UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported)
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation) |
(Commission File Number) |
(IRS Employer Identification No.) |
(Address of principal executive offices) | (Zip Code) |
(
Registrant’s telephone number, including area code
(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)
Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):
Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425) |
Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12) |
Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b)) |
Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c)) |
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title of each class |
Trading Symbol(s) |
Name of each exchange on which registered | ||
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).
Emerging growth company
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
Item 5.03 Amendments to Articles of Incorporation or Bylaws; Change in Fiscal Year.
On September 6, 2022, Callaway Golf Company (the “Company”) changed its corporate name to Topgolf Callaway Brands Corp. pursuant to a certificate of amendment to the Company’s second restated certificate of incorporation (the “Charter Amendment”) filed with the Delaware Secretary of State on September 6, 2022 (the “Name Change”). The Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board”) approved the Name Change pursuant to Section 242 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (“DGCL”). Pursuant to the DGCL, a stockholder vote was not necessary to effectuate the Name Change, and the Name Change does not affect the rights of the Company’s stockholders.
On September 6, 2022, following the filing of the Charter Amendment, the Company subsequently filed a third restated certificate of incorporation (the “Restated Charter”) that combined into one document the Company’s prior second restated certificate of incorporation, as amended by the Charter Amendment to reflect the Name Change. The filing of the Restated Charter was authorized by the Board in accordance with Section 245 of the DGCL. The Company also amended and restated its bylaws (the “Amended and Restated Bylaws”) effective September 6, 2022 to reflect the Name Change. The only change to the Company’s Restated Charter and Amended and Restated Bylaws is the change of the Company’s corporate name from Callaway Golf Company to Topgolf Callaway Brands Corp. in each document.
In connection with the Name Change, the Company also announced that it intends for its shares of common stock to cease trading under the ticker symbol “ELY” and begin trading under its new ticker symbol, “MODG”, on the New York Stock Exchange, which the Company expects to be effective on or about September 7, 2022.
The foregoing description of the Charter Amendment, the Restated Charter and the Amended and Restated Bylaws does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the Charter Amendment, the Restated Charter and the Amended and Restated Bylaws, copies of which are attached hereto as Exhibits 3.1, 3.2 and 3.3, respectively, and incorporated herein by reference.
Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.
(d) Exhibits
Exhibit Number |
Exhibit Title or Description | |
3.1 | Certificate of Amendment to Second Restated Certificate of Incorporation of Callaway Golf Company | |
3.2 | Third Restated Certificate of Incorporation of Topgolf Callaway Brands Corp. | |
3.3 | Eighth Amended and Restated Bylaws of Topgolf Callaway Brands Corp. | |
104 | Cover Page Interactive Data File - the cover page XBRL tags are embedded within the Inline XBRL document |
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
TOPGOLF CALLAWAY BRANDS CORP. | ||||||
Date: September 6, 2022 | By: | /s/ Sarah Kim | ||||
Name: | Sarah Kim | |||||
Title: | Vice President, General Counsel and | |||||
Corporate Secretary |
Exhibit 3.1
CERTIFICATE OF AMENDMENT TO THE
SECOND RESTATED CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION
OF
CALLAWAY GOLF COMPANY
Callaway Golf Company (the Corporation), a corporation organized and existing under the law of the State of Delaware, hereby certifies as follows:
1. The Second Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation is hereby amended by deleting the text of Article I thereof and inserting the following in lieu thereof:
NAME OF CORPORATION
The name of this Corporation is Topgolf Callaway Brands Corp.
2. That the foregoing amendment was duly adopted in accordance with the provisions of Section 242 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware.
[Remainder of page intentionally left blank]
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Corporation has caused this Certificate of Amendment to the Second Restated Certificate of Incorporation to be signed by its duly authorized officer this 6th day of September, 2022.
By: | /s/ Sarah E. Kim | |
Name: | Sarah E. Kim | |
Title: | Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary |
Exhibit 3.2
THIRD RESTATED
CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION
OF
TOPGOLF CALLAWAY BRANDS CORP.
Topgolf Callaway Brands Corp. (the Corporation), a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the State of Delaware, does hereby certify that:
1. | The name of the Corporation is Topgolf Callaway Brands Corp. The Corporation was originally incorporated under the name Callaway Golf Company. The Corporations original Certificate of Incorporation was filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware on May 7, 1999. |
2. | The Board of Directors of the Corporation (the Board of Directors) approved and adopted resolutions setting forth this Third Restated Certificate of Incorporation, which are filed with the minutes of the Corporation. |
3. | This Third Restated Certificate of Incorporation was duly adopted in accordance with Section 245 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the GCL) and restates and integrates but does not further amend the provisions of the Corporations Certificate of Incorporation. |
4. | The text of the Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation is hereby restated in its entirety to read as follows: |
ARTICLE I
NAME OF CORPORATION
The name of this Corporation is Topgolf Callaway Brands Corp.
ARTICLE II
REGISTERED OFFICE
The address of the registered office of the Corporation in the State of Delaware is Corporation Trust Center, 1209 Orange Street, Wilmington, County of New Castle, Delaware 19801. The name of its registered agent at that address is The Corporation Trust Company.
ARTICLE III
PURPOSE
The purpose of the Corporation is to engage in any lawful act or activity for which corporations may be organized under the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the GCL).
ARTICLE IV
AUTHORIZED CAPITAL STOCK
SECTION 1. Number of Authorized Shares. The Corporation shall be authorized to issue two classes of shares of stock to be designated, respectively, Common Stock and Preferred Stock. The total number of shares which the Corporation shall have authority to issue is Three Hundred Sixty-Three million (363,000,000), of which Three Hundred Sixty million (360,000,000) shares shall be common stock having a par value of $0.01 per share (the Common Stock), and Three million (3,000,000) shares shall be preferred stock having a par value of $0.01 per share (the Preferred Stock). Of the authorized shares of Preferred Stock, Two Hundred Forty Thousand (240,000) shares shall be designated Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock (hereinafter referred to as the Series A Preferred Stock).
SECTION 2. Common Stock. The Board of Directors of the Corporation (the Board of Directors) may authorize the issuance of shares of Common Stock from time to time. Shares of Common Stock that are redeemed, purchased or otherwise acquired by the Corporation may be reissued except as otherwise provided by law.
SECTION 3. Preferred Stock. The Board of Directors may authorize the issuance of shares of Preferred Stock from time to time in one or more series. Shares of Preferred Stock that are redeemed, purchased or otherwise acquired by the Corporation may be reissued except as otherwise provided by law. The Board of Directors is hereby authorized to fix or alter the designations, powers and preferences, and relative, participating, optional or other rights, if any, and qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof, including without limitation, dividend rights, (and whether dividends are cumulative), conversion rights, if any, voting rights (including the number of votes, if any, per share, as well as the number of members, if any, of the Board of Directors or the percentage of members, if any, of the Board of Directors each class or series of Preferred Stock may be entitled to elect), rights and terms of redemption (including sinking fund provisions, if any), redemption price and liquidation preferences of any wholly unissued series of Preferred Stock, and the number of shares constituting any such series and the designation thereof, and to increase (but not above the total number of authorized shares of the class) or decrease (but not below the number of shares of such series then outstanding) the number of shares of any such series subsequent to the issuance of shares of such series.
The relative rights, preferences, privileges and restrictions granted to the Series A. Preferred Stock are as follows:
2
A. Dividends and Distributions.
(i) Subject to the prior and superior rights of the holders of any shares of any series of Preferred Stock ranking prior and superior to the shares of Series A Preferred Stock with respect to dividends, the holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock shall be entitled to receive, when, as and if declared by the Board of Directors out of funds legally available for the purpose, quarterly dividends payable in cash on the 15th day of January, April, July and October and in each year (each such date being referred to herein as a Quarterly Dividend Payment Date), commencing on the first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date after the first issuance of a share or fraction of a share of Series A Preferred Stock, in an amount per share (rounded to the nearest cent) equal to, subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth, 1,000 times the aggregate per share amount of all cash dividends, and 1,000 times the aggregate per share amount (payable in kind) of all non-cash dividends other distributions other than a dividend payable in shares of Common Stock or a subdivision of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise), declared on the Common Stock of the Corporation since the immediately preceding Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, or, with respect to the first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, since the first issuance of any share or fraction of a share of Series A Preferred Stock. In the event the Corporation shall at any time after the issuance of any shares of Series A Preferred Stock (a) declare any dividend on Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, (b) subdivide the outstanding Common Stock or (c) combine the outstanding Common Stock into a smaller number of shares, then in each such case the amount to which holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock were entitled immediately prior to such event under the preceding sentence shall be adjusted by multiplying such amount by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event.
(ii) The Corporation shall declare a dividend or distribution on the Series A Preferred Stock as provided in paragraph (i) above concurrently with any declaration of a dividend or distribution on the Common Stock (other than a dividend payable in shares of Common Stock).
(iii) Dividends shall begin to accrue and be cumulative on outstanding shares of Series A Preferred Stock from the Quarterly Dividend Payment Date next preceding the date of issue of such shares of Series A Preferred Stock, unless the date of issue of such shares is prior to the record date for the first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, in which case dividends on such shares shall begin to accrue from the date of issue of such shares, or unless the date of issue is a Quarterly Dividend Payment Date or is a date after the record date for the determination of holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock entitled to receive a quarterly dividend and before such Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, in either of which events such dividends shall begin to accrue and be cumulative from such Quarterly Dividend Payment Date. Accrued but unpaid dividends shall not bear interest. Dividends paid on the shares of Series A Preferred Stock in an amount less than the total amount of such dividends at the time accrued and payable on such shares shall be allocated pro rata on a share-by-share basis among all such shares at the time outstanding. The Board of Directors may fix a record date for the determination of holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock entitled to receive payment of a dividend or distribution declared thereon, which record date shall be no more than 30 days prior to the date fixed for the payment thereof.
3
B. Voting Rights. The holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock shall have the following voting rights:
(i) Subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth, each share of Series A Preferred Stock shall entitle the holder thereof to 1,000 votes on all matters submitted to a vote of the shareholders of the Corporation. In the event the Corporation shall at any time after the issuance of any shares of Series A Preferred Stock (i) declare any dividend on Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, (ii) subdivide the outstanding Common Stock, or (iii) combine the outstanding Common Stock into a smaller number of shares, then in each case the number of votes per share to which holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock were entitled immediately prior to such event shall be adjusted by multiplying such number by a fraction the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event.
(ii) Except as otherwise provided herein or by law, the holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock and the holders of shares of Common Stock shall vote together as one class on all matters submitted to a vote of stockholders of the Corporation.
(iii) Except as set forth herein, holders of Series A Preferred Stock shall have no special voting rights and their consent shall not be required (except to the extent they are entitled to vote with holders of Common Stock as set forth herein) for taking any corporate action.
C. Certain Restrictions.
(i) The Corporation shall not declare any dividend on, make any distribution on, or redeem or purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration any shares of Common Stock after the first issuance of a share or fraction of a share of Series A Preferred Stock unless concurrently therewith it shall declare a dividend on the Series A Preferred Stock as required by subsection A hereof.
(ii) Whenever quarterly dividends or other dividends or distributions payable on the Series A Preferred Stock as provided in subsection A have been declared but not paid, thereafter and until all accrued and unpaid dividends and distributions, whether or not declared, on shares of Series A Preferred Stock outstanding shall have been paid in full, the Corporation, shall not
(a) declare or pay dividends on, make any other distribution on, or redeem or purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration any shares of stock ranking junior (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) to the Series A Preferred Stock;
(b) declare or pay dividends on or make any other distributions on any shares of stock ranking on a parity (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) with the Series A Preferred Stock, except dividends paid ratably on the Series A Preferred Stock and all such parity stock on which dividends are payable or in arrears in proportion to the total amounts to which the holders of all such shares then entitled;
4
(c) redeem or purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration shares of any stock ranking on a parity (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) with the Series A Preferred Stock, provided that the Corporation may at any time redeem, purchase or otherwise acquire shares of, any such parity stock in exchange for shares of any stock of the Corporation ranking junior (either as to dividends or upon dissolution, liquidation or winding up) to the Series A Preferred Stock;
(d) purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration any shares of Series A Preferred Stock, or any shares of stock ranking on a parity with the Series A Preferred Stock, except in accordance with a purchase offer made in writing or by publication (as determined by the Board of Directors) to all holders of such shares upon such terms as the Board of Directors, after consideration of the respective annual dividend rates and other relative rights and preferences of the respective series and classes, shall determine in good faith will result in fair and equitable treatment among the respective series or classes.
(iii) The Corporation shall not permit any subsidiary of the Corporation to purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration any shares of stock of the Corporation unless the Corporation could, under paragraph (i) of this subsection C, purchase or otherwise acquire such shares at such time and in such manner.
D. Required Shares. Any shares of Series A Preferred Stock purchased or otherwise acquired by the Corporation in any manner whatsoever shall be retired and canceled promptly after the acquisition thereof. All such shares shall upon their cancellation become authorized but unissued shares of Preferred Stock and may be reissued as part of a new series of Preferred Stock to be created by resolution or resolutions of the Board of Directors, subject to the conditions and restrictions on issuance set forth herein.
