.

Proposal No. 4 Amendment to Bylaws Regarding Change in person or representedNumber of Directors: The Complaining Minority Stockholders are seeking to amend the Company’s Bylaws to require the unanimous vote of all the members of the Board for any amendment by proxy, shall constitute a quorumthe Board to the Bylaws which would change the number of directors constituting the Board. The Company opposes this proposal for the transactionreasons set forth above under “Proposal No. 4”.

Proposal No. 5 Amendment to Bylaws Regarding Vacancies: The Complaining Minority Stockholders are seeking to amend Section 2.01 of business at the Annual Meeting. Abstentions and broker non-votes will be countedCompany’s Bylaws so that only Calmare stockholders (and not the Board) can fill any vacancies on the Board created as presenta result of death, resignation, disqualification, removal or otherwise. The Company opposes this proposal for the purposereasons set forth above under “Proposal No. 5”.

Proposal No. 6 Repeal of determining the presence ofAdditional Bylaws or Bylaw Amendments: Stockholders are being asked to adopt a quorum. On October 7, 2016, the Record Date for determiningresolution which stockholders are entitled to vote, there were 28,787,831 shares of our common stock outstanding, 2,427 shares of Series A preferred stock issued and outstanding, and 375 shares of Series C convertible preferred stock, issued and outstanding. Each share of common stock and Series A preferred stock entitles the holder to one vote on matters submitted to a vote of our stockholders. Each share of Series C preferred stock entitles the holder to 1,000 votes on matters submitted to a vote of our stockholders. A majority of our outstanding common shares aswould repeal each provision of the Record Date must be present atCompany’s Bylaws or amendments of the annual meeting, in person or represented by proxy, in order to holdBylaws that have been adopted after October 10, 2010 (and before the meetingeffectiveness of the foregoing Proposals and conduct business. Thisthe seating of the Complaining Minority Stockholders’ Nominees on the Board. There is called a quorum. Your shares will be countedno disclosure of what provisions this resolution would repeal. The Company opposes this proposal for purposes of determining if there is a quorum, even if you wish to abstain from voting on some or all matters introduced at the annual meeting, if you are present and vote in person at the meeting or have properly submitted a proxy card or voted by phone or by using the Internet.

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How can I change my vote after I return my proxy card?reasons set forth above under “Proposal No. 6”.

 

You may revoke your proxy and change your vote at any time before the final vote at the annual meeting. You may do this by signing a new proxy card with a later date, by voting on a later date by using the Internet (only your latest Internet proxy submitted prior to the annual meeting will be counted), or by attending the annual meeting and voting in person. However, your attendance at the annual meeting will not automatically revoke your proxy unless you vote at the annual meeting or specifically request in writing that your prior proxy be revoked.

Is my vote confidential?REASONS TO REJECT THEComplaining Minority Stockholders’ PROPOSALS

Proxy instructions, ballots and voting tabulations that identify individual stockholders are handled in a manner that protects your voting privacy. Your vote will not be disclosed either within our company or to third parties, except:

·As necessary to meet applicable legal requirements;

·To allow for the tabulation of votes and certification of the vote; and

·To facilitate a successful proxy solicitation.

Any written comments that a stockholder might include on the proxy card will be forwarded to our management.

Where can I find the voting results of the annual meeting?

 

The preliminary voting results will be announced atProposals submitted by the annual meeting. The final voting results will be tallied by our InspectorComplaining Minority Stockholders would, among other things, remove all current directors, except for Stan Yarbro, of Electionsthe Company and reported in a Current Report on Form 8-K which we will filereplace them with the SEC within four business daysComplaining Minority Stockholders’ nominees. Doing so would harm the Company because as set forth above, in the Company’s opinion, the Complaining Minority Stockholders’ nominees would not act in the best interests of the date ofCompany because they are looking for short-term gains that will harm the annual meeting.

How can I obtain a separate set of voting materials?

To reduce the expense of delivering duplicate voting materials to our stockholders who mayCompany’s long-term growth. For example, certain Complaining Minority Stockholders have more than one Calmare Therapeutics Incorporated stock account, we are delivering only one Noticedisclosed material non-public information to certain stockholders who share an address, unless otherwise requested. If you share an address with another stockholder and the Complaining Minority Stockholders do not have received only one Notice, you may write or call usexperience selling regulated medical devices. The Complaining Minority Stockholders would abandon the Company’s five-year turnaround plan that is expected to request to receive a separate Notice. Similarly, if you share an address with another stockholder and have received multiple copiesachieve desired results by the end of this calendar year (2018).


The Board strongly believes that the Minority Consent Solicitation is not in the best interests of the Notice, you may write or call us at the address and phone number below to request delivery of a single copy of this Notice. For future annual and/or annual meetings, you may request separate Notices, or request that we send only one Notice to you if you are receiving multiple copies, by writing or calling us at:

Calmare Therapeutics Incorporated

1375 Kings Highway, Suite 400

Fairfield, Connecticut 06824-5380

Tel: (203) 368-6044

What is the voting requirement to approve the proposals?

The proposals to approve an amendment to the Company’s Articles of Incorporation authorizing a new series of preferred stock and to adopt the 2016 Stock Option Plan will be approved if there is a quorum and the votes cast “FOR” the proposal represent a majority of the shares outstanding. The proposal to ratify the appointment of Mayer Hoffman McCann CPAs, the New York Practice of Mayer Hoffman McCann P.C. as our independent registered public accounting firm will be approved if there is a quorum and the votes cast “FOR” the proposal exceed those cast against the proposal.

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The nominees for election to our Board are elected by a plurality of all votes cast by holders of our Common Stock which are issued and outstanding and which are issuable upon conversion of shares of our Preferred Stock, present at the annual meeting, in person or represented by proxy, and entitled to vote on the election of directors. A nominee who receives a plurality means that he has received more votes than any other nominee for the same director’s seat. Abstentions and broker non-votes will have no impact on the outcome of the vote on the election of directors.

Abstentions and broker non-votes will be treated as shares that are present, or represented and entitled to vote for purposes of determining the presence of a quorum at the annual meeting. Abstentions will not be counted in determining the number of votes cast in connection with any matter presented at the annual meeting. Broker non-votes will not be counted as a vote cast on any matter presented at the annual meeting.

Do I Have Dissenters’ (Appraisal) Rights?

Appraisal rights are not available to our shareholders with any of the proposals described above to be brought before the annual meeting of shareholders.

How can I obtain additional information about the Company?

We are subject to the informational requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”), as amended, which requires that we file reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. The SEC maintains a website that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information regarding companies, including Calmare Therapeutics Incorporated, that file electronically with the SEC. The SEC's website address is www.sec.gov. In addition, our filings may be inspected and copied at the public reference facilities of the SEC located at 100 F Street, N.E. Washington, DC 20549; and at the SEC's regional offices at 233 Broadway, New York, NY 10279 and Citicorp Center, 500 West Madison Street, Room 1400, Chicago, IL 60661. Copies of the material may also be obtained upon request and payment of the appropriate fee from the Public Reference Section of the SEC located at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, DC 20549.

Who Can Help Answer Your Questions?

If you have any questions or need assistance in voting your shares, you may seek answers to your questions by writing, calling, or emailing us at:

Calmare Therapeutics Incorporated

Attention: Thomas P. Richtarich, CFO

1375 Kings Highway, Suite 400

Fairfield, Connecticut 06824-5380

Tel: (203) 368-6044

Email: cti@calmaretherapeutics.com

PROPOSAL 1: TO ELECT OUR BOARD TO HOLD OFFICE UNTIL OUR 2017 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS OR UNTIL THEIR RESPECTIVE SUCCESSORS HAVE BEEN DULY ELECTED AND QUALIFIED

INFORMATION ABOUT DIRECTOR NOMINEES

At the annual meeting, six directors are to be elected. Each director is to hold office until the next annual meeting of shareholders or until his successor is elected and qualified. Set forth below are descriptions of the backgrounds of the director nominees of the Company, their principal occupations for the past five years, and the specific experience, qualifications and other attributes and skills that led the Board to determine that such persons should be re-elected to serve on the Board.

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Peter Brennan, CFA,61, has been a director of the company since June 2011. Mr. Brennan is a New York based investor who has worked over 30 years in the investment management business as an analyst and portfolio manager. In 2004 he founded Damel Investors LLC, a private partnership which invests in small technology companies. Mr. Brennan received his MBA from the University of Chicago in 1979 and his BA from Haverford College in 1977. He is a member and past Chairman of the Corporate Governance Committee of the New York Society of Security Analysts and received the 2001 Volunteer of the Year award from the NYSSA. Mr. Brennan was a member of the US Advocacy Committee of the CFA Institute and was a founding member of the Capital Markets Policy Council of the CFA Institute for Market Integrity, the global advocacy committee of the CFA Institute.

We believe Mr. Brennan’s qualifications to serve on our Board of Directors include expertise in working with small medical device companies as well as his experience in the investment community and as an investor in the pharmaceutical, medical device and health care industries.

VADM Robert T. Conway, Jr., USN, Ret.,66, has been a director of the company since October 2015. The Admiral is the President of R.T. Conway & Associates, Inc. In this position, he provides strategic advice to senior business executives on, Change Management, Facilities and Infrastructure Management, Renewable Energy, Information Technology, Alternative Energy Solutions, Maritime Operations, Navy and DOD Programs. Previously, the Admiral served in the United States Navy from 1972 until his retirement in 2009 in various leadership positions aboard USSVesole (DD 878), USSTowers (DDG 9), USSBainbridge (CGN 25), and USSGridley (CG 21). The Admiral commanded USSJohn Young (DD 973) and also commanded Destroyer Squadron 7 in San Diego; Naval Surface Group Middle Pacific in Hawaii; and Plank Owner of the Navy’s first Expeditionary Strike Group: Expeditionary Strike Group One: ThePeleliu Strike Group.stockholders.

 

Ashore,We urge stockholders to reject the Admiral served on the Joint Chiefs of Staff in Washington, D.C., Bureau of Naval Personnel in Washington, D.CComplaining Minority Statement and later in Millington, Tennessee, Operational Test and Evaluation Force Pacific I San Diego, Ca., ; Officer Candidate School in Newport, RI; and Naval Facility Cape Hatteras, NC. The Admiral commanded Navy Region Pearl Harbor in Hawaii and Task Force Warrior in Norfolk, VA. In the Admiral’s final assignment, the Admiral served as Commander, Navy Installations Command, Washington, D.C. The Admiral graduated from St. Francis University, Loretto, Pa., received his master’s degree from Providence University in Providence, RI, and is also a graduate of the Industrial College of the Armed Forces at the National Defense University in Washington, D.C.revoke any consent previously submitted.

 

We believe the Admiral’s qualificationsPlease do not delay. In order to serve on our Board of Directors include his expertise and years of experience in high growth business development.

Rustin R. Howard,59, has been a director of the company since October 2007. Mr. Howard is the chairman ofensure that the Board of Directors of Deep Gulf, Inc., which builds energy transportation systemsis able to act in your best interests, please mark, sign, date and associated facilities to serve niche economies. Mr. Howard also serves onreturn the Board of Directors of Silver Bullet Technology, Inc. Silver Bullet, builds and sells software for the banking and payment processing industry. In 1990, he founded and served enclosed GOLD Consent Revocationas Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Phyton, Inc., the world leader in the use of proprietary plant cell fermentation technology, that is used for production of paclitaxel, the active ingredient of Bristol-Myers Squibb's (NYSE:BMY) multi-billion dollar anticancer drug, Taxol®. Phyton was sold to DFB Pharmaceuticals, Inc. in 2003. Previously, Mr. Howard servedpromptly as President and Chief Executive Officer of BioWorks Inc., a biotechnology company he founded to develop, produce, and sell products that replace chemical pesticides. Mr. Howard earned his MBA from Cornell University's Johnson Graduate School of Management, where he focused his studies on entrepreneurship, and managing innovation and technology.possible.

 

We believe Mr. Howard’s qualifications to serve on our Board of Directors include his expertise in biotechnology and product development as well as his experience in technology and high-growth business development.

Conrad Mir, age 48, has been a director, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company since October 2013. He has over twenty years of investment banking, financial structuring, and corporate reengineering experience. He has served in various executive management roles and on the Board of Directors of several companies in the biotechnology industry. From December 2012 until September 2013, Mr. Mir served as the Chief Financial Officer of Pressure BioSciences, Inc., (OTCQB: PBIO), a sample preparation company advancing its proprietary pressure cycling technology. From June 2011 until October 2012, Mr. Mir was Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Genetic Immunity, Inc., a plasmid, DNA company in the HIV space. From November 2008 until May 2011, Mr. Mir served as executive director of Advaxis, Inc., (OTCQB: ADXS), a vaccine biotechnology company. Over the last ten years, he was responsible for raising more than $40 million in growth capital and broadening corporate reach to new investors and current shareholders.BACKGROUND OF THE CONSENT SOLICITATION

 

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Mr. Mir has worked for several investment banks including Sanford C. Bernstein, First Liberty Investment Group, and Nomura Securities International. He holds a BS/BA in Economics and English with special concentrations in Mathematics and Physics from New York University.

We believe Mr. Mir’s qualificationsFrom March 2012 to serve on our Board of Directors include his proven track record in executive management in biotechnology and medical device companies, capital raising, financial instrument structuring and corporate reengineering.

Carl D. O’Connell, 53,present Stan Yarbro has been a director of the Company, since January 2013, having served as its President and Chief Executive Officer from November 2012 to September 2013. Mr. O’Connell has 30 years of experience in the healthcare field and 20 years as a leader in the medical device arena. Prior to joining the Company, Mr. O’Connell held executive positions for top global medical device and Fortune 500 companies. He recently served as President and Chief Executive Officer for the US Healthcare Division MedSurg for ITOCHU, a Japanese conglomerate, Vice President of Global Marketing for Stryker Spine, and President of Carl Zeiss Surgical, the market leader in optical digital solutions for Neurosurgery, Spine, Ophthalmology, ENT and Dentistry.

We believe Mr. O’Connell’s qualifications to serve on our Board of Directors include his proven track record in commercializing medical technologies as well as building effective and profitable sales and distribution organizations.

LCDR Steven Roehrich, USN, Ret., 66 has been a director of the company since October 2015. Mr. Roehrich is Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Ready Room, a group of Navy Admirals that own and operate light manufacturing companies. He currently serves as an advisor to top leaders at Fortune 500 companies, middle market firms, and federal government departments where he helps them to adapt to changing global market conditions, capitalize on new technologies, and improve growth and operating performance. Mr. Roehrich worked at Johnson and Johnson (JNJ) as a corporate Vice President for Business Improvement, reporting to JNJ’s executive committee. He subsequently was Revlon Corporation’s Senior Vice President for Business Improvement and a member of its Executive Committee.

Mr. Roehrich’s former board memberships include NCR Corporation’s $2 billion Teradata CIO Informatics Group, Northwestern University Kellogg Graduate School of Business Advisory Council, University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton Business School’s Industrial Council, and multiple early stage bio-med and technology firms.

Prior to the private sector, the Commander was a 21 year career United States Aviator (4300 flight hours), a Vietnam and Gulf War veteran, aerial combat instructor and Mission Commander holding leadership roles in Navy squadrons and air-wings.

Mr. Roehrich holds a MS in Financial Management from the US Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, CA, a BA from Concordia College in Moorhead, MN, and Advanced Management education from the Wharton School – University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, and completed US Naval Aviation Flight Training in Pensacola, FL.

We believe Mr. Roehrich’s qualifications to serve on our Board of Directors include his expertise in executive management in biotechnology companies and high-growth business development.

Stanley K. Yarbro, Ph.D., 66, has been a director of the Company since March 2012. Dr. Yarbro has extensive experience in market development of high technology solutions to a worldwide customer base. He retired as Executive Vice President, Worldwide Field Operations, for Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates, a position he had held since 2004. Prior to Varian, Dr. Yarbro served in various executive capacities at KLA-Tencor Corporation in the semi-conductor industry. He currently serves as a director on the board of Carbon Design Innovations and has previously served as a director on the boards of FSI International, Electrogas, Inc. and Molecular Imaging where he worked closely with the organizations to develop and improve sales, product and marketing strategies.

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Dr. Yarbro holds a Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry from Georgia Institute of Technology and a B.S.in Chemistry from Wake Forest University.

We believe Dr. Yarbro’s qualifications to serve on our Board of Directors include his expertise in market development of high technology products and his years of experience as a senior executive and director of various technological and pharmaceutical corporations.

Vote Required

The affirmative vote of a majority of the shares our voting stock represented in person or by proxy at the Annual Meeting is necessary for the election of the individuals named above. There is no cumulative voting in elections of directors. Unless otherwise specified, proxies will be voted in favor of the seven nominees described above.

Recommendation

Our Board of Directors recommends that shareholders voteFOR the election of each of the individuals named above.

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

CTI's Corporate Governance Principles, Corporate Code of Conduct, the Committee Charters for the Audit Committee and the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee of the Board of Directors, the unofficial restated Certificate of Incorporation and the By-Laws are all available on our website atwww.calmaretherapeutics.com/investors/governance.html.

Board Meetings and Committees

The Board has three committees, with current membership as follows:

Audit CommitteeCompensation CommitteeNominating and Corporate
Governance Committee
Stanley Yarbro, ChairmanCarl O’Connell, ChairmanRustin Howard, Chairman
Rustin HowardStanley YarbroCarl O’Connell
Steven RoehrichRustin HowardStanley Yarbro

During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015, the board of directors met twice.

