Affirm Holdings, Inc 8-K, filed Jan 15, 2021
Affirm Holdings, Inc. (AFRM)
About this 8-K
Affirm Holdings, Inc filed this 8-K on January 15, 2021, reporting on events of January 12, 2021.
Items reported
- Item 3.03: Change to shareholders' rights
- Item 5.03: Charter or bylaw amendment, or fiscal year change
- Item 8.01: Other events
- Item 9.01: Financial statements and exhibits
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, DC 20549
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Date of report (Date of earliest event reported): January 12, 2021
Affirm Holdings, Inc.
(Exact Name of the Registrant as Specified in Charter)
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Delaware |
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001-39888 |
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84-2224323 |
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(State or Other Jurisdiction |
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(Commission |
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(IRS Employer |
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650 California Street |
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San |
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California |
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94108 |
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(Street Address) |
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(City) |
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(State) |
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(Zip Code) |
Registrant’s telephone number, including area code (415) 984-0490
Not Applicable
(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:
o Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)
o Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)
o Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))
o 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:
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Title of each class: |
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Trading symbol(s) |
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Name of exchange on which registered |
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Class A common stock, $0.00001 par value |
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AFRM |
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Nasdaq Global Select Market |
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 x
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 3.03. Material Modification to Rights of Security Holders
The description in Item 5.03 below of the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation and Amended and Restated Bylaws of Affirm Holdings, Inc. (the “Company”) is incorporated herein by reference.
Item 5.03. Amendments to Articles of Incorporation or Bylaws; Change in Fiscal Year.
Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation
On January 12, 2021, the Company amended and restated its Certificate of Incorporation (the “Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation”). A description of the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation is set forth in the section of the Company’s final prospectus, dated January 12, 2021 (the “Prospectus”), entitled “Description of Capital Stock.” The Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation is the same as previously described in the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-250184) (the “Registration Statement”) and is in such form as was previously filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement. The description of the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation filed herewith as Exhibit 3.1 and incorporated herein by reference.
Amended and Restated Bylaws
On January 12, 2021, the Company adopted amended and restated bylaws (the “Amended and Restated Bylaws”). A description of the Amended and Restated Bylaws is set forth in the section of the Prospectus entitled “Description of Capital Stock.” The Amended and Restated Bylaws are the same as those previously described in the Registration Statement and are in such form as was previously filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement. The description of the Amended and Restated Bylaws is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the Amended and Restated Bylaws filed herewith as Exhibit 3.2 and incorporated herein by reference.
Item 8.01. Other Events.
On January 15, 2021, the Company closed its initial public offering (the “IPO”) of 28,290,000 shares of its Class A common stock, $0.00001 par value per share (the “Common Stock”), including 3,690,000 shares pursuant to the option granted to the underwriters to purchase additional shares of Common Stock, at an offering price of $49.00 per share, pursuant to the Company’s Registration Statement. The proceeds, before expenses, to the Company from the IPO were $1,312,047,765.
Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits.
(d) Exhibits.
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Exhibit No. |
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Description |
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3.1 |
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Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of Affirm Holdings, Inc. |
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3.2 |
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SIGNATURE
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.
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AFFIRM HOLDINGS, INC. | |
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By: |
/s/ Sharda Caro del Castillo | |
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Name: |
Sharda Caro del Castillo |
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Title: |
Chief Legal Officer |
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Date: January 15, 2021 |
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AFFIRM HOLDINGS, INC.
AMENDED AND RESTATED CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION
Affirm Holdings, Inc. (the “Corporation”), a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the State of Delaware, hereby certifies as follows:
A. The Corporation was originally incorporated pursuant to the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the “DGCL”) on June 12, 2019, under the name Affirm Holdings, Inc.
B. This Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation was duly adopted in accordance with Sections 242 and 245 of the DGCL, and has been duly approved by the written consent of the stockholders of the Corporation in accordance with Section 228 of the DGCL.
C. The Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation is hereby amended and restated in its entirety to read as follows:
ARTICLE I
The name of the Corporation is Affirm Holdings, Inc.
ARTICLE II
The address of the Corporation’s registered office in the State of Delaware is 1209 Orange Street, in the City of Wilmington, County of New Castle, 19801. The name of its registered agent at such address is The Corporation Trust Company.
ARTICLE III
The purpose of the Corporation is to engage in any lawful act or activity for which corporations may be organized under the DGCL.
ARTICLE IV
A. Classes of Stock. The total number of shares of capital stock that the Corporation shall have authority to issue is 3,200,000,000, consisting of the following: 3,030,000,000 shares of Class A Common Stock, par value $0.00001 per share (“Class A Common Stock”), 140,000,000 shares of Class B Common Stock, par value $0.00001 per share (“Class B Common Stock”), and 30,000,000 shares of undesignated Preferred Stock, par value $0.00001 per share (“Preferred Stock”). Immediately upon the filing and effectiveness of this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware (the “Effective Time”), each share of the Corporation’s Common Stock, par value $0.00001 per share (“Common Stock”), that is issued and outstanding or held as treasury stock immediately prior to the Effective Time shall, automatically and without any further action by any stockholder, be reclassified as, and shall become, one half of one validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable share of Class A Common Stock and one half of one validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable share of Class B Common Stock. Notwithstanding the immediately preceding sentence, no fractional shares of Class A Common Stock or Class B Common Stock shall be issued to the holders of record of Common Stock in connection with the foregoing reclassification. In lieu of any fractional shares to which a stockholder would otherwise be entitled (after taking into account all fractional shares of Class A Common Stock and Class B Common Stock, as applicable, that would otherwise be issuable to such holder), the Corporation shall pay cash to such holder in an amount equal to such fractional shares multiplied by the final price to the public per share set forth on the cover page of the final prospectus filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, in connection with the Corporation’s initial public offering of Class A Common Stock (which value the Board of Directors of the Corporation (the “Board of Directors”) has determined represents the fair value of such fractional shares as of the
Effective Time). Any fractional shares in respect of shares of Common Stock held in treasury by the Company immediately prior to the Effective Time shall be cancelled and no consideration shall be paid therefor. Each certificate that immediately prior to the Effective Time represented shares of Common Stock (an “Old Certificate”) shall thereafter from and after the Effective Time, automatically and without the necessity of presenting the same for exchange, represent that number of whole shares of Class A Common Stock and Class B Common Stock, respectively, into which the shares of Common Stock represented by the Old Certificate shall have been reclassified, as well as the right to receive cash in lieu of any fractional shares of Common Stock as described in this paragraph; provided, however, that from and after the Effective Time, the shares of Class A Common Stock and Class B Common Stock shall be uncertificated and no new certificates representing shares Class A Common Stock and Class B Common Stock shall be issued to a holder of an Old Certificate upon surrender thereof following the Effective Time and any Old Certificate shall be cancelled and a holder of an Old Certificate surrendered to the Corporation shall be entitled to receive cash in lieu of any fractional shares of Common Stock as described in this paragraph to the extent such holder has not already received such cash payment.
B. Rights of Preferred Stock. The Board of Directors of the Corporation the Board of Directors is authorized, subject to any limitations prescribed by law but to the fullest extent permitted by law, to provide by resolution for the designation and issuance of shares of Preferred Stock in one or more series, and to establish from time to time the number of shares to be included in each such series, and to fix the designation, powers (which may include, without limitation, full, limited or no voting powers), preferences, and relative, participating, optional or other rights of the shares of each such series and any qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof, and to file a certificate pursuant to the applicable law of the State of Delaware (such certificate being hereinafter referred to as a “Preferred Stock Designation”), setting forth such resolution or resolutions.
C. Vote to Increase or Decrease Authorized Shares of Preferred Stock. The number of authorized shares of Preferred Stock may be increased or decreased (but not below the number of shares thereof then outstanding) by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the voting power of all of the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Corporation entitled to vote thereon, without a separate class vote of the holders of Preferred Stock, or any separate series votes of any series thereof, unless a vote of any such holders is required pursuant to the terms of any Preferred Stock Designation.
D. Rights of Class A Common Stock and Class B Common Stock. The relative powers, rights, qualifications, limitations and restrictions granted to or imposed on the shares of Class A Common Stock and Class B Common Stock are as follows:
1. Voting Rights.
(a) General Right to Vote Together; Exception. Except as otherwise expressly provided herein or required by applicable law, the holders of Class A Common Stock and Class B Common Stock shall vote together as one class on all matters submitted to a vote of the stockholders; provided, however, subject to the terms of any Preferred Stock Designation, the number of authorized shares of Class A Common Stock or Class B Common Stock may be increased or decreased (but not below the number of shares thereof then outstanding) by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the voting power of the capital stock of the Corporation entitled to vote thereon.
(b) Votes Per Share. Except as otherwise expressly provided herein or required by applicable law, on any matter that is submitted to a vote of the stockholders, each holder of Class A Common Stock shall be entitled to one (1) vote for each such share, and each holder of Class B Common Stock shall be entitled to fifteen (15) votes for each such share.
2. Identical Rights. Except as otherwise expressly provided herein or required by applicable law, shares of Class A Common Stock and Class B Common Stock shall have the same rights and privileges and rank equally, share ratably and be identical in all respects as to all matters, including, without limitation:
(a) Dividends and Distributions. Shares of Class A Common Stock and Class B Common Stock shall be treated equally, identically and ratably, on a per share basis, with respect to any Distribution paid or distributed by the Corporation, unless different treatment of the shares of each such class is approved by the
affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of Class A Common Stock and by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of Class B Common Stock, each voting separately as a class; provided, however, that in the event a Distribution is paid in the form of Class A Common Stock or Class B Common Stock (or Rights to acquire such stock), then holders of Class A Common Stock shall receive Class A Common Stock (or Rights to acquire such stock, as the case may be) and holders of Class B Common Stock shall receive Class B Common Stock (or Rights to acquire such stock, as the case may be).
(b) Subdivision or Combination. If the Corporation in any manner subdivides or combines the outstanding shares of Class A Common Stock or Class B Common Stock, the outstanding shares of the other such class will be subdivided or combined in the same proportion and manner, unless different treatment of the shares of each such class is approved by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of Class A Common Stock and by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of Class B Common Stock, each voting separately as a class.
(c) Equal Treatment in a Change of Control or any Merger Transaction. In connection with any Change of Control Transaction, shares of Class A Common Stock and Class B Common Stock shall be treated equally, identically and ratably, on a per share basis, with respect to any consideration into which such shares are converted or any consideration paid or otherwise distributed to stockholders of the Corporation, unless different treatment of the shares of each such class is approved by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of Class A Common Stock and by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of Class B Common Stock, each voting separately as a class. Any merger or consolidation of the Corporation with or into any other entity, which is not a Change of Control Transaction, shall require approval by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of Class A Common Stock and by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of Class B Common Stock, each voting separately as a class, unless (i) the shares of Class A Common Stock and Class B Common Stock remain outstanding and no other consideration is received in respect thereof or (ii) such shares are converted on a pro rata basis into shares of the surviving or parent entity in such transaction having identical rights to the shares of Class A Common Stock and Class B Common Stock, respectively.
3. Conversion of Class B Common Stock.
(a) Voluntary Conversion. Each one (1) share of Class B Common Stock shall be convertible into one (1) share of Class A Common Stock at the option of the holder thereof at any time upon written notice to the transfer agent of the Corporation.
