UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, DC 20549

FORM 10-K/A

þ		Annual Report Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2009

or

o		Transition Report Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

WEATHERFORD INTERNATIONAL LTD.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Switzerland		98-0606750
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)		(IRS Employer Identification No.)
4-6 Rue Jean-Francois Bartholoni, 1204 Geneva, Switzerland		Not Applicable
(Address of principal executive offices)		(Zip Code)

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Title of each class		Name of each exchange on which registered
Registered Shares, par value 1.16 Swiss francs per share		New York Stock Exchange

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.

Yes þ       No o

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act.

Yes o      No þ

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant: (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.

Yes þ      No o

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if and, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).

Yes þ      No o

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K. o

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer”, “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act (Check one):

Large accelerated filer þ		Accelerated filer o		Non-accelerated filer o		Smaller reporting company o
				(Do not check if a smaller reporting company)

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act).

Yes o       No þ

The aggregate market value of the voting stock held by nonaffiliates of the registrant as of June 30, 2009, was approximately $11 billion based upon the closing price on the New York Stock Exchange as of such date.

As of February 24, 2010, there were 738,353,813 shares of Weatherford registered shares, 1.16 Swiss francs par value per share, outstanding.

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

     None.

 

 

EXPLANATORY NOTE

     The sole purpose of this Amendment No. 1 to our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2009, which was filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 1, 2010 is to provide the information required by Items 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14 of Part III of Form 10-K as a definitive proxy statement containing such information will not be filed within 120 days after the end of the fiscal year covered by the original filing. This Amendment amends and restates in its entirety Items 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14 of Part III of the original filing. Except as expressly stated, this Amendment does not reflect events occurring after the date of the original filing or modify or update any of the other disclosures contained therein in any way other than as required to reflect the amendments discussed above. The reference on the cover of the original filing to the incorporation by reference of our definitive proxy statement into Part III of the original filing has been deleted.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Form 10-K
Item No.		Name of Item		Page
PART III
Item 10.		Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance			4
Item 11.		Executive Compensation			13
Item 12.		Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters			37
Item 13.		Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence			39
Item 14.		Principal Accounting Fees and Services			41
PART IV
Item 15.		Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules			41
		Signatures
EX-31.1
EX-31.2

PART III

Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance

 

Identification of Directors

 

Information related to our Directors is set forth below:

 

 

Director Biographies

 

Bernard J. Duroc-Danner founded EVI, Inc., Weatherford’s predecessor company, in May 1987 and was directly responsible for the growth of EVI, Inc.’s oilfield service and equipment business. He has directed the growth of the Company since that time. He was elected EVI’s President and Chief Executive Officer in 1990. Subsequent to the merger of EVI, Inc. with Weatherford Enterra, Inc. on May 27, 1998, Dr. Duroc-Danner was elected as our Chairman of the Board. Dr. Duroc-Danner’s family has been in the oil business for two generations. He holds an M.B.A. and a Ph.D. in Economics from Wharton (University of Pennsylvania). Prior to the start-up of EVI, Dr. Duroc-Danner held positions at Arthur D. Little Inc. and Mobil Oil Inc. Dr. Duroc-Danner is a director of Helix Energy Solutions Group, Inc. (a marine contractor and operator of offshore oil and gas properties and production facilities) and LMS Capital (an investment company). Dr. Duroc-Danner also serves on the National Petroleum Council and the Society of Petroleum Engineers. Dr. Duroc-Danner was the recipient of Ernst & Young’s 2008 Entrepreneur of the Year in Energy, Chemicals and Mining category. During the past five years, Dr. Duroc-Danner also was a director of Parker Drilling Company, an offshore drilling company, Cal Dive International, Inc., a company engaged in subsea services in the Gulf of Mexico, Universal Compression Holdings, Inc., a natural gas compression service company, and Dresser, Inc., a provider of engineered equipment and services primarily for the energy industry. The Board has concluded that Dr. Duroc-Danner should be re-elected for an additional term because of his educational background, depth of knowledge of the oilfield service industry, domestically and internationally, and previous experience in successfully leading and expanding the Company’s business. As President and Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Duroc-Danner serves as an important link between senior management and the Board, and he brings to the Board an invaluable perspective in strategic planning for the future growth of the Company.

 

Nicholas F. Brady has been the Chairman of Darby Overseas Investments, Ltd., an investment firm, since 1994. Mr. Brady is Chairman of Franklin Templeton Investment Funds (an international investment management company), and a director of Hess Corporation (an exploration and production company) and Holowesko Partners Ltd. (investment management companies). Mr. Brady is a former Secretary of the United States Department of the Treasury (1988-1993), a former Chairman of the Board of Dillon Read & Co. Inc. (investment banking) (1970-1988) and a former Chairman of Purolator, Inc. (filtration products) (1971-1987). Mr. Brady also represented the state of New Jersey as a member of the United States Senate (1982). During the past five years, Mr. Brady also was a director of C2, Inc., a provider of third-party logistic services, Templeton Emerging Markets Investment Trust PLC and Templeton Capital Advisors Ltd., an investment management company, and director or trustee, as the case may be, of a number of investment companies in the Franklin Templeton Group of Funds. Mr. Brady holds a B.A. from Yale University and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School. The Board has concluded that Mr. Brady should be re-elected for an additional term because his educational background and extensive experience in the public and private sectors are assets to the Board of Directors in carrying out its duties.

 

David J. Butters has been Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Navigator Holdings, Ltd., an international shipping company the principle business of which is the transport of liquefied petroleum gas, since September 2008 and has been Chairman and President of Navigator Holdings since August 2006. From 1969 to September 2008, Mr. Butters was a Managing Director of Lehman Brothers Inc., an investment banking company. Mr. Butters is currently Chairman of the Board of Directors of GulfMark Offshore, Inc. (a provider of marine support and transportation services to companies involved in the exploration and production of oil and natural gas),

and a director of ACOL Tankers Ltd. (an oil tanker company). Mr. Butters is Vice Chairman and Presiding Director of the Company’s Board. As Presiding Director, Mr. Butters leads the executive sessions of the non-management directors, which are held at least twice each year. During the past five years, Mr. Butters also was a director of Grant Prideco, Inc., a provider of drill pipe and other drill stem products, and TransMontaigne Inc., a refined petroleum products distribution and supply company. The Board has concluded that Mr. Butters should be re-elected for an additional term because his education, background in finance and institutional knowledge of the Company provide the Board with a valuable perspective in making decisions and planning for the Company’s future.

 

William E. Macaulay is the Chairman and, since 1983, Chief Executive Officer of First Reserve Corporation, a private equity investment firm focused on the energy industry, where he is responsible for all aspects of the firm’s investment program and strategy, and the overall management of the firm. Mr. Macaulay served as a director of Weatherford Enterra from October 1995 to May 1998. He also serves as Chairman of the Board and a director of Dresser-Rand Group, Inc. (a supplier of compression and turbine equipment to the oil, gas, petrochemical and industrial process industries). During the past five years, Mr. Macaulay also was a director of Dresser, Inc., a company engaged in the design, manufacture and marketing of highly engineered equipment and services primarily for the energy industry, and Pride International, a contract drilling and related services company. Mr. Macaulay holds a B.B.A. from City College of New York and an M.B.A. from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Mr. Macaulay received a Doctor of Humane Letters (DHL) honorary degree from Baruch College. Mr. Macaulay also served as Director of Corporate Finance for Oppenheimer & Co., Inc., where he worked from 1972 to 1982. The Board has concluded that Mr. Macaulay should be re-elected for an additional term because his education, financial experience and extensive knowledge of the oilfield service industry are important assets to the Board in its decision-making process and in strategic planning.

 

Robert B. Millard has been a Managing Member and Chief Investment Officer of Realm Partnership LLC, a private investment partnership, since January 2009. From mid-September 2008 until mid-December 2008, Mr. Millard was a Managing Director of Barclays Bank, a global financial services provider, and, from 1976 until mid-September 2008, Mr. Millard held various positions, including Managing Director, at Lehman Brothers, Inc. and its predecessors. Mr. Millard is currently a director of GulfMark Offshore, Inc. and lead director of L-3 Communications Corporation (a manufacturer of electronic communications equipment principally for the defense industry). Mr. Millard holds a S.B. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School. Mr. Millard also is a member of the MIT Corporation, which functions as the board of trustees of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The Board has concluded that Mr. Millard should be re-elected for an additional term because his education, extensive financial expertise and institutional knowledge of the Company provide the Board with a valuable perspective in making decisions and strategic planning.

 

Robert K. Moses, Jr. has been a private investor, principally in the oil and gas exploration and oilfield services business in Houston, Texas, for more than the past five years. He served as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Weatherford Enterra from May 1989 to December 1992 and as a director of Weatherford Enterra from December 1992 to May 1998. During the past five years, Mr. Moses also was a director of Grant Prideco, Inc. The Board has concluded that Mr. Moses should be re-elected for an additional term because his education, extensive knowledge of and experience in the oilfield service industry and institutional knowledge of one of Weatherford’s most significant legacy companies provide a unique perspective that is an asset to the Board in its decision making process.

 

Robert A. Rayne has been the Chairman of LMS Capital plc, an investment company listed on the London Stock Exchange, since February 2010 and was the Chief Executive Officer and a director of LMS Capital from June 2006, when the investment business of London Merchant Securities plc was demerged and LMS Capital was formed to hold this business, until February 2010. Mr. Rayne was employed by London Merchant Securities from 1968 to June 2006 and served as its Chief Executive Director from May 2001 to June 2006. Mr. Rayne is also the Non-Executive Chairman of Derwent London plc, a Central London specialist property company into which London Merchant Securities was merged in February 2007. Mr. Rayne is a director of Chyron Corporation (a supplier of graphics hardware, software and other services to the media industry). Mr. Rayne has expertise in a wide range of sectors in addition to the oilfield service industry, including the real estate, media, consumer and technology industries. The Board has concluded that Mr. Rayne should be re-elected for an additional term because his education, financial expertise, chief executive and international perspectives and diversity of expertise are beneficial to the Board in carrying out its duties.