The Audit Committee held three meetings during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015. The Compensation Committee held one meeting in conjunction with Board Meetings in 2015. The Nominating and Corporate Governance committee each held one meeting during fiscal year ended December 31, 2015. In 2015, all directors attended at least 75% of all meetings of the Board of Directors, and the committees on which they served after becoming a membernot opposed any actions of the Board or Committee. We expect all directorsof the Company during that time.

On June 30, 2017, and as amended on September 21, 2017, the Complaining Minority Stockholders filed their initial statement of ownership on Schedule 13D, reflecting its investment and ownership in the Company.

Also on June 30, 2017, Stanley Yarbro (on behalf of the Complaining Minority Stockholders) sent a letter to attend the nextBoard expressing concerns regarding the Company. On or about July 14, 2017, Mr. Yarbro followed up with a letter to Calmare management requesting a meeting with the Board to discuss the issues raised in the initial Schedule 13D.

On or about August 11, 2017, Mr. Yarbro, again on behalf of the Complaining Minority Stockholders, presented the Company’s Secretary with Notice of Stockholder Proposal to Nominate Directors for Election at Annual Meeting barringin accordance with the Company’s Bylaws proposing for nomination a slate of five individuals to serve as directors of the Company.

On or about August 18, 2017, the Company agreed to a meeting between Company management and the Complaining Minority Stockholders to take place on Thursday, August 24, 2017 at the offices of the Company. On the afternoon of August 22, 2017, the Company indicated that the meeting needed to be rescheduled due to unforeseen circumstances or irresolvable conflicts.scheduling conflicts concerning Company operational matters. The Company offered to have a conference call with the Complaining Minority Stockholders at a mutually agreeable time, but the Complaining Minority Stockholders rejected this offer and failed to provide any time at which they were willing to be available.

During this period, Mr. Yarbro made informal requests for a stockholder list, which the Company did not provide. Mr. Yarbro, through counsel, made a formal demand under Section 220 of the General Laws of the State of Delaware to review the stockholder list of the Company.

On October 3, 2017, Mr. Yarbro filed suit in Delaware Chancery Court to obtain the stockholder list. On October 27, 2017, a hearing was held to determine whether Mr. Yarbro was entitled to the stockholder list. The court ordered the Company to deliver the list of stockholders to Mr. Yarbro, and on November 21, 2017, the Company delivered the stockholder list.

On November 22, 2017, the Complaining Minority Stockholders filed their preliminary Minority Consent Statement with the SEC. On December 4, 2017, the Complaining Minority Stockholders filed an amended preliminary Minority Consent Statement in response to comments from the SEC. On December 5, 2017, the Complaining Minority Stockholders filed their definitive Minority Consent Statement, and distributed this Statement on December 5, 2017.

 

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Audit CommitteeQUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT THIS CONSENT REVOCATION STATEMENT

 

Q: Who is making this Consent Revocation Solicitation?

A: The functionCompany’s existing Board of Directors.

Q: What is the Company asking you to do?

A: You are being asked (i) to NOT return any consent card solicited by the Complaining Minority Stockholders and (ii) to revoke any consent that you may have delivered in favor of any of the Audit CommitteeMinority Proposals by executing and delivering theGOLD Consent Revocation Card as discussed below.

Q: If I have already delivered a consent, is it too late for me to assistchange my mind?

A:NO, it is not too late to change your mind. Until the Board in fulfilling its responsibilityrequisite number of duly executed, unrevoked consents are delivered to the shareholders relating to our corporate accounting matters, financial reporting practices,Company in accordance with both the Delaware General Corporation Law (the “DGCL”) and the qualityCompany’s organizational documents, the consents will not be effective. At any time prior to the consents becoming effective, you have the right to revoke your consent by executing and integrity of our financial reports. The Audit Committee’s purpose is to assistdelivering aGOLD Consent Revocation Card as discussed in the Board with overseeing:following questions.

 

·the reliability and integrity of our financial statements, accounting policies, internal controls and disclosure practices;
·our compliance with legal and regulatory requirements, including our disclosure controls and procedures;
·our independent auditor’s qualifications, engagement, compensation, and independence;
·the performance of our independent auditor; and
·the production of an annual report of the Audit Committee for inclusion in our annual proxy statement.

Q:What is the effect of delivering a GOLD Consent Revocation Card?

 

The Audit CommitteeA: By marking the “YES, REVOKE MY CONSENT” boxes on the enclosedGOLD Consent Revocation Card and signing, dating and mailing the card in the postage-paid envelope provided, you will revoke any earlier dated consent that you may have delivered to the Complaining Minority Stockholders or the Company. Even if you have not submitted a Complaining Minority Stockholders consent card, you may submit aGOLD Consent Revocation Card. Even if you have not previously submitted a Complaining Minority Stockholders consent card, by submitting theGOLDConsent Revocation Card, you will help us keep track of the progress of the consent process.

Q:What is to be comprised of not less than three independent directors.the Board’s recommendation?

A: The Board has determined that each memberthe Proposals are not in the best interests of the Audit Committee is an independent director in accordance with applicable legalCompany or regulatory requirements. It has also determined that each member is financially literate. Its members have identified Mr. Howardits stockholders. Accordingly, the Board urges you to reject the Minority proposals and to revoke any consent previously submitted, as an audit committee financial expert, as so defined by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”).described immediately below.

 

Compensation CommitteeQ:What should I do to revoke my consent?

 

The purpose ofA: Mark the Compensation Committee is to:

·review and approve corporate goals and objectives relevant to CEO compensation, evaluate the CEO’s performance in light of those goals and objectives, and determine and approve the CEO’s compensation level based on this evaluation;
·review and approve the compensation of our other officers based on recommendations from the CEO;
·review, approve and make recommendations to the Board with respect to incentive compensation plans or programs, or other equity-based plans or programs, including but not limited to our Annual Incentive Plan, and our 401(k) Plan; and
·produce an annual report of the Compensation Committee on executive compensation for inclusion in our annual proxy statement.

The Compensation Committee isYES, REVOKE MY CONSENT” boxes next to be comprised of not less than three of our independent directors. The Board has determined that each member ofproposal listed on the Compensation Committee is an independent director in accordance with applicable legalGOLD Consent Revocation Card. Then,sign and datethe enclosedGOLD Consent Revocation Card and return it TODAY or regulatory requirements.

Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee

The purpose of the Nominating Committee is to:

·identify individuals qualified to become members of the Board, consistent with criteria approved by the Board;
·recommend to the Board, candidates for all directorships to be filled by the Board or our shareholders;
·recommend to the Board, and in consultation with the chairman, which member(s) can and may be appointed to committees of the Board and the chairpersons thereof, including filling any vacancies;
·develop and recommend to the Board a set of corporate governance principles applicable to us;
·oversee, evaluate and monitor the Board and its individual members, and our corporate governance principles and procedures; and
·fulfill such other duties and responsibilities as may be set forth in its charter or assigned by the Board from time to time.

The Nominating Committee is to be comprised of not less than three independent directors. The Board has determined that each member of the Nominating Committee is an independent director in accordance with applicable legal or regulatory requirements.

The Nominating Committee will consider nominees recommended by shareholders but have not designated any special procedures shareholders need to follow to submit those recommendations. The Nominating Committee has not designated any such procedures because as discussed below under the heading “Shareholder Communicationssoon as possible to the Board,” shareholders are free to send written communications directly toCompany’s proxy solicitor, Harkins Kovler, LLC, in the Board, committees ofenvelope provided. It is important thatyou sign and date the Board, and/or individual directors, at our corporate address in care of our Secretary.GOLD Consent Revocation Card.

 

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Shareholder CommunicationsQ:Who is entitled to the Board

Shareholders may send communications in writing to the Board, committees of the Board, and/consent, withhold consent or to individual directors, at our corporate address in care of our Secretary. Written communications addressed to the Board are reviewed by the Chairman of the Board for appropriate handling. Written communications addressed to an individual Board member are forwarded to that person directly.

BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SHARES

The following information indicates the beneficial ownership of our stock by each director nominee, and by each person known to us to be the beneficial owner of more than 5% of our outstanding stock. The indicated owners, which have sole voting and investment power, have furnished such information to us as of October 7, 2016, except as otherwise indicated in the footnotes.

Names of Beneficial Owners
(and address, if ownership is more than 5%)
 Amount
Beneficially
Owned(1)
  Percent
(%)(2)
 
Director nominees        
Peter Brennan  3,797,.096(3)(4)  12.2 
Robert T. Conway, Jr.  179,500(3)(5)  * 
Rustin Howard  128,676(3)(6)  * 
Conrad Mir  1,061,943(3)(7)  3.6 
Carl O’Connell  18,125(3)(8)  * 
Steven Roehrich  12,500(3)(9)  * 
Stan Yarbro  285,790(3)(10)  1.0 
         
Officers        
Dr. Stephen J. D’Amato  120,000(3)(11)  * 
Dr. Christine Chansky  60,000(3)(12)  * 
Thomas P. Richtarich  60,000(3)(13)  * 
         
Director nominees and officers total:  5,723,820   17.5 
         
Five percent beneficial owners        
Joseph M Finley(14)        
Suite 2300, 150 South Fifth St., Minneapolis, MN 55402  3,408,700   11.6 
         

Bard Associates, Inc.(15)

135 South LaSalle Street, Suite 3700 Chicago, IL 60603

  3,750,025   12.5 
         
William Austin Lewis IV(16)      
500 5th Avenue, Suite 2240, New York, NY 10110  10,969,459   28.4 
         
HK Opportunity Group, LLC(17)      
1225 Johnson Ferry Rd., Suite 160, Marietta, GA 30068  7,058,824   19.7 
         
Joseph J. Prischak(18)      
2425 W. 23rd St., Erie, PA 16506  6,565,412   18.6 

* Less than 1%

(1) Designated person or group has sole voting and investment power.

(2) Pursuant to SEC Rule 13d-3, amounts shown include common shares that may be acquired byrevoke a person within 60 days of October 7, 2016. Therefore, the column titled “Percent (%)” has been computed based on (a) 28,787,831 common shares actually outstanding as of October 7, 2016; and (b) solelypreviously given consent with respect to the person whose Rule 13d-3 Percentage Ownership of common shares is being computed, common shares that may be acquired within 60 days of October 7, 2016 upon exercise of options, warrants and/or convertible debt held only by such person.Proposals contained in the Complaining Minority Statement?

 

9

(3)Persons listed below haveA: Only the rightholders of record of the Shares as of the close of business on November 16, 2017, are entitled to acquire the listed number of shares upon exercise of stock options:

NameRight to Acquire
Peter Brennan50,000
Robert T. Conway, Jr.10,000
Rustin Howard90,000
Conrad Mir800,000
Carl O’Connell22,500
Steven Roehrich10,000
Stan Yarbro50,000
Directors nominees total1,032,500
Dr. Stephen J. D’Amato120,000
Dr. Christine Chansky60,000
Thomas P. Richtarich60,000
Officers total (excluding Conrad Mir shown above)240,000

(4) Peter Brennan is the beneficial owner of Damel Diversified LP, Damel Partners LP, and Lisl Brennan Family Trust 2005. Peter Brennan beneficially owns 1,417,115 shares (including the 50,000 stock options referenced in footnote 3 above) and has the right to acquire an additional 2,379,981 shares upon conversion of $2,498,980 of convertible debt.

(5) Robert T. Conway, Jr. beneficially owns 12,500 shares (including the 10,000 stock options referenced in footnote 3 above) and has the right to acquire an additional 167,000 shares upon exercise of warrants.

(6) Rustin Howard beneficially owns 38,676 shares and has the right to acquire 90,000 shares upon exercise of stock options referenced in footnote 3 above.

(7) Conrad Mir beneficially owns 261,943 shares and has the right to acquire 800,000 shares upon exercise of stock options referenced in footnote 2 above.

(8) Carl O’Connell beneficially owns 5,625 shares and has the right to acquire 22,500 shares upon exercise of stock options referenced in footnote 3 above.

(9) Steven Roehrich beneficially owns 12,500 shares (including the 10,000 stock options referenced in footnote 3 above).

(10) Stan Yarbro beneficially owns 190,742 shares (including the 50,000 stock options referenced in footnote 3 above) and has the right to acquire an additional 95,238 shares upon conversion of $100,000 of convertible debt.

(11) Dr. Stephen J. D’Amato beneficially owns 120,000 shares (including the 120,000 stock options referenced in footnote 3 above).

(12) Dr. Christine Chansky beneficially owns 60,000 shares (including the 60,000 stock options referenced in footnote 3 above).

(13) Thomas P. Richtarich beneficially owns 60,000 shares (including the 60,000 stock options referenced in footnote 3 above).

(14)Joseph Finley beneficially owns 2,875,160 shares and has the right to acquire an additional 185,714 shares upon the exercise of stock warrants and 347,826 shares upon conversion of $80,000 of convertible debt.

(15) Information is based onconsent, withhold consent or revoke a Schedule 13G filed with the SEC on February 1, 2016. Bard Associates beneficially own 2,500,025 shares and has the right to acquire an additional 1,250,000 shares upon the exercise of stock warrants.

(16) William Austin Lewis IV beneficially owns 1,067,500 shares and has the right to acquire 8,058,823 shares upon conversion of $1,752,941 of convertible debt and 1,843,136 shares upon the exercise of stock warrants.

(17) HK Opportunity Group, LLC has the right to acquire 3,529,412 shares upon conversion of $705,882 of convertible debt and 3,529,412 shares upon the exercise of stock warrants.

(18) Joseph J. Prischak beneficially owns 36,000 shares and has the right to acquire 3,529,412 shares upon conversion of $705,882 of convertible debt and 3,000,000 shares upon the exercise of stock warrants.

10

On October 7, 2016, the stock transfer records maintained by uspreviously given consent with respect to our Preferred Stock showedthe Proposals contained in the Complaining Minority Statement. The Company will be soliciting consent revocations from stockholders of record as of the close of business on November 16, 2017, and only holders of record of Shares as of the close of business on November 16, 2017, may execute, withhold or revoke consents with respect to the Consent Solicitation. You may execute, withhold or revoke consents at any time before or after November 16, 2017, provided that any such consent or revocation will be valid only if you were a holder of record of Shares on November 16, 2017, and the consent or revocation was otherwise valid.

Q:When should I return my GOLD Consent Revocation Card?

A:RIGHT AWAY. In order for the Proposals to be adopted, the Company must receive valid, unrevoked consents executed by the holders of a sufficient number of Shares within sixty (60) days of the earliest-dated consent delivered to the Company. Because the Proposals could become effective before the expiration of the sixty (60)-day period, you should promptly return theGOLDConsent Revocation Card.

Q:What happens if I do nothing?

A: If you do not execute and send in any consent that the largestComplaining Minority Stockholders sent you, you will effectively be voting AGAINST the Proposals. Even if you have not consented to the Minority Proposals, we would prefer that you submit aGOLD Consent Revocation Card to help us keep track of the progress of the consent process.

If you have validly executed and delivered a consent card that the Complaining Minority Stockholders sent you, doing nothing further will mean that you have consented to the Complaining Minority Stockholders’ Proposals, which means you will effectively be voting FOR the Minority Proposals. If you have executed and delivered a consent card that the Complaining Minority Stockholders sent you, the Board urges you to revoke any such consent previously submitted by executing and delivering theGOLD Consent Revocation Card.

Q:Who should I call if I have questions about the solicitation?

A: If you have any questions regarding this Consent Revocation Statement or about submitting yourGOLD Consent Revocation Card, or otherwise require assistance, please call or contact the Company’s proxy solicitor:

Harkins Kovler, LLC

1 Rockefeller Plaza

10thFloor

New York, NY 10020

Telephone: +1 (212) 468-5380

FAX: +1 (212) 468-5381

Email: cttc@harkinskovler.com


THE CONSENT PROCEDURE

Voting Securities and Record Date

The Company does not believe the Complaining Minority Stockholders have followed the appropriate procedures to establish November 16, 2017 as the record date. However, the Company will seek consent revocations for all stockholders of record as of the close of business on November 16, 2017, for the determination of the Company’s stockholders who are entitled to execute, withhold or revoke consents relating to the Proposals. This is not an agreement to November 16, 2017 as the appropriate record date by the Company. As of the close of business on November 16, 2017, there were 30,376,639 Shares outstanding, each entitled to one vote per Share. Only record holders of Shares as of the close of business on November 16, 2017, are eligible to execute, withhold or revoke consents in connection with the Minority Consent Solicitation and this Consent Revocation Statement. Persons beneficially owning Shares through a broker, bank or other nominee, should contact such broker, bank or other nominee and instruct it to execute theGOLD Consent Revocation Card on their behalf. You may execute, withhold or revoke consents at any time before or after November 16, 2017, provided that any such consent, withholding or revocation will be valid only if you were a holder of Preferred Stock owned 500 shares;record of Shares on the largest owner of Class C Convertible Preferred Stock owned 375 shares. No directors own Preferred Stock.

BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP REPORTING COMPLIANCEproper record date and the consent or revocation is otherwise valid.

 

Section 16(a)Effectiveness of Consents

Under the DGCL, unless otherwise provided in a corporation’s certificate of incorporation, stockholders may act without a meeting, without prior notice and without a vote, if consents in writing setting forth the action to be taken are signed by the holders of outstanding stock having not less than the minimum number of votes that would be necessary to authorize or take such action at a meeting at which all shares entitled to vote thereon were present and voted. The Company’s certificate of incorporation does not prohibit stockholder action by written consent. To be effective, the Proposals require consents signed by stockholders representing a majority of the Exchange Act requires our directors and officers, and persons who own more than five percentShares outstanding as of the Common Stockclose of business on the proper record date.