(b) Automatic Conversion. Shares of Class B Common Stock shall automatically, without any further action, convert into an equal number of shares of Class A Common Stock upon the earlier of:
(i) a Transfer of such share; provided, however, that no such automatic conversion shall occur in the case of a Transfer by a Class B Stockholder to any of the persons or entities listed in clauses (A) through (F) below (each, a “Permitted Transferee”) and from any such Permitted Transferee back to such Class B Stockholder and/or any other Permitted Transferee established by or for such Class B Stockholder:
(A) a trust for the benefit of such Class B Stockholder or persons other than the Class B Stockholder, so long as the Class B Stockholder (or in the case of a Designated Holder, one or both of the Designated Holders) has sole dispositive power and exclusive Voting Control with respect to the shares of Class B Common Stock held by such trust; provided such Transfer does not involve any payment of cash, securities, property or other consideration to the Class B Stockholder (other than as a settlor or beneficiary of such trust) and, provided, further, that in the event the Class B Stockholder no longer has (or in the case of a Designated Holder, neither one nor both Designated Holders has) sole dispositive power and exclusive Voting Control with respect to the shares of Class B Common Stock held by such trust, each share of Class B Common Stock then held by such trust shall automatically convert into one (1) fully paid and nonassessable share of Class A Common Stock;
(B) a trust under the terms of which such Class B Stockholder has retained a “qualified interest” within the meaning of §2702(b)(1) of the Internal Revenue Code (or successor provision) and/or a reversionary interest so long as the Class B Stockholder (or in the case of a Designated Holder, one or both of the Designated Holders) has sole dispositive power and exclusive Voting Control with respect to the shares of Class B Common Stock held by such trust; provided, however, that in the event such Class B Stockholder no longer has (or in the case of a Designated Holder, neither one nor both Designated Holders has) sole dispositive power and exclusive Voting Control with respect to the shares of Class B Common Stock held by such trust, each share of Class B Common Stock then held by such trust shall automatically convert into one (1) fully paid and nonassessable share of Class A Common Stock;
(C) an Individual Retirement Account, as defined in Section 408(a) of the Internal Revenue Code (or successor provision), or a pension, profit sharing, stock bonus or other type of plan or trust of which such Class B Stockholder (or in the case of a Designated Holder, one or both of the Designated Holders) is a participant or beneficiary and which satisfies the requirements for qualification under Section 401 of the Internal Revenue Code (or successor provision); provided that in each case the Class B Stockholder (or in the case of a Designated Holder, one or both of the Designated Holders) has sole dispositive power and exclusive Voting Control with respect to the shares of Class B Common Stock held in such account, plan or trust, and provided, further, that in the event such Class B Stockholder no longer has (or in the case of a Designated Holder, neither one nor both Designated Holders has) sole dispositive power and exclusive Voting Control with respect to the shares of Class B Common Stock held by such account, plan or trust, each share of Class B Common Stock then held by such trust shall automatically convert into one (1) fully paid and nonassessable share of Class A Common Stock;
(D) a corporation, partnership or limited liability company in which such Class B Stockholder directly, or indirectly through one or more Permitted Transferees, owns shares, partnership interests or membership interests, as applicable, with sufficient Voting Control in the corporation, partnership or limited liability company, as applicable, or otherwise has legally enforceable rights, such that the Class B Stockholder (or in the case of a Designated Holder, one or both of the Designated Holders) retains sole dispositive power and exclusive Voting Control with respect to the shares of Class B Common Stock held by such corporation, partnership or limited liability company; provided, however, that in the event such Class B Stockholder no longer owns (or in the case of a Designated Holder, neither one nor both Designated Holders owns) sufficient shares, partnership interests or limited liability company interests, as applicable, or no longer has sufficient legally enforceable rights to ensure such Class B Stockholder(s) retain sole dispositive power and exclusive Voting Control with respect to the shares of Class B Common Stock held by such corporation, partnership or limited liability company, as applicable, each share of Class B Common Stock then held by such corporation, partnership or limited liability company, as applicable, shall automatically convert into one (1) fully paid and nonassessable share of Class A Common Stock;
(E) an Affiliate of a Class B Stockholder; provided, however, that the person or entity holding sole dispositive power and exclusive Voting Control with respect to the shares of Class B Common Stock being Transferred (the “Controlling Person”) retains, directly or indirectly, sole dispositive power and exclusive Voting Control with respect to the shares following such Transfer; provided, further, that in the event the Controlling Person no longer has sole dispositive power and exclusive Voting Control with respect to the shares of Class B Common Stock Transferred to such Affiliate, each such share of Class B Common Stock Transferred to such Affiliate shall automatically convert into one (1) share of Class A Common Stock unless such transaction is otherwise approved by the Corporation; or
(F) in the case of a Designated Holder, to the other Designated Holder, or the other Designated Holder’s Permitted Transferees, or any other entity in which the other Designated Holder has, directly or indirectly, sole dispositive power and exclusive Voting Control with respect to the shares of Class B Common Stock held by such entity; provided that in
the event such other Designated Holder no longer has sole dispositive power and exclusive Voting Control with respect to the shares of Class B Common Stock held by such other Designated Holder, or such other Designated Holder’s Permitted Transferees, or such other entity, as applicable, each share of Class B Common Stock then held by such other Designated Holder, such other Designated Holder’s Permitted Transferees, or other entity shall automatically convert into one (1) fully paid and nonassessable share of Class A Common Stock; and
(ii) the date specified by a written notice and certification request of the Corporation to the holder of such share of Class B Common Stock requesting a certification, in a form satisfactory to the Corporation, verifying such holder’s ownership of Class B Common Stock and confirming that a conversion to Class A Common Stock has not occurred, which date shall not be less than sixty (60) calendar days after the date of such notice and certification request; provided, however, that no such automatic conversion pursuant to this subsection (ii) shall occur in the case of a Class B Stockholder or its Permitted Transferees that furnishes a certification satisfactory to the Corporation prior to the specified date.
(c) Conversion Upon Death or Incapacity of a Non-Designated Holder. Each share of Class B Common Stock held of record by a Non-Designated Holder who is a natural person, or by such Non-Designated Holder’s Permitted Transferees, shall automatically, without any further action, convert into one share of Class A Common Stock upon the death or Incapacity of such Non-Designated Holder.
(d) Final Conversion of Class B Common Stock. On the Final Conversion Date, each one (1) outstanding share of Class B Common Stock shall automatically, without any further action, convert into one (1) share of Class A Common Stock. Following such conversion, the reissuance of all shares of Class B Common Stock shall be prohibited, and such shares shall be retired and cancelled in accordance with Section 243 of the DGCL and the filing of a certificate of retirement with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware required thereby, and upon such retirement and cancellation, all references to Class B Common Stock in this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation shall be eliminated.
(e) Procedures. The Corporation may, from time to time, establish such policies and procedures relating to the conversion of Class B Common Stock to Class A Common Stock and the general administration of this dual class stock structure, including the issuance of stock certificates (or the establishment of book-entry positions) with respect thereto, as it may deem necessary or advisable, and may request that holders of shares of Class B Common Stock furnish affidavits or other proof to the Corporation as it deems necessary to verify the ownership of Class B Common Stock and to confirm that a conversion to Class A Common Stock has not occurred. A determination by the Secretary of the Corporation that a Transfer results in a conversion to Class A Common Stock shall be conclusive and binding.
(f) Immediate Effect of Conversion. In the event of a conversion of shares of Class B Common Stock to shares of Class A Common Stock pursuant to this Section D.3, such conversion(s) shall be deemed to have been made at the time that the Corporation’s transfer agent receives the written notice required, the time that the Transfer of such shares occurred, the death or Incapacity of the Non-Designated Holder, or immediately upon the Final Conversion Date, as applicable. Upon any conversion of Class B Common Stock to Class A Common Stock, all rights of the holder of such shares of Class B Common Stock shall cease and the person or persons in whose names or names the certificate or certificates (or book-entry position(s)) representing the shares of Class B Common Stock) are to be issued shall be treated for all purposes as having become the record holder or holders of such number of shares of Class A Common Stock into which such shares of Class B Common Stock were convertible. Shares of Class B Common Stock that are converted into shares of Class A Common Stock as provided in this Section D.3 shall be retired and shall not be reissued.
(g) Reservation of Stock. The Corporation shall at all times reserve and keep available out of its authorized but unissued shares of Class A Common Stock, solely for the purpose of effecting the conversion of the shares of Class B Common Stock, such number of its shares of Class A Common Stock as shall from time to time be sufficient to effect the conversion of all outstanding shares of Class B Common Stock into shares of Class A Common Stock.
4. No Further Issuances. Except for the issuance of Class B Common Stock issuable upon exercise of Rights outstanding at the Effective Time or a dividend payable in accordance with Article IV, Section D.2(a), the Corporation shall not at any time after the Effective Time issue any additional shares of Class B Common Stock, unless such issuance is approved by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of Class B Common Stock. After the Final Conversion Date, the Corporation shall not issue any additional shares of Class B Common Stock.
ARTICLE V
The following terms, where capitalized in this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this Article V:
“Affiliate” means with respect to any specified person, any other person who or which, directly or indirectly, controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with such specified person, including, without limitation, any general partner, managing member, officer, director or manager of such person and any venture capital, private equity, investment advisor or other investment fund now or hereafter existing that is controlled by one or more general partners or managing members of, or is under common investment management (or shares the same management, advisory company or investment advisor) with, such person.
“Beneficially Own” has such meaning as is set forth in Rule 13d-3 of the Exchange Act. “Beneficial Ownership” and “Beneficially Owns” shall have correlative meanings.
“Change of Control Share Issuance” means the issuance by the Corporation, in a transaction or series of related transactions, of voting securities representing more than two percent (2%) of the total voting power (assuming Class A Common Stock and Class B Common Stock each have one (1) vote per share) of the Corporation before such issuance to any person or persons acting as a group as contemplated in Rule 13d-5(b) under the Exchange Act (or any successor provision) that immediately prior to such transaction or series of related transactions held fifty percent (50%) or less of the total voting power of the Corporation (assuming Class A Common Stock and Class B Common Stock each have one (1) vote per share), such that, immediately following such transaction or series of related transactions, such person or group of persons would hold more than fifty percent (50%) of the total voting power of the Corporation (assuming Class A Common Stock and Class B Common Stock each have one (1) vote per share).
“Change of Control Transaction” means (i) the sale, lease, exclusive license, exchange, or other disposition (other than liens and encumbrances created in the ordinary course of business, including liens or encumbrances to secure indebtedness for borrowed money that are approved by the Corporation’s Board of Directors, so long as no foreclosure occurs in respect of any such lien or encumbrance) of all or substantially all of the Corporation’s property and assets (which shall for such purpose include the property and assets of any direct or indirect subsidiary of the Corporation), provided that any sale, lease, exclusive license, exchange or other disposition of property or assets exclusively between or among the Corporation and any direct or indirect subsidiary or subsidiaries of the Corporation shall not be deemed a “Change of Control Transaction”; (ii) the merger, consolidation, business combination, or other similar transaction of the Corporation with any other entity, other than a merger, consolidation, business combination, or other similar transaction that would result in the voting securities of the Corporation outstanding immediately prior thereto continuing to represent (either by remaining outstanding or by being converted into voting securities of the surviving entity or its parent) more than fifty percent (50%) of the total voting power represented by the voting securities of the Corporation and more than fifty percent (50%) of the total number of outstanding shares of the Corporation’s capital stock, in each case as outstanding immediately after such merger, consolidation, business combination, or other similar transaction, and the stockholders of the Corporation immediately prior to the merger, consolidation, business combination, or other similar transaction own voting securities of the Corporation, the surviving entity or its parent immediately following the merger, consolidation, business combination, or other similar transaction in substantially the same proportions (vis-à-vis each other) as such stockholders owned the voting securities of the Corporation immediately prior to the transaction; (iii) a recapitalization, liquidation, dissolution, or other similar transaction involving the Corporation, other than a recapitalization, liquidation, dissolution, or other similar transaction that would result in the voting securities of the Corporation outstanding immediately prior thereto continuing to represent (either by remaining outstanding or being converted into voting securities of the surviving entity or its parent) more than fifty percent (50%) of the total voting power represented by the voting securities of the Corporation and more than fifty percent (50%) of the total number of outstanding shares of the Corporation’s capital
stock, in each case as outstanding immediately after such recapitalization, liquidation, dissolution or other similar transaction, and the stockholders of the Corporation immediately prior to the recapitalization, liquidation, dissolution or other similar transaction own voting securities of the Corporation, the surviving entity or its parent immediately following the recapitalization, liquidation, dissolution or other similar transaction in substantially the same proportions (vis-à-vis each other) as such stockholders owned the voting securities of the Corporation immediately prior to the transaction; and (iv) any Change of Control Share Issuance.
“Class B Stockholder” means, collectively, the Designated Holders and the Non-Designated Holders.
“Designated Holder” means Max Levchin and Nellie Levchin, in each case, in their respective capacities as (i) registered holders of shares of Class B Common Stock at the Effective Time and (ii) registered holders of any shares of Class B Common Stock that are originally issued by the Corporation after the Effective Time.
“Distribution” means (i) any dividend or distribution of cash, property or shares of the Corporation’s capital stock; and (ii) any distribution following or in connection with any liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation, either voluntary or involuntary.
“Exchange Act” means the United States Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
“Final Conversion Date” means 5:00 p.m. in New York City, New York on the first Trading Day falling on or after the earliest to occur of:
(i) the seventh (7th) year anniversary of the Effective Time;
(ii) the date that is immediately following the Corporation’s annual meeting of stockholders where directors are to be elected if neither Designated Holder is then providing services to the Corporation as an officer, employee, director or consultant as of such date, and neither Designated Holder has provided services to the Corporation as an officer, employee, director or consultant at any time in the six month period immediately preceding such date;
(iii) following the Effective Time, such time as the Designated Holder(s), together with their Permitted Transferees, cease to Beneficially Own in the aggregate a number of shares of capital stock of the Company equal to at least fifty percent (50%) of the number of shares of capital stock of the Company that the Designated Holder(s), together with their Permitted Transferees, Beneficially Owned in the aggregate on the IPO Date; or
(iv) the death or Incapacity of the last to die or become Incapacitated of the Designated Holders, provided that such date may be extended but not for a total period of longer than nine (9) months from the last applicable death or Incapacity to a date approved by a majority of the Independent Directors then in office.
“Incapacity” means that such person or holder is incapable of managing his or her financial affairs under the criteria set forth in the applicable probate code that can be expected to result in death or which has lasted or can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than twelve (12) months as determined by a licensed medical practitioner. In the event of a dispute regarding whether a Class B Stockholder has suffered an Incapacity, no Incapacity of such holder will be deemed to have occurred unless and until an affirmative ruling regarding such Incapacity has been made by a court of competent jurisdiction.
“Independent Directors” means the members of the Board of Directors designated as independent directors in accordance with the requirements of the Securities Exchange that are generally applicable to companies with common equity securities listed thereon (or if the Corporation’s equity securities are not listed for trading on a Securities Exchange, the requirements of a Securities Exchange generally applicable to companies with common equity securities listed thereon).
“IPO Date” means the first date that shares of a class of the Corporation’s capital stock have been listed for trading on a Securities Exchange.