 

Committees

 

The Board of Directors has created the following committees:

 

 

Number of Meetings

 

During 2009, the Board of Directors met six times, the Audit Committee met 37 times, the Compensation Committee met six times, and the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee met four times. All of the directors attended at least 75% of all Board of Directors and respective committee meetings, except that Mr. Brady attended seven of ten meetings.

 

Audit Committee

 

Messrs. Butters, Moses and Rayne (Chair) are the current members of the Audit Committee. The Audit Committee has been established in accordance with Section 3(a)(58)(A) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). The Board of Directors has adopted a written charter for the Audit Committee. The charter is available on our website at www.weatherford.com, by clicking on “About Weatherford,” then “Corporate Governance,” then “Committee Charters.” The primary functions of the Audit Committee are:

 

 

All members of the Audit Committee are considered independent under the current rules of the NYSE and the SEC. The Board of Directors has determined that Messrs. Butters and Rayne are “audit committee financial experts” as defined by applicable SEC rules because of their extensive financial experience.

 

Compensation Committee

 

The current members of the Compensation Committee are Messrs. Millard (Chair), Macaulay and Moses. Mr. Brady was a member of the Compensation Committee until March 2009. The Board of Directors has adopted a written charter for the Compensation Committee. The charter is available on our website at www.weatherford.com, by clicking on “About Weatherford,” then “Corporate Governance,” then “Committee Charters.” The primary functions of the Compensation Committee are:

 

 

All members of the Compensation Committee satisfy the qualification standards of section 162(m) (“section 162(m)”) of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), and Section 16 of the Exchange Act. All members are considered independent under the current rules of the NYSE and the SEC.

Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee

 

Messrs. Brady, Butters (Chair), Rayne and Macaulay are the current members of the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee. The Board of Directors has adopted a written charter for the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee. The charter is available on our website at www.weatherford.com, by clicking on “About Weatherford,” then “Corporate Governance,” then “Committee Charters.” The primary functions of the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee are:

 

 

All members of the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee are considered independent under the current rules of the NYSE and the SEC.

 

Director Nominations

 

In obtaining the names of possible nominees, the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee conducts its own inquiries and will receive suggestions from other directors, management, shareholders and other sources, and its process for evaluating nominees identified in unsolicited recommendations from shareholders is the same as its process for unsolicited recommendations from other sources. The Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee will consider nominees recommended by shareholders who submit their recommendations in writing to Chair, Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee, care of the Secretary, Weatherford International Ltd., 4-6 Rue Jean-François Bartholoni, 1204 Geneva, Switzerland. Recommendations received before December 1st in any year will be considered for inclusion in the slate of director nominees to be presented at the Annual General Meeting in the following year. Unsolicited recommendations must contain the name, address and telephone number of the potential nominee, a statement regarding the potential nominee’s background, experience, expertise and qualifications, a signed statement confirming his or her willingness and ability to serve as a director and abide by our corporate governance policies and his or her availability for a personal interview with the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee, and evidence that the person making the recommendation is a shareholder of Weatherford.

 

The Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee believes that nominees should possess the highest personal and professional ethics, integrity and values and be committed to representing the long-term interests of our shareholders. Directors should have a record of accomplishment in their chosen professional field and demonstrate sound business judgment. Directors must be willing and able to devote sufficient time to carrying out their duties and responsibilities effectively, including attendance at (in person) and participation in all Board and Committee meetings, and should be committed to serve on the Board for an extended period of time. The Committee will consider whether and to what extent a nominee will bring diversity, whether in educational background, experience, expertise and/or regional knowledge, to the Board in determining whether a candidate will be an appropriate fit with, and an asset to, the Board of Directors.

 

Rule 14a-8 under the Exchange Act addresses when a shareholder may submit a proposal for inclusion of a nominee for director in our proxy materials. Shareholders who do not comply with Rule 14a-8 but who wish to have a nominee considered by our shareholders at the Annual General Meeting must comply with the deadlines and procedures set forth in our Articles.

 

Communication with Board Members

 

Any shareholder or other interested party that desires to communicate with the Board of Directors or any of its specific members, including the Presiding Director or the non-management directors as a group, should send their communication to the Secretary, Weatherford International Ltd., 4-6 Rue Jean-François Bartholoni, 1204 Geneva, Switzerland. All such communications will be forwarded to the appropriate members of the Board.

 

Leadership Structure

 

The Board has determined that the most effective leadership structure for the Company is to combine the role of Chief Executive Officer and Chairman. The Board believes that by serving both as Chief Executive Officer and Chairman, Dr. Duroc-Danner brings multiple perspectives to the Board and also is best informed to lead the Board because of his role in the management of the Company’s business and strategic direction.

 

The Board has appointed Mr. Butters as Presiding Director to preside over executive sessions of non-management directors. The Board believes it is in the best interest of the Company’s shareholders to have a Presiding Director who has the authority to call executive sessions as a counterbalance to the Company’s combined roles of Chief Executive Officer and Chairman. The Board believes executive sessions provide the Board with the ability to independently evaluate management, openly discuss strategic and other business issues involving the Company and ensure that the Company is upholding high standards of corporate governance. For information on how to communicate with our Presiding Director and other non-management members of the Board of Directors, please see “Communication with Board Members.”

 

Executive Sessions

 

Executive sessions of non-management directors are held after each regularly scheduled Board meeting and at such additional times as may be needed. In 2009, the non-management directors held four executive sessions.

 

Director Attendance at Annual General Meeting

 

All directors are expected to attend the Annual General Meeting. Five of our seven directors attended our 2009 General Meeting.

 

Code of Conduct

 

We have adopted a code of ethics entitled Code of Business Conduct that applies to our directors, officers and employees. We also have adopted a Supplemental Code of Conduct that applies to our President and Chief Executive Officer and our Chief Financial Officer. These documents are available on our website at www.weatherford.com, by clicking on “About Weatherford,” then “Corporate Governance,” then “Code of Business Conduct” or “Supplemental Code of Conduct,” as applicable. We intend to post amendments to and waivers of our Code of Business Conduct (to the extent applicable to our President and Chief Executive Officer and our Chief Financial Officer) and to the Supplemental Code of Conduct at this location on our website.

 

Risk Management Oversight

 

The Board has delegated to the Audit Committee responsibility for the oversight of risk management for the Company. As part of their oversight function, the Audit Committee discusses and implements guidelines and policies concerning financial and compliance risk assessment and risk management, including the process by which major financial risk exposure is monitored and mitigated, and works with members of management to assess and monitor risks facing the Company’s business and operations, as well as the effectiveness of the Company’s guidelines and policies for managing and assessing financial and compliance risk. The Audit Committee meets and discusses, as appropriate, issues regarding the Company’s risk management policies and procedures directly with those individuals responsible for day-to-day risk management in the Company’s internal audit and compliance departments.

 

The following persons are our executive officers. (Dr. Duroc-Danner’s biography is on page 4.) None of the executive officers or directors have any family relationships with each other.

 

 

Andrew P. Becnel was appointed Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer in October 2006. Mr. Becnel joined the Company in 2002 and served as Corporate Vice President — Finance from September 2005 to October 2006, Vice President of Finance from May 2004 to September 2005 and Associate General Counsel from June 2002 to May 2004. Prior to joining the Company, he was Securities Counsel of Koch Investment Group (the investment and trading division of Koch Industries) from 2001 to 2002 and Senior Associate Attorney with the law firm of Andrews Kurth LLP from 1995 until 2001. Mr. Becnel graduated with honors from Amherst College and holds a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Virginia School of Law.

 

Peter T. Fontana was appointed Vice President Western Hemisphere in July 2009. Mr. Fontana joined the Company in January 2005 as Director Project Management and later that same year was appointed Vice President for the Latin America Region where he served until July 2009. Mr. Fontana has an MBA from Southern Methodist University, and, prior to joining the Company, he held leadership positions with Baker Hughes, Forasol/Foramer and The Western Company of North America.

 

Keith R. Morley joined the Company in November 2001 and was appointed Senior Vice President — Well Construction & Operations Support in January 2007. From January 2007 to December 2007, Mr. Morley served as Vice President — Operations Support, and from May 2003 to January 2007, he served as Vice President — Enterprise Excellence. From August 1999 to November 2001, Mr. Morley worked for CiDRA Optical Sensing Systems in various capacities, including Senior Vice President and General Manager. We acquired CiDRA Optical Sensing Systems in November 2001. From October 1998 to August 1999, Mr. Morley was President and Chief Executive Officer of Diversified Energy Services Corporation.

 

M. Jessica Abarca was appointed Vice President — Accounting and Chief Accounting Officer in October 2006. Ms. Abarca joined Weatherford in 1996 and served as Vice President — Finance of the Company’s Completion and Production Systems division from May 2003 until October 2006. From 1996 until 2003, Ms. Abarca served in several finance and accounting managerial positions. Prior to joining the Company, she worked for Ernst & Young LLP from 1993 until 1996.

 

M. David Colley joined the Company in 1996 and was appointed Vice President — Artificial Lift Global Business Unit in January 2008. From September 2002 to January 2008, Mr. Colley was Vice President — Global Manufacturing. Mr. Colley also was in charge of Information Technology from December 2002 until February 2004. Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Colley worked for 17 years for another oilfield service company in various positions, with a focus on the supply of oilfield products.

 

Joseph C. Henry was appointed Vice President-Legal in June 2009 and became Vice President and Co-General Counsel in December 2009. He joined the company in 2003 and became Associate General Counsel in 2006. Prior to joining us, Mr. Henry was an attorney with an international law firm in Houston from 1995 to 2001 and served as in-house counsel with other energy companies from 2001 to 2003.