E. Liquidation, Dissolution or Winding Up.
(i) Upon any liquidation (voluntary or otherwise), dissolution or winding up of the Corporation, no distribution shall be made to the holders of shares of stock ranking junior (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) to the Series A Preferred Stock unless, prior thereto, the holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock shall have received $1,000 per share, plus an amount equal to accrued and unpaid dividends and distributions thereon, whether or not declared, to the date of such payment (the Series A Liquidation Preference). Following the payment of the full amount of the Series A Liquidation Preference, no additional distributions shall be made to the holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock unless, prior thereto, the holders of shares of Common Stock shall have received an amount per share (the Common Adjustment) equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (a) the Series A Liquidation Preference by (b) 1,000 (as appropriately adjusted as set forth in subparagraph (iii) below to reflect such events as stock splits, stock dividends and recapitalizations with respect to the Common Stock) (the Adjustment Number). Following the payment of the full amount of the Series A Liquidation Preference and the Common Adjustment in respect of all outstanding shares of Series A Preferred Stock and Common Stock, respectively, holders of Series A Preferred Stock and holders of shares of Common Stock shall receive their ratable and proportionate share of remaining assets to be distributed in the ratio of the Adjustment Number to one (1) with respect to such Preferred Stock and Common Stock, on a per share basis, respectively.
5
(ii) In the event, however, that there are not sufficient assets available to permit payment in full of the Series A Liquidation Preference and the liquidation preferences of all other series of Preferred Stock, if any, which rank on a parity with the Series A Preferred Stock, then such remaining assets shall be distributed ratably to the holders of such parity shares in proportion to their respective liquidation preferences. In the event, however, that there are not sufficient assets available to permit payment in full of the Common Adjustment, then such remaining assets shall be distributed ratably to the holders of Common Stock.
(iii) In the event the Corporation shall at any time after January 1, 1999 (i) declare any dividend on Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, (ii) subdivide the outstanding Common Stock, or (iii) combine the outstanding Common Stock into a smaller number of shares, then in each such case the Adjustment Number in effect immediately prior to such event shall be adjusted by multiplying such Adjustment Number by a fraction the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event.
F. Consolidation, Merger, etc. In case the Corporation shall enter into any consolidation, merger, combination or other transaction in which the shares of Common Stock are exchanged for or changed into other stock or securities, cash and/or any other property, then in any such case the shares of Series A Preferred Stock shall at the same time be similarly exchanged or changed in an amount per share (subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth) equal to 1,000 times the aggregate amount of stock, securities, cash and/or any other property (payable in kind), as the case may be, into which or for which each share of Common Stock is changed or exchanged. In the event the Corporation shall at any time after January 1, 1999 (i) declare any dividend on Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, (ii) subdivide the outstanding Common Stock, or (iii) combine the outstanding Common Stock into a smaller number of shares, then in each such case the amount set forth in the preceding sentence with respect to the exchange or change of shares of Series A Preferred Stock shall be adjusted by multiplying such amount by a fraction the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event.
G. No Redemption. The shares of Series A Preferred Stock shall not be redeemable.
H. Ranking. The Series A Preferred Stock shall rank junior to all other series of the Corporations preferred stock, if any, as to the payment of dividends and the distribution of assets, unless the terms of any such series shall provide otherwise.
I. Amendment. The Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation shall not be further amended in any manner which would materially alter or change the powers, preferences or special rights of the Series A Preferred Stock so as to affect them adversely without the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority or more of the outstanding shares of Series A Preferred Stock, voting separately as a class.
6
J. Fractional Shares. Series A Preferred Stock may be issued in fractions of a share, which shall entitle the holder, in proportion to such holders fractional shares, to exercise voting rights, receive dividends, participate in distributions and to have the benefit of all other rights of holders of Series A Preferred Stock.
ARTICLE V
AMENDMENT OF CORPORATE DOCUMENTS
SECTION 1. Certificate of Incorporation. The Corporation reserves the right to alter, amend, repeal or rescind any provision contained in this Certificate of Incorporation in any manner now or hereafter prescribed by law, and all rights conferred on stockholders herein are granted subject to this reservation.
SECTION 2. Bylaws. In furtherance and not in limitation of the powers conferred by statute, the Board of Directors is expressly authorized to make, repeal, alter, amend, and rescind the bylaws of the Corporation.
ARTICLE VI
DIRECTORS
SECTION 1. Number of Directors. The number of directors shall be fixed in the manner provided in the bylaws of the Corporation.
SECTION 2. Election of Directors. Elections of Directors need not be by written ballot unless the bylaws of the Corporation shall so provide.
ARTICLE VII
LIMITATION OF DIRECTOR LIABILITY
To the fullest extent permitted by the GCL, as the same exists or may hereafter be amended (provided that the effect of any such amendment shall be prospective only) and as interpreted by the courts of the State of Delaware (Delaware Law), a director of the Corporation shall not be liable to the Corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of his or her fiduciary duty as a director.
ARTICLE VIII
NONAPPLICABILITY OF SECTION 203
The provisions of Section 203 of the GCL shall not apply to the Corporation.
7
ARTICLE IX
STOCKHOLDER ACTION BY WRITTEN CONSENT
Any action required to be taken at any annual or special meeting of stockholders of the Corporation, or any action which may be taken at any annual or special meeting of such stockholders, may be taken without a meeting, without prior notice and without a vote, if a consent in writing, setting forth the action so taken, shall be signed by the holders of outstanding shares having not less than the minimum number of votes that would be necessary to authorize or take that action at a meeting at which all shares entitled to vote on that action were present and voted. In the case of election of directors, such consent shall be effective only if signed by the holders of all outstanding shares entitled to vote for the election of directors; provided, however, that a director may be elected at any time to fill a vacancy on the Board of Directors (other than a vacancy created by the removal of a director) that has not been filled by the directors, by the written consent of the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares entitled to vote for the election of directors. Prompt notice of the taking of the corporate action without a meeting by less than unanimous written consent shall be given to those stockholders who have not consented in writing.
[Remainder of page intentionally left blank]
8
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Corporation has caused this Third Restated Certificate of Incorporation to be signed by the undersigned, a duly authorized officer of the Corporation, as of the date written below.
Dated: September 6, 2022
TOPGOLF CALLAWAY BRANDS CORP. | ||
By: | /s/ Sarah E. Kim | |
Name: | Sarah E. Kim | |
Title: | Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary |
Exhibit 3.3
EIGHTH AMENDED AND RESTATED
BYLAWS
OF
TOPGOLF CALLAWAY BRANDS CORP.
(A DELAWARE CORPORATION)
(as Amended and Restated Effective September 6, 2022)
INDEX
ARTICLE I Corporate Offices |
1 | |||||
1.1 |
Registered Office | 1 | ||||
1.2 |
Other Offices | 1 | ||||
ARTICLE II Meetings of Stockholders |
1 | |||||
2.1 |
Place of Meetings | 1 | ||||
2.2 |
Annual Meeting | 1 | ||||
2.3 |
Special Meeting | 1 | ||||
2.4 |
Notice of Business to be Brought Before a Meeting | 1 | ||||
2.5 |
Notice of Nominations for Election to the Board of Directors | 6 | ||||
2.6 |
Additional Requirements for Valid Nomination of Candidates to Serve as Director and, if Elected, to be Seated as Directors | 9 | ||||
2.7 |
Proxy Access | 10 | ||||
2.8 |
Notice of Stockholders Meetings | 18 | ||||
2.9 |
Conduct of Meeting | 19 | ||||
2.10 |
Manner of Giving Notice; Affidavit of Notice | 19 | ||||
2.11 |
Quorum | 20 | ||||
2.12 |
Adjourned Meeting; Notice | 20 | ||||
2.13 |
Voting | 20 | ||||
2.14 |
Waiver of Notice | 21 | ||||
2.15 |
Stockholder Action By Written Consent | 21 | ||||
2.16 |
Record Date for Stockholder Notice; Voting | 23 | ||||
2.17 |
Proxies | 24 | ||||
2.18 |
List of Stockholders Entitled to Vote | 24 | ||||
2.19 |
Meeting By Remote Communications | 24 | ||||
ARTICLE III Directors |
25 | |||||
3.1 |
Powers | 25 | ||||
3.2 |
Number of Directors; Independence | 25 | ||||
3.3 |
Election and Term of Office of Directors | 25 | ||||
3.4 |
Resignation and Vacancies | 25 | ||||
3.5 |
Place of Meetings; Meetings by Telephone | 26 | ||||
3.6 |
Regular Meetings | 26 | ||||
3.7 |
Special Meetings; Notice | 26 | ||||
3.8 |
Quorum | 26 | ||||
3.9 |
Waiver of Notice | 27 | ||||
3.10 |
Adjournment | 27 | ||||
3.11 |
Notice of Adjournment | 27 | ||||
3.12 |
Board Action by Written Consent Without a Meeting | 27 | ||||
3.13 |
Fees and Compensation of Directors | 27 | ||||
3.14 |
Approval of Loans to Officers | 27 |
i
ARTICLE IV Committees |
28 | |||||
4.1 |
Committees of Directors | 28 | ||||
4.2 |
Meetings and Action of Committees | 28 | ||||
4.3 |
Committee Minutes | 28 | ||||
ARTICLE V Officers |
29 | |||||
5.1 |
Officers | 29 | ||||
5.2 |
Election of Officers | 29 | ||||
5.3 |
Subordinate Officers | 29 | ||||
5.4 |
Removal and Resignation of Officers | 29 | ||||
5.5 |
Vacancies In Offices | 29 | ||||
5.6 |
Chairman of the Board | 30 | ||||
5.7 |
Chief Executive Officer | 30 | ||||
5.8 |
President | 30 | ||||
5.9 |
Vice Presidents | 30 | ||||
5.10 |
Secretary | 30 | ||||
5.11 |
Chief Financial Officer | 31 | ||||
ARTICLE VI Indemnification of Directors, Officers, Employees and Other Agents |
31 | |||||
6.1 |
Indemnification of Directors and Officers | 31 | ||||
6.2 |
Indemnification of Others | 32 | ||||
6.3 |
Insurance | 32 | ||||
6.4 |
Claims | 32 | ||||
ARTICLE VII Records and Reports |
33 | |||||
7.1 |
Maintenance and Inspection of Records | 33 | ||||
7.2 |
Inspection By Directors | 33 | ||||
7.3 |
Representation of Shares of Other Corporations | 33 | ||||
7.4 |
Certification and Inspection of Bylaws | 33 | ||||
ARTICLE VIII General Matters |
34 | |||||
8.1 |
Record Date for Purposes Other than Notice and Voting | 34 | ||||
8.2 |
Checks; Drafts; Evidences of Indebtedness | 34 | ||||
8.3 |
Corporate Contracts and Instruments: How Executed | 34 | ||||
8.4 |
Stock Certificates; Transfer; Partly Paid Shares | 34 | ||||
8.5 |
Special Designation On Certificates | 35 | ||||
8.6 |
Lost Certificates | 35 | ||||
8.7 |
Transfer Agents and Registrars | 36 | ||||
8.8 |
Construction; Definitions | 36 | ||||
8.9 |
Forum Selection | 36 | ||||
8.10 |
Electronic Signatures | 37 | ||||
ARTICLE IX Amendments |
37 |
ii
ARTICLE I
CORPORATE OFFICES
1.1 | Registered Office |
The registered office of the corporation shall be fixed in the certificate of incorporation of the corporation.
1.2 | Other Offices |
The board of directors may at any time establish branch or subordinate offices at any place or places where the corporation is qualified to do business.
ARTICLE II
MEETINGS OF STOCKHOLDERS
2.1 | Place of Meetings |
Meetings of stockholders shall be held at any place within or outside the State of Delaware designated by the board of directors, or if so determined by the board of directors, by means of remote communication as set forth in Section 2.18 below. In the absence of any such designation, stockholders meetings shall be held at the principal executive office of the corporation.
2.2 | Annual Meeting |
The annual meeting of stockholders shall be held each year on a date and at a time designated by the board of directors. At the meeting, directors shall be elected, and any other business properly brought before the meeting may be transacted.
2.3 | Special Meeting |
A special meeting of the stockholders may be called at any time by the board of directors, or by the chairman of the board, or by the president. No other person or persons are permitted to call a special meeting. The board of directors may postpone, recess, reschedule or cancel any previously scheduled special meeting of stockholders. Only such business shall be conducted at a special meeting as shall have been brought before the meeting pursuant to the corporations notice of meeting.
