SEC Filing Summary: W. R. Berkley Corporation (8-K)
Business Context and Reporting Period
This Form 8-K was filed on May 17, 2011, by W. R. Berkley Corporation, a Delaware corporation. The report details the results of the Company's Annual Meeting of Stockholders held on the same date.
Key Financial Metrics
The filing text does not provide a clear value for revenue, profit, cash flow, margins, debt, or liquidity. This report focuses exclusively on corporate governance and voting outcomes rather than financial performance.
Material Changes and Voting Results
The following matters were submitted to a vote of security holders:
- Election of Directors: Three directors were elected. Rodney A. Hawes, Jr. was elected for a term expiring in 2012. Jack H. Nusbaum and Mark L. Shapiro were elected for terms expiring in 2014.
- Say-on-Pay Vote: Shareholders approved the compensation of executive officers on a non-binding advisory basis.
- Frequency of Say-on-Pay Votes: Shareholders voted on the future frequency of these advisory votes.
- Auditor Ratification: The appointment of KPMG LLP as the independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2011, was ratified.
Guidance, Outlook, and Risks
The filing text does not provide a clear value for guidance, outlook, management commentary, risks, contingencies, or unusual items.
Key Facts for Investor Verification
- Director Tenure: Verify the staggered terms for the newly elected directors (Hawes expiring 2012; Nusbaum and Shapiro expiring 2014).
- Executive Compensation Support: Note that approximately 84% of votes cast (excluding abstentions and broker non-votes) were in favor of the "Say-on-Pay" resolution.
- Vote Frequency Preference: Shareholders voted to hold "Say-on-Pay" votes every year (66.7 million votes) versus every three years (51.6 million votes).
- Auditor Approval: KPMG LLP received overwhelming support (over 130 million votes for) for the upcoming fiscal year.