Martin A. Traber
LM FUNDING AMERICAAbout Martin A. Traber
Martin A. Traber, age 79, is an independent director of LM Funding America, Inc. (LMFA). He rejoined the LMFA Board on April 29, 2024 after previously serving from October 2015 to January 2021. Traber holds a Bachelor of Arts and Juris Doctor from Indiana University, with a career spanning corporate and securities law and investment banking leadership, positioning him as a governance-oriented director with transactional expertise .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foley & Lardner LLP | Partner (corporate/securities law) | 1994–2016 | Advised issuers on securities law and transactions; foundational governance and ethics expertise |
| LMF Acquisition Opportunities, Inc. (indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of LMFA) | Director | Jan 2021–Oct 2022 | Served through merger with SeaStar Medical Holding Corporation |
| NorthStar Bank (Tampa, FL) | Founder; Director | 2007–2011 | Banking oversight experience |
| Exeter Trust Company (Portsmouth, NH) | Director | 2012–2013 | Trust company governance experience |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mad Mobile, Inc. | Director | Since Mar 2019 | POS modernization for retail/restaurant |
| Skyway Capital Markets, LLC | Chairman | Since Feb 2017 | Tampa-based investment banking |
Board Governance
- Independence: The Board determined Traber is independent under Nasdaq and Exchange Act Rule 10A-3(b)(1) .
- Committee assignments: Member, Compensation Committee; Member, Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee. Not on the Audit Committee .
- Committee chairs: Compensation Committee chaired by Douglas I. McCree; Nominating & Corporate Governance chaired by Fred Mills; Audit chaired by Andrew Graham .
- Engagement/attendance: Board met eight times in 2024; all directors attended at least 75% of Board and committee meetings; independent directors held periodic executive sessions .
- Committee activity: Compensation met 14 times; Nominating & Corporate Governance met six times; Audit met four times in 2024 .
Fixed Compensation
| Year | Cash Fees ($) | Committee Differential | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 61,416 | None (not an Audit Committee member) | Pro-rated per Director Compensation Program for partial year service |
| 2023 | 0 | N/A | Not on Board in 2023; reappointed Apr 29, 2024 |
| Program Element | Amount/Terms | Vesting/Timing |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cash retainer | $66,000 for non-employee directors; $99,000 for Audit Committee members; payable quarterly, pro-rated for partial years | Quarterly in arrears; pro-rated |
Performance Compensation
| Equity Award Type | Grant Policy | Vesting | 2024 Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual stock options | Non-employee directors: options sized to $66,000; Audit Committee members: options sized to $99,000; strike at FMV on grant date (annual meeting day) | 50% at 180 days; 50% at 1-year post grant | Board waived annual option awards for FY 2024 |
| Initial appointment stock options | Automatic grant sized to $25,000 divided by exercise price | As above | Traber waived the right to receive stock options upon appointment |
No performance-based metrics (e.g., revenue/EBITDA/TSR targets) are tied to director equity in the disclosed program; awards are time-vested and sized formulas without disclosed performance hurdles .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Entity | Nature | Potential Interlock/Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Foley & Lardner LLP (past) | Prior partner | CEO Bruce Rodgers was an equity partner at Foley & Lardner (1998–2003), indicating historical professional overlap; no current related-party tie disclosed |
| Mad Mobile, Inc. | Current directorship | No LMFA transaction disclosed |
| Skyway Capital Markets | Chairman | No LMFA engagement disclosed |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Corporate and securities law, investment banking, and boardroom governance; emphasizes governance principles and business ethics .
- Transactional experience across industries; compensation insight noted in Board biography .
- Education: BA and JD, Indiana University .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Shares Beneficially Owned | Ownership % |
|---|---|---|
| Martin A. Traber | 5,037 | * (less than 1%) |
| Shares outstanding reference | 15,198,388 shares as of Aug 19, 2025 | — |
- Hedging policy: Directors are prohibited from hedging or monetization transactions involving LMFA securities, supporting alignment .
- Pledging: No pledging disclosures for Traber; none noted in proxy .
Governance Assessment
- Strengths: Independent status; active committee participation (Compensation and Nominating & Governance); broad governance and transactional expertise; satisfactory attendance; anti-hedging policy enhances alignment .
- Compensation alignment: 2024 cash-only compensation due to waiver of option awards reduces equity-linked incentives; however, program typically includes equity grants with time-based vesting (not performance-based), which is neutral-to-weak on pay-for-performance for directors .
- Potential conflicts: No material adverse interests disclosed for Traber; historical Foley & Lardner overlap with the CEO is a network connection rather than an active related-party transaction; company’s BLGAL arrangement involves another director (Gould), not Traber .
- Signals: Compensation Committee met 14 times in 2024 (high engagement); Board oversight over dilutive financing and warrant reset features disclosed elsewhere in the proxy underscores governance workload; no legal proceedings or SEC issues disclosed for directors .
- RED FLAGS: None directly tied to Traber in related-party or legal/regulatory matters; absence of performance metrics in director equity program is a mild governance weakness; age (79) may raise succession/continuity considerations but not a disclosure-based red flag .