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UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

SCHEDULE 14A

Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

 

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Important Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materials for the Stockholder Meeting to Be Held on May 6, 2016

              The Annual Meeting of the Stockholders of AbbVie Inc. will be held at the Fairmont Chicago, Millennium Park, 200 North Columbus Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60601, on Friday, May 6, 2016, at 9:00 a.m. CT for the following purposes:

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To elect 3 directors to hold office until the next Annual Meeting or until their successors are elected (Item 1),



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To ratify the appointment of Ernst & Young LLP as AbbVie's independent registered public accounting firm for 2016 (Item 2),



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To vote on an advisory vote on the approval of executive compensation (Item 3),



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To vote on a management proposal regarding the annual election of directors (Item 4),



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To approve the material terms of the performance goals under the AbbVie Performance Incentive Plan (Item 5), and



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To transact such other business as may properly come before the meeting, including consideration of two stockholder proposals, if presented at the meeting (Items 6 and 7).

Your Vote Is Important

              Please promptly vote your shares by telephone, using the Internet, or by signing and returning your proxy in the enclosed envelope if you received a printed version of the proxy card.

              The board of directors recommends that you vote FOR Items 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 on the proxy card.

              The board of directors recommends that you vote AGAINST Items 6 and 7 on the proxy card.

              The close of business on March 9, 2016, has been fixed as the record date for determining the stockholders entitled to receive notice of and to vote at the Annual Meeting.

              AbbVie's 2016 Proxy Statement and 2015 Annual Report on Form 10-K are available at www.abbvieinvestor.com. If you are a registered stockholder, you may access your proxy card by either:

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Going to the following website: www.proxyvote.com, entering the information requested on your computer screen and following the simple instructions, or



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Calling (in the United States, U.S. territories, and Canada) toll free 1-800-690-6903 on a touch-tone telephone and following the simple instructions provided by the recorded message.

              Admission to the meeting will be by admission card only. If you plan to attend, please complete and return the reservation form in the back of these materials and an admission card will be sent to you. Due to space limitations, reservation forms must be received before April 29, 2016. Each admission card, along with photo identification, admits one person. A stockholder may request two admission cards, but a guest must be accompanied by a stockholder.

By order of the board of directors.

Laura J. Schumacher
Secretary

March [    ], 2016

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Who Can Vote

              Stockholders of record at the close of business on March 9, 2016 will be entitled to notice of and to vote at the Annual Meeting. As of March 9, 2016, AbbVie had [                        ] outstanding shares of common stock, which are AbbVie's only outstanding voting securities. Each stockholder has one vote per share. Stockholders do not have the right to vote cumulatively in electing directors.

Notice and Access

              In accordance with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) e-proxy rules, AbbVie mailed a Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials (the "Notice") to stockholders in March 2016. The Notice describes the matters to be considered at the Annual Meeting and how stockholders can access the proxy materials online. It also provides instructions on how stockholders can vote their shares. If you received the Notice, you will not receive a printed version of the proxy materials unless you request one. If you would like to receive a printed version of the proxy materials, free of charge, please follow the instructions on the Notice.

Voting by Proxy

              AbbVie's stockholders may vote their shares by telephone, the Internet, or at the Annual Meeting. If you vote by telephone or the Internet, you do not need to return your proxy card. The instructions for voting can be found on the Notice, on the website listed in the Notice, and, if you received one, on your proxy card. If you requested a printed version of the proxy card, you may also vote by mail.

Revoking a Proxy

              You may revoke your proxy by voting in person at the Annual Meeting or, at any time prior to the meeting:

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by delivering a written notice to the secretary of AbbVie,



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by delivering an authorized proxy with a later date, or



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by voting by telephone or the Internet after you have given your proxy.

Discretionary Voting Authority

              Unless authority is withheld in accordance with the instructions on the proxy, the persons named in the proxy will vote the shares of AbbVie common stock covered by proxies they receive to elect the 3 nominees named in Item 1 on the proxy card. If a nominee becomes unavailable to serve, the shares will be voted for a substitute designated by the board of directors or for fewer than 3 nominees if, in the judgment of the proxy holders, such action is necessary or desirable.

              Where a stockholder has specified a choice for or against the proposals to be presented at the Annual Meeting or if the stockholder has chosen to abstain, the shares of AbbVie common stock represented by the proxy will be voted (or not voted) as specified. Where no choice has been specified, the proxy will be voted FOR the ratification of Ernst & Young LLP as auditors, FOR the approval of executive compensation, FOR the management proposal regarding the annual election of directors, FOR the approval of the material terms of the performance goals under the AbbVie Performance Incentive Plan, and AGAINST each of the stockholder proposals.

              The board of directors is not aware of any other issue which may properly be brought before the meeting. If other matters are properly brought before the meeting, the accompanying proxy will be voted in accordance with the judgment of the proxy holders.

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Quorum and Vote Required to Approve Each Item on the Proxy

              A majority of the outstanding shares entitled to vote generally in the election of directors, represented in person or by proxy, constitutes a quorum. Directors are elected by stockholders in an uncontested election if a majority of the votes cast are "for" a director's re-election at the Annual Meeting, excluding abstentions and broker non-votes. For other matters, the affirmative vote of a majority of the shares represented, in person or by proxy, at the meeting and entitled to vote on a matter shall be the act of the stockholders with respect to that matter, except for the management proposal regarding the annual election of directors which requires the affirmative vote of shares representing not less than eighty percent (80%) of the outstanding shares of capital stock of AbbVie entitled to vote generally in the election of directors pursuant to Article XI of AbbVie's Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation.

Effect of Broker Non-Votes and Abstentions

              A proxy submitted by an institution such as a broker or bank that holds shares for the account of a beneficial owner may indicate that all or a portion of the shares represented by that proxy are not being voted with respect to a particular matter. This could occur, for example, when the broker or bank is not permitted to vote those shares in the absence of instructions from the beneficial owner of the stock. These "non-voted shares" will be considered shares not present and, therefore, not entitled to vote on those matters, although these shares may be considered present and entitled to vote for other purposes. Brokers and banks have discretionary authority to vote shares in the absence of instructions on matters the New York Stock Exchange considers "routine," such as the ratification of the appointment of the auditors. They do not have discretionary authority to vote shares in absence of instructions on "non-routine" matters. The election of directors, the advisory vote on the approval of executive compensation, the management proposal regarding the annual election of directors, the approval of the material terms of the performance goals under the AbbVie Performance Incentive Plan, and the stockholder proposals are considered "non-routine" matters. Non-voted shares will not affect the determination of the outcome of the vote on any matter to be decided at the meeting. Shares represented by proxies that are present and entitled to vote on a matter but which have elected to abstain from voting on that matter, other than the election of directors, will have the effect of votes against that matter.

Inspectors of Election

              The inspectors of election and the tabulators of all proxies, ballots, and voting tabulations that identify stockholders are independent and are not AbbVie employees.

Cost of Soliciting Proxies

              AbbVie will bear the cost of making solicitations from its stockholders and will reimburse banks and brokerage firms for out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with this solicitation. Proxies may be solicited by mail, telephone, Internet, or in person by directors, officers, or employees of AbbVie and its subsidiaries.

              AbbVie has retained Georgeson Inc. to aid in the solicitation of proxies, at an estimated cost of $19,500 plus reimbursement for reasonable out-of-pocket expenses.

AbbVie Savings Plan

              Participants in the AbbVie Savings Plan will receive voting instructions for their shares of AbbVie common stock held in the AbbVie Savings Plan Trust. The Trust is administered by both a trustee and an investment committee. The trustee is Mercer Trust Company. The members of the investment committee are Robert A. Michael, William H.S. Preece and Michael J. Thomas, employees of AbbVie. The voting power with respect to the shares is held by and shared between the investment committee and the participants. The investment committee must solicit voting instructions from the participants and follow the voting instructions it receives. The investment committee may use its own discretion with respect to those shares of AbbVie common stock for which no voting instructions are received.

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              The board of directors consists of three classes with each class currently comprised of three directors. Directors of one class are elected each year for a term of three years. The Class I directors are presented for re-election to hold office until the expiration of their term at the 2019 annual meeting of stockholders and until their successors are elected and qualified or until their earlier death or resignation.

              Directors are elected by stockholders if a majority of the votes cast are "for" a director's re-election at the Annual Meeting, excluding abstentions and broker non-votes. For more information on the director majority vote standard, see AbbVie's By-Laws as listed as an exhibit to AbbVie's 2015 Annual Report on Form 10-K. All of the nominees, except Mr. Hart, are currently serving as directors. Mr. Hart was recommended for election by the nominations and governance committee. Mr. Roberts is retiring as a director following the Annual Meeting and is not standing for reelection.

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              The board of directors held ten meetings in 2015. The average attendance of all incumbent directors at board and committee meetings in 2015 was ninety-five percent and each director attended at least seventy-five percent of the total number of board meetings and meetings of the committees on which he or she served. AbbVie encourages its board members to attend the annual stockholder meeting. All of AbbVie's directors attended the 2015 annual stockholder meeting.

