As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 19, 2011

 

Registration No. 333-        

 

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C.  20549

 


 

FORM S-8

 

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

 


 

NORDSTROM, INC.

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

 

Washington

 

91-0515058

(State or other jurisdiction

of incorporation or organization)

 

(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

1617 Sixth Avenue, 6th Floor

Seattle, Washington 98101

 

Robert B. Sari

1700 Seventh Avenue, 7th Floor

Seattle, Washington 98101

(206) 628-2111

(Address of Principal Executive Offices,

including zip code)

 

(Name, address and telephone number, including

area code, of agent for service)

 

Nordstrom Inc. Employee Stock Purchase Plan (2011 Restatement)

(Full Title of Plan)

 

Copies to:

D. Wayne Gittinger

Michael E. Morgan

Brian B. DeFoe

Lane Powell PC

1420 Fifth Avenue, Suite 4100

Seattle, Washington 98101-2338

 

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 definition 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 o

Non-accelerated filer o

 

Smaller reporting company o

(Do not check if a smaller reporting company)

 

 

 

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 (2)

 

Amount of
Registration Fee

 

Common Stock, no par value

 

3,200,000

 

$

46.10

 

$

147,536,000

 

$

17,128.93

 

(1)  The number of shares being registered represents 3,200,000 shares of Common Stock which may be issued pursuant to the Nordstrom, Inc. Employee Stock Purchase Plan (2011 Restatement).  Pursuant to Rule 416(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), this registration statement also covers any additional securities that may be offered or issued to prevent dilution resulting from stock splits, stock dividends, or similar transactions in accordance with the terms of the plan.

 

(2)  Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee pursuant to Rule 457(c) and 457(h) under the Securities Act, based on the average of the high and low sales prices of the Company’s Common Stock, as reported on the New York Stock Exchange on May 17, 2011.

 

 

 



 

PART I

 

INFORMATION REQUIRED IN

THE SECTION 10(A) PROSPECTUS

 

Item 1.  Plan Information.

 

The information required by Item 1 is included in documents sent or given to participants in the plan covered by this registration statement pursuant to Rule 428(b)(1) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”).

 

Item 2.  Registrant Information and Employee Plan Annual Information.

 

The written statement required by Item 2 is included in documents sent or given to participants in the plan covered by this registration statement pursuant to Rule 428(b)(1) of the Securities Act.

 

PART II

 

INFORMATION REQUIRED IN

THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

 

Item 3.  Incorporation of Documents by Reference.

 

The following documents, which have been filed with the Commission pursuant to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), are hereby incorporated by reference and shall be deemed to be a part of, this Registration Statement:

 

(a)                                                                                  The Registrant’s latest Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended January 29, 2011, filed with the Commission on March 18, 2011;

 

(b)                                                                                 The Registrant’s Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A related to the Registrant’s Annual Meeting of Shareholders held on May 11, 2011, filed on March 31, 2011.

 

(c)                                                                                  All other reports filed by the Registrant pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), since the end of the fiscal year covered by the Annual Report on Form 10-K referred to in (a) above, including the Registrant’s definitive proxy statement filed with the Commission on March 31, 2011 and the Registrant’s current reports on Form 8-K, provided, however, that any material furnished to the Commission on such current reports on Form 8-K pursuant to Items 2.02. 7.01 or 9.01 thereof shall not be deemed incorporated by this reference; and

 

(d)                                                                                 The description of the Registrant’s Common Stock contained in any registration statement or report that the Registrant has filed under the Exchange Act, including any amendment or report filed for the purpose of updating such description.

 

All documents filed by the Registrant pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment, which indicates that all securities offered have been sold, or which deregisters all securities then remaining unsold, are incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement and to be part hereof from the date of filing of such documents, except as to any portion of any future annual or quarterly report to shareholders or document or current report furnished under Items 2.02, 7.01 and 9.01 of Form 8-K that is not deemed filed under such provisions.

 

Any statement contained in a document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference herein 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 subsequently filed document which also is or is deemed to be incorporated by reference herein, modifies or supersedes such statement.  Any such statement so modified or superseded shall not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to constitute part of this Registration Statement.

 

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Item 4.  Description of Securities.

 

The Common Stock being registered hereunder has been registered pursuant to Section 12 of the Exchange Act.

 

Item 5.  Interests of Named Experts and Counsel.

