UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

FORM 8-K

 

CURRENT REPORT

 

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15( d ) of

the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

 

Date of Report (date of earliest event reported): April 15, 2019

 

GWG Holdings, Inc.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

Delaware   001-36615   26-2222607
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation)   (Commission File Number)  

(IRS Employer

Identification No.)

         
220 South Sixth Street, Suite 1200, Minneapolis, MN   55402
(Address of principal executive offices)   (Zip Code)

 

(612) 746-1944

(Registrant's telephone number, including area code)

 

Not applicable

(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)

 

 

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

 

  o Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

 

  o Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

 

  o Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

 

  o Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).

 

Emerging growth company  o

 

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. o

 

 

  

 

 

 

Item 4.02 Non-Reliance on Previously Issued Financial Statements or a Related Audit Report or Completed Interim Review.  

  

On April 15, 2019, the Board of Directors of GWG Holdings, Inc. (the "Company"), based on the recommendation of management and the Audit Committee after discussion with the Company's accounting consultants and independent registered public accounting firm, determined that the Company will restate its previously issued unaudited quarterly financial statements for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2018 and therefore such unaudited quarterly financial statements should not be relied upon. Similarly, related press releases, earnings releases, and investor communications describing the Company’s financial statements for these periods should no longer be relied upon.

 

Impact on Previously Reported Periods

 

The following tables highlight the impact to the Company’s previously reported Balance Sheet, Statement of Operations and debt coverage ratio for the Third Quarter and Nine Months Ended September 30, 2019. There is no impact to the Company’s originally reported net loss attributable to common stockholders or stockholders’ equity. Likewise, there is no impact to the Company’s originally reported portfolio of life insurance policies.

 

Impacts of restatement – The effects of the restatement on the line items within the Company’s condensed consolidated balance sheet as of September 30, 2018 are as follows:

 

    As              
    originally              
    reported     Adjustments     As restated  
ASSETS:                  
Financing receivable from affiliate   $ -       $ 366,871,000     $ 366,871,000  
Equity method investment     -         42,069,000       42,069,000  
Other assets     13,022,000       (3,185,000 )     9,837,000  
Total assets     935,907,000       405,755,000       1,341,662,000  
                         
LIABILITIES:                        
Seller Trust L Bonds   $ -       $ 403,235,000     $ 403,235,000  
Interest and dividends payable     16,228,000       2,520,000       18,748,000  
Total liabilities     754,749,000       405,755,000       1,160,504,000  

   

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The effects of the restatement on the line items within the Company’s condensed consolidated statements of operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2018 are as follows:

 

    Three months ended
September 30, 2018
    Nine months ended
September 30, 2018
 
    As                 As              
    originally                 originally              
    reported     Adjustments     As restated     reported     Adjustments     As restated  
Interest and other income   $ 931,000     $ 4,285,000     $ 5,216,000     $ 2,579,000     $ 4,285,000     $ 6,864,000  
Interest expense     17,515,000       4,285,000       21,800,000       50,726,000       4,285,000       55,011,000  
Net Loss     (10,522,000 )     -         (10,522,000 )     (19,758,000 )     -         (19,758,000 )

 

The effects of the restatement on the Company’s debt coverage ratio as of September 30, 2018 are as follows:

 

    As              
    originally              
    reported     Adjustments     As restated  
                   
Life insurance portfolio policy benefits   $ 1,961,598,000     $ -       $ 1,961,598,000  
Discount rate of future cash flows (1)     7.84 %     -         7.84 %
Net present value of life insurance portfolio policy benefits   $ 896,903,000     $ -       $ 896,903,000  
Cash and cash equivalents     120,943,000       -         120,943,000  
Life insurance policy benefits receivable     10,473,000       -         10,473,000  
Other assets (2)     13,022,000       405,755,000       418,777,000  
Total Coverage   $ 1,041,341,000     $ 405,755,000     $ 1,447,096,000  
                         
Senior credit facility with LNV Corporation   $ 171,964,000     $ -       171,964,000  
L Bonds and Seller Trust L Bonds     586,063,000       403,235,000       989,298,000  
Total Indebtedness   $ 758,027,000     $ 403,235,000     $ 1,161,262,000  
                         
Debt Coverage Ratio     72.79 %         80.25 %

(1) Weighted-average interest rate paid on indebtedness, exclusive of the Seller Trust L Bonds.

(2) The Total Coverage amount as of September 30, 2018 includes “other assets” of the Company as reflected on its most recently available balance sheet prepared in accordance with U. S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (“GAAP”). 

 

Background

 

On January 12, 2018, the Company and its wholly owned subsidiary GWG Life, LLC (“GWG Life”) entered into a Master Exchange Agreement with The Beneficient Company Group, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership (“Beneficient”), MHT Financial SPV, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“MHT SPV”), and various related trusts (the “Seller Trusts”), as amended and restated on January 18, 2018 with effect from January 12, 2018, and as further amended by the First Amendment to Master Exchange Agreement and Second Amendment to Master Exchange Agreement (as amended, the “Master Exchange Agreement”). Under the Master Exchange Agreement, the Company, on the one hand, and any of Beneficient, MHT SPV or the Seller Trusts, on the other hand, could terminate the Master Exchange Agreement prior to the closing under certain circumstances, including if the conditions to closing of the transaction had not been fulfilled by June 30, 2018 (the “Closing Conditions Date”). On March 30, 2018 and June 29, 2018, the Company, Beneficient, MHT SPV, and the Seller Trusts entered into First and Second Amendments, respectively, to the Master Exchange Agreement pursuant to which the Closing Conditions Date was ultimately extended to July 30, 2018. The material terms and conditions of the Master Exchange Agreement were described in the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K (the “Original Form 8-K”) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on January 18, 2018. 

 

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On August 10, 2018, the Company, Beneficient, MHT SPV, and the Seller Trusts entered into a Third Amendment to Master Exchange Agreement. Pursuant to the Third Amendment, the parties agreed to consummate the transactions contemplated by the Master Exchange Agreement in two closings (the “Beneficient Transaction”). The Third Amendment also generally deleted MHT SPV as a party to the Master Exchange Agreement.