“Non-Designated Holders” means (i) the registered holder of a share of Class B Common Stock at the Effective Time and (ii) the registered holder of any shares of Class B Common Stock that are originally issued by the Corporation after the Effective Time, in each case, other than the Designated Holders.
“Rights” means any option, warrant, restricted stock unit, conversion right or contractual right of any kind to acquire shares of the Corporation’s authorized but unissued capital stock.
“Securities Exchange” means, at any time, the registered national securities exchange on which the Corporation’s equity securities are then principally listed or traded, which shall be the New York Stock Exchange or Nasdaq Global Market (or similar national quotation system of the Nasdaq Stock Market) (“Nasdaq”) or any successor exchange of either the New York Stock Exchange or Nasdaq.
“Trading Day” means any day on which the Securities Exchange is open for trading.
“Transfer” of a share of Class B Common Stock shall mean, directly or indirectly, any sale, assignment, transfer, conveyance, hypothecation or other transfer or disposition of such share or any legal or beneficial interest in such share, whether or not for value and whether voluntary or involuntary or by operation of law (including by merger, consolidation or otherwise), including without limitation, (i) a transfer of a share of Class B Common Stock to a broker or other nominee (regardless of whether or not there is a corresponding change in beneficial ownership) or (ii) the transfer of, or entering into a binding agreement with respect to, Voting Control over a share of Class B Common Stock by proxy or otherwise; provided, however, that the following shall not be considered a “Transfer”:
(i) the grant of a proxy to officers or directors of the Corporation at the request of the Board of Directors of the Corporation in connection with actions to be taken at an annual or special meeting of stockholders;
(ii) the pledge of shares of Class B Common Stock by a Class B Stockholder or his or her Permitted Transferees that creates a mere security interest in such shares pursuant to a bona fide loan or indebtedness transaction so long as the Class B Stockholder (or in the case of a Designated Holder, one or both of the Designated Holders) continues to exercise Voting Control over such pledged shares; provided, however, that a foreclosure on such shares of Class B Common Stock or other similar action by the pledgee shall constitute a “Transfer”;
(iii) the fact that, as of the Effective Time or at any time after the Effective Time, the spouse of any Class B Stockholder possesses or obtains an interest in such holder’s shares of Class B Common Stock arising solely by reason of the application of the community property laws of any jurisdiction, so long as no other event or circumstance shall exist or have occurred that constitutes a “Transfer” of such shares of Class B Common Stock;
(iv) entering into a trading plan pursuant to Rule 10b5-1 under the Exchange Act with a broker or other nominee; provided, however, that a sale of such shares of Class B Common Stock pursuant to such plan shall constitute a “Transfer” at the time of such sale;
(v) entering into a support, voting, tender or similar agreement, arrangement or understanding (with or without granting a proxy) in connection with a Change of Control Transaction; provided, however, that such Change of Control Transaction was approved by a majority of the Independent Directors then in office; or
(vi) in the case of a Designated Holder, the grant by such Designated Holder or his or her Permitted Transferees of a proxy with respect to Voting Control over any shares of the Corporation over which such Designated Holder has or shares Voting Control (including, without limitation, pursuant to any proxy or voting agreements then in place) to another Designated Holder,
to be effective either (i) upon the death of such Designated Holder or (ii) during any period of Incapacity of such Designated Holder, including the exercise of such proxy by such person.
For the avoidance of doubt, a “Transfer” will also be deemed to have occurred if there is a Transfer of the voting power of the voting securities of any entity that, directly or indirectly, Beneficially Owns any shares of Class B Common Stock, such that the previous holders of such voting rights no longer retain sole dispositive and exclusive Voting Control with respect to the shares of Class B Common Stock held by such holder.
“Voting Control” with respect to a share of Class B Common Stock means the exclusive power (whether directly or indirectly) to vote or direct the voting of such share of Class B Common Stock by proxy, voting agreement, or otherwise.
ARTICLE VI
A. General Powers. The business and affairs of the Corporation shall be managed by or under the direction of the Board of Directors.
B. Number of Directors; Election. Subject to the rights of holders of any series of Preferred Stock with respect to the election of directors, the number of directors that constitutes the entire Board of Directors of the Corporation shall be fixed solely by resolution of the Board of Directors. Subject to the rights of holders of any series of Preferred Stock with respect to the election of directors, each director of the Corporation shall hold office until the expiration of the term for which he or she is elected and until his or her successor has been duly elected and qualified or until his or her earlier resignation, death or removal.
C. Classified Board Structure. From and after the Effective Time, the directors of the Corporation (other than those directors elected by the holders of any series of Preferred Stock provided for or fixed pursuant to the provisions of Article IV hereof (the “Preferred Stock Directors”)) shall be divided into three (3) classes as nearly equal in size as is practicable, hereby designated Class I, Class II and Class III. The Board of Directors may assign members of the Board of Directors already in office to such classes at the time such classification becomes effective. The term of office of the initial Class I directors shall expire at the first regularly-scheduled annual meeting of stockholders following the Effective Time, the term of office of the initial Class II directors shall expire at the second annual meeting of stockholders following the Effective Time and the term of office of the initial Class III directors shall expire at the third annual meeting of stockholders following the Effective Time. At each annual meeting of stockholders, commencing with the first regularly-scheduled annual meeting of stockholders following the Effective Time, each of the successors elected to replace the directors of a Class whose term shall have expired at such annual meeting shall be elected to hold office until the third annual meeting next succeeding his or her election and until his or her respective successor shall have been duly elected and qualified.
Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Article VI, each director shall serve until his or her successor is duly elected and qualified or until his or her death, resignation, or removal. If the number of directors is hereafter changed (other than in respect of Preferred Stock Directors), any newly created directorships or decrease in directorships shall be so apportioned among the classes as to make all classes as nearly equal in number as is practicable, provided that no decrease in the number of directors constituting the Board of Directors shall shorten the term of any incumbent director.
D. Removal; Vacancies. Subject to the rights of holders of any series of Preferred Stock with respect to the election of Preferred Stock Directors, for so long as the Board of Directors is divided into classes pursuant to Article VI Section C, any director may be removed from office by the stockholders of the Corporation only for cause. Subject to the rights of holders of any series of Preferred Stock with respect to the election of Preferred Stock Directors, vacancies occurring on the Board of Directors for any reason and newly created directorships resulting from an increase in the authorized number of directors may be filled only by vote of a majority of the remaining members of the Board of Directors, although less than a quorum, or by a sole remaining director, at any meeting of the Board of Directors. A person so elected by the Board of Directors to fill a vacancy or newly created directorship shall hold office until the next election of the class for which such director shall have been chosen and until his or her successor shall be duly elected and qualified.
ARTICLE VII
A. Written Ballot. Elections of directors need not be by written ballot unless the Bylaws of the Corporation (the “Bylaws”) shall so provide.
B. Amendment of Bylaws. In furtherance and not in limitation of the powers conferred by statute, the Board of Directors is expressly authorized to adopt, amend or repeal the Bylaws of the Corporation.
C. Special Meetings. Special meetings of the stockholders may be called only by (i) the Board of Directors pursuant to a resolution adopted by a majority of the Board of Directors; (ii) the chairman of the Board of Directors; or (iii) the chief executive officer of the Corporation.
D. No Stockholder Action by Written Consent. Subject to the rights of the holders of any series of Preferred Stock, no action shall be taken by the stockholders of the Corporation except at an annual or special meeting of the stockholders called in accordance with the Bylaws, and no action shall be taken by the stockholders by written consent.
E. No Cumulative Voting. No stockholder will be permitted to cumulate votes at any election of directors.
ARTICLE VIII
To the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL, as it presently exists or may hereafter be amended from time to time, a director of the Corporation shall not be personally liable to the Corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of any fiduciary duties as a director. If the DGCL is amended to authorize corporate action further eliminating or limiting the personal liability of directors, then the liability of a director of the Corporation shall be eliminated or limited to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL, as so amended.
Neither any amendment nor repeal of this Article VIII, nor the adoption of any provision of the Corporation’s Amended Certificate of Incorporation inconsistent with this Article VIII, shall eliminate or reduce the effect of this Article VIII in respect of any matter occurring, or any cause of action, suit or proceeding accruing or arising or that, but for this Article VIII, would accrue or arise, prior to such amendment, repeal or adoption of an inconsistent provision.
ARTICLE IX
Subject to any provisions in the Bylaws of the Corporation related to indemnification of directors or officers of the Corporation, the Corporation shall indemnify, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any director or officer of the Corporation who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (a “Proceeding”) by reason of the fact that he or she 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, including service with respect to employee benefit plans, against expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by such person in connection with any such Proceeding.
The Corporation shall have the power to indemnify, to the extent permitted by the DGCL, as it presently exists or may hereafter be amended from time to time, any employee or agent of the Corporation who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any Proceeding by reason of the fact that he or she 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, including service with respect to employee benefit plans, against expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by such person in connection with any such Proceeding.
A right to indemnification or to advancement of expenses arising under a provision of this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation or the Bylaws of the Corporation shall not be eliminated or impaired by an amendment to this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation or the Bylaws of the Corporation after the occurrence of the act or omission that is the subject of the Proceeding for which indemnification or advancement of expenses is sought, unless the provision in effect at the time of such act or omission explicitly authorizes such elimination or impairment after such action or omission has occurred.
ARTICLE X
If any provision of this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation becomes or is declared on any ground by a court of competent jurisdiction to be illegal, unenforceable or void, portions of such provision, or such provision in its entirety, to the extent necessary, shall be severed from this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, and the court will replace such illegal, void or unenforceable provision of this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation with a valid and enforceable provision that most accurately reflects the Corporation’s intent, in order to achieve, to the maximum extent possible, the same economic, business and other purposes of the illegal, void or unenforceable provision. The balance of this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation shall be enforceable in accordance with its terms.
Except as provided in ARTICLE VIII and ARTICLE IX above, the Corporation reserves the right to amend, alter, change or repeal any provision contained in this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, in the manner now or hereafter prescribed by statute, and all rights conferred upon stockholders herein are granted subject to this reservation; provided, however, that, notwithstanding any other provision of this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation or any provision of law that might otherwise permit a lesser vote or no vote, but in addition to any vote of the holders of any class or series of the stock of this Corporation required by law or by this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, the affirmative vote of the holders of at least sixty-six and two-thirds percent (66-2/3%) of the voting power of the outstanding shares of stock of the Corporation entitled to vote generally in the election of directors, voting together as a single class, shall be required to amend or repeal, or adopt any provision of this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation inconsistent with, ARTICLE VI, ARTICLE VII, ARTICLE VIII, ARTICLE IX or this ARTICLE X.
* * *
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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Page |
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ARTICLE I CORPORATE OFFICES |
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1 | |
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1.1 |
Registered Office |
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1 |
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1.2 |
Other Offices |
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1 |
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ARTICLE II MEETINGS OF STOCKHOLDERS |
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1 | |
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2.1 |
Annual Meeting |
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1 |
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2.2 |
Special Meeting |
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1 |
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2.3 |
Notice Of Stockholders’ Meetings |
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2 |
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2.4 |
Manner Of Giving Notice; Affidavit Of Notice |
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2 |
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2.5 |
Quorum |
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2 |
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2.6 |
Adjourned Meeting; Notice |
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3 |
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2.7 |
Organization; Conduct of Business |
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3 |
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2.8 |
Voting |
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4 |
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2.9 |
Action by Written Consent of Stockholders |
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5 |
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2.10 |
Waiver Of Notice |
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6 |
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2.11 |
Record Date For Stockholder Notice; Voting |
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6 |
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2.12 |
Proxies |
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7 |
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2.13 |
Notice of Stockholder Business and Nominations; Director Qualifications |
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8 |
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2.14 |
Requirement to Appear |
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13 |
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2.15 |
Remote Communication |
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13 |
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ARTICLE III DIRECTORS |
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13 | |
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3.1 |
Powers |
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13 |
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3.2 |
Number Of Directors |
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14 |
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3.3 |
Election and Qualification of Directors |
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14 |
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3.4 |
Resignation |
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14 |
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3.5 |
Place Of Meetings; Meetings By Telephone |
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14 |
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3.6 |
Regular Meetings |
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15 |
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3.7 |
Special Meetings; Notice |
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15 |
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3.8 |
Quorum and Action at Meeting |
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15 |
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3.9 |
Waiver Of Notice |
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16 |
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3.10 |
Board Action By Written Consent Without A Meeting |
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16 |
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3.11 |
Rules and Regulations |
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16 |
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3.12 |
Fees And Compensation Of Directors |
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16 |
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3.13 |
Chairperson of The Board Of Directors |
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17 |
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ARTICLE IV COMMITTEES |
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4.1 |
Committees Of Directors |
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17 |
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4.2 |
Committee Procedure |
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4.3 |
Term |
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18 |
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4.4 |
Meetings And Action Of Committees |
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18 |
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ARTICLE V OFFICERS |
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5.1 |
Officers |
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18 |
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5.2 |
Subordinates |
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18 |
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5.3 |
Removal And Resignation Of Officers |
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19 |
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5.4 |
Vacancies In Offices |
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19 |
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5.5 |
Authority and Duties of Officers |
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19 |
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5.6 |
Voting Shares in Other Business Entities |
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19 |
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ARTICLE VI INDEMNIFICATION OF DIRECTORS, OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES, AND OTHER AGENTS |
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6.1 |
Indemnification |
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20 |
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6.2 |
Advancement of Expenses |
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21 |
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6.3 |
Actions Initiated Against The Corporation |
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21 |
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6.4 |
Contract Rights |
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21 |
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6.5 |
Claims |
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22 |
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6.6 |
Determination of Entitlement to Indemnification |
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23 |
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6.7 |
Non-Exclusive Rights |
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23 |
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6.8 |
Insurance |
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23 |
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6.9 |
Severability |
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23 |
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6.10 |
Miscellaneous |
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24 |
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ARTICLE VII RECORDS AND REPORTS |
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7.1 |
Maintenance And Inspection Of Records |
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24 |
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ARTICLE VIII GENERAL MATTERS |
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25 | |
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8.1 |
Checks |
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25 |
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8.2 |
Execution Of Corporate Contracts And Instruments |
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25 |
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8.3 |
Reliance upon Books, Reports and Records |
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26 |
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8.4 |
Stock Certificates; Partly Paid Shares |
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26 |
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8.5 |
Special Designation On Certificates |
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26 |
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8.6 |
Lost Certificates |
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27 |
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8.7 |
Dividends |
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27 |
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8.8 |
Construction; Definitions |
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27 |
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8.9 |
Fiscal Year |
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28 |
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8.10 |
Seal |
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28 |
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8.11 |
Transfer Of Stock |
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28 |
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8.12 |
Registered Stockholders |
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28 |
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8.13 |
Facsimile and Electronic Signatures |
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28 |
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ARTICLE IX FORUM FOR CERTAIN ACTIONS |
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29 | |
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ARTICLE X AMENDMENTS |
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29 | |
AMENDED AND RESTATED BYLAWS
OF
AFFIRM HOLDINGS, INC.