Furthermore, under Section 228 of the DGCL, all consents will expire unless valid, unrevoked consents representing at least a majority of the Shares outstanding as of the proper record date are delivered to file reportsthe Company within sixty (60) days of ownershipthe earliest-dated consent delivered to the Company.

Because the Proposals contained in the Complaining Minority Stockholders Consent Statement could become effective before the expiration of the sixty (60)-day period set forth in Section 228 of the DGCL, WE URGE YOU TO ACT PROMPTLY TO RETURN THEGOLD CONSENT REVOCATION CARD.

Effect of GOLD Consent Revocation Card

A stockholder may revoke any previously signed consent bycompleting, signing, datingandreturningto the Company aGOLD Consent Revocation Card. Technically a consent also may be revoked by delivery of a written revocation of your consent to the Complaining Minority Stockholders. However, to assure proper tabulation and changesrecording, stockholders are urged to deliver all consent revocations to the Company, c/o Harkins Kovler, LLC, 1 Rockefeller Plaza, 10th Floor, New York, NY 10020. The Company requests that if a revocation is instead delivered to the Complaining Minority Stockholders, a copy of the revocation also be delivered to the Company, c/o Harkins Kovler, LLC, at the address set forth in ownershipthe preceding sentence, so that the Company will be aware of all revocations.

Unless you specify otherwise, by signing and delivering theGOLD Consent Revocation Card, you will be deemed to have revoked consent to all of the Minority Proposals.

Any consent revocation may itself be revoked by marking, signing, dating and delivering a written revocation of yourGOLD Consent Revocation Card to the Company or to the Complaining Minority Stockholders or by delivering to the Complaining Minority Stockholders a subsequently dated consent card that the Complaining Minority Stockholders sent to you.


The Company has retained Harkins Kovler, LLC to assist in communicating with stockholders in connection with the Complaining Minority Stockholders Consent Solicitation and to assist in our efforts to obtain consent revocations. If you have any questions regarding this Consent Revocation Statement or about submitting yourGOLD Consent Revocation Card, or otherwise require assistance, please call Harkins Kovler, LLC at +1 (212) 468-5380.

You are urged to carefully review this Consent Revocation Statement. YOUR TIMELY RESPONSE IS IMPORTANT. You are urged NOT to sign any consent cards sent by the Complaining Minority Stockholders. Instead, the Company urges you to reject the solicitation efforts of the Complaining Minority Stockholders by promptly completing, signing, dating and mailing the enclosed GOLD Consent Revocation Card to Harkins Kovler, LLC, 1 Rockefeller Plaza, 10th Floor, New York, NY 10020. Please be aware that if you sign a consent card sent by the Complaining Minority Stockholders but do not check any of the boxes on the card, you will be deemed to have consented to all of the Minority Proposals in the Complaining Minority Statement.

Results of the Complaining Minority Stockholders Statement

The Company will retain an independent inspector of elections in connection with the Complaining Minority Stockholders Consent Solicitation. The Company intends to notify stockholders of the results of the Complaining Minority Statement by issuing a press release, which it also will file with the SEC as per that appropriate SEC regulation(s) that require reporting personsan exhibit to furnish us with copies of all Section 16(a) forms they file.a Current Report on Form 8-K.

 

Based solely on a review of copies of such reports received or written representations from certain reporting persons, we do not believe all reporting persons complied with all applicable reporting requirements.SOLICITATION OF CONSENT REVOCATION

Cost and Method

 

DIRECTOR COMPENSATIONThe cost of the solicitation of consent revocations will be borne by the Company. The Company estimates that the total expenditures relating to the Company’s solicitation of consent revocations (other than salaries and wages of officers and employees) will be approximately $[●], of which approximately $[●] has been spent as of the date hereof. In addition to solicitation by mail, directors, officers and other employees of the Company may, without additional compensation, solicit consent revocations in person, or by telephone, facsimile, email, internet, text messaging, or other forms of electronic communication.

 

EachThe Company has retained Harkins Kovler, LLC as proxy solicitors, at a fee estimated not to exceed $[●], plus reasonable out-of-pocket expenses, to assist in this solicitation of our non-employee directors is paid an annual cash retainer of $10,000, paid quarterly in arrears, for their services to the Company.revocations. In addition, directors are issued shares of common stock pursuant to our 1996 Directors Stock Participation Plan, as amended, and are granted stock options to purchase common stock pursuant to our 2000 Directors Stock Option Plan, both as described below. In addition, the Chairman of the Board, if a non-employee, is paid fees for the additional responsibilities and time commitments required of him. These fees are equal to an additional $5,000 cash retainer, in addition to the amount noted aboveuse of the mails, revocation requests may be solicited by Calmare by facsimile, telephone, email and an additional $500 for each Board meeting attended.

Each non-employee director isother electronic channels of communications, in-person discussions and by advertisements. Harkins Kovler, LLC will also paid $1,000 for each Board meeting attendedassist Calmare in Calmare’s communications with its stockholders with respect to the Consent Revocation Statement and $500 for each committee meeting attended. All directors are reimbursedsuch other advisory services as may be requested from time to time by Calmare. The Company will reimburse brokerage houses, banks, custodians and other nominees and fiduciaries for out-of-pocket expenses incurred in forwarding Calmare’s Consent Revocation Statement materials to, attend Board and committee meetings.

On the first business day of January, each non-employee director who had been elected by the stockholders and had served at least one full year as a director was issued a number of shares of common stock equalobtaining instructions relating to the lesser of $15,000 divided by the per share fair market value of such stock on the issuance date, or 2,500 shares. If a non-employee director were to leave the Board after serving at least one full year, but prior to the January issuance date, we will issue shares of common stock to the director on a pro-rata basis up to the termination date.

Non-employee directors were granted 10,000 fully vested, non-qualified stock options to purchase our common stock on the date the individual was first elected as a director, whether by the stockholders or by the Board, and were granted 10,000 options on the first business day of January thereafter, provided the individual was still a director. The stock options granted were at an exercise price not less than 100%materials from, beneficial owners of the fair market valueShares. In addition, Harkins Kovler, LLC and certain related persons will be indemnified against certain liabilities arising out of or in connection with the common stock atengagement. Harkins Kovler, LLC has advised the grant date and had a term of five (5) years from date of grant; options granted under earlier, now expired plans had ten year terms. If an individual’s directorship terminated because of death or permanent disability, the stock options may be exercised within one year after termination. If the termination was for any other reason, the stock options may be exercised within 180 days after termination. However, the Board had the discretion to amend previously granted stock options to provideCompany that such stock options may continue to be exercisable for specified additional periods following termination. In no event may a stock option be exercised after the expirationapproximately [●] of its term.

The following table summarizesemployees will be involved in the total compensation awarded to, earnedsolicitation of revocations by or paid by us for services rendered during fiscal year ended December 31, 2015, to the non-employee Board of Director members:

Name 

Fees Earned or

Paid in Cash(1)

  Option Awards (2)  

Other Equity

Compensation(3)

  Total 
Peter Brennan(4) $18,000  $1,427  $475  $19,902 
Robert T. Conway, Jr. $3,500  $1,427  $475  $5,402 
Rustin Howard $15,000  $1,427  $475  $16,902 
Carl O’Connell $12,000  $1,427  $475  $13,902 
Steven Roehrich $10,000  $1,427  $475  $11,902 
Stan Yarbro, Ph.D. $21,400  $1,427  $475  $23,302 

11

(1) In 2015, Mr. Roehrich received $10,000 in cash. No other cash payments were made to Directors for fees during 2015.

(2) Each director servingHarkins Kovler, LLC on January 2, 2016 received a stock option for 10,000 shares of common stock for services rendered during 2015 in August 2016 at $0.1427 per share under the 2016 Stock Option Plan approved by the Board of Directors in August 2016. We estimated the fair value of stock awards at $0.1427 per share using the Black-Scholes option valuation model with expected life of 5 years, risk free interest rate of 0.57%, volatility of 124.78% and dividend yield of 0.

(3) Each director serving on January 2, 2016 received 2,500 shares of common stock for services rendered during 2015. The fair market value of the stock was $0.19 per share.

(4) Mr. Brennan served as Chairman since May of 2012.

Outstanding Equity Awards at October 7, 2016 to Non-Employee Directors

Name Number of Securities Underlying
Unexercised Options
  Option Exercise
Price
  Option Expiration
Date
 
Peter Brennan  10,000(3) $0.170   1/2/21 
   10,000(2) $0.170   1/2/20 
   10,000(2) $0.320   1/2/19 
   10,000(2) $0.501   1/1/18 
   10,000(2) $1.260   1/2/17 
Robert T. Conway, Jr.  10,000(3) $0.170   1/2/21 
Rustin Howard  10,000(3) $0.170   1/2/21 
   10,000(2) $0.170   1/2/20 
   10,000(2) $0.320   1/2/19 
   10,000(2) $0.501   1/1/18 
   10,000(2) $1.260   1/2/17 
   10,000(1) $2.290   10/5/17 
   10,000(1) $1.510   1/2/18 
   10,000(1) $1.005   1/2/19 
   10,000(1) $1.870   1/4/20 
Carl O’Connell  10,000(3) $0.170   1/2/21 
   10,000(2) $0.170   1/2/20 
   2,500(2) $0.320   1/2/19 
Steven Roehrich  10,000(3) $0.170   1/2/21 
Stan Yarbro  10,000(3) $0.170   1/2/21 
   10,000(2) $0.170   1/2/20 
   10,000(2) $0.320   1/2/19 
   10,000(2) $0.501   1/1/18 
   10,000(2) $1.130   2/28/17 

(1) These stock options were granted pursuant to our 2000 Directors Stock Option Plan. The shares were vested immediately on issuance.

(2) These stock options were granted pursuant to our 2011 Employees’ Directors’ and Consultants’ Stock Option Plan. The shares were vested immediately on issuance.

(3) These stock options were granted pursuant to our 2016 Stock Option Plan. The shares were vested immediately on issuance.

CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS, RELATED TRANSACTIONS, DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE

Our Board of Directors determined that when a director’s services are outside the normal duties of a director, we compensate the director at the rate of $1,000 per day, plus expenses, which is the same amount we pay a director for attending a one-day Board meeting. We classify these amounts as consulting expenses, included in personnel and other direct expenses relating to revenues.

12

On October 15, 2015, the Company entered into a consulting agreement with VADM Robert T. Conway, Jr., USN, Ret. (the “Admiral”), a member of the Company’s Board of Directors. The agreement is for one year and includes compensation of a monthly retainer fee of $7,500 and a five year warrant to purchase 167,000 shares of common stock of the Company, fully vested on the date of issuance, at a strike price of $.60 per share with an aggregate estimate fair value of $33,734. As a result of this agreement, the Board of Directors has determined that the Admiral is no longer an independent directorbehalf of the Company.

 


Four of CTI’s Board Directors - Howard, O’Connell, Roehrich, and Yarbro - are considered to be independent directors.

REPORT OF THE COMPENSATION COMMITTEE

This report of the Compensation Committee (the “Committee”) shall not be deemed incorporated by reference by any general statement incorporating the Proxy Statement by reference into any filing under the Securities Act of 1933 or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (collectively the “Acts”), except to the extent that CTI specifically incorporates this information by reference, and shall not otherwise be deemed filed under such Acts.

CTI's compensation program consists of base salary, bonus, stock options, other incentive awards and other benefits, which the Committee generally reviews annually. The Committee's overall philosophy is to align compensation with our business strategy and to support achievement of our long-term goals. In order to attract and retain competent executives, we believe it is essential to maintain an executive compensation program that provides overall compensation competitive with that paid to executives with comparable qualifications and experience.

We have reviewed and discussed with management certain Executive Compensation and Compensation Discussion and Analysis provisions to be includedParticipants in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed pursuant toSolicitation of Consent Revocations

Under applicable regulations of the Exchange Act, as amended (the “Annual Report”). Based onSEC, four of the reviewsCompany’s five directors and discussions referred to above, we recommended to the Boardtwo executive officers of Directors that the Executive Compensation and Compensation Discussion and Analysis provisions referred to above be includedCompany are deemed “participants” in the Company's Annual Report.Company’s Consent Revocation Statement. Please refer to Appendix A for information about our directors and executive officers who may be deemed to be participants.

 

Submitted by the Compensation Committee of the Board of DirectorsAPPRAISAL RIGHTS

 

Carl O’Connell (Chairman)

Stan Yarbro

Steven RoehrichHolders of Shares do not have appraisal rights under the DGCL in connection with this solicitation of consent revocations.

 

REPORTCURRENT DIRECTORS OF THE AUDIT COMMITTEECOMPANY

 

The Audit Committee has reviewed and discussed with management our audited financial statements as of and for the year ended December 31, 2015 as well as our Annual Report on Form 10-K, prior to those reports being filed. The Audit Committee has reviewed and discussed with management our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the year ended December 31, 2015, before those reports were filed.

The Audit Committee discussed with our independent registered accountants, Mayer Hoffman McCann, CPA’s, the New York Practice of Mayer Hoffman McCann P.C., (“MHM”), the matters required to be discussed under the rules adopted by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (“PCAOB”).

The Audit Committee received the written disclosures from MHM required by the applicable requirements of the PCAOB concerning independence. The Audit Committee discussed with MHM their independence from management and from CTI.

The Audit Committee discussed with MHM the overall scope, plans and budget for its audit. In addition, the Audit Committee meets with MHM regularly, with or without management present, to discuss the results of MHM’s examination, evaluation of CTI's internal controls, and the overall quality of CTI’s financial reporting.

13

Based on the reviews and discussions referred to above, the Audit Committee recommended to the Board of Directors that the audited financial statements as of and for the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014 be included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015.

Audit Committee:

Stan Yarbro (Chairman)

Rustin Howard

Steve Roehrich

EXECUTIVE OFFICERS

Listed below are the Company’s Executive Officers and their respective backgrounds.

Conrad Mir, 4849, has been a director, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company since October 2013. He has over twenty years of investment banking, financial structuring, and corporate reengineering experience. He has served in various executive management roles and on the Board of Directors of several companies in the biotechnology industry. From December 2012 until September 2013, Mr. Mir served as the Chief Financial Officer of Pressure BioSciences, Inc., (OTCQB: PBIO), a sample preparation company advancing its proprietary pressure cycling technology. From June 2011 until October 2012, Mr. Mir was Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Genetic Immunity, Inc., a plasmid, DNA company in the HIV space. From November 2008 until May 2011, Mr. Mir served as Executive Director of Advaxis, Inc., (OTCQB: ADXS), a vaccine biotechnology company. Over the last ten years, he was responsible for raising more than $40 million in growth capital and broadening corporate reach to new investors and current shareholders. Mr. Mir has worked for several investment banks including Sanford C. Bernstein, First Liberty Investment Group, and Nomura Securities International. He holds a BS/BA in Economics and English with special concentrations in Mathematics and Physics from New York University.

We believe Mr. Mir’s qualifications to serve on our Board of Directors include his proven track record in executive management in biotechnology and medical device companies, capital raising, financial instrument structuring and corporate reengineering.

Peter Brennan,CFA,62, has been a director of the company since June 2011. Mr. Brennan is a New York based investor who has worked over 30 years in the investment management business as an analyst and portfolio manager. In 2004 he founded Damel Investors LLC, a private partnership which invests in small technology companies. Mr. Brennan received his MBA from the University of Chicago in 1979 and his BA from Haverford College in 1977. He is a member and past Chairman of the Corporate Governance Committee of the New York Society of Security Analysts and received the 2001 Volunteer of the Year award from the NYSSA. Mr. Brennan was a member of the US Advocacy Committee of the CFA Institute and was a founding member of the Capital Markets Policy Council of the CFA Institute for Market Integrity, the global advocacy committee of the CFA Institute.

We believe Mr. Brennan’s qualifications to serve on our Board of Directors include expertise in working with small medical device companies as well as his experience in the investment community and as an investor in the pharmaceutical, medical device and health care industries.


Rustin R. Howard,61, has been a director of the company since October 2007. Mr. Howard is the chairman of the Board of Directors of Deep Gulf, Inc., which builds energy transportation systems and associated facilities to serve niche economies. Mr. Howard also serves on the Board of Directors of Silver Bullet Technology, Inc. Silver Bullet, builds and sells software for the banking and payment processing industry. In 1990, he founded and served as Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Phyton, Inc., the world leader in the use of proprietary plant cell fermentation technology, that is used for production of paclitaxel, the active ingredient of Bristol-Myers Squibb’s (NYSE:BMY) multi-billion dollar anticancer drug, Taxol®. Phyton was sold to DFB Pharmaceuticals, Inc. in 2003. Previously, Mr. Howard served as President and Chief Executive Officer of BioWorks Inc., a biotechnology company he founded to develop, produce, and sell products that replace chemical pesticides. Mr. Howard earned his MBA from Cornell University’s Johnson Graduate School of Management, where he focused his studies on entrepreneurship, and managing innovation and technology.

We believe Mr. Howard’s qualifications to serve on our Board of Directors include his expertise in biotechnology and product development as well as his experience in technology and high-growth business development.