2.4 | Notice of Business to be Brought Before a Meeting |
(a) | At an annual meeting of the stockholders, only such business shall be conducted as shall have been properly brought before the meeting. To be properly brought before an annual meeting, business must be (i) specified in the notice of meeting given by or at the direction of the board of directors, (ii) if not specified in the notice of meeting, otherwise brought before the meeting by the board of directors or the chairman of the board or (iii) otherwise properly brought before the meeting by a stockholder present in person who (A) (1) was a beneficial owner of shares of the corporation both at the |
1
time of giving the notice provided for in this Section 2.4 and at the time of the meeting, (2) is entitled to vote at the meeting, and (3) has complied with this Section 2.4 in all applicable respects or (B) properly made such proposal in accordance with Rule 14a-8 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder (as so amended and inclusive of such rules and regulations, the Exchange Act). The foregoing clause (iii) shall be the exclusive means for a stockholder to propose business to be brought before an annual meeting of the stockholders. The only matters that may be brought before a special meeting are the matters specified in the notice of meeting given by or at the direction of the person calling the meeting pursuant to Section 2.3, and stockholders shall not be permitted to propose business to be brought before a special meeting of the stockholders. For purposes of this Section 2.4, present in person shall mean that the stockholder proposing that the business be brought before the annual meeting of the corporation, or a qualified representative of such proposing stockholder, appear at such annual meeting. A qualified representative of such proposing stockholder shall be a duly authorized officer, manager or partner of such stockholder or any other person authorized by a writing executed by such stockholder or an electronic transmission delivered by such stockholder to act for such stockholder as proxy at the meeting of stockholders and such person must produce such writing or electronic transmission, or a reliable reproduction of the writing or electronic transmission, at the meeting of stockholders. Stockholders seeking to nominate persons for election to the board of directors must comply with Section 2.5 and Section 2.6, and this Section 2.4 shall not be applicable to nominations except as expressly provided in Section 2.5 and Section 2.6. |
(b) | Without qualification, for business to be properly brought before an annual meeting by a stockholder, the stockholder must (i) provide Timely Notice (as defined below) thereof in writing and in proper form to the secretary of the corporation and (ii) provide any updates or supplements to such notice at the times and in the forms required by this Section 2.4. To be timely, a stockholders notice must be delivered to, or mailed and received at, the principal executive offices of the corporation not less than ninety (90) days nor more than one hundred twenty (120) days prior to the one-year anniversary of the preceding years annual meeting; provided, however, that if the date of the annual meeting is more than thirty (30) days before or more than sixty (60) days after such anniversary date, notice by the stockholder to be timely must be so delivered, or mailed and received, not later than the ninetieth (90th) day prior to such annual meeting or, if later, the tenth (10th) day following the day on which public disclosure (as defined below) of the date of such annual meeting was first made (such notice within such time periods, Timely Notice). In no event shall any adjournment or postponement of an annual meeting or the announcement thereof commence a new time period for the giving of Timely Notice as described above. |
(c) | To be in proper form for purposes of this Section 2.4, a stockholders notice to the secretary shall set forth: |
(i) | As to each Proposing Person (as defined below), (A) the name and address of such Proposing Person (including, if applicable, the name and address |
2
that appear on the corporations books and records) and (B) the class or series and number of shares of the corporation that are, directly or indirectly, owned of record or beneficially owned (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act) by such Proposing Person, except that such Proposing Person shall in all events be deemed to beneficially own any shares of any class or series of the corporation as to which such Proposing Person has a right to acquire beneficial ownership at any time in the future (the disclosures to be made pursuant to the foregoing clauses (A) and (B) are referred to as Stockholder Information); |
(ii) | As to each Proposing Person, (A) the full notional amount of any securities that, directly or indirectly, underlie any derivative security (as such term is defined in Rule 16a-1(c) under the Exchange Act) that constitutes a call equivalent position (as such term is defined in Rule 16a-1(b) under the Exchange Act) (Synthetic Equity Position) and that is, directly or indirectly, held or maintained by such Proposing Person with respect to any shares of any class or series of shares of the corporation; provided that, for the purposes of the definition of Synthetic Equity Position, the term derivative security shall also include any security or instrument that would not otherwise constitute a derivative security as a result of any feature that would make any conversion, exercise or similar right or privilege of such security or instrument becoming determinable only at some future date or upon the happening of a future occurrence, in which case the determination of the amount of securities into which such security or instrument would be convertible or exercisable shall be made assuming that such security or instrument is immediately convertible or exercisable at the time of such determination; and, provided, further, that any Proposing Person satisfying the requirements of Rule 13d-1(b)(1) under the Exchange Act (other than a Proposing Person that so satisfies Rule 13d-1(b)(1) under the Exchange Act solely by reason of Rule 13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(E)) shall not be deemed to hold or maintain the notional amount of any securities that underlie a Synthetic Equity Position held by such Proposing Person as a hedge with respect to a bona fide derivatives trade or position of such Proposing Person arising in the ordinary course of such Proposing Persons business as a derivatives dealer, (B) any rights to dividends on the shares of any class or series of shares of the corporation owned beneficially by such Proposing Person that are separated or separable from the underlying shares of the corporation, (C) any material pending or threatened legal proceeding in which such Proposing Person is a party or material participant involving the corporation or any of its officers or directors, or any affiliate of the corporation, (D) any other material relationship between such Proposing Person, on the one hand, and the corporation or any affiliate of the corporation, on the other hand, (E) any direct or indirect material interest in any material contract or agreement of such Proposing Person with the corporation or any affiliate of the corporation (including, in any such case, any employment agreement, collective bargaining agreement or consulting agreement), (F) |
3
a representation that such Proposing Person intends or is part of a group which intends to deliver a proxy statement or form of proxy to holders of at least the percentage of the corporations outstanding capital stock required to approve or adopt the proposal or otherwise solicit proxies from stockholders in support of such proposal and (G) any other information relating to such Proposing Person that would be required to be disclosed in a proxy statement or other filing required to be made in connection with solicitations of proxies or consents by such Proposing Person in support of the business proposed to be brought before the meeting pursuant to Section 14(a) of the Exchange Act (the disclosures to be made pursuant to the foregoing clauses (A) through (G) are referred to as Disclosable Interests); provided, however, that Disclosable Interests shall not include any such disclosures with respect to the ordinary course business activities of any broker, dealer, commercial bank, trust company or other nominee who is a Proposing Person solely as a result of being the stockholder directed to prepare and submit the notice required by these bylaws on behalf of a beneficial owner; and |
(iii) | As to each item of business that the stockholder proposes to bring before the annual meeting, (A) a brief description of the business desired to be brought before the annual meeting, the reasons for conducting such business at the annual meeting and any material interest in such business of each Proposing Person, (B) the text of the proposal or business (including the text of any resolutions proposed for consideration), (C) a reasonably detailed description of all agreements, arrangements and understandings (x) between or among any of the Proposing Persons or (y) between or among any Proposing Person and any other record or beneficial holder(s) or persons(s) who have a right to acquire beneficial ownership at any time in the future of the shares of any class or series of the corporation or any other person or entity (including their names) in connection with the proposal of such business by such stockholder, and (D) any other information relating to such item of business that would be required to be disclosed in a proxy statement or other filing required to be made in connection with solicitations of proxies in support of the business proposed to be brought before the meeting pursuant to Section 14(a) of the Exchange Act; provided, however, that the disclosures required by this paragraph (iii) shall not include any disclosures with respect to any broker, dealer, commercial bank, trust company or other nominee who is a Proposing Person solely as a result of being the stockholder directed to prepare and submit the notice required by these bylaws on behalf of a beneficial owner. |
For purposes of this Section 2.4, the term Proposing Person shall mean (i) the stockholder providing the notice of business proposed to be brought before an annual meeting, (ii) the beneficial owner or beneficial owners, if different, on whose behalf the notice of the business proposed to be brought before the annual meeting is made, and (iii) any participant (as defined in
4
paragraphs (a)(ii)-(vi) of Instruction 3 to Item 4 of Schedule 14A) with such stockholder in such solicitation.
(d) | A Proposing Person shall update and supplement its notice to the corporation of its intent to propose business at an annual meeting, if necessary, so that the information provided or required to be provided in such notice pursuant to this Section 2.4 shall be true and correct as of the record date for stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting and as of the date that is ten (10) business days prior to the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof, and such update and supplement shall be delivered to, or mailed and received by, the secretary at the principal executive offices of the corporation not later than five (5) business days after the record date for stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting (in the case of the update and supplement required to be made as of such record date), and not later than eight (8) business days prior to the date for the meeting or, if practicable, any adjournment or postponement thereof (and, if not practicable, on the first practicable date prior to the date to which the meeting has been adjourned or postponed) (in the case of the update and supplement required to be made as of ten (10) business days prior to the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof). For the avoidance of doubt, the obligation to update and supplement as set forth in this paragraph or any other Section of these bylaws shall not limit the corporations rights with respect to any deficiencies in any notice provided by a stockholder, extend any applicable deadlines hereunder or enable or be deemed to permit a stockholder who has previously submitted notice hereunder to amend or update any proposal or to submit any new proposal, including by changing or adding matters, business or resolutions proposed to be brought before a meeting of the stockholders. |
(e) | Notwithstanding anything in these bylaws to the contrary, no business shall be conducted at an annual meeting that is not properly brought before the meeting in accordance with this Section 2.4. The presiding officer of the meeting shall, if the facts warrant, determine that the business was not properly brought before the meeting in accordance with this Section 2.4, and if he or she should so determine, he or she shall so declare to the meeting and any such business not properly brought before the meeting shall not be transacted. |
(f) | This Section 2.4 is expressly intended to apply to any business proposed to be brought before an annual meeting of stockholders other than any proposal made in accordance with Rule 14a-8 under the Exchange Act and included in the corporations proxy statement. In addition to the requirements of this Section 2.4 with respect to any business proposed to be brought before an annual meeting, each Proposing Person shall comply with all applicable requirements of the Exchange Act with respect to any such business. Nothing in this Section 2.4 shall be deemed to affect the rights of stockholders to request inclusion of proposals in the corporations proxy statement pursuant to Rule 14a-8 under the Exchange Act. |
(g) | For purposes of these bylaws, public disclosure shall mean disclosure in a press release reported by a national news service or in a document publicly filed by the |
5
corporation with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC) pursuant to Section 13, 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act. |
2.5 | Notice of Nominations for Election to the Board of Directors |
(a) | Nominations of any person for election to the board of directors at an annual meeting or at a special meeting (but only if the election of directors is a matter specified in the notice of meeting given by or at the direction of the person calling such special meeting) may be made at such meeting only (i) by or at the direction of the board of directors, including by any committee or persons authorized to do so by the board of directors or these bylaws, or (ii) by a stockholder present in person (A) who was a beneficial owner of shares of the corporation both at the time of giving the notice provided for in this Section 2.5 and at the time of the meeting, (B) is entitled to vote at the meeting, and (C) has complied with this Section 2.5 and Section 2.6 as to such notice and nomination. For purposes of this Section 2.5, present in person shall mean that the stockholder proposing that the business be brought before the meeting of the corporation, or a qualified representative of such stockholder, appear at such meeting. A qualified representative of such proposing stockholder shall be a duly authorized officer, manager or partner of such stockholder or any other person authorized by a writing executed by such stockholder or an electronic transmission delivered by such stockholder to act for such stockholder as proxy at the meeting of stockholders and such person must produce such writing or electronic transmission, or a reliable reproduction of the writing or electronic transmission, at the meeting of stockholders. Other than as provided in Section 2.7 below, the foregoing clause (ii) shall be the exclusive means for a stockholder to make any nomination of a person or persons for election to the board of directors at an annual meeting or special meeting. |
(b) |
(i) | Without qualification, for a stockholder to make any nomination of a person or persons for election to the board of directors at an annual meeting, the stockholder must (1) provide Timely Notice (as defined in Section 2.4) thereof in writing and in proper form to the secretary of the corporation, (2) provide the information, agreements and questionnaires with respect to such stockholder and its candidate for nomination required by this Section 2.5 and Section 2.6 and (3) provide any updates or supplements to such notice at the times and in the forms required by this Section 2.5 and Section 2.6. |
(ii) | Without qualification, if the election of directors is a matter specified in the notice of meeting given by or at the direction of the person calling a special meeting, then for a stockholder to make any nomination of a person or persons for election to the board of directors at a special meeting, the stockholder must (i) provide timely notice thereof in writing and in proper form to the secretary of the corporation at the principal executive offices of the corporation, (ii) provide the information with respect to such stockholder and its candidate for nomination required by this Section 2.5 |
6
and Section 2.6 and (iii) provide any updates or supplements to such notice at the times and in the forms required by this Section 2.5. To be timely for purposes of this Section 2.5(b)(ii), a stockholders notice for nominations to be made at a special meeting must be delivered to, or mailed and received at, the principal executive offices of the corporation not earlier than the one hundred twentieth (120th) day prior to such special meeting and not later than the ninetieth (90th) day prior to such special meeting or, if later, the tenth (10th) day following the day on which public disclosure (as defined in Section 2.4) of the date of such special meeting was first made. |
(iii) | In no event shall any adjournment or postponement of an annual meeting or special meeting or the announcement thereof commence a new time period for the giving of a stockholders notice as described above. |
(iv) | In no event may a Nominating Person (as defined below) provide notice under this Section 2.5 or otherwise with respect to a greater number of director candidates than are subject to election by stockholders at the applicable meeting. If the corporation shall, subsequent to such notice, increase the number of directors subject to election at the meeting, such notice as to any additional nominees shall be due on the later of (i) the conclusion of the time period for Timely Notice (with respect to an annual meeting), (ii) the date set forth in Section 2.5(b)(ii) (with respect to a special meeting) or (iii) the tenth (10th) day following the date of public disclosure (as defined in Section 2.4) of such increase. |
(c) | To be in proper form for purposes of this Section 2.5, a stockholders notice to the secretary shall set forth: |
(i) | As to each Nominating Person, the Stockholder Information (as defined in Section 2.4(c)(i), except that for purposes of this Section 2.5 the term Nominating Person shall be substituted for the term Proposing Person in all places it appears in Section 2.4(c)(i)); |
(ii) | As to each Nominating Person, any Disclosable Interests (as defined in Section 2.4(c)(ii), except that for purposes of this Section 2.5 the term Nominating Person shall be substituted for the term Proposing Person in all places it appears in Section 2.4(c)(ii) and the disclosure with respect to the business to be brought before the meeting in Section 2.4(c)(ii) shall be made with respect to the election of directors at the meeting); and |
(iii) | As to each candidate whom a Nominating Person proposes to nominate for election as a director, (A) all information with respect to such candidate for nomination that would be required to be set forth in a stockholders notice pursuant to this Section 2.5 and Section 2.6 if such candidate for nomination were a Nominating Person, (B) all information relating to such candidate for nomination that is required to be disclosed in a proxy |
7
statement or other filings required to be made in connection with solicitations of proxies for election of directors in a contested election pursuant to Section 14(a) under the Exchange Act (including such candidates written consent to being named in the proxy statement as a nominee and to serving as a director if elected), (C) a description of any direct or indirect material interest in any material contract or agreement between or among any Nominating Person, on the one hand, and each candidate for nomination or his or her respective associates or any other participants in such solicitation, on the other hand, including, without limitation, all information that would be required to be disclosed pursuant to Item 404 under Regulation S-K if such Nominating Person were the registrant for purposes of such rule and the candidate for nomination were a director or executive officer of such registrant (the disclosures to be made pursuant to the foregoing clauses (A) through (C) are referred to as Nominee Information), and (D) a completed and signed questionnaire, representation and agreement as provided in Section 2.6(a). |
For purposes of this Section 2.5, the term Nominating Person shall mean (i) the stockholder providing the notice of the nomination proposed to be made at the meeting, (ii) the beneficial owner or beneficial owners, if different, on whose behalf the notice of the nomination proposed to be made at the meeting is made, and (iii) any participant (as defined in paragraphs (a)(ii)-(vi) of Instruction 3 to Item 4 of Schedule 14A) with such stockholder in such solicitation.