ARTICLE I
CORPORATE OFFICES
1.1 Registered Office.
The registered office of Affirm Holdings, Inc. (the “Corporation”) shall be fixed in its certificate of incorporation (as may be amended from time to time, the “Certificate of Incorporation”).
1.2 Other Offices.
The Corporation’s board of directors (the “Board of Directors”) may at any time establish other offices at any place or places where the Corporation is qualified to do business.
ARTICLE II
MEETINGS OF STOCKHOLDERS
2.1 Annual Meeting.
The annual meeting of stockholders shall be held on such date, at such time, and at such place (if any) within or without the State of Delaware as shall be designated from time to time by the Board of Directors and stated in the Corporation’s notice of the meeting. In lieu of holding an annual meeting of stockholders at a designated place, the Board of Directors may, in its sole discretion, determine that any annual meeting of stockholders may be held solely by means of remote communication. The Board of Directors may postpone, reschedule or cancel any annual meeting of stockholders previously scheduled by the Board of Directors at any time, before or after the notice for such meeting has been sent to the stockholders.
2.2 Special Meeting.
Special meetings of the stockholders may be called only in the manner set forth in the Certificate of Incorporation. Any special meeting of the stockholders shall be held at such place (if any), on the date and at the time determined by the Board of Directors or as the chief executive officer of the Corporation (the “CEO”), the Chairperson of the Board of Directors (the “Chairperson”), the president of the Corporation (the “President”), if any is appointed, or the Secretary of the Corporation (the “Secretary”) shall designate, as set forth in the Corporation’s notice of the meeting. The Board of Directors may postpone, reschedule or cancel any such meeting previously scheduled by the Board of Directors at any time, before or after the notice for such meeting has been sent to the stockholders. Business transacted at any such meeting shall be limited to the purpose(s) stated in the notice (or any supplement thereto) given by or at the direction of the Board of Directors.
2.3 Notice Of Stockholders’ Meetings.
Except as otherwise required by applicable law or as provided in these Bylaws or the Certificate of Incorporation, notice of the date, time and place (if any) or means of remote communication (if any) by which stockholders and proxyholders may be deemed to be present in person and vote at such meeting, of all meetings of stockholders shall be in the form of a writing or electronic transmission and shall be given to each stockholder entitled to notice of such meeting in accordance with Section 2.4 of these Bylaws not less than ten (10) nor more than sixty (60) days before the date of the meeting. In the case of a special meeting of stockholders, the notice shall state the purpose or purposes for which the meeting is called.
2.4 Manner Of Giving Notice; Affidavit Of Notice.
Notice to stockholders may be given by personal delivery, mail, facsimile or other means of electronic transmission. If mailed, such notice shall be delivered by postage prepaid envelope directed to each stockholder at such stockholder’s address as it appears in the records of the Corporation and shall be deemed given when deposited in the United States mail. Notice given by electronic transmission pursuant to this Section 2.4 shall be deemed given: (i) if by facsimile telecommunication, when directed to a facsimile telecommunication number at which the stockholder has consented to receive notice; (ii) if by electronic mail, when directed to an electronic mail address at which the stockholder has consented to receive notice; (iii) if by posting on an electronic network together with separate notice to the stockholder of such specific posting, upon the later of (A) such posting and (B) the giving of such separate notice; and (iv) if by any other form of electronic transmission, when directed to the stockholder. An affidavit of the Secretary or an assistant secretary or of the transfer agent or other agent of the Corporation that notice has been given pursuant to this Section 2.4 shall, in the absence of fraud, be prima facie evidence of the facts stated therein. Notice shall be deemed to have been given to all stockholders of record who share an address if notice is given in accordance with the “householding” rules set forth in Rule 14a-3(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and Section 233 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the “DGCL”).
2.5 Quorum.
The holders of a majority of the voting power of the shares of capital stock of the Corporation issued and outstanding and entitled to vote thereat, present in person or represented by proxy, shall constitute a quorum at all meetings of stockholders for the transaction of business, except as otherwise required by applicable law, by the Certificate of Incorporation, or by these Bylaws. Except as otherwise required by applicable law (including the rules and regulations of any stock exchange applicable to the Corporation), by the Certificate of Incorporation or by these Bylaws, where a separate vote by one or more series or classes of capital stock of the Corporation is required, the holders of a majority of the voting power of the shares of such one or more series or classes of capital stock of the Corporation issued and outstanding and entitled to vote thereat, present in person or represented by proxy, shall constitute a quorum entitled to take action with respect to the vote on such matter. A quorum, once established, shall not be broken by the withdrawal of enough votes to leave less than a quorum.
If, however, such quorum is not present or represented at any meeting of the stockholders, then either (a) the chairperson of the meeting or (b) the holders of a majority of the voting power of the shares of capital stock of the Corporation entitled to vote thereat who are present in person or represented by proxy shall have power to adjourn the meeting to another place (if any), date or time, without notice other than as specified in Section 2.6.
2.6 Adjourned Meeting; Notice.
When an annual or special meeting of stockholders is adjourned to another place (if any), date or time, unless these Bylaws otherwise require, notice need not be given of the adjourned meeting if the date, time and place (if any) thereof and the means of remote communications, if any, by which stockholders and proxyholders may be deemed to be present 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, a notice of the adjourned meeting shall be given to each stockholder of record entitled to vote at the meeting. If after the adjournment a new record date for stockholders entitled to vote is fixed for the adjourned meeting, the Board of Directors shall fix a new record date for notice of such adjourned meeting, and shall give notice of the adjourned meeting to each stockholder of record entitled to vote at such adjourned meeting as of the record date fixed for notice of such adjourned meeting.
2.7 Organization; Conduct of Business.
(a) The Chairperson, or in his or her absence or at his or her election, such person as the Board of Directors may have designated or, in the absence of such a person, the CEO or, in his or her absence, the President, if any is appointed, or in his or her absence, the Secretary shall call to order any meeting of stockholders and act as chairperson of the meeting. In the absence of the Secretary, the secretary of the meeting shall be such person as the chairperson of the meeting appoints.
(b) The date and time of the opening and the closing of the polls for each matter upon which the stockholders will vote at a meeting shall be announced at the meeting by the chairperson of the meeting. The Board of Directors may adopt by resolution such rules and regulations for the conduct of any meeting of stockholders as it deems appropriate, provided such rules and regulations are not inconsistent with any other provision of these Bylaws or the Certificate of Incorporation. Except to the extent inconsistent with the rules and regulations adopted by the Board of Directors, the chairperson of the meeting shall have the right and authority to convene, recess and/or adjourn the meeting (whether or not a quorum is present), to determine the order of business and the procedure at the meeting, including such rules and regulations of the manner of voting, the conduct of discussion and such other matters as seems to him or her in order, and to do all such acts as, in the judgment of the chairperson of the meeting, are appropriate for the proper conduct of the meeting.
(c) Rules and regulations relating to the conduct of any meeting of stockholders, whether adopted by the Board of Directors or prescribed by the chairperson of the meeting, may include, among other things, 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 entitled to vote at the meeting, their duly authorized and constituted proxies or such other persons as the chairperson of the meeting shall determine; (iv) restrictions on entry to the meeting after the time fixed for the commencement thereof; (v) restrictions on the dissemination of solicitation materials and use of audio or visual recording devices at the meeting; and (vi) limitations on the time allotted to questions or comments by participants and on stockholder proposals.
(d) The chairperson of any meeting of stockholders shall have the power and duty to determine all matters relating to the conduct of the meeting, including determining whether any nomination or item of business has been properly brought before the meeting in accordance with these Bylaws (including whether the stockholder or beneficial owner, if any, on whose behalf the nomination is made or proposal solicited (or is part of a group that solicited) or did not so solicit, as the case may be, proxies in support of such stockholder’s nominee or proposal in compliance with such stockholder’s representation as required by Section 2.13(a)(iii)(C)(9)). If the chairperson of the meeting determines and declares that any nomination or item of business has not been properly brought before a meeting of stockholders, then such nomination shall be disregarded and such business shall not be transacted or considered at such meeting. Unless and to the extent determined by the Board of Directors or the chairperson of the meeting, meetings of stockholders shall not be required to be held in accordance with the rules of parliamentary procedure. The chairperson of the meeting shall act in his or her absolute discretion, and his or her rulings shall not be subject to appeal.
2.8 Voting.
At each meeting of stockholders, each stockholder having the right to vote shall be entitled to vote in person or by proxy. Each stockholder shall be entitled to vote each share of stock having voting power and registered in such stockholder’s name on the books of the Corporation on the record date fixed for determination of stockholders entitled to vote at such meeting.
Directors shall be elected by a plurality in voting power of the shares present in person or represented by proxy at a meeting of the stockholders and entitled to vote in the election of directors, and except as otherwise required by applicable law (including the rules and regulations of any stock exchange applicable to the Corporation), the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws, all other matters shall be determined by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the voting power of the shares of capital stock of the Corporation present in person or represented by proxy at the meeting and entitled to vote on the subject matter. Except as otherwise required by applicable law (including the rules and regulations of any stock exchange applicable to the Corporation), by the Certificate of Incorporation or by these Bylaws, where a separate vote by one or more series or classes of capital stock of the Corporation is required, in all matters other than the election of directors, the affirmative vote by the holders of a majority of the voting power of the shares of such one or more series or classes of capital stock of the Corporation, present in person or represented by proxy, at the meeting and entitled to vote on the subject matter shall be the act of such series or class.
2.9 Action by Written Consent of Stockholders.
Unless otherwise provided in the Certificate of Incorporation, any action required or permitted to be taken at any annual or special meeting of stockholders of the Corporation may be taken without a meeting, without prior notice and without a vote, if a consent or consents in writing, setting forth the action so taken, shall be executed by the holders of outstanding stock having not less than the minimum number of votes that would be necessary to authorize or take such action at a meeting at which all shares entitled to vote thereon were present and voted and shall be delivered to the Corporation by delivery to its registered office in the State of Delaware, its principal place of business, or an officer or agent of the Corporation having custody of the book in which proceedings of meetings of the stockholders are recorded. Delivery made to the Corporation’s registered office shall be by hand or by certified or registered mail, return receipt requested. No written consent shall be effective to take the corporate action referred to therein unless written consents signed by a sufficient number of holders to take action are delivered to the Corporation in the manner required by this Section 2.9 within sixty (60) days of the first date on which a written consent is so delivered to the Corporation. Any person executing a consent may provide, whether through instruction to an agent or otherwise, that such a consent will be effective at a future time (including a time determined upon the happening of an event), no later than sixty (60) days after such instruction is given or such provision is made, if evidence of such instruction or provision is provided to the Corporation. Unless otherwise provided, any such consent shall be revocable prior to its becoming effective.
An electronic transmission consenting to an action to be taken and transmitted by a stockholder or proxy holder, or by a person or persons authorized to act for a stockholder or proxy holder, shall be deemed to be written and signed for the purposes of this Section 2.9 and Section 2.11, provided that any such electronic transmission sets forth or is delivered with information from which the Corporation can determine (i) that the electronic transmission was transmitted by the stockholder or proxy holder or by a person or persons authorized to act for the stockholder or proxy holder and (ii) the date on which such stockholder or proxy holder or authorized person or persons transmitted such electronic transmission. A consent given by electronic transmission shall be deemed delivered to the Corporation upon the earliest of: (i) when the consent enters an information processing system, if any, designated by the Corporation for receiving consents, so long as the electronic transmission is in a form capable of being processed by that system and the Corporation is able to retrieve that electronic transmission; (ii) when a paper reproduction of the consent is delivered to the Corporation’s principal place of business or an officer or agent of the Corporation having custody of the book in which proceedings of meetings of the stockholders are recorded; (iii) when a paper reproduction of the consent is delivered to the Corporation’s registered office by hand or by certified or registered mail, return receipt requested; or (iv) when delivered in such other manner, if any, provided by resolution of the Board of Directors. 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 original writing. 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 and who, if the action had been taken at a meeting, would have been entitled to notice of the meeting if the record date for notice of such meeting had been the date that written consents signed by a sufficient number of
holders to take the action were delivered to the Corporation as provided above in this Section 2.9.