 

The first closing (the “Initial Transfer”) occurred on August 10, 2018.

 

The second closing (“Final Closing”) occurred on December 28, 2018.

 

The Company received conflicting accounting guidance interpretation from multiple national public accounting firms regarding the accounting for the assets and liabilities exchanged in the Initial Transfer. Given the uncertainty of a Final Closing event and the fact that, under the Supplemental Indenture governing the Seller Trust L Bonds, the Company could use the assets received in the Initial Transfer to satisfy the Seller Trust L Bonds which we issued at the Initial Transfer (in the event a Final Closing did not occur by January 31, 2019, the “Unwind”). Accordingly, the Company decided – after discussion with its independent registered public accounting firm – not to recognize the assets and liabilities exchanged in the Initial Transfer that were subject to the Unwind. This position was confirmed in the required communications to the Company’s Audit Committee by our independent registered public accounting firm. The Company did, however, provide a detailed description of the Initial Transfer, all of the instruments exchanged at the Initial Transfer, and the non-recognition treatment chosen in the footnotes to its Q3 2018 Form 10-Q.

 

In connection with the preparation of its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018, the Company sought “pre-clearance” from the staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC” or “Staff”) regarding two elements of the Beneficient Transaction, including whether the two transaction events should be accounted for as a single transaction as of the Final Closing. After discussions between the Company, its independent registered public accounting firm and the Staff, the Staff expressed its view that the Company should record the two transaction events separately. The Company then analyzed the error and the impact of the misstatement on the Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2018 with its independent registered public accounting firm. The conclusion of that analysis is what led the Company’s Audit Committee to conclude that the Company will need to restate its previously issued unaudited quarterly financial statements for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2018. The Company will file an amended Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended September 30, 2018 to amend and restate its financial statements as soon as practicable.

 

In light of the restatement, the Company expects to report in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018 a material weakness in internal controls regarding the application of generally accepted accounting principles to material complex non-routine transactions. Additional information regarding the material weakness and the Company’s efforts to remediate the material weakness are expected to be contained in the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018.  

Item 5.02. Departure of Directors or Principal Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Principal Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.

 

Departure of Directors and Executive Officer

 

The information set forth in Item 8.01 of this Current Report on Form 8-K is incorporated herein by reference. As discussed in Item 8.01, the Purchase Agreement (as defined below) contemplates that in connection with the closing of the Proposed Transactions (as defined below) and subject to the occurrence thereof, (i) the Company’s bylaws will be amended to increase the maximum number of directors of the Company from nine to 13, (ii) each current member of the Board of Directors of the Company will resign as a director of the Company, (iii) up to 13 individuals designated by Beneficient will be appointed as directors of the Company, (iv) Jon R. Sabes will resign from any current officer position he holds with the Company or any of its subsidiaries, other than his position as Chief Executive Officer of the Company’s technology focused wholly-owned subsidiaries, Life Epigenetics, Inc. (“Life Epigenetics”) and youSurance General Agency, LLC (“youSurance”), (v) Murray Holland, a trust advisor of the Seller Trusts, will be appointed as interim Chief Executive Officer of the Company and (vi) Steven F. Sabes will resign from any current officer position he holds with the Company or any of its subsidiaries, except as Chief Operating Officer of Life Epigenetics.

 

The resignations of Messrs. Jon and Steven Sabes will include a full waiver and forfeit of (i) any severance that may be payable by the Company or any of its subsidiaries in connection with such resignations or the Proposed Transactions and (ii) all equity awards of the Company currently held by either of them.

 

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Item 8.01 Other Events.

 

Proposed Transactions

 

On April 15, 2019, Jon R. Sabes, the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and a director, and Steven F. Sabes, the Company’s Executive Vice President and a director, entered into a Purchase and Contribution Agreement (the “Purchase Agreement”) with, among others, Beneficient.  Pursuant to the Purchase Agreement, Messrs. Jon and Steven Sabes have agreed to sell and transfer all of the shares of the Company’s common stock held directly and indirectly by them and their immediate family members (approximately 12% of the Company’s outstanding common stock in the aggregate). Specifically, Messrs. Jon and Steven Sabes have agreed to (i) sell in aggregate 2,500,000 shares of Company common stock to a subsidiary of Beneficient for $25,000,000 in cash and (ii) contribute the remaining 1,452,155 shares of Company common stock to a limited liability company (“SPV”) owned by certain of Beneficient’s founders, including Brad K. Heppner (Beneficient’s Chief Executive Officer and Chairman) and Thomas O. Hicks (one of Beneficient’s current directors), in exchange for certain equity interests in the SPV. 

 

Also pursuant to the Purchase Agreement, Jon R. Sabes has agreed to resign as an officer and director of the Company and is expected to be appointed Chief Executive Officer of the Company’s technology focused wholly-owned subsidiaries, Life Epigenetics and youSurance. Steven F. Sabes has also agreed to resign as an officer and director of the Company pursuant to the Purchase Agreement and is expected to be appointed the Chief Operating Officer of Life Epigenetics. The resignations of Messrs. Jon and Steven Sabes will include a full waiver and forfeit of (i) any severance that may be payable by the Company or any of its subsidiaries in connection with such resignations or the Proposed Transactions and (ii) all equity awards of the Company currently held by either of them. The consummation of the transactions contemplated by the Purchase Agreement are referred to herein as the “Proposed Transactions.”

 

In addition, the Purchase Agreement contemplates that the Company will enter into performance share unit agreements to be granted under the Company’s 2013 Stock Incentive Plan with certain employees of the Company pursuant to which such employees will receive a bonus under certain terms and conditions, including, among others, that the Proposed Transactions be consummated and that such employees remain employed by the Company or one of its subsidiaries (or, if no longer employed, such employment was terminated by the Company other than for cause, as such term is defined in the performance share unit agreement) from the closing of the Purchase Agreement through the date that is 120 days following the closing of the Purchase Agreement. The form of performance share unit agreement is being filed as Exhibit 10.1 to this report.

