LZ Form 4: Noel Watson Receives 208,031 Performance Rights Tied to Stock Targets
Rhea-AI Filing Summary
Noel Bertram Watson, the Chief Operating Officer & Chief Financial Officer of LegalZoom.com, Inc. (LZ), received certification on September 17, 2025 of 208,031 performance units after the Compensation Committee certified achievement of a second stock price target. The performance units, each convertible into one share, were granted at a $0 price and will vest on November 15, 2025 provided Mr. Watson remains employed through the vesting date.
The performance units may pay out between 75% and 400% of target value depending on LegalZoom's stock-price performance over a three-year performance period. Following these reported transactions, the filing shows Mr. Watson beneficially owned 1,884,457 shares of common stock and 1,144,172 derivative securities relating to performance rights.
Positive
- Compensation tied to performance: Award vests based on stock-price targets, aligning executive incentives with shareholder value
- Transparent certification: Compensation Committee certified achievement and filing discloses vesting date and payout range
Negative
- Potential dilution range: Performance units may vest between 75% and 400% of target, which could materially increase share issuance if higher payouts occur
- Immediate grant at $0: Units were reported with a $0 price, indicating stock-based compensation expense rather than a cash purchase
Insights
TL;DR: Routine executive compensation award tied to stock-price performance; materiality is limited but aligns executive pay with shareholder returns.
The grant of 208,031 performance units, certified by the Compensation Committee, is a standard equity-based compensation mechanism linking payout to specified stock-price hurdles over a defined performance period. The award vests subject to continued employment and a performance scale of 75% to 400%, which can meaningfully vary realized dilution and executive pay depending on future share-price outcomes. This disclosure is procedural and transparent, showing committee certification and explicit vesting terms, supporting good governance disclosure practices.
TL;DR: Performance units replace cash or time-based pay and create high leverage to stock performance; payout range is wide, producing variable executive pay.
The instrument is a performance-based award convertible one-for-one into common stock with payout tied to volume-weighted average prices during 30-day windows. A 75%–400% payout corridor creates substantial upside leverage for executives if stock targets are exceeded, while downside protection limits payout to 75% if thresholds are not met. Vesting on November 15, 2025 and certification on September 17, 2025 are explicitly reported, making the timeline clear for modelling potential dilution and expense recognition.