UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d)
OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
February 7, 2005
Date of report (Date of earliest event reported)
Sotheby's Holdings, Inc.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
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Michigan |
1-9750 |
38-2478409 |
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(State or other |
(Commission |
(I.R.S. Employer |
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jurisdiction of |
File Number) |
Identification No.) |
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incorporation
or |
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38500 Woodward Avenue, Suite 100 |
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Bloomfield Hills, Michigan |
48303 |
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(Address of principal executive offices) |
(Zip Code) | ||||
(248) 646-2400
(Registrant's telephone number, including area code)
Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:
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Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the |
Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)
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Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the |
Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)
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Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) |
under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))
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Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) |
under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))
Item 8.01. Other Events
On December 15, 2004, Sotheby's Holdings, Inc. (the Company) disclosed in a Form 8-K that its Compensation Committee had approved: (i) an Amendment (the Amendment) to the Sothebys, Inc. Retirement Savings Plan, a defined contribution pension plan qualified under Section 401(k) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (the Retirement Savings Plan) and (ii) the establishment of the Sotheby's Inc. 2005 Benefit Equalization Plan (the "2005 BEP"), an unfunded defined contribution plan that is available to certain officers of the company whose contributions to the Retirement Savings Plan are limited by Internal Revenue Service Regulations. The principal change reflected in the Amendment was to replace the current standard Company contribution to the Retirement Savings Plan of a flat 2% of each participants eligible compensation to an amount determined at the Companys discretion that will vary depending on the Companys profitability, reflecting the Companys ongoing commitment to controlling costs by reducing its fixed cost base. Since the contribution formula for the 2005 BEP mirrors the contribution formula for the Retirement Savings Plan, the determination by the Compensation Committee of the formula for the Company contribution to the Retirement Savings Plan for any year automatically determines the same formula for the 2005 BEP for that year. On February 7, 2005, the Compensation Committee approved the performance criteria for determining the Companys contribution for both plans for the year ended December 31, 2005. Under these criteria, a Company contribution will be made to both plans in an amount equal to a specified percentage of each participant's eligible compensation only if the Company achieves a specified base level of net income for the year, as determined by the Compensation Committee, and this percentage will increase depending on the achievement by the Company of certain threshold levels of net income in excess of the base level.
SIGNATURE
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Company has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
SOTHEBY'S HOLDINGS, INC. |
By: |
/s/ Michael L. Gillis Michael L. GillisSenior Vice President, Controller and Chief Accounting Officer |
Date: |
February 11, 2005 |