 

The Purchase Agreement contemplates that after completion of the Proposed Transactions, the parties will seek to enter into an agreement pursuant to which the Company will have the right to appoint a majority of the board of directors of the general partner of Beneficient, resulting in the Company and Beneficient being under common control. The Company and Beneficient will also seek to enter into a joint venture agreement pursuant to which the Company will offer and distribute (through a FINRA registered managing broker-dealer) Beneficient’s and its subsidiaries’ liquidity products and services. The Company and Beneficient intend to reduce capital allocated to life insurance assets while they cooperate to build a larger diversified portfolio of alternative assets investment product portfolios. The parties have also agreed to seek to cause the appointment of Mr. Holland as interim Chief Executive Officer of the Company.

 

The Company is not a party to the Purchase Agreement. However, as described below, the Proposed Transactions are subject to certain conditions that are dependent upon the Company taking, or refraining from taking, certain actions and, as described below, the Board of Directors of the Company, acting through a special committee, has approved the Proposed Transactions and the actions required to be taken by the Company with respect to such Proposed Transactions.

 

Formation of Special Committee of Board of Directors

 

The Company formed a special committee comprised of all of its independent directors to act on behalf of the Company in connection with the Proposed Transactions. The special committee has the full power and authority of the Board of Directors to take any and all actions on behalf of the Board of Directors as it deems necessary to evaluate and negotiate the Proposed Transactions.

 

The special committee retained McGuireWoods LLP as its legal counsel and Houlihan Lokey Capital, Inc. as its financial advisor, to assist in its review and evaluation of the Proposed Transactions. The Company separately retained Mayer Brown LLP and Maslon LLP as its legal counsel in connection with the Proposed Transactions.

 

The special committee has evaluated the Proposed Transactions and, in consultation with its outside legal and financial advisors, has unanimously concluded that it is in the best interest of the Company to consent to the consummation of the Proposed Transactions.

 

Conditions Precedent to the Proposed Transactions

 

The Proposed Transactions are subject to various conditions, including conditions that are dependent on the Company taking certain affirmative actions.  These affirmative actions include:

 

  Effective as of the closing of the Proposed Transactions, amending the Company’s bylaws to provide for up to 13 directors;

 

  Effective as of the closing of the Proposed Transactions, each current member of the Board of Directors of the Company resigning as a director of the Company;

 

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  Effective as of the closing of the Proposed Transactions, appointing to the Company’s Board of Directors up to 13 persons identified by an affiliate of Beneficient, subject to the filing of an information statement on Schedule 14F-1 pursuant to Section 14(f) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 with respect to such nominees;

 

  Terminating the Stockholders Agreement, dated as of December 27, 2018, by and among the Company and the Seller Trusts; and

 

  The Company having (i) at least $145,000,000 in unrestricted cash or (ii) at least (A) $140,000,000 in unrestricted cash and (B) $5,000,000 in restricted cash.

 

Consummation of the Purchase Agreement is also subject to various conditions that are dependent on the Company refraining from taking certain actions prior to closing, including:

 

Amending any of the Company’s organizational documents (other than to amend the Company’s bylaws to provide for up to 13 directors);

 

Directly or indirectly acquiring or agreeing to acquire in any transaction (including by merger, consolidation or acquisition of stock or assets) the equity interest in any entity or division or business of any entity or the properties or assets of any person or entity, other than acquiring insurance policies in the ordinary course of the Company’s business;

 

  Declaring, setting aside, making or paying any dividend or other distribution, whether payable in cash, stock, property or otherwise, in respect of the equity securities of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, other than dividends (i) by any direct or indirect subsidiary of the Company only to the Company or any wholly owned subsidiary of the Company in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice or (ii) to the Company’s Redeemable Preferred Stock or to its Series 2 Redeemable Preferred Stock; in each case, to the extent required pursuant to the applicable certificate of designations as in effect as of the date of the Purchase Agreement;

 

  Selling, pledging, disposing of, transferring, abandoning, allowing to lapse or expire, leasing, licensing, mortgaging or otherwise encumbering or subjecting to any lien (including pursuant to a sale-leaseback transaction or an asset securitization transaction), any properties, rights or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, other than to (i) Bank of Utah (in its capacity as trustee under that certain Amended and Restated Pledge and Security Agreement, dated as of October 2, 2017, by and among the Company, GWG Life, LLC, Messrs. Jon and Steven Sabes and the Bank of Utah) or (ii) LNV Corporation as lender under the Amended and Restated Loan and Security Agreement, dated as of September 27, 2017, by and among, GWG DLP Funding IV, LLC, CLMG Corp. and LNV Corporation;

 

(i) issuing, delivering, selling, granting, disposing of, pledging or otherwise encumbering any shares of capital stock of any class or any other ownership interest of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, or any rights, warrants, options, calls, commitments or any other agreements of any character to purchase or acquire such securities, or any securities or rights convertible into, exchangeable or exercisable for, or evidencing the right to subscribe for, any such securities, other than any issuances solely upon the exercise or settlement of outstanding equity awards issued under compensation plans that are outstanding on the date of the Purchase Agreement in accordance with their terms as of the date of the Purchase Agreement, (ii) adjusting, splitting, combining, subdividing or reclassifying any securities of GWG, or (iii) entering into any contract, agreement or understanding with respect to the sale, voting, registration or repurchase of securities of the Company or any of its subsidiaries;

 

  (i) increasing in any manner the compensation of any of the Company’s directors or officers or entering into, establishing, amending or terminating, or increasing any compensation or benefits under, any employment, consulting, compensation or benefit plan, policy, agreement, trust, fund or arrangement with, for or in respect of, any director or officer, other than retention, severance or employment agreements with management or other employees of the Company as approved by the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors of each of the Company and Beneficient, (ii) paying any severance or other bonus to Messrs. Jon or Steven Sabes in connection with their resignations from their positions with the Company or the consummation of the Proposed Transactions, or (iii) deeming the transactions contemplated by this Agreement to be a Sale Transaction (as that term is defined in the Company’s 2013 Equity Incentive Plan)

