Document


As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 26, 2017
Registration No. 333-          

UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549  

FORM S-8
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE
SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

NORTHERN TRUST CORPORATION
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
 
 
 
 
 
Delaware
 
36-2723087
(State or other jurisdiction of
incorporation or organization)
 
(I.R.S. Employer
Identification No.)
 
50 South La Salle Street, Chicago, Illinois 60603
(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip code) 

NORTHERN TRUST CORPORATION 2017 LONG-TERM INCENTIVE PLAN
(Full title of the plan)


Stephanie S. Greisch
Executive Vice President, Deputy General Counsel and Corporate Secretary
50 South La Salle Street
Chicago, Illinois 60603
(312) 630-6000
(Name and address of agent for service) (Telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one)
Large accelerated filer
 
x
 
Accelerated filer
 
¨
Non-accelerated filer
 
¨  (Do not check if a smaller reporting company)
 
Smaller reporting company
 
¨
 
 
 
 
Emerging growth company
 
¨
 
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act. ¨






CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

Title of securities to be registered
 
Amount
to be
registered (1)
 
Proposed
maximum
offering price
per share (2)
 
Proposed
maximum
aggregate
offering price (3)
 
Amount of
registration fee
Common Stock, $1.66 2/3 par value
 
20,000,000
 
$86.19
 
$1,723,800,000
 
$199,788.42

(1)
Registrant is registering an aggregate of 20,000,000 shares of Common Stock, par value $1.66 2/3 per share (the “Common Stock”) for issuance under the Northern Trust Corporation 2017 Long-Term Incentive Plan (the “2017 Plan”). Pursuant to Rule 416(a) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), this Registration Statement shall also cover any additional shares of Common Stock that become issuable under the 2017 Plan by reason of any stock dividend, stock split, recapitalization or other similar transaction effected without receipt of consideration that increases the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock.
(2)
The shares are to be offered at prices not presently determinable. The offering price is estimated pursuant to Rule 457(c) of the Securities Act solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee based upon the average of the high and low prices of the Common Stock on The NASDAQ Stock Market on April 19, 2017.
(3)
Estimated pursuant to Rule 457(h) under the Securities Act solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee.
The registration statement shall become effective upon filing in accordance with Rule 462(a) under the Securities Act.  
 







PART I
INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE SECTION 10(a) PROSPECTUS
The document(s) containing the information specified in Part I are not required to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) as part of this Form S-8 Registration Statement in accordance with Rule 428 of the Securities Act, and will be delivered to participants in accordance with such rule.
PART II
INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT
Item 3. Incorporation of Documents by Reference.
The following documents heretofore filed with the Commission by the Registrant are incorporated herein by reference into this Registration Statement:
(a)
The Registrant’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2016;
(b)
The Registrant’s Current Reports on Form 8-K, filed with the Commission on February 21, 2017, February 23, 2017, March 29, 2017 and April 26, 2017; and
(c)
The description of the Common Stock contained in a registration statement filed pursuant to Section 12 of the Exchange Act, including any amendment or report filed for the purpose of updating such description.
All documents subsequently filed by the Registrant pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment which indicates that all securities offered hereby have been sold or which deregisters all securities then remaining unsold, shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference herein and to be a part hereof from the respective dates of filing of such documents (such documents, and the documents enumerated above, being hereinafter referred to as “Incorporated Documents”).
Any statement contained in an Incorporated Document shall be deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this Registration Statement to the extent that a statement contained herein or in any other subsequently filed Incorporated Document modifies or supersedes such statement. Any such statement so modified or superseded shall not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to constitute a part of this Registration Statement.
Item 4. Description of Securities.
Not applicable.
Item 5. Interests of Named Experts and Counsel.
Not applicable.

Item 6. Indemnification of Directors and Officers.
Section 102 of the Delaware General Corporation Law allows a corporation to eliminate the personal liability of a director to the corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director, except in cases where the director breached his or her duty of loyalty to the corporation or its stockholders, failed to act in good faith, engaged in intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of the law, willfully or negligently authorized the unlawful payment of a dividend or approved an unlawful stock redemption or repurchase or obtained an improper personal benefit. Article Eleventh of the Registrant’s Restated Certificate of Incorporation contains a provision which eliminates directors’ personal liability as set forth above.
Article Eighth of the Registrant’s Restated Certificate of Incorporation provides in effect that the Corporation will indemnify its directors and officers to the fullest extent permitted by Delaware law. Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law provides that a Delaware corporation has the power to indemnify its directors, officers, employees and agents in certain circumstances. Subsection (a) of Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law empowers a corporation to indemnify any director, officer, employee or agent, or former director, officer, employee or agent, who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (other than an action by or in the right of the corporation), against expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred in connection with such action, suit or proceeding provided that such director, officer, employee or agent acted in good faith and in a manner he or she reasonably believed to be