2.10 Waiver Of Notice.
Whenever notice is required to be given under any provision of the DGCL, the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws, a written waiver thereof, signed by the person entitled to notice, or waiver by electronic transmission by such person, 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 stockholders need be specified in any written waiver of notice or any waiver of notice by electronic transmission, unless so required by the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws.
2.11 Record Date For Stockholder Notice; Voting.
(a) Except as otherwise required by applicable law, in order that the Corporation may determine the stockholders entitled to notice of or to vote at any meeting of stockholders or any adjournment thereof or entitled to receive payment of any dividend or other distribution or allotment of any rights, or entitled to exercise any rights in respect of any change, conversion or exchange of stock or for the purpose of any other lawful action, the Board of Directors may fix, in advance, a record date, which record date shall not precede the date on which the resolution fixing the record date is adopted by the Board of Directors, and, in the case of determining stockholders entitled to notice of or to vote at any meeting of stockholder or any adjournment thereof, which shall not be more than sixty (60) nor less than ten (10) days before the date of such meeting, nor, in the case of any other action, more than sixty (60) days prior to such other action; provided, that the Board of Directors may determine, at the time it fixes the record date for notice of any meeting of stockholders, that a later date on or before the date of the meeting shall be the date for making a determination as to which stockholders will be entitled to vote at any such meeting of stockholders.
If the Board of Directors does not so fix a record date:
(i) 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 day next preceding the day on which notice is given, or, if notice is waived, at the close of business on the day next preceding the day on which the meeting is held.
(ii) Except as otherwise required by applicable law, the record date for determining stockholders for any other purpose shall be at the close of business on the day on which the Board of Directors adopts the resolution relating thereto.
(iii) In the case of an action by written consent of the stockholders, the record date for determining stockholders entitled to consent to the action in writing without a meeting, when no prior action by the Board of Directors is required by applicable law, shall be the first date on which a signed written consent setting forth the
action taken or proposed to be taken is delivered to the Corporation by deliver to its registered office in the State of Delaware, its principal place of business, or to any officer or agent of the Corporation having custody of the book in which proceedings of meetings of the stockholders are recorded.
(b) 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, provided, however, that the Board of Directors may fix a new record date for the adjourned meeting.
(c) Unless determined by the chairperson of the meeting to be advisable, the vote on any matter, including, without limitation, the election of directors, need not be by written ballot. On a vote by written ballot, each ballot shall be signed by the stockholder voting, or by such stockholder’s proxy, and shall state the number of shares voted and such other information as may be required under the procedure established for the meeting or otherwise by the chairperson of the meeting.
(d) In advance of any meeting of stockholders, the Corporation shall appoint one or more inspectors to act at the meeting or any adjournment thereof and make a written report thereof, and may designate one or more persons as alternate inspectors to replace any inspector who fails to act. If no inspector or alternate is able to act at a meeting of stockholders, the chairperson of the meeting shall appoint one or more inspectors to act at the meeting. Each inspector, before entering upon the discharge of his or her duties, shall take and sign an oath faithfully to execute the duties of inspector with strict impartiality and according to the best of his or her ability, and may perform such other duties not inconsistent herewith as may be requested by the Corporation or chairperson of the meeting.
2.12 Proxies.
Each stockholder entitled to vote at a meeting of stockholders or to express consent or dissent to corporate action in writing without a meeting may authorize another person or persons to act for such stockholder by an instrument in writing or by an electronic transmission permitted by applicable law filed with the Secretary, but no such proxy shall be voted or acted upon after three years from its date, unless the proxy provides for a longer period. Execution of a proxy may be accomplished by the stockholder or the stockholder’s authorized officer, director, employee, or agent signing such writing or causing such person’s signature to be affixed to such writing by any reasonable means, including, but not limited to, by manual signature, typewriting, facsimile or electronic transmission or otherwise. A proxy shall be irrevocable if it states that it is irrevocable and if, and only so long as, it is coupled with an interest sufficient in law to support an irrevocable power. Proxies shall be filed in accordance with the procedure established for the meeting. In the absence of any such procedures, proxies need not be filed with the Secretary until the meeting is called to order, but shall be filed before being voted. A stockholder may also authorize another person or persons to act for such stockholder as proxy by transmitting or authorizing the transmission or electronic transmission to the person or persons who will be the holder of the proxy or to an agent of the proxyholder(s) duly authorized by such proxyholder(s) to receive such transmission; provided, however, that any such writing or electronic transmission must either set forth or be submitted with information from which it can be determined that the writing or electronic transmission was authorized by the stockholder. If it is determined that any
such writing or electronic transmission is valid, the inspectors or, if there are no inspectors, such other persons making that determination, shall specify the information upon which they relied. Any copy, facsimile telecommunication, or other reliable reproduction of a writing or electronic transmission authorizing a person or persons to act as proxy for a stockholder may be substituted or used in lieu of the original writing or electronic transmission for any and all purposes for which the original writing or electronic transmission could be used; provided, however, that such copy, facsimile telecommunication, or other reproduction shall be a complete reproduction of the entire original writing or electronic transmission. Except as otherwise provided therein, a proxy that entitles the agent authorized thereby to vote at a meeting of stockholders shall entitle such agent to vote at any adjournment or postponement of such meeting but shall not be valid after final adjournment of such meeting.
2.13 Notice of Stockholder Business and Nominations; Director Qualifications.
(a) (i) At any annual meeting of stockholders, only such nominations of persons for election to the Board of Directors shall be made, and only such other business shall be conducted or considered, as have been properly brought before the meeting. To be properly brought before an annual meeting of stockholders, nominations of persons for election or re-election to the Board of Directors or other business must be (A) specified in the notice of meeting (or any supplement thereto) given by or at the direction of the Board of Directors; (B) otherwise properly brought before the meeting by or at the direction of the Board of Directors; or (C) otherwise properly brought before the meeting by a stockholder in accordance with clauses (ii), (iii) and (iv) of this Section 2.13(a) (this clause (C) being the exclusive means for a stockholder to bring nominations or other business before an annual meeting of stockholders, other than business properly included in the Corporation’s proxy materials pursuant to Rule 14a-8 under the Exchange Act). The provisions of this Section 2.13(a) and the following Section 2.13(b) apply to all nominations of persons for election to the Board of Directors and other business proposed to be brought before a meeting.
(ii) For nominations of any person for election or re-election to the Board of Directors or other business to be properly brought before an annual meeting of stockholders by a stockholder (A) the stockholder must have given timely notice thereof in writing to the Secretary, which notice must also fulfill the requirements of clause (iii) of this Section 2.13(a); (B) the subject matter of any proposed business must be a matter that is a proper subject matter for stockholder action at such meeting; and (C) the stockholder must be a stockholder of record of the Corporation at the time the notice required by this Section 2.13(a) is delivered to the Corporation and must be entitled to vote at the meeting.
(iii) To be considered timely notice, a stockholder’s notice must be received by the Secretary at the principal executive office of the Corporation not earlier than the opening of business one hundred and twenty (120) days before, and not later than the close of business ninety (90) days before, the first anniversary of the date of the preceding year’s annual meeting of stockholders. If no annual meeting of stockholders was held in the previous year, or if the date of the applicable annual meeting of stockholders has been changed by more than thirty (30) days from the date of the previous year’s annual meeting of stockholders, then a stockholder’s notice, in order to
be considered timely, must be received by the Secretary at the principal executive offices of the Corporation not earlier than the opening of business one hundred and twenty (120) days before the date of such annual meeting of stockholders, and not later than the close of business on the later of (x) ninety (90) days prior to the date of such annual meeting of stockholders; and (y) the 10th day following the day on which public announcement of the date of such annual meeting of stockholders was first made. In no event shall the public announcement of an adjournment or postponement of an annual meeting of stockholders or of a new record date for an annual meeting of stockholders commence a new time period (or extend any time period) for the giving of a stockholder’s notice as described above. Such stockholder’s notice shall set forth the following information (and, if such notice relates to the nomination of any person for election or re-election as a director of the Corporation, the questionnaire, representation and agreement required by the following Section 2.13(b) must also be delivered with and at the same time as such notice):
(A) as to each person whom the stockholder proposes to nominate for election as a director, (1) all information relating to such person that is required to be disclosed in accordance with Regulation 14A under the Exchange Act, whether in a solicitation of proxies for the election of directors in an election contest or otherwise, and such other information as may be required by the Corporation pursuant to any applicable publicly disclosed policy of the Corporation governing the selection of directors; (2) such person’s written consent to being named in the proxy statement as a nominee and to serving as a director if elected; and (3) a description of all agreements, arrangements or understandings between the stockholder or any beneficial owner on whose behalf such nomination is made, or their respective affiliates, and each nominee or any other person or persons (naming such person or persons) in connection with the making of such nomination or nominations;
(B) as to any other business the stockholder proposes to bring before the meeting, (1) a brief description of such business; (2) the text of the proposal to be voted on by stockholders (including the text of any resolutions proposed for consideration and, in the event that such business includes a proposal to amend these Bylaws, the language of the proposed amendment); (3) the reasons for conducting such business at the meeting; and (4) a description of any direct or indirect material interest of the stockholder or of any beneficial owner on whose behalf the proposal is made, or their respective affiliates, in such business, and all agreements, arrangements and understandings between such stockholder or any such beneficial owner or their respective affiliates and any other person or persons (naming such person or persons) in connection with the proposal of such business;
(C) as to the stockholder giving the notice and each beneficial owner, if any, on whose behalf the business is proposed or nomination is made (each, a “Party”), (1) the name and address of such Party (in the case of each stockholder, as they appear on the Corporation’s books and records) and the name and principal place of business of such beneficial owner; (2) the class or series and number of shares of capital stock or other securities of the Corporation that are owned, directly or indirectly, beneficially or held of record by such Party or any of its affiliates (naming such
affiliates); (3) a description of any agreement, arrangement or understanding (including any swap or other derivative or short position, profit interest, option, warrant, convertible security, stock appreciation or similar right with exercise or conversion privileges, hedging transactions, and securities lending or borrowing arrangement) to which such Party or any of its affiliates or associates and/or any others acting in concert with any of the foregoing is, directly or indirectly, a party as of the date of such notice (x) with respect to shares of capital stock or other securities of the Corporation or (y) the effect or intent of which is to transfer to or from any such person, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of any security of the Corporation, mitigate loss to, manage the potential risk or benefit of security price changes (increases or decreases) for, or increase or decrease the voting power of any such person with respect to securities of the Corporation or which has a value derived in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, from the value (or change in value) of any securities of the Corporation, in each case whether or not subject to settlement in the underlying security of the Corporation (each such agreement, arrangement or understanding, a “Disclosable Arrangement”), specifying in each case (I) the effect of such Disclosable Arrangement on voting or economic rights in securities in the Corporation, as of the date of the notice and (II) any changes in such voting or economic rights which may arise pursuant to the terms of such Disclosable Arrangement; (4) a description of any proxy, agreement, arrangement, understanding or relationship between or among such Parties, any of their respective affiliates or associates, and/or any others acting in concert with any of the foregoing with respect to the nomination or proposal and/or the voting, directly or indirectly, of any shares or any other security of the Corporation; (5) any rights to dividends on the shares of capital stock of the Corporation owned, directly or indirectly, beneficially by such Party that are separated or separable from the underlying shares of capital stock of the Corporation; (6) any proportionate interest in shares of capital stock of the Corporation or Disclosable Arrangements held, directly or indirectly, by a general or limited partnership or limited liability company in which such Party is a general partner or managing member or, directly or indirectly, beneficially owns an interest in a general partner or managing member; (7) any performance-related fees that such Party is directly or indirectly entitled to be based on any increase or decrease in the value of shares of capital stock of the Corporation or Disclosable Arrangements, if any, as of the date of such notice, including any such interests held by members of such Party’s immediate family sharing the same household; (8) a representation that the stockholder is a holder of record of shares of capital stock of the Corporation at the time of the giving of the notice, is entitled to vote at such meeting and will appear in person or by proxy at the meeting to propose such business or nomination; and (9) a representation as to whether such Party intends, or is part of a group which intends, (x) to deliver a proxy statement and/or form of proxy to holders of at least the percentage of the Corporation’s outstanding shares of capital stock required to approve or adopt the proposal or elect the nominee and/or (y) otherwise to solicit proxies or votes from stockholders in support of such proposal or nomination; (10) any other information relating to such Party required to be disclosed in a proxy statement or other filings required to be made in connection with solicitations of proxies for, as applicable, the proposal and/or for the election of directors in an election contest pursuant to and in accordance with Regulation 14(a) of the Exchange Act; and (11) a certification regarding whether such Party has complied with all federal, state and
other legal requirements in connection with such Party’s acquisition of shares of capital stock or other securities of the Corporation; and
(D) an undertaking by each Party to notify the Corporation in writing of any change in the information previously disclosed pursuant to clauses (A), (B) and (C) of this Section 2.13(a)(iii) as of the record date for determining stockholders entitled to receive notice of such meeting and as of the date that is fifteen (15) days prior to the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof, by written notice received by the Secretary at the principal executive offices of the Corporation not later than five (5) days following such record date and not later than ten (10) days prior to the date for the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof, and thereafter by written notice so given and received within two (2) business days of any change in such information (and, in any event, by the close of business on the day preceding the meeting date).