 

Amending any material contract that the Company previously filed as a “material contract” pursuant to Item 601(b)(10) of Regulation S-K under the Securities Act of 1933 or entering into any contract, agreement or understanding that would be required to be filed by the Company as a “material contract” pursuant to Item 601(b)(10) of Regulation S-K under the Securities Act of 1933; and
     
  Failing to file any forms, reports, schedules, registration statements, definitive proxy statements and other documents (including all exhibits) required to be filed by the Company with the Securities Exchange Commission, other than the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018, an amendment to the Current Report on Form 8-K filed on January 4, 2019 or any other document solely due to the failure of Beneficient or its subsidiaries to provide required information to the Company on a timely basis (which may not be timely delivered).

 

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Risk Factors relating to the Proposed Transactions

 

Below are certain risk factors related to the Proposed Transactions.

 

Because the Proposed Transactions contemplate that the Company will terminate the Stockholders Agreement with the Seller Trusts, following the completion of the Proposed Transactions, the Seller Trusts, which hold approximately 82% of our outstanding voting securities, will obtain voting control over the Company.

 

According to their most recent Schedule 13D filing, the Seller Trusts hold approximately 82% of our outstanding voting securities. Pursuant to the Stockholders Agreement entered into in December 2018, the Seller Trusts agreed to vote all of their shares of Company common stock in proportion with the votes cast by all other holders of the Company’s common stock and agreed to certain other standstill arrangements. Following the Proposed Transactions, the Seller Trusts will be entitled to full voting rights with respect to the shares of Company common stock they own and will be entitled to cast a majority of the votes on all matters requiring stockholder votes, including: the election of directors; mergers, consolidations, acquisitions, joint ventures and other strategic transactions; the sale of all or substantially all of our assets and other decisions affecting our capital structure; amendments to our Certificate of Incorporation or our bylaws; and our winding up and dissolution.  This will effectively transfer voting control over the Company to the Seller Trusts from Messrs. Jon and Steven Sabes, who currently hold a majority of our outstanding common stock not held by the Seller Trusts. Such concentrated ownership following the Proposed Transactions will also enable the Seller Trusts to exert significant influence over all of our corporate activities. This concentration of ownership may delay, deter or prevent acts that would be favored by our other stockholders. The interests of the Seller Trusts may not always coincide with our interests or the interests of our other stockholders. This concentration of ownership may also have the effect of delaying, preventing or deterring a change in control of the Company. Also, the Seller Trusts may seek to cause us to take courses of action that, in their judgments, could enhance their investments in us, but which might involve risks to our other stockholders or adversely affect us or our other stockholders. As a result, the market price of our shares could decline or stockholders might not receive a premium over the then-current market price of our shares upon a change in control. In addition, this continued concentration of share ownership, albeit in new hands, may adversely affect the trading price of our shares because prospective investors may perceive disadvantages in owning shares in a company with such significant stockholders.

 

Failure to effectively transition the management and oversight roles served by our current executives and our Board of Directors may materially disrupt our business operations. 

 

We have been heavily reliant upon the service of Jon R. Sabes as our Chief Executive Officer. Because the Proposed Transactions contemplate that Mr. Sabes would step down from this position, it will be vital to ensure a successful transition of Mr. Sabes’ roles, responsibilities and leadership to his successor if the Proposed Transactions are consummated.  A failure to effectively transition to a new Chief Executive Officer could be materially disruptive to our business operations and have a material adverse effect on such operations and our financial results. The Proposed Transactions further contemplate a complete reconstitution of our board of directors, which may negatively impact the continuity and stability of our company and our business.

 

The Proposed Transactions may not be completed.

 

The consummation of the transactions contemplated by the Purchase Agreement is subject to various conditions.  Because we are not a party to the Purchase Agreement, we have no control over when and if certain of the conditions will be satisfied, or whether the parties may waive them.  Although we anticipate that the Proposed Transactions will be completed in late April, there can be no assurance that it will be completed on this timeframe or at all. If the Proposed Transactions are not completed for any reason, the anticipated benefits of the Proposed Transactions may not be realized. Further, the price of our common stock may decline to the extent that the current market price reflects an assumption that the Proposed Transactions will be completed.

 

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Annual Report on Form 10-K; Amendment to Current Report on Form 8-K

 

On April 2, 2019, the Company filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission a Notification of Late Filing pursuant to Rule 12b-25 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 indicating that it expected to file its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018 no later than April 16, 2019, which is the fifteenth calendar day following the prescribed due date of such filing. As a result of the accounting for certain assets and liabilities exchanged in the 2018 Beneficient Transaction and Beneficient’s on-going financial statement audit, the Company does not expect to file its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018 within such extension period. For similar reasons, the Company has not yet filed an amendment to its Current Report on Form 8-K disclosing the completion of the 2018 Beneficient Transaction, initially filed on January 4, 2019, to include the requisite historical financial statements of Beneficient and pro forma financial information. The Company is working diligently to complete its Annual Report on Form 10-K and the amendment to such Current Report on Form 8-K and expects to file these reports as soon as practicable.

 

Forward-Looking Statements

 

This Current Report on Form 8-K contains statements that are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. The Company intends these forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions for such statements. All statements that do not concern historical facts are forward-looking statements. The words “believe,” “could,” “possibly,” “probably,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “project,” “expect,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “seek,” “intend,” “plan,” “expect,” or “consider” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements but are not the exclusive means of identifying such statements. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ materially from such statements, including, but not limited to the risks that the Proposed Transaction may not be completed on the expected timeframe or at all, the Company may not realize the anticipated benefits of the Proposed Transactions, and the Company filing its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018 and/or the amendment to its Current Report on Form 8-K disclosing the completion of the2018 Beneficient Transaction may be delayed beyond the timeframe currently anticipated, as well as the other risks set forth in the Company’s filings with the SEC. These forward-looking statements should be considered in light of these risks and uncertainties. The Company bases its forward-looking statements on information currently available to it at the time of this report and undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of changes in underlying circumstances, new information, future events or otherwise. 