              The board has determined that each of the following individuals is independent in accordance with the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) listing standards: Dr. Alpern, Ms. Austin, Mr. Burnside, Mr. Hart, Mr. Liddy, Mr. Rapp, Mr. Tilton, and Mr. Waddell. In addition, the board also determined that Mr. Roberts, who served on the board during the year, was independent under those standards. To determine independence, the board applied the AbbVie Inc. director independence guidelines. The board also considered whether a director has any other material relationships with AbbVie or its subsidiaries and concluded that none of these directors had a relationship that impaired the director's independence. This included consideration of the fact that some of the directors are officers or serve on boards of companies or entities to which AbbVie sold products or made contributions or from which AbbVie purchased products and services during the year. This also included consideration of the fact that some of the directors serve on the board of Abbott Laboratories (Abbott), AbbVie's former parent. In making its determination, the board relied on both information provided by the directors and information developed internally by AbbVie.

              The board has risk oversight responsibility for AbbVie and administers this responsibility both directly and with assistance from its committees.

              The board has determined that the current leadership structure, in which the offices of chairman of the board and chief executive officer are held by one individual and the chair of the nominations and governance committee is appointed to be the lead director, ensures the appropriate level of oversight, independence, and responsibility is applied to all board decisions, including risk oversight, and is in the best interests of AbbVie and its stockholders. The lead independent director is chosen by and from the independent members of the board of directors.

              The lead independent director responsibilities include:

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              All directors are encouraged to, and in fact do, consult with the chairman on each of the above topics, as well. The lead director, and each of the other directors, communicates regularly with the chairman of the board and chief executive officer regarding appropriate agenda topics and other board related matters.

              AbbVie directors have backgrounds that when combined provide a portfolio of experience and knowledge that serve AbbVie's governance and strategic needs. Director nominees are considered based on a range of criteria including broad-based business knowledge and relationships, prominence and excellent reputations in their primary fields of endeavor, as well as a global business perspective and commitment to good corporate citizenship, and ability to commit sufficient time and attention to the activities of the board. They must have demonstrated experience and ability that is relevant to the board's oversight role with respect to AbbVie's business and affairs. They must also be able and willing to represent the stockholders' economic interests and satisfy their fiduciary duties to stockholders without conflicts of interest. For more details on director qualifications, please see Exhibit A to AbbVie's Governance Guidelines.

              In the process of identifying nominees to serve as a member of the board of directors, the nominations and governance committee considers the board's diversity of ethnicity, gender, and geography and assesses the effectiveness of the process in achieving that diversity.

              Each director's biography includes the particular experience and qualifications that led the board to conclude that the director should serve on the board. The directors' biographies are in the section of this proxy statement captioned "Information Concerning Director Nominees."

              The following table highlights our directors' skills and experience. The skills identified below are considered by the Nominations & Governance Committee to be the most relevant to the Board's oversight role with respect to AbbVie's business and affairs and to drive our culture of innovation and responsibility. The specific importance of each skill also is noted.

              Such skills include, among others:

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Healthcare Industry—Relevant to an industry understanding and review of our business and strategy for continued innovation.



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Leadership—For a board that can successfully advise and oversee the company's business performance and represent stockholders interests.



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Global Business and Strategy—For oversight of a complex global organization like AbbVie to successfully advise and oversee the strategic development and direction of the company.



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Corporate Governance and Public Company Board—Ensuring directors have background and knowledge to perform oversight and governance roles.



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Finance or Accounting—Enabling our directors to analyze our financial statements, oversee our capital structure, and consider financial transactions.



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Government Relations and Regulatory—For an understanding of the complex regulatory and governmental environment in which our business operates.

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              The board of directors has five committees established in AbbVie's By-Laws: the audit committee, compensation committee, nominations and governance committee, public policy committee, and executive committee. Each of the members of the audit committee, compensation committee, nominations and governance committee, and public policy committee is independent.

 

Audit Committee

              The audit committee is governed by a written charter. This committee assists the board of directors in fulfilling its oversight responsibility with respect to AbbVie's accounting and financial reporting practices and the audit process, the quality and integrity of AbbVie's financial statements, the independent auditors' qualifications, independence, and performance, the performance of AbbVie's internal audit function and internal auditors, certain areas of legal and regulatory compliance, and enterprise risk management. Each of the members of the audit committee is financially

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literate, as required of audit committee members by the NYSE, and the independence requirements set forth in Section 10A(m)(3) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"). The board of directors has determined that Ms. Austin, the committee's chairperson, is an "audit committee financial expert."

Compensation Committee

              The compensation committee is governed by a written charter. This committee assists the board of directors in carrying out the board's responsibilities relating to the compensation of AbbVie's executive officers and directors. The compensation committee annually reviews the compensation paid to the directors and gives its recommendations to the full board regarding both the amount of director compensation that should be paid and the allocation of that compensation between equity-based awards and cash. In recommending director compensation, the compensation committee takes into account director fees paid by companies in AbbVie's Health Care Peer Group and reviews any arrangement that could be viewed as indirect director compensation. The processes and procedures used for the consideration and determination of executive compensation are described in the "Compensation Discussion and Analysis" section of this proxy statement. The committee also reviews, approves, and administers the incentive compensation plans in which the AbbVie executive officers participate and all of AbbVie's equity-based plans. It may delegate the responsibility to administer and make grants under these plans to management, except to the extent that such delegation would be inconsistent with applicable law or regulations or with the listing rules of the New York Stock Exchange. The compensation committee has the sole authority, under its charter, to select, retain and/or terminate independent advisors who may assist the committee in carrying out its responsibilities. The compensation committee reviews and discusses with management and its independent compensation advisor potential risks associated with AbbVie's compensation policies and practices as discussed in the "Compensation Risk Assessment" section of this proxy statement. Each member of the committee qualifies as a "non-employee director" for purposes of Rule 16b-3 under the Exchange Act and as an "outside director" for purposes of Internal Revenue Code Section 162(m).

              The committee has engaged Compensation Advisory Partners (CAP) as its independent compensation consultant. The independent compensation consultant provides counsel and advice to the committee on executive and non-employee director compensation matters. CAP, and its principal, report directly to the chair of the committee. The principal meets regularly, and as needed, with the committee in executive sessions, and has direct access to the chair during and between meetings. The committee determines what variables it will instruct CAP to consider, including: peer groups against which performance and pay should be examined, metrics to be used in incentive plans to assess AbbVie's performance, competitive short- and long-term incentive practices in the marketplace, and compensation levels relative to market benchmarks. The committee negotiates and approves all fees paid to CAP for these services. AbbVie did not engage CAP to perform any other services during 2015.

              Based on an assessment of internally developed information and information provided by CAP, the committee has determined that its independent compensation advisor does not have a conflict of interest. A copy of the compensation committee report is included in the "Compensation Committee Report" section of this proxy statement.

Nominations and Governance Committee

              The nominations and governance committee is governed by a written charter. This committee assists the board of directors in identifying individuals qualified to become board members and recommends to the board the nominees for election as directors at the next annual meeting of stockholders, recommends to the board the persons to be elected as executive officers of AbbVie, recommends to the board the corporate governance guidelines applicable to AbbVie, oversees the evaluation of the board and management, and serves in an advisory capacity to the board and the chairman of the board on matters of organization, management succession plans, major changes in the organizational structure of AbbVie, and the conduct of board activities. The process used by this committee to identify a nominee to serve as a member of the board of directors depends on the qualities being sought, as described on pages 13-14. From time to time, AbbVie engages an executive search firm to assist the committee in identifying individuals qualified to be board members.

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Public Policy Committee

              The public policy committee is governed by a written charter. This committee assists the board of directors in fulfilling its oversight responsibility with respect to AbbVie's public policy, certain areas of legal and regulatory compliance, and governmental affairs and health care compliance matters that affect AbbVie by discharging the responsibilities set forth in its charter.

Executive Committee

              The executive committee members are Mr. Gonzalez, chair, Ms. Austin, Mr. Liddy, Mr. Roberts, and Mr. Tilton. This committee may exercise all of the authority of the board in the management of AbbVie, except for matters expressly reserved by law for board action.

              Stockholders and other interested parties may communicate with the board of directors by writing a letter to the chairman of the board, to the lead director, or to the independent directors c/o AbbVie Inc., 1 North Waukegan Road, AP34, North Chicago, Illinois 60064, Attention: corporate secretary. The corporate secretary regularly forwards to the addressee all letters other than mass mailings, advertisements, and other materials not relevant to AbbVie's business. In addition, directors regularly receive a log of all correspondence received by the company that is addressed to a member of the board and may request any correspondence on that log.

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              AbbVie employees are not compensated for serving on the board or board committees. AbbVie's non-employee directors are compensated for their service under the AbbVie Non-Employee Directors' Fee Plan and the AbbVie 2013 Incentive Stock Program.

              The following table sets forth the non-employee directors' 2015 compensation.

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              The table below reflects the number of shares of AbbVie common stock beneficially owned as of January 31, 2016, by each director, the chief executive officer, the chief financial officer, and the three other most highly paid executive officers (NEOs), and by all directors and executive officers of AbbVie as a group. It also reflects the number of stock equivalent units and restricted stock units held by non-employee directors under the AbbVie Non-Employee Directors' Fee Plan.