 

Certain legal matters relating to the securities being registered will be passed upon for the Registrant by Lane Powell PC, Seattle, Washington.  As of May 18, 2011, D. Wayne Gittinger, a shareholder at Lane Powell PC, was the beneficial owner of 15,470,626 shares of Nordstrom common stock, including 66,984 owned by him individually; 13,844,460 shares owned by his wife individually; 3,982 shares held by his wife in the Company 401(k) Plan and Profit Sharing; and 1,555,200 held by a trust of which his wife is a trustee and beneficiary.

 

Item 6.  Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

 

Sections 23B.08.500 through 23B.08.600 of the Washington Business Corporation Act authorize a court to award, or a corporation’s board of directors to grant, indemnification to directors and officers on terms sufficiently broad to permit indemnification under certain circumstances for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the ‘Securities Act”). Section 23B.08.320 of the Washington Business Corporation Act authorizes a corporation to limit a director’s liability to the corporation or its shareholders for monetary damages for acts or omissions as a director, except in certain circumstances involving intentional misconduct, self-dealing or illegal corporate loans or distributions, or in any transactions from which the director personally receives a benefit in money, property or services to which the director is not legally entitled.

 

Article IX of the Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation of the Registrant eliminates any personal liability of a director to the Registrant or its shareholders for monetary damages for conduct as a director, except for any liability for any acts or omissions that involve intentional misconduct by a director or a knowing violation of law by a director, for conduct violating RCW 23B.08.310, for any transaction from which the director will personally receive a benefit in money, property or services to which the director is not legally entitled, or for any act or omission occurring prior to the date when Article IX of the Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation of the Registrant became effective.  If the Washington Business Corporation Act is subsequently amended to change in a manner affecting the Registrant’s power to eliminate or limit the liability of a director to the Registrant, then, upon the effective date of the amendment and without further act: (i) if the amendment permits further elimination or limitation of liability, the liability of a director shall be additionally eliminated and limited to such further extent, or (ii) if the amendment changes the power to eliminate the liability of a director in any other respect, the liability of a director shall be eliminated and limited with respect to acts or omissions occurring after the effective date of the amendment to the fullest extent permitted by the Washington Business Corporation Act as so amended.  Article IX of the Registrant’s Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation also contains a provision that no amendment or repeal of the Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation of the Registrant shall adversely affect any right or any elimination or limitation of liability of a director existing immediately prior to the amendment or repeal.

 

Article XI of the Registrant’s Bylaws provide for, among other things, the indemnification by the Registrant of its directors and officers and the advancement of expenses.  The Registrant’s Bylaws also permit the purchase and maintenance of insurance, the creation of trust funds, the grant of security interests and the use of other means to secure the Registrant’s indemnification obligations.  The Registrant has also entered into certain indemnification agreements with its directors, the form of which is attached as Exhibit 10.1 to its Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Commission on March 3, 2009. The indemnification agreements provide the Registrant’s directors with indemnification to the full extent permitted by law.

 

Officers and directors of the Registrant are covered by insurance (with certain exceptions and limitations) that indemnifies them against certain losses and liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act.  The effect of this insurance is to indemnify any officer or director of the Registrant against liability and expenses incurred by such officer or director upon a determination that such person acted in good faith.

 

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Item 7.  Exemption from Registration Claimed.

 

Not applicable.

 

Item 8.  Exhibits.

 

Exhibit

 

 

Number

 

Description

 

 

 

4.1

 

Nordstrom, Inc. Employee Stock Purchase Plan (2011 Restatement) (filed herewith)

 

 

 

5.1

 

Opinion of Lane Powell PC (filed herewith)

 

 

 

23.1

 

Consent of Deloitte & Touche LLP, Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

 

 

 

23.2

 

Consent of Lane Powell PC (included in Exhibit 5.1)

 

 

 

24.1

 

Power of Attorney (see signature page)

 

Item 9.  Undertakings.

 

A.                                   The undersigned 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 matters stated above, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of the securities offered would not exceed the value registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in a form of prospectus filed with the Commission in accordance with Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than a 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 periodic reports filed with or furnished to the Commission by the registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15 of the Exchange Act that are incorporated by reference into 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 undersigned 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

 

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Act (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit 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 a 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 is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

 

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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 Seattle, State of Washington, on the 19th day of May 2011.

 

 

NORDSTROM, INC.