 

Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.

 

(d) Exhibits

 

Exhibit Number   Description
10.1   Form of Performance Share Unit Agreement under the 2013 Stock Incentive Plan

 

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SIGNATURE

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

 

  GWG Holdings, Inc.
   
Date: April 16, 2019 By:  /s/ William Acheson
    William Acheson
Chief Financial Officer

 

 

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Exhibit 10.1

 

GWG Holdings, Inc.

Performance Share UNIT Agreement

 

(Performance-based Vesting)

( Fiscal 2019-2021 Awards )

 

THIS PERFORMANCE SHARE UNIT AGREEMENT (the “ Agreement ”) made effective as of {Date of Grant} (the “ Grant Date ”), is by and between GWG Holdings, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “ Company ”), and {Name of Employee} (the “ Employee ”).

 

BACKGROUND

 

A. A “ performance share unit ” is a restricted stock unit that generally vests based upon the extent to which the Company achieves applicable performance objectives. Each performance share unit (a “ Unit ”) represents the right to receive one share of Company common stock (the “ Common Stock ”), or the cash value thereof pursuant to Section 7(b), subject to the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement and the Plan (as defined below).

 

B. The Company has adopted the GWG Holdings, Inc. 2013 Stock Incentive Plan (as amended, the “ Plan ”) pursuant to which equity-based incentive awards, including but not limited to performance share units, may be granted.

 

C. Employee is an employee of the Company or one of its subsidiaries and will perform substantial work on behalf of the Company or its subsidiaries. The Company desires to grant Units to Employee upon the terms and conditions set forth herein and in the Plan.

 

AGREEMENT

 

NOW, THEREFORE, it is agreed as follows:

 

1. Incorporation of Plan by Reference . The terms and conditions of the Plan, a copy of which has been delivered to Employee, are hereby incorporated into this Agreement by this reference. In particular, the provisions of Section 9.13 of the Plan, respecting any Sale Transaction (as defined in the Plan), govern the terms and conditions of this Agreement. In the event of any direct conflict or inconsistency between the provisions of this Agreement and those of the Plan, the provisions of the Plan shall govern and control. Capitalized terms that are used but not defined herein have the meaning ascribed to them in the Plan.

 

2. Grant of Performance Share Units . Subject to the terms and provisions of this Agreement and the Plan, the Company hereby grants to Employee an award for a target number of Units as set forth in Exhibit A (the “ Target Award ”). Except as otherwise provided in this Agreement, the number of Units that Employee actually earns (up to the maximum number of Units as set forth on Exhibit A ), and the number of shares of Common Stock that may be paid out pursuant to this award, (i) is contingent upon the Company achieving the performance objectives set forth in Exhibit A (the “ Performance Goals ”); and (ii) is subject to the other terms and conditions and contingencies set forth in this Agreement, including such Exhibit, and in the Plan.

 

3. Performance Period . For purposes of this Agreement, the term “ Performance Period ” shall be the period set forth on Exhibit A .

 

 

 

 

4. Performance Goals .

 

(a) Except as otherwise provided in this Agreement (including without limitation Section 7), the number of Units earned by Employee for the Performance Period will be determined at the end of the Performance Period based on the level of achievement of the Performance Goals. All determinations of whether Performance Goals have been achieved, the number of Units earned by Employee, and all other matters related to this Section 4 shall be made by the Committee in its sole discretion.

 

(b) Promptly following the Company’s filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission of its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2121 (the final fiscal year of the Performance Period) (and no later than thirty (30) days after such filing), the Committee will review and certify in writing (a) whether, and to what extent, the Performance Goals for the Performance Period have been achieved, and (b) the number of Units that Employee shall earn, if any, subject to compliance with the requirements of Section 5. Such certification shall be final, conclusive and binding on Employee, and on all other persons, to the maximum extent permitted by law.

 

5. Vesting and Forfeiture of Units . The Units are subject to forfeiture until they vest (i.e., until they are earned). Except as otherwise provided in this Agreement (including without limitation Section 6 and 7 below), the Units will vest and become earned and nonforfeitable on the date that the Units are paid in shares of Common Stock or cash, subject to (a) the achievement of the minimum threshold Performance Goals for payout set forth in Exhibit A attached hereto, and (b) Employee’s continuous employment with the Company or one of its subsidiaries (“ Continuous Service ”) from the Grant Date through the date that the Units are paid in shares of Common Stock or cash. The number of Units that vest and become payable under this Agreement shall be determined by the Committee based on the level of achievement of the Performance Goals set forth in Exhibit A and shall be rounded to the nearest whole Unit.

 

6. Termination of Continuous Service .

 

(a) Except as otherwise expressly provided in this Agreement, if Employee’s Continuous Service terminates for any reason at any time before all of Employee’s Units have vested, Employee’s unvested Units shall be automatically forfeited upon such termination of Continuous Service and neither the Company nor any Affiliate shall have any further obligations to Employee under this Agreement.

