GOOG » Topics » QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT THE PROXY MATERIALS AND THE ANNUAL MEETING

This excerpt taken from the GOOG DEF 14A filed Mar 24, 2009.

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT THE PROXY MATERIALS AND THE ANNUAL MEETING

Q: Why am I receiving these materials?

A: Our board of directors has made these materials available to you on the internet, or, upon your request, has delivered printed proxy materials to you, in connection with the solicitation of proxies for use at Google’s 2009 Annual Meeting of stockholders, which will take place on Thursday, May 7, 2009 at 2:00 p.m. local time, at our corporate headquarters located at 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, California 94043. As a stockholder, you are invited to attend the Annual Meeting and are requested to vote on the items of business described in this proxy statement.

Q: What information is contained in this proxy statement?

A: The information in this proxy statement relates to the proposals to be voted on at the Annual Meeting, the voting process, the compensation of our directors and most highly paid executive officers, corporate governance and information on our board of directors, and certain other required information.

Q: Why did I receive a notice in the mail regarding the internet availability of proxy materials instead of a full set of proxy materials?

A: In accordance with rules adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), we may furnish proxy materials, including this proxy statement and our 2008 Annual Report to Stockholders, to our stockholders by providing access to such documents on the internet instead of mailing printed copies. Most stockholders will not receive printed copies of the proxy materials unless they request them. Instead, the Notice, which was mailed to most of our stockholders, will instruct you as to how you may access and review all of the proxy materials on the internet. The Notice also instructs you as to how you may submit your proxy on the internet. If you would like to receive a paper or email copy of our proxy materials, you should follow the instructions for requesting such materials in the Notice.

Q: I share an address with another stockholder, and we received only one paper copy of the proxy materials. How may I obtain an additional copy of the proxy materials?

A: We have adopted a procedure called “householding,” which the SEC has approved. Under this procedure, we deliver a single copy of the Notice and, if applicable, the proxy materials and the 2008 Annual Report to Stockholders to multiple stockholders who share the same address unless we received contrary instructions from one or more of the stockholders. This procedure reduces our printing costs, mailing costs and fees. Stockholders who participate in householding will continue to be able to access and receive separate proxy cards. Upon written request, we will deliver promptly a separate copy of the Notice and, if applicable, the proxy materials and the 2008 Annual Report to Stockholders to any stockholder at a shared address to which we delivered a single copy of any of these documents. To receive a separate copy of the Notice and, if applicable, these proxy materials or the 2008 Annual Report to Stockholders, stockholders may write or email us at the following address and email address:

Investor Relations

Google Inc.

1600 Amphitheatre Parkway

Mountain View, CA 94043

Email: irgoog@google.com

Stockholders who hold shares in street name (as described below) may contact their brokerage firm, bank, broker-dealer or other similar organization to request information about householding.

 

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Q: How do I get electronic access to the proxy materials?

A: The Notice will provide you with instructions regarding how to:

 

   

View our proxy materials for the Annual Meeting on the internet; and

 

   

Instruct us to send our future proxy materials to you electronically by email.

Choosing to receive your future proxy materials by email will save us the cost of printing and mailing documents to you and will reduce the impact of printing and mailing these materials on the environment. If you choose to receive future proxy materials by email, you will receive an email next year with instructions containing a link to those materials and a link to the proxy voting site. Your election to receive proxy materials by email will remain in effect until you terminate it.

Q: What items of business will be voted on at the Annual Meeting?

A: The items of business scheduled to be voted on at the Annual Meeting are:

 

   

The election of ten directors.

 

   

The ratification of Ernst & Young LLP as Google’s independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2009.

 

   

The approval of an amendment to Google’s 2004 Stock Plan to increase the number of authorized shares of Class A common stock issuable under the plan by 8,500,000.

 

   

A stockholder proposal regarding political contribution disclosure, if properly presented at the meeting.

 

   

A stockholder proposal regarding internet censorship, if properly presented at the meeting.

 

   

A stockholder proposal regarding health care reform, if properly presented at the meeting.

We will also consider any other business that properly comes before the Annual Meeting.

Q: How does the board of directors recommend that I vote?

A: Our board of directors recommends that you vote your shares (1) “FOR” each of the nominees to the board of directors, (2) “FOR” the ratification of Ernst & Young LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for the 2009 fiscal year, (3) “FOR” the amendment to our 2004 Stock Plan to increase the number of authorized shares of Class A common stock issuable under the plan by 8,500,000, (4) “FOR” the stockholder proposal regarding political contribution disclosure, (5) “AGAINST” the stockholder proposal regarding internet censorship, and (6) “AGAINST” the stockholder proposal regarding health care reform.

Q: What shares can I vote?

A: Each share of Google Class A common stock and Class B common stock issued and outstanding as of the close of business on the Record Date for the 2009 Annual Meeting of stockholders, is entitled to be voted on all items being voted on at the Annual Meeting. You may vote all shares owned by you as of the Record Date, including (1) shares held directly in your name as the stockholder of record, and (2) shares held for you as the beneficial owner in street name through a broker, bank, trustee or other nominee. On the Record Date we had 315,703,385 shares of common stock issued and outstanding, consisting of 240,809,915 shares of Class A common stock and 74,893,470 shares of Class B common stock.

Q: How many votes am I entitled to per share?

A: Each holder of shares of Class A common stock is entitled to one vote for each share of Class A common stock held as of the Record Date, and each holder of shares of Class B common stock is entitled to ten votes for

 

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each share of Class B common stock held as of the Record Date. The Class A common stock and Class B common stock are voting as a single class on all matters described in this proxy statement for which your vote is being solicited.

Q: What is the difference between holding shares as a stockholder of record and as a beneficial owner?

A: Most Google stockholders hold their shares as a beneficial owner through a broker or other nominee rather than directly in their own name. As summarized below, there are some distinctions between shares held of record and those owned beneficially.

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