The Corporation may require any proposed nominee to furnish such other information as it may reasonably require to determine the eligibility of such proposed nominee to serve as a director of the Corporation and to determine the independence of such nominee under the Exchange Act and the rules or regulations of any stock exchange applicable to the Corporation. In addition, a stockholder seeking to nominate a director candidate or bring another item of business before the annual meeting of stockholders shall promptly provide any other information reasonably requested by the Corporation.
(iv) Notwithstanding anything in clause (iii) of this Section 2.13(a) to the contrary, in the event that the number of directors to be elected to the Board of Directors at an annual meeting of stockholders is increased and there is no public announcement by the Corporation naming the nominees for the additional directorships at least one hundred (100) days prior to the first anniversary of the preceding year’s annual meeting of stockholders, a stockholder’s notice required by this Section 2.13(a) shall also be considered timely, but only with respect to nominees for the additional directorships, if it is received by the Secretary at the principal executive offices of the Corporation not later than the close of business on the 10th day following the day on which such public announcement is first made by the Corporation (it being understood that such notice must nevertheless comply with the requirements of clause (iii) of this Section 2.13(a)).
(b) To be eligible to be a nominee for election or re-election by the stockholders as a director of the Corporation or to serve as a director of the Corporation, a potential nominee and the nominating stockholder must deliver (not later than the deadline prescribed for delivery of notice under clause (iii) or (iv), as applicable, of Section 2.13(a)) to the Secretary a written questionnaire with respect to the background and qualifications of such potential nominee and the background and other relevant facts about the nominating stockholder and each other person on whose behalf the nomination is being made (which questionnaire shall be provided by the Secretary upon written request) and a written representation and agreement (in the form provided by the Secretary upon written request) that, among other matters, such potential nominee: (i) is not and will not become a party to any agreement, arrangement or understanding with, and has not given any commitment or assurance to, any person as to how such potential nominee, if elected as a director, will act or vote on any issue or question that has not been disclosed in such questionnaire; (ii) is not and will not become a party to any
agreement, arrangement or understanding with any person other than the Corporation with respect to any direct or indirect compensation, reimbursement or indemnification in connection with service or action as a director that has not been disclosed in such questionnaire; (iii) would be in compliance, if elected or re-elected as a director, and will comply with, applicable law and all applicable publicly disclosed corporate governance, conflict of interest, confidentiality and other policies and guidelines of the Corporation applicable to directors generally and (iv) intends to serve as a director for the full term for which such person is standing for election.
(c) Only such business shall be conducted at a special meeting of stockholders as has been specified in the notice of meeting (or any supplement thereto) given by or at the direction of the Board of Directors pursuant to Section 2.3. Nominations of persons for election to the Board of Directors may be made at a special meeting of stockholders at which directors are to be elected pursuant to the Corporation’s notice of meeting by any stockholder of the Corporation who is a stockholder of record at the time the notice provided for in Section 2.13(a)(iii) is delivered to the Secretary, who is entitled to vote at the meeting and upon such election and who complies with the requirements set forth in Sections 2.13(a)(iii) and 2.13(b) as if such requirements referred to such special meeting of stockholders; provided, however, that to be considered timely notice under this clause (c), a stockholder’s notice must be received by the Secretary at the principal executive offices of the Corporation not later than the close of business on the 10th day following the day on which public announcement of the date of such special meeting was first made. This clause (c) shall be the exclusive means for a stockholder to make nominations or other business proposals before a special meeting of stockholders (other than matters properly brought under Rule 14a-8 under the Exchange Act and included in the Corporation’s notice of meeting).
(d) Only such persons who are nominated for election or re-election as a director of the Corporation in accordance with the procedures, and who meet the other qualifications, set forth in Section 2.13(a) and (b) shall be eligible to stand for election as directors and only such business shall be conducted at a meeting of stockholders as has been brought before the meeting in accordance with the procedures set forth in these Bylaws.
(e) Without limiting the applicability of the foregoing provisions of this Section 2.13, a stockholder who seeks to have any proposal or potential nominee included in the Corporation’s proxy materials must provide notice as required by and otherwise comply with the applicable requirements of the rules and regulations under the Exchange Act. Except for the immediately preceding sentence, nothing in this Section 2.13 shall be deemed to affect any rights of (i) stockholders to request inclusion of proposals in the Corporation’s proxy statement pursuant to Rule 14a-8 under the Exchange Act; or (ii) the holders of any outstanding class or series of preferred stock of the Corporation (the “Preferred Stock”), voting as a class separately from the holders of common stock, to elect directors pursuant to any applicable provisions of such series of Preferred Stock or the Certificate of Incorporation. Subject to Rule 14a-8 under the Exchange Act, nothing in these Bylaws shall be construed to permit any stockholder, or give any stockholder the right, to include or have disseminated or described in the Corporation’s proxy statement any nomination of director or directors or any other business proposal.
(f) For purposes of this Section 2.13, “public announcement” means disclosure in a press release reported by the Dow Jones News Service, Associated Press or
comparable national news service, or that is generally available on internet news sites or in a document publicly filed by the Corporation with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Section 13, 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act.
2.14 Requirement to Appear.
Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in Section 2.13, if a stockholder that has provided timely notice of a nomination or item of business in accordance with Section 2.13 (or a qualified representative of such stockholder) does not appear at the annual or special meeting of stockholders to present such nomination or item of business, such nomination shall be disregarded and such proposed business shall not be transacted, notwithstanding that proxies in respect of such vote may have been received by the Corporation. For purposes of this Section 2.14, to be considered a qualified representative of a stockholder, a person must be a duly authorized officer, manager or partner of such stockholder or must be 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 reliable reproduction of the writing or electronic transmission, at the meeting of stockholders.
2.15 Remote Communication.
For the purposes of these Bylaws, 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 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, 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 DGCL and any limitations in the Certificate of Incorporation relating to powers or rights conferred upon or reserved to the stockholders or the holders of shares of any class or series of the Corporation’s issued and outstanding stock, 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.
The number of directors constituting the entire Board of Directors shall be no less than five (5), the exact number thereof to be determined in accordance with the Certificate of Incorporation or, in the absence of a specific requirement therein, then by resolution of the Board of Directors.
3.3 Election and Qualification of Directors.
(a) Directors need not be stockholders unless so required by the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws, wherein other qualifications for directors may be prescribed. Each director, including a director appointed to fill a vacancy or newly created directorship, shall hold office until his or her successor is duly elected and qualified or until his or her earlier death, resignation or removal.
(b) Unless otherwise specified in the Certificate of Incorporation, elections of directors need not be by written ballot.
3.4 Resignation.
Any director may resign at any time upon written notice to the attention of the Secretary of the Corporation. Such resignation shall be effective upon receipt unless it is specified therein to be effective at some later time, and the acceptance of a resignation shall not be necessary to make it effective unless such resignation specifies otherwise. Unless otherwise provided in the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws, when one or more directors shall resign from the Board of Directors, effective at a future date, a majority of the directors then in office, including those who have so resigned, shall have power to fill such vacancy or vacancies, the vote thereon to take effect when such resignation or resignations shall become effective, and each director so chosen shall hold office until his or her successor is duly elected and qualified or until his or her earlier death, resignation, or removal.
3.5 Place Of Meetings; Meetings By Telephone.
The Board of Directors may hold meetings, both regular and special, either within or outside the State of Delaware.
Unless otherwise restricted by the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws, members of the Board of Directors, or any committee thereof, may participate in a meeting of the Board of Directors, or such committee, by means of conference telephone or other communications equipment by means of which all persons participating in the meeting can hear each other, and participation in a meeting by such means shall constitute presence in person at such meeting.
3.6 Regular Meetings.
Regular meetings of the Board of Directors may be held without notice at such time and at such, on such date or dates and at such place or places (if any) as shall from time to time be determined by the Board of Directors. A notice of any such regular meetings, the time, date or place of which has been so determined, shall not be required.
3.7 Special Meetings; Notice.
Special meetings of the Board of Directors for any purpose or purposes shall be held at the call of the Chairperson or the CEO at such times and places (if any), within or without the State of Delaware, as he or she shall designate, upon notice to each director in accordance with this Section 3.7. Special meetings may also be called by the President, if any is appointed, the Secretary, or any assistant secretary upon like notice at the request of any director.
Notice of the date, time and place (if any) of special meetings of the Board of Directors may be given by personal delivery, mail, courier service (including, without limitation, Federal Express), facsimile transmission (directed to the facsimile transmission number at which the director has consented to receive notice), electronic mail (directed to the electronic mail address at which the director has consented to receive notice), or other form of electronic transmission pursuant to which the director has consented to receive notice. If the notice is mailed, it shall be deposited in the United States mail at least four (4) calendar days before the time of the holding of the meeting. If the notice is delivered personally or by facsimile, electronic mail, telephone or other form of electronic transmission pursuant to which the director has consented to receive notice, it shall be delivered at least twenty-four (24) hours before the time of the holding of the meeting. If written notice is delivered by courier service, then it shall be given on not less than three (3) calendar days’ notice to each director. The notice need not specify the place of the meeting, if the meeting is to be held at the principal executive office of the Corporation.
3.8 Quorum and Action at Meeting.
At all meetings of the Board of Directors and of each committee thereof, a majority of the total number of directors constituting the whole Board of Directors or such committee shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business, and the act of a majority of the directors present at any meeting of the Board of Directors of any committee thereof at which a quorum is present shall be the act of the Board of Directors or such committee, except as otherwise required by applicable law, by the Certificate of Incorporation, or by these Bylaws. If a quorum is not present at any meeting of the Board of Directors or committee thereof, then a majority of the directors present thereat may adjourn the meeting from time to time, without notice other than announcement at the meeting, until a quorum is present.
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.
3.9 Waiver Of Notice.
Whenever notice is required to be given under any provision of the DGCL or the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws, a written waiver thereof, signed by the person entitled to notice, or waiver by electronic transmission by such person, 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 directors, or members of a committee of directors, need be specified in any written waiver of notice unless so required by the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws.
3.10 Board Action By Written Consent Without A Meeting.
Unless otherwise restricted by the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws, any action required or permitted to be taken at any meeting of the Board of Directors, or of any committee thereof, may be taken without a meeting if all members of the Board of Directors, or such committee, as the case may be, consent thereto in writing or by electronic transmission, and the writing or writings or electronic transmission or transmissions are filed with the minutes of proceedings of the Board of Directors or such committee; provided, however, that such electronic transmission or transmissions must either set forth or be submitted with information from which it can be determined that the electronic transmission or transmissions were authorized by the director. Such filing shall be in paper form if the minutes are maintained in paper form and shall be in electronic form if the minutes are maintained in electronic form.
Action taken under this Section 3.10 is effective when the last director delivers their signed consent, unless the consent specifies a different effective time in accordance with applicable law. A consent signed and delivered under this Section 3.10 has the effect of a meeting vote and may be described as such in any document.
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 original writing.
3.11 Rules and Regulations.
The Board of Directors may adopt such rules and regulations for the conduct of its meetings and the management of the affairs of the Corporation as it may deem proper, and as are not inconsistent with the DGCL, the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws.
3.12 Fees And Compensation Of Directors.
Unless otherwise restricted by the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws, the Board of Directors shall have the authority to fix the compensation of directors. No such compensation shall preclude any director from serving the Corporation in any other capacity and receiving compensation therefor.
3.13 Chairperson of The Board Of Directors.
The Corporation may also have, at the discretion of the Board of Directors, a Chairperson. The Chairperson shall preside at all meetings of the stockholders and of the Board of Directors at which he or she is present, unless, in the case of a meeting of the stockholders, the Chairperson elects to have the chairperson of such meeting designated in accordance with Section 2.7(a).
ARTICLE IV
COMMITTEES
4.1 Committees Of Directors.
The Board of Directors may designate an audit committee, a compensation committee and a nominating and governance committee, and may from time to time establish additional committees of its members, each committee to consist of one or more of the directors of the Corporation, each with such powers and duties not inconsistent with these Bylaws as the Board of Directors may or, pursuant to applicable law (including the rules and regulations of any stock exchange applicable to the Corporation), must, lawfully confer. All members of any committee of the Board of Directors shall serve at the pleasure of the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors may designate one or more directors as alternate members of any committee, who may replace any absent or disqualified member at any meeting of the committee. In the absence or disqualification of a member of a committee, the member or members present at any meeting and not disqualified from voting, whether or not such member or members constitute a quorum, may by unanimous vote appoint another member of the Board of Directors to act at the meeting in the place of any such absent or disqualified member, except as otherwise provided by the Board of Directors or subject to any restrictions on committee membership established under applicable law (including the rules and regulations of any stock exchange applicable to the Corporation). Any such committee, to the extent provided in the resolution of the Board of Directors, or in these Bylaws, shall have and may exercise all the powers and authority of the Board of Directors in the management of the business and affairs of the Corporation, and may authorize the seal of the Corporation to be affixed to all papers which may require it; but no such committee shall have the power or authority in reference to the following matters: (i) approving or adopting, or recommending to the stockholders, any action or matter (other than the election or removal of directors) expressly required by the DGCL to be submitted to stockholders for approval or (ii) adopting, amending or repealing any Bylaw of the Corporation; or (iii) take any action or assume any authority otherwise prohibited by applicable law (including the rules and regulations of any stock exchange applicable to the Corporation).