(d) | A stockholder providing notice of any nomination proposed to be made at a meeting shall further update and supplement such notice, if necessary, so that the information provided or required to be provided in such notice pursuant to this Section 2.5 shall be true and correct as of the record date for stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting and as of the date that is ten (10) business days prior to the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof, and such update and supplement shall be delivered to, or mailed and received by, the secretary at the principal executive offices of the corporation not later than five (5) business days after the record date for stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting (in the case of the update and supplement required to be made as of such record date), and not later than eight (8) business days prior to the date for the meeting or, if practicable, any adjournment or postponement thereof (and, if not practicable, on the first practicable date prior to the date to which the meeting has been adjourned or postponed) (in the case of the update and supplement required to be made as of ten (10) business days prior to the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof). For the avoidance of doubt, the obligation to update and supplement as set forth in this paragraph or any other Section of these bylaws shall not limit the corporations rights with respect to any deficiencies in any notice provided by a stockholder, extend any applicable deadlines hereunder or enable or be deemed to permit a stockholder who has previously submitted notice hereunder to amend or update any nomination or to submit any new nomination. |
(e) | In addition to the requirements of this Section 2.5 with respect to any nomination proposed to be made at a meeting, each Nominating Person shall comply with all applicable requirements of the Exchange Act with respect to any such nominations. |
8
2.6 | Additional Requirements for Valid Nomination of Candidates to Serve as Director and, if Elected, to be Seated as Directors |
(a) | To be eligible to be a candidate for election as a director of the corporation at an annual or special meeting, a candidate must be nominated in the manner prescribed in Section 2.5 and the candidate for nomination, whether nominated by the board of directors or by a stockholder of record, must have previously delivered (in accordance with the time period prescribed for delivery in a notice to such candidate given by or on behalf of the board of directors), to the secretary at the principal executive offices of the corporation, (i) a completed written questionnaire (in a form provided by the corporation) with respect to the background, qualifications, stock ownership and independence of such proposed nominee and (ii) a written representation and agreement (in form provided by the corporation) that such candidate for nomination (A) is not and, if elected as a director during his or her term of office, will not become a party to (1) any agreement, arrangement or understanding with, and has not given and will not give any commitment or assurance to, any person or entity as to how such proposed nominee, if elected as a director of the corporation, will act or vote on any issue or question (a Voting Commitment) or (2) any Voting Commitment that could limit or interfere with such proposed nominees ability to comply, if elected as a director of the corporation, with such proposed nominees fiduciary duties under applicable law, (B) is not, and will not become a party to, any agreement, arrangement or understanding with any person or entity other than the corporation with respect to any direct or indirect compensation or reimbursement for service as a director that has not been disclosed therein or to the corporation, (C) if elected as a director of the corporation, will comply with all applicable corporate governance, conflict of interest, confidentiality, stock ownership and trading and other policies and guidelines of the corporation applicable to directors and in effect during such persons term in office as a director (and, if requested by any candidate for nomination, the secretary of the corporation shall provide to such candidate for nomination all such policies and guidelines then in effect), and (D) if elected as director of the corporation, intends to serve the entire term until the next meeting at which such candidate would face re-election. |
(b) | The board of directors may also require any proposed candidate for nomination as a director to furnish such other information as may reasonably be requested by the board of directors in writing prior to the meeting of stockholders at which such candidates nomination is to be acted upon in order for the board of directors to determine the eligibility of such candidate for nomination to be an independent director of the corporation. |
(c) | A candidate for nomination as a director shall further update and supplement the materials delivered pursuant to this Section 2.6, if necessary, so that the information provided or required to be provided pursuant to this Section 2.6 shall be true and correct as of the record date for stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting and as of the date that is ten (10) business days prior to the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof, and such update and supplement shall be delivered to, or mailed and received by, the secretary at the principal executive offices of the |
9
corporation (or any other office specified by the corporation in any public disclosure (as defined in Section 2.4)) not later than five (5) business days after the record date for stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting (in the case of the update and supplement required to be made as of such record date), and not later than eight (8) business days prior to the date for the meeting or, if practicable, any adjournment or postponement thereof (and, if not practicable, on the first practicable date prior to the date to which the meeting has been adjourned or postponed) (in the case of the update and supplement required to be made as of ten (10) business days prior to the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof). For the avoidance of doubt, the obligation to update and supplement as set forth in this paragraph or any other Section of these bylaws shall not limit the corporations rights with respect to any deficiencies in any notice provided by a stockholder, extend any applicable deadlines hereunder or enable or be deemed to permit a stockholder who has previously submitted notice hereunder to amend or update any proposal or to submit any new proposal, including by changing or adding nominees, matters, business or resolutions proposed to be brought before a meeting of the stockholders. |
(d) | No candidate shall be eligible for nomination as a director of the corporation unless such candidate for nomination and the Nominating Person seeking to place such candidates name in nomination has complied with Section 2.5 and this Section 2.6, as applicable. The presiding officer at the meeting shall, if the facts warrant, determine that a nomination was not properly made in accordance with Section 2.5 and this Section 2.6, and if he or she should so determine, he or she shall so declare such determination to the meeting, the defective nomination shall be disregarded and any ballots cast for the candidate in question (but in the case of any form of ballot listing other qualified nominees, only the ballots cast for the nominee in question) shall be void and of no force or effect. |
(e) | Notwithstanding anything in these bylaws to the contrary, no candidate for nomination shall be eligible to be seated as a director of the corporation unless nominated and elected in accordance with Section 2.5 and this Section 2.6. |
2.7 | Proxy Access |
(a) | Notwithstanding the provisions of Sections 2.5 and 2.6, but subject to the provisions of this Section 2.7, if any Eligible Stockholder (as defined below) or group of up to twenty (20) Eligible Stockholders submits to the corporation a Proxy Access Notice (as defined below) that complies with this Section 2.7 and such Eligible Stockholder or group of Eligible Stockholders otherwise satisfies all the terms and conditions of this Section 2.7 (such Eligible Stockholder or group of Eligible Stockholders, a Nominating Stockholder), the corporation shall include in its proxy statement or on its form of proxy and ballot, as applicable (collectively, proxy materials), for any annual meeting of stockholders, in addition to any persons nominated for election by the board of directors or any committee thereof: |
10
(i) the name of any person or persons nominated by such Nominating Stockholder for election to the board of directors at such annual meeting of stockholders who meets the requirements of this Section 2.7 (a Nominee);
(ii) disclosure about the Nominee and the Nominating Stockholder required under the rules of the SEC or other applicable law to be included in the proxy materials;
(iii) subject to the other applicable provisions of this Section 2.7, a written statement, not to exceed 500 words, that is not contrary to any of the SECs proxy rules, including Rule 14a-9 under the Exchange Act (a Supporting Statement), included by the Nominating Stockholder in the Proxy Access Notice intended for inclusion in the proxy materials in support of the Nominees election to the board of directors; and
(iv) any other information that the corporation or the board of directors determines, in its discretion, to include in the proxy materials relating to the nomination of the Nominee, including, without limitation, any statement in opposition to the nomination and any of the information provided pursuant to this Section 2.7.
(b) |
(i) The corporation shall not be required to include in the proxy materials for an annual meeting of stockholders more Nominees than that number of directors constituting 20% of the total number of directors of the corporation on the last day on which a Proxy Access Notice may be submitted pursuant to this Section 2.7 (rounded down to the nearest whole number, but not less than two (2)) (the Maximum Number). The Maximum Number for a particular annual meeting shall be reduced by: (A) the number of Nominees who are subsequently withdrawn or that the board of directors itself decides to nominate for election at such annual meeting of stockholders (including, without limitation, any person who is or will be nominated by the board of directors pursuant to any agreement or understanding with one or more stockholders to avoid such person being formally proposed as a Nominee), and (B) the number of incumbent directors who had been Nominees with respect to any of the preceding two (2) annual meetings of stockholders and whose reelection at the upcoming annual meeting of stockholders is being recommended by the board of directors (including, without limitation, any person who was nominated by the board of directors pursuant to any agreement or understanding with one or more stockholders to avoid such person being formally proposed as a Nominee). In the event that one or more vacancies for any reason occurs on the board of directors after the deadline set forth in Section 2.7(d) but before the date of the annual meeting of stockholders, and the board of directors resolves to reduce the size of the board of directors in connection therewith, the Maximum Number shall be calculated based on the number of directors as so reduced.
(ii) Any Nominating Stockholder submitting more than one Nominee for inclusion in the corporations proxy materials shall rank such Nominees based on the order that the Nominating Stockholder desires such Nominees to be selected for inclusion in the corporations proxy materials in the event that the total number of Nominees submitted by Nominating Stockholders exceeds the Maximum Number. In the event that the number of Nominees submitted by Nominating Stockholders exceeds the Maximum Number, the highest ranking Nominee from each Nominating Stockholder will be included in the
11
corporations proxy materials until the Maximum Number is reached, going in order from largest to smallest of the number of shares of common stock of the corporation owned by each Nominating Stockholder as disclosed in each Nominating Stockholders Proxy Access Notice. If the Maximum Number is not reached after the highest ranking Nominee of each Nominating Stockholder has been selected, this process will be repeated as many times as necessary until the Maximum Number is reached. If, after the deadline for submitting a Proxy Access Notice as set forth in Section 2.7(d), a Nominating Stockholder ceases to satisfy the requirements of this Section 2.7 or withdraws its nomination or a Nominee ceases to satisfy the requirements of this Section 2.7 or becomes unwilling or unable to serve on the board of directors, whether before or after the mailing of definitive proxy materials, then the nomination shall be disregarded, and the corporation: (A) shall not be required to include in its proxy materials the disregarded Nominee and (B) may otherwise communicate to its stockholders, including without limitation by amending or supplementing its proxy materials, that the Nominee will not be included as a Nominee in the proxy materials and the election of such Nominee will not be voted on at the annual meeting of stockholders.
(c) |
(i) An Eligible Stockholder is a person who has either (A) been a record holder of the shares of common stock used to satisfy the eligibility requirements in this Section 2.7(c) continuously for the three-year period specified in subsection (ii) below or (B) provides to the secretary of the corporation, within the time period referred to in Section 2.7(d), evidence of continuous ownership of such shares for such three-year period from one or more securities intermediaries in a form that satisfies the requirements as established by the SEC for a stockholder proposal under Rule 14a-8 under the Exchange Act.
(ii) An Eligible Stockholder or group of up to twenty (20) Eligible Stockholders may submit a nomination in accordance with this Section 2.7 only if the person or each member of the group, as applicable, has continuously owned at least the Minimum Number (as defined below) of shares of the corporations outstanding common stock throughout the three-year period preceding and including the date of submission of the Proxy Access Notice, and continues to own at least the Minimum Number through the date of the annual meeting of stockholders. Two (2) or more funds that are (A) under common management and investment control, (B) under common management and funded primarily by a single employer or (C) a group of investment companies, as such term is defined in Section 12(d)(1)(G)(ii) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (two (2) or more funds referred to under any of clause (A), (B) or (C), collectively a Qualifying Fund) shall be treated as one Eligible Stockholder. For the avoidance of doubt, in the event of a nomination by a group of Eligible Stockholders, any and all requirements and obligations for an individual Eligible Stockholder that are set forth in this Section 2.7, including the minimum holding period, shall apply to each member of such group; provided, however, that the Minimum Number shall apply to the ownership of the group in the aggregate. Should any stockholder withdraw from a group of Eligible Stockholders at any time prior to the annual meeting of stockholders, the group of Eligible Stockholders shall only be deemed to own the shares held by the remaining members of the group.
12
(iii) The Minimum Number of shares of the corporations common stock means three percent (3%) of the number of outstanding shares of common stock as of the most recent date for which such amount is given in any filing by the corporation with the SEC prior to the submission of the Proxy Access Notice.