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              The table below reports the number of shares of AbbVie common stock beneficially owned as of December 31, 2015 by BlackRock, Inc. and The Vanguard Group (directly or through subsidiaries), respectively, the only persons known to AbbVie to own beneficially more than 5% of AbbVie's outstanding common stock. It is based on information contained in Schedules 13G filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission by BlackRock, Inc. on February 10, 2016, and by The Vanguard Group on February 10, 2016. BlackRock, Inc. reported that it had sole voting power with respect to 84,605,586 shares, shared voting power with respect to 20,990 shares, sole dispositive power with respect to 99,570,589 shares and shared dispositive power with respect to 20,990 shares. The Vanguard Group reported that it had sole voting power with respect to 3,059,030 shares, shared voting power with respect to 169,300 shares, sole dispositive power with respect to 96,367,531 shares and shared dispositive power with respect to 3,252,090 shares.

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              This Compensation Discussion and Analysis (CD&A) describes the pay philosophy established for AbbVie's named executive officers (NEOs), the design of our compensation programs, the process used to examine performance in the context of executive pay decisions, and the performance goals and results for each NEO:

              Although we describe our programs in the context of the NEOs, it is important to note that our programs generally have broad eligibility and therefore in most cases apply to employee populations outside the NEO group as well.

CD&A Table of Contents

              The CD&A is organized as follows:

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I.    Executive Summary

Compensation Philosophy

              At AbbVie, the board of directors and management believe a well-designed compensation program should align executive interests with the drivers of stockholder returns and profitable growth, support achievement of the company's primary business goals, and attract and retain world-class executives whose talents and contributions sustain the growth in long-term stockholder value. The board believes it has implemented a compensation program that appropriately balances short- and long-term strategic objectives and directly links compensation to stockholder value with more than three-fourths of the total direct compensation paid to NEOs tied to performance.

Business Overview

              AbbVie was created in 2013 following separation from Abbott Laboratories. Our products support the treatment of conditions such as chronic autoimmune diseases in rheumatology, gastroenterology and dermatology; oncology, including a leadership position in the treatment of blood cancers; virology, including hepatitis C virus (HCV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV); neurological disorders, such as Parkinson's disease; metabolic diseases, including thyroid disease and complications associated with cystic fibrosis; as well as other serious health conditions.

              Our pipeline includes more than 50 compounds or indications in development across important medical specialties such as immunology, oncology, virology/liver disease, neurological diseases and women's health.

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Business Performance Highlights

AbbVie has Delivered Robust Financial Results since Separation

              The measures set forth above were calculated as of December 31, 2015.

              AbbVie has delivered a three-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.2% in revenues and 16.9% in EPS. This performance places AbbVie in the top quartile of its Health Care Peer Group. Additionally, AbbVie has been committed to a robust return of capital to stockholders with an increase of 42% in its dividend since 2013 as part of a balanced and disciplined capital allocation program. AbbVie's total stockholder return (TSR) since inception of 92.4% also places AbbVie among the top of its Health Care Peer Group, and nearly 40 percentage points above the Standard & Poor's 500 Index and more than 33 percentage points above the NYSE Arca Pharmaceuticals Index over the same time period.

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AbbVie also Delivered Strong Business Performance in 2015

              AbbVie has built a strong foundation for its business and 2015 was an exceptional year, as evidenced by a number of 2015 business highlights:

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Net Revenues:  AbbVie reported full-year adjusted net revenues of $22.8 billion, an increase of 22.1% over 2014, excluding foreign exchange. This reflects top-tier growth, second in AbbVie's Health Care Peer Group.



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Operating Margins:  In 2015, AbbVie expanded its adjusted operating margin to 42.3% of net revenues—up 610 basis points—and improved gross margin to 82.9% of net revenues—up 280 basis points—since 2014.



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Earnings Per Share:   AbbVie reported full-year adjusted EPS of $4.29, up 29.2%. This reflects top-tier growth, second in AbbVie's Health Care Peer Group. AbbVie's 2016 adjusted EPS guidance range of $4.82 to $5.02 reflects growth of nearly 15% at the midpoint.



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Humira Sales:  AbbVie delivered global Humira sales of $14 billion, an increase of 19% excluding the impact of exchange rate fluctuations, compared to 2014. Humira's performance was driven by market penetration across therapeutic categories and geographies, approval of new indications and market share gains.



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Pharmacyclics Acquisition:  AbbVie made a significant investment in the rapidly-growing hematologic oncology space with its acquisition of Pharmacyclics, Inc. and its first in class BTK inhibitor Imbruvica, which positions AbbVie as an oncology leader in this rapidly growing market segment.



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Regulatory Milestones:  AbbVie also achieved a number of regulatory milestones in markets worldwide for several key products, including U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and European Medicines Agency (EMA) approvals for new indications of Humira and Imbruvica, as well as new regulatory approvals for AbbVie's HCV program Viekira, Viekirax in Japan and Technivie in the U.S. AbbVie also announced FDA approval of Duopa for patients with advanced Parkinson's disease.



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Pipeline Development:  With a record number of programs in mid- and late-stage development, AbbVie made significant pipeline advancements in 2015, such as regulatory application submissions for Venetoclax for relapsed/refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL); Imbruvica for first-line CLL; Zinbryta for multiple sclerosis; and Humira for uveitis. AbbVie also successfully transitioned several mid-stage pipeline assets into late-stage development, including its selective JAK-1 inhibitor, ABT-494, in rheumatoid arthritis; a pan-genotypic next-generation HCV combination; elagolix for uterine fibroids; and ABT-414, an antibody drug conjugate for glioblastoma multiforme.

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AbbVie is in the Top Tier of its Peers on Several Financial Measures

              The chart below outlines AbbVie's performance relative to its Health Care Peer Group in 2015:

Total Stockholder Return (TSR) Performance

              Over the three years since AbbVie's separation from Abbott, we have delivered a total stockholder return of 92.4%, which places us in the top quartile of our Health Care Peers and surpasses the cumulative total returns of the Standard & Poor's 500 Index and the NYSE Arca Pharmaceuticals Index, as shown in the graph below. The graph covers the period from January 2, 2013 (the day AbbVie's common stock began "regular-way" trading on the NYSE) through December 31, 2015. The graph assumes $100 was invested in the stock or the index on January 2, 2013 and also assumes the reinvestment of dividends. The stock price performance in the following graph is not necessarily indicative of future stock price performance.

Comparison of Cumulative Total Return since AbbVie's Launch

              Despite AbbVie's industry-leading three-year TSR, our 2015 TSR of -6.5% did not reflect the company's top tier operational and financial performance and was negatively impacted by both the macro-economic environment that weighed down all stocks and by specific factors that are unique to the company, including uncertainty about the regulatory process for biosimilar competition to Humira.

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AbbVie is Positioned for Future Growth

              AbbVie is well-positioned to deliver strong top- and bottom-line performance through 2020 and beyond. The company has established growth platforms in some of the largest and most attractive market segments, including immunology, oncology, virology and neurology, and has built a compelling pipeline in these areas which will contribute significantly to future performance. AbbVie is committed to top-line growth and operating margin expansion. In October 2015, AbbVie outlined its long-term strategic and financial objectives through 2020, including an expectation to deliver annual double-digit adjusted EPS growth on average, company net revenues of approximately $37 billion in 2020, and an adjusted operating margin profile of greater than 50 percent in 2020.

Components of our Compensation Program

              The compensation committee of the board oversees our executive compensation program, which includes several compensation elements that have each been tailored to incentivize and reward specific aspects of company performance the board believes are central to delivering long-term stockholder value. Key components of our 2015 compensation program are listed below.

              In response to stockholder feedback, we redesigned our long-term incentive (LTI) program for 2016, emphasizing multiple, relative performance metrics and multi-year performance periods (see page 37 for a detailed description of the 2016 redesign).

              The committee is dedicated to ensuring that a substantial portion of executive compensation is "at-risk" and variable. Generally, more than three-fourths of our NEOs' total direct compensation is variable and directly affected by both the company's and the NEO's performance.

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2015 Performance Results

              The performance targets established under our annual and long-term incentive plans are rigorous and calibrated to a range of potential outcomes, with above target payouts for strong performance and below target payouts (including no payout) for below target performance. Targets are based on expected business, market and regulatory conditions, including expectations for our pipeline. The financial goals shown in the following table were carried by all of the NEOs as part of their 2015 performance goals. The specific weightings for each NEO, other than the CEO, are established at the start of each performance year based on the NEO's role and anticipated contributions to the company's annual objectives.

Financial Goals

              In addition to the financial goals set forth above, each of our NEOs also has individual performance goals that the committee reviews and ensures are appropriately rigorous and in line with the long-term success of the company. Each NEO achieved or exceeded his or her 2015 goals, which are listed below:

•

Richard A. Gonzalez:  Drive exceptional business performance; execute key strategic initiatives to drive top tier, sustainable long-term business performance; deliver strong value to our stockholders, building investor confidence and credibility; successfully advance mid- and late-stage pipeline assets; continue to drive strong employee engagement and motivation around AbbVie's mission and future prospects; and advance our transformation to a biopharmaceutical culture.



