But new documents from the Lehman bankruptcy case reveal the extraordinary compensation bestowed on dozens of the bank's employees in the years leading up to its demise in September 2008.
The errors of the CEOs and chairmen of Western banks seem all the more flagrant since extraordinary compensation did not help any single entity perform extraordinarily during the crisis.
It is difficult to argue that such shares, to say nothing of major changes in the distribution of income like those recorded in recent years, have anything to do with a commensurate contribution that might merit extraordinary compensation.
James Cayne, the chief executive of Bear Stearns, said in a statement, "The past year was marked by extraordinary competitive compensation pressures across a number of our businesses, as well as volatile equity and fixed-income markets worldwide".
Officials came forward with extraordinary offers of compensation on Monday.
Given the award's extraordinary level of compensation, Ms. Lavey said, she wanted to pick "playwrights who have been at it for a while but whose dedication to the field is challenged by the lack of monetary compensation".
PAGE A8 Compensation Deadline Firm Congressional officials conceded their attempt to extend the deadline for the extraordinary program to compensate the relatives of Sept. 11 victims had all but failed.
Australia, Britain and Sweden have all provided compensation to extraordinary rendition victims.
The forecast includes 10 cents a share in special items, like investment-related losses, stock-based compensation and extraordinary tax expenses.
Airlines do not have to pay compensation where "extraordinary circumstances which could not have been avoided even if all reasonable measures had been taken" – a clause they are likely to invoke in the current chaos – but they are obliged to cover meals and drinks and hotel accommodation to a reasonable limit.
