SEC FORM 4 SEC Form 4
FORM 4 UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP

Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940
 
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Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).
1. Name and Address of Reporting Person*
BERNSTEIN RONALD J

(Last) (First) (Middle)
LIGGETT VECTOR BRANDS INC.
ONE PARK DRIVE, SUITE 150

(Street)
RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK NC 27709

(City) (State) (Zip)
2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
VECTOR GROUP LTD [ VGR ]
5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
(Check all applicable)
X Director 10% Owner
X Officer (give title below) Other (specify below)
President of Subsidiary
3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year)
11/11/2005
4. If Amendment, Date of Original Filed (Month/Day/Year)
6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line)
X Form filed by One Reporting Person
Form filed by More than One Reporting Person
Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
1. Title of Security (Instr. 3) 2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year) 2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year) 3. Transaction Code (Instr. 8) 4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed Of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5) 5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 3 and 4) 6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4) 7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
Code V Amount (A) or (D) Price
Common Stock 11/11/2005 A(1) 50,000 A $0.1 50,000 D
Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
(e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 3) 2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security 3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year) 3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year) 4. Transaction Code (Instr. 8) 5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5) 6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (Month/Day/Year) 7. Title and Amount of Securities Underlying Derivative Security (Instr. 3 and 4) 8. Price of Derivative Security (Instr. 5) 9. Number of derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 4) 10. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4) 11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
Code V (A) (D) Date Exercisable Expiration Date Title Amount or Number of Shares
Employee Stock Option (right to buy) $31.59 11/11/2005 D(2) 303,876 09/21/2003(3) 09/21/2011 Common Stock 303,876 $31.59 0 D
Explanation of Responses:
1. On November 11, 2005, Vector Group Ltd. ("VGR") awarded the reporting person a restricted stock grant of 50,000 shares of VGR's Common Stock pursuant to VGR's Amended and Restated 1999 Long-Term Incentive Plan (the "Plan"). One-fourth of the shares vest on November 1, 2006, with an additional one-fourth vesting on each of the three succeeding one-year anniversaries of the first vesting date through November 1, 2009. In the event the reporting person's employment with VGR is terminated for any reason other than his death, his disability or a change of control of VGR, any remaining balance of the shares not previously vested will be forfeited by the reporting person.
2. On November 11, 2005, VGR cancelled, pursuant to an agreement with the reporting person, an option granted to him on September 21, 2001 to purchase 303,876 shares of VGR's Common Stock pursuant to the Plan. In exchange, the reporting person, if he remains employed by VGR or an affiliate of VGR, will receive a replacement option six months and a day later in May 2006 to purchase 250,000 shares of VGR Common Stock, having an exercise price equal to the market price of the underlying stock on the grant date. The new option will have a 10-year term and will become exercisable with respect to one-fourth of the shares on December 1, 2006, with an additional one-fourth becoming exercisable on each of the three succeeding one-year anniversaries of the first exercisable date through December 1, 2009.
3. The cancelled option provided for vesting in four equal annual installments beginning on September 21, 2003.
/s/ Ronald J. Bernstein 11/11/2005
** Signature of Reporting Person Date
Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4 (b)(v).
** Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
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