•

William J. Chase:  Achieve proprietary pharmaceutical pipeline enhancement objectives; and successfully transition corporate services infrastructure to a standalone model.



•

Laura J. Schumacher:  Successfully continue to develop and implement strategies to effectively resolve key litigation matters; achieve proprietary pharmaceutical pipeline enhancement objectives; execute biologics strategic development initiatives; and support research and development initiatives per company strategy.



•

Carlos Alban:  Achieve key product milestones; and successfully adapt and execute market strategies relative to external considerations.



•

Michael E. Severino:  Achieve key research and development milestones per company strategy; and achieve proprietary pipeline enhancement objectives.

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Stockholder Engagement

2015 Say on Pay Results

              At our 2015 Annual Meeting, the say on pay proposal received support from 95% of our stockholders. The board and compensation committee are encouraged by the continued, consistent stockholder support for our executive compensation program. Our say on pay proposal received 96% support from stockholders in 2014 and 2013.

              AbbVie is committed to regular, ongoing engagement with stockholders to ensure that we continue to understand stockholder feedback about our compensation program and incorporate that feedback into the compensation decision-making process. To that end, in 2015 AbbVie approached and engaged stockholders holding approximately 38% of the company's outstanding shares. In these discussions, the aggregate feedback was generally supportive of the compensation program, consistent with the level of stockholder support for our say on pay proposals in the last two years, and was not prescriptive about our compensation plan design. The feedback informs the compensation committee's continuous assessment of the program design and ongoing discussions with stockholders, which contribute to the evolution of the program.

              After considering stockholder feedback and suggestions, AbbVie's compensation committee, in consultation with management and the committee's independent compensation consultant, has proactively reviewed our policies and compensation program design. For annual awards beginning in 2016, our LTI program has been redesigned, as discussed in greater detail in the following section.

Executive Compensation Program Updates in 2016

              The compensation committee of the board has engaged in a continuous process of evaluation and enhancement of the AbbVie executive compensation program. In the three years since the company's launch, AbbVie has made significant enhancements to its legacy compensation programs, the most recent of which are described in the following paragraphs and on page 37.

              The committee has considered the feedback from stockholders as to the design of its compensation program and competitive benchmarking and, in 2015, undertook a comprehensive revision of the program. The new long-term incentive program will be in effect for equity grants made in 2016. The program consists of equity awards that include 40% performance shares, 40% performance-vested restricted stock awards and 20% stock options. Vesting may occur over a 3-year period based on relative return on equity (ROE) for the performance-vested restricted stock awards and earnings per share (EPS) (with a relative 3-year total stockholder return (TSR) modifier) for the performance shares. The 2016 program eliminates vesting in any 3 of 5 years and provides that awards may vest only over 3 years based on the achievement of the defined performance metrics. Additionally, dividends will not be paid unless the performance criteria

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are met, and then will be paid only on shares that vest. AbbVie believes the new design further strengthens and aligns the performance orientation of senior executive compensation. Highlights of the changes made for 2016 include:

              The new design is discussed in more detail in Section III.

2016 Compensation Decisions

              The compensation committee's typical practice is to make decisions related to NEO pay at its February meeting, including adjustments to base salary, an annual incentive payment for the prior year's performance, and establishment of a long-term incentive award value. In making its decisions, the committee considers the performance achieved compared to previously established goals as well as changes in industry practice reflected in compensation benchmarking data. The committee made the following decisions about the compensation for Mr. Gonzalez at its February 2016 meeting: (i) his base salary is unchanged compared to 2015; (ii) his annual incentive payment for 2015 performance was $2,976,000; (iii) his 2016 target annual incentive was reset to 150% of base salary; and (iv) his 2016 long-term incentive award grant value was $11,700,000, which was the projected median grant value of the Health Care Peer Group. The resulting changes in target total direct compensation from 2015 to 2016 are shown in the following chart:

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Compensation Program Governance Summary

              In addition to strong alignment of pay with the performance of the company and our NEOs, we maintain and are committed to good governance practices, including the following:

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II.    Executive Compensation Process

Commitment to Performance-Based Awards

              More than three-fourths of AbbVie's NEO pay is performance-based. Specific goals and targets are the foundation of our pay-for-performance process, and this section describes how they apply to each pay component. Though quantitative metrics such as financial and operational results are a central part of our performance assessment, some goals such as leadership and progress against strategic and long-term objectives are difficult to measure using numeric or formulaic criteria. As such, the compensation committee also conducts a qualitative assessment of individual performance to ensure the overall assessment of performance and pay decisions are aligned with the company's true performance over a period of time. A discussion of the decision-making criteria for each pay component follows.

Committee Process for Setting Total Compensation

              Each February, the committee, with the assistance of its independent compensation consultant and AbbVie's management team, determines target pay levels for NEOs. The process starts with a consideration of compensation levels and the mix of compensation for comparable executives at companies in AbbVie's Health Care Peer Group, which are listed below in the section captioned "Compensation Benchmarking." After this benchmark review, the committee establishes NEO compensation—base salary adjustments, annual incentive awards, and long-term incentive awards—relative to the peer median in each instance. Awards can be differentiated from the peer group median based on each NEO's individual performance, leadership, and contributions to long-term strategic performance.

Compensation Benchmarking

              To provide the appropriate context for executive pay decisions, the committee, in consultation with its independent compensation consultant, assesses the compensation practices and pay levels of AbbVie's Health Care Peer Group. The committee chooses to focus on the Health Care Peer Group because its constituents share important characteristics with AbbVie, particularly the global emphasis on research-based pharmaceuticals and biopharmaceutical therapies and the regulatory environment within which they operate. Members of the Health Care Peer Group are AbbVie's primary competitors for executive talent and are companies the committee believes chiefly represent our competitive market:

The Health Care Peer Group is a core group of peers that has been consistently used since AbbVie's separation from Abbott in 2013. In 2015, the committee added Gilead Sciences to the Health Care Peer Group.

              Prior to 2016, the committee also periodically considered benchmarking information from AbbVie's High-Performing Peer Group, which consisted of companies operating complex businesses with significant global reach similar to AbbVie, regardless of industry. Generally, members of the High-Performing Peer Group had a five-year average return on equity (ROE) of at least 18% and were similar to AbbVie in size, performance and/or scope of global operations. In 2015 this group consisted of: 3M Company, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Caterpillar Inc., The Coca-Cola Company, Colgate-Palmolive Company, General Mills, Inc., Kellogg Company, Kimberly-Clark, McDonald's Corporation, and

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PepsiCo Inc. The committee periodically reviews the company's peer groups to ensure the companies continue to be appropriate peers for compensation benchmarking purposes. Considering the relevance and primary focus on health care industry practices in making its pay determinations, the committee decided in 2015 to discontinue use of the High-Performing Peer Group. Accordingly, the committee focused primarily on the Health Care Peer Group (described above) in making its 2016 NEO compensation decisions.

Role of the Compensation Consultant

              The compensation committee has engaged Compensation Advisory Partners as its independent compensation consultant. The committee's independent consultant reports directly to the chair of the committee. The consultant meets regularly, and as needed, with the committee in executive sessions, has direct access to the chair during and between meetings, and performs no other services for AbbVie or its senior executives. The committee determines what variables it will instruct its consultant to consider, which include: peer groups against which performance and pay should be examined, metrics to be used to assess AbbVie's performance, competitive incentive practices in the marketplace, and compensation levels relative to market benchmarks.

Compensation Risk Oversight

              The company has established, and the compensation committee endorses, several controls to address and mitigate compensation-related risk, such as employing a diverse set of performance metrics, maintaining robust stock ownership guidelines for its executives and non-employee directors, and retaining broad discretion to recover incentive awards in the unlikely event that incentive plan award decisions are based on earnings that are subsequently restated. The committee identified no material risks in AbbVie's compensation programs in 2015.

III.    Compensation Plan Elements

              Three primary components make up AbbVie's executive pay program: (1) base salary, (2) short-term incentives and (3) long-term incentives. The structure of each component is tailored to serve a specific function and purpose.

Base Salary

              The compensation committee sets appropriate levels of base salary to ensure that AbbVie can attract and retain a leadership team that will continue to meet our commitments to customers and patients and sustain long-term profitable growth for our stockholders. Generally, the committee considers the median of the Health Care Peer Group as an initial benchmark, but also references additional information as needed. Specific pay rates are then established for each NEO relative to his or her market benchmark based on the NEO's performance, experience, unique skills, internal equity with others at AbbVie, and the company's operating budget.

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Short-Term Incentives

Performance Incentive Plan

              Annual cash incentives are paid to NEOs through AbbVie's Performance Incentive Plan (PIP), which rewards executives for achieving key financial and non-financial goals that are measured at the company and individual levels. Annual cash incentives are calculated as follows:

              While the compensation committee relies heavily on objective, quantitative metrics to determine PIP awards, the performance review also includes a qualitative element to ensure the review is comprehensive and inclusive of all individual, strategic, and leadership goals for which assessment is not solely dictated by numeric or formulaic applications. Moreover, while each participant has predetermined goals, the committee also considers relative achievements and/or developments in the company, the marketplace, and the global economy that could not have been foreseen when individual goals were established.