(iv) For purposes of this Section 2.7, an Eligible Stockholder owns only those outstanding shares of the common stock of the corporation as to which the Eligible Stockholder possesses both:
(A) the full voting and investment rights pertaining to the shares; and
(B) the full economic interest in (including the opportunity for profit and risk of loss on) such shares;
provided, that the number of shares calculated in accordance with clauses (A) and (B) shall not include any shares: (1) sold by such Eligible Stockholder or any of its affiliates in any transaction that has not been settled or closed, (2) borrowed by such Eligible Stockholder or any of its affiliates for any purpose or purchased by such Eligible Stockholder or any of its affiliates pursuant to an agreement to resell, or (3) subject to any option, warrant, forward contract, swap, contract of sale, other derivative or similar agreement entered into by such Eligible Stockholder or any of its affiliates, whether any such instrument or agreement is to be settled with shares, cash or other property based on the notional amount or value of outstanding shares of the corporation, in any such case which instrument or agreement has, or is intended to have, the purpose or effect of: (w) reducing in any manner, to any extent or at any time in the future, such Eligible Stockholders or any of its affiliates full right to vote or direct the voting of any such shares, and/or (x) hedging, offsetting, or altering to any degree, gain or loss arising from the full economic ownership of such shares by such Eligible Stockholder or any of its affiliates. An Eligible Stockholder owns shares held in the name of a nominee or other intermediary so long as the Eligible Stockholder retains the right to instruct how the shares are voted with respect to the election of directors and possesses the full economic interest in the shares. An Eligible Stockholders ownership of shares shall be deemed to continue during any period in which the Eligible Stockholder has delegated any voting power by means of a proxy, power of attorney, or other similar instrument or arrangement that is revocable at any time by the Eligible Stockholder. An Eligible Stockholders ownership of shares shall be deemed to continue during any period in which the Eligible Stockholder has loaned such shares; provided that the Eligible Stockholder has the power to recall such loaned shares on no more than five (5) business days notice and includes in the Proxy Access Notice an agreement that it will (y) promptly recall such loaned shares upon being notified that any of its Nominees will be included in the corporations proxy materials pursuant to this Section 2.7 and (z) continue to hold such recalled shares (including the right to vote such shares) through the date of the annual meeting of stockholders. The terms owned, owning and other variations of the word own shall have correlative meanings. Each Nominating Stockholder shall furnish any other information that may reasonably be required by the board of directors to verify such stockholders continuous ownership of at least the Minimum Number during the three-year period referred to above.
(d) | To nominate a Nominee, the Nominating Stockholder must, no earlier than one hundred fifty (150) days and no later than one hundred twenty (120) days before the |
13
date of the corporations proxy materials released to stockholders in connection with the previous years annual meeting of stockholders, submit to the secretary of the corporation at the principal executive offices of the corporation all of the following information and documents (collectively, the Proxy Access Notice): |
(i) A Schedule 14N (or any successor form) relating to the Nominee, completed and filed with the SEC by the Nominating Stockholder as applicable, in accordance with the SECs rules;
(ii) A written notice of the nomination of such Nominee that includes the following additional information, agreements, representations and warranties by the Nominating Stockholder (including each group member):
(A) the information, representations and agreements required with respect to the nomination of directors pursuant to Sections 2.5 and 2.6;
(B) the details of any relationship that existed within the past three (3) years and that would have been described pursuant to Item 6(e) of Schedule 14N (or any successor item) if it existed on the date of submission of the Schedule 14N;
(C) a representation and warranty that the Nominating Stockholder did not acquire, and is not holding, securities of the corporation for the purpose or with the effect of influencing or changing control of the corporation;
(D) a representation and warranty that the Nominees candidacy or, if elected, board of directors membership, would not violate the certificate of incorporation, these bylaws, or any applicable state or federal law or the rules of any stock exchange on which the corporations common stock is traded;
(E) a representation and warranty that the Nominee:
(1) does not have any direct or indirect material relationship with the corporation and otherwise would qualify as an independent director under the rules of the primary stock exchange on which the corporations common stock is traded and any applicable rules of the SEC;
(2) would meet the audit committee independence requirements under the rules of the SEC and of the principal stock exchange on which the corporations common stock is traded;
(3) would qualify as a non-employee director for the purposes of Rule 16b-3 under the Exchange Act;
(4) would qualify as an outside director for the purposes of Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (or any successor provision);
(5) is not and has not been, within the past three (3) years, an officer, director, affiliate or representative of a competitor, as defined under
14
Section 8 of the Clayton Antitrust Act of 1914, as amended, and if the Nominee has held any such position during this period, details thereof; and
(6) is not and has not been subject to any event specified in Rule 506(d)(1) of Regulation D (or any successor rule) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or Item 401(f) of Regulation S-K (or any successor rule) under the Exchange Act, without reference to whether the event is material to an evaluation of the ability or integrity of the Nominee;
(F) a representation and warranty that the Nominating Stockholder satisfies the eligibility requirements set forth in Section 2.7(c), has provided evidence of ownership to the extent required by Section 2.7(c)(i), and such evidence of ownership is true, complete and correct in all material respects;
(G) a representation and warranty that the Nominating Stockholder intends to continue to satisfy the eligibility requirements described in Section 2.7(c) through the date of the annual meeting of stockholders;
(H) a representation and warranty that the Nominating Stockholder will not engage in or support, directly or indirectly, a solicitation within the meaning of Rule 14a-1(l) (without reference to the exception in Section 14a-1(l)(2)(iv)) (or any successor rules) with respect to the annual meeting of stockholders, other than a solicitation in support of the Nominee or any nominee of the board of directors;
(I) a representation and warranty that the Nominating Stockholder will not use any proxy card other than the corporations proxy card in soliciting stockholders in connection with the election of a Nominee at the annual meeting of stockholders;
(J) if desired by the Nominating Stockholder, a Supporting Statement;
(K) in the case of a nomination by a group, the designation by all group members of one group member that is authorized to act on behalf of all group members with respect to matters relating to the nomination, including withdrawal of the nomination;
(L) in the case of any Eligible Stockholder that is a Qualifying Fund consisting of two (2) or more funds, documentation demonstrating that the funds are eligible to be treated as a Qualifying Fund and that each such fund comprising the Qualifying Fund otherwise meets the requirements set forth in this Section 2.7; and
(M) a representation and warranty that the Nominating Stockholder has not nominated and will not nominate for election any individual as director at the annual meeting of stockholders other than its Nominee(s).
(iii) An executed agreement pursuant to which the Nominating Stockholder (including each group member) agrees:
(A) to comply with all applicable laws, rules and regulations in connection with the nomination, solicitation and election;
15
(B) to file with the SEC any solicitation or other communication with the corporations stockholders relating to any Nominee or one or more of the corporations directors or director nominees, regardless of whether any such filing is required under any law, rule or regulation or whether any exemption from filing is available for such materials under any law, rule or regulation;
(C) to assume all liability stemming from an action, suit or proceeding concerning any actual or alleged legal or regulatory violation arising out of any communication by the Nominating Stockholder with the corporation, its stockholders or any other person in connection with the nomination or election of directors, including, without limitation, the Proxy Access Notice;
(D) to indemnify and hold harmless (jointly and severally with all other group members, in the case of a group member) the corporation and each of its directors, officers and employees individually against any liability, loss, damages, expenses, demands, claims or other costs (including reasonable attorneys fees and disbursements of counsel) incurred in connection with any threatened or pending action, suit or proceeding, whether legal, administrative or investigative, against the corporation or any of its directors, officers or employees arising out of any nomination submitted by the Nominating Stockholder (including, without limitation, relating to any breach or alleged breach of its obligations, agreements, representations or warranties) pursuant to this Section 2.7;
(E) in the event that (i) any information included in the Proxy Access Notice, or any other communication by the Nominating Stockholder (including with respect to any group member) with the corporation, its stockholders or any other person in connection with the nomination or election of directors ceases to be true and accurate in all material respects (or omits a material fact necessary to make the statements made not misleading), or (ii) the Nominating Stockholder (including any group member) fails to continue to satisfy the eligibility requirements described in Section 2.7(c), the Nominating Stockholder shall promptly (and in any event within forty-eight (48) hours of discovering such misstatement, omission or failure) (x) in the case of clause (i) above, notify the corporation and any other recipient of such communication of the misstatement or omission in such previously provided information and of the information that is required to correct the misstatement or omission, and (y) in the case of clause (ii) above, notify the corporation why, and in what regard, the Nominating Stockholder fails to comply with the eligibility requirements described in Section 2.7(c) (it being understood that providing any such notification referenced in clauses (x) and (y) above shall not be deemed to cure any defect or limit the corporations rights to omit a Nominee from its proxy materials as provided in this Section 2.7); and
(iv) An executed agreement by the Nominee:
(A) to provide to the corporation a completed copy of the corporations director questionnaire and such other information as the corporation may reasonably request;
(B) that the Nominee (i) consents to be named in the proxy materials as a nominee and, if elected, to serve on the board of directors and (ii) has read and agrees to
16
adhere to the corporations Corporate Governance Guidelines and any other corporation policies and guidelines applicable to directors generally; and
(C) that the Nominee is not and will not become a party to (1) any agreement, arrangement or understanding with any person or entity other than the corporation with respect to direct or indirect compensation, reimbursement or indemnification in connection with service or action as a director of the corporation that has not been disclosed to the corporation in writing, (2) any Voting Commitment that has not been disclosed to the corporation in writing, or (3) any Voting Commitment that could limit or interfere with the Nominees ability to comply, if elected as a director of the corporation, with its fiduciary duties under applicable law or with the corporations Corporate Governance Guidelines and any other corporation policies and guidelines applicable to directors generally.
The information and documents required by this Section 2.7(d) shall be: (x) provided with respect to and executed by each group member, in the case of information applicable to group members; and (y) provided with respect to the persons specified in Instruction 1 to Items 6(c) and (d) of Schedule 14N (or any successor item) if and to the extent applicable to a Nominating Stockholder or group member. The Proxy Access Notice shall be deemed submitted on the date on which all the information and documents referred to in this Section 2.7(d) (other than such information and documents contemplated to be provided after the date the Proxy Access Notice is provided) have been delivered to or, if sent by mail, received by the secretary of the corporation. For the avoidance of doubt, in no event shall any adjournment or postponement of an annual meeting of stockholders or the public announcement thereof commence a new time period for the giving of a Proxy Access Notice pursuant to this Section 2.7.
(e) |
(i) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Section 2.7, (x) the corporation may omit from its proxy materials any Nominee and any information concerning such Nominee (including a Nominating Stockholders Supporting Statement), (y) any nomination shall be disregarded, and (z) no vote on such Nominee will occur (notwithstanding that proxies in respect of such vote may have been received by the corporation), and the Nominating Stockholder may not, after the last day on which a Proxy Access Notice would be timely, cure in any way any defect preventing the nomination of the Nominee, if:
(A) the corporation receives a notice pursuant to Section 2.5 that a stockholder intends to nominate a candidate for director at the annual meeting of stockholders;
(B) the Nominating Stockholder or the designated lead group member, as applicable, or any qualified representative thereof, does not appear at the annual meeting of stockholders to present the nomination submitted pursuant to this Section 2.7 or the Nominating Stockholder withdraws its nomination prior to the annual meeting of stockholders;
17
(C) the board of directors determines that such Nominees nomination or election to the board of directors would result in the corporation violating or failing to be in compliance with the certificate of incorporation, these bylaws or any applicable law, rule or regulation to which the corporation is subject, including any rules or regulations of any stock exchange on which the corporations common stock is traded;
(D) the Nominee was nominated for election to the board of directors pursuant to this Section 2.7 at one of the corporations two (2) preceding annual meetings of stockholders and (i) its nomination was withdrawn or (ii) such Nominee became ineligible to serve as a Nominee or as a director; or
(E) (i) the Nominating Stockholder fails to continue to satisfy the eligibility requirements described in Section 2.7(c), (ii) any of the representations and warranties made in the Proxy Access Notice ceases to be true, complete and correct in all material respects (or omits to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made therein not misleading), (iii) the Nominee becomes unwilling or unable to serve on the board of directors or (iv) the Nominating Stockholder or the Nominee materially violates or breaches any of its agreements, representations or warranties in this Section 2.7;
(ii) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Section 2.7, the corporation may omit from its proxy materials, or may supplement or correct, any information, including all or any portion of the Supporting Statement included in the Proxy Access Notice, if: (A) such information is not true and correct in all material respects or omits a material statement necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; (B) such information directly or indirectly impugns the character, integrity or personal reputation of, or, without factual foundation, directly or indirectly makes charges concerning improper, illegal or immoral conduct or associations with respect to, any person; or (C) the inclusion of such information in the proxy materials would otherwise violate the SECs proxy rules or any other applicable law, rule or regulation. Once submitted with a Proxy Access Notice, a Supporting Statement may not be amended, supplemented or modified by the Nominee or Nominating Stockholder.
(iii) For the avoidance of doubt, the corporation may solicit against, and include in the proxy materials its own statement relating to, any Nominee.
(iv) This Section 2.7 provides the exclusive method for a stockholder to include nominees for election to the board of directors in the corporations proxy materials (including, without limitation, any proxy card or written ballot).
(v) The interpretation of, and compliance with, any provision of this Section 2.7, including the representations, warranties and covenants contained herein, shall be determined by the board of directors or, in the discretion of the board of directors, one or more of its designees, in each case acting in good faith.
2.8 | Notice of Stockholders Meetings |
All notices of meetings of stockholders shall be sent or otherwise given in accordance with Section 2.10 of these bylaws not less than ten (10) nor more than sixty (60) days before the
18
date of the meeting. The notice shall specify the place, date, and hour of the meeting and the means of remote communication, if any, by which stockholders and proxyholders may be deemed to be present in person and vote at such meeting, and (i) in the case of a special meeting, the purpose or purposes for which the meeting is called (no business other than that specified in the notice may be transacted) or (ii) in the case of the annual meeting, those matters which the board of directors, at the time of giving the notice, intends to present for action by the stockholders (but any proper matter may be presented at the meeting for such action). The notice of any meeting at which directors are to be elected shall include the name of any nominee or nominees who, at the time of the notice, the board intends to present for election.