 

(b) Notwithstanding Section 6(a), if Employee’s Continuous Service terminates before all of Employee’s Units have vested as a result of Employee’s death or disability, or as a result of a termination by the Company without Cause (as defined below) or by Employee for “good reason” (if and as such term is defined in an applicable employment agreement between Employee and the Company or one of its subsidiaries), Employee will retain, and will not forfeit, a pro rata portion of the Target Award calculated by multiplying the Target Award by a fraction, the numerator of which equals the number of days that Employee was employed during the Performance Period and the denominator of which equals the total number of days in the Performance Period. This retained portion of the Target Award will not be subject to accelerated vesting and, instead, will vest (and be paid in accordance with Section 8) based on extent to which the Performance Goals are achieved during the entire Performance Period. For purposes hereof, “ Cause ” means (i) the indictment for a felony or any crime involving moral turpitude, or the Employee’s commission of fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, theft, embezzlement or crime against the Company or any of its subsidiaries or affiliates or any of their customers, (ii) the Employee’s gross negligence or willful misconduct with respect to the Company or any of its subsidiaries or affiliates or in the performance of Employee’s duties and services required for Employee’s position with the Company or any of its subsidiaries or affiliates, which, if curable, is not cured within ten days after written notice thereof to Employee, (iii) other than as directed by the Company, the failure of Employee to provide the same services as such Employee provided as of the date hereof in a professionally appropriate manner, in each case which, if curable, is not cured within ten days after written notice thereof to the Employee, (iv) the Employee’s violation of any restrictive covenant agreement with the Company or any of its subsidiaries or affiliates, (v) the Employee’s breach of any material agreement with the Company or any of its subsidiaries or affiliates or any material employment policy of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or affiliates which, if curable, is not cured within ten days after written notice thereof to the Employee (including, without limitation, the Company’s code of ethics and insider trading policy), or (vi) the abuse of any controlled substance or of alcohol or any other non-controlled substance which the Company determines renders the Employee unfit to serve in the Participant’s capacity as an employee or service provider of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or affiliates.

 

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7. Effect of Certain Transactions .

 

(a) Effect of a Sale Transaction. If a “ Sale Transaction ,” as defined in the Plan, occurs during the Performance Period, the Employee remains in Continuous Service up until the date of such Sale Transaction, and the acquiring entity or successor to the Company does not assume the obligations of the Company under this Agreement or replace the grant herein set forth with a substantially equivalent incentive award, then all outstanding Units shall vest at Target Award levels on the date of such Sale Transaction. Units vesting under this Section 7(a) shall vest regardless of whether Employee thereafter remains in the service of the Company or one of its subsidiaries, and such Units shall be paid as soon as administratively practicable following the closing of such Sale Transaction and no later than thirty (30) days thereafter; provided , however , that the Committee may in its sole discretion and without the consent of Employee, determine that Employee will receive that cash consideration, if any, as is described in Section 9.13(b) of the Plan (but only after giving effect to the vesting of Units immediately prior to the Sale Transaction as contemplated by this Section 7(a)).

 

(b) Effect of a Change-in-Control Transaction. If a Change-in-Control Transaction occurs during the Performance Period, then all outstanding Units shall automatically vest at Target Award levels on the one-hundred twentieth (120 th ) day following the closing of the Change-in-Control Transaction (the “ Retention Date ”), contingent upon the Employee remaining in Continuous Service through the Retention Date. Units vesting under the preceding sentence of this Section 7(b) shall vest regardless of whether Employee thereafter remains in the service of the Company or one of its subsidiaries, and such vested Units shall be paid in cash (not shares of Common Stock) as soon as administratively practicable following the Retention Date and no later than five (5) business days thereafter. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if Employee’s Continuous Service terminates following the occurrence of a Change-in-Control Transaction and prior to the Retention Date for any reason other than as a result of a termination by the Company for Cause, then all outstanding Units shall automatically vest at Target Award levels upon such termination, and such vested Units shall be paid in cash (not shares of Common Stock) as soon as administratively practicable following the date of such termination and no later than five (5) business days thereafter. The amount of cash to be paid to Employee in respect of each vested Unit under this Section 7(b) shall be equal to the greater of (y) twelve dollars ($12.00) or (z) the Fair Market Value (as defined in the Plan) of a share of Common Stock as of the trading date immediately prior to the closing date of the Change-in-Control Transaction; provided, however, that in no event shall the aggregate amount paid to Employee in respect of all Units as a result of a Change-in-Control Transaction exceed $[_________].

 

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(c) Definition of Change-in-Control Transaction . For purposes of this Agreement, “ Change-in-Control Transaction ” means:

 

(i) the closing of the transactions contemplated by the draft Purchase and Contribution Agreement by and among The Beneficient Company Group, L.P., Beneficient Company Holdings, L.P., AltiVerse Capital Markets, L.L.C, Sabes AV Holdings, LLC, Jon R. Sabes, Steven S. Sabes, Insurance Strategies Fund, LLC and SFS Holdings, LLC, as such draft agreement may be finally negotiated and entered into among the ultimate parties thereto;

 

(ii) the acquisition, directly or indirectly, by any individual, entity or group of the power to vote, or control the voting with respect to, shares representing more than fifty percent (50%) of the total voting power of the Company’s then outstanding voting securities (including, without limitation, the acquisition of voting power by the Seller Trusts through the termination, amendment or waiver of the voting restrictions set forth in that certain Stockholders Agreement dated December 27, 2018 by and among the Company, each of the Exchange Trusts that are a party thereto (each a “ Seller Trust ” and collectively the “ Seller Trusts ”), and as agreed to and accepted by Murray T. Holland and Jeffrey S. Hinkle as trust advisors to the Seller Trusts); or

 

(iii) a change in the composition of the Board of Directors of the Company as a result of which fewer than a majority of the directors are “Incumbent Directors.” “ Incumbent Directors ” shall mean directors who either (A) are directors of the Company as of the date hereof or (B) are elected, or nominated for election, to the Board with the affirmative votes (either by a specific vote or by approval of the proxy statement of the Company in which such person is named as a nominee for election as a director without objection to such nomination) of at least three-quarters of the Incumbent Directors at the time of such election or nomination (but shall not include an individual whose election or nomination is in connection with an actual or threatened proxy contest relating to the election of directors of the Company);

 

provided , however , that in no event shall a “Change in Control Transaction” be deemed to be a Sale Transaction.

 

8. Payment of Units .

 

(a) Except as provided under Section 7, payment in respect of the vested Units (i.e., Units earned for the Performance Period) shall be made in shares of Common Stock and shall be issued to Employee as soon as administratively practicable following the filing of the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2121 (the final fiscal year of the Performance Period), and in any event within thirty (30) days following such filing and in all circumstances during the calendar year 2022. The Company shall (i) issue and deliver to Employee the number of shares of Common Stock equal to the number of vested Units, and (ii) enter Employee’s name on the books of the Company as the stockholder of record with respect to the shares of Common Stock delivered to Employee.