 

Carel W. J. Hoyer was appointed Senior Vice President — Well Construction and Reservoir Evaluation in April 2010 and was Global Vice President — Well Construction Services from February 2009 to April 2010. Mr. Hoyer joined the Company in August 2005 and has served in various other positions, including Group Vice President — Global Business Unit Manager for several of our business units and Vice President Research, Development and Engineering. From December 1998 until August 2005, Mr. Hoyer worked for Precision Drilling in numerous capacities, including Canadian Regional Director and Vice President Product Development — Precision Energy Services. We acquired Precision in August 2005. Prior to that time, Mr. Hoyer worked for other oilfield service companies in various positions for more than 24 years.

 

James M. Hudgins was appointed Vice President — Tax in February 2009. Mr. Hudgins joined the Company in 1999 and served as Director of Tax until February 2009 and has also served as Treasurer. From June 1991 to December 1998, Mr. Hudgins held tax and finance positions with another oilfield service company. Prior to that time, he worked for Ernst & Young LLP.

 

William B. Jacobson joined the Company in March 2009 and was appointed Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer in June 2009 and Co-General Counsel in December 2009. During the past five years, Mr. Jacobson also served as a federal prosecutor for the Fraud Section of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Criminal Division, where he served in various positions, including as Assistant Chief for FCPA Enforcement, and was in private practice.

 

All of our executive officers and directors are required to file initial reports of share ownership and reports of changes in ownership with the SEC and the NYSE pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act.

 

We have reviewed these reports, including any amendments, and written representations from the executive officers and directors of the Company. Based on this review, we believe that, except as set forth below, all filing requirements were met for the executive officers subject to Section 16(a) and our directors during 2009. Mr. Ferguson was required to file a Form 4 on or before February 3, 2009 to report a transaction on January 30, 2009. The transaction was reported on a Form 4 filed on February 12, 2009. Mr. Hoyer was required to file a Form 4 on or before May 4, 2009 to report a transaction on April 30, 2009. The transaction was reported on a Form 4 amendment filed on February 5, 2010.

Item 11. Executive Compensation

 

Introduction

 

This discussion addresses compensation with respect to fiscal year 2009, as well as certain changes to our executive compensation arrangements adopted in 2010, in relation to our named executive officers.

 

Oversight of our Executive Compensation Practices

 

Our executive compensation program is administered by the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors, referred to in this section as the “Committee.” The Committee currently consists of three directors, Robert B. Millard, William E. Macaulay and Robert K. Moses, Jr., all of whom are independent, as defined by the standards of the NYSE, and satisfy the qualification standards of section 162(m) and Section 16 of the Exchange Act.

 

The Committee is responsible for, among other functions, reviewing and approving the total compensation for our named executive officers consistent with the objectives and philosophy described below.

 

As described more fully below, in determining executive compensation, the Committee reviews all components of the named executive officers’ compensation and takes into account a number of variables, including the extensive compensation and other data distributed to the Committee and the advice of Pearl Meyer & Partners (“PM&P”), an independent outside consulting firm that was retained by, and reports directly to, the Committee. Additionally, as described more fully below, the Committee also engaged Mercer (US), Inc. (“Mercer”) to assist in evaluating the Company’s supplemental executive retirement plan and other retirement programs, and to consider potential modifications to such programs.

 

Objectives and Philosophy of our Executive Compensation Program

 

The Committee believes that our executive compensation program should be designed to reward the achievement of enhanced financial performance of the Company and to maximize shareholder value by aligning the long- and short-term interests of our executive officers with those of our shareholders. In furtherance of these objectives, the Committee has structured the Company’s annual and long-term incentive compensation to provide competitive salary levels and compensation incentives that the Committee believes will:

 

1. attract, retain and motivate individuals of outstanding ability in key executive positions,

 

2. drive and reward strong business performance to create superior value for our shareholders, and

 

3. encourage our executives to focus on both the short-term and long-term performance goals of the Company.

 

The Committee also believes that a substantial majority of executive compensation should be “at risk” — that is, tied to the Company’s financial and stock performance. During periods when our financial performance meets or exceeds established objectives, we believe that executive officers should be rewarded under our incentive compensation programs for their efforts in achieving our goals. Likewise, when our performance does not meet the established goals, incentive compensation may be reduced or eliminated. In addition, for 2009, the Committee generally targeted the sum of the named executive officers’ base salary, annual performance compensation and long-term incentive compensation (together, the “total direct compensation”) to fall between the 50th to 75th percentile of compensation offered by our competitors when performance targets are met or exceeded. However, the Committee also took into consideration historical and individual factors in setting the compensation of our executive officers, with the result that the total direct compensation of one of our named executive officers falls above the 75th percentile of compensation offered by our competitors. (See “2009 Executive Compensation Components,” below.)

 

Incentive compensation is designed to balance short-term annual results and long-term success of the Company. To motivate our executive officers to achieve the Company’s short- and long-term goals and to align their interests with those of our shareholders, our executive officers are regularly awarded both short-term and long-term incentive awards. The Company’s annual cash incentive program has been, and continues to be, tied to reaching pre-established earnings objectives. Consistent with our “pay for performance” philosophy, when these objectives are achieved, the executives are eligible to receive an annual bonus under the program, but when they are not achieved, the executives are not eligible for a payout. In addition to annual incentive plan opportunities, we provide our executives and other key employees with various equity-based compensation incentives, including stock options, and restricted share and restricted share unit awards (in addition to the opportunity to purchase our registered shares through our 401(k) plan).

 

Historically, the executive officers had the opportunity to participate in our deferred compensation plans, although the Executive Deferred Compensation Stock Ownership Plan was suspended effective as of December 31, 2008. The Company also provided retirement benefits to certain senior executives through the Weatherford International Ltd. Nonqualified Executive Retirement Plan (the “ERP”). To address tax concerns related to the Company’s prior incorporation in Bermuda, the Company suspended the ERP effective December 31, 2008. Effective January 1, 2010, benefits were reinstated for the named executive officers (other than for Mr. Fontana, who did not participate in the ERP, and for Mr. Martin, who was no longer employed by the Company as of that date) under a new supplementary executive retirement plan, subject to Dr. Duroc-Danner and Mr. Becnel waiving certain benefits as described below. On March 17, the Committee acted to freeze all future supplementary retirement benefit accruals effective as of March 31, 2010 (other than with respect to investment earnings on the frozen accrual amounts based on (i) the 5-year LIBOR interest rate and/or (ii) increases in the value of the Company’s registered shares to the extent that a participant elects to convert the frozen accrual amounts into “phantom” registered shares as described below) as part of the Committee’s comprehensive review of the compensation and benefits programs provided to our executive officers following the change of the Company’s place of incorporation from Bermuda to Switzerland (see “Retirement Plans,” below).

 

General Discussion of Processes and Activities

 

The Committee annually reviews the compensation information and analysis prepared by PM&P, the financial performance of the Company and the performance of each executive officer to determine the appropriate level and combination of salary and incentive compensation for executive officers. The procedures used to establish the total compensation levels for all executive officers are the same; however, there is variability in the levels of compensation paid among our executive officers based upon each executive officer’s position (both in terms of function and responsibilities), tenure, individual performance, future contributions, retention values and market pay levels.

 

The Committee annually reviews the performance of our executive officers. The Committee periodically, and at least annually, meets and reviews the performance and contributions of Dr. Duroc-Danner. Dr. Duroc-Danner annually reviews the performance of each of our executive officers (other than himself) and provides a summary of those reviews to the Committee.

 

The Committee reviews the Company’s compensation philosophies on an ongoing basis to ensure that executive compensation appropriately reflects corporate and individual performance and yields awards that are reflective of the individual’s contribution to the achievement of our goals.

 

Compensation Consultants

 

As set forth in its charter, the Committee has the authority to retain and terminate any compensation consultants to provide advice to the Committee in connection with the fulfillment of its responsibilities. The Committee retained PM&P during the 2009 fiscal year to provide information, analyses and advice regarding executive compensation. PM&P advised the Committee on a variety of compensation-related matters, including:

 

 

 

In 2009, the Committee met with PM&P three times to review their market reports, discuss executive compensation trends and issues, as well as to develop a performance-based long-term incentive program which was ultimately adopted in March of 2010.

 

Our management communicates with PM&P from time to time but does not direct its activities for the Committee. PM&P has not performed or provided non-executive compensation services in the past to the Company (other than providing the Company with various industry surveys that were not customized for the Company).

 

In 2010, the Committee also engaged Mercer, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (“MMC”), to provide information, analyses, and advice regarding the Company’s supplementary executive retirement plans, including both the qualified and non-qualified deferred compensation programs. Mercer advised the Committee on competitive and strategic issues relating to the Company’s executive retirement programs, including an analysis of the relevant considerations for the Committee’s deliberation with respect to freezing the supplementary executive retirement plan and the executive deferred compensation program. Mercer’s fees for consulting with respect to the executive retirement programs in fiscal 2010 through April 20, 2010 were $54,453.

 

Before being engaged by the Committee in December, 2009, Mercer had previously been engaged by Company management in December 2009, to consult on the Company’s executive retirement programs and was paid $42,213 for providing these services. In addition, during the 2009 fiscal year, Mercer and its MMC affiliates were retained by Company management to provide services unrelated to the executive retirement plans and programs, including insurance brokerage and consulting services relating to compensation, health benefits, investments, retirement, outsourcing and background screening. The aggregate fees paid for these other services in fiscal 2009 were $992,159. The Committee did not review or approve the other services provided by Mercer and its affiliates to the Company, as those services were approved by management in the ordinary course of business. Based on policies and procedures implemented by Mercer to ensure the objectivity of Mercer’s advice to the Committee, the Committee believes that the consulting advice it receives from Mercer is objective and not influenced by Mercer’s or its affiliates’ other relationships with the Company.

 

Peer Group

 

When considering our compensation practices and levels, the Committee reviews the compensation practices and levels of a peer group of similarly-sized publicly-traded energy service and exploration and production companies. The peer group is used to benchmark our executive compensation levels against companies that have executive positions with responsibilities similar to ours and that compete with us for executive talent.