              The compensation committee may exercise negative discretion to adjust PIP awards below the cap set in accordance with Internal Revenue Code Section 162(m), and is guided by an annual incentive payout matrix that establishes a potential range of final incentive outcomes based on net revenues and operating margin performance. For 2015, net revenue performance was 100% compared to plan, while operating margin performance was 102% compared to plan. As a result of this performance, the annual incentive payout matrix established the potential range of final incentive outcomes at 100% to 150% of target, below the plan maximum of 200% of target and the Code Section 162(m) cap.

Annual Metrics and Goal Assessment

              AbbVie's PIP structure is intended to align NEOs' interests directly with AbbVie's annual operating strategies, financial goals, and leadership behaviors. In doing so, it provides a direct link between the NEOs' short-term incentives and the company's and the NEOs' annual performance results through measurable financial and operational performance and qualitative assessments of clearly defined strategic progress and leadership behaviors. The compensation committee approves pre-established goals at the beginning of each year. The qualitative assessment reflects NEOs' overall leadership, progress on strategic initiatives, advancement of the pipeline, and enhancement of AbbVie's biopharmaceutical culture.

              The financial and strategic/leadership goals and their respective weightings are summarized in the chart below. The specific goals and weightings for each NEO, other than the CEO, are established at the start of each performance year based on the NEO's role and anticipated contributions to the company's annual objectives. The CEO's goals are

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similarly established at the start of each performance year; however, to reflect the CEO's overall accountability for company financial performance and strategic outcomes, the committee considers all financial and non-financial goals holistically, without specific weightings, when evaluating CEO performance.

              Assessments of performance against financial results consider the effect of specified adjustments and/or unusual or unpredictable events, and the appropriateness of these adjustments is reviewed annually by the committee. In 2015, specified adjustments consisted of other revenue, intangible asset amortization, research and development, collaboration and transaction costs, acquired in process research and development, separation costs, restructuring, legal reserves, and other items, as described in Exhibit 99.1 to AbbVie's Form 8-K filed on January 29, 2016.

              The PIP is intended to comply with the requirements of Internal Revenue Code Section 162(m) for performance-based compensation.

Long-Term Incentives—2015 Awards

Performance-Vested Restricted Stock

              Performance-vested restricted stock was 75% of the total long-term incentive (LTI) value delivered to the NEOs in 2015. AbbVie's performance-vested restricted stock awards (or restricted stock units where required outside the U.S.) are subject to the following terms, including a performance metric that prevents awards from vesting if pre-established goals are not met:

•

Term.  Each award has a five-year term.

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Return on Equity (ROE) Performance Metric.  During the term of the award, one-third of the award vests in each year that AbbVie's prior year ROE meets or exceeds the performance goal. Unlike performance-based awards that can increase or decrease relative to a target amount, these are performance-vested awards that cannot be released to the NEO unless the ROE performance goal is achieved during the term of the award. If the thresholds are met in three of the five years, 100% of the performance-vested shares vest. If the thresholds are missed in all five years, 100% of the performance-vested shares will be forfeited.

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Setting the ROE Performance Target.  The compensation committee considers the company's operating plan, the company's historic performance, peer-group performance, the company's pipeline, and anticipated business and market conditions when setting the ROE target.

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Dividends.  These awards receive dividends (or dividend-equivalent payments in the case of restricted stock units) during the vesting term.

Non-Qualified Stock Options

              Stock options were 25% of the total LTI value delivered to the NEOs in 2015. AbbVie's stock options are subject to the following terms:

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Term.  Each option has a ten-year term.

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Price.  The option exercise price is set at or above fair market value on the date of grant. AbbVie has never granted discounted stock options.

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Vesting.  One third of the award may vest each year after the date of the grant.

              AbbVie's policy with respect to its annual equity award for all eligible employees, including the NEOs, is to grant the award and set the grant price at the compensation committee's regularly scheduled February meeting each year. These meeting dates generally are the third Thursday of February and are scheduled two years in advance. The grant price is the average of the highest and lowest trading prices of a common share on the date of the grant (rounded up to the next even penny). The grant price for the 2015 annual grant was $58.88. The high, low and closing prices of an AbbVie common share on the grant date (February 19, 2015) were $59.08, $58.65, and $59.00, respectively. All LTI awards are subject to a minimum vesting period of 12 months.

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Long-Term Incentives—2016 Redesign

              AbbVie redesigned its LTI program effective with the 2016 annual grant, based in part on feedback from stockholders. The new design increases the alignment of AbbVie's long-term incentive compensation with key operational and financial initiatives, including sustained EPS growth and generation of superior investment returns relative to peers. In 2016, NEOs received LTI awards with the following characteristics as compared to the 2015 LTI awards:

Evolution of Long-Term Incentive Program

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Performance Shares (40% of total LTI award)—These awards have the potential to vest at 0% to 250% of target after a three-year performance period and are earned based on company performance in earnings per share (EPS) and relative total stockholder return (TSR). TSR performance is measured relative to a group made up of companies that are constituents in either the S&P Pharmaceutical, Biotech, and Life Science Index or the NYSE Arca Pharmaceutical Index. Dividends on performance shares accrue during the performance period and are paid at vesting only to the extent that shares are earned.



•

Performance-Vested Restricted Stock (40% of total LTI award)—These awards have the potential to vest at 0% to 150% of target, in one-third increments during a three-year performance term based on AbbVie's return on equity articulated as pre-set goals and measured relative to a group made up of companies that are constituents in either the S&P Pharmaceutical, Biotech, and Life Science Index or the NYSE Arca Pharmaceutical Index. Dividends accrue during the performance period and are paid at vesting only to the extent that shares are earned.



•

Non-Qualified Stock Options (20% of total LTI award)—The structure of the 2016 stock option grants is the same as described above for 2015.

Benefits

              Benefits are an important part of retention and capital preservation for all employees, helping to protect against the impact of unexpected catastrophic loss of health and/or earnings potential, as well as providing a means to save and accumulate for retirement or other post-employment needs.

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              Each of the benefits described below supports the company's objective of providing a market competitive total rewards program. Individual benefits do not directly affect decisions regarding other benefits or pay components, except to the extent that all benefits and pay components must, in aggregate, be competitive, as previously discussed.

Retirement Benefits

              All eligible U.S. employees, including NEOs, participate in the AbbVie Pension Plan, the company's principal qualified defined benefit plan. NEOs and certain other employees also participate in the AbbVie Supplemental Pension Plan. These plans are described in greater detail in the section of this proxy statement captioned "Pension Benefits."

              The Supplemental Pension Plan is a non-qualified defined benefit plan that cannot be secured in a manner similar to a qualified plan, for which assets are held in trust, so NEOs receive an annual cash payment equal to the increase in the present value of their Supplemental Pension Plan benefit. NEOs have the option of depositing the annual payment into an individually established grantor trust, net of tax withholdings. Deposited amounts may be credited with the difference between the NEO's actual annual trust earnings and the rate used to calculate trust funding (currently 8 percent). Amounts deposited in the individual trusts are not tax-deferred and the NEOs personally pay the taxes on those amounts without gross-ups.

              The manner in which the grantor trust assets are to be distributed to an NEO upon retirement from the company generally follows the distribution method elected by the NEO under the AbbVie Pension Plan. If an NEO (or the NEO's spouse, depending on the pension distribution method elected by the NEO under the AbbVie Pension Plan) lives beyond the actuarial life expectancy age used to determine the Supplemental Pension Plan benefit, and therefore exhausts the trust balance, the Supplemental Pension Plan benefit will be paid to the NEO (or his or her spouse) by AbbVie.

Savings Plans

              All U.S. employees, including NEOs, are eligible to defer a portion of their annual base salary under the AbbVie Savings Plan, the company's principal qualified defined contribution plan, up to the IRS contribution limits. NEOs also are eligible to defer up to 18 percent of their base salary, less contributions to the AbbVie Savings Plan, to the AbbVie Supplemental Savings Plan, which is a non-qualified defined contribution plan. NEOs may defer these amounts to unfunded book accounts or choose to have the amounts paid in cash on a current basis and deposited into individually established grantor trusts, net of tax withholdings. These amounts are credited annually with earnings. Amounts deposited in the individual trusts are not tax-deferred and the NEOs personally pay the taxes on those amounts without gross-ups.

              NEOs elect the manner in which the assets held in their grantor trusts will be distributed to them upon retirement or other separation from the company. These arrangements are described in greater detail in this proxy statement beginning with the section captioned "Summary Compensation Table."

Financial Planning

              NEOs are eligible for a $10,000 annualized benefit associated with estate planning advice, tax preparation and general financial planning fees. If an NEO chooses to utilize this benefit, fees for such services are paid by the company and are treated as imputed income to the NEO, who then is responsible for payment of all taxes due on the fees paid by the company without gross-ups.

Company-Provided Transportation

              NEOs are eligible for transportation perquisites that are designed to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of their work, including the use of a company-leased vehicle and access to company-provided air travel, as appropriate. In some circumstances, these benefits may be used for personal travel, which would then be considered part of the NEO's

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total compensation and treated as taxable income to them under applicable tax laws. The NEOs pay the taxes on such income without gross-ups.