 

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(b) If Employee is deemed a “specified employee” within the meaning of Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (including the regulations promulgated thereunder, the “ Code ”), as determined by the Committee, at a time when Employee becomes eligible for payment in respect of the Units upon his or her “separation from service” within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code, then to the extent necessary to prevent any accelerated or additional tax under Section 409A of the Code, such settlement will be delayed until the earlier of: (i) the date that is six months following Employee’s separation from service and (ii) Employee’s death.

 

9. Transferability; Other Restrictions . Subject to any exceptions set forth in this Agreement or the Plan, the Units or the rights relating thereto may not be assigned, alienated, pledged, attached, sold or otherwise transferred or encumbered by Employee. Any attempt to assign, alienate, pledge, attach, sell or otherwise transfer or encumber the Units or the rights relating thereto shall be wholly ineffective and, if any such attempt is made, the Units will be forfeited by Employee and all of Employee’s rights to such Units shall immediately terminate without any payment or consideration by the Company.

 

10. No Rights as Stockholder . Employee shall not have any rights of a stockholder with respect to the shares of Common Stock underlying the Units, including, but not limited to, voting rights and the right to receive or accrue dividends or dividend equivalents. Upon and following the vesting of the Units and the issuance of shares, Employee shall be the record owner of the shares of Common Stock underlying the Units unless and until such shares are sold or otherwise disposed of, and as record owner shall be entitled to all rights of a stockholder of the Company (including voting and dividend rights).

 

11. No Right to Continued Service . Nothing contained in this Agreement shall be deemed to grant Employee any right to continue in the employ of the Company or any of its subsidiaries for any period of time or any right to continue his or her present or any other rate of compensation. Further, nothing in the Plan or this Agreement shall be construed to limit the discretion of the Company to terminate the Grantee’s Continuous Service at any time, with or without Cause. This Agreement shall not be construed as giving Employee, Employee’s beneficiaries or any other person any equity or interests of any kind in the assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or creating a trust of any kind or a fiduciary relationship of any kind between the Company or any subsidiary and any such person.

 

12. Tax Liability and Withholding; Employee Representations .

 

(a) Employee shall be required to pay to the Company, and the Company shall have the right to deduct from any compensation paid to Employee pursuant to the Plan, the amount of any required withholding taxes in respect of the Units and shares of Common Stock or cash issuable or to be remitted upon payment thereof and to take all such other action as the Committee deems necessary to satisfy all obligations for the payment of such withholding taxes. The Committee may permit Employee to satisfy any federal, state or local tax withholding obligation with respect to shares of Common Stock issuable upon payment of Units by any of the following means, or by a combination of such means:

 

(i) tendering a cash payment;

 

(ii) authorizing the Company to withhold shares of Common Stock from the shares of Common Stock otherwise issuable or deliverable to Employee as a result of the vesting of the Units; provided , however , that no shares of Common Stock shall be withheld with a value exceeding the maximum amount of tax required to be withheld by law; or

 

(iii) delivering to the Company previously owned and unencumbered shares of Common Stock.

 

(b) Notwithstanding any action the Company takes with respect to any or all income tax, social insurance, payroll tax, or other tax-related withholding (“ Tax-Related Items ”), the ultimate liability for all Tax-Related Items is and remains Employee’s responsibility and the Company (i) makes no representation or undertakings regarding the treatment of any Tax-Related Items in connection with the grant, vesting or settlement of the Units or the subsequent sale of any shares; and (ii) does not commit to structure the Units to reduce or eliminate Employee’s liability for Tax-Related Items.

 

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(c) Employee hereby represents and warrants to the Company that Employee has reviewed with his or her own tax advisors the federal, state and local tax consequences of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, including the grant by the Company of the Units. Employee is relying solely on such advisors and not on any statements or representation of the Company or any of its agents. Employee understands that Employee will be solely responsible for any tax liability that may result to Employee as a result of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, including the grant by the Company of the Units. Employee further understands that, as to matters involving an interpretation under the Plan, the Board of Directors of the Company (or the Committee) has complete authority to definitively interpret the Plan, which interpretation shall be final, conclusive and binding upon Employee.

 

13. Compliance with Law .

 

(a) The issuance and transfer of shares of Common Stock shall be subject to compliance by the Company and Employee with all applicable requirements of federal and state securities laws (collectively, the “ Securities Laws ”) and with all applicable requirements of any stock exchange on which the Company’s shares of Common Stock may be listed. No shares of Common Stock shall be issued or transferred unless and until any then applicable requirements of the Securities Laws and regulatory agencies have been fully complied with to the satisfaction of the Company and its counsel.

 

(b) Employee acknowledges that the shares of Common Stock to be received upon the vesting of any Units may not have been registered under the Securities Act of 1933 or other applicable Securities Laws of any state. If such shares of Common Stock shall have not been so registered, Employee acknowledges and understands that the Company is under no obligation to register, under the Securities Laws, the shares of Common Stock received by Employee or to assist Employee in complying with any exemption from such registration if Employee should at a later date wish to dispose of the shares of Common Stock. Employee acknowledges that, if not then registered under the Securities Laws, any certificates representing the shares of Common Stock shall bear a legend restricting the transferability thereof in substantially the following form:

 

The shares represented by this certificate have not been registered or qualified under federal or state securities laws. The shares may not be offered for sale, sold, pledged or otherwise disposed of unless so registered or qualified, unless an exemption exists or unless such disposition is not subject to the federal or state securities laws. In its discretion, the Company may require that the availability of any exemption or the inapplicability of such securities laws be established by an opinion of counsel, the form and substance of which opinion shall be reasonably satisfactory to the Company.

