UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 


 

FORM 8-K

 

Current Report

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the

Securities Exchange Act of 1934

 

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported):  June 12, 2012

 


 

COWEN GROUP, INC.

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)

 


Delaware

 

001-34516

 

27-0423711

(State or Other Jurisdiction
of Incorporation)

 

(Commission File Number)

 

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

 

599 Lexington Avenue

New York, NY 10022

(Address of Principal Executive Offices and Zip Code)

 

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code:  (212) 845-7900

 


 

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

 

o            Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

 

o            Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

 

o            Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

 

o            Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

 

 

 



 

Item 5.07.             Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders.

 

At the Company’s Annual Meeting held on June 12, 2012, stockholders voted on the election of Directors to the Board and the ratification of the appointment of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm for the 2012 fiscal year.  The holders of 102,088,919 shares of Class A common stock, or approximately 89.5% of the eligible voting shares, were represented at the meeting in person or by proxy.

 

All nominees for election to the Board were elected for a term that will continue until the next annual meeting of stockholders or until the director’s successor has been duly elected and qualified (or the director’s earlier resignation, death or removal).  The Company’s independent inspector of election reported the final vote of the stockholders as follows:

 

Name 

 

Votes For

 

Authority Withheld

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Peter A. Cohen

 

79,129,434

 

3,203,303

 

Katherine Elizabeth Dietze

 

79,870,328

 

2,462,409

 

Steven Kotler

 

75,589,049

 

6,743,688

 

Jerome S. Markowitz

 

75,348,575

 

6,984,162

 

Jack H. Nusbaum

 

59,044,807

 

23,287,930

 

Jeffrey M. Solomon

 

78,254,201

 

4,078,536

 

Thomas W. Strauss

 

78,717,773

 

3,614,964

 

John E. Toffolon, Jr.

 

75,600,422

 

6,732,315

 

Joseph R. Wright

 

79,824,407

 

2,508,330

 

 

Broker non-votes for each director totaled 19,756,182.

 

The stockholders’ vote ratified the appointment of the independent auditor.  The Company’s independent inspector of election reported the final vote of the stockholders as follows:

 

 

 

For

 

Against

 

Abstain

 

Broker 
Non-
Vote

 

Ratification of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as the Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm for the Year Ending December 31, 2012

 

100,518,397

 

337,915

 

1,232,607

 

0

 

 

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SIGNATURES

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

 

 

 

COWEN GROUP, INC.

 

 

 

 

Dated: June 12, 2012

By:

 /s/ Owen S. Littman

 

Name:

Owen S. Littman

 

Title:

General Counsel

 

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