 

 

 

 

 

/s/ Robert B. Sari

 

By:

Robert B. Sari

 

Its:

Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary

 

POWER OF ATTORNEY

 

Each person whose individual signature appears below hereby constitutes and appoints Michael G. Koppel, Robert Sari and Robert Campbell, and each of them, as such person’s true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent, with full power of substitution and re-substitution, to do any and all acts and things and execute any and all instruments which said attorneys and agents, or any of them, may deem necessary or advisable or which said attorneys and agents, or any of them, may deem necessary or advisable or which may be required to enable the Company to comply with the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and any rules, regulations or requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission in respect thereof, in connection with the filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission of a Registration Statement on Form S-8 relating to the Nordstrom, Inc. Employee Stock Purchase Plan (2011 Restatement) and shares of Common Stock issuable thereunder, including specifically but without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the power and authority to sign in the name and on behalf of the undersigned, in his or her capacity as a director and/or officer of the Company, any such Form S-8 and any and all amendments and supplements thereto and any other instruments or documents filed as a part of or in connection therewith, and each of the undersigned does hereby ratify and confirm all that said attorneys and agents or any of them, may do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

 

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Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the registration statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities indicated below on the 19th of May 2011:

 

/s/ Blake W. Nordstrom

 

Blake W. Nordstrom

President and Director

(Principal Executive Officer)

 

 

 

/s/ Michael G. Koppel

 

Michael G. Koppel

Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

(Principal Financial Officer)

 

 

 

/s/ James A. Howell

 

James A. Howell

Vice President of Finance

(Principal Accounting Officer)

 

 

 

/s/ Phyllis J. Campbell

 

Phyllis J. Campbell

Director

 

 

 

/s/ Michelle M. Ebanks

 

Michelle M. Ebanks

Director

 

 

 

/s/ Enrique Hernandez, Jr.

 

Enrique Hernandez, Jr.

Chairman and Director

 

 

 

/s/ Robert G. Miller

 

Robert G. Miller

Director

 

 

 

/s/ Erik B. Nordstrom

 

Erik B. Nordstrom

Executive Vice President, President, Stores and Director

 

 

 

/s/ Peter E. Nordstrom

 

Peter E. Nordstrom

Executive Vice President, President, Merchandising and Director

 

 

 

/s/ Philip G. Satre

 

Philip G. Satre

Director

 

 

 

/s/ Felicia D. Thornton

 

Felicia D. Thornton

Director

 

 

 

/s/ B. Kevin Turner

 

B. Kevin Turner

Director

 

 

 

/s/ Robert D. Walter

 

Robert D. Walter

Director

 

 

 

/s/ Alison A. Winter

 

Alison A. Winter

Director

 

 

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INDEX TO EXHIBITS

 

Exhibit

 

 

Number

 

Description

 

 

 

4.1

 

Nordstrom, Inc. Employee Stock Purchase Plan (2011 Restatement) (filed herewith)

 

 

 

5.1

 

Opinion of Lane Powell PC (filed herewith)

 

 

 

23.1

 

Consent of Deloitte & Touche LLP, Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

 

 

 

23.2

 

Consent of Lane Powell PC (included in Exhibit 5.1)

 

 

 

24.1

 

Power of Attorney (see signature page)

 

8


 

EXHIBIT 4.1

 

NORDSTROM, INC.

 

EMPLOYEE STOCK PURCHASE PLAN

 

(2011 Restatement)

 

SECTION 1. PURPOSE OF THE PLAN

 

The purpose of the Plan is to provide Eligible Employees with an opportunity to increase their proprietary interest in the success of the Company by purchasing Stock from the Company on favorable terms and to pay for such purchases through payroll deductions. The Plan is intended to qualify under Section 423 of the Code. The Plan was originally adopted by the Company’s Board of Directors in November of 1999, and was approved by the Company’s shareholders in May of 2000. The Plan was subsequently amended in several respects and was completely restated in 2005, 2006, and 2008. This 2011 Restatement increases the authorized number of shares of Stock under the Plan, changes the default beneficiary hierarchy, modifies the procedure for designating Participating Companies in the Plan, and makes minor editorial changes to the Plan language. The 2011 Restatement is effective for Offering Periods beginning on and after April 1, 2011.

 

SECTION 2. ADMINISTRATION OF THE PLAN.

 

(a) Committee Composition. The Plan shall be administered by the Committee.

