Is this legal?

Bellsouth:
Long-Term Incentive Compensation for 2006-2008 Performance Period

The Compensation Committee established, for all executive officers, the performance objectives that are tied to the Company's total shareholder return and the performance objectives that are tied to financial performance metrics for the long-term incentive compensation program with respect to the three-year performance period 2006 through 2008.


Its nice to see that a few days before Bell South announces that AT&T will buy it the company does a little bonus shifting. What I especially like here is how it is tied to shareholder return. What works out nicely is that when the announcement was made the stock somehow jumped from 31.5 to 35, now that is an 11% return. I didn't look too far into this but its nice to know that the executives are going to make out alright in this situation. I would hate to see them run into some financial trouble. Especially since they announced that 10,000 people will lose their jobs in the merger, luckily the executives will be taken care of. It really is a rough world out there. Ohh yeah here is a copy of thes alaries and bonuses in case you were worried about their financial well being as well:


Name and Principal
Position

2006 Salary
2005 Short-Term
Award

F. Duane Ackerman
Chairman of the Board and
Chief Executive Officer
$1,365,000 (1)
$ 2,235,200

Mark L. Feidler
President and Chief
Operating Officer
$ 865,000
$1,179,800

Ronald M. Dykes
Former Chief Financial
Officer (retired 12/31/2005)
Not applicable
$ 800,000

Richard A. Anderson
Vice Chairman and
President – Business
Markets
$ 638,400
$ 830,000

Francis A. Dramis, Jr.
Chief Information, E-
Commerce and Security
Officer
$ 616,000
$ 700,000

W. Patrick Shannon
Chief Financial Officer
$ 560,000
$ 600,000


Thanks guys!