 

The following companies comprised the peer group in 2009:

 

 

The Committee periodically reviews the composition of our peer group to ensure that the companies in the group are relevant for comparative purposes. Historically, the Committee considered a smaller group of larger-sized peer companies in reviewing the compensation levels of Dr. Duroc-Danner. However, for the 2009 fiscal year, the Committee determined that for purposes of consistency of benchmarking among executive officers, it would not continue to use the smaller “focused peer group” for benchmarking purposes as had been done in prior years. Notwithstanding the benchmarking analysis and review undertaken by the Committee, it retains discretion to consider other factors, including individual performance, in making its final compensation decisions.

 

Overall Compensation Review for 2009

 

Following the changing of our place of incorporation from Bermuda to Switzerland in February 2009, the Committee undertook a comprehensive review of our compensation programs and policies in order to align them to the competitive marketplace in light of several factors, including:

 

1. the decline in late 2008 of our stock price and that of other companies in our industry;

 

2. the change of our place of incorporation from Bermuda to Switzerland, and the associated costs;

 

3. the decline in the price of oil and gas, and its impact in associated markets;

 

4. the increasing focus on aligning pay for performance in executive compensation decisions and the underlying programs; and

 

5. the changing corporate governance landscape relating to executive compensation arrangements.

 

As a result of this review, the Committee made the following changes during 2009 and the beginning of 2010:

 

1. at the end of 2009, the Company entered into new employment agreements with our executive officers on substantially similar terms as the prior employment agreements to avoid giving our executives “good reason” to terminate their employment at that time under the prior agreements, which would have entitled them to receive the severance payments and benefits provided therein;

 

2. approved amendments to the terms of the current employment agreements with Dr. Duroc-Danner, Mr. Fontana and certain other executive officers for purposes of making the terms of such agreements generally more consistent with current market practices and better aligning the interests of our executives with those of our shareholders (see “Employment Agreements — 2010 Employment Agreements” below);

 

3. froze any further benefit accruals under our executive supplementary executive retirement plan effective as of March 31, 2010 (except for Dr. Duroc-Danner and Mr. Becnel whose benefit accruals were retroactively frozen at December 31, 2008); provided, however, that frozen account balances for participants in the plan will continue to accrue interest at the 5-year LIBOR rate and participants will be afforded a one-time election to convert between 50% and 100% of their frozen accrued benefits into “phantom” registered shares (which will settle in our actual registered shares on the date the retirement benefit would otherwise be paid in cash under the plan);

 

4. adopted a performance-based long-term incentive award program based on the ranking of the Company’s total shareholder return (“TSR”) relative to the TSR of certain companies in our peer group (see “Long-Term Incentive Compensation — Performance-Based RSU Grants” below); and

 

5. determined to continue the practice of making quarterly grants of fully-vested shares (or cash payments in lieu thereof) in an amount approximately equal to 15% of the cumulative base salary and bonus earned by each executive who was previously participating in our Executive Deferred Compensation Stock Ownership Plan.

 

The Committee believes that the changes implemented in 2009 and 2010 to the total compensation packages of our executive officers will create a more effective alignment of our executives’ interests with those of our shareholders and will make the terms of our executive compensation programs consistent with general market trends in executive compensation pay and practices.

 

Risk Analysis of our Compensation Programs

 

The Committee has reviewed our compensation plans and policies and believes that they do not encourage unnecessary risk taking, and that the level and types of efforts that are encouraged and rewarded do not create any risks that are reasonably likely to have a material adverse effect on us. The Committee believes that the design of our compensation policies and programs encourages our employees to remain focused on both our short- and long-term goals. For example, while our cash bonus plans measure performance on an annual basis, our equity awards typically vest over a number of years, which the Committee believes encourages our employees to focus on total shareholder returns over a period of years, thus limiting the potential for excessive risk-taking.

 

2009 Executive Compensation Components

 

The Committee reviews comparative data on all the executive positions covering all the elements of compensation of the executive officers (base salary, annual performance compensation, long-term incentives, perquisites and retirement benefits (together “total compensation”) compiled by PM&P and Mercer, as well as the financial performance of the Company and the performance of each executive officer to determine the appropriate level and combination of salary and incentive compensation for each executive officer. The Committee also receives recommendations from Dr. Duroc-Danner concerning the annual base salary, annual performance compensation and long-term incentives of our executive officers (other than Dr. Duroc-Danner). Dr. Duroc-Danner’s recommendations are based, in part, upon his review of PM&P’s data and his view of each executive officer’s position (both in terms of function and responsibilities), tenure, individual performance and future contributions. The Committee can and does exercise its discretion in modifying any recommended adjustments or awards to the executive officers.

 

For 2009, the Committee’s goal was to set Dr. Duroc-Danner’s target total compensation around the 75th percentile. In general, the goal for 2009 had been for the target total compensation of the other named executive officers to be in the 50th to 75th percentile range depending upon their demonstrated abilities, experience and job responsibilities. These percentiles varied among our other executive officers depending on various factors, such as position (both in terms of function and responsibilities), tenure, individual performance and future contributions. In particular, partially as a result of the increase in the salary of our Chief Financial Officer in lieu of a cost of living adjustment as a result of his relocation to Switzerland, his total target compensation was in excess of the 90th percentile.

 

The Committee believes that making a significant portion of an executive’s compensation contingent on our financial and share price performance more closely aligns the interests of our executives with those of our shareholders. Accordingly, in 2009, a majority of our executives’ compensation was awarded in the form of equity compensation rather than annual salary or bonus.

 

Below is a description of each component of our executive compensation:

 

Base Salary.  Base pay is intended to provide a fixed level of compensation to the executives, representative of his or her skills, responsibilities and experience. Individual base salary levels will range from slightly below to slightly above the market for our most experienced officers. Base salaries for our executive officers are reviewed annually, but may be adjusted at any time during the year due to a significant increase in job responsibilities or duties, or required relocation. Proposed increases to base salaries are reviewed by our Committee following recommendations from Dr. Duroc-Danner (other than for his own base salary). The Committee does not rely on predetermined formulas or criteria when evaluating executive base salaries. Increases to base salary in 2009 were based on a combination of factors, none of which were individually weighted, including:

 

 

The table below shows the increase to base salaries of the named executive officers in 2009:

 

 

 

 

Based upon the Committee’s review of our executive officers’ individual performance and our financial performance in 2008, each named executive officer had received an increase in base salary in 2009. As noted above, Mr. Becnel received an increase in base salary of $241,500 (in addition to the general annual increase of $65,000), as a cost of living adjustment in connection with his relocation to Switzerland. None of the named executive officers received a base salary increase for 2010, other than Mr. Fontana, whose base salary will be increased from $550,000 to $600,000 effective July 1, 2010.

 

Annual Bonus Compensation.  Our annual bonus plan is generally structured to deliver total cash compensation (base pay plus the annual bonus) at approximately the 50th percentile when targets are achieved. When our earnings or profit targets are significantly exceeded, the total cash compensation can reach or exceed the third quartile in the market. When the annual bonus is not earned in a given year, the total cash compensation falls below the market median, including the first quartile of the market.

 

Management Incentive Plan.  Our named executive officers participate in our Management Incentive Plan (formerly known as the Variable Compensation Plan). The Management Incentive Plan provides all participants with the opportunity to earn annual cash bonuses based on the achievement of specific financial and operational performance targets for each fiscal year. Performance under the plan is measured by comparing our actual annual financial results against certain pre-established financial goals. Awards under the Management Incentive Plan are determined based on the Company’s overall consolidated financial results. The Committee, in consultation with management, establishes the Company’s annual performance targets in the first quarter of each year. Performance objectives are established at two levels: target and superior. Target level performance objectives are designed to be achievable but require better than expected performance, and which the Committee believes are competitive with our peer group. The target and superior levels, as a percentage of base salary, for Dr. Duroc-Danner for 2009 were 120% and 180%, respectively, and the levels for all of our other named executive officers were 95% and 145%, respectively. For fiscal 2009, the performance goals were based solely on our earnings before interest and taxes (“EBIT”); the target level performance goal was EBIT of $1,527 million, and the superior level performance goal was EBIT of $1,645 million. Performance compensation, if any, is generally paid in cash in March of each year for the prior year’s fiscal performance. The Committee has the discretion to reduce or increase any performance compensation.

 

Dr. Duroc-Danner (other than as it relates to him) may make adjustments to the financial performance goals used to determine performance compensation if circumstances such as unanticipated changes in (1) economic conditions, (2) indicators of growth or recession in business segments, (3) the nature of the Company’s operations, (4) acquisitions and dispositions, and (5) laws, regulations, accounting practices or other matters had or are expected to have a positive or negative effect on the Company. He also may suspend or terminate the Management Incentive Plan at any time, even if financial objectives have been achieved, if conditions or circumstances exist that had or may have a negative effect on the Company. If the Company’s financial performance does not generate an award in any given year, the Committee reserves the right to pay a discretionary bonus based on such criteria as the Committee may determined to be appropriate. All decisions (other than as they relate to Dr. Duroc-Danner) regarding changes in financial objectives or alternative bonus calculations are reviewed by the Committee.

The amount payable under the plan was based upon the Company’s actual financial results versus the performance targets established for each level, subject to the right to make discretionary changes as described above. No bonus payments were made with respect to the 2009 fiscal year because we failed to meet our target financial EBIT objective.

 

Long-Term Incentive Compensation

 

The Committee considers long-term incentives to be a key component of the executive officer compensation program. Long-term equity incentives are designed to motivate management to work toward long-term performance of the Company and serve to link a significant portion of the executive officers’ compensation to shareholder returns. The Committee believes that making a significant portion of an executive officer’s compensation contingent on our share price performance more closely aligns the interests of the executive officers with those of our shareholders. Accordingly, in 2009, a majority of executive compensation was in the form of long-term equity incentive compensation as opposed to annual salary or bonuses. Long-term equity incentive compensation represented, on average, over 50% of our executive officers’ total compensation (excluding changes in pension value) in 2009, as represented in the table below (with annual incentives and equity incentives valued at target):

 

 

These long-term incentives are equity-based and may consist from year to year of stock options, restricted share or restricted share unit awards and performance share awards or performance share unit awards. These types of long-term incentive awards provide our executive officers with a benefit that will increase only to the extent that the value of our registered shares increases, thereby giving them an incentive to work to increase shareholder value. The factors considered by the Committee in determining the number of options and restricted share or restricted share unit awards to be granted to each executive officer are generally the same as those used in establishing the total compensation package of executive officers and include the position of the officer (both in terms of function and responsibilities), tenure, individual performance, anticipated future contributions and the long-term incentive compensation of similarly situated executives in our peer group.