2.9 | Conduct of Meeting |
The board of directors may adopt by resolution such rules and regulations for the conduct of the meeting of stockholders as it shall deem appropriate. Except to the extent inconsistent with such rules and regulations as adopted by the board, the chairman of any meeting of stockholders shall have the right and authority to prescribe such rules, regulations and procedures and to do all such acts as, in the judgment of such chairman, are appropriate for the proper conduct of the meeting. Such rules, regulations or procedures, whether adopted by the board or prescribed by the chairman of the meeting, may include, without limitation, the following: (i) the establishment of an agenda or order of business for the meeting; (ii) rules and procedures for maintaining order at the meeting and the safety of those present; (iii) limitations on attendance at or participation in the meeting to stockholders of record of the corporation, their duly authorized and constituted proxies or such other persons as the chairman of the meeting shall determine; (iv) restrictions on entry to the meeting after the time fixed for the commencement thereof; and (v) limitations on the time allotted to questions or comments by participants. Unless and to the extent determined by the board or the chairman of the meeting, meetings of stockholders shall not be required to be held in accordance with the rules of parliamentary procedure.
2.10 | Manner of Giving Notice; Affidavit of Notice |
Notice of any meeting of stockholders shall be given either personally or by mail or by electronic transmission in accordance with Section 232 of the General Corporation Law of Delaware or other written communication. Notices not personally delivered, or sent by electronic transmission, shall be sent charges prepaid and shall be addressed to the stockholder at the address of that stockholder appearing on the books of the corporation or given by the stockholder to the corporation for the purpose of notice. Notice shall be deemed to have been given at the time when delivered personally or deposited in the mail or sent by electronic transmission or other means of written communication. Notice by electronic transmission shall be deemed given as provided in Section 232 of the General Corporation Law of Delaware; provided that any notice by electronic transmission will include a prominent legend that the communication is an important notice regarding the corporation.
An affidavit of the mailing or other means of giving any notice of any stockholders meeting, executed by the secretary, assistant secretary or any transfer agent of the corporation giving the notice, shall be prima facie evidence of the giving of such notice.
19
For purposes of these bylaws, electronic transmission means any form of communication, not directly involving the physical transmission of paper, that creates a record that may be retained, retrieved, and reviewed by a recipient thereof, and that may be directly reproduced in paper form by such a recipient through an automated process.
2.11 | Quorum |
The holders of a majority in voting power of the stock issued and outstanding and entitled to vote thereat, present in person or represented by proxy, shall constitute a quorum at all meetings of the stockholders for the transaction of business except as otherwise provided by statute or by the certificate of incorporation.
When a quorum is present at any meeting, the vote of the holders of a majority of the stock having voting power present in person or represented by proxy shall decide any question brought before such meeting, unless the question is one upon which, by express provision of the laws of the State of Delaware or of the certificate of incorporation or these bylaws, a different vote is required, in which case such express provision shall govern and control the decision of the question.
If a quorum be initially present, the stockholders may continue to transact business until adjournment, notwithstanding the withdrawal of enough stockholders to leave less than a quorum, if any action taken is approved by a majority of the stockholders initially constituting the quorum.
2.12 | Adjourned Meeting; Notice |
(a) | Any meeting of stockholders, annual or special, may be adjourned from time to time to any other time and to any other place at which a meeting of stockholders may be held under these bylaws by the board of directors, the chairman of the meeting or, if directed to be voted on by the chairman of the meeting, by the stockholders present or represented at the meeting and entitled to vote thereon, although less than a quorum. |
(b) | When a meeting is adjourned to another time and place, unless these bylaws otherwise require, notice need not be given of the adjourned meeting if the time and place thereof, if any, and the means of remote communications, if any, by which stockholders and proxyholders may be deemed to be present in person and vote at such adjourned meeting are announced at the meeting at which the adjournment is taken. At the adjourned meeting the corporation may transact any business that might have been transacted at the original meeting. If the adjournment is for more than thirty (30) days, or if after the adjournment a new record date is fixed for the adjourned meeting, a notice of the adjourned meeting shall be given to each stockholder of record entitled to vote at the meeting. |
2.13 | Voting |
(a) | The stockholders entitled to vote at any meeting of stockholders shall be determined in accordance with the provisions of Section 2.16 of these bylaws, subject to the provisions of Sections 217 and 218 of the General Corporation Law of Delaware |
20
(relating to voting rights of fiduciaries, pledgors and joint owners, and to voting trusts and other voting agreements). |
(b) | Except as may be otherwise provided in the certificate of incorporation or these bylaws, each stockholder shall be entitled to one vote for each share of capital stock held by such stockholder. |
(c) | At all duly called or convened meetings of stockholders, at which a quorum is present, a nominee for director shall be elected to the board of directors if the votes cast for such nominees election exceed the votes cast against such nominees election (with abstentions and broker non-votes not counted as a vote cast either for or against that nominees election); provided, however, that a plurality of the votes cast shall be sufficient to elect a director at any duly called or convened meeting of stockholders, at which a quorum is present, if the secretary of the corporation determines that the number of nominees exceeds the number of directors to be elected as of the record date for such meeting. If directors are to be elected by a plurality of the votes cast, stockholders shall not be permitted to vote against a nominee. In the event that a director nominee fails to receive an affirmative majority of the votes cast in an election where the number of nominees is less than or equal to the number of directors to be elected, the board of directors, within its powers, may take any appropriate action, including decreasing the number of directors or filling a vacancy. |
2.14 | Waiver of Notice |
Whenever notice is required to be given under any provision of the General Corporation Law of Delaware or of the certificate of incorporation or these bylaws, a written waiver thereof, signed by the person entitled to notice, whether before or after the time stated therein, shall be deemed equivalent to notice. Attendance of a person at a meeting shall constitute a waiver of notice of such meeting, except when the person attends a meeting for the express purpose of objecting, at the beginning of the meeting, to the transaction of any business because the meeting is not lawfully called or convened. Neither the business to be transacted at, nor the purpose of, any regular or special meeting of the stockholders need be specified in any written waiver of notice unless so required by the certificate of incorporation or these bylaws.
2.15 | Stockholder Action By Written Consent |
(a) | Except as may be otherwise provided in the certificate of incorporation, any action which may be taken at any annual or special meeting of stockholders may be taken without a meeting and without prior notice, if a consent in writing, setting forth the action so taken, is signed by the holders of record on the record date established pursuant to Section 2.15(b) (the Written Consent Record Date) of outstanding shares having not less than the minimum number of votes that would be necessary to authorize or take that action at a meeting at which all shares entitled to vote on that action were present and voted. In the case of election of directors, if the certificate of incorporation so provides, such a consent shall be effective only if signed by the holders of all outstanding shares entitled to vote for the election of directors; provided, however, that a director may be elected at any time to fill a vacancy on the |
21
board of directors (other than a vacancy created by the removal of a director) that has not been filled by the directors, by the written consent of the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares entitled to vote for the election of directors. To be effective, a written consent must be delivered to the corporation by delivery to its registered office, its principal place of business or an officer or agent of the corporation having custody of the books in which proceedings of meetings of stockholders are recorded. Delivery made to the corporations registered office shall be by hand or by certified or registered mail, return receipt requested. Every written consent shall bear the date of signature of each stockholder who signs the consent and no written consent shall be effective to take the corporate action referred to therein unless, within sixty (60) days of the earliest dated consent delivered in the manner required by this Section 2.15 to the corporation, written consents signed by a sufficient number of holders to take action are delivered to the corporation in accordance with this Section 2.15. Any stockholder giving a written consent, or the stockholders proxy holders, may revoke the consent by a writing received by the secretary of the corporation before written consents of the number of shares required to authorize the proposed action have been filed with the secretary. |
(b) | Without qualification, any stockholder of record seeking to have the stockholders authorize or take any action by written consent shall first request in writing that the board of directors fix a Written Consent Record Date for the purpose of determining the stockholders entitled to take such action, which request shall be in proper form and delivered to, or mailed and received by, the secretary of the corporation at the principal executive offices of the corporation. Within ten (10) days after receipt of a request in proper form and otherwise in compliance with this Section 2.15(b) from any such stockholder, the board of directors may adopt a resolution fixing a Written Consent Record Date for the purpose of determining the stockholders entitled to take such action, which date shall not be more than ten (10) days after the date upon which the resolution fixing the record date is adopted by the board of directors. If no resolution fixing a record date has been adopted by the board of directors within such ten (10) day period after the date on which such a request is received, (i) the Written Consent Record Date for determining stockholders entitled to consent to such action, when no prior action of the board of directors is required by applicable law, shall be the first date on which valid signed written consents constituting not less than the minimum number of votes that would be necessary to authorize or take that action at a meeting at which all shares entitled to vote on that action were present and voted and setting forth the action taken or proposed to be taken is delivered to the corporation in the manner described in Section 2.15(a), and (ii) the Written Consent Record Date for determining stockholders entitled to consent to such action, when prior action by the board of directors is required by applicable law, shall be at the close of business on the date on which the board of directors adopts the resolution taking such prior action. |
(c) | Any electronic transmission consenting to an action to be taken and transmitted by a stockholder or proxyholder, or by a person or persons authorized to act for a stockholder or proxyholder, shall be deemed written, signed and dated for purposes of this Section 2.15, provided that any such electronic transmission sets forth or is |
22
delivered with information from which the corporation can determine: (i) that the electronic transmission was transmitted by the stockholder or proxyholder or by a person or persons authorized to act for the stockholder or proxyholder; and (ii) the date on which such stockholder or proxyholder or authorized person or persons transmitted such electronic transmission. The date on which such electronic transmission is transmitted shall be deemed to be the date on which such consent was signed. |
(d) | Any copy, facsimile or other reliable reproduction of a consent in writing may be substituted or used in lieu of the original writing for any and all purposes for which the original writing could be used, provided that such copy, facsimile or other reproduction shall be a complete reproduction of the entire writing. |
(e) | If the consents of all stockholders entitled to vote have not been solicited in writing, and if the unanimous written consent of all such stockholders shall not have been received, the secretary shall give prompt notice of the corporate action approved by the stockholders without a meeting. |
2.16 | Record Date for Stockholder Notice; Voting |
(a) |
(i) | For purposes of determining the stockholders entitled to notice of any meeting or to vote thereat, the board of directors may fix, in advance, a record date, which shall not precede the date upon which the resolution fixing the record date is adopted by the board of directors and which shall not be more than sixty (60) days nor less than ten (10) days before the date of any such meeting, and in such event only stockholders of record on the date so fixed are entitled to notice and to vote, notwithstanding any transfer of any shares on the books of the corporation after the record date. |
(ii) | If the board of directors does not so fix a record date, the record date for determining stockholders entitled to notice of or to vote at a meeting of stockholders shall be at the close of business on the business day next preceding the day on which notice is given, or, if notice is waived, at the close of business on the business day next preceding the day on which the meeting is held. |
(iii) | A determination of stockholders of record entitled to notice of or to vote at a meeting of stockholders shall apply to any adjournment of the meeting unless the board of directors fixes a new record date for the adjourned meeting, but the board of directors shall fix a new record date if the meeting is adjourned for more than thirty (30) days from the date set for the original meeting. |
(b) | The record date for any other purpose shall be as provided in Section 8.1 of these bylaws. |
23
2.17 | Proxies |
Every person entitled to vote for directors, or on any other matter, shall have the right to do so either in person or by proxy authorized by an instrument in writing or by a transmission permitted by law filed in accordance with the procedure established for the meeting signed by the person and filed with the secretary of the corporation, but no such proxy shall be voted or acted upon after three (3) years from its date unless the proxy provides for a longer period. A proxy shall be deemed signed if the stockholders name is placed on the proxy (whether by manual signature, electronic signature or otherwise) by the stockholder or the stockholders attorney-in-fact. The revocability of a proxy that states on its face that it is irrevocable shall be governed by the provisions of Section 212(e) of the General Corporation Law of Delaware. Any copy, facsimile or other reliable reproduction of the writing or transmission created pursuant to this paragraph may be substituted or used in lieu of the original writing or transmission for any and all purposes for which the original writing or transmission could be used, provided that such copy, facsimile or other reproduction shall be a complete reproduction of the entire writing or transmission and that such copy, facsimile or other reproduction set forth or be submitted with information from which it can be determined that such copy, facsimile or other reproduction was authorized by the stockholder.
2.18 | List of Stockholders Entitled to Vote |
The officer who has charge of the stock ledger of the corporation shall prepare and make, at least ten (10) days before every meeting of stockholders, a complete list of the stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting, arranged in alphabetical order, and showing the address of each stockholder and the number of shares registered in the name of each stockholder. Such list shall be open to the examination of any stockholder, for any purpose germane to the meeting, during ordinary business hours, for a period of at least ten (10) days prior to the meeting, either at a place within the city where the meeting is to be held, which place shall be specified in the notice of the meeting, or, if not so specified, at the place where the meeting is to be held. The list shall also be produced and kept at the time and place of the meeting during the whole time thereof, and may be inspected by any stockholder who is present.
2.19 | Meeting By Remote Communications |
The board of directors may, in its sole discretion, determine that a meeting of stockholders shall not be held at any place, but may instead be held solely by means of remote communication in accordance with Section 211(a)(2) of the General Corporation Law of Delaware. If authorized by the board of directors in its sole discretion, and subject to such guidelines and procedures as the board of directors may adopt, stockholders and proxyholders not physically present at a meeting of stockholders may, by means of remote communication (a) participate in a meeting of stockholders; and (b) be deemed present in person and vote at a meeting of stockholders, whether such meeting is to be held at a designated place or solely by means of remote communication, provided that (i) the corporation shall implement reasonable measures to verify that each person deemed present and permitted to vote at the meeting by means of remote communication is a stockholder or proxyholder; (ii) the corporation shall implement reasonable measures to provide such stockholders and proxyholders a reasonable opportunity to participate in the meeting and to vote on matters submitted to the stockholders,
24
including an opportunity to read or hear the proceedings of the meeting substantially concurrently with such proceedings; and (iii) if any stockholder or proxyholder votes or takes other action at the meeting by means of remote communication, a record of such vote or other action shall be maintained by the corporation.