 

(b) Committee Responsibilities. The Committee shall interpret the Plan and make all other policy decisions relating to the operation of the Plan. The Committee may adopt such rules, guidelines and forms as it deems appropriate to implement the Plan. The Committee’s determinations under the Plan shall be final and binding on all persons.

 

SECTION 3. ENROLLMENT AND PARTICIPATION.

 

(a) Offering Periods. While the Plan is in effect, two Offering Periods shall commence in each calendar year. Offering Periods shall consist of the six-month periods commencing on each April 1 and October 1.

 

(b) Enrollment. Any individual who, on the day preceding the first day of an Offering Period, qualifies as an Eligible Employee may elect to become a Participant in the Plan for such Offering Period by completing the enrollment process prescribed for this purpose by the Committee.

 

(c) Duration of Participation. Once enrolled in the Plan, a Participant shall continue to participate in the Plan until he or she (1) ceases to be an Eligible Employee, (2) withdraws from the Plan under Section 5(a), or (3) reaches the end of the Offering Period in which his or her employee contributions were discontinued under Section 8(b). A Participant who withdrew from the Plan under Section 5(a) may again become a Participant, if he or she then is an Eligible Employee, by following the procedure described in Subsection (b) above. A Participant whose employee contributions were discontinued automatically under Section 8(b) shall automatically resume participation at the beginning of the earliest Offering Period ending in the next calendar year, if he or she then is an Eligible Employee.

 

SECTION 4. EMPLOYEE CONTRIBUTIONS.

 

(a) Frequency of Payroll Deductions. A Participant may purchase shares of Stock under the Plan solely by means of payroll deductions. Payroll deductions, as designated by the Participant pursuant to Subsection (b) below, shall occur during the Offering Period on the payment date of any bonus, and on the payment date of all other compensation while a Participant in the Plan.

 

(b) Amount of Payroll Deductions. An Eligible Employee shall designate in the enrollment process the portion of his or her Compensation that he or she elects to have withheld for the purchase of Stock. Such portion shall be a whole

 

1



 

percentage of the Eligible Employee’s Compensation, but not less than one percent (1%) nor more than ten percent (10%).

 

(c) Changing Withholding Rate. If a Participant wishes to change the rate of payroll withholding, he or she may do so by notifying the Company using the process prescribed for this purpose by the Committee. The new withholding rate shall be effective as soon as reasonably practicable after such notification by the Company.

 

(d) Discontinuing Payroll Deductions. If a Participant wishes to discontinue employee contributions entirely, he or she may do so at any time by using the process prescribed for this purpose by the Committee. Payroll withholding shall cease as soon as reasonably practicable after such notification. (In addition, employee contributions may be discontinued automatically pursuant to Section 8(b).) A Participant who has discontinued employee contributions may resume such contributions by using the process prescribed for this purpose by the Committee. Payroll withholding shall resume as soon as reasonably practicable after such notification.

 

SECTION 5. WITHDRAWAL FROM THE PLAN.

 

(a) Withdrawal. A Participant may elect to withdraw from the Plan by using the process and timing prescribed for this purpose by the Committee. As soon as reasonably practicable after the effective date of a Participant’s withdrawal, payroll deductions shall cease and the entire amount credited to the Participant’s Plan Account shall be refunded to him or her in cash, without interest. No partial withdrawals shall be permitted.

 

(b) Re-enrollment After Withdrawal. A former Participant who has withdrawn from the Plan shall not be a Participant until he or she re-enrolls in the Plan under Section 3(b). Re-enrollment may be effective only at the commencement of an Offering Period.

 

SECTION 6. CHANGE IN EMPLOYMENT STATUS.

 

(a) Termination of Employment. Termination of employment as an Eligible Employee for any reason, including death, shall be treated as an automatic withdrawal from the Plan under Section 5(a). (A transfer from one Participating Company to another shall not be treated as a termination of employment.)

 

(b) Leave of Absence. For purposes of the Plan, employment shall not be deemed to terminate when the Participant goes on an approved leave of absence. Employment shall be deemed to terminate in any event when the approved leave ends, unless the Participant immediately returns to work.

 

(c) Death. In the event of the Participant’s death on or after April 1, 2011, the amount credited to his or her Plan Account, and any shares of Stock held by the broker designated by the Committee pursuant to Section 7(e), shall be paid to a beneficiary designated by him or her for this purpose in the enrollment process or, if none, or if the designee has predeceased the Participant, then the Participant will be deemed to have designated the following as his or her surviving beneficiaries and contingent beneficiaries with priority in the order named below:

 

(1) first, to the Participant’s surviving spouse (as defined under federal law), or registered domestic partner (as defined under state law); or

 

(2) if the Participant does not have a surviving spouse or registered domestic partner, to his or her estate.

