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AT&T Inc. Notice of Annual Meeting of Stockholders and Proxy Statement

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AT&T Inc. Notice of Annual Meeting of Stockholders and Proxy Statement AT&T Inc. Notice of Annual Meeting of Stockholders and Proxy Statement To the holders of Common Stock of AT&T Inc.: The 2012 Annual Meeting of Stockholders of AT&T Inc. will be held as follows: When 9:00 a.m., local time, Friday, April 27, 2012 The Grand America Hotel Where 555 South Main Street Salt Lake City, Utah 84111 Š Election of 11 Directors Items of Š Ratification of Ernst & Young LLP as independent auditors Business Š Advisory approval of on executive compensation Š Amend Certificate of Incorporation Š Such other matters, including certain stockholder proposals, as may properly come before the meeting. Holders of AT&T Inc. common stock of record at the close of business on Who Can February 28, 2012, are entitled to vote at the meeting and any Vote adjournment of the meeting. Please sign, date and return your proxy card or submit your proxy and/or Voting by voting instructions by telephone or through the Internet promptly so that a Proxy quorum may be represented at the meeting. Any person giving a proxy has the power to revoke it at any time, and stockholders who are present at the meeting may withdraw their proxies and vote in person. By Order of the Board of Directors. Ann Effinger Meuleman Senior Vice President and Secretary March 12, 2012 2012 PROXY STATEMENT AT&T Inc. One AT&T Plaza Whitacre Tower 208 S. Akard Street Dallas, Texas 75202 Important notice regarding the availability of proxy materials for the stockholder meeting to be held on April 27, 2012: The proxy statement and annual report to security holders are available at www.edocumentview.com/att. Table of Contents Page Proxy Statement Summary ....................................................... ii 2012 Annual Meeting of Stockholders ............................................... 1 Board of Directors ............................................................... 3 Related Person Transactions ...................................................... 10 Common Stock Ownership ........................................................ 12 Section 16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance ............................. 13 Matters To Be Voted Upon ........................................................ 13 Item 1. Election of Directors ................................................... 14 Item 2. Ratification of Appointment of Ernst & Young as Independent Auditors ......... 21 Item 3. Advisory Approval of Executive Compensation ............................. 21 Item 4. Amend Certificate of Incorporation ....................................... 22 Items 5-7. Stockholder Proposals ................................................. 23 Audit Committee ................................................................ 29 Compensation Discussion and Analysis ............................................. 31 Executive Compensation Tables ................................................... 52 Other Business ................................................................. 70 Please sign, date and return your proxy card or submit your proxy YOUR VOTE and/or voting instructions by telephone or through the Internet IS promptly so that a quorum may be represented at the meeting. Any person giving a proxy has the power to revoke it at any time, and IMPORTANT stockholders who are present at the meeting may withdraw their proxies and vote in person. -i- PROXY STATEMENT SUMMARY This summary highlights information contained elsewhere in this Proxy Statement. It does not contain all information you should consider, and you should read the entire Proxy Statement carefully before voting. Annual Meeting of Stockholders Time and Date: 9:00 a.m., local time, Friday, April 27, 2012 Place: The Grand America Hotel, 555 South Main Street, Salt Lake City, Utah 84111 Record Date: February 28, 2012 Voting: Stockholders as of the record date are entitled to vote. Attendance: If you plan to attend the meeting in person, please bring the admission ticket (which is attached to the proxy card or the Annual Meeting Notice and Admission Ticket) to the Annual Meeting. If you do not have an admission ticket, you will be admitted upon presentation of photo identification at the door. Agenda and Voting Recommendations Item Description Board Recommendation Page 1 Election of 11 Directors FOR each nominee 14 2 Ratification of Ernst & Young LLP as auditors for 2012 FOR 21 3 Advisory approval of executive compensation FOR 21 4 Amend Certificate of Incorporation FOR 22 5 Stockholder Proposal – Political Contributions Report AGAINST 23 6 Stockholder Proposal – Limit Wireless Network Management AGAINST 25 7 Stockholder Proposal – Independent Board Chairman AGAINST 27 Current Board Members The following