 

14. Limitation on Payments . In the event that the payments, consideration, compensation and benefits provided for in this Agreement together with the payments, consideration, compensation and benefits under all other plans, arrangements and agreements applicable to Employee (i) constitute “parachute payments” within the meaning of Section 280G of the Code and (ii) but for this Section 14, would be subject to the excise tax imposed by Section 4999 of the Code, then Employee’s payments, consideration, compensation and benefits under this Agreement will be either:

 

(a) delivered in full, or

 

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(b) delivered as to such lesser extent which would result in no portion of such severance benefits being subject to excise tax under Section 4999 of the Code, whichever of the foregoing amounts, taking into account the applicable federal, state and local income taxes and the excise tax imposed by Section 4999, results in the receipt by Employee on an after-tax basis, of the greatest amount of payments, consideration, compensation and benefits, notwithstanding that all or some portion of such payments, consideration, compensation and benefits may be taxable under Section 4999 of the Code. If a reduction in payments, consideration, compensation and benefits constituting “parachute payments” is necessary so that parachute payments are delivered to a lesser extent, reduction will occur in the following order: (i) reduction of cash payments; (ii) cancellation of awards granted “contingent on a change in ownership or control” (within the meaning of Code Section 280G), (iii) cancellation of accelerated vesting of equity awards; (iv) reduction of employee benefits. In the event that acceleration of vesting of equity award compensation is to be reduced, such acceleration of vesting will be cancelled in the reverse order of the date of grant of Executive’s equity awards.

 

Unless the Company and Employee otherwise agree in writing, any determination required under this Section 14 will be made in writing by an independent accounting firm designated by the Company that is reasonably acceptable to the Employee (the “ Accountants ”), whose determination will be conclusive and binding upon Employee and the Company for all purposes. The Company shall cause such determination to be made before the due date for payment of any amounts that become payable pursuant to Section 14 hereof. For purposes of making the calculations required by this Section 14, the Accountants may make reasonable assumptions and approximations concerning applicable taxes and may rely on reasonable, good faith interpretations concerning the application of Sections 280G and 4999 of the Code. The Company and Employee will furnish to the Accountants such information and documents as the Accountants may reasonably request in order to make a determination under this Section. The Company will bear all costs the Accountants may incur in connection with any calculations contemplated by this Section 14.

 

15. Notices . All notices and other communications required under this Agreement will be in writing and will be deemed to have been duly given two days after mailing, via certified mail return-receipt requested, to the applicable party at the following addresses:

 

  If to the Company:   GWG Holdings, Inc.  
      Attention: Chief Executive Officer and  
      Chief Financial Officer  
      220 South Sixth Street, Suite 1200  
      Minneapolis, MN 55402  
      Facsimile: (612) 746-0445  
         
  If to Employee:      
         
         
         

 

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16. General Provisions .

 

(a) The Units are granted pursuant to the Plan and are governed by the terms thereof. The Committee shall have the sole and complete discretion with respect to all matters reserved to it by the Plan and decisions of the Committee with respect thereto and to this Agreement shall be final and binding upon Employee.

 

(b) Nothing herein expressed or implied is intended or shall be construed as conferring upon or giving to any person, firm, or corporation, other than the parties hereto, any rights or benefits under or by reason of this Agreement.

 

(c) The invalidity or unenforceability of any provision of the Plan or this Agreement shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any other provision of the Plan or this Agreement, and each provision of the Plan and this Agreement shall be severable and enforceable to the extent permitted by law.

 

(d) This Agreement is intended to comply with Section 409A of the Code or an exemption thereunder and shall be construed and interpreted in a manner that is consistent with the requirements for avoiding additional taxes or penalties under Section 409A of the Code. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company makes no representations that the payments and benefits provided under this Agreement comply with Section 409A of the Code and in no event shall the Company be liable for all or any portion of any taxes, penalties, interest or other expenses that may be incurred by the Employee on account of non-compliance with Section 409A of the Code.

 

(e) Each party agrees to execute such further documents as may be necessary or desirable to effect the purposes of this Agreement.

 

(f) This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which shall constitute one and the same agreement.

 

(g) This Agreement, in its interpretation and effect, shall be governed by the laws of the State of Minnesota applicable to contracts executed and to be performed therein, and without regard to any of such state’s conflicts-of-law provisions.

 

(h) This Agreement and the Plan embody the entire agreement made between the parties hereto with respect to the matters covered herein and shall not be modified except by a writing signed by the party to be charged.

 

Signature page follows.

   

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement as of the date first above written.

  

  GWG HOLDINGS, INC.
     
  By:  
  Name:               
  Title:  
 

 

EMPLOYEE

 

  By:  
  Name:  

 

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Exhibit A

to

Performance Share Unit Agreement

( Fiscal 2019-2021 Awards )

 

Name of Employee:   {Name of Employee}
     
Performance Period:   The “ Performance Period ” shall be the period commencing on January 1, 2019 and ending on December 31, 2021.
     
Amount of Target Award:   [_____________] Units
     
Performance Goals:   As part of approving an overall Company operating budget for each year during the Performance Period, the Committee will establish performance goals for such year, which may include goals for pre-tax income (EBS), revenue diversification, Insurtech contribution to Company operations (e.g., number of policies, face value of policies, number of tests performed, etc.), and/or other goals that the Committee determines are appropriate.
     
    The Committee will determine (i) whether, and to what extent, the performance goals have been satisfied on a cumulative basis over the three year Performance Period (giving weight to performance goals as it deems appropriate), and (ii) the number of Units that will vest and be paid to Employee in shares of Common Stock. Such determination will be made promptly following the Company’s filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission of its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2121 (the final fiscal year of the Performance Period) (and no later than thirty (30) days after such filing).
     
    The “Target Award” level under this Agreement represents the number of Units that would vest and be paid in shares of Common Stock if the Committee determines that cumulative performance goals have been satisfied in full. The Committee may elect to vest and pay out a lesser number of Units if it determines that performance goals have been satisfied only in part, or may elect to vest and pay out a greater number of Units if it determines that performance has exceeded the goals; provided , however , that the maximum number of Units that may vest and be paid out under this Agreement is 200% of the Target Award.