 

Equity-based awards are service-based and generally vest over a period of three to four years and, in the case of performance awards, subject to the company achieving specified objective criteria established for each award. To the extent specified in an award agreement or in an executive’s employment agreement, vesting may be accelerated upon death, termination due to disability, retirement under our established policies or as a result of a change of control. Awards also may vest if the executive officer terminates his employment for good reason or we terminate the executive officer’s employment without cause pursuant to an employment agreement.

 

Stock options become valuable only if and to the extent that the price of our registered shares exceeds the exercise price of the options, which motivates our executive officers and employees to create shareholder value. Stock options have exercise prices equal to the closing market price of our registered shares on the date of grant. Options granted under our 2006 Omnibus Incentive Plan may have a term of not more than 10 years from the date of grant. Options granted under earlier plans generally have a term of 10 years from the date of vesting. None of the named executive officers received a stock option grant in 2009.

 

Restricted share and restricted share unit awards further motivate our key employees, including our executive officers, to strive for share price appreciation. We generally award restricted shares to employees based in the United States and restricted share units to employees outside the United States. We also expect to issue restricted share units to employees who perform services for the Company in Switzerland, regardless of where they are based. Restricted share units are different from restricted shares in that we do not actually issue registered shares until the vesting requirements are met. Upon vesting, the holder of restricted share units receives one registered share for each unit that vested. Holders of restricted shares are allowed to vote their shares and are entitled to receive dividends if we pay dividends.

 

Restricted Share Grants.  In February 2009, we granted time-vested restricted share and restricted share unit awards under our 2006 Omnibus Incentive Plan, with the value of such awards falling, on average, within the 75th percentile as compared with our peer group (see “Grants of Plan-Based Awards,” below).

Vested Share Grants.  Due to the Company’s suspension of the Executive Deferred Compensation Stock Ownership Plan, and in order to compensate participants for the loss of this benefit, we granted participants in this plan, including our named executive officers (other than Mr. Ferguson, who is a participant in the Foreign Executive Deferred Compensation Stock Plan, which has not been suspended), quarterly grants of fully-vested shares effective as of the first quarter of 2009. Grants are made in an amount to approximate the benefits participants would have received had we not suspended the plan, which grants have a market value equal to 15% of the cumulative base salary and bonus paid to the participant during the prior quarterly period (see “Deferred Compensation Plans” below). Although these amounts are currently being paid out in registered shares, the Committee retains the discretion to make these payments in cash in the future.

 

2010 Performance-Based RSU Grants.  As discussed above, the Committee undertook a compensation review of our executive compensation strategies and programs during the 2009 fiscal year and early 2010. Following this review, the Committee determined to grant performance-based long-term incentive (“LTI”) awards under our 2006 Omnibus Incentive Plan for our executive officers.

 

Effective March 18, 2010, the Committee awarded Mr. Becnel 147,232 performance-based restricted share units. LTI grants with similar terms (but in different amounts) were awarded to other (non-named) executive officers at the same time. In April 2010, the Committee granted an award of 530,035 performance-based restricted share units to Dr. Duroc-Danner on the same terms under the 2010 Plan, but made that grant expressly subject to approval of the 2010 Plan by our shareholders. Our shareholders are being asked to approve the 2010 Plan at our annual general meeting scheduled for June 23, 2010.

 

The performance units will be settled in registered shares issued under our 2006 Omnibus Incentive Plan (or, in the case of Dr. Duroc-Danner, under our 2010 Omnibus Stock Incentive Plan), with the actual number of shares to be issued based on a multiple of each executive’s targeted number of performance units. The multiplier will be determined on the basis of our TSR relative to the TSR of each of Baker Hughes, Inc., Halliburton Company, and Schlumberger Limited (the “TSR Peer Group”). If we have the highest TSR of the TSR Peer Group for a given fiscal year, the payout under the new LTI program will be equal to two times the number of shares represented by the portion of the targeted number of performance units described above corresponding to the relevant fiscal year. Alternatively, an executive will receive no payout if our TSR is the lowest of the TSR Peer Group. If the Company’s TSR performance for a fiscal year is neither the highest nor the lowest among the TSR Peer Group for a fiscal year, then the performance multiplier applicable to the targeted number of performance units covered by the LTI award will be determined on the basis of the Company’s TSR percentile when compared to the TSR results of the TSR Peer Group as follows:

 

 

Shares earned on the basis of the Company’s TSR performance against the TSR Peer Group will vest in three annual installments following each of 2010, 2011 and 2012 based on TSR performance for each of such years.

 

Retirement Plans

 

Nonqualified Executive Retirement Plan.  In 2003, we implemented the Weatherford International Ltd. Nonqualified Executive Retirement Plan, or ERP, for certain of our executive officers in order to provide post-employment benefits that were not wholly dependent on the value of our registered shares and to remain competitive with the compensation practices of our peer group and general industry practices. In early 2008, we amended the ERP to exclude all incentive compensation and bonuses from the calculation of potential benefits payable under the plan to any persons who joined the plan after February 6, 2008. No participants have joined the plan since that date. This plan was further amended on December 31, 2008 to, among other things, comply with Section 409A of the Code. In addition, because of uncertainties concerning the application of Code Section 457A while we were incorporated in Bermuda, as of December 31, 2008, we amended the plan to suspend further benefit accruals and to provide that no additional persons may become participants in the plan. Under the plan, as amended, each participant’s benefit will be calculated as if he incurred a voluntary termination of employment on December 31, 2008. Because the ERP was potentially subject to Code Section 457A, it was amended to provide that if the date of a participant’s Section 409A separation from service does not occur before January 1, 2017, we will pay the participant his or her termination benefit under the plan on January 1, 2017.

 

As of December 31, 2008, each participant was fully vested in his or her benefit accrued under the plan. Each participant’s benefit under the plan will be his or her termination benefit calculated as if he or she incurred a termination of employment (not for cause) on December 31, 2008. The benefit will be paid to a participant in a lump sum within 15 days after the date of the participant’s “separation from service” with the Company (as defined in Section 409A). However, if the participant is a “specified employee” (as defined in Section 409A), the benefit will be paid in a lump sum on the date that is six months following date of such separation from service, subject to the requirement that any termination benefit under the plan be paid no later than January 1, 2017.

 

Supplemental Retirement Plan.  Effective January 1, 2009, we implemented the Weatherford International Ltd. Supplemental Retirement Plan (the “SRP”) as a result of the suspension of the ERP and the uncertainties concerning the application of Code Section 457A. The plan had a one-year term ending on December 31, 2009 and benefits under the plan would have been payable no later than December 31, 2010. This plan would have provided retirement benefits to participants whose employment was terminated other than for cause during the term of the plan and following a change of control of the Company.

 

Participants in the SRP, their spouses and dependent children (up to age 25) were also entitled to receive health and medical insurance benefits for the remainder of the participant’s and his or her spouse’s individual lives, provided they paid normal employee contributions for this coverage up to a maximum annual contribution of $2,000. These benefits were to be secondary to Medicare (to the extent permitted by law) and any other health and medical benefits that the participant received from any other employer-provided plan.

 

The SRP also provided a tax gross-up for any penalties, excise or other tax payments that may be imposed upon the participant with respect to the participant’s benefits under the plan, the ERP, or compensation outside these plans, including any additional taxes under Sections 4999, 409A or 457 of the Code.

 

The SRP terminated under its original terms on December 31, 2009 and will not provide any benefits to participants.

 

New Supplemental Retirement Plan.  Effective as of January 1, 2010, we adopted a new supplemental executive retirement plan (the “2010 SERP”) for certain of our executive officers. The 2010 SERP was intended to provide supplemental retirement benefits (including medical benefits) under the same terms and conditions in existence under the ERP prior to December 31, 2008 (the date when the ERP was amended to suspend future benefit accruals) and to incorporate technical changes and such terms and conditions that are more favorable to participants as reflected under the ERP, as amended December 31, 2008, and under the SRP. The frozen ERP will remain in effect, but any benefits paid under the ERP will be offset by a reduction in benefits under the 2010 SERP.

 

In connection with the adoption of the 2010 SERP, Dr. Duroc-Danner and Mr. Becnel agreed to waive further benefit accruals (from January 1, 2009 through December 31, 2010 for Dr. Duroc-Danner and through March 31, 2010 for Mr. Becnel) if the 2010 SERP was frozen or terminated before April 1, 2010.

 

Additionally, in light of the Committee’s overall review of our executive compensation programs and practices, the Committee further decided in March 2010 and April 2010 to amend the 2010 SERP to:

 

1. close the 2010 SERP to new participants;

 

2. freeze further benefit accruals under the 2010 SERP effective March 31, 2010 and to replace them with an accrual of monthly interest at a variable rate equal to 1/12th of the 5-year LIBOR interest rate for any portion of the account not converted into phantom registered shares; and

 

3. provide participants with a one-time election to convert between 50-100% of their frozen accrued benefit into phantom registered shares (which will be settled in actual registered shares on the date cash retirement benefits would otherwise be payable under the plan).

 

As noted above, Dr. Duroc-Danner and Mr. Becnel had agreed to waive certain benefit accruals, which, when combined with the freezing of benefits in 2010, resulted in their retirement benefits being equal to levels determined under the terms of the ERP as of December 31, 2008, subject, however, to the right to accrue interest at the 5-year LIBOR rate and to convert all or a specified portion of their accrued benefit into phantom shares, as described above. The values of the retirement benefits under the 2010 SERP (including the values accrued through December 31, 2008 under the ERP) are set forth under the heading “Pension Benefits” below.