 

For purposes of determining the appropriate named or deemed beneficiary or contingent beneficiary, an individual is considered to survive the Participant if that individual is alive seven days after the date of the Participant’s death.

 

SECTION 7. PLAN ACCOUNTS AND PURCHASE OF SHARES.

 

(a) Plan Accounts. A Plan Account shall be maintained in the name of each Participant. Whenever an amount is deducted from the Participant’s Compensation under the Plan, such amount shall be credited to the Participant’s Plan Account. Amounts credited to Plan Accounts shall not be trust funds and may be commingled with the Company’s general assets and applied to general corporate purposes. No interest shall be credited to Plan Accounts.

 

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(b) Purchase Price. The Purchase Price for each share of Stock purchased at the close of an Offering Period shall be ninety percent (90%) of the Fair Market Value of such share on the last trading day in such Offering Period.

 

(c) Number of Shares Purchased. As of the last day of each Offering Period, each Participant shall be deemed to have elected to purchase the number of shares of Stock calculated in accordance with this Subsection (c), unless the Participant has previously elected to withdraw from the Plan in accordance with Section 5(a). The amount then in the Participant’s Plan Account shall be divided by the Purchase Price, and the number of shares that results shall be purchased from the Company with the funds in the Participant’s Plan Account. The foregoing notwithstanding, no Participant shall purchase more than one thousand (1,000) shares of Stock with respect to any Offering Period nor more than the amounts of Stock set forth in Sections 8(b) and 13(a). Any fractional share, as calculated under this Subsection (c), shall be rounded down to the next lower whole share.

 

(d) Available Shares Insufficient. In the event that the aggregate number of shares that all Participants elect to purchase during an Offering Period exceeds the maximum number of shares remaining available for issuance under Section 13(a), then the number of shares to which each Participant is entitled shall be determined by multiplying the number of shares available for issuance by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of shares that such Participant has elected to purchase and the denominator of which is the number of shares that all Participants have elected to purchase.

 

(e) Issuance of Stock. Certificates representing shares of Stock purchased by a Participant under the Plan shall be held for each Participant’s benefit by a broker designated by the Committee for the Plan. Shares may be registered in the name of the Participant or jointly in the name of the Participant and his or her spouse as joint tenants with right of survivorship or as community property. A Participant may elect the following with respect to such shares, in accordance with and subject to the process prescribed for this purpose by the Committee:

 

i) that the Stock certificates be issued to him or her in exchange for the whole shares held within the Participant’s Account, or

 

ii) that shares held within the Participant’s Account be transferred to an appropriate broker designated by the Participant.

 

Each Participant shall be required to notify the Company in the event of the sale or disposition of any of such shares. For purposes of the previous sentence, the term “disposition” shall have the meaning prescribed under Section 424(c)(1) of the Code.

 

(f) Unused Cash Balances. Any amount remaining in the Participant’s Plan Account that represents the Purchase Price for a fractional share shall be carried over in the Participant’s Plan Account to the next Offering Period. Any amount remaining in the Participant’s Plan Account that represents the Purchase Price for whole shares that could not be purchased by reason of Subsection (c) above, Section 8(b) or Section 13(a) shall be refunded to the Participant in cash, without interest.

 

(g) Shareholder Approval. Any other provision of the Plan notwithstanding, no shares of Stock shall be purchased under the Plan unless and until the Company’s shareholders have approved the adoption of the Plan.

 

SECTION 8. LIMITATIONS ON STOCK OWNERSHIP.

 

(a) Five Percent Limit. Any other provision of the Plan notwithstanding, no Participant shall be granted a right to purchase Stock under the Plan if such Participant, immediately after his or her election to purchase such Stock, would own stock possessing 5% or more of the total combined voting power or value (determined under Code Section 423) of all classes of stock of the Company or any parent or Subsidiary of the Company. For purposes of this Subsection (a), the following rules shall apply:

 

(i) Ownership of stock shall be determined after applying the attribution rules of Section 424(d) of the Code;

 

(ii) Each Participant shall be deemed to own any stock that he or she has a right or option to purchase under this or any other plan; and

 

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(iii) For purposes of applying subsection (ii), each Participant shall be deemed to have the right or option to purchase one thousand (1,000) shares of Stock under this Plan with respect to each Offering Period.

