firm engaged for the purpose of preparing or issuing an audit report for inclusion in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K is referred to herein as the “independent auditors”);
(b)
Review and, in its sole discretion, approve in advance the Company’s independent auditors’ annual engagement letter, including the proposed fees contained therein, as well as all audit and, as provided in the Act and the SEC rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, all permitted non- audit engagements and relationships between the Company and such independent auditors;
(c)
Review the performance of the Company’s independent auditors and, in its sole discretion (subject, if applicable, to shareholder ratification), make decisions regarding the replacement or termination of the independent auditors when circumstances warrant;
(d)
Evaluate the independence of the Company’s independent auditors by, among other things:
(i)
obtaining and reviewing from the Company’s independent auditors a formal written statement delineating all relationships between the independent auditors and the Company, consistent with Independence Standards Board Standard 1;
(ii)
obtaining and reviewing a formal written report from the Company’s independent auditors (a) describing such firm’s internal quality control procedures, (b) describing any material issues raised by the most recent internal quality control review, peer review or Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (“PCAOB”) review or inspection of such firm, or by any inquiry or investigation by governmental or professional authorities, within the preceding five years, respecting one or more independent audits carried out by such firm, and any steps taken to deal with any such issues, and (c) assessing such firm’s independence, including delineating all relationships and engagements that may reasonably be thought to bear on the independence of the auditors, including those between the auditors and the Company. The Committee shall discuss this report with the Company’s independent auditors and shall take appropriate action to ensure the independence of the independent auditors and to address any other matters based on such report.
(iii)
taking, or recommending that the Board take, appropriate action to oversee the independence of the Company’s independent auditors;
(iv)
monitoring compliance by the Company of the employee conflict of interest requirements contained in the Act and the rules and regulations promulgated by the SEC thereunder;
(v)
verify the rotation of the lead (or coordinating) audit partner having primary responsibility for the audit and the audit partner responsible for reviewing the audit as required by law; and
(vi)
engaging in a dialogue with the Company’s independent auditors to confirm that audit partner compensation is consistent with applicable SEC rules.
Oversight of Annual Audit and Quarterly Reviews
(a)
Review, discuss and approve the annual audit plan, including the timing and scope of audit activities, and monitor such plan’s progress and results during the year;
(b)
Review with management and the Company’s independent auditors the following information which is required to be reported by the independent auditors:
(i)
all critical accounting policies and practices to be used;
(ii)
all alternative treatments of financial information that have been discussed by the Company’s independent auditors and management, ramifications of the use of such alternative disclosures and treatments, and the treatment preferred by the independent auditors;
(iii)
all other material written communications between the Company’s independent auditors and management, such as any management letter and any schedule of unadjusted differences; and
(iv)
any material financial arrangements of the Company which do not appear on the financial statements of the Company; and