 

Deferred Compensation Plans

 

We have historically maintained two deferred compensation plans for our executive officers: the Weatherford International, Inc. Executive Deferred Compensation Stock Ownership Plan and the Weatherford International, Inc. Foreign Executive Deferred Compensation Stock Plan. We suspended the Executive Deferred Compensation Stock Ownership Plan effective as of December 31, 2008 because of uncertainties concerning the application of Code Section 457A. So long as the suspension is in effect and unless and until the Board determines otherwise, no new participants may join the plan, participants will not be able to make compensation deferrals to the plan, and we will not make any credits under the plan of behalf of participants. So long as the plan remains suspended, amounts will still be payable to participants upon the occurrence of triggering events under the plan.

 

All amounts under the Executive Deferred Compensation Stock Ownership Plan will be distributed no later than January 1, 2017. Generally, distributions will be made in registered shares. The amount of the distribution will be a number of registered shares equal to the number of units credited to the participant’s account at the time of the distribution.

 

The following describes how the Executive Deferred Compensation Stock Ownership Plan would operate (as if it had not been suspended) and how the Foreign Executive Deferred Compensation Stock Plan currently operates.

 

Under these plans, as amended, our executive officers and other key employees are provided with long-term incentive compensation through benefits that are directly linked to future increases in the value of our registered shares. Mr. Ferguson was a participant in our Foreign Executive Deferred Compensation Stock Plan. All other named executive officers were participants in the Executive Deferred Compensation Stock Ownership Plan. Under the Executive Deferred Compensation Stock Ownership Plan, each participant could elect to defer up to 7.5% of his compensation. If a participant elected to defer at least a percentage of his eligible compensation under the Executive Deferred Compensation Stock Ownership Plan, we made an additional credit to the participant’s account equal to the amount of compensation deferred by the participant. We also credited 7.5% of his eligible compensation to his account.

 

Under the Foreign Executive Deferred Compensation Stock Plan, participants receive annual credits equal to 15% of their eligible compensation which is converted on a monthly basis into non-monetary units representing our registered shares. The Foreign Executive Deferred Compensation Stock Plan provides for a five-year vesting period with respect to the Company’s contributions, subject to earlier vesting in the event of a change in control.

 

Participants under both of these plans generally cannot receive the value of their deferred compensation under the plans until retirement, termination of employment or death. In the event of the termination of employment, a participant will be paid his benefits under the Executive Deferred Compensation Stock Ownership Plan within 30 days after the date of the participant’s Code Section 409A separation from service with the Company. However, if the participant is a Section 409A specified employee, the benefit will be paid on the date that is six months following date of such separation from service. In the event of termination of employment of a participant in the Foreign Executive Deferred Compensation Stock Plan, he will be paid his benefit within 90 days after his termination of employment.

 

Our obligations with respect to the plans are unfunded. However, under the Executive Deferred Compensation Stock Ownership Plan we have established a grantor trust, which is subject to the claims of our creditors, into which funds are deposited with an independent trustee that purchases registered shares for the plan.

 

Due to the suspension of the Executive Deferred Compensation Stock Ownership Plan, in order to compensate participants for the loss of this benefit, we have granted participants in the plan, including our named executive officers (other than Mr. Ferguson, who is a participant in the Foreign Executive Deferred Compensation Stock Plan, which has not been suspended), quarterly grants of fully vested shares. Grants have been made in an amount to approximate the benefits participants would have received had we not suspended the plan (i.e., with a market value equal to 15% of the cumulative base salary and bonus paid to the participant during the prior quarterly period). Because we do not intend to reinstate the Executive Deferred Compensation Stock Ownership Plan at this time, the Committee decided to continue this practice on a going forward basis. (See “Long-Term Incentive Compensation — Vested Share Grants” above).

Perquisites

 

The Company provides the named executive officers with perquisites and other personal benefits that the Committee believes are reasonable and consistent with the practices of our peer group. The Committee annually reviews the perquisites provided to executive officers to determine if adjustments are appropriate. Perquisites made available to our named executive officers in 2009 included an annual car allowance or the use of a company car, payment of club dues and payment of life insurance premiums.

 

Other Generally Available Benefits

 

Our named executive officers are eligible for additional Company-wide benefits on the same basis as other full-time employees. These include a 401(k) plan and other health, medical and welfare programs. Employees outside the United States are covered under different plans and programs.

 

Employment Agreements

 

Amended and Restated Employment Agreements with Weatherford International Ltd. and Employment Agreements with Weatherford International, Inc.  We had entered into two separate employment agreements with each of our 2008 named executive officers, which agreements were intended to work in tandem in granting certain rights to, and imposing obligations upon, the executive officers and creating certain obligations by the Company or Weatherford International, Inc. The employment agreements were amended and restated, effective as of December 31, 2008, to (i) comply with Code Section 409A and (ii) given the continuing uncertainty regarding the application of Code Section 457A while we were incorporated in Bermuda, to remove from those agreements certain provisions relating to severance payments and benefits following termination of employment, the existence of which may have caused adverse tax consequences to our executive officers and, to the extent tax gross-ups were included in employment agreements, to the company. Weatherford International, Inc., one of our wholly owned subsidiaries, also entered into employments agreements with certain of our executive officers to provide for similar rights and obligations as those removed from the existing employment agreements with us when the employment agreements were amended and restated. These employment agreements became effective as of January 1, 2009. Effective July 21, 2009, we and Weatherford International, Inc. also entered into employment agreements with Mr. Fontana upon his appointment as Vice President Western Hemisphere, in substantially the same form as the employment agreements we had with our other officers.

 

2009 Year-End Employment Agreements.  Under the terms of the foregoing employment agreements with each of our 2008 named executive officers discussed above, if we failed to enter into new employment agreements with the officers prior to the termination or expiration of either of the foregoing employment agreements on the same terms and conditions as existed in employment agreements between the Company or Weatherford International, Inc. and the executive officers prior to December 31, 2008, and any other terms and conditions that are more favorable to the executive officers from all employment agreements existing on January 1, 2009, the named executive officers would have the right to terminate employment for “good reason.” Consequently, as of December 31, 2009, we entered into new employment agreements with each of Jessica Abarca, Andrew P. Becnel, M. David Colley, Bernard J. Duroc-Danner, Stuart E. Ferguson and Keith R. Morley (the “Year-End Employment Agreements”). For a description of the payments we would have been obligated to pay upon the termination of each named executive officer’s employment as of December 31, 2009 (including additional rights and obligations of the parties under the agreements), see “Potential Payments upon Termination or Change in Control.”

 

2010 Employment Agreements.  The Committee determined in early 2010 that it would request that the executive officers enter into a new form of executive employment agreement (the “2010 Employment Agreement”), which form includes terms and conditions that the Committee believes are more consistent with current market practices. As of the date hereof, Dr. Duroc-Danner, Mr. Fontana, and several of our non-named executive officers, have entered into the 2010 Employment Agreement. Among other things, the key changes under the 2010 Employment Agreement include: (i) a one-year auto-renewal term (including a provision for notice of non-renewal which allows the Company to terminate the agreement without triggering full severance rights) instead of a three-year “evergreen” provision; (ii) substantial curtailment of the “good reason” definition to be more consistent with current market standards (including removing the right to terminate employment with good reason as a result of the supplemental executive retirement plan freeze); (iii) curtailment of contractually guaranteed perquisites; (iv) a

severance multiple based on base salary and target bonus (rather than on the highest bonus paid in respect of the previous five years); (v) a reduction of severance upon a termination due to death, disability or company non-renewal, to a payment equal to one-times base salary plus target bonus (rather than two or three times the executive’s base salary plus highest bonus paid in respect of the previous five years); (vi) curtailment of perquisites as a component of severance payout; (vii) deletion of automatic acceleration of outstanding unvested equity awards; (viii) the removal of tax gross-ups and waiver of tax gross-ups for taxes under Sections 280G and 409A of the Code otherwise applicable under our SERP arrangements; and (ix) the addition of intellectual property, non-competition and non-solicitation covenants.

 

Termination of Employment.  Mr. Ferguson resigned his employment with us effective as of April 1, 2010. In addition, Mr. Martin resigned his employment with us effective as of June 3, 2009 (see “Payments to Former Executive Officer”, below).

 

Change in Control and Severance Benefits

 

Our severance benefits and protections are intended to provide for the payment of severance benefits to the executive officers in the event their employment with the Company is involuntarily terminated without cause (including in case of death or disability) or they resign for good reason and to encourage the executive officers to continue employment in the event of a potential “change in control.” The Committee has determined that offering severance benefits (which may be payable in the event of a qualifying termination of employment prior to or following a change in control) ensures the retention of our officers during the pendency of a potential change in control transaction or other organizational changes within the Company. The Committee believes that these benefits serve to enhance stockholder value and align our officers’ interests with those of our shareholders.

 

The potential payments that each of our named executive officers would have received if a termination of employment had occurred on December 31, 2009 are set forth under the section entitled “Potential Payments Upon Termination or Change in Control”.

 

As discussed above, in 2009 the Committee undertook a comprehensive review of our compensation program and practices and determined, among other things, that the current levels of severance benefits could be curtailed while still remaining competitive in the marketplace.

 

Share Ownership Guidelines

 

The Committee believes that it is important to align the interests of management with the interests of our shareholders. In furtherance of this philosophy, we encourage all of our key employees to become shareholders through our equity-based awards, deferred compensation plans (to the extent available) and 401(k) plan. Although we do not maintain minimum ownership requirements for our executive officers, we believe that each executive officer, through a combination of equity awards and participation in our deferred compensation (to the extent available) and 401(k) plans, has a significant interest in increasing our long-term shareholder value.

 

Tax and Accounting Matters

 

Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code

 

The Committee considers the tax impact of our executive compensation programs. Code Section 162(m), as interpreted by IRS Notice 2007-49, imposes a $1 million limitation on the deductibility of certain compensation paid to the Chief Executive Officer and the three next most-highly paid executive officers (other than the Chief Financial Officer). Although the Committee takes into account the potential application of Section 162(m) on incentive compensation awards and other compensation decisions, it may approve compensation that will not meet these requirements in order to ensure competitive levels of compensation for our executive officers.