Disability Benefits

              In addition to AbbVie's standard disability benefits, NEOs are eligible for a monthly long-term disability benefit, which is described on page 52 of this proxy statement.

Employment Agreements

              AbbVie does not have employment agreements with any of its NEOs.

Excise Tax Gross-ups

              AbbVie does not provide excise tax gross-ups on NEO compensation.

Change in Control Agreements

              AbbVie has entered into change in control agreements with its NEOs to aid in retention and recruitment, encourage continued attention and dedication to assigned duties during periods involving a possible change in control of the company, and to protect the earned benefits of the NEOs against potential adverse changes resulting from a change in control.

              The change in control agreements contain a double-trigger feature, meaning that if the NEO's employment is terminated other than for cause or permanent disability, or if the NEO elects to terminate employment for good reason, within two years following a change in control, he or she is entitled to receive certain pay and benefits as described in the section of this proxy statement captioned "Potential Payments upon Termination or Change in Control."

IV.    Other Matters

Stock Ownership Guidelines

              AbbVie's stock ownership guidelines are designed to further promote sustained stockholder return and to ensure the company's senior executives remain focused on both short- and long-term objectives. Each senior executive has five years from the date of election or appointment to his or her position to achieve the ownership level associated with his or her position. NEOs are not allowed to sell stock, except for tax withholding at vesting or exercise, if they do not satisfy the minimum stock ownership requirement. The minimum stock ownership guidelines for the CEO and other NEOs are as follows:

              In addition, AbbVie's non-employee directors are required to own AbbVie stock valued at five times (5x) the annual fee for service as a director under the AbbVie Non-Employee Directors' Fee Plan within five years of joining the Board or as soon as practicable thereafter.

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Clawback Policy

              While the committee does not anticipate there would ever be circumstances where a restatement of earnings upon which any incentive plan award decisions were based would occur, the committee, in evaluating such circumstances, has broad discretion to take all actions necessary to protect the interests of stockholders up to and including actions to recover such incentive awards.

Anti-Hedging and Anti-Pledging Policies

              AbbVie has a formal policy that prohibits directors and officers subject to Section 16 of the Exchange Act, including all of the NEOs, from entering into or engaging in the purchase or sale of financial instruments that are designed to hedge or offset any decrease in the market value of AbbVie equity securities they hold. AbbVie also has a formal policy that prohibits directors and officers subject to Section 16 of the Exchange Act, including all of the NEOs, from pledging AbbVie common stock as collateral for a loan.

              In addition, the AbbVie Incentive Stock Program provides that no long-term incentive award may be assigned, alienated, sold or transferred other than by will or by the laws of descent and distribution or as permitted by the compensation committee for estate planning purposes, and no award and no right under any award may be pledged, alienated, attached or otherwise encumbered. All members of senior management, including the company's NEOs and certain other employees, are required to clear any transaction involving company stock with the General Counsel prior to entering into such transaction.

              The compensation committee of the board of directors is primarily responsible for reviewing, approving and overseeing AbbVie's compensation plans and practices, and works with management and the committee's independent compensation consultant to establish AbbVie's executive compensation philosophy and programs. The committee reviewed and discussed the Compensation Discussion and Analysis with management and recommended to the board of directors that the Compensation Discussion and Analysis be included in this proxy statement.

Compensation Committee

              E. Liddy, Chairman, R. Austin, G. Tilton, and F. Waddell

              During 2015, in collaboration with the compensation committee's independent compensation consultant, AbbVie conducted an in-depth risk assessment of its compensation policies and practices, including those related to executive compensation programs for NEOs. The risk assessment included a quantitative and qualitative analysis of AbbVie's executive compensation programs and broader employee incentive compensation plans. AbbVie also considered how these programs compare, from a design perspective, to programs maintained by other companies. Based on this assessment, it was determined that AbbVie's executive compensation programs are balanced and appropriately incent employees, and any risks arising from the compensation policies and practices are not reasonably likely to have a material adverse effect on AbbVie. The following factors were among those considered in making this determination:

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AbbVie's compensation structure contributes to a corporate culture that encourages our NEOs to regard AbbVie as a long-term employer. For example, equity awards vest over multi-year periods, which encourages NEOs to consider the long-term impact of their decisions and align their interests with those of AbbVie's stockholders.

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AbbVie's annual incentive program is based on multiple performance measures, balancing earnings achievement with other factors. Since earnings are a key component of stock price performance, this aspect of AbbVie's compensation plan also promotes alignment with stockholder interests.



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AbbVie does not include certain pay design features that may have the potential to encourage excessive risk-taking, such as: over-weighting toward annual incentives, highly leveraged payout curves, unreasonable thresholds or dramatic changes in payout opportunity at certain performance levels that may encourage inappropriate short-term business decisions to meet payout thresholds. In addition, a limit of 200% of target applies to any awards made under the NEO short-term incentive plan.



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AbbVie's long-term incentive program focuses NEOs on longer-term operating performance and stockholder returns. In 2015, AbbVie's NEOs received roughly two-thirds of their total direct compensation in the form of long-term incentives (25% of which are stock options that vest over a multi-year period, and 75% of which are performance-vested awards that vest over a period of up to five years with not more than one-third of the award vesting in any one year). AbbVie's new design for long-term incentives, beginning in 2016, enhances these objectives by creating longer performance timeframes and by incorporating multiple, relative performance measures, including relative total stockholder return.



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AbbVie makes equity awards and sets grant prices at the same time each year, at the compensation committee's regularly scheduled meeting in February. In addition, AbbVie does not award discounted stock options or immediately vesting equity awards.



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AbbVie has robust stock ownership guidelines for its senior executives, which promotes alignment with stockholder interests, and other good governance equity practices such as anti-hedging and anti-pledging policies.



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AbbVie's compensation committee has the ability to exercise downward discretion in determining annual incentive plan payouts. In 2015, the compensation committee exercised its discretion to deliver annual incentive plan awards below the maximum amounts allowable according to the plan formula.



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AbbVie's compensation committee has broad discretion to claw back incentive compensation that was awarded based on financials that were later restated.



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AbbVie requires mandatory training on its code of conduct and policies and procedures to educate its employees on appropriate behaviors and the consequences of taking inappropriate actions.

              The risk assessment results were presented to the compensation committee by its independent compensation consultant.

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              The compensation committee's typical practice is to make decisions related to NEO pay at its February meeting, including adjustments to base salary, an annual incentive payment for the prior year's performance, and establishment of a long-term incentive award value. In making its decisions, the committee considers the performance achieved compared to previously established goals as well as changes in industry practice reflected in compensation benchmarking data. The committee made the following decisions about the compensation for Mr. Gonzalez at its February 2016 meeting: (i) his base salary is unchanged compared to 2015; (ii) his annual incentive payment for 2015 performance was $2,976,000; (iii) his 2016 target annual incentive was reset to 150% of base salary; and (iv) his 2016 long-term incentive award grant value was $11,700,000, which was the projected median grant value of the Health Care Peer Group. Additional information about the 2016 changes is provided beginning on page 29 of this proxy statement.

              This section contains compensation information for AbbVie's NEOs for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015. The following table summarizes compensation awarded to, earned by and/or paid to AbbVie's NEOs in connection with their service to AbbVie during 2015, 2014 and 2013. Dr. Severino joined AbbVie in 2014. The section of this proxy statement captioned "Compensation Plan Elements" describes in greater detail the information reported in this table.

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              The following table summarizes the equity awards granted under the AbbVie 2013 Incentive Stock Program to the NEOs during 2015.

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              The following table summarizes the outstanding AbbVie equity awards held by the NEOs at year end.

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              The following table summarizes for each NEO the number of shares acquired on the exercise of AbbVie stock options and the number of shares acquired on the vesting of AbbVie stock awards in 2015:

              During 2015, the NEOs participated in two AbbVie-sponsored defined benefit pension plans: the AbbVie Pension Plan, a tax-qualified pension plan; and the AbbVie Supplemental Pension Plan, a non-qualified supplemental pension plan. The Supplemental Pension Plan also includes a benefit feature AbbVie uses to attract senior executives who are mid-career hires, which provides an additional benefit to such participants that is less valuable to participants who have spent most of their career at the company. Except as provided in AbbVie's change in control agreements, AbbVie does not have a policy granting extra years of credited service under the plans. The change in control agreements are described in the section of this proxy statement captioned "Potential Payments upon Termination or Change in Control."

              The compensation considered in determining the pensions payable to the NEOs is the compensation shown in the "Salary" and "Non-Equity Incentive Plan Compensation" columns of the Summary Compensation Table.

Pension Plan

              The Pension Plan is a broad-based plan that covers most AbbVie employees in the United States, age 21 or older, and provides participants with a life annuity benefit at normal retirement equal to A plus the greater of B or C below.

A.

1.10% of 5-year final average earnings multiplied by years of benefit service after 2003.

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B.

1.65% of 5-year final average earnings multiplied by years of benefit service prior to 2004 (up to 20); plus 1.50% of 5-year final average earnings multiplied by years of benefit service prior to 2004 in excess of 20 (but no more than 15 additional years); less 0.50% of the lesser of 3-year final average earnings (but not more than the social security wage base in any year) or the social security covered compensation level multiplied by years of benefit service.



C.