 

(b) Dollar Limit. Any other provision of the Plan notwithstanding, no Participant shall purchase Stock with a Fair Market Value in excess of the following limit:

 

(i) In the case of Stock purchased during an Offering Period that commenced in the current calendar year, the limit shall be equal to (A) $25,000 minus (B) the Fair Market Value of the Stock that the Participant previously purchased in the current calendar year under this Plan.

 

(ii) In the case of Stock purchased during an Offering Period that commenced in the immediately preceding calendar year, the limit shall be equal to (A) $50,000 minus (B) the Fair Market Value of the Stock that the Participant previously purchased under this Plan in the current calendar year and in the immediately preceding calendar year.

 

For purposes of this Subsection (b), the Fair Market Value of Stock shall be determined in each case as of the beginning of the Offering Period in which such Stock is purchased. If a Participant is precluded by this Subsection (b) from purchasing additional Stock under the Plan, then his or her employee contributions shall automatically be discontinued and shall resume at the beginning of the earliest Offering Period ending in the next calendar year (if he or she then is an Eligible Employee).

 

SECTION 9. RIGHTS NOT TRANSFERABLE.

 

The rights of any Participant under the Plan, or any Participant’s interest in any Stock or moneys to which he or she may be entitled under the Plan, shall not be transferable by voluntary or involuntary assignment or by operation of law, or in any other manner other than by beneficiary designation or the laws of descent and distribution. If a Participant in any manner attempts to transfer, assign or otherwise encumber his or her rights or interest under the Plan, other than by beneficiary designation or the laws of descent and distribution, then such act shall be treated as an election by the Participant to withdraw from the Plan under Section 5(a).

 

SECTION 10. NO RIGHTS AS AN EMPLOYEE.

 

Nothing in the Plan or in any right granted under the Plan shall confer upon the Participant any right to continue in the employ of a Participating Company for any period of specific duration or interfere with or otherwise restrict in any way the rights of the Participating Companies or of the Participant, which rights are hereby expressly reserved by each, to terminate his or her employment at any time and for any reason, with or without cause.

 

SECTION 11. NO RIGHTS AS A SHAREHOLDER.

 

A Participant shall have no rights as a shareholder with respect to any shares of Stock that he or she may have a right to purchase under the Plan until such shares have been purchased on the last day of the applicable Offering Period.

 

SECTION 12. SECURITIES LAW REQUIREMENTS.

 

Shares of Stock shall not be issued under the Plan unless the issuance and delivery of such shares comply with (or are exempt from) all applicable requirements of law, including (without limitation) the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, state securities laws and regulations, and the regulations of any stock exchange or other securities market on which the Company’s securities may then be traded.

 

SECTION 13. STOCK OFFERED UNDER THE PLAN.

 

(a) Authorized Shares. Effective for Offering Periods commencing on and after April 1, 2011, the aggregate authorized number of shares of Stock available for purchase under the Plan is increased by three million two hundred thousand (3,200,000) shares, conditioned on approval of the increase by the Company’s shareholders within 12 months after the Board approves the increase. If the shareholders approve the increase, the aggregate authorized number of shares of Stock available for purchase under the Plan shall equal twelve million six hundred thousand

 

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(12,600,000) shares, subject to adjustment pursuant to this Section 13. Previously, the aggregate authorized number of shares of Stock available for purchase under the Plan was nine million four hundred thousand (9,400,000) shares. In the event the increase is not timely approved by the Company’s shareholders, the aggregate authorized number of shares of Stock available for purchase under the Plan shall remain at 9,400,000 shares.

 

(b) Antidilution Adjustments. The aggregate number of shares of Stock offered under the Plan, the one thousand (1,000) share limitation described in Section 7(c) and the price of shares that any Participant has elected to purchase shall be adjusted proportionately by the Committee for any increase or decrease in the number of outstanding shares of Stock resulting from a subdivision or consolidation of shares or the payment of a stock dividend, any other increase or decrease in such shares effected without receipt or payment of consideration by the Company, the distribution of the shares of a Subsidiary to the Company’s shareholders or a similar event.