Carl D. O’Connell, 54, has been a director of the Company since January 2013, having served as its President and Chief Executive Officer from November 2012 to September 2013. Mr. O’Connell has 30 years of experience in the healthcare field and 20 years as a leader in the medical device arena. Prior to joining the Company, Mr. O’Connell held executive positions for top global medical device and Fortune 500 companies. He recently served as President and Chief Executive Officer for the US Healthcare Division MedSurg for ITOCHU, a Japanese conglomerate, Vice President of Global Marketing for Stryker Spine, and President of Carl Zeiss Surgical, the market leader in optical digital solutions for Neurosurgery, Spine, Ophthalmology, ENT and Dentistry.

We believe Mr. O’Connell’s qualifications to serve on our Board of Directors include his proven track record in commercializing medical technologies as well as building effective and profitable sales and distribution organizations.

Stanley K. Yarbro, Ph.D., 68, has been a director of our Company since March 2012. Mr. Yarbro has extensive experience in market development of high technology solutions to a worldwide customer base. He recently retired as executive vice president, worldwide field operations, for Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates, a position he had held since 2004. Prior to Varian, Mr. Yarbro served in various executive capacities at KLA-Tencor Corporation, in the semi-conductor industry. He currently serves on the board Carbon Design Innovations and has previously served on the boards of FSI International, Electrogas, Inc. and Molecular Imaging where he worked closely with the organizations to develop and improve sales, product and marketing strategies. Mr. Yarbro holds a Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry from Georgia Institute of Technology and a B.S. in Chemistry from Wake Forest University.

Although we originally believed that Stanley Yarbro was qualified to serve on our Board of Directors, his subsequent actions, some of which are described in this Consent Revocation Statement, lead us to believe that his service on the Board is not in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders. 


NAMED EXECUTIVE OFFICERS OF THE COMPANY

Conrad Mir, 49, has been a director, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company since October 2013. He has over twenty years of investment banking, financial structuring, and corporate reengineering experience. He has served in various executive management roles and on the Board of Directors of several companies in the biotechnology industry. From December 2012 until September 2013, Mr. Mir served as the Chief Financial Officer of Pressure BioSciences, Inc., (OTCQB: PBIO), a sample preparation company advancing its proprietary pressure cycling technology. From June 2011 until October 2012, Mr. Mir was Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Genetic Immunity, Inc., a plasmid, DNA company in the HIV space. From November 2008 until May 2011, Mr. Mir served as Executive Director of Advaxis, Inc., (OTCQB: ADXS), a vaccine biotechnology company. Over the last ten years, he was responsible for raising more than $40 million in growth capital and broadening corporate reach to new investors and current shareholders. Mr. Mir has worked for several investment banks including Sanford C. Bernstein, First Liberty Investment Group, and Nomura Securities International. He holds a BS/BA in Economics and English with special concentrations in Mathematics and Physics from New York University.

Thomas P. Richtarich 64,, 65, Chief Financial Officer, joined the Company in January 2016. Mr. Richtarich has held roles in corporate financial management for public and privately held companies for over twenty years. Prior to joining CTI, Mr. Richtarich has run his own consulting firm, serving as the Chief Financial Officer for his clients and providing assistance to clients in the areas of financial management, strategic planning, capital fund raising, compensation/benefits, talent management and marketing. During 2014 through 2015, Mr. Richtarich served as Director of Finance, Human Resources, and Administration and Chief Financial Officer of ReadMe Systems, Inc., a privately held company, where his efforts led to a revitalization of the company through capital raises and employee recruitment. From 2009 through 2013, Mr. Richtarich served as Director – Human Resources and Administration and Corporate Secretary of TranSwitch Corporation, a public company. During this tenure, Mr. Richtarich managed strategic restructuring, compliance with SEC requirements, benefits programs, and talent acquisition. Mr. Richtarich began his professional career with Southern New England Telephone in various positions in strategic planning, marketing and sales each providing him with progressively increasing management and leadership responsibilities. Mr. Richtarich received his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Fairfield University and his Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Connecticut Graduate School of Business.

 

Christine Chansky, MD, JD, FCLM, 48,Chief Regulatory Officer, joined the Company in January 2016.Dr. Chansky has been a licensed, practicing physician and attorney for over 20 years. She has a comprehensive background in global regulatory affairs and regulatory law with a proven track of applying expertise in R&D, pharmacovigilance, regulatory, compliance, clinical development and global medical affairs. Her multiple therapeutic expertise in immunotherapy, oncology, infectious disease and hematology, has allowed her to leverage her extensive relationships with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and resulted in the successful submissions of over fifteen investigational new drug applications (IND's), new drug applications (NDA's), and biologics license applications (BLA's). Prior to her new position with CTI, she served as Chief Regulatory Counsel and Chief Clinical Officer for BioTest Pharmaceuticals where she was responsible for the development and review of all regulatory strategies, submissions and compliance, clinical development plans, trial design, launch campaigns and educational materials. Contemporaneously, she was the Medical Director of her private medical practice, Emergency Medical Care N.Y. & STAT Medical Associates in New York City. Prior, she held senior executive regulatory positions in such notable companies as Aventis, Johnson & Johnson, Glaxo Wellcome and Roche Holdings A.G. Dr. Chansky is a licensed medical doctor in New York and a licensed attorney in New Jersey. She was an adjunct assistant professor of global regulatory affairs at Temple University, and is Board Certified as a Fellow of the American College of Legal Medicine. She received her bachelor’s degree, magma cum laude, from Georgetown University, and her medical degree from Georgetown University. Dr. Chansky received her law degree from Seton Hall University.CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

 

Board Independence

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Three of members of the Board – Rustin Howard, Carl O’Connell, and Stanley Yarbro - are considered to be independent directors.

 

Stephen J. D’Amato, MD, FACEP, 68,Chief Medical Officer, joinedBoard Meetings

The Board currently consists of five members. During fiscal year 2016, the Company in September 2015.Dr. D’Amato has been practicing medicine in Rhode Island for 35 years. OverBoard met six times. Each director attended not less than 75% of the past six years, he has beenaggregate number of meetings, and the foremost Calmare®Pain Therapy Device practitioner with over 1000 patients treated in his medical practice. His efforts with Calmare have established new innovative ways of treating many different chronic pain diagnoses including Chemotherapy-induced Peripheral Neuropathy (CIPN), Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS), Failed Back Surgery Syndrome (FBSS) and Phantom Limb Pain Syndrome. Dr. D’Amato will oversee all medical treatment issues and research topics regarding Calmare, globally. Prior to Calmare, he was the medical director and staff physician at North Providence Medical Services in North Providence, Rhode Island. During that time, he was a Clinical Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine at the Boston University School of Medicine, Roger Williams Medical Center Campus in Providence, RI. He has beencommittees on which they served after becoming a member of the medical staff of St. Joseph Hospital’s Fatima Unit and Medical Director of Mineral Spring Primary Care Associates, both in North Providence, RI. Dr. D’Amato received his medical degree from the University of Padua – Italy in 1976. He is a licensed medical doctor in Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Florida. He attained Fellow status after his first board certification process in Emergency Medicine, and was granted “lifelong status” after his third certification as a FellowBoard or committee.


Committees of the American CollegeBoard

The Board has three committees, with current membership as follows:

Audit CommitteeCompensation CommitteeNominating and Corporate
Governance Committee
Stanley YarbroCarl O’ConnellRustin Howard
Rustin HowardStanley YarbroCarl O’Connell
Carl O’ConnellRustin HowardStanley Yarbro
Peter Brennan

During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2016, the board of Emergency Physicians (FACEP). Hedirectors met six times.

The Audit Committee held six meetings during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2016. The Compensation Committee held one meeting in conjunction with Board meetings in 2016. The Nominating and Corporate Governance committee each held one meeting during fiscal year ended December 31, 2016. We expect all directors to attend the next Annual Meeting barring unforeseen circumstances or irresolvable conflicts.

Audit Committee

The function of the Audit Committee is to assist the Board in fulfilling its responsibility to the shareholders relating to our corporate accounting matters, financial reporting practices, and the quality and integrity of our financial reports. The Audit Committee’s purpose is to assist the Board with overseeing:

the reliability and integrity of our financial statements, accounting policies, internal controls and disclosure practices;
our compliance with legal and regulatory requirements, including our disclosure controls and procedures;
our independent auditor’s qualifications, engagement, compensation, and independence;
the performance of our independent auditor; and
the production of an annual report of the Audit Committee for inclusion in our annual proxy statement.

The Audit Committee is to be comprised of not less than three independent directors. The Board has determined that each member of the Audit Committee is an independent director in accordance with applicable legal or regulatory requirements. It has also a managing partnerdetermined that each member is financially literate. Its members have identified Mr. Howard as an audit committee financial expert, as so defined by the SEC.

Compensation Committee

The purpose of CALMARxthe Compensation Committee is to:

review and approve corporate goals and objectives relevant to CEO compensation, evaluate the CEO’s performance in light of those goals and objectives, and determine and approve the CEO’s compensation level based on this evaluation;
review and approve the compensation of our other officers based on recommendations from the CEO;
review, approve and make recommendations to the Board with respect to incentive compensation plans or programs, or other equity-based plans or programs, including but not limited to our Annual Incentive Plan, and our 401(k) Plan; and
produce an annual report of the Compensation Committee on executive compensation for inclusion in our annual proxy statement.


The Compensation Committee is to be comprised of not less than three of our independent directors. The Board has determined that each member of the Compensation Committee is an independent director in accordance with applicable legal or regulatory requirements.

Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee

The purpose of the Nominating Committee is to:

identify individuals qualified to become members of the Board, consistent with criteria approved by the Board;
recommend to the Board, candidates for all directorships to be filled by the Board or our shareholders;
recommend to the Board, and in consultation with the chairman, which member(s) can and may be appointed to committees of the Board and the chairpersons thereof, including filling any vacancies;
develop and recommend to the Board a set of corporate governance principles applicable to us;
oversee, evaluate and monitor the Board and its individual members, and our corporate governance principles and procedures; and
fulfill such other duties and responsibilities as may be set forth in its charter or assigned by the Board from time to time.

The Nominating Committee is to be comprised of not less than three independent directors. The Board has determined that each member of the Nominating Committee is an independent director in accordance with applicable legal or regulatory requirements.

The Nominating Committee will consider nominees recommended by shareholders but have not designated any special procedures shareholders need to follow to submit those recommendations. The Nominating Committee has not designated any such procedures because as discussed below under the heading “Shareholder Communications with Directors,” shareholders are free to send written communications directly to the Board, committees of the Board, and/or individual directors, at our corporate address in care of our Secretary.

Corporate Governance

The Company’s Corporate Governance Principles, Corporate Code of Conduct, the Committee Charters for the Audit Committee and the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee of the Board of Directors, the unofficial restated Certificate of Incorporation and the Bylaws are all available on our website atwww.calmaretherapeutics.com/investors/governance.html.

CERTAIN RELATIONSHIP AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS

As of December 31, 2016, and December 31, 2015, the Company has $431,300 and $308,400, respectively, owed in fees to current directors, which are accounts payable.


As of December 31, 2016, and December 31, 2015, $2,598,980 of the outstanding notes payable were payable to related parties; $2,498,980 to the Chairman of our Board, Peter Brennan, and $100,000 to another director, Stan Yarbro. Accrued interest on these Notes, which are in categorized as accrued liabilities, was $615,000 and $28,000, respectively as of December 31, 2016, and $465,000 and $22,000, respectively, as of December 31, 2015. In addition, the Company has recorded additional interest on Mr. Brennan’s Notes, pending negotiations, of $1,432,000 as of December 31, 2016, and $1,007,000 as of December 31, 2015.

On September 15, 2015, the Company announced the appointment of Stephen J. D’Amato, M.D. as chief medical officer of the Company. During 2010, Calmar Pain Relief, LLC, purchased 10 Calmare devices from the Company for an aggregate purchase price of $550,000. Additionally, during 2016 and 2015, Calmar Pain Relief purchased certain supplies from the Company totaling $3,200 and $1,900, respectively. Dr. D’Amato is one of the managing members of Calmar Pain Relief, LLC.

On October 15, 2015, the Company entered into a consulting agreement with VADM Robert T. Conway, Jr., U.S. Navy, (Ret) (the “Admiral”), a former member of the Company’s Board of Directors. The agreement is for one year and includes compensation of a monthly retainer fee of $7,500 and a five-year warrant to purchase 167,000 shares of common stock of the Company, fully vested on the date of issuance, at a strike price of $.60 per share. As a result of this agreement, the Board of Directors determined that the Admiral is no longer an independent director of the Company. On January 19, 2017, the Admiral resigned from the Board of Directors. As of January 19, 2017, the Company has $30,000 in West Warwick, RI.consulting fees payable to the Admiral.

 

EXECUTIVE COMPENSATIONCOMPLIANCE WITH SECTION 16(A) OF THE EXCHANGE ACT

 

Compensation DiscussionSection 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, requires that our directors and Analysisexecutive officers and persons who beneficially own more than 10% of our common stock (referred to herein as the “reporting persons”) file with the SEC various reports as to their ownership of and activities relating to our common stock. Such reporting persons are required by the SEC regulations to furnish us with copies of all Section 16(a) reports they file. Based solely upon a review of copies of Section 16(a) reports and representations received by us from reporting persons, and without conducting any independent investigation of our own during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2016, all such reports were timely filed.

STOCKHOLDER COMMUNICATIONS WITH DIRECTORS

Stockholders and other interested parties may send correspondence by mail to the full Board or to individual directors. Shareholders should address such correspondence to the Board or the relevant Board members in care of: Calmare Therapeutics Incorporated, 1375 Kings Hwy., Suite 400, Fairfield, CT 06824, Attention: Secretary.

All such correspondence will be compiled by our Secretary and forwarded as appropriate. In general, correspondence relating to corporate governance issues, long-term corporate strategy or similar substantive matters will be forwarded to the Board, one of the committees of the Board, or a member thereof for review. Correspondence relating to the ordinary course of business affairs, personal grievances, and matters as to which we tend to receive repetitive or duplicative communications are usually more appropriately addressed by the officers or their designees and will be forwarded to such persons accordingly.


COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS

 

We have a standing Compensation Committee on our Board. Our President, or in the absence of a President, our Chief Executive Officer, makes recommendations to the committee as to employee benefit programs and officer and employee compensation. The Company’s compensation program consists of base salary, bonus, stock options, other incentive awards and other benefits, which the Committee generally reviews annually. The Committee'sCommittee’s overall philosophy is to align compensation with our business strategy and to support achievement of our long-term goals. In order to attract and retain competent executives, we believe it is essential to maintain an executive compensation program that provides overall compensation competitive with that paid to executives with comparable qualifications and experience. The Committee annually reviews all compensation plans to assure effectiveness and fiduciary responsibility.

 

Components of Compensation Program

Annual Base Salary.The Company provides officers and other employees with base salary to compensate them for services rendered during the fiscal year. Base salary ranges for officers are determined for each executive based on his or her position and responsibility using a)(i) market data, b)(ii) an internal review of the executive’s compensation, both individually and relative to other executive officers, and c)(iii) the individual performance of the executive.

 

Incentive Stock Options. In August 2016, the Board approved the 2016 Stock Option Plan. This Plan gives the Board the capability to promote high performance and achievement of corporate goals by all employees, encourage the growth of shareholder value, and allow all employees to participate in the long-term growth and profitability of the Company. At the Company’s Annual Meeting on November 9, 2016, the proposal to approve the 2016 Stock Option Plan did not receive the affirmative vote of a majority of outstanding shareholders. No options were issued in 2017. In 2018, the Board will consider the adoption of a 2018 Stock Option Plan.

 

Annual Cash Bonus. In addition to the competitive annual base salary, we intend to reward executive officers each year for the achievement of specific goals, which may be financial, operational or technological. We consider objectively measurable goals, such as obtaining new investment capital, negotiating valuable contracts and achieving research and regulatory milestones, and more subjective goals, such as quality of management performance and consistency of effort. CTI'sThe Company’s objectives include operating, strategic and financial goals the board considers critical to CTI’sthe Company’s overall goal of building shareholder value. Our recommendations for cash bonuses also take into account CTI’sthe Company’s liquidity and capital resources in any given year.

15

 

In August 2015, the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors reviewed the performance of the Chief Executive Officer over the previous 1218 months. Based on this performance, the Committee, which included Stanley Yarbro, recommended that the Board award the Chief Executive Officer 40% of the allowable bonus, which amounted to $53,000. The Committee, which included Stanley Yarbro, also recommended that the Board extend the contract of the Chief Executive Officer until September 30, 2016. Both recommendations were approved by the Board, which included two of the Minority Complaining Stockholders: Robert Conway and Stanley Yarbro.


In November 2016, the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors reviewed the performance of the Chief Executive Officer over the previous 18 months. Based on this performance, the Committee, which included Stanley Yarbro, recommended that the Board award the Chief Executive Officer 20% of the allowable bonus, which amounted to $54,000. The Committee, which included Stanley Yarbro, also recommended that the Board extend the contract of the Chief Executive Officer. Both recommendations were approved by the Board.

 

Benefits. The Company provides executive officers with retirement and other personal benefits. These include medical, dental, vision, life, AD&D, short-term disability and long-term disability insurance, as well as a Company sponsored 401(k) plan. The Committee believes that these benefits are reasonable and consistent with its overall compensation program to better enable the Company to attract and retain superior employees for all positions. Officers are eligible to receive the same health and welfare benefits that are generally available to other employees and they contribute to their benefit premium on the same terms as other employees under the same plan and level of coverage.