table provides summary information about each Director. Each Director is elected annually by a majority of votes cast. All of the Directors except Ms. Martin (who is retiring on April 27, 2012) are Director nominees for 2012. All non-employee Directors are independent. Director Nominee Age Since Principal Occupation Committees Randall L. Stephenson 51 2005 Chairman, CEO, and President, AT&T Executive Inc. Gilbert F. Amelio 69 2001 Former Senior Partner, Sienna Ventures Executive, Human Resources, and Public Policy Reuben V. Anderson 69 2006 Senior Partner, Phelps Dunbar, LLP Executive, Finance/Pension, and Public Policy James H. Blanchard 70 2006 Chairman and Partner, Jordan- Corporate Development, Executive, Blanchard Capital, LLC and Human Resources Jaime Chico Pardo 62 2008 President and CEO, ENESA Audit and Corporate Development James P. Kelly 68 2006 Retired Chairman and CEO, United Audit and Corp. Gov. and Nominating Parcel Service, Inc. Jon C. Madonna 68 2005 Retired Chairman and CEO, KPMG Audit, Corporate Development, and Executive Lynn M. Martin 72 1999 President, The Martin Hall Group, LLC Corp. Gov. and Nominating, Executive, and Finance/Pension John B. McCoy 68 1999 Retired Chairman and CEO, Bank One Corp. Gov. and Nominating, Finance/ Corporation Pension, Executive, and Human Resources Joyce M. Roché 64 1998 Retired President and CEO, Girls Inc. Corp. Gov. and Nominating and Public Policy Matthew K. Rose 52 2010 Chairman and CEO, Burlington Northern Human Resources and Public Policy Santa Fe, LLC Laura D’Andrea Tyson 64 1999 S.K. and Angela Chan Professor of Audit, Corporate Development, and Global Mgmt., Haas School of Business, Finance/Pension Univ. of California at Berkeley -ii- 2012 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS This Proxy Statement is furnished in connection with the solicitation of proxies by the Board of Directors of AT&T Inc. (AT&T, the Company, or we) for use at the 2012 Annual Meeting of Stockholders of AT&T. The meeting will be held at 9:00 a.m. local time on Friday, April 27, 2012, at The Grand America Hotel, 555 South Main Street, Salt Lake City, Utah 84111. The purposes of the meeting are set forth in the Notice of Annual Meeting of Stockholders (preceding the table of contents). This Proxy Statement and form of proxy are being sent beginning March 12, 2012, to certain stockholders who were record holders of AT&T’s common stock, $1.00 par value per share, at the close of business on February 28, 2012. These materials are also available at www.edocumentview.com/att. Each share entitles the registered holder to one vote. As of January 31, 2012, there were 5,928,751,656 shares of AT&T common stock outstanding. Stockholders who together represent 40% of the common stock outstanding and are entitled to vote must be present or represented by proxy in order to constitute a quorum to conduct business at the meeting. How to Vote Š Shares held by you as the record holder: All shares represented by proxies will be voted by one or more of the persons designated on the form of proxy in accordance with the stockholders’ directions. If the proxy card is signed and returned or the proxy is submitted by telephone or through the Internet without specific directions with respect to the matters to be acted upon, the shares will be voted in accordance with the recommendations of the Board of Directors. Any stockholder giving a proxy may revoke it at any time before the proxy is voted at the meeting by giving written notice of revocation to the Secretary of AT&T, by submitting a later-dated proxy or by attending the meeting and voting in person. The Chairman of the Board will announce the closing of the polls during the Annual Meeting. Proxies must be received before the closing of the polls in order to be counted. Instead of submitting a signed proxy card, stockholders may submit their proxies by telephone or through the Internet. Telephone and Internet proxies must be used in conjunction with, and will be subject to, the information and terms contained on the form of proxy. Similar procedures may also be available to stockholders who hold their shares through a broker, nominee, fiduciary or other custodian. A stockholder may designate a person or persons other than those persons designated on the form of proxy to act as the stockholder’s proxy by striking out the name(s) appearing on the proxy card, inserting the name(s) of another person(s) and delivering the signed card to that person(s). The person(s) designated by the stockholder must present the signed proxy card at the meeting in order for the shares to be voted. Š Shares held through a bank, broker or other custodian: Where the stockholder is not the record holder, such as where the shares are held through a broker, nominee, fiduciary or other custodian, the stockholder must provide voting instructions to the record holder of the shares
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