1.10% of 5-year final average earnings multiplied by years of benefit service prior to 2004.

              The benefit for service prior to 2004 (B or C above) is reduced for the cost of preretirement surviving spouse benefit protection. The reduction is calculated using formulas based on age and employment status during the period in which coverage was in effect.

              Final average earnings are the average of the employee's 60 highest-paid consecutive calendar months of compensation (salary and non-equity incentive plan compensation). The Pension Plan covers earnings up to the limit imposed by Internal Revenue Code Section 401(a)(17) and provides for a maximum of 35 years of benefit service.

              Participants become fully vested in their pension benefit upon the completion of five years of service. The benefit is payable on an unreduced basis at age 65. Employees hired after 2003 who terminate employment prior to age 55 with at least 10 years of service may choose to commence their benefits on an actuarially reduced basis as early as age 55. Employees hired before 2004 who terminate employment prior to age 50 with at least 10 years of service may choose to commence their benefits on an actuarially reduced basis as early as age 50. Employees hired before 2004 who terminate employment prior to age 50 with fewer than 10 years of service may choose to commence their benefits on an actuarially reduced basis as early as age 55.

              The Pension Plan offers several optional forms of payment, including certain and life annuities, joint and survivor annuities, and level income annuities. The benefit paid under any of these options is actuarially equivalent to the life annuity benefit produced by the formula described above.

              Employees who retire from AbbVie prior to their normal retirement age may receive subsidized early retirement benefits. Employees hired after 2003 are eligible for early retirement at age 55 with 10 years of service. Employees hired before 2004 are eligible for early retirement at age 50 with 10 years of service or age 55 if the employee's age plus years of benefit service total 70 or more. Mr. Gonzalez, Ms. Schumacher and Mr. Alban are eligible for early retirement benefits under the plan.

              The subsidized early retirement reductions applied to the benefit payable for service after 2003 (A above) depend upon the participant's age at retirement. If the participant retires after reaching age 55, the benefit is reduced 5 percent per year for each year that payments are made before age 62. If the participant retires after reaching age 50 but prior to reaching age 55, the benefit is actuarially reduced from age 65.

              The early retirement reductions applied to the benefit payable for service prior to 2004 (B and C above) depend upon age and service at retirement:

•

In general, the 5-year final average earnings portions of the benefit are reduced 3 percent per year for each year that payments are made before age 62 and the 3-year final average earnings portion of the benefit is reduced 5 percent per year for each year that payments are made before age 62.



•

Employees who participated in the plan before age 36 may elect "Special Retirement" on the last day of any month after reaching age 55 with age plus Seniority Service points of at least 94 or "Early Special Retirement" on the last day of any month after reaching age 55, provided their age plus Seniority Service points would reach at least 94 before age 65. Seniority Service includes periods of employment prior to attaining the minimum age required to participate in the plan. If Special Retirement or Early Special Retirement applies, Seniority Service is used in place of benefit service in the formulas. The 5-year final average earnings portions of the benefit in B above are reduced 1²/3 percent for each year between ages 59 and 62 plus 2¹/2 percent for each year between ages 55 and 59. The 3-year final average earnings portion of

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the benefit is reduced 5 percent per year for each year that payments are made before age 62. Benefit C is payable on an unreduced basis at Special Retirement and is reduced 3 percent per year for each year that payments are made before age 62, if Early Special Retirement applies.

Supplemental Pension Plan

              The provisions of the Supplemental Pension Plan (which covers AbbVie employees in the United States whose compensation exceeds certain limits under the Internal Revenue Code) are substantially the same as those of the Pension Plan, with the following exceptions:

•

Participants' 5-year final average earnings are calculated using the average of the 5 highest years of base earnings and the 5 highest years of payments under AbbVie's non-equity incentive plans.



•

The Pension Plan does not include amounts deferred or payments received under the AbbVie Deferred Compensation Plan in its calculation of a participant's final average earnings. To preserve the pension benefits of Deferred Compensation Plan participants, the Supplemental Pension Plan includes amounts deferred by a participant under the Deferred Compensation Plan in its calculation of final average earnings.



•

In addition to the benefits outlined above for the Pension Plan, the NEOs are eligible for an additional Supplemental Pension Plan benefit equal to 0.6% of 5-year final average earnings for each year of service for each of the first 20 years of service occurring after the participant attains age 35. The benefit is further limited by the maximum percentage allowed under the Pension Plan under that plan's benefit formulas (A, B and C above). The portion of this additional benefit attributable to service before 2004 is reduced 3 percent per year for each year that payments are made before age 60. The portion attributable to service after 2003 is reduced 5 percent per year for each year that payments are made before age 60 if the participant is at least age 55 at early retirement. If the participant is under age 55 at retirement, the portion attributable to service after 2003 is actuarially reduced from age 65.



•

The Supplemental Pension Plan provides early retirement benefits similar to those provided under the Pension Plan. The benefits provided to NEOs under the Supplemental Pension Plan are not, however, reduced for the period between age 60 and age 62, unless the benefit is being actuarially reduced from age 65. Mr. Gonzalez, Ms. Schumacher and Mr. Alban are eligible for early retirement benefits under the plan.



•

Vested benefits accrued under the Supplemental Pension Plan may be funded through a grantor trust established by the NEO. Consistent with the distribution requirements of Internal Revenue Code Section 409A and its regulations, those NEOs who became officers prior to 2009 may have the entire amount of their vested plan benefits funded through a grantor trust. Any NEO who became an officer after 2008 and before 2015 may have only the vested benefits that accrue following the calendar year in which he or she is first elected as an officer funded through a grantor trust. Vested benefits accrued through December 31, 2008, to the extent not previously funded, were distributed to the participants' individual trusts and included in the participants' income.

              Benefits payable under the Supplemental Pension Plan are offset by the benefits payable from the Pension Plan, calculated as if benefits under the plans commenced at the same time. The amounts paid to an NEO's Supplemental Pension Plan grantor trust to fund plan benefits are actuarially determined. The plan is designed to result in AbbVie paying the NEO's Supplemental Pension Plan benefits to the extent assets held in his or her trust are insufficient.

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Pension Benefits Table

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              The following table summarizes Mr. Chase's and Ms. Schumacher's non-qualified deferred compensation under the AbbVie Deferred Compensation Plan. No additional contributions have been made to their accounts under the plan since such time as Mr. Chase and Ms. Schumacher, respectively, became officers and ceased to be eligible to contribute to the plan. None of the other NEOs has any non-qualified deferred compensation under the plan.

Potential Payments upon Termination—Generally

              AbbVie does not have employment agreements with its NEOs.

              The following summarizes the payments that the NEOs would have received if their employment had terminated on December 31, 2015. Earnings would have continued to be paid for the NEO's Performance Incentive Plan and Supplemental Savings Plan grantor trusts until the trust assets were fully distributed. The amount of these payments would depend on the period over which the trust assets were distributed and the trust earnings and fees. If the trust assets were distributed over a 10-year period and based on current earnings, the NEOs would receive the following average annual payments over such 10-year period: Mr. Gonzalez, $942,637; Mr. Chase, $615,169; Ms. Schumacher, $543,691; and Mr. Alban, $461,264. In addition, the following one-time deposits would have been made under the AbbVie Supplemental Pension Plan for each of the following NEOs, respectively: Mr. Gonzalez, $1,442,189; Mr. Chase, $556,373; Ms. Schumacher, $786,268; and Mr. Alban, $1,191,408. As of December 31, 2015, Mr. Gonzalez, Ms. Schumacher and Mr. Alban were eligible to retire, and therefore were eligible to receive the pension benefits described above.

              If the termination of employment had been due to disability, then the NEOs also would have received, in addition to AbbVie's standard disability benefits, a monthly long-term disability benefit in the amount of $148,800 for

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Mr. Gonzalez; $67,915 for Mr. Chase; $67,915 for Ms. Schumacher; $60,000 for Mr. Alban; and $61,935 for Dr. Severino. This long-term disability benefit would continue for up to 18 months following termination of employment. It ends if the NEO retires, recovers, dies or ceases to meet eligibility criteria.

              If the NEO's employment had terminated due to death or disability, his or her unvested stock options and restricted stock or unit awards would have vested on December 31, 2015 with values as set forth below in the subsection of this proxy statement captioned "Equity Awards."

Potential Payments upon Change in Control

              AbbVie has entered into change in control agreements with its NEOs. Each change in control agreement continues in effect until December 31, 2016, and can be renewed for successive two-year terms upon notice prior to the expiration date. If notice of non-renewal is given, the agreement will expire on the later of the scheduled expiration date and the one-year anniversary of the date of such notice. If no notice is given, the agreement will expire on the one-year anniversary of the scheduled expiration date. Each agreement also automatically extends for two years following any change in control (see below) that occurs while the agreement is in effect.