 

ASC Topic 718, Stock Compensation

 

Beginning on January 1, 2006, we began accounting for share-based payments, including stock options, restricted share awards and restricted share unit awards, in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification Topic 718 (formerly FAS 123(R)).

 

We have reviewed and discussed with management the Compensation Discussion and Analysis contained in this report. Based on such review and discussions, we have recommended to the Board of Directors that the Compensation Discussion and Analysis be included in the Company’s 2010 proxy statement.

 

Robert B. Millard (Chair)
William E. Macaulay
Robert K. Moses, Jr.

 

The Compensation Committee’s current members are Messrs. Macaulay, Millard (Chair) and Moses, all of whom are independent, non-employee directors. None of the Compensation Committee members have served as an officer or employee of the Company.

 

This table shows the total compensation paid for the years ended December 31, 2009, 2008 and 2007 to Dr. Duroc-Danner, Mr. Becnel, our three other most highly compensated executive officers during 2009 and one other former executive officer. These officers are referred to in this report as our “named executive officers.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

The following table provides information regarding plan-based awards granted in 2009 to the named executive officers.

 

 

 

 

The following summarizes the potential payments upon termination or change in control to our named executive officers as of December 31, 2009 (excluding Mr. Martin, who was no longer employed by the Company on that date).

 

Under the terms of the named executive officers’ employment agreements, if their employment is terminated, whether as a result of death, “disability,” “good reason,” “cause” or otherwise (each term as defined in the employment agreements), the named executive officer (or his estate) will generally be entitled to receive (1) his annual base salary through the date of termination, (2) any accrued but unpaid vacation pay, and (3) all benefits to which the named executive officer is entitled or vested (or becomes entitled or vested as a result of termination) under the terms of all employee benefit and compensation plans, agreements and arrangements in which the named executive officer is a participant as of the date of termination.

 

Under the employment agreements, if we terminated a named executive officer’s employment for any reason other than “cause,” if the named executive officer terminated his employment for “good reason” or if the employment was terminated as a result of the named executive officer’s death or “disability” (each term as defined in the employment agreements), the named executive officer (or his estate) would be entitled to receive the following compensation:

 

 

 

In addition, under such circumstances and in accordance with the employment agreements, the following benefits also would be provided or paid:

 

 

Under the employment agreements, we will pay any Earned Unpaid Salary, the Salary and Bonus Payment, the Contribution Payment, the Fringe Benefit Payment and the Car Payment (if applicable) and transfer club memberships and ownership of the company car (if applicable) within 30 days after the date of the participant’s section 409A separation from service with the Company. However, if the participant is a section 409A specified employee, these payments and transfers will be made on the date that is six months following date of such separation from service with such payments (along with the Retirement Plan Payment) bearing interest at 5% per annum.

 

Each of the employment agreements (including Mr. Fontana’s) provide that, if payments under the agreement are subject to an additional tax or excise tax imposed by sections 409A, 457A or 4999 of the Code, we would be required to pay the named executive officer a “gross up payment” to ensure that the named executive officer receives the total benefit intended by his employment agreement.

 

Under the named executive officers’ employment agreements:

 

(i) “cause” is defined as the willful and continued failure to substantially perform the executive’s duties with the Company (other than failure resulting from incapacity due to mental or physical illness or anticipated failure after the executive has provided a notice to termination for good reason) after written demand is made by the Board of Directors, or the willful engagement in illegal conduct or gross misconduct that is materially and demonstrably injurious to the Company.

 

(ii) “disability” is defined as the absence of the executive from his duties on a substantial basis for 120 calendar days as a result of incapacity due to mental or physical illness. If we determine that the executive is disabled, the named executive officer has 30 days from the date of our notice to the executive of intent to terminate employment by reason of disability to return to full-time performance of his duties. The executive may terminate his employment for disability if a physician selected by the executive determines that a disability has occurred.

 

(iii) “good reason” generally means the occurrence of any of the following:

 

• a reduction in title and/or responsibilities of the executive;

 

• a relocation of the executive;

 

• a reduction in the executive’s benefits;

 

• the breach by the Company of the employment agreement;

 

• any termination by the Company of the executive’s employment; and

 

 

The freezing of the SERP may constitute “good reason” for five of our executive officers, including Dr. Duroc-Danner, Mr. Becnel and Mr. Morley, to terminate their employment under their employment agreements if they choose to do so. Dr. Duroc-Danner subsequently entered into a new employment agreement effectively waiving his right to assert “good reason” due to the freezing of the SERP. See “Executive Compensation — Compensation Discussion & Analysis — Employment Agreements — 2010 Employment Agreements”.

 

Following a change of control or other transaction in which our registered shares cease to be publicly traded, “good reason” also will be deemed to exist if the executive is assigned to any position, authority, duties or responsibilities that are not at the ultimate parent and publicly traded company of the surviving entity or that are inconsistent with the current position, authority, duties or responsibilities set out in the employment agreement. Any good faith determination of “good reason” made by the executive is conclusive.

 

(iv) “change of control” is generally deemed to occur if:

 

•   any person acquires 20% or more of our registered shares;

 

 

 

None of the current named executive officers are eligible for retirement under our plans and policies. However, as of December 31, 2009, each participant is fully vested in his or her benefit accrued under the retirement plan. Each participant’s benefit under the retirement plan will be his or her termination benefit calculated as if he or she incurred a termination of employment (not for cause) as of December 31, 2009. No early retirement benefits are available under our retirement plans.

 

Payments to Former Executive Officer

 

In 2009, Burt M. Martin received a payment under our retirement plan and a distribution of shares under our executive deferred compensation plan in connection with the termination of his employment.

 

Termination Upon Death or Disability, Other Than For Cause or For Good Reason

 

The following table, referred to in this report as the “Cash Compensation Table,” describes cash payments that would be required to be made under the employment agreements with respect to our named executive officers and under our retirement plans in the event a named executive officer’s employment was terminated upon death or disability, by us other than for cause or by the named executive officer for good reason. As described above, the freezing of the SERP may constitute “good reason” for five of our executive officers, including Dr. Duroc-Danner, Mr. Becnel and Mr. Morley, to terminate their employment under their employment agreements. Dr. Duroc-Danner subsequently entered into a new employment agreement effectively waiving his right to assert “good reason” due to the freezing of the SERP. See “Executive Compensation — Compensation Discussion & Analysis — Employment Agreements — 2010 Employment Agreements”. The amounts shown for such person in the tables include amounts earned through such time and are estimates of the amount that would be paid out to the named executive officer upon their termination. The actual amounts to be paid out can only be determined at the time of, and depend upon the circumstances surrounding, such named executive officer’s termination. Additional amounts payable as a result of termination upon death or termination after a change of control are set forth in additional detail below under “Termination Upon Death,” and “Termination After a Change of Control.”

 

 

 

 

In addition to the cash payments described above, the named executive officers would have been entitled to receive the following non-cash compensation set forth in the table below.

 

 

Termination Upon Death

 

In the event of a named executive officer’s death, his estate would be entitled to receive the following compensation in addition to the amounts set forth in the Cash Compensation Table: (1) life insurance proceeds in the amount of up to one times (four times for Mr. Ferguson in accordance with our foreign benefit plan) the named executive officer’s salary or salary bracket, up to a maximum of $1,500,000, except in the case of Mr. Ferguson; and (2) if applicable, accidental death and dismemberment proceeds in the amount of two times the named executive officer’s salary. The additional amounts in life insurance proceeds would be $1,500,000 for Dr. Duroc-Danner, $625,000 for Mr. Becnel, $2,854,852 for Mr. Ferguson, $550,000 for Mr. Fontana, and $1,100,000 for Mr. Morley (including $550,000 of proceeds the premiums for which are paid by Mr. Morley). If accidental death and dismemberment benefits were payable, these amounts generally would be doubled. The payments described above assume the event triggering payment occurred on December 31, 2009.

 

Termination After a Change of Control

 

In the event of a named executive officer’s employment was terminated after a change of control for any reason other than by us for cause, the named executive officer would be entitled to a termination benefit payment pursuant to our Supplemental Retirement Plan (in addition to the Retirement Plan Payment set forth in the Cash Compensation Table). For a description of this payment, see “Retirement Plans — Supplemental Retirement Plan” in the Compensation Discussion and Analysis section. Additionally, the named executive officer would be entitled to additional gross-up payments to account for taxes that would be payable on the amounts received by the named executive officer. The additional termination benefit payment amounts would be approximately $0 for Dr. Duroc-Danner, $9,020,091 for Mr. Becnel, $8,177,114 for Mr. Ferguson, and $6,597,783 for Mr. Morley. Tax gross-up payments are estimates and would be approximately $0 for Dr. Duroc-Danner, $8,101,140 for Mr. Becnel, $0 for Mr. Ferguson and $5,742,079 for Mr. Morley. The payments described above assume the event triggering payment occurred on December 31, 2009.

 

Termination for Cause or Voluntary Termination

 

No other special or additional payments are payable to the named executive officers under the employment agreements in the event of a termination for “cause” or voluntary termination of employment by the named executive officer for other than “good reason.”

 

The following table provides information about the number of outstanding equity awards held by our named executive officers at December 31, 2009.

 

 

 

 

The following table provides information about restricted shares or share units vesting, and the value realized on vesting by our named executive officers during 2009. No options were exercised by any of the named executive officers during 2009.

 

 

The following table and the information below it contain information regarding the named executive officers’ benefits under our retirement plans. Mr. Fontana is not a participant in these plans. Under its terms, the Supplemental Retirement Plan lapsed on December 31, 2009 and would have provided benefits in the event of a change in control of the Company. Values have been determined using interest rate and mortality assumptions consistent with those used in our financial statements.

 

 

 

 

For a description of our Nonqualified Executive Retirement Plan and our Supplemental Retirement Plans, see “Retirement Plans” in the Compensation Discussion and Analysis section.