ARTICLE III
DIRECTORS
3.1 | Powers |
Subject to the provisions of the General Corporation Law of Delaware and any limitations in the certificate of incorporation and these bylaws relating to action required to be approved by the stockholders or by the outstanding shares, the business and affairs of the corporation shall be managed and all corporate powers shall be exercised by or under the direction of the board of directors.
3.2 | Number of Directors; Independence |
(a) | The board of directors shall consist of not less than six (6) nor more than fifteen (15) members, with the exact number within that range to be set from time to time exclusively by resolution of the board of directors. |
(b) | A substantial majority of the members of the board of directors shall be independent as determined by the board of directors or as otherwise required by applicable law, regulation or listing standard of the New York Stock Exchange. |
3.3 | Election and Term of Office of Directors |
Except as provided in Section 3.4 of these bylaws, directors shall be elected at each annual meeting of stockholders to hold office until the next annual meeting. Each director, including a director elected or appointed to fill a vacancy, shall hold office until the expiration of the term for which elected and until a successor has been elected and qualified.
3.4 | Resignation and Vacancies |
Any director may resign effective on giving notice in writing or by electronic transmission to the chairman of the board, the president, the secretary or the board of directors, unless the notice specifies a later time for that resignation to become effective. If the resignation of a director is effective at a future time, the board of directors may elect a successor to take office when the resignation becomes effective.
All vacancies in the board of directors may be filled by a majority of the remaining directors, even if less than a quorum, or by a sole remaining director; provided, that whenever the holders of any class or classes of stock or series thereof are entitled to elect one or more directors by the provisions of the certificate of incorporation, vacancies and newly created directorships of such class or classes or series may be filled by a majority of the directors elected by such class or classes or series thereof then in office, or by a sole remaining director so elected.
25
3.5 | Place of Meetings; Meetings by Telephone |
Regular meetings of the board of directors may be held at any place within or outside the State of Delaware that has been designated from time to time by resolution of the board. In the absence of such a designation, regular meetings shall be held at the principal executive office of the corporation. Special meetings of the board may be held at any place within or outside the State of Delaware that has been designated in the notice of the meeting or, if not stated in the notice or if there is no notice, at the principal executive office of the corporation.
Any meeting, regular or special, may be held by conference telephone or similar communication equipment, so long as all directors participating in the meeting can hear one another; and all such directors shall be deemed to be present in person at the meeting.
3.6 | Regular Meetings |
Regular meetings of the board of directors may be held without notice if the times of such meetings are fixed by the board of directors. If any regular meeting day shall fall on a legal holiday, then the meeting shall be held next succeeding full business day.
3.7 | Special Meetings; Notice |
Special meetings of the board of directors for any purpose or purposes may be called at any time by the chairman of the board, the president or a majority of the directors.
Notice of the time and place of special meetings shall be delivered personally or by telephone, electronic transmission or other form of recorded communication to each director or sent by mail, charges prepaid, addressed to each director at that directors address as it is shown on the records of the corporation. If the notice is mailed, it shall be deposited in the United States mail at least four (4) days before the time of the holding of the meeting. If the notice is delivered personally or by telephone or electronic transmission, it shall be delivered personally or by telephone or electronic transmission, at least forty-eight (48) hours before the time of the holding of the meeting. Any oral notice given personally or by telephone or electronic transmission, may be communicated either to the director or to a person at the office of the director who the person giving the notice has reason to believe will promptly communicate it to the director. The notice need not specify the purpose or the place of the meeting, if the meeting is to be held at the principal executive office of the corporation.
3.8 | Quorum |
A majority of the authorized number of directors shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business, except to adjourn as provided in Section 3.10 of these bylaws. Every act or decision done or made by a majority of the directors present at a duly held meeting at which a quorum is present shall be regarded as the act of the board of directors, subject to the provisions of the certificate of incorporation and other applicable law.
A meeting at which a quorum is initially present may continue to transact business notwithstanding the withdrawal of directors, if any action taken is approved by at least a majority of the required quorum for that meeting.
26
3.9 | Waiver of Notice |
Notice of a meeting need not be given to any director (i) who signs a waiver of notice or a consent to holding the meeting or an approval of the minutes thereof, whether before or after the meeting, or (ii) who attends the meeting without protesting, prior thereto or at its commencement, the lack of notice to such directors. All such waivers, consents, and approvals shall be filed with the corporate records or made part of the minutes of the meeting. A waiver of notice need not specify the purpose of any regular or special meeting of the board of directors.
3.10 | Adjournment |
A majority of the directors present, whether or not constituting a quorum, may adjourn any meeting to another time and place.
3.11 | Notice of Adjournment |
Notice of the time and place of holding an adjourned meeting need not be given unless the meeting is adjourned for more than twenty-four (24) hours. If the meeting is adjourned for more than twenty-four (24) hours, then notice of the time and place of the adjourned meeting shall be given before the adjourned meeting takes place, in the manner specified in Section 3.7 of these bylaws, to the directors who were not present at the time of the adjournment.
3.12 | Board Action by Written Consent Without a Meeting |
Any action required or permitted to be taken by the board of directors may be taken without a meeting, provided that all members of the board individually or collectively consent in writing or by electronic transmission to that action. Such action by written consent shall have the same force and effect as a unanimous vote of the board of directors. Such consent or consents and any counterparts thereof shall be filed with the minutes of the proceedings of the board in the same paper or electronic form as the minutes are maintained.
3.13 | Fees and Compensation of Directors |
Directors and members of committees may receive such compensation, if any, for their services and such reimbursement of expenses as may be fixed or determined by resolution of the board of directors. This Section 3.13 shall not be construed to preclude any director from serving the corporation in any other capacity as an officer, agent, employee or otherwise and receiving compensation for those services.
3.14 | Approval of Loans to Officers |
The corporation may lend money to, or guarantee any obligation of, or otherwise assist any officer or other employee of the corporation or any of its subsidiaries, including any officer or employee who is a director of the corporation or any of its subsidiaries, whenever, in the judgment of the directors, such loan, guaranty or assistance may reasonably be expected to benefit the corporation. The loan, guaranty or other assistance may be with or without interest and may be unsecured, or secured in such manner as the board of directors shall approve, including, without limitation, a pledge of shares of stock of the corporation. Nothing contained in
27
this Section shall be deemed to deny, limit or restrict the powers of guaranty or warranty of the corporation at common law or under any statute.
ARTICLE IV
COMMITTEES
4.1 | Committees of Directors |
The board of directors may, by resolution adopted by a majority of the authorized number of directors, designate one (1) or more committees, each consisting of one or more directors, to serve at the pleasure of the board. The board may designate one (1) or more directors as alternate members of any committee, who may replace any absent or disqualified member at any meeting of the committee. The appointment of members or alternate members of a committee requires the vote of a majority of the authorized number of directors. Any committee, to the extent provided in the resolution of the board, shall have and may exercise all the powers and authority of the board, but no such committee shall have the power or authority to:
(a) | approve or adopt, or recommend to the stockholders, any action or matter expressly required by the Delaware General Corporation Law to be submitted to stockholders for approval; or |
(b) | adopt, amend or repeal any bylaw of the corporation. |
4.2 | Meetings and Action of Committees |
Meetings and actions of committees shall be governed by, and held and taken in accordance with, the provisions of Article III of these bylaws, Section 3.5 (place of meetings), Section 3.6 (regular meetings), Section 3.7 (special meetings and notice), Section 3.8 (quorum), Section 3.9 (waiver of notice), Section 3.10 (adjournment), Section 3.11 (notice of adjournment), and Section 3.12 (action without meeting), with such changes in the context of those bylaws as are necessary to substitute the committee and its members for the board of directors and its members; provided, however, that the time of regular meetings of committees may be determined either by resolution of the board of directors or by resolution of the committee, that special meetings of committees may also be called by resolution of the board of directors, and that notice of special meetings of committees shall also be given to all alternate members, who shall have the right to attend all meetings of the committee. The board of directors may adopt rules for the government of any committee not inconsistent with the provisions of these bylaws.
4.3 | Committee Minutes |
Each committee shall keep regular minutes of its meetings and report the same to the board of directors when requested.
28
ARTICLE V
OFFICERS
5.1 | Officers |
The officers of the corporation shall be a chief executive officer, a president, a secretary, and a chief financial officer. The corporation may also have, at the discretion of the board of directors, a chairman of the board, one or more vice presidents, and such other officers as may be appointed in accordance with the provisions of Section 5.3 of these bylaws. Any number of offices may be held by the same person.
5.2 | Election of Officers |
The officers of the corporation, except such officers as may be appointed in accordance with the provisions of Section 5.3 or Section 5.5 of these bylaws, shall be chosen by the board, subject to the rights, if any, of an officer under any contract of employment.
5.3 | Subordinate Officers |
The board of directors may appoint, or may empower the chief executive officer or president to appoint, such other officers as the business of the corporation may require, each of whom shall hold office for such period, have such authority, and perform such duties as are provided in these bylaws or as the board of directors or such empowered officer may from time to time determine.
5.4 | Removal and Resignation of Officers |
Subject to the rights, if any, of an officer under any contract of employment, any officer may be removed, either with or without cause, by the board of directors at any regular or special meeting of the board or, except in case of an officer chosen by the board of directors, by any officer upon whom such power of removal may be conferred by the board of directors.
Any officer may resign at any time by giving notice to the corporation. Any resignation shall take effect at the date of the receipt of that notice or at any later time specified in that notice; and, unless otherwise specified in that notice, the acceptance of the resignation shall not be necessary to make it effective. Any resignation is without prejudice to the rights, if any, of the corporation under any contract to which the officer is a party.
5.5 | Vacancies In Offices |
A vacancy in any office because of death, resignation, removal, disqualification or any other cause shall be filled in the manner prescribed in these bylaws for regular appointments to that office.
29
5.6 | Chairman of the Board |
The chairman of the board, if such an officer be elected, shall, if present, preside at meetings of the board of directors and exercise and perform such other powers and duties as may from time to time be assigned by the board of directors or as may be prescribed by these bylaws.
5.7 | Chief Executive Officer |
Subject to the control of the board of directors, the chief executive officer shall have general supervision, direction, and control of the business and the officers of the corporation. The chief executive officer shall have such other duties and powers as may be prescribed from time to time by the board of directors or these bylaws.
5.8 | President |
The president shall have such powers and perform such duties as from time to time may be prescribed by these bylaws, the chief executive officer or the board of directors.
5.9 | Vice Presidents |
The vice presidents shall have such powers and perform such duties as from time to time may be prescribed for them respectively by these bylaws, the chief executive officer or the board of directors.
5.10 | Secretary |
The secretary shall keep or cause to be kept, at the principal executive office of the corporation or such other place as the board of directors may direct, a book of minutes of all meetings and actions of directors, committees of directors and stockholders. The minutes shall show the time and place of each meeting, whether regular or special (and, if special, how authorized and the notice given), the names of those present at directors meetings or committee meetings, the number of shares present or represented at stockholders meetings, and the proceedings thereof.
The secretary shall keep, or cause to be kept, at the principal executive office of the corporation or at the office of the corporations transfer agent or registrar, as determined by resolution of the board of directors, a share register, or a duplicate share register, showing the names of all stockholders and their addresses, the number and classes of shares held by each, the number and date of certificates evidencing such shares, and the number and date of cancellation of every certificate surrendered for cancellation.
The secretary shall give, or cause to be given, notice of all meetings of the stockholders and of the board of directors required to be given by law or by these bylaws, shall keep the seal of the corporation, if one be adopted, in safe custody and shall have such other powers and perform such other duties as may be prescribed by the chief executive officer, board of directors or by these bylaws.
30
5.11 | Chief Financial Officer |
The chief financial officer shall keep and maintain, or cause to be kept and maintained, adequate and correct books and records of accounts of the properties and business transactions of the corporation, including accounts of its assets, liabilities, receipts, disbursements, gains, losses, capital, retained earnings, and shares. The books of account shall at all reasonable times be open to inspection by any director.
The chief financial officer shall deposit all money and other valuables in the name and to the credit of the corporation with such depositaries as may be designated by the board of directors. The chief financial officer shall disburse the funds of the corporation as may be ordered by the board of directors, shall render to the president and directors, whenever they request it, an account of all transactions effected as chief financial officer and of the financial condition of the corporation, and shall have such other powers and perform such other duties as may be prescribed by the chief executive officer, board of directors or these bylaws.
ARTICLE VI
INDEMNIFICATION OF DIRECTORS, OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES AND OTHER AGENTS
6.1 | Indemnification of Directors and Officers |
The corporation shall, to the maximum extent and in the manner permitted by the General Corporation Law of Delaware as the same now exists or may hereafter be amended, indemnify any person against expenses (including attorneys fees), judgments, fines, and amounts actually and reasonably incurred in connection with any threatened, pending or completed action, suit, or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative, including any settlement thereof, in which such person was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party by reason of the fact that such person is or was a director or officer of the corporation. For purposes of this Article VI, a director or officer of the corporation shall mean any person (i) who is or was a director or officer of the corporation, (ii) who is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director or officer of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, or (iii) who was a director or officer of a corporation which was a predecessor corporation of the corporation or of another enterprise at the request of such predecessor corporation.
The corporation shall be required to indemnify a director or officer in connection with an action, suit, or proceeding (or part thereof) initiated by such director or officer only if the initiation of such action, suit, or proceeding (or part thereof) by the director or officer was authorized by the board of directors of the corporation.