              The agreements provide that if the employee is terminated other than for cause or permanent disability or if the employee elects to terminate employment for good reason (see below) within two years following a change in control, he or she is entitled to receive a lump sum payment equal to three times his or her annual salary and annual incentive ("bonus") award (assuming for this purpose that all target performance goals have been achieved or, if higher, based on the average bonus for the last three years), plus any unpaid bonus owing for any completed performance period and the pro rata bonus for any current bonus period (based on the highest of the bonus assuming achievement of target performance, the average bonus for the past three years or, in the case of the unpaid bonus for any completed performance period, the actual bonus earned). If the employee is terminated other than for cause or permanent disability or if the employee elects to terminate employment for good reason during a potential change in control (see below), he or she is entitled to receive a lump sum payment of the annual salary and bonus payments described above, except that the amount of the bonus to which the employee is entitled will be based on the actual achievement of the applicable performance goals. If the potential change in control becomes a "change in control event" (within the meaning of Internal Revenue Code Section 409A), the employee will be entitled to receive the difference between the bonus amounts the officer received upon termination during the potential change in control and the bonus amounts that would have been received had such amounts instead been based on the higher of the employee's target bonus or the average bonus paid to the employee in the preceding three years.

              Bonus payments include payments made under the Performance Incentive Plan. The employee also will receive up to two years of additional employee benefits (including welfare benefits, outplacement services and tax and financial counseling) and the value of three more years of pension accruals. If change in control-related payments and benefits become subject to the excise tax imposed under Internal Revenue Code Section 4999, payments under the agreement will be reduced to prevent application of the excise tax if such a reduction would leave the employee in a better after-tax position than if the payments were not reduced and the tax applied. The agreements also limit the conduct for which awards under AbbVie's incentive stock programs can be terminated and generally permit options to remain exercisable for the remainder of their term. The compensation committee's independent compensation consultant has confirmed that the level of payments provided under the agreements is consistent with current market practice.

              For purposes of the agreements, the term "change in control" includes the following events: any person becoming the beneficial owner of AbbVie securities representing 20 percent or more of the outstanding voting power (not including an acquisition directly from AbbVie and its affiliates); a change in the majority of the members of the board of directors whose appointment was approved by a vote of at least two-thirds of the incumbent directors; and the consummation of certain mergers or similar corporate transactions involving AbbVie. A "potential change in control" under the agreements includes, among other things, AbbVie's entry into an agreement that would result in a change in control. Finally, the term "good reason" includes: a significant adverse change in the employee's position, duties, or authority; the company's failure to pay the employee's compensation or a reduction in the employee's base pay or benefits; or the relocation of the company's principal executive offices to a location that is more than 35 miles from the location of the offices at the time of the change in control.

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              If a change in control had occurred on December 31, 2015, immediately followed by one of the covered circumstances described above, Mr. Gonzalez, Mr. Chase, Ms. Schumacher, Mr. Alban, and Dr. Severino would have been entitled to receive the following payments and benefits under the change in control agreements:

•

Mr. Gonzalez: cash termination payments—$14,100,000; additional Supplemental Pension Plan benefits—$3,648,753; welfare and fringe benefits—$75,783.



•

Mr. Chase: cash termination payments—$6,948,900; additional Supplemental Pension Plan benefits—$783,375; welfare and fringe benefits—$76,518.



•

Ms. Schumacher: cash termination payments—$6,948,900; additional Supplemental Pension Plan benefits—$3,471,334; welfare and fringe benefits—$61,885.



•

Mr. Alban: cash termination payments—$6,010,358; additional Supplemental Pension Plan benefits—$3,726,232; welfare and fringe benefits—$76,323.



•

Dr. Severino: cash termination payments—$6,536,100; welfare and fringe benefits—$74,560.

              The amounts shown for Mr. Alban's cash termination payments and additional supplemental pension plan benefits reflect reductions of $289,642 and $179,569, respectively, which would have applied under cutback provisions in the agreement as described above.

Equity Awards

              The AbbVie 2013 Incentive Stock Program was approved by AbbVie's stockholders and covers approximately 7,000 participants, including a broad group of management and professional staff.

              The AbbVie 2013 Incentive Stock Program provides that any unvested stock options and restricted stock or unit awards granted in or after February 2013 may be assumed, converted or replaced on an equivalent basis by the surviving company upon a change in control. If the surviving company does not do so, the vesting of the awards is accelerated. If the surviving company does assume, convert or replace the awards on an equivalent basis, then accelerated vesting of the awards is limited to circumstances in which, during the period from six months before through two years after a change in control, the grantee's employment is terminated without cause or the grantee resigns for good reason. The terms "cause" and "good reason" have the same definitions as in the change in control agreements.

              If a change in control had occurred on December 31, 2015 and the surviving company did not assume, convert or replace any of the awards granted after January 2013, then the unvested equity awards of the NEOs would have vested as follows:

•

Mr. Gonzalez would have vested in (i) 690,120 unvested AbbVie stock options with a value of $5,682,068, and (ii) 360,137 shares of AbbVie restricted stock with a value of $21,334,516.



•

Mr. Chase would have vested in (i) 211,206 unvested AbbVie stock options with a value of $1,425,287, and (ii) 155,187 shares of AbbVie restricted stock with a value of $9,193,278.



•

Ms. Schumacher would have vested in (i) 214,483 unvested AbbVie stock options with a value of $1,660,974, and (ii) 171,558 shares of AbbVie restricted stock with a value of $10,163,096.



•

Mr. Alban would have vested in (i) 194,903 unvested AbbVie stock options with a value of $1,363,519, and (ii) 137,508 shares of AbbVie restricted stock with a value of $8,145,974.



•

Dr. Severino would have vested in (i) 154,019 unvested AbbVie stock options with a value of $275,400, and (ii) 147,276 shares of AbbVie restricted stock with a value of $8,724,630.

              The value of stock options shown is based on the excess of the closing price of one share of common stock on December 31, 2015 over the exercise price of such options, multiplied by the number of unvested stock options held by the NEO. The value of restricted stock shown is determined by multiplying the number of restricted shares that would vest as of December 31, 2015 and the closing price of one share of common stock on December 31, 2015.

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              The audit committee of the board of directors is directly responsible for the appointment, compensation, retention and oversight of the independent registered public accounting firm retained to audit the company's financial statements. On October 8, 2015, the audit committee appointed Ernst & Young LLP to perform independent audit services for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2016. Ernst & Young LLP has served as our independent registered public accounting firm since 2013. In conjunction with the periodic mandated rotation of the audit firm's lead engagement partner, the chair of the audit committee would be involved in the selection of a new lead engagement partner. Further, the audit committee will periodically consider whether there should be a regular rotation of the independent registered public accounting firm.

              Although the audit committee has sole authority to appoint the independent registered public accounting firm, it would like to know the opinion of the stockholders regarding its appointment of Ernst & Young LLP for 2016. For this reason, stockholders are being asked to ratify this appointment. If the stockholders do not ratify the appointment of Ernst & Young LLP for 2016, the audit committee will take that fact into consideration, but may, nevertheless, continue to retain Ernst & Young LLP. The audit committee and the board believe that the continued retention of Ernst & Young LLP to serve as the company's independent registered public accounting firm is in the best interests of the company and its stockholders.

              Representatives of Ernst & Young LLP are expected to be present at the Annual Meeting and will be given the opportunity to make a statement if they desire to do so. They will also be available to respond to appropriate questions.

              The board of directors recommends that you vote FOR ratification of the appointment of Ernst & Young LLP as AbbVie's independent registered public accounting firm for 2016.

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              The following table presents fees for professional audit services rendered to AbbVie by Ernst & Young LLP for the years ended December 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, and fees for other services rendered to AbbVie by Ernst & Young LLP for that period.

              The audit committee has established policies and procedures to pre-approve all audit and permissible non-audit services performed by the independent registered public accounting firm and its related affiliates.

              Prior to engagement of the independent registered public accounting firm for the next year's audit, management will submit a schedule of all proposed services expected to be rendered during that year for each of four categories of services to the audit committee for approval.

              Prior to engagement, the audit committee pre-approves these services by category of service. The fees are budgeted and the audit committee requires the independent registered public accounting firm and management to report actual fees versus the budget periodically by category of service. During the year, circumstances may arise when it may become necessary to engage the independent registered public accounting firm for additional services not contemplated in the original pre-approval. In those instances, the audit committee requires specific pre-approval before engaging the independent registered public accounting firm.

              The audit committee may delegate pre-approval authority to one or more of its members. The member to whom such authority is delegated must report any pre-approval decisions to the audit committee at its next scheduled meeting.

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              Management is responsible for the preparation and integrity of AbbVie's consolidated financial statements. The independent registered public accounting firm is responsible for performing an audit of the consolidated financial statements and expressing an opinion on the conformity of those financial statements with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. The audit committee reviews these processes on behalf of the board of directors. In this context, the audit committee has reviewed and discussed the audited financial statements contained in the 2015 Annual Report on Form 10-K with AbbVie's management and its independent registered public accounting firm.

              The audit committee has discussed with the independent registered public accounting firm the matters required to be discussed pursuant to Auditing Standards Section No. 16, Communication with Audit Committees, as adopted by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board.

              The audit committee has received the written disclosures and the letter from the independent registered public accounting firm required by the applicable requirements of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board regarding the independent registered public accounting firm's communications with the audit committee concerning independence, and has discussed with the independent registered public accounting firm the firm's independence. The audit committee has also considered whether the provision of non-audit services is compatible with maintaining the independence of the independent registered public accounting firm.