 

We suspended the Executive Deferred Compensation Stock Ownership Plan effective as of December 31, 2008 because of uncertainties concerning the application of section 457A. During the suspension, and unless and until the Board of Directors determines otherwise, no new participants may join the plan and there will not be any further benefit accruals under the plan after December 31, 2008. While the plan is suspended, amounts are still payable to participants on the occurrence of triggering events under the plan. The plan was further amended to provide that if the date of a participant’s section 409A separation from service does not occur before January 1, 2017, we will pay the participant his or her termination benefit under the plan on January 1, 2017.

 

The Foreign Executive Deferred Compensation Stock Plan has not been suspended.

The following table and the information below it contain information regarding the named executive officers’ benefits under our deferred compensation plans.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The following table provides information as of December 31, 2009 about the number of shares to be issued upon vesting or exercise of equity awards including options, restricted shares, warrants and deferred stock units as well as the number of shares remaining available for issuance under our equity compensation plans.

 

 

 

 

Our 1998 Employee Stock Option Plan, (“1998 Plan”), provides for the grant of nonqualified options to purchase our shares to employees or employees of our affiliates, as determined by the Compensation Committee of our Board of Directors. The price at which shares may be purchased is based on the market price of the shares and cannot be less than the aggregate par value of the shares on the date the option was granted. Unless otherwise provided in an option agreement, no option may be exercised after one day less than 10 years from the date of vesting. Options generally become fully exercisable after three to four years from the date of grant, subject to earlier vesting in the event of the death, disability or retirement of the employee or in the event of a change of control of the Company. The 1998 Plan provides for the grant of options to purchase up to 88,000,000 shares. As of December 31, 2009, there were options to purchase an aggregate of 9,280,280 our shares outstanding under the 1998 Plan, all of which are vested. Subsequent to the shareholder approval of our Omnibus Plan in May 2006, awards are no longer granted under the 1998 Plan.

 

A total of 3,898,112 options to purchase shares of our stock were granted under individual compensation arrangements with the following directors: Mr. David J. Butters, Mr. William E. Macaulay, Mr. Robert B. Millard, Mr. Robert K. Moses, Jr. and Mr. Robert A. Rayne. At December 31, 2009, there were an aggregate of 2,491,456 of these options outstanding under these agreements, all of which are fully vested.

 

Under our Non-Employee Director Deferred Compensation Plan (“DDC Plan”), each non-employee director may elect to defer up to 7.5% of any fees paid by the us. The deferred fees were converted into non-monetary units representing shares that could have been purchased with the deferred fees based on the market price of our shares on the last day of the month in which fees were deferred. If a non-employee director elected to defer at least 5% of his fees, we made an additional contribution to the director’s account equal to the sum of (1) 7.5% of the director’s fees plus (2) the amount of fees deferred by the director. The non-employee directors are fully vested at all times. Our directors may generally determine when distributions will be made from the plan, but in any event all benefits under the DDC Plan will be distributed no later than January 1, 2017. The amount of the distribution will be a number of our shares equal to the number of units at the time of distribution. As of December 31, 2009, there were 121,226 deferred units outstanding under this plan. Effective December 31, 2008, we suspended the DDC Plan. While the plan is suspended, no new participants may join the plan and no further deferrals of fees or matching contributions will be made under the plan unless and until our Board of Directors determines otherwise.

 

We established our Foreign Executive Deferred Compensation Stock Ownership Plan for key foreign employees (“FEDC Plan”) and under this plan we contribute 15% of each participant’s total salary, bonus and commission compensation each year. Our contributions vest over a five-year period on the basis of 20% per year for each year of service. Under the FEDC Plan, our contributions are converted into non-monetary units equal to the number of our shares that could have been purchased with the amounts contributed based on the average closing price of our shares for each day of the month in which contributions are made. Distributions are made under the FEDC Plan after a participant retires, becomes disabled or dies or after his employment is terminated, but in any event all benefits under the FEDC Plan will be distributed no later than January 1, 2017. Distributions under the FEDC Plan are made in a number of our shares equal to the number of units allocated to the participant’s account at the time of distribution. As of December 31, 2009, there were 153,490 deferred units outstanding under this plan.

 

We issued warrants to purchase up to 12,928,856 of our shares at a price of $15.00 per share, which are exercisable until February 28, 2012. The warrant holders may exercise the warrants and settlement may occur through physical delivery, net share settlement, net cash settlement or a combination thereof. The net cash settlement option upon exercise is at our sole discretion.

 

In 2003, our Board of Directors approved a restricted share plan that allows for the grant of up to 15,340,000 of our shares to our key employees and directors (“2003 Restricted Share Plan”). Restricted shares are subject to forfeiture restrictions that generally lapse after a specified period from the date of grant and are subject to earlier vesting in the event of death, retirement or a change in control. As of December 31, 2009, there were 12,534,835 shares granted net of forfeitures under the 2003 Restricted Share Plan and 86,000 shares are unvested. Subsequent to the shareholder approval of our Omnibus Plan in May 2006, awards are no longer made under this plan.

 

Summary of Board Compensation for 2009

 

The following table sets forth the compensation paid to each of our non-employee directors for the year ended December 31, 2009. Dr. Duroc-Danner was an executive officer and director in 2009, and information about his compensation is listed in the Summary Compensation Table in this report.

 

Director Compensation

 

 

 

Item 12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters

 

Shares Owned by Directors and Executive Officers

 

This table shows the number and percentage of common shares beneficially owned by each of our directors and each of the executive officers and former executive officer named in the Summary Compensation Table that appears under “Executive Compensation” in this report and all of our directors and executive officers and a former executive officer as a group. Share ownership information of our directors and current executive officers is as of April 23, 2010. Each person has sole voting and investment power for the shares shown below, unless otherwise noted.

 

 

 

 

This table shows information for each person known by us to beneficially own 5% or more of the outstanding registered shares as of April 23, 2010.

 

 

 

Item 13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence

 

Director Independence

 

The Board of Directors has affirmatively determined that each person who was a director during the Company’s fiscal year ending December 31, 2009 and each current director and nominee is independent under the current rules of the NYSE and the SEC, other than Dr. Duroc-Danner, who is an employee. As contemplated by NYSE rules, the Board has adopted categorical standards to assist it in making independence determinations, which standards are available on our website at www.weatherford.com, by clicking on “About Weatherford,” then “Corporate Governance,” then “Corporate Governance Policies.” A relationship falls within the categorical standards if it:

 

 

The Board, however, considers and reviews all relationships with each director in making its independence determinations. None of the independent directors and nominees had relationships relevant to an independence determination that were outside the scope of the Board’s categorical standards.

 

Policies Regarding Related Person Transactions

 

Our policies regarding transactions between us or any of our affiliates and our directors, executive officers and other employees are set forth in our Corporate Governance Principles and our Code of Business Conduct. These documents are available on our website at www.weatherford.com, by clicking on “About Weatherford,” then “Corporate Governance,” then “Corporate Governance Policies” or “Code of Business Conduct,” as applicable. If an actual or potential conflict of interest arises for any director, the director is required to notify the Board and is not allowed to participate in any discussions or voting on any transaction in which the actual or potential conflict of interest may arise. The Board of Directors approves any transactions with our Chief Executive Officer, and our Chief Executive Officer approves any transactions with any other officer.

 

 

In December 2007, we entered into an arms-length transaction with an affiliate of E. Lee Colley, III, our former Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. E. Lee Colley is also the brother of M. David Colley, our Vice President — Artificial Lift Global Business Unit. Under the terms of the transaction, we transferred intellectual property rights relating to the design of certain equipment to an affiliate of E. Lee Colley, and, in exchange, we received $2.6 million in cash and a promissory note for $10.4 million payable over six years and bearing interest at LIBOR plus 3%. In connection with this transfer, we also entered a supply agreement with the purchaser to manufacture and supply us with certain equipment, under which we expect to purchase approximately $10 million of products per year. Mr. M. David Colley was not involved in the negotiation of this transaction and will receive no personal benefit from it.

Item 14. Principal Accounting Fees and Services

 

Fees Paid to Ernst & Young

 

The following table presents fees for professional audit services rendered by Ernst & Young LLP for the audit of the Company’s annual financial statements for the years ended December 31, 2009 and 2008, and fees billed for other services rendered by Ernst & Young LLP during those periods. All fees were approved by the Audit Committee pursuant to its pre-approval policy.

 

 

 

 

Audit Committee Pre-approval Policy

 

The Audit Committee has established a pre-approval policy for all audit services to be provided by an outside audit firm, including the independent auditor, and permissible non-audit services provided by the independent auditor.

 

There are two types of pre-approval. “General” pre-approval is based on pre-determined types of services and amounts. Under the policy, pre-approved service categories are provided for up to 12 months and must be detailed as to the particular services provided and sufficiently specific and objective so that no judgments by management are required to determine whether a specific service falls within the scope of what has been pre-approved. The Audit Committee reviews a listing of “General” services provided on a quarterly basis. “Specific” pre-approval is required for certain types of services or if a service is expected to exceed the limits set out in the “General” pre-approval. “Specific” pre-approval must be obtained through direct communications with the Audit Committee or the Chairman of the Audit Committee, to whom the Audit Committee has delegated pre-approval authority. The Chairman must report any pre-approved decisions to the Audit Committee at its next scheduled meeting.

 

Pre-approval is not required for de minimis services that initially were thought to be part of an audit. When an auditor performs a service thought to be part of the audit, which then turns out to be a non-audit service, the pre-approval requirement is waived. However, the Audit Committee must approve the service before the audit is completed. Fees for de minimis services, when aggregated with fees for all such services, cannot exceed 5% of the total fees paid to the auditor during the fiscal year.

PART IV

Item 15. Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules

 

(a)   1. - 2.   No financial statements or schedules are filed with this report on Form 10-K/A.

 

              3.   The exhibits of the Company are listed below under Item 15(b).

 

(b)   Exhibits:

 Exhibit
Number                    Description

†31.1		Certification of Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
†31.2		Certification of Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002

SIGNATURES

     Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Houston, State of Texas, on April 30, 2010.