 

Assessment of Risk. In the design of executive compensation plans, the Committee considers the desired behavior the Committee wants to incent and how that behavior relates to increasing shareholder value. The Committee does not feel that there are any compensation-related risks that are reasonably likely to have a material effect on the Company.

 

The annual base salaries and annual cash bonus targets for our current executive officers are shown in the table below.

 

Executive Officer Annual Base Salary  Cash Bonus Target Annual Base SalaryCash Bonus Target
        
Conrad F. Mir $270,000   100%$270,000100%
Thomas P. Richtarich  150,000   40%150,00040%
Christine Chansky  185,000   40%
Stephen J. D’Amato  180,000   40%

*     Mr. Mir has deferred and accrued a total of nine and a half months of salary that has not been paid by the Company.

**   Mr. Richtarich has deferred and accrued a total of nine and a half months of salary that has not been paid by the Company so as not to burden the Company.

 

The following table summarizes the total compensation awarded to, earned by or paid by us for services rendered by the 4 highest paid ($100,000 or more) employees that served during the years ended December 31, 2015, December 31, 2014,2016 and December 31, 2013.2015.

 

Name and Principal

Position

 Year ended  Salary  Bonus  Option
Awards(5)
  

All Other

Compensation

  Total 
                   
Conrad F. Mir(1)  12/31/2015  $270,747  $53,000  $     $323,747 
Director, President and  12/31/2014  $270,000      $       $270,000 
Chief Executive Officer  12/31/2013  $70,212      $63,201      $133,413 
                         
Ian Rhodes(2)  12/31/2015  $146,689      $       $146,689 
Former Executive Vice President  12/31/2014  $83,077      $99,600      $182,677 
and Chief Financial Officer                        
                         

Carl D. O’Connell(3)

Director, former President and
Chief Executive Officer

  12/31/2013  $225,000      $334,000      $569,000 
                         

Laurie Murphy(4)

Former Accounting Manager

  12/31/2013  $100,400              $100,400 

Name and Principal

Position

 Year ended Salary Bonus 

Option

Awards(4)

 

All Other
Compensation

 Total
             
Conrad F. Mir(1)*  12/31/2016  $225,000  $54,000  $   $279,000 
Director, President and Chief Executive Officer  12/31/2015  $270,747  $53,000  $   $323,747 
                     
Thomas P. Richtarich(2)**  12/31/2016  $113,017          $113,017 
Chief Financial Officer                    
                     
Ian Rhodes(3)                    
Former Executive Vice President  12/31/2015  $146,689          $146,689 
and Chief Financial Officer     $              

 

(1)Mr. Mir joined the Company in September 2013.
(2)Mr. Richtarich joined the Company in January 2016.
(3)Mr. Rhodes joined the Company in May 2014 and resigned as Chief Financial Officer in January 2016.
(3)Mr. O’Connell joined the Company in November 2012 and resigned as President and Chief Executive Officer in September 2013, but continued to serve on the Board.
(4)Ms. Murphy left the Company in January 2014.
(5)The amounts shown in this column indicate the grant date fair value of option awards granted in the subject year computed in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 718. The assumptions made in the valuation of these options can be found in Note 14 to our financial statements included in our 2015 Form 10-K.

 

16


Grants of Plan-Based Awards

During the quarter ended March 31, 2013, the Company granted 1,000,000 options to Carl O’Connell. As approved by the Board of Directors, these options granted were expected to vest over a four (4) year period, with 200,000 options vesting upon issuance. Upon his resignation on September 26, 2013, the 800,000 unvested options were forfeited. Additionally, the 200,000 vested options all expired 90 days from his resignation, per the Option Agreement.

 

During the quarter ended December 31, 2013, the Company granted 1,000,000 options to Conrad Mir. As approved by the Board which included one of Directors,the Minority Complaining Stockholders (Stanley Yarbro), these options vest over a four (4) year period, with 200,000 options vested upon issuance.

 

During the quarter ended June 30, 2014, the Company granted 300,000 options to Ian Rhodes. As approved by the Board, of Directors, these options granted were expected to vest over a four (4) year period, with 60,000 options vested upon issuance. Upon his resignation on January 8, 2016, the 180,000 unvested options were forfeited. Additionally, the 120,000 vested options all expired 90 days from his resignation, per the Option Agreement.

 

Outstanding Equity Awards at December 31, 20152016

 

Name Number of Securities
Underlying Unexercised
Options Exercisable(1)
  Number of Securities
Underlying Unexercised
Options
Unexercisable(1)
  Option
Price
  Option
Expiration Date
 Number of Securities
Underlying Unexercised
Options Exercisable(1)
 Number of Securities
Underlying Unexercised
Options
Unexercisable(1)
 Option
Price
 Option
Expiration Date
Conrad Mir  600,000   400,000   0.08  10/1/18 1,000,000 0 0.08 10/1/18
Ian Rhodes  120,000   180,000   0.41  5/22/19

 

(1)Option awarded under the 2011 Employees’, Directors’ and Consultants’ Stock Option Plan.

PROPOSAL 2: TO RATIFY THE APPOINTMENT OF MAYER HOFFMAN MCCANN CPAS, THE NEW YORK PRACTICE OF MAYER HOFFMAN MCCANN, P.C. AS OUR INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2016Plan, with one of the Minority Complaining Stockholders (Stanley Yarbro) voting to approve the options.

 

REGISTRANT’S CERTIFYING ACCOUNTANTDirector Compensation

 

Mayer Hoffman McCann CPAs,Each of our non-employee directors is paid an annual cash retainer of $10,000, paid quarterly in arrears, for their services to the New York PracticeCompany. In addition, directors are issued shares of Mayer Hoffman McCann P.C. (“MHM”)common stock pursuant to our 1996 Directors Stock Participation Plan, as amended, and are granted stock options to purchase common stock pursuant to our 2000 Directors Stock Option Plan, both as described below. In addition, the Chairman of the Board, if a non-employee, is paid fees for the additional responsibilities and time commitments required of him. These fees are equal to an additional $5,000 cash retainer, in addition to the amount noted above and an additional $500 for each Board meeting attended.


Each non-employee director is also paid $1,000 for each Board meeting attended and $500 for each committee meeting attended. All directors are reimbursed for out-of-pocket expenses incurred to attend Board and committee meetings.

On the first business day of January, each non-employee director who had been elected by the stockholders and had served at least one full year as a director, is issued a number of shares of common stock equal to the lesser of $15,000 divided by the per share fair market value of such stock on the issuance date, or 2,500 shares. If a non-employee director were to leave the Board after serving at least one full year, but prior to the January issuance date, we will issue shares of common stock to the director on a pro-rata basis up to the termination date.

Non-employee directors were granted 10,000 fully vested, non-qualified stock options to purchase our common stock on the date the individual was first elected as a director, whether by the stockholders or by the Board, and were granted 10,000 options on the first business day of January thereafter, provided the individual was still a director. The stock options granted were at an exercise price not less than 100% of the fair market value of the common stock at the grant date and had a term of five years from date of grant; options granted under earlier, now expired plans had ten year terms. If an individual’s directorship terminated because of death or permanent disability, the stock options may be exercised within one year after termination. If the termination was for any other reason, the stock options may be exercised within 180 days after termination. However, the Board had the discretion to amend previously granted stock options to provide that such stock options may continue to be exercisable for specified additional periods following termination. In no event may a stock option be exercised after the expiration of its term.

Three of the Minority Complaining Stockholders (Stanley Yarbro, Robert Conway, and Steven Roehrich) have been the independent registered public accountantsparticipants in these plans for the company.cash fees and stock options without any objection. Mr. Mir has not participated in these plans.

Fees Billed by Principal AccountantsThe following table presents feessummarizes the total compensation awarded to, earned by or paid by us for professional services billed by MHM for therendered during fiscal years ended December 31, 20152016 and December 31, 2014:2015, to the non-employee Board of Director members:

 

  Year Ended
December 31, 2015
  Year Ended
December 31, 2014
 
Audit Fees $93,500  $96,500 
Tax Fees  -   - 
Audit Related Fees(1)  -   - 
All other fees  -   - 
Total $93,500  $96,500 
Name Year Ended  

Fees Earned or 

Paid in Cash(1) 

  Option Awards(2) 

Other Equity 

Compensation(3) 

  Total 
Peter Brennan(4)  12/31/2016  $22,500  $ $475  $22,975 
   12/31/2015  $18,000  $ $475  $18,475 
                   
Robert T. Conway, Jr.(5)  12/31/2016  $15,000  $ $475  $15,475 
   12/31/2015  $3,500  $ $475  $3,975 
                   
Rustin Howard  12/31/2016  $21,000  $ $475  $21,475 
   12/31/2015  $15,000  $ $475  $15,475 
                   
Carl O’Connell  12/31/2016  $16,000  $ $475  $16,475 
   12/31/2015  $12,000  $ $475  $12,475 
                   
Steven Roehrich(6)  12/31/2016  $20,000  $ $475  $20,475 
   12/31/2015  $10,000  $ $475  $10,475 
                   
Stan Yarbro, Ph.D.  12/31/2016  $28,400  $ $475  $28,875 
   12/31/2015  $21,400  $ $475  $21,875 

 

(1) Fees for S-1 and S-8 review.

MHM leases substantially all its personnel, who work under the control of MHM shareholders, from wholly-owned subsidiaries of CBIZ, Inc., in an alternative practice structure.

17

Audit Committee Pre-Approval of Services of Principal Accountants

The Audit Committee has the sole authority and responsibility to select, evaluate, determine the compensation of, and, where appropriate, replace the independent auditor. After determining that providing the non-audit services is compatible with maintaining the auditor’s independence, the Audit Committee pre-approves all audits and permitted non-audit services to be performed by the independent auditor, except for de minimis amounts. If it is not practical for the Audit Committee to meet to approve fees for permitted non-audit services, the Audit Committee has authorized its Chairman, currentlyIn 2015, Mr. Yarbro, to approve them and to review such pre-approvals with the Audit Committee at its next meeting.

Ratification of Selection of Independent Public Accountants

The persons named in the enclosed proxy will vote to ratify the selection of MHM as independent public accountants for the year ending December 31, 2016, unless otherwise directed by the shareholders. Shareholder ratification of MHM as the Company's independent public accountants is not required by the Company's bylaw or otherwise. However, the Company is submitting selection of MHMto the shareholders for ratification as a matter of good corporate practice. If the shareholders do not ratify the selection of MHMas the Company's independent public accountants, the Audit Committee will reconsider the selection of such independent public accountants. If the selection is ratified, the Audit Committee may, in its discretion, direct the appointment of different independent public accountants at any time during the year if it determines that such a change would be in the best interestRoehrich, one of the Company and its shareholders.Minority Complaining Stockholders, received $10,000 in cash. No other cash payments were made to directors for fees during 2015. No cash payments were made to directors for fees during 2016.

Vote Required

The affirmative vote of(2)  In August 2016, each director serving on January 2, 2016 received a majority of the voting shares of stock present or represented by proxy at the Annual Meeting is necessaryoption for the ratification of MHMas independent public accountants for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2016.

Recommendation

The Board of Directors recommends that shareholders voteFOR the ratification of MHMas independent public accountants for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2016.

PROPOSAL 3: TO AMEND THE CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION TO AUTHORIZE A NEW SERIES OF CONVERTIBLE PREFERRED STOCK

The Board has proposed an amendment to the certificate of incorporation to authorize a new series of preferred stock, designated Series D Convertible Preferred Stock (the “New Series”). The “Certificate of the Designations, Preferences and Relative Participating Optional and Other Special Rights and Qualifications, Limitations or Restrictions of Series D Convertible Preferred Stock of Calmare Therapeutics Incorporated” is attached to this Proxy Statement as EXHIBIT A.

In summary, this proposal authorizes a new series of preferred stock, designated Series D Convertible Preferred Stock, at a par value of $25.00 per share. Each holder of the New Series shall be entitled to receive, when, as and if declared by the Board, a semi-annual dividend of $0.75 per whole share. Holders of the New Series shall not have any voting rights. Each share of the New Series shall be convertible at any time into the Common Stock of the Company at the ratio of one hundred twenty-five (125) shares of Common Stock to one (1) share of the New Series.

The Board believes it is in the best interest of the Company for the stockholders to authorize the New Series in order to give the Company greater flexibility in considering and planning for future potential business needs. Having the New Series available is important to our continued efforts to execute our plan, including raising capital to support our business and converting some of our outstanding debt into equity. If the authorization of this New Series is postponed until the foregoing specific needs arise, the delay and expense incident to obtaining approval of the stockholders at that time could impair our ability to meet the objectives.

18

As of October 7, 2016, we had (i) 28,787,831 outstanding shares (ii) 2,593,500 shares potentially issuable for common stock options, (iii) 10,801,512 shares potentially issuable for common stock warrants, (iv) 2,902,477 shares potentially issuable for conversion of Series C convertible preferred stock and (v) 18,500,915 shares potentially issuable for conversion of convertible debt.

Other than those listed above, we currently have no plan, commitment, arrangement, understanding or agreement, either oral or written, regarding the issuance of our common stock subsequent to the proposed authorization of the New Series.

If this proposal is approved, the additional authorized shares may be issued at the discretion of the Board without further stockholder action. The adoption of the amendment would not have any immediate dilutive effect on the proportionate voting power or other rights of existing stockholders. However, the conversion of shares of the New Series into common stock would reduce each stockholder’s proportionate interest in the Company. The holders of any of the additional10,000 shares of common stock issuedfor services rendered in the future would have the same rights and privileges as the holders of the shares of common stock currently authorized and outstanding. Those rights do not include preemptive rights with respect to the future issuance of any additional shares.

If the Certificate of Incorporation amendment is approved, as soon as practicable after the 2016 Annual Meeting, we will file an amendment to the Certificate of Incorporation with the office of the Secretary of State of Delaware to reflect new series of convertible preferred stock. Upon approval and following such filing with the Secretary of State of Delaware, the Certificate of Incorporation amendment will become effective on the date it is filed.

Vote Required to Approve the Increase in Authorized Common Shares

The affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the voting shares of stock outstanding and entitled to vote2015 at the Annual Meeting is required to adopt and approve the amendment to the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation to authorize the issuance of the Series D Convertible Preferred Stock.

Recommendation

The Board of Directors unanimously recommends that you vote “FOR” Item 3, The Proposal to amend the Certificate of Incorporation to authorize a new series of convertible preferred stock.

PROPOSAL 4: TO APPROVE THE ADOPTION OF THE 2016 STOCK OPTION PLAN

The Board has proposed a new stock option plan, designated the 2016 Stock Option Plan. The “2016 Stock Option Plan” is attached to this Proxy Statement as EXHIBIT B.

In summary, this proposal authorizes a new stock option plan for directors, employees and consultants. The 2011 Directors’, Employees’, and Consultants’ Stock Option Plan expired on December 31, 2015. The 2016 Stock Option Plan authorizes the Board to issue options to purchase up to Two Million, Five Hundred Thousand (2,500,000) shares of the Company’s common stock. The terms of$0.1427 per share under the 2016 Stock Option Plan areapproved by the same asBoard of Directors in August 2016. Because the terms2016 Stock Option Plan was not approved by the stockholders at the Company’s Annual Meeting in November 2016, these options were cancelled. No stock options were awarded to Directors in 2017 for services rendered in the prior year.

3)Each director serving on January 2, 2016 received 2,500 shares of common stock for services rendered during 2015. The fair market value of the stock was $0.19 per share. Each director serving on January 2, 2017 received 2,500 shares of common stock for services rendered during 2016. The fair market value of the stock was $0.19 per share.

(4)Mr. Brennan has served as Chairman since May of 2012.

(5)Mr. Conway resigned as a Director on January 19, 2017.

(6)Mr. Roehrich resigned as a Director on January 19, 2017.


Outstanding Equity Awards at December 31, 2016 to Non-Employee Directors

Name Number of Securities Underlying
Unexercised Options
  Option Exercise
Price
  Option Expiration
Date
Peter Brennan  10,000(2) $0.170  1/2/20
   10,000(2) $0.320  1/2/19
   2,500(2) $0.170  8/9/18
   10,000(2) $0.501  1/1/18
   10,000(2) $1.260  1/2/17
Robert T. Conway, Jr.(3)  0  $    
Rustin Howard  10,000(2) $0.170  1/2/20
   10,000(2) $0.320  1/2/19
   10,000(2) $0.501  1/1/18
   10,000(2) $1.260  1/2/17
   10,000(1) $2.290  10/5/17
   10,000(1) $1.510  1/2/18
   10,000(1) $1.005  1/2/19
   10,000(1) $1.870  1/4/20
Carl O’Connell  10,000(2) $0.170  1/2/20
   2,500(2) $0.320  1/2/19
Steven Roehrich(4)  0  $    
Stan Yarbro  10,000(2) $0.170  1/2/20
   10,000(2) $0.320  1/2/19
   10,000(2) $0.501  1/1/18
   10,000(2) $1.130  2/28/17

(1)These stock options were granted pursuant to our 2000 Directors Stock Option Plan. The shares vested immediately on issuance.

(2)These stock options were granted pursuant to our 2011 Employees’ Directors’, Employees’, and Consultants’ Stock Option Plan. The shares vested immediately on issuance.

(3)Mr. Conway resigned as a Director on January 19, 2017.

(4)Mr. Roehrich resigned as a Director on January 19, 2017.


SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT

 

The Board believes it isfollowing information indicates the beneficial ownership of our stock by each director nominee, and by each person known to us to be the beneficial owner of more than 5% of our outstanding stock. The indicated owners, which have sole voting and investment power, have furnished such information to us as of July 17, 2017, except as otherwise indicated in the best interest of the Company for the stockholders to approve the 2016 Stock Option Plan in order to enable the Company to attract, retain and motivate its employees, directors and qualified consultants by providing for or increasing the proprietary interests of such employees, directors and consultants in the Company through increased stock ownership.footnotes.

Names of Beneficial Owners
(and address, if ownership is more than 5%)
 Amount
Beneficially
Owned
(1) Percent
(%)
(2)
Directors        
Peter Brennan  3,799,596(3)(4)  11.6 
Rustin Howard  131,176(3)(5)  * 
Conrad Mir  1,309,686(3)(6)  4.2 
Carl O’Connell  30,625(3)(7)  * 
Stan Yarbro  285,980   * 
         
Officers        
Thomas P. Richtarich  0(3)(8)  * 
         
Directors and officers total:  5,271,083   15.6 
         
Five percent beneficial owners        
Joseph M Finley(9)        
Suite 2300, 150 South Fifth St., Minneapolis, MN 55402  1,621,153   5.2 
         

Bard Associates, Inc.(10)

        

135 South LaSalle Street, Suite 3700 Chicago, IL 60603 

  2,500,025   8.2 
         
William Austin Lewis IV(11)  9,792,989   25.0 
500 5th Avenue, Suite 2240, New York, NY 10110        
         
HK Opportunity Group, LLC(11)  3,529,412   10.4 
1225 Johnson Ferry Rd., Suite 160, Marietta, GA 30068        
         
Joseph J. Prischak(13)  3,565,412   10.5 
2425 W. 23rd St., Erie, PA 16506        

* Less than 1%

 

Vote Required(1)Designated person or group has sole voting and investment power.

(2)Pursuant to ApproveSEC Rule 13d-3, amounts shown include common shares that may be acquired by a person within 60 days of October 7, 2016. Therefore, the Adoptioncolumn titled “Percent (%)” has been computed based on (a) 28,966,639 common shares actually outstanding as of December 31, 2016; and (b) solely with respect to the person whose Rule 13d-3 Percentage Ownership of common shares is being computed, common shares that may be acquired within sixty (60) days of December 31, 2016 Stock Option Planupon exercise of options, warrants and/or convertible debt held only by such person.

The affirmative vote(3)Persons listed below have the right to acquire the listed number of the holders of a majority of the voting shares upon exercise of stock outstanding and entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting is required to adopt and approve the 2016 Stock Option Plan.options:

 


NameRight to Acquire
Peter Brennan42,500
Rustin Howard82,500
Conrad Mir800,000
Carl O’Connell12,500
Stan Yarbro50,000
Director total977,500
 19
Thomas P. Richtarich0
Officers total (excluding Conrad Mir shown above)0 

 

Recommendation(4)Peter Brennan is the beneficial owner of Damel Diversified LP, Damel Partners LP, and Lisl Brennan Family Trust 2005. Peter Brennan beneficially owns 1,409,615 shares (including the 42,500 stock options referenced in footnote 3 above) and has the right to acquire an additional 2,379,981 shares upon conversion of $2,498,980 of convertible debt.

(5)Rustin Howard beneficially owns 38,676 shares and has the right to acquire 82,500 shares upon exercise of stock options referenced in footnote 3 above.

(6)Conrad Mir beneficially owns 509,686 shares and has the right to acquire 800,000 shares upon exercise of stock options referenced in footnote 2 above.

(7)Carl O’Connell beneficially owns 5,625 shares and has the right to acquire 12,500 shares upon exercise of stock options referenced in footnote 3 above.

(8)Thomas P. Richtarich beneficially owns 0 shares.

(9)Joseph Finley beneficially owns 1,087,613 shares and has the right to acquire an additional 185,714 shares upon the exercise of stock warrants and 347,826 shares upon conversion of $80,000 of convertible debt.

(10)Information is based on a Schedule 13G filed with the SEC on February 1, 2016. Bard Associates beneficially own 2,500,025 shares.

(11)William Austin Lewis IV beneficially owns 1,177,500 shares and has the right to acquire 8,058,823 shares upon conversion of $1,752,941 of convertible debt.

(12)HK Opportunity Group, LLC has the right to acquire 3,529,412 shares upon conversion of $705,882 of convertible debt.

(13)Joseph J. Prischak beneficially owns 36,000 shares and has the right to acquire 3,529,412 shares upon conversion of $705,882 of convertible debt.

(14)LP Funding, LLC beneficially owns 1,400,000 shares.

 

The BoardOn July 17, 2017, the stock transfer records maintained by us with respect to our Preferred Stock showed that the largest holder of Directors unanimously recommends that you vote “FOR” Item 4, The Proposal to approvePreferred Stock owned 500 shares; the 2016largest owner of Class C Convertible Preferred Stock Option Plan.owned 375 shares. No directors own Preferred Stock.


STOCKHOLDER PROPOSALS AND DIRECTOR NOMINEES

 

PROPOSALS OF SHAREHOLDERSStockholder Proposals Submitted Pursuant to Rule 14a-8 of the Exchange Act

 

Shareholders who wish to present proposals under SEC Rule 14a-8 toTo be includedconsidered for inclusion in ournext year’s Proxy Statement and form of proxy in connection withpursuant to Rule 14a-8 of the November 2017Exchange Act, and acted upon at the Company’s 2018 Annual Meeting of ShareholdersStockholders (the “2018 Annual Meeting”), stockholder proposals must submit those proposals so that we receive thembe submitted in writing to the attention of our Secretary at our principal office, no later than 120one hundred and twenty (120) calendar days prior to the anniversary of the date of our prior annual meeting. In order to avoid controversy, stockholders should submit proposals by means (including electronic) that permit them to prove the date of delivery. Such proposals also need to comply with Rule 14a-8 of the Exchange Act and the interpretations thereof, and may be omitted from the Company’s proxy materials for the 2018 Annual Meeting if such proposals are not in compliance with applicable requirements of the Exchange Act.

Director Nominations and Stockholder Proposals Not Submitted Pursuant to Rule 14a-8 of the Exchange Act

Our Amended and Restated Bylaws also establish advance notice procedures with regard to stockholder proposals or director nominations that are not submitted for inclusion in the Proxy Statement. With respect to such stockholder proposals or director nominations, a stockholder’s advance notice must be made in writing, must meet the requirements set forth in our Amended and Restated Bylaws and must be delivered to, or mailed by first class United States mail, postage prepaid, and received by, our Corporate Secretary at our principal office no earlier than January 15, 2018 and no later than the close of business on February 15, 2018. However, in the event the 2018 Annual Meeting is scheduled to be held on a date before May 15, 2018, or after June 15, 2018, then such advance notice must be received by us not later than the close of business no earlier than one hundred fifty (150) days and no later than ninety (90) days before the proxy availability date of our Proxy Statement in connection with that meeting. If we meet this year's proxy availability date of October 21, 2016, we must receive such proposals for next year's2018 Annual Meeting no later than June 21, 2017.Meeting.

 

Shareholders who wish to present matters outside the processes of SEC Rule 14a-8 to be included in our Proxy Statement and form of proxy in connection with the November 2017 Annual Meeting of Shareholders must submit notice of those matters so that we receive them no later than 45 days before the proxy availability date of our Proxy Statement in connection that meeting. If we meet this year's expected availability date of October 21, 2016, we must receive notice of such matters for next year's Annual Meeting no later than August 28, 2017. Notice received after August 28, 2017 will be untimely and subject to the discretionary authority described in the last sentence of this Proxy Statement.General Requirements

 

OTHER MATTERS

We will payEach proposal submitted must be a proper subject for stockholder action at the cost of soliciting proxies, including preparation, assembly, printingmeeting, and mailing of the Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials,all proposals and any additional information furnished to shareholders. Arrangements willnominations must be made to furnish solicitation materials to brokerage houses, custodians, nominees and other fiduciaries, holding in their names shares of common stock beneficially owned by others to forward to such beneficial owners. We will reimburse these third-parties for reasonable out-of-pocket expenses. Solicitation of proxies by mail may be supplemented by telephone, telegram, electronic transmission or personal solicitation by our directors, officers or other regular employees of the Company. No additional compensation will be paid to directors, officers or other regular employees for such services. We have retained Broadridge, located at 51 Mercedes Way, Edgewood, NY 11717, for an estimated fee of $32,000, plus out of pocket expenses, to assist in distributing proxy materials and soliciting proxies.

Copies of our Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, any amendments to those reports and any other reports filed with or furnished to the SEC also are available on or through our website atwww.calmaretherapeutics.com as soon as reasonably practicable after they are filed with or furnished to the SEC.

Upon written request, we will provide without charge (except for exhibits) to any shareholder of record or beneficial owner of our securities, a copy of our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC for the year ended December 31, 2015, including the financial statements and schedules thereto. Exhibits to said report will be provided upon payment of fees limited to our reasonable expenses in furnishing such exhibits. Written requests should be addressedsubmitted to: Corporate Secretary, Calmare Therapeutics Incorporated, 1375 Kings Highway,Hwy., Suite 400, Fairfield, Connecticut,CT 06824. The stockholder proponent must appear in person to present the proposal or nomination at the meeting or send a qualified representative to present such proposal or nomination. If a stockholder gives notice after the applicable deadlines or otherwise does not satisfy the relevant requirements of Rule 14a-8 of the Exchange Act or our Bylaws, the stockholder will not be permitted to present the proposal or nomination for a vote at the meeting.

 

Some brokersDiscretionary Authority Pursuant to Rule 14a-4(c) of the Exchange Act

If a stockholder who wishes to present a proposal before the 2018 Annual Meeting outside of Rule 14a-8 of the Exchange Act fails to notify us by the required dates indicated above for the receipt of advance notices of stockholder proposals and other nominee record holders may be participatingproposed director nominations, the proxies that our Board solicits for the 2018 Annual Meeting will confer discretionary authority on the person named in the practiceproxy to vote on the stockholder’s proposal if it is properly brought before that meeting subject to compliance with Rule 14a-4(c) of “householding” corporate communicationsthe Exchange Act. If a stockholder makes timely notification, the proxies may still confer discretionary authority to shareholders, such asthe person named in the proxy statementsunder circumstances consistent with the SEC’s proxy rules, including Rule 14a-4(c) of the Exchange Act.


DELIVERY OF DOCUMENTS TO STOCKHOLDERS SHARING AN ADDRESS

In order to reduce costs and annual reports. This means thatin accordance with SEC rules, we deliver only one copy of this ProxyConsent Revocation Statement including the Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials, may have been sent to multiple shareholders in your household. Wesharing an address, unless we receive contrary instructions from one or more of such shareholders. Notwithstanding the foregoing, we will deliver promptly, will deliverupon written or oral request to the Company at the telephone number and address noted below, a separate copy of this Proxy Statementour consent revocation statement to you if you calleach shareholder at a shared address to which a single copy of the documents are delivered. Stockholders who wish to receive a separate copy of our proxy statement and annual report in the future should contact the Company by calling (203) 368-6044 or write us at the following address or phone number: Secretary,writing, Calmare Therapeutics Incorporated, 1375 Kings Highway,Hwy., Suite 400, Fairfield, Connecticut, 06824-5380, telephone: (203) 368-6044. If in the future you want toCT 06824. Shareholders sharing an address who currently receive separatemultiple copies of our corporate communications to shareholders, such as the Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials, proxy statements and annual reports, or if you are receiving multiple copies and would likebut who wish to receive only onea single copy of such materials, can request that only a single copy be provided by contacting the Company at the same number or address.

WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION

We are subject to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act and file annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. You may read and copy these reports, proxy statements and other information at the SEC’s public reference facilities at 100 F Street, N.E., Room 1580, Washington, D.C. 20549. You can request copies of these documents by writing to the SEC and paying a fee for the copying cost. Please call the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330 for more information about the operation of the public reference facilities. SEC filings are also available at the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. We also maintain a website at http://www.calmaretherapeutics.com, through which you can access our SEC filings. The information set forth on our website is not part of this consent revocation statement.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This Consent Revocation Statement includes “forward-looking” statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. All statements other than statements of historical facts included in this consent revocation statement regarding our financial position, business strategy and plans and objectives of management for future operations and capital expenditures are forward-looking statements. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements and the assumptions upon which the forward-looking statements are based are reasonable, we can give no assurance that such expectations and assumptions will prove to have been correct.

IMPORTANT

The Board urges you NOT to return any consent card solicited sent to you by the Complaining Minority Stockholders. If you have previously returned any such consent card sent by the Complaining Minority Stockholders, you have every right to revoke your household,consent. Simply complete, sign, date and mail the enclosed GOLD Consent Revocation Card in the postage-paid envelope provided, whether or not you should contactpreviously returned the consent card sent by the Complaining Minority Stockholders.

If you have any questions or need assistance revoking your brokerconsent on your Shares, please call or contact:

Harkins Kovler, LLC

1 Rockefeller Plaza

10th Floor

New York, NY 10020

Telephone: +1 (212) 468-5380

FAX: +1 (212) 468-5381

Email: cttc@harkinskovler.com

which has been retained by the Company to solicit Consent Revocation Cards.


Appendix A

SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION CONCERNING PARTICIPANTS IN THE COMPANY’S SOLICIATION OF CONSENT REVOCATIONS

The following tables (“The Directors” and “Executive Officers and Employees”) and the text preceding the tables set forth list the name and business address of the directors of the Company and the name, present principal occupation and business address of the Company’s executive officers and employees who, under SEC rules, are considered to be participants in the Company’s solicitation of consent revocations from its stockholders in connection with the Complaining Minority Statement (collectively, the “Participants”).

The Directors

The principal occupations of the Company’s directors listed below are included in the biographies under the section above titled “Current Directors of the Company.” The business addresses for each of these directors is c/o Calmare Therapeutics Incorporated, 1375 Kings Hwy., Suite 400, Fairfield, CT 06824.

Name
Peter Brennan
Rustin Howard
Conrad Mir
Carl O’Connell

Executive Officers and Employees

The executive officers of the Company who are considered Participants, as well as their positions with the Company, which constitute their respective principal occupations, are listed below. The business address for each of these executive officers is c/o Calmare Therapeutics Incorporated, 1375 Kings Hwy., Suite 400, Fairfield, CT 06824.

NameTitle
Conrad MirChief Executive Officer
Thomas RichtarichChief Financial Officer

Information Regarding Ownership of Company Securities By Participants

The number of shares of the Company’s common stock beneficially held as of December 31, 2016 by its directors and those executive officers who are Participants appears in the “Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management” section of this Consent Revocation Statement. Except as described in this Appendix A or otherwise in this consent revocation statement, none of the persons listed above in “The Directors” and “Executive Officers and Employees” owns any debt or equity security issued by us of record that he or she does not also own beneficially.


Transactions in the Company’s Securities by Participants—Last Two Years

Each of the director Participants received 2,500 Shares on each of January 2, 2016 and January 2, 2017. Conrad Mir received 442,751 Shares in 2016 in place of cash bonuses Mr. Mir was awarded by the Board. Mr. Mir also had 200,000 options to purchase Shares become exercisable in October 2017.

Miscellaneous Information Regarding Participants

Except as described in this Consent Revocation Statement or this Appendix A, to the Company’s knowledge: none of the Participants (i) beneficially owns (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act), directly or indirectly, any shares or other nominee record holders,securities of the Company or youany of the Company’s subsidiaries, (ii) has purchased or sold any of such securities within the past two years, or (iii) is, or within the past year was, a party to any contract, arrangement or understanding with any person with respect to any such securities. Except as disclosed in this Appendix A or this Consent Revocation Statement, no associates of a “participant” beneficially owns, directly or indirectly, any of our securities. Other than as disclosed in this Appendix A or this Consent Revocation Statement, neither we nor any of the “participants” have a substantial interest, direct or indirect, by security holdings or otherwise, in any matter to be acted upon in the Complaining Minority Stockholders Consent Solicitation. In addition, neither the Company nor any of the Participants has been within the past year party to any contract, arrangement or understanding with any person with respect to any of our securities, including, but not limited to, joint ventures, loan or option arrangements, puts or calls, guarantees against loss or guarantees of profit, division of losses or profits or the giving or withholding of proxies.

Other than as set forth in Appendix A or this Consent Revocation Statement, none of the Participants or any of their associates have (i) any arrangements or understandings with any person with respect to any future employment by the Company or the Company’s affiliates or with respect to any future transactions to which the Company or any of its affiliates will or may contact usbe a party or (ii) a direct or indirect material interest in any transaction or series of similar transactions since the beginning of the Company’s last fiscal year or any currently proposed transactions, to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries was or is to be a party in which the amount involved exceeded $120,000.


PRELIMINARY CONSENT REVOCATION CARD

SUBJECT TO COMPLETION DATED JANUARY [●], 2018

CALMARE THERAPEUTICS INCORPORATED

CONSENT REVOCATION CARD – GOLD

CONSENT REVOCATION

SOLICITED ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

OF

CALMARE THERAPEUTICS INCORPORATED

The undersigned, a holder of shares of common stock, par value $0.01 per share (the “Shares”), of Calmare Therapeutics Incorporated (the “Company”), acting with respect to all Shares held by the undersigned at the above addressclose of business on November 16, 2017, hereby acts as follows concerning the proposals of the Calmare Committee to Restore Stockholder Value (the “Complaining Minority Stockholders”) set forth on the reverse side.