 

(c) Reorganizations. Any other provision of the Plan notwithstanding, immediately prior to the effective time of a Corporate Reorganization, the Offering Period then in progress shall terminate and shares shall be purchased pursuant to Section 7, unless the Plan is assumed by the surviving corporation or its parent corporation pursuant to the plan of merger or consolidation. The Plan shall in no event be construed to restrict in any way the Company’s right to undertake a dissolution, liquidation, merger, consolidation or other reorganization.

 

SECTION 14. AMENDMENT OR DISCONTINUANCE.

 

The Board shall have the right to amend, suspend or terminate the Plan at any time and without notice. Any amendment that increases the aggregate number of shares of Stock to be issued under the Plan shall be subject to approval by a vote of the shareholders of the Company within 12 months before, or 12 months after, the Board’s adoption of the amendment. In addition, any other amendment of the Plan shall be subject to approval by a vote of the shareholders of the Company to the extent required by an applicable law or regulation. To the extent an amendment does not require shareholder or Board approval (as described above), the Committee shall have the authority to make technical and administrative amendments to the Plan for the sole purpose of carrying out its administrative responsibilities under the Plan.

 

SECTION 15. DEFINITIONS.

 

(a) “Board” means the Board of Directors of the Company, as constituted from time to time.

 

(b) “Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.

 

(c) “Committee” means the Compensation Committee of the Board.

 

(d) “Company” means Nordstrom, Inc., a Washington corporation.

 

(e) “Compensation” means (i) the total compensation paid in cash to a Participant by a Participating Company, including salaries, wages, bonuses (if specifically designated as Compensation by the Participant), incentive compensation, commissions, overtime pay and shift premiums, plus (ii) any pre-tax contributions made by the Participant under Section 401(k) or 125 of the Code. “Compensation” shall exclude all non-cash items, moving or relocation allowances, cost-of-living equalization payments, car allowances, tuition reimbursements, imputed income attributable to cars or life insurance, severance pay, fringe benefits, contributions or benefits received under employee benefit plans, income attributable to the exercise of stock options, and similar items. The Committee shall determine whether a particular item is included in Compensation.

 

(f) “Corporate Reorganization” means:

 

(i) The consummation of a merger or consolidation of the Company with or into another entity, or any other corporate reorganization; or

 

(ii) The sale, transfer or other disposition of all or substantially all of the Company’s assets or the complete liquidation or dissolution of the Company.

 

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(g) “Eligible Employee” means any common-law employee who is employed by a Participating Company on February 1 or August 1. The following are excluded from the definition of an Eligible Employee:

 

(i) any individual whose participation in the Plan is prohibited by the law of any country which has jurisdiction over him or her;

 

(ii) any employee who is covered by a collective bargaining agreement, if the collective bargaining agreement excludes the employee (or the bargaining unit of which the employee is a member) from participation in the Plan; and

 

(iii) to the extent permitted by Code Section 423, any individual designated by a Participating Company as an independent contractor, even if the individual later is determined by a court of competent jurisdiction to be a common law employee of a Participating Company.

 

(h) “Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

 

(i) “Fair Market Value” means the market price of Stock, determined by the Committee as follows:

 

(i) If Stock was traded on The Nasdaq National Market on the date in question, then the Fair Market Value shall be equal to the last sale price quoted for such date by The Nasdaq National Market;

 

(ii) If Stock was traded on a stock exchange on the date in question, then the Fair Market Value shall be equal to the closing price reported by the applicable composite transactions report for such date; or

 

(iii) If none of the foregoing provisions is applicable, then the Fair Market Value shall be determined by the Committee in good faith on such basis as it deems appropriate.

 

Whenever possible, the determination of Fair Market Value by the Committee shall be based on the prices reported in the Wall Street Journal or as reported directly to the Company by Nasdaq or a stock exchange. Such determination shall be conclusive and binding on all persons.

 

(j) “Offering Period” means a six-month period with respect to which the right to purchase Stock may be granted under the Plan, as determined pursuant to Section 3(a).

 

(k) “Participant” means an Eligible Employee who elects to participate in the Plan, as provided in Section 3(b). Only Eligible Employees may become Participants in this Plan.