4.2 Committee Procedure.
Except as otherwise determined by the Board of Directors or provided by these Bylaws, each committee of the Board of Directors shall adopt its own rules governing the time, place, and method of holding its meetings and the conduct of its proceedings and shall meet as provided by such rules or by resolution of the Board of Directors. Each committee of the Board of Directors
shall keep regular minutes of its meetings and report the same to the Board of Directors when required.
4.3 Term.
The Board of Directors, subject to the requirements specifically set forth in this Article IV and applicable law (including the rules and regulations of any stock exchange applicable to the Corporation), may at any time change, increase or decrease the number of members of a committee or terminate the existence of a committee. A director’s membership on a committee shall terminate on the date of his or her death or resignation or removal as a director of the Corporation, and the Board of Directors may at any time for any reason remove any individual committee member from his or her position as a member of a committee and the Board of Directors may, subject to any requirements specifically set forth in this Article IV, appoint any director to serve as a member of any committee.
4.4 Meetings And Action Of Committees.
Meetings and actions of committees shall be governed by, and held and taken in accordance with, the provisions of Section 3.5 (place of meetings and meetings by telephone), Section 3.6 (regular meetings), Section 3.7 (special meetings and notice), Section 3.8 (quorum), Section 3.9 (waiver of notice), and Section 3.10 (action without a meeting) of these Bylaws, with such changes in the context of such provisions 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.
ARTICLE V
OFFICERS
5.1 Officers.
The officers of the Corporation shall include a CEO, a Secretary, and a chief financial officer (the “CFO”). The Corporation may also have, at the discretion of the Board of Directors, a President or any such other officers as the Board of Directors may from time to time deem appropriate or necessary. Any number of offices may be held by the same person. Each officer of the Corporation shall hold office for such term as may be prescribed by the Board of Directors and until his or her successor is duly elected and qualified or until his or her earlier death, resignation or removal. No officer need be a stockholder or director of the Corporation.
5.2 Subordinates.
The CEO may appoint one or more employees of the Corporation as divisional or departmental vice presidents and fix the duties of such appointees. No such persons shall be
considered to be an officer of the Corporation, the officers of the Corporation being limited to those officers appointed by the Board of Directors in accordance with this Article V.
5.3 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 an affirmative vote of the majority of the Board of Directors then in office at any regular or special meeting of the Board of Directors (or by unanimous written consent in accordance with these Bylaws and applicable law).
Any officer may resign at any time by delivering his or her resignation in writing or by electronic transmission to the Board of Directors or to the Chairperson; provided, however, that if such notice is given by electronic transmission, such electronic transmission must either set forth or be submitted with information from which it can be determined that the electronic transmission was authorized by the officer. 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. If a resignation is made effective at a later date and the Corporation accepts the future effective date, the Board may fill the pending vacancy before the effective date if the Board provides that the successor shall not take office until the effective date. Any resignation is without prejudice to the rights, if any, of the Corporation under any contract to which the officer is a party.
5.4 Vacancies In Offices.
Any vacancy occurring in any office of the Corporation shall be filled by the Board of Directors.
5.5 Authority and Duties of Officers.
All officers of the Corporation shall respectively have such authority and perform such duties in the management of the business of the Corporation as may be designated from time to time by the Board of Directors and, to the extent not so provided, as generally pertain to their respective offices, subject to the control of the Board of Directors. Whenever an officer or officers is absent, or whenever for any reason the Board of Directors may deem it desirable, the Board of Directors may delegate the powers and duties of any officer to any director or directors or any other officers.
5.6 Voting Shares in Other Business Entities.
The Chairperson, the CEO, the President, if any is appointed, any vice president, the CFO, the Secretary or assistant secretary of the Corporation, or any other person authorized by the Board of Directors may vote, and otherwise exercise on behalf of the Corporation any and all rights and powers incident to the ownership of, any and all shares of stock or other equity interest held by the Corporation in any other corporation or other business entity. The authority granted herein 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 the person having such authority.
ARTICLE VI
INDEMNIFICATION OF DIRECTORS, OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES, AND OTHER AGENTS
6.1 Indemnification.
(a) Subject to Section 6.3, the Corporation shall indemnify, to the full extent that it shall have power under applicable law to do so and in a manner permitted by such law, any person who is made or threatened to be made a party to or is otherwise involved (as a witness or otherwise) in any threatened, pending, or completed action, suit, or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative, or investigative (hereinafter, a “Proceeding”), by reason of the fact that such person is or was a director or officer of the Corporation, or while serving as a director or officer of the Corporation, 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, including service with respect to an employee benefit plan (collectively, “Another Enterprise”), against expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines (including ERISA excise taxes or penalties) and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by him or her in connection with such Proceeding if he or she acted in good faith and in a manner he or she reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Corporation, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe his or her conduct was unlawful.
(b) The Corporation may indemnify, to the full extent that it shall have power under applicable law to do so and in a manner permitted by such law, any person who is made or threatened to be made a party to or is otherwise involved (as a witness or otherwise) in any threatened, pending, or completed Proceeding, by reason of the fact that such person is or was an employee or agent of the Corporation, or while not serving as a director or officer of the Corporation, is or was serving at the request of the Corporation as a director, officer, employee, or agent of Another Enterprise, against expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines (including ERISA excise taxes or penalties) and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by him or her in connection with such Proceeding if he or she acted in good faith and in a manner he or she reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Corporation, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe his or her conduct was unlawful.
(c) To the extent that a present or former director or officer of the Corporation has been successful on the merits or otherwise in defense of any threatened, pending, or completed Proceeding referred to in Section 145(a) or (b) of the DGCL, or in defense of any claim, issue, or matter therein, he or she shall be indemnified against expenses (including attorneys’ fees) actually and reasonably incurred by him or her in connection therewith.
(d) The termination of any Proceeding by judgment, order, settlement, conviction, or upon a plea of nolo contendere or its equivalent, shall not, of itself, create a presumption that the person seeking indemnification did not act in good faith and in a manner he or she reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Corporation, and,
with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had reasonable cause to believe that his or her conduct was unlawful.
6.2 Advancement of Expenses.
(a) Subject to Section 6.3, with respect to any person who is made or threatened to be made a party to or is otherwise involved (as a witness or otherwise) in any threatened, pending, or completed Proceeding, by reason of the fact that such person is or was a director or officer of the Corporation or while serving as a director or officer of the Corporation, is or was serving at the request of the Corporation as a director, officer, employee, or agent of Another Enterprise, the Corporation shall pay the expenses (including attorneys’ fees) incurred by such person in defending any such Proceeding in advance of its final disposition (hereinafter an “advancement of expenses”); provided, however, that any advancement of expenses shall be made only upon receipt of an undertaking (hereinafter an “undertaking”) by such person to repay all amounts advanced if it shall ultimately be determined by final judicial decision from which there is no further right to appeal that such person is not entitled to be indemnified for such expenses under this Article VI or otherwise.
(b) With respect to any person who is made or threatened to be made a party to or is otherwise involved (as a witness or otherwise) in any threatened, pending, or completed Proceeding, by reason of the fact that such person is or was an employee or agent of the Corporation, or while not serving as a director or officer of the Corporation, is or was serving at the request of the Corporation as a director, officer, employee, or agent of Another Enterprise, the Corporation may, in its discretion and upon such terms and conditions, if any, as the Corporation deems appropriate, pay the expenses (including attorneys’ fees) incurred by such person in defending any such Proceeding in advance of its final disposition.
6.3 Actions Initiated Against The Corporation.
Anything in Section 6.1(a) or Section 6.2(a) to the contrary notwithstanding, except as provided in Section 6.5(b), with respect to a Proceeding initiated against the Corporation by a person who is or was a director or officer of the Corporation (whether initiated by such person in or by reason of such capacity or in or by reason of any other capacity, including as a director, officer, employee, or agent of Another Enterprise), the Corporation shall not be required to indemnify or to advance expenses (including attorneys’ fees) to such person in connection with prosecuting such Proceeding (or part thereof) or in defending any counterclaim, cross-claim, affirmative defense, or like claim of the Corporation in such Proceeding (or part thereof) unless such Proceeding was authorized by the Board of Directors of the Corporation.
6.4 Contract Rights.
The rights to indemnification and advancement of expenses conferred upon any current or former director or officer of the Corporation pursuant to this Article VI (whether by reason of the fact that such person is or was a director or officer of the Corporation, or while serving as a director or officer of the Corporation, is or was serving at the request of the Corporation as a director, officer, employee, or agent of Another Enterprise) shall be contract rights, shall vest when such person becomes a director or officer of the Corporation, and shall continue as vested
contract rights even if such person ceases to be a director or officer of the Corporation. Any amendment, repeal, or modification of, or adoption of any provision inconsistent with, this Article VI (or any provision hereof) shall not adversely affect any right to indemnification or advancement of expenses granted to any person pursuant hereto with respect to any act or omission of such person occurring prior to the time of such amendment, repeal, modification, or adoption (regardless of whether the Proceeding relating to such acts or omissions, or any proceeding relating to such person’s rights to indemnification or to advancement of expenses, is commenced before or after the time of such amendment, repeal, modification, or adoption), and any such amendment, repeal, modification, or adoption that would adversely affect such person’s rights to indemnification or advancement of expenses hereunder shall be ineffective as to such person, except with respect to any threatened, pending, or completed Proceeding that relates to or arises from (and only to the extent such Proceeding relates to or arises from) any act or omission of such person occurring after the effective time of such amendment, repeal, modification, or adoption.
6.5 Claims.
(a) If (X) a claim under Section 6.1(a) with respect to any right to indemnification is not paid in full by the Corporation within sixty (60) days after a written demand has been received by the Corporation or (Y) a claim under Section 6.2(a) with respect to any right to the advancement of expenses is not paid in full by the Corporation within twenty (20) days after a written demand has been received by the Corporation, then the person seeking to enforce a right to indemnification or to an advancement of expenses, as the case may be, may at any time thereafter bring suit against the Corporation to recover the unpaid amount of the claim.
(b) If successful in whole or in part in any suit brought pursuant to Section 6.5(a), or in a suit brought by the Corporation to recover an advancement of expenses (whether pursuant to the terms of an undertaking or otherwise), the person seeking to enforce a right to indemnification or an advancement of expenses hereunder or the person from whom the Corporation sought to recover an advancement of expenses, as the case may be, shall be entitled to be paid by the Corporation the reasonable expenses (including attorneys’ fees) of prosecuting or defending such suit.
(c) In any suit brought by a person seeking to enforce a right to indemnification hereunder (but not a suit brought by a person seeking to enforce a right to an advancement of expenses hereunder), it shall be a defense that the person seeking to enforce a right to indemnification has not met any applicable standard for indemnification under applicable law. With respect to any suit brought by a person seeking to enforce a right to indemnification or right to advancement of expenses hereunder or any suit brought by the Corporation to recover an advancement of expenses (whether pursuant to the terms of an undertaking or otherwise), neither (i) the failure of the Corporation to have made a determination prior to commencement of such suit that indemnification of such person is proper in the circumstances because such person has met the applicable standards of conduct under applicable law, nor (ii) an actual determination by the Corporation that such person has not met such applicable standards of conduct, shall create a presumption that such person has not met the applicable standards of conduct or, in a case brought by such person seeking to enforce a right to indemnification, be a defense to such suit.
(d) In any suit brought by a person seeking to enforce a right to indemnification or to an advancement of expenses hereunder, or by the Corporation to recover an advancement of expenses (whether pursuant to the terms of an undertaking or otherwise), the burden shall be on the Corporation to prove that the person seeking to enforce a right to indemnification or to an advancement of expenses or the person from whom the Corporation seeks to recover an advancement of expenses is not entitled to be indemnified, or to such an advancement of expenses, under this Article VI or otherwise.
6.6 Determination of Entitlement to Indemnification.
Any indemnification required or permitted under this Article VI (unless ordered by a court) shall be made by the Corporation only as authorized in the specific case upon a determination that indemnification of the present or former director, officer, employee or agent is proper in the circumstances because he or she has met all applicable standards of conduct set forth in this Article VI and Section 145 of the DGCL. Such determination shall be made, with respect to a person who is a director or officer of the Corporation at the time of such determination, (i) by a majority vote of the directors who are not parties to such Proceeding, even though less than a quorum; (ii) by a committee of such directors designated by majority vote of such directors, even though less than a quorum; (iii) if there are no such directors, or if such directors so direct, by independent legal counsel in a written opinion; or (iv) by the stockholders. Such determination shall be made, with respect to any person who is not a director or officer of the Corporation at the time of such determination, in the manner determined by the Board of Directors (including in such manner as may be set forth in any general or specific action of the Board of Directors applicable to indemnification claims by such person) or in the manner set forth in any agreement to which such person and the Corporation are parties.