Important Notice Regarding the Availability of Materials for the

Notice of Consent Revocation Solicitation

The Consent Revocation Statement is available at:

http://calmaretherapeutics.com/investors/sec.html

THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE COMPANY

URGES YOU TO MARK THE “YES, REVOKE MY

CONSENT” BOXES

[X] Please mark votes as in this example.

Proposal No. 1 Removal of Conrad Mir, Peter Brennan, Rustin Howard and phone number.Carl O’Connell: This Minority Proposal provides for the removal without cause of four of the five directors of the Company.

YES, REVOKE MY CONSENT [ ]

NO, DO NOT REVOKE ANY PRIOR CONSENT [ ]

Proposal No. 2 Election of Nominees: This Minority Proposal is to elect the following five Nominees of the Minority Complaining Stockholders to fill the vacancies if Proposal 1 is approved: (i) Stanley Yarbro, 68, (ii) Robert Conway, 67, (iii) Steve Roehrich, 67, (iv) Robert Davis, 60, and (v) Benjamin Large, 38.

YES, REVOKE MY CONSENT [ ]

NO, DO NOT REVOKE ANY PRIOR CONSENT [ ]

 

20

IF YOU WISH TO REVOKE CONSENT TO THE REMOVAL OF CERTAIN OF THE PERSONS NAMED OR REFERENCED IN PROPOSAL #2, BUT NOT ALL OF THEM, CHECK THE “YES, REVOKE MY CONSENT” BOX ABOVE AND WRITE THE NAME OF EACH SUCH PERSON YOU WANT TO BE REMOVED IN THE FOLLOWING SPACE:________________________________________________________________________

Proposal No. 3 Amendment to Bylaws Fixing the Number of Directors: Fix the number of directors on the Board at five directors.

YES, REVOKE MY CONSENT [ ]

NO, DO NOT REVOKE ANY PRIOR CONSENT [ ]

(Continued and to be signed on the reverse side)

Proposal No. 4 Amendment to Bylaws Regarding Change in Number of Directors: This Minority Proposal attempts to amend the Company’s Bylaws to require the unanimous vote of all the members of the Board for any amendment by the Board to the Bylaws, which would change the number of directors constituting the Board.

YES, REVOKE MY CONSENT [ ]

NO, DO NOT REVOKE ANY PRIOR CONSENT [ ]

Proposal No. 5 Amendment to Bylaws Regarding Vacancies: This Minority Proposal attempts to amend Section 2.01 of the Company’s Bylaws so that only Company stockholders (and not the Board) can fill any vacancies on the Board created as a result of death, resignation, disqualification, removal or otherwise. If this Minority Proposal is revoked (as requested by the Company), the Board will continue to be able to fill any such vacancy by a majority vote of the remaining directors.

YES, REVOKE MY CONSENT [ ]

NO, DO NOT REVOKE ANY PRIOR CONSENT [ ]

Proposal No. 6 Repeal of Additional Bylaws or Bylaw Amendments: This Minority Proposal attempts to repeal each provision of the Company’s Bylaws or amendments of the Bylaws that are adopted after October 10, 2010 (the last date of changes) and before the effectiveness of the foregoing Proposals, and it does not disclose what provisions it would repeal.

YES, REVOKE MY CONSENT [ ]

NO, DO NOT REVOKE ANY PRIOR CONSENT [ ]

THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE COMPANY URGES YOU TO MARK THE “YES, REVOKE MY CONSENT” BOXES FOR ALL PROPOSALS.

 

 

The Board of Directors is not aware of any matter that is to be presented for action at the meeting other than the matters set forth herein. Should any other matters requiring a vote of the shareholders arise, the proxies in the enclosed form confer upon the person or persons entitled to vote the shares represented by such proxies’ discretionary authority to vote the same in respect of any such other matters in accordance with their best judgment in the interest of CTI.UNLESS OTHERWISE INDICATED ABOVE, THIS CONSENT REVOCATION CARD REVOKES ALL PRIOR CONSENTS GIVEN WITH RESPECT TO THE PROPOSALS SET FORTH HEREIN. UNLESS YOU SPECIFY OTHERWISE, BY SIGNING AND DELIVERING THIS CONSENT REVOCATION CARD TO THE COMPANY, YOU WILL BE DEEMED TO HAVE REVOKED CONSENT TO ALL OF THE PROPOSALS SET FORTH HEREIN. IN ORDER FOR THE CONSENT REVOCATION TO BE VALID, IT MUST BE SIGNED. PLEASE MARK, SIGN, DATE AND MAIL THIS CONSENT REVOCATION USING THE POSTAGE-PAID ENVELOPE PROVIDED.

Dated: 

 

 By Order of the Board of Directors,
Signature:  
Conrad Mir
President and Chief Executive Officer

Dated: October 21, 2016

 21Printed Name:  

EXHIBIT A

CERTIFICATE OF THE DESIGNATIONS, PREFERENCES AND RELATIVE PARTICIPATING, OPTIONAL AND OTHER SPECIAL RIGHTS AND QUALIFICATIONS, LIMITATIONS OR RESTRICTIONS OF SERIES D CONVERTIBLE PREFERRED STOCK OF CALMARE THERAPEUTICS INCORPORATED

Pursuant to Section 151 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, CALMARE THERAPEUTICS INCORPORATED, a corporation organized and existing under the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, in accordance with the provisions of Section 103 thereof, DOES HEREBY CERTIFY:

That, pursuant to the authority conferred upon the Board of Directors (the "Board") of CALMARE THERAPEUTICS INCORPORATED (the "Company") on August 8, 2016, adopted a resolution designating a new series of preferred stock as Series D Convertible Preferred Stock:

Section 1. Designation and Amount. The shares of such series shall be designated as "Series D Convertible Preferred Stock" and the number of shares constituting such series shall be Five Hundred Thousand (500,000), par value $25.00 per share. Such number of shares may be increased or decreased by resolution of the Board of Directors; provided, however, that no decrease shall reduce the number of shares of Series D Convertible Preferred Stock to a number less than the number of shares then outstanding.

Section 2. Dividends and Distributions; Security.

(a) Subject to the superior rights of the holders of shares of any other series of Preferred Stock or other class of capital stock of the Company ranking superior to the shares of Series D Convertible Preferred Stock with respect to dividends, the holders of shares of Series D Convertible Preferred Stock shall be entitled to receive, when, as and if declared by the Board, out of the assets of the Company legally available therefor, (1) Semi-annual dividends payable in cash on the last day of June and the last day of December in each year, or such other dates as the Board shall approve (each such date being referred to herein as a "Semi-Annual Dividend Payment Date"), commencing on the first Semi-Annual Dividend Payment Date after the first issuance of a share or a fraction of a share of Series D Convertible Preferred Stock, in the amount of $0.75 per whole share (rounded to the nearest cent). In addition, if the Company shall pay any dividend or make any distribution on the Common Stock payable in assets, securities or other forms of noncash consideration (other than dividends or distributions solely in shares of Common Stock), then, in each such case, the Company shall simultaneously pay or make on each outstanding whole share of Series D Convertible Preferred Stock a dividend or distribution in like kind equal to the Formula Number then in effecttimes such dividend or distribution on each share of Common Stock. As used herein, the "Formula Number" shall be 25; provided, however, that, if at any time after August 8, 2016, the Company shall (i) declare or pay any dividend on the Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock or make any distribution on the Common Stock in shares of Common Stock, (ii) subdivide (by a stock split or otherwise) the outstanding shares of Common Stock into a larger number of shares of Common Stock or (iii) combine (by a reverse stock split or otherwise) the outstanding shares of Common Stock into a smaller number of shares of Common Stock, then in each such event the Formula Number shall be adjusted to a number determined by multiplying the Formula Number in effect immediately prior to such event by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that are outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that are outstanding immediately prior to such event (and rounding the result to the nearest whole number); and provided further that, if at any time after August 8, 2016, the Company shall issue any shares of its capital stock in a merger, reclassification, or change of the outstanding shares of Common Stock, then in each such event the Formula Number shall be appropriately adjusted to reflect such merger, reclassification or change so that each share of Preferred Stock continues to be the economic equivalent of a Formula Number of shares of Common Stock prior to such merger, reclassification or change.

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(b) The Company shall declare a cash dividend on the Series D Convertible Preferred Stock as provided in Section 2(a) immediately prior to or at the same time it declares a cash dividend on the Common Stock; provided, however, that, in the event no cash dividend shall have been declared on the Common Stock during the period between any Semi-Annual Dividend Payment Date and the next subsequent Semi-Annual Dividend Payment Date or, with respect to the first Semi-Annual Dividend Payment Date, during the period between the first issuance of any share or fraction of a share of Series D Convertible Preferred Stock, a dividend of $0.75 per whole share on the Series D Convertible Preferred Stock shall nevertheless accrue on such subsequent Semi-Annual Dividend Payment Date or the first Semi-Annual Dividend Payment Date, as the case may be. The Board may fix a record date for the determination of holders of shares of Series D Convertible Preferred Stock entitled to receive a dividend or distribution declared thereon, which record date shall be the same as the record date for any corresponding dividend or distribution on the Common Stock.

(d) So long as any shares of Series D Convertible Preferred stock are outstanding, no dividends or other distributions shall be declared, paid or distributed, or set aside for payment or distribution, on the Common Stock unless, in each case, the dividend required by this Section 2 to be declared on the Series D Convertible Preferred Stock shall have been declared and set aside.

(e) The holders of shares of Series D Convertible Preferred Stock shall not be entitled to receive any dividends or other distributions except as herein provided.

Section 3. Voting Rights.

The holders of shares of Series D Convertible Preferred Stock shall not have any voting rights.

Section 4. Conversion. Each share of Series D Convertible Preferred Stock shall be convertible at any time by the holder thereof into shares of Common Stock of the Company at a conversion price (the "Conversion Price") for each share of Common Stock at a ratio of one (1) share of Series D Convertible Preferred Stock to one hundred twenty-five (125) shares of Common Stock based on a $0.20 per common share basis, subject to adjustment for stock splits, stock dividends, recapitalizations, etc.

Section 5. Reacquired Shares. Any shares of Series D Convertible Preferred Stock purchased or otherwise acquired by the Corporation in any manner whatsoever shall be retired and cancelled promptly after the acquisition thereof. All such shares shall upon their cancellation 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.

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Section 6. Liquidation, Dissolution on Winding Up. Upon any liquidation (voluntary or otherwise), dissolution or winding up of the Corporation, the shares of Series D Convertible Preferred Stock shall be treated as an equivalent to the shares of Common Stock into which they are then convertible.

Section 7. Consolidation, Merger, etc. In case the Corporation shall enter into any consolidation, merger, combination or other transaction in which the shares of Common Stock are exchanged for or changed into other stock or securities, cash and/or any other property, then in any such case the shares of Series D Convertible 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 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. If the Corporation shall at any time declare or pay any dividend on Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, or effect a subdivision, combination or consolidation of the outstanding Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise than by payment of a dividend in shares of Common Stock) into a greater or lesser number of shares of Common Stock, then in each such case the amount set forth in the preceding sentence with respect to the exchange or change of shares of Series D Convertible Preferred Stock shall be adjusted by assuring that the percentage of the Company reflected by the common stock into which the total shares of Series D Convertible Preferred Stock may be converted immediately prior to such event shall remain the same percentage of the company immediately subsequent to such event.

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EXHIBIT B

2016 STOCK OPTION PLAN

Adoption of this 2016 Employees', Directors' and Consultants' Stock Option Plan (the “Plan”) by the Board of Directors authorizes Calmare Therapeutics Incorporated to issue options to purchase up to TWO MILLION, FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND (2,500,000) shares of common stock. Terms are to be determined pursuant to option agreements extended to its Employees, Directors, and Consultants subject to the following terms.

I.Purpose of the Plan.

The purpose of the Plan is to enable the Company to attract, retain and motivate its employees, directors and qualified consultants by providing for or increasing the proprietary interests of such employees, directors and consultants in the Company through increased stock ownership. The Plan provides for options which either

(a)qualify as incentive stock options (“Incentive Options”) within the meaning of that term in Section 422 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or

 

(b)Signature (2d owner, if any): do not so qualify under Section 422 of the Code (“Non-statutory Options”) (collectively the “Options”). Any Option granted under this Plan will be clearly identified at the time of grant as to whether it is intended to be either an Incentive Option or a Non-statutory Option.

II.Printed Name: Definitions.

 

The following terms, when appearing in the text of this Plan in capitalized form, will have the meanings set out below:

(a)“Board”means the Board of Directors of the Company.

(b)“Code”means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as heretofore or hereafter amended.

(c)“Committee”means the Compensation Committee which is appointed by the Board pursuant to Section 3 below and which has responsibility to administer the Plan.

(d)“Company”means Calmare Therapeutics Incorporated or any parent or “subsidiary corporation,” as that term is defined by Section 424(f) of the Code, thereof, unless the context requires it to be limited to Calmare Therapeutics Incorporated.

(e)“Consultants”means the class of persons consisting of individuals engaged by the Company by contract or otherwise to provide services to the Company as the Committee shall so determine.

(f)“Directors”means the class of persons consisting of individuals elected to and actively serving on the Company's Board of Directors.

(g)“Disabled Grantee”means a Grantee who is disabled within the meaning of Section 422 (c)(6) of the Code.

(h)“Employees”means the class of employees consisting of individuals regularly employed by the Company on a full-time salaried basis who are identified as key employees, or other such employees as the Committee shall so determine.

(i)“Executive Officer” means those individuals who, on the last day of the taxable year at issue: (i) served as the Company’s chief executive officer (“CEO), regardless of compensation level and (ii) the four most highly compensated executive officers (other than the CEO) all as determined pursuant to Treasury Regulation 1.162-27 (c)(2).

(j)“Fair Market Value”means, with respect to the common stock of the Company, the price at which the stock would change hands between an informed, able and willing buyer and seller, neither of which is under a compulsion to enter into the transaction. Fair Market Value will be determined in good faith by the Committee in accordance with a valuation method which is consistent with the guidelines set forth in Treasury Regulation 1.421-7 (e)(2) or any applicable regulations issued pursuant to Section 422(a) of the Code. Fair Market Value will be determined without regard to any restriction other than a restriction which, by its terms, will never lapse.

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(k)“Grantee”means an eligible Employee, Director or Consultant under this Plan who has been granted an Option.

(l)“Incentive Option” means an Option that qualifies for the benefit described in Section 421 of the Code, by virtue of compliance with the provisions of Section 422 of the Code.

(m)“Nonstatutory Option” means an Option that is not an Incentive Option.

(n)“Option”means a privilege granted to the Grantee by the Company that gives the Grantee the right, but not the obligation, to buy Stock at an agreed-upon price within a certain period of time.

(o)“Option Agreement”means the agreement entered into between the Company and an individual Grantee and specifying the terms and conditions of the Option granted to the Grantee, which terms and conditions will recite or incorporate by reference: (i) the provisions of this Plan which are not subject to variation; and (ii) the variable terms and conditions of each Option granted hereunder which will apply to that Grantee.

(p)“Optionee”means a Grantee, and, under the appropriate circumstances, his guardian, representative, heir, distributee, legatee or successor in interest, including any transferee.

(q)“Stock”means the Company'scommon stock.

III.Administration of the Plan.

(a)Committee Membership.The Committee shall be not less than two members and to the extent possible shall be comprised solely of Non-employee Directors, as defined by Rule 16b-3(b)(3)(i) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (“1934 Act”), or any successor definition adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission, and who shall each also qualify as an Outside Director for purposes of Section 162(m) of the Code. Any vacancy occurring on the Committee may be filled by appointment by the Board. The Board at its discretion may from time to time appoint members to the Committee in substitution of members previously appointed, may remove members of the Committee and may fill vacancies, however caused, in the Committee.

(b)Committee Procedures.The Committee shall select one of its members(Please sign exactly as chairmanshown on your stock certificate. When signing as partner, corporate officer, attorney, executor, administrator, trustee, guardian, etc., give full title as such and shall hold meetings at such times and placessign your own name as it may determine. A quorum of the Committee shall consist of a majority of its members, and the Committee may act by vote of a majority of its members present at a meeting at which therewell. If stock is a quorum, or without a meeting by written consent signed by all members of the Committee. If any powers of the Committee hereunder are limited or denied by the Board or under applicable law, the same powers may be exercised by the Board.

(c)Committee Powers and Responsibilities. The Committee will interpret the Plan, prescribe, amend and rescind any rules or regulations necessary or appropriate for the administration of the Plan, and make such other determinations and take such other actions it deems necessary or advisable, except as otherwise expressly reserved for the Board. Subject to the limitations imposed by the Board or under applicable law and the terms of the Plan, the Committee may periodically determine which Employees, Directors, and/or Consultants should receive Options under the Plan, whether the options shall be Incentive Options or Non-statutory Options, the number of shares covered by such Options, the per share purchase price for such shares, and the terms thereof, including but not limited to transferability of such Options, and shall have full power to grant such Options. In making its determinations, the Committee .shall consider, among other relevant factors, the importance of the duties of the Grantee to the Company, his or her experience with the Company, and his or her future value to the Company. All decisions, interpretations and other actions of the Committee shall be final and binding on all Grantees, Optionees and all persons deriving their rights from a Grantee or Optionee. No member of the Board or the Committee shall be liable for any action taken or failed to be taken in good faith or for any determination made pursuant to the Plan.

