LETTER TO THE S.E.C.
July 31, 2008
By EDGAR Transmission
Mr. John Reynolds
Assistant Director
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
Division of Corporation Finance
100 F Street, NE
Washington, D.C. 20549
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Re: |
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G-III Apparel Group, Ltd.
Form 10-K for Fiscal Year Ended January 31, 2008
Filed April 15, 2008
File No. 000-18183
Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A
Filed May 1, 2008
File No. 0-18183
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Dear Mr. Reynolds:
This letter is in response to the comments of the staff (the Staff) of the U.S.
Securities and Exchange Commission (the Commission) set forth in its letter dated July
22, 2008 concerning the above-referenced filings of G-III Apparel Group, Ltd. (the
Company). For the convenience of the Staff, we have repeated each of the Staffs
comments immediately above our response to the corresponding comment.
Form 10-K
Financial Statements
Notes to Financial Statements
Note D Acquisitions and Intangibles F-16
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1. |
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We note your disclosures on F-17 that you used independent appraisers to allocate the
purchase price for the Winlit and Marvin Richards acquisitions. Given your references to
the use of such experts, please revise your disclosure in future Exchange Act filings to
name each valuation expert and file the appropriate consents. As an alternative, you may
delete all references to the use of outside valuation firms in future Exchange Act
filings. |
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Response: |
In accordance with the Staffs request, the Company will delete references to the use of
outside valuation firms in its future Exchange Act filings.
Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A
Compensation Discussion and Analysis, page 12
Components of the Executive Compensation program, page 13
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We note your references on page 13 to our performance compared to our plan for the
year and our financial performance as well as your statement on page 14 that you
consider your overall earnings performance in determining individual bonuses. These
disclosures suggest that you have not provided quantitative disclosure of the terms of the
necessary targets to be achieved for your named executive officers to earn their bonuses.
In future filings please disclose the specific performance targets used to determine
incentive amounts, or provide us with supplemental analysis addressing why it is
appropriate to omit these targets pursuant to Instruction 4 to Item 402(b) of Regulation
S-K. The supplemental analysis should be based upon the 2008 proxy statement. In addition,
please provide a supplemental analysis to us concerning whether the companys targets for
the fiscal year ending January 31, 2009 are expected to be materially different from those
of January 31, 2008. To the extent that it is appropriate to omit specific targets, please
advise us of the disclosure the company will provide pursuant to Instruction 4 to Item
402(b) of Regulation S-K. |
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Response: |
We refer the Staff to Question 118.04 in the Commissions Compliance and Disclosure
Interpretations as of July 3, 2008. As explained in the Staffs response to Question 118.04, A
company should begin its analysis of whether it is required to disclose performance targets by
addressing the threshold question of materiality in the context of the companys executive
compensation policies or decisions. If performance targets are not material in this context, the
company is not required to disclose the performance targets. In addition, A company may
distinguish between qualitative/subjective individual performance goals (e.g., effective leadership
and communication) and quantitative/objective performance goals (e.g., specific revenue or earnings
targets). The Companys bonus award methodology is best described as making use of
qualitative/subjective individual performance goals as opposed to quantitative/objective
performance goals, and quantitative performance targets do not constitute a material element of
the Companys executive compensation policies or decisions with respect to annual bonuses.
As explained on pages 13 and 14 of the Companys proxy statement, annual bonuses for the Companys
named executive officers are awarded by the Compensation Committee on a discretionary basis, based
upon the recommendation of the Companys Chief Executive Officer, and not on the basis of
predetermined quantitative performance targets. In awarding annual bonuses, the Compensation
Committee considers numerous factors that prevail in the given bonus year, including, without
limitation, as described on pages 13 and 14, the Companys financial performance relative to the
financial objectives set forth in its annual management plan (which objectives are substantially
similar to the forecasts publicly released by the Company), the named executive officers base
salary
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and bonus relative to the base salaries and bonuses of other senior executives of the Company and
the contributions of the named executive officer to major corporate transactions undertaken during
the fiscal year. The Compensation Committee may also consider such other factors as it deems
relevant. These factors are not applied on the basis of any predetermined formula or weighted in a
predetermined manner, but rather are viewed in light of the totality of the facts and circumstances
that present themselves in the given fiscal year.
In light of the foregoing, the Company is unable to disclose specific performance targets used
to determine incentive amounts or provide a supplemental analysis as to how such targets may differ
for the fiscal year ended January 31, 2009 relative to the fiscal year ended January 31, 2008.
In addition, the Company hereby acknowledges that:
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the Company is responsible for the adequacy and accuracy of the disclosure in its
filings; |
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Staff comments or changes to disclosure in response to Staff comments do not
foreclose the Commission from taking any action with respect to the filing; and |
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the Company may not assert Staff comments as a defense in any proceeding initiated
by the Commission or any person under the federal securities laws of the United
States. |
If you have any questions or comments or require further information with respect to the foregoing,
please do not hesitate to call me at (212) 403-0654.
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Sincerely,
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/s/ Neal S. Nackman
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Neal S. Nackman |
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Chief Financial Officer |
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cc: |
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Damon Colbert
Raj Rajan
Brian Bhandari |
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