Corporate & Executive Services (CES)

Baird's CES team is staffed by specialists with significant industry experience who focus on providing strategic, custom financial solutions that are attractive to corporate executives, officers and directors who may be looking to enhance their ability to manage company or personal assets. Baird's CES specialists can assist with:

• Stock option exercises

• Restricted and control stock sales pursuant to Rule 144

• Rule 10b5-1 trading plan implementation

These and other services are available to you and your employees and can be facilitated by your Baird Financial Advisors.

Stock Option Planning Services

The specialists in stock option planning work closely with company directors, officers and their employees at numerous publicly traded companies to facilitate:

• Option exercises

• Employee stock purchase plans

• Sale of restricted and control stock.

We provide customized and streamlined programs that aid in minimizing administrative burden in addition to conducting a consultative needs analysis to determine other opportunities.

Relationship Platforms

We offer two platforms to ensure our working relationship meets a company's needs:

Preferred Broker Relationship

If your company and its employees are currently working with a number of different financial service providers and feel it is in their best interest to continue to utilize these relationships, your company can provide a list of preferred brokers to exercise its employees' stock options. As a preferred provider, Baird would facilitate your employees' stock option exercise and ensure that each optionee will receive prompt and professional service.

Captive Broker Relationship

A captive broker relationship will allow you to simplify your processes, procedures, and forms - allowing you to follow one established and convenient set of guidelines for completing an employees' stock option exercise request. Experienced Corporate and Executive Services specialists will communicate directly with your office and your stock option administrator to develop an efficient, streamlined process to serve all individuals exercising options. This process can be created in a flexbile manner, tailored to meet the needs of your company and your company's stock option administrator.

Specialized Stock Strategies

Rule 10b5-1 Preprogrammed Trading Plans

Background

Traditionally, executives, officers and directors who hold significant stock options or long shares of their company stock can only purchase or sell positions during open "window periods" - typically a few weeks after the release of quarterly financial results and only when no major market-affecting news is pending.  These brief windows may not coincide with one's financial needs (e.g. tuition, income tax, mortgage payments, etc.)

Rule 10b5-1 Plans:

Through adherence to a number of conditions, Rule 10b5-1 Trading Plans can allow position purchases and sales outside of the window period.

Ideal Applications:

• Enable one to meet stock ownership of liquidity goals
• Stock option exercises
• Enable one to meet certain expenses

How We Can Help:

Baird will work closely with you to develop a customized, flexible plan that will allow you to buy or sell company stock on a timetable that meets your personal liquidity or investment goals.

A Preprogrammed Trading Plan Must Include:

• A specific date for when to purchase or sell stock
• Established purchase price ceiling or sale price floor
• Number of shares of stock to be purchased or sold
• If applicable, the plan must comply with Section 16 and Rule 144 requirements

Conditions of the Plan:

• Can only be established during the company's traditional "window periods"
• The individual must not be in possession of material, nonpublic information

Your Baird team will work with you to maximize your ability to manage your company stock positions to best meet your financial goals.