IV.Stock Subject to Plan.

This Plan authorizes the Committee to grant Options to Employees, Directors and/or Consultants up to the aggregate amount of Two Million, Five Hundred Thousand (2,500,000) shares of Stock, subject to eligibility and any limitations specified herein. Adjustment in the shares subject to the Plan shall be made as provided in Section VIII. Any shares covered by an Option which, for any reason, expires, terminates or is canceled may be re-optioned under the Plan. The Board has the authority to amend the Plan to add additional shares to the amount of shares that may be granted under the Plan.held jointly, each joint owner should sign.)

 

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V.Eligibility.

(a)General Rule. All Employees, Directors and Consultants defined in Section 2(e) and 2(g) shall be eligible.

(b)Ten Percent (10%) Stockholders. An Employee, Director or Consultant who owns more than Ten Percent (10%) of the total combined voting power of all classes of outstanding Stock shall not be eligible for designation as a Grantee of an Incentive Option unless:

1.the exercise price for each share of Stock subject to such Incentive Option is at least One Hundred Ten Percent (110%) of the Fair Market Value of a share of Stock on the date of grant, and

2.such Incentive Option, by its terms, is not exercisable after the expiration of five (5) years from the date of grant.

(c)Attribution Rules. For purposes of Subsection (b) above, in determining stock ownership, an Employee, Director or Consultant shall be deemed to possess the Stock owned, directly or indirectly, by or for his brothers, sisters (whether by whole or half-blood), spouse, ancestors and lineal descendants. Stock owned, directly or indirectly, by or for a corporation, partnership, estate or trust shall be deemed to be owned proportionately by or for its stockholders, partners or beneficiaries.

(d)Outstanding Stock. For purposes of Subsection (b) above, “Outstanding Stock” shall include all Stock actually issued and outstanding immediately after the grant. Outstanding Stock shall not include shares authorized for issuance under outstanding options held by the Employee, Director or Consultant, or by any other person.

(e)Individual Limits of Executive Officers. Subject to the provisions of Section 9 hereof, the number of option shares granted in a fiscal year to any Executive Officer shall not exceed One Million (1,000,000) shares for the first fiscal year during which such person becomes an Executive Officer and shall not exceed Five Hundred Thousand (500,000) shares for any subsequent fiscal year during which such person serves as an Executive Officer.

(f)Individual Incentive Option Limitation.The aggregate Fair Market Value of the stock for which Incentive Options granted to any one eligible Employee, Director, or Consultant under this Plan and under all incentive stock option plans of the Company, its parent(s) and subsidiaries, may by their terms first become exercisable during any calendar year shall not exceed One Hundred Thousand Dollars ($100,000) (the “Restriction”), determining Fair Market Value of the stock subject to any Option as of the time that Option is granted. If the date on which one or more Incentive Options could be first exercised would be accelerated pursuant to any other provision of the Plan or any Stock Option Agreement referred to in Section VI(a) below, or an amendment thereto, and the acceleration of such exercise date would result in a violation of the Restriction set forth in the preceding sentence, then notwithstanding any such other provision the exercise date of such Incentive Options shall be accelerated only to the extent, if any, that is permitted under Section 422 of the Code and the exercise date of the Incentive Options with the lowest option prices shall be accelerated first. Any exercise date which cannot be accelerated without violating the Restriction of this section shall nevertheless be accelerated, and the portion of the Option becoming exercisable thereby shall be treated as a Non-statutory Option.

VI.Terms and Conditions of All Options under the Plan.

(a)Option Agreement.All Options granted under the Plan shall be evidenced by a written Option Agreement and shall be subject to all applicable terms and conditions of the Plan and may be subject to any other terms and conditions which are not inconsistent with the Plan and which the Committee deems appropriate for inclusion in an Option Agreement.

(b)Number of Shares. Each Option Agreement shall specify the number of shares of the Stock each such Employee, Director or Consultant will be entitled to purchase pursuant to the Option and shall provide for the adjustment of such number in accordance with Section VIII. Each Option Agreement shall state the minimum number of shares which must be exercised at any time, if any.

(c)Nature of Option. Each Option Agreement shall specify the intended nature of the Option as an Incentive Option, a Non-statutory Option or partly of each type.

(d)Exercise Price. Each Option Agreement shall specify the exercise price. The exercise price of either the Incentive Option or the Non-statutory Option shall not be less than one hundred percent (100%) of the Fair Market Value of a share of Stock on the date of grant. Subject to the foregoing, the exercise price under any Option shall be determined by the Committee in its sole discretion. The exercise price shall be payable in the form described in Section VII.

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(e)Term of Option.The Option Agreement shall specify the term of the Option. The term of any Option granted under this Plan is subject to expiration, termination, and cancellation as set forth within this Plan.

(f)Exercisability.Each Option Agreement shall specify the date when all or any installment of the Option is to become exercisable. Such Option shall not be exercisable after the expiration of such term which shall be fixed by the Committee, but in any event not later than ten years from the date such Option is granted. Subject to the provisions of the Plan, the Committee may grant Options which are vested, or which become vested upon the happening of an event or events as specified by the Committee.

(g)Withholding Taxes. Upon exercise of any Non-statutory Option (or any Incentive Option which is treated as a Non-statutory Option because it fails to meet the requirements set forth in the Code for Incentive Options), the Optionee must tender full payment to the Company for any federal income tax withholding required under the Code in connection with such exercise (“Withholding Tax”). If the Optionee fails to tender to the Company the Withholding Tax, the Committee, at its discretion, shall withhold from the Optionee any and all shares subject to such Option, and accordingly, subject to Withholding Tax until such time as either of the following events has occurred:

1.if the Optionee is not an Employee, then the Optionee tenders a cash payment to the Company to pay the Withholding Tax; or

2.if the Optionee is an Employee, the Company withholds an amount sufficient to pay the Withholding Tax from the Optionee's wages.

(h)Termination and Acceleration of Options. Upon termination of a Grantee, the treatment of outstanding Options is subject to the following:

1.Termination without cause:

(i)   Non-Disabled Grantee. If the employment of a Grantee who is not a Disabled Grantee is terminated without cause, or such Grantee voluntarily quits or retires under any retirement plan of the Company, any then outstanding and exercisable stock option held by such a Grantee shall be exercisable, in accordance with the provisions of the Option Agreement, by such Grantee at any time prior to the expiration date of such Option or within three months after the date of termination of employment or service, whichever is the shorter period.

(ii)  Disabled Grantee. If the employment of a Grantee who is a Disabled Grantee is terminated without cause, any then outstanding and exercisable Option held by such a Grantee shall be exercisable, in accordance with the provisions of the Option Agreement, by such a Grantee at any time prior to the expiration date of such Option or within one year after the date of such termination of employment or service, whichever is the shorter period. Whether a Grantee is a Disabled Grantee shall be determined in each case, in its discretion, by the Committee and any such determination by the Committee shall be final and binding.

2.Termination for cause:

If the Company terminates the employment of a Grantee for cause, all outstanding stock options held by the Grantee at the time of such termination shall automatically terminate unless the Committee notifies the Grantee that his or her options will not terminate. A termination “for cause” shall be defined under each written Option Agreement. The Company assumes no responsibility and is under no obligation to notify a Permitted Transferee (as hereafter defined in section XII) of early termination of an Option on account of a Grantee's termination of employment. Whether termination of employment or other service is a termination “for cause” shall be determined in each case, in its discretion, by the Committee and any such determination by the Committee shall be final and binding.

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3.Death of Grantee.

Following the death of a Grantee during employment, any Options outstanding and exercisable held by such Grantee at the time of death shall be exercisable, in accordance with the provisions of the Option Agreement, by the person or persons entitled to do so under the Will of the Grantee, or, if the Grantee shall fail to make testamentary disposition of the stock option or shall die intestate, by the legal representative of the Grantee at any time prior to the expiration date of such Option or within one year after the date of death, whichever is the shorter period.

4.Option Granting.

The Committee may grant Options, or amend Options previously granted, so that such Options continue to be exercisable up to ten years after the date of grant irrespective of the termination of the Grantee's employment with the Company.

5.Option Vesting.

The Committee may grant Options, or amend Options previously granted, so that such Options vest upon grant or become vested upon the happening of an event or events specified by the Committee, although the exercise of such vested Options in the case of Incentive Options more than three (3) months after termination of employment may convert such Options to Non-statutory Options with respect to the income tax consequences of such exercise.

VII.Payment for Shares.

(a)Cash.Payment in cash in full for shares purchased under an Option shall be made in cash (including check, bank draft or money order) or pursuant to a “cashless” exercise provision, if any is available under the Option Agreement, at the time the Option is exercised.

(b)Stock.In lieu of cash an Optionee may, with the consent of the Committee, make payment for Stock purchased under an Option, in whole or in part, by tendering to the Company in good form for transfer, shares of Stock valued at Fair Market Value on the date the Option is exercised. Such shares will have been owned by the Optionee or the Optionee's representative for the time specified by the Committee but in no case shall the Optionee or his representative have held a beneficial interest in such tendered shares for a period less than six months prior to the exercise of the Option. Cash proceeds from the sale of Stock pursuant to Options granted under the Plan constitute general funds of the Company.

VIII.Adjustments.

Changes or adjustments in the Option price, number of shares subject to an Option or other specifics as the Committee should decide will be considered or made pursuant to the following rules:

(a)Upon Changes in Stock. If the outstanding Stock is increased or decreased, or is changed into or exchanged for a different number or kinds of shares or securities, as a result of one or more reorganizations, recapitalization, stock splits, reverse stock splits, split-up, combination of shares, exchange of shares, change in corporate structure, or otherwise, appropriate adjustments will be made in the exercise price and/ or the number and/or kind of shares or securities for which Options may thereafter be granted under this Plan and for which Options then outstanding under this Plan may thereafter be exercised. The Committee will make such adjustments as it may deem fair, just and equitable to prevent substantial dilution or enlargement of the rights granted to or available for Optionees. No adjustment provided for in this Section VIII will require the Company to issue or sell a fraction of a share or other security. Nothing in this Section will be construed to require the Company to make any specific or formula adjustment.

(b)Prohibited Adjustment. If any such adjustment provided for in this Section VIII requires the approval of stockholders in order to enable the Company to grant or amend Options, then no such adjustment will be made without the required stockholder approval. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the effect of any such adjustment would be to cause an Incentive Option to fail to continue to qualify under Section 422 of the Code or to cause a modification, extension or renewal of such stock option within the meaning described in Section 424 of the :ode, the Committee may elect that such adjustment not be made but rather shall cause reasonable efforts to effect such other adjustment of each then outstanding Option as the Committee, in its sole discretion, shall deem equitable and which will not result in any disqualification, modification, extension or renewal (within the meaning of Section 424 of the Code) of such Incentive Option.

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(c)Further Limitations. Nothing in this Section will entitle the Optionee to adjustment of his Option in the following circumstances:

(i)The issuance or sale of additional shares of the Stock, through public offering or otherwise;

(ii)The issuance or authorization of an additional class of capital stock of the Company;

(iii)The conversion of convertible preferred stock or debt of the Company into stock;

(iv)The payment of dividends except as provided in Section VIII (a).

The grant of an Option shall not affect in any way the right or power of the Company to make adjustments, reclassifications, reorganizations, or changes of its capital or business structure, to merge or consolidate or to dissolve, liquidate, sell or transfer all or part of its business assets.

IX.Legal Requirements.

(a)Compliance with All Laws.The Company will not be required to issue or deliver any certificates for shares of Stock prior to the listing of any such Stock to be acquired pursuant to the exercise of any Option on any stock exchange on which the Stock may then be listed and the compliance with any registration requirements or qualification of such shares under any federal securities laws, including without limitation the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933 Act”), the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, or state securities laws and regulations, the regulations of any stock exchange or interdealer quotation system on which the Company's securities may then be listed, and/or obtaining any ruling or waiver from any government body which the Company may, in its sole discretion, determine to be necessary or advisable, or which, in the opinion of counsel to the Company, is otherwise required.

(b)Compliance with Specific Code Provisions.It is the intent of the Company that the Plan and its administration conform strictly to the requirements of Section 422 of the Code with respect to Incentive Options. Therefore, notwithstanding any other provision of this Plan, nothing herein will contravene any requirement set forth in Section 422 of the Code with respect to Incentive Options and if inconsistent provisions are otherwise found herein, they will be deemed void and unenforceable or automatically amended to conform, as the case may be.

(c)Plan Subject to Delaware Law. All questions arising with respect to the provisions of the Plan will be determined by application of the Code and the laws of the state of Delaware except to the extent that Delaware laws are preempted by any federal law.

X.Rights as a Stockholder.

An Optionee shall have no rights as a stockholder with respect to any Stock covered by his or her Option until the date of issuance of the stock certificate to him or her after receipt of the consideration in full set forth in the Option Agreement. Except as provided in Section VIII hereof, no adjustments will be made fordividends, whether ordinary or extraordinary, whether in cash, securities, or other property, or for distributions for which the record date is prior to the date on which the Option is exercised.

XI.Restrictions on Shares.

Prior to the issuance or delivery of any shares of the Stock under the Plan, the person exercising the Option may be required to:

(a)represent and warrant that the shares of the Stock to be acquired upon exercise of the Option are being acquired for investment for the account of such person and not with a view to resale or other distribution thereof;

(b)represent and warrant that such person will not, directly or indirectly, sell, transfer, assign, pledge, hypothecate or otherwise dispose of any such share unless the sale, transfer, assignment, pledge, hypothecation or other disposition of the shares is pursuant to the provisions of this Plan and effective registrations under the 1933 Act and any applicable state or foreign securities laws or pursuant to appropriate exemptions from any such registrations; and

(c)execute such further documents as may reasonably be required by the Committee upon exercise of the Option or any part thereof, including but not limited to any stock restriction agreement that the Committee may choose to require.

Nothing in this Plan shall assure any Optionee that shares issuable under this Option are registered on a Form S-8 under the 1933 Act or on any other Form. The certificate or certificates representing the shares of the Stock to be issued or delivered upon exercise of an Option may bear a legend evidencing the foregoing and other legends required by any applicable securities laws. Furthermore, nothing herein or any Option granted hereunder will require the Company to issue any Stock upon exercise of any Option if the issuance would, in the opinion of counsel for the Company, constitute a violation of the 1933 Act, applicable state securities laws, or any other applicable rule or regulation then in effect. The Company shall have no liability for failure to issue shares upon any exercise of Options because of a delay pending the meeting of any such requirements.

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XII.Transferability.

The Committee shall retain the authority and discretion to permit a Non-statutory Option, but in no case an Incentive Option, to be transferable as long as such transfers are made only to one or more of the following: family members, limited to children of Grantee, spouse of Grantee, or grandchildren of Grantee, or trusts for the benefit of Grantee and/or such family members (“Permitted Transferee”), provided that such transfer is a bona fide gift and accordingly, the Grantee receives no consideration for the transfer, and that the Options transferred continue to be subject to the same terms and conditions that were applicable to the Options immediately prior to the transfer. Options are also subject to transfer by will or the laws of descent and distribution. Options granted pursuant to this Plan shall not be otherwise transferred, assigned, pledged, hypothecated or disposed of in any way, whether by operation of law or otherwise. A Permitted Transferee may not subsequently transfer an Option. The designation of a beneficiary shall not constitute a transfer.

XIII.No Right to Continued Employment.

This Plan and any Option granted under this Plan will not confer upon any Optionee any right with respect to continued employment or engagement by the Company nor shall they alter, modify, limit or interfere with any right or privilege of the Company under any employment agreement heretofore or hereafter executed with any Optionee, including the right to terminate any Optionee's employment or engagement at any time for or without cause, to change his or her level of compensation or to change his or her responsibilities or position.

XIV.Corporate Reorganizations.

Upon the dissolution or liquidation of the Company, or upon a reorganization, merger or consolidation of the Company as a result of which the outstanding securities of the class then subject to Options hereunder are changed into or exchanged for cash or property or securities not of the Company's issue, or upon a sale of substantially all the property of the Company to, or the acquisition of stock representing more than Eighty Percent (80%) of the voting power of the stock of the Company then outstanding by another corporation or person, the Plan will terminate and all Options will lapse. The result described above will not occur if provision is made in writing in connection with such transaction for the continuance of the Plan and/or for the assumption of Options earlier granted, or the substitution for such Options of Options covering the stock of a successor employer corporation, or a parent or a subsidiary thereof, with appropriate adjustments as to the number and kind of shares and prices, in which event the Plan and Options theretofore granted will continue in the manner and under the terms so provided. If the Plan and unexercised Options shall terminate pursuant to the foregoing, all persons holding any unexercised portions of Options then outstanding shall have the right at such time prior to the consummation of the transaction causing the termination as the Company shall designate, to exercise the unexercised portions of their options, including the portions thereof which would but for this Section XIV not yet be exercisable.

XV.Modification, Extension and Renewal.

(a)Options. Subject to the conditions of and within the limitations prescribed in the Plan herein, the Committee may modify, extend, cancel or renew outstanding Options. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no modification will, without the prior written consent of the Optionee, alter, impair or waive any rights or obligations associated with any Option earlier granted under the Plan.

(b)Plan. The Board may at any time and from time to time interpret, amend or discontinue the Plan.

XVI.Plan Date and Duration.

The Plan shall take effect on the date it is adopted by the Board. This Plan shall expire Ten (10) years from the date it is approved by the Board.

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