 

(l) “Participating Company” means (i) the Company, (ii) each Subsidiary that is a Participating Company as of February 1, 2011, and (iii) each present or future Subsidiary that is affirmatively designated by the Committee as a Participating Company after February 1, 2011. Except as provided in the preceding sentence, no other Subsidiary shall be a Participating Company. The Committee is authorized to change a present or future Subsidiary’s designation as a Participating Company at any time without additional shareholder approval. The Committee has previously designated the following as not being a Participating Company: Nordstrom Federal Credit Union, NORDSTROM.com, LLC, Just Jeffrey, Inc., JSK Enterprises, Inc. and any international Subsidiary (where employees receive no U.S. source income).

 

(m) “Plan” means this Nordstrom, Inc. Employee Stock Purchase Plan, as it may be amended from time to time.

 

(n) “Plan Account” means the account established for each Participant pursuant to Section 7(a).

 

(o) “Purchase Price” means the price at which Participants may purchase Stock under the Plan, as determined pursuant to Section 7(b).

 

(p) “Stock” means the Common Stock of the Company, no par value per share.

 

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(q) “Subsidiary” means any corporation (other than the Company) in an unbroken chain of corporations beginning with the Company, if each of the corporations other than the last corporation in the unbroken chain owns stock possessing 50% or more of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock in one of the other corporations in such chain.

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, pursuant to proper authority, this 2011 Restatement has been executed on behalf of the Company, this     day of         , 2011.

 

Attest:

 

NORDSTROM, INC.

 

 

 

 

 

By:

 

 

 

 

Delena Sunday

 

 

 

Executive Vice President — Human Resources and Diversity Affairs

 

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EXHIBIT 5.1

 

 

 

 

May 19, 2011

 

 

 

Nordstrom, Inc.

1617 Sixth Avenue, 6th Floor

Seattle, Washington  98101

 

Dear Sir or Madam:

 

We have acted as counsel for Nordstrom, Inc. (the “Company”) in connection with the preparation and filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission of the registration statement on Form S-8 (the “Registration Statement”) relating to the registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Act”), of 3,200,000 additional shares of Common Stock (the “Shares”) issuable under the Nordstrom, Inc. Employee Stock Purchase Plan (2011 Restatement) (the “Plan”).

 

In rendering this opinion letter, we have relied as to matters of material fact upon the representations of members of the Company’s management; however, we have no reason to believe that any such representations are incorrect or incomplete.  We have assumed the genuineness of all signatures, the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals, the conformity to original documents of all documents submitted to us as copies and the authenticity of the originals of such copies.  In connection with this letter, we have concerned ourselves solely with the application of the laws of the State of Washington and the laws of the United States, and no opinion is expressed herein concerning the possible effects of the laws of any other jurisdiction.

 

For purposes of this opinion letter, we have made such investigations of fact and law, and examined such documents and instruments, or copies thereof established to our satisfaction to be true and correct copies thereof, as we have deemed necessary under the circumstances.

 

Subject to the foregoing and in reliance thereon, we are of the opinion that, upon the issuance and sale of the Shares in accordance with the terms of the Plan, and subject to the Company complying with the terms of the Plan, including, without limitation, receipt of legal consideration in exchange for the Shares issued and, when the Shares shall have been duly registered on the books of the transfer agent and registrar therefore in the name or on behalf of the purchasers or when certificates representing the Shares have been manually signed by an authorized officer of the transfer agent and registrar therefore, the Shares will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable securities of the Company.  In rendering the foregoing opinion, we have assumed that the Company will comply with all applicable notice requirements regarding uncertificated shares provided in the Washington Business Corporation Act.

 

The opinions contained in this letter are given as of the date hereof and has been prepared for use in connection with the Registration Statement. We render no opinion as to any matter brought to our attention subsequent to the date hereof.  We consent to the use of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement and further consent to the use of our name wherever appearing in the Registration Statement, including the prospectus constituting a part thereof, and any amendments or supplements thereto. In giving this consent, we do not thereby admit that we are an “expert” within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

 

 

Very truly yours,

 

 

 

/s/ LANE POWELL PC

 

 

 

LANE POWELL PC

 


EXHIBIT 23.1

 

CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

 

We consent to the incorporation by reference in this Registration Statement on Form S-8 of our reports dated March 18, 2011, relating to the consolidated financial statements of Nordstrom, Inc. and subsidiaries, and the effectiveness of Nordstrom, Inc.’s internal control over financial reporting, appearing in the Annual Report on Form 10-K of Nordstrom, Inc. for the year ended January 29, 2011.

 

/S/ DELOITTE & TOUCHE LLP

 

Seattle, Washington

May 19, 2011