in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, provided that such director, officer, employee or agent had no reasonable cause to believe that his or her conduct was unlawful.
Subsection (b) of Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law empowers a corporation to indemnify any director, officer, employee or agent, or former director, officer, employee or agent, who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action or suit by or in the right of the corporation to procure a judgment in its favor by reason of the fact that such person acted in any of the capacities set forth above, against expenses (including attorneys’ fees) actually and reasonably incurred in connection with the defense or settlement of such action or suit provided that such person acted in good faith and in a manner he or she reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation, except that no indemnification may be made in respect of any claim, issue or matter as to which such person has been adjudged to be liable to the corporation unless and only to the extent that the Court of Chancery or the court in which such action or suit was brought determines that despite the adjudication of liability such person is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for such expenses which the court deems proper.
Section 145 further provides that to the extent that a director or officer or employee of a corporation has been successful in the defense of any action, suit or proceeding referred to in subsections (a) and (b) or in the defense of any claim, issue or matter therein, he or she will be indemnified against expenses (including attorneys’ fees) actually and reasonably incurred by him or her in connection therewith.
The Registrant has in effect insurance policies for general officers’ and directors’ liability insurance covering all of the Registrant’s officers and directors.

Item 7. Exemption from Registration Claimed.
Not applicable.
Item 8. Exhibits.
The Exhibits filed herewith are set forth on the Exhibit Index filed as part of this Registration Statement.
Item 9. Undertakings.
(a)
The Registrant hereby undertakes:
(1)
To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement:
(i)
To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act;
(ii)
To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the Registration Statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the Registration Statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than 20 percent change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the effective registration statement; and
(iii)
To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the Registration Statement or any material change to such information in the Registration Statement;
provided, however, that paragraphs (a)(1)(i) and (a)(1)(ii) do not apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in reports filed with or furnished to the Commission by the Registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act that are incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement.
(2)
That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.
(3)
To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering.
(b)
The Registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each filing of the Registrant’s annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act (and, where applicable,





each filing of the 2017 Plan’s annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act) that is incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.
(c)
Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the Registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.





SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Chicago, State of Illinois on the 26th day of April, 2017.
 
 
 
 
NORTHERN TRUST CORPORATION
 
 
By
 
/s/ Frederick H. Waddell
 
 
Frederick H. Waddell
 
 
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
 
 
 
Each person whose signature appears below hereby severally constitutes and appoints Frederick H. Waddell, Susan C. Levy and Stephanie S. Greisch, and each of them acting singly, as his or her true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent, with full and several power of substitution and resubstitution, to sign for him or her and in his or her name, place and stead, in any and all capacities indicated below, any and all amendments (including post-effective amendments) to this Registration Statement, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection therewith, with the Commission, granting unto said attorney-in-fact and agent full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done, as fully to all intents and purposes as he or she might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorney-in-fact and agent or his or her substitute, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue thereof.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this Registration Statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities indicated on the 26th day of April, 2017.
 
 
 
Signature
 
Title
 
 
/s/ Frederick H. Waddell
  
Chairman, Chief Executive
Frederick H. Waddell
  
Officer and Director
 
 
(Principal Executive Officer)
 
 
/s/ S. Biff Bowman
  
Executive Vice President and
S. Biff Bowman
  
Chief Financial Officer
 
 
(Principal Financial Officer)
 
 
 
/s/ Jane B. Karpinski
  
Executive Vice President
Jane B. Karpinski
  
and Controller
 
 
(Principal Accounting Officer)
 
 
/s/ Michael G. O’Grady
 
President and Director
Michael G. O’Grady
 
 
 
/s/ Linda Walker Bynoe
  
Director
Linda Walker Bynoe
  
 
 
 
/s/ Susan Crown
  
Director
Susan Crown
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 





/s/ Dean M. Harrison
 
Director
Dean M. Harrison
 
 
 
 
/s/ Jay L. Henderson
 
Director
Jay L. Henderson
 
 
 
/s/ Jose Luis Prado
  
Director
Jose Luis Prado
  
 
 
 
/s/ Thomas E. Richards
  
Director
Thomas E. Richards
  
 
 
 
 
/s/ John W. Rowe
  
Director
John W. Rowe
  
 
 
 
 
/s/ David H. B. Smith, Jr.
  
Director
David H. B. Smith, Jr.
  
 
 
 
 
/s/ Donald Thompson
 
Director
Donald Thompson
 
 
 
 
 
/s/ Charles A. Tribbett III
  
Director
Charles A. Tribbett III
  
 





EXHIBIT INDEX
 
 
 
 
Exhibit
Number
  
Description
 
 
4.1
  
Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Registrant, as amended to date (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed April 19, 2006)
 
 
4.2
  
By-laws of the Registrant, as amended to date (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed April 26, 2017)
 
 
 
4.3
 
Northern Trust Corporation 2017 Long-Term Incentive Plan (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed April 26, 2017)
 
 
5.1*
  
Opinion of Sidley Austin LLP with respect to validity of issuance of securities
 
 
23.1*
  
Consent of Sidley Austin LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1)
 
 
23.2*
  
Consent of KPMG LLP
 
 
24.1*
  
Powers of Attorney (included on the signature page of the Registration Statement)
 
 
 
 
 
*
Each document marked with an asterisk is filed herewith.