The corporation shall pay the expenses (including attorneys fees) incurred by a director or officer of the corporation entitled to indemnification hereunder in defending any action, suit or proceeding referred to in this Section 6.1 in advance of its final disposition; provided, however, that payment of expenses incurred by a director or officer of the corporation in advance of the final disposition of such action, suit or proceeding shall be made only upon receipt of an undertaking by the director or officer to repay all amounts advanced if it should ultimately be
31
determined that the director of officer is not entitled to be indemnified under this Section 6.1 or otherwise.
This Section shall create a right of indemnification for each person referred to above, whether or not the proceeding to which the indemnification relates arose in whole or in part prior to the adoption of this Section, and in the event of death, such right shall extend to such persons legal representatives. The rights conferred on any person by this Section shall not be exclusive of any other rights which such person may have or hereafter acquire under any statute, provision of the certificate of incorporation, these bylaws, agreement, vote of the stockholders or disinterested directors or otherwise. Any repeal or modification of the foregoing provisions of this Section shall not adversely affect any right or protection hereunder of any person in respect of any act or omission occurring prior to the time of such repeal or modification.
6.2 | Indemnification of Others |
The corporation shall have the power, to the maximum extent and in the manner permitted by the General Corporation Law of Delaware as the same now exists or may hereafter be amended, to indemnify any person (other than directors and officers) against expenses (including attorneys fees), judgments, fines, and amounts actually and reasonably incurred in connection with any threatened, pending or completed action, suit, or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative, including any settlement thereof, in which such person was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party by reason of the fact that such person is or was an employee or agent of the corporation. For purposes of this Article VI, an employee or agent of the corporation (other than a director or officer) shall mean any person (i) who is or was an employee or agent of the corporation, (ii) who is or was serving at the request of the corporation as an employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, or (iii) who was an employee or agent of a corporation which was a predecessor corporation of the corporation or of another enterprise at the request of such predecessor corporation.
6.3 | Insurance |
The corporation may purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of any person who is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise against any liability asserted against him or her and incurred by him or her in any such capacity, or arising out of his or her status as such, whether or not the corporation would have the power to indemnify him or her against such liability under the provisions of the General Corporation Law of Delaware.
6.4 | Claims |
If a claim for indemnification under Section 6.1 (following the final disposition of such proceeding) is not paid in full within sixty (60) days after the corporation has received a claim therefor by a director or officer entitled to indemnification thereunder, or if a claim for any advancement of expenses under Section 6.1 is not paid in full within thirty (30) days after the corporation has received a statement or statements requesting such amounts be advanced, such
32
director or officer shall thereupon (but not before) be entitled to file suit to recover the unpaid amount of such claim. If successful in whole or in part, such director or officer shall be entitled to be paid the expense of prosecuting such claim to the fullest extent permitted by law. In any such action, the corporation shall have the burden of proving that such director or officer is not entitled to the requested indemnification or advancement of expenses under applicable law.
ARTICLE VII
RECORDS AND REPORTS
7.1 | Maintenance and Inspection of Records |
The corporation shall, either at its principal executive office or at such place or places as designated by the board of directors, keep a record of its stockholders listing their names and addresses and the number and class of shares held by each stockholder, a copy of these bylaws as amended to date, accounting books and other records of its business and properties.
Any stockholder of record, in person or by attorney or other agent, shall, upon written demand under oath stating the purpose thereof, have the right during the usual hours for business to inspect for any proper purpose the corporations stock ledger, a list of its stockholders, and its other books and records and to make copies or extracts therefrom. A proper purpose shall mean a purpose reasonably related to such persons interest as a stockholder. In every instance where an attorney or other agent is the person who seeks the right to inspection, the demand under oath shall be accompanied by a power of attorney or such other writing that authorizes the attorney or other agent to so act on behalf of the stockholder. The demand under oath shall be directed to the corporation at its registered office in Delaware or at its principal place of business.
7.2 | Inspection By Directors |
Any director shall have the right to examine (and to make copies of) the corporations stock Any director shall have the right to examine (and to make copies of) the corporations stock ledger, a list of its stockholders and its other books and records for a purpose reasonably related to his or her position as a director.
7.3 | Representation of Shares of Other Corporations |
The chairman of the board, if any, the president, any vice president, the chief financial officer, the secretary or any assistant secretary of this corporation, or any other person authorized by the board of directors or the president or a vice president, is authorized to vote, represent and exercise on behalf of this corporation all rights incident to any and all shares of the stock of any other corporation or corporations standing in the name of this corporation. The authority herein granted may be exercised either by such person directly or by any other person authorized to do so by proxy or power of attorney duly executed by such person having the authority.
7.4 | Certification and Inspection of Bylaws |
The original or a copy of these bylaws, as amended or otherwise altered to date, certified by the secretary, shall be kept at the corporations principal executive office and shall be open to inspection by the stockholders of the corporation, at all reasonable times during office hours.
33
ARTICLE VIII
GENERAL MATTERS
8.1 | Record Date for Purposes Other than Notice and Voting |
For purposes of determining the stockholders entitled to receive payment of any dividend or other distribution or allotment of any rights or the stockholders entitled to exercise any rights in respect of any other lawful action, the board of directors may fix, in advance, a record date, which shall not be more than sixty (60) days before any such action. In that case, only stockholders of record at the close of business on the date so fixed are entitled to receive the dividend, distribution or allotment of rights, or to exercise such rights, as the case may be, notwithstanding any transfer of any shares on the books of the corporation after the record date so fixed, except as otherwise provided in the General Corporation Law of Delaware.
If the board of directors does not so fix a record date, then the record date for determining stockholders for any such purpose shall be at the close of business on the day on which the board adopts the applicable resolution.
8.2 | Checks; Drafts; Evidences of Indebtedness |
From time to time, the board of directors shall determine by resolution which person or persons may sign or endorse all checks, drafts, other orders for payment of money, notes or other evidences of indebtedness that are issued in the name of or payable to the corporation, and only the persons so authorized shall sign or endorse those instruments.
8.3 | Corporate Contracts and Instruments: How Executed |
The board of directors, except as otherwise provided in these bylaws, may authorize any officer or officers, or agent or agents, to enter into any contract or execute any instrument in the name of and on behalf of the corporation; such authority may be general or confined to specific instances. Unless so authorized or ratified by the board of directors or within the agency power of an officer, no officer, agent or employee shall have any power or authority to bind the corporation by any contract or engagement or to pledge its credit or to render it liable for any purpose or for any amount.
8.4 | Stock Certificates; Transfer; Partly Paid Shares |
The shares of the corporation shall be represented by certificates, provided that the board of directors of the corporation may provide by resolution or resolutions that some or all of any or all classes or series of its stock shall be uncertificated shares. Any such resolution shall not apply to shares represented by a certificate until such certificate is surrendered to the corporation. Notwithstanding the adoption of such a resolution by the board of directors, every holder of stock represented by certificates and, upon request, every holder of uncertificated shares, shall be entitled to have a certificate signed by, or in the name of the corporation by, the chairman or vice-chairman of the board of directors, or the president or any vice president, and by the treasurer or an assistant treasurer, or the secretary or an assistant secretary of such corporation representing the number of shares registered in certificate form. Any or all of the signatures on the certificate may be a facsimile.
34
In case any officer, transfer agent or registrar who has signed or whose facsimile signature has been placed upon a certificate has ceased to be such officer, transfer agent or registrar before such certificate is issued, it may be issued by the corporation with the same effect as if he or she were such officer, transfer agent or registrar at the date of issue.
Certificates for shares shall be of such form and device as the board of directors may designate and shall state the name of the record holder of the shares represented thereby; its number; date of issuance; the number of shares for which it is issued; a summary statement or reference to the powers, designations, preferences or other special rights of such stock and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions of such preferences and/or rights, if any; a statement or summary of liens, if any; a conspicuous notice of restrictions upon transfer or registration of transfer, if any; a statement as to any applicable voting trust agreement; if the shares be assessable, or, if assessments are collectible by personal action, a plain statement of such facts.
Upon surrender to the secretary or transfer agent of the corporation of a certificate for shares duly endorsed or accompanied by proper evidence of succession, assignment or authority to transfer, it shall be the duty of the corporation to issue a new certificate to the person entitled thereto, cancel the old certificate and record the transaction upon its books.
The corporation may issue the whole or any part of its shares as partly paid and subject to call for the remainder of the consideration to be paid therefor. Upon the face or back of each stock certificate issued to represent any such partly paid shares, or upon the books and records of the corporation in the case of uncertificated partly paid shares, the total amount of the consideration to be paid therefor and the amount paid thereon shall be stated. Upon the declaration of any dividend on fully paid shares, the corporation shall declare a dividend upon partly paid shares of the same class, but only upon the basis of the percentage of the consideration actually paid thereon.
8.5 | Special Designation On Certificates |
If the corporation is authorized to issue more than one class of stock or more than one series of any class, then the powers, the designations, the preferences and the relative, participating, optional or other special rights of each class of stock or series thereof and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions of such preferences and/or rights shall be set forth in full or summarized on the face or back of the certificate that the corporation shall issue to represent such class or series of stock; provided, however, that, except as otherwise provided in Section 202 of the General Corporation Law of Delaware, in lieu of the foregoing requirements there may be set forth on the face or back of the certificate that the corporation shall issue to represent such class or series of stock a statement that the corporation will furnish without charge to each stockholder who so requests the powers, the designations, the preferences and the relative, participating, optional or other special rights of each class of stock or series thereof and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions of such preferences and/or rights.
8.6 | Lost Certificates |
Except as provided in this Section 8.6, no new certificates for shares shall be issued to replace a previously issued certificate unless the latter is surrendered to the corporation and
35
cancelled at the same time. The board of directors may, in case any share certificate or certificate for any other security is lost, stolen or destroyed, authorize the issuance of replacement certificates on such terms and conditions as the board may require; the board may require indemnification of the corporation secured by a bond or other adequate security sufficient to protect the corporation against any claim that may be made against it, including any expense or liability, on account of the alleged loss, theft or destruction of the certificate or the issuance of the replacement certificate.
8.7 | Transfer Agents and Registrars |
The board of directors may appoint one or more transfer agents or transfer clerks, and one or more registrars, each of which shall be an incorporated bank or trust company either domestic or foreign, who shall be appointed at such times and places as the requirements of the corporation may necessitate and the board of directors may designate.
8.8 | Construction; Definitions |
Unless the context requires otherwise, the general provisions, rules of construction, and definitions in the General Corporation Law of Delaware shall govern the construction of these bylaws. Without limiting the generality of this provision, the singular number includes the plural, the plural number includes the singular, and the term person includes both a corporation and a natural person.
8.9 | Forum Selection |
Unless the corporation consents in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware (the Court of Chancery) shall be the sole and exclusive forum for any stockholder (including a beneficial owner) to bring (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on behalf of the corporation, (ii) any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any director, officer or other employee of the corporation to the corporation or the corporations stockholders, (iii) any action asserting a claim against the corporation, its directors, officers or employees arising pursuant to any provision of the General Corporation Law of Delaware or the corporations certificate of incorporation or bylaws, or (iv) any action asserting a claim against the corporation, its directors, officers or employees governed by the internal affairs doctrine, except as to each of (i) through (iv) above, for any claim as to which the Court of Chancery determines that there is an indispensable party not subject to the jurisdiction of the Court of Chancery (and the indispensable party does not consent to the personal jurisdiction of the Court of Chancery within ten (10) days following such determination), which is vested in the exclusive jurisdiction of a court or forum other than the Court of Chancery, or for which the Court of Chancery does not have subject matter jurisdiction. If any provision or provisions of this Section 8.9 shall be held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable as applied to any person or entity or circumstance for any reason whatsoever, then, to the fullest extent permitted by law, the validity, legality and enforceability of such provisions in any other circumstance and of the remaining provisions of this Section 8.9 (including, without limitation, each portion of any sentence of this Section 8.9 containing any such provision held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable that is not itself held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable) and the application of such provision to other persons or entities and
36
circumstances shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby. Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in shares of capital stock of the corporation shall be deemed to have notice of and to have consented to this Section. If any action, the subject matter of which is within the scope of the first sentence of this Section, is filed in a court other than the Court of Chancery (a Foreign Action) in the name of any stockholder, such stockholder shall be deemed to have consented to (i) the personal jurisdiction of the Court of Chancery in connection with any action brought in any such court to enforce the first sentence of this Section and (ii) having service of process made upon such stockholder in any such action by service upon such stockholders counsel in the Foreign Action as agent for such stockholder.
8.10 | Electronic Signatures |
Any document, including, without limitation, any consent, agreement, certificate or instrument, required by the General Corporation Law of Delaware, the certificate of incorporation or these bylaws to be executed by any officer, director, stockholder, employee or agent of the corporation may be executed using a facsimile or other form of electronic signature to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law. All other contracts, agreements, certificates or instruments to be executed on behalf of the corporation may be executed using a facsimile or other form of electronic signature to fullest extent permitted by applicable law.
ARTICLE IX
AMENDMENTS
The original or other bylaws of the corporation may be adopted, amended or repealed by the stockholders entitled to vote or by the board of directors of the corporation. The fact that such power has been so conferred upon the directors shall not divest the stockholders of the power, nor limit their power to adopt, amend or repeal bylaws.
Whenever an amendment or new bylaw is adopted, it shall be copied in the book of bylaws with the original bylaws, in the appropriate place. If any bylaw is repealed, the fact of repeal with the date of the meeting at which the repeal was enacted or the filing of the operative written consent(s) shall be stated in said book.
37