6.7 Non-Exclusive Rights.
The indemnification and advancement of expenses provided in this Article VI shall not be deemed exclusive of any other rights to which any person may be entitled under any bylaw, agreement, vote of stockholders or disinterested directors, or otherwise, both as to action in such person’s official capacity and as to action in another capacity while holding such office, and shall continue as to a person who has ceased to be such director, officer, employee, or agent and shall inure to the benefit of the heirs, executors, and administrators of such person.
6.8 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 Enterprise against any liability asserted against such person and incurred by such person in any such capacity, or arising out of such person’s status as such, whether or not the Corporation would have the power to indemnify such person against such liability under the provisions of this Article VI or otherwise.
6.9 Severability.
If any provision or provisions of this Article VI shall be held to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable for any reason whatsoever: (1) the validity, legality, and enforceability of the
remaining provisions of this Article VI (including, without limitation, each portion of any paragraph or clause containing any such provision held to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable, that is not itself held to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable) shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby; and (2) to the fullest extent possible, the provisions of this Article VI (including, without limitation, each such portion of any paragraph or clause containing any such provision held to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable) shall be construed so as to give effect to the intent manifested by the provision held invalid, illegal, or unenforceable.
6.10 Miscellaneous.
For purposes of this Article VI: (a) references to serving at the request of the Corporation as a director or officer of Another Enterprise shall include any service as a director or officer of the Corporation that imposes duties on, or involves services by, such director or officer with respect to an employee benefit plan; (b) references to serving at the request of the Corporation as an employee or agent of Another Enterprise shall include any service as an employee or agent of the Corporation that imposes duties on, or involves services by, such employee or agent with respect to an employee benefit plan; (c) a person who acted in good faith and in a manner such person reasonably believed to be in the interest of the participants and beneficiaries of an employee benefit plan shall be deemed to have acted in a manner not opposed to the best interests of the Corporation; and (d) references to a director of Another Enterprise shall include, in the case of any entity that is not managed by a board of directors, such other position, such as manager or trustee or member of the governing body of such entity, that entails responsibility for the management and direction of such entity’s affairs, including, without limitation, general partner of any partnership (general or limited) and manager or managing member of any limited liability company.
ARTICLE VII
RECORDS AND REPORTS
7.1 Maintenance And Inspection Of Records.
(a) The Corporation shall, either at its principal executive offices 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 or series of shares of capital stock of the Corporation held by each stockholder, a copy of these Bylaws as amended to date, accounting books, minutes of all meetings of its stockholders, the Board of Directors and any committees thereof, a record of all actions taken by the Board of Directors or any committees thereof without a meeting and other records.
(b) The Corporation shall prepare, at least ten (10) days before every meeting of stockholders, a complete list of the stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting; provided, however, if the record date for determining the stockholders entitled to vote is less than ten (10) days before the meeting date, the list shall reflect the stockholders entitled to vote as of the tenth day before the meeting date, arranged in alphabetical order, and showing the address of each stockholder and the number of shares registered in the name of each stockholder. Nothing contained in this Section 7.1(b) shall require the Corporation to include electronic mail addresses
or other electronic contact information on such list. Such list shall be open to the examination of any stockholder for any purpose germane to the meeting for a period of at least ten (10) days prior to the meeting: (i) on a reasonably accessible electronic network, provided that the information required to gain access to such list is provided with the notice of the meeting, or (ii) during ordinary business hours, at the principal place of business of the Corporation. In the event that the Corporation determines to make the list available on an electronic network, the Corporation may take reasonable steps to ensure that such information is available only to stockholders of the Corporation. If the meeting is to be held at a place, then a list of stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting shall be produced and kept at the time and place of the meeting during the whole time thereof and may be examined by any stockholder who is present. If the meeting is to be held solely by means of remote communication, then such list shall also be open to the examination of any stockholder during the whole time of the meeting on a reasonably accessible electronic network, and the information required to access such list shall be provided with the notice of the meeting. The stock ledger shall be the only evidence as to who are the stockholders entitled by this Section 7.1(b) to examine the list provided for in this Section 7.1(b) or to vote in person or by proxy at any meeting of stockholders.
(c) Except to the extent otherwise required by law, or by the Certificate of Incorporation, or by these Bylaws, the Board of Directors shall determine from time to time whether and, if allowed, when and under what conditions and regulations the stock ledger, books, records, and accounts of the Corporation, or any of them, shall be open to inspection by the stockholders and the stockholders’ rights, if any, in respect thereof. Except as otherwise provided by law, the stock ledger shall be the only evidence of the identity of the stockholders entitled to examine the stock ledger, the books, records, or accounts of the Corporation.
ARTICLE VIII
GENERAL MATTERS
8.1 Checks.
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.
8.2 Execution Of Corporate Contracts And Instruments.
The Board of Directors, except as otherwise provided in these Bylaws, shall designate the officers, employees and agents of the Corporation who shall have power to enter into any contract or execute any instrument in the name of and on behalf of the Corporation. Such delegation may be by resolution or otherwise and the authority granted shall be general or confined to specific matters, all as the Board of Directors or any such committee may determine. In the absence of such designation referred to in the first sentence of this Section 8.2, the officers of the Corporation shall have such power so referred to, to the extent incident to the normal performance of their duties.
8.3 Reliance upon Books, Reports and Records.
A member of the Board of Directors, or a member of any committee designated by the Board of Directors, shall, in the performance of such member’s duties, be fully protected in relying in good faith upon the records of the Corporation and upon such information, opinions, reports or statements presented to the Corporation by any of the Corporation’s officers or employees, or committees of the Board of Directors, or by any other person as to matters the member reasonably believes are within such other person’s professional or expert competence and who has been selected with reasonable care by or on behalf of the Corporation.
8.4 Stock Certificates; Partly Paid Shares.
The shares of all classes and series of capital stock of the Corporation may be certificated or uncertificated, as may be provided by the Board of Directors. Notwithstanding the foregoing, every holder of stock represented by certificates shall be entitled to have a certificate signed by, or in the name of the Corporation by any two authorized officers of the Corporation representing the number of shares registered in certificate form. Any or all of the signatures on the certificate may be a facsimile. 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.
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.
(a) If the Corporation shall be authorized to issue more than one class of stock or more than one series of any class, the powers, designations, preferences and 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 which the Corporation shall issue to represent such class or series of stock, if any, provided that, except as otherwise provided in Section 202 of the DGCL, in lieu of the foregoing requirements, there may be set forth on the face or back of the certificate which 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, designations, preferences and 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.
(b) Within a reasonable time after the issuance or transfer of uncertificated stock, the registered owner thereof shall be given a notice, in writing or by electronic transmission, containing the information required to be set forth or stated on certificates pursuant to Sections 151, 156, 202(a), 218(a), or 364 of the DGCL or with respect to Section 151 of the DGCL a statement that the Corporation will furnish without charge to each stockholder who so requests the powers, designations, preferences and 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. Except as otherwise expressly provided by applicable law, the rights and obligations of the holders of uncertificated stock and the rights and obligations of the holders of certificates representing stock of the same class and series shall be identical.
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 cancelled at the same time. The Corporation may, subject to Section 167 of the DGCL, determine the conditions upon which to issue a new certificate of stock or uncertificated shares in the place of any certificate previously issued by it, alleged to have been lost, stolen or destroyed. The Corporation may require the owner of the lost, stolen or destroyed certificate, or the owner’s legal representative, to give the Corporation a bond sufficient in the opinion of the Corporation, with or without surety, to indemnify it against any loss or claim that may be made against it on account of the alleged loss, theft or destruction of any such certificate or the issuance of such new certificate or uncertificated shares.
8.7 Dividends.
The Board of Directors, subject to any restrictions contained in the Certificate of Incorporation or applicable law, may declare and pay dividends upon the shares of the Corporation’s capital stock. Dividends may be paid in cash, property, or in shares of the Corporation’s capital stock.
The Board of Directors may set apart out of any of the funds of the Corporation available for dividends a reserve or reserves for any proper purpose and may abolish any such reserve. Such purposes shall include but not be limited to equalizing dividends, repairing or maintaining any property of the Corporation, and meeting contingencies.
8.8 Construction; Definitions.
Unless the context requires otherwise, the general provisions, rules of construction, and definitions in the DGCL 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, natural person, limited liability company, partnership, joint venture, trust, unincorporated association or other legal entity. The titles of the sections and subsections have been inserted as a matter of reference only and shall not control or affect the meaning or construction of any of the terms or provisions hereof.
8.9 Fiscal Year.
The fiscal year of the Corporation shall be fixed by resolution of the Board of Directors and may be changed by the Board of Directors. If the Board of Directors makes no determination to the contrary, the fiscal year of the Corporation shall be the twelve months ending with June 30 in each year.
8.10 Seal.
The Corporation may adopt a corporate seal, which may be altered at pleasure, and may use the same by causing it or a facsimile thereof, to be impressed or affixed or in any other manner reproduced.
8.11 Transfer Of Stock.
Transfers of stock shall be made only upon the transfer books of the Corporation kept at an office of the Corporation or by transfer agents designated to transfer shares of stock of the Corporation. Subject to any restrictions on transfer, shares of stock represented by certificates may be transferred on the books of the Corporation by the surrender to the Corporation or its transfer agent of the certificate properly endorsed or accompanied by a written assignment and power of attorney properly executed, with transfer stamps (if necessary) affixed, and with such proof of the authenticity of signature as the Corporation or its transfer agent may reasonably require. Subject to any restrictions on transfers, upon receipt of proper transfer instructions from the registered owner of uncertificated shares, the transaction shall be recorded upon the books of the Corporation, and the Corporation shall send to the registered transferee a written notice containing the information required by Section 151(f) of the DGCL. A record shall be made of each transfer and whenever a transfer is made for collateral security, and not absolutely, it shall be so expressed in the entry of the transfer if, when the certificates are presented to the Corporation for transfer or uncertificated shares are requested to be transferred, both the transferor and transferee request the Corporation to do so.
8.12 Registered Stockholders.
The Corporation shall be entitled to recognize the exclusive right of a person registered on its stock ledger as the record owner of shares to receive dividends and to vote as such record owner, shall be entitled to hold liable for calls and assessments the person registered on its stock ledger as the record owner of shares, and shall not be bound to recognize any equitable or other claim to or interest in such share or shares on the part of any other person, whether or not it shall have express or other notice thereof, except as otherwise provided by the laws of Delaware.
8.13 Facsimile and Electronic Signatures.
In addition to the provisions for use of facsimile or electronic signatures elsewhere specifically authorized in these Bylaws, facsimile or electronic signatures of any officer or officers of the Corporation may be used whenever and as authorized by applicable law.
ARTICLE IX
FORUM FOR CERTAIN ACTIONS
Unless the Corporation consents in writing to the selection of an alternative forum (an “Alternative Forum Consent”), the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware shall be the sole and exclusive forum for (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on behalf of the Corporation, (ii) any action asserting a claim of breach of a duty (including any fiduciary duty) owed by any current or former director, officer, stockholder, employee or agent of the Corporation to the Corporation or the Corporation’s stockholders, (iii) any action asserting a claim against the Corporation or any current or former director, officer, stockholder, employee or agent of the Corporation arising out of or relating to any provision of the DGCL or the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws (each, as in effect from time to time), or (iv) any action asserting a claim against the Corporation or any current or former director, officer, stockholder, employee or agent of the Corporation governed by the internal affairs doctrine of the State of Delaware; provided, however, that, the provisions of this Article IX will not apply to suits brought to enforce any liability or duty created by the Exchange Act or the rules and regulations under the Exchange Act, or any other claim for which the U.S. federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction; provided further that in the event that the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware lacks subject matter jurisdiction over any such action or proceeding, the sole and exclusive forum for such action or proceeding shall be another state or federal court located within the State of Delaware, in each such case, unless the Court of Chancery (or such other state or federal court located within the State of Delaware, as applicable) has dismissed a prior action by the same plaintiff asserting the same claims because such court lacked personal jurisdiction over an indispensable party named as a defendant therein. Unless the Corporation gives an Alternative Forum Consent, the federal district courts of the United States of America shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, be the sole and exclusive forum for the resolution of any complaint asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. Failure to enforce the foregoing provisions would cause the Corporation irreparable harm and the Corporation shall be entitled to equitable relief, including injunctive relief and specific performance, to enforce the foregoing provisions. Any person or entity purchasing, otherwise acquiring or holding any interest in shares of capital stock of the Corporation shall be deemed to have notice of and consented to the provisions of this Article IX. The existence of any prior Alternative Forum Consent shall not act as a waiver of the Corporation’s ongoing consent right as set forth above in this Article IX with respect to any current or future actions or claims.
ARTICLE X
AMENDMENTS
Except as otherwise provided by the DGCL or the Certificate of Incorporation, the Corporation reserves the right to amend, alter, change, adopt or repeal any provision contained in these Bylaws, in the manner now or hereafter prescribed by statute, and all rights conferred upon stockholders herein are granted subject to this reservation; provided, however, that, notwithstanding any other provision of the Certificate of Incorporation or any provision of law that might otherwise permit a lesser vote or no vote, but in addition to any vote of the holders of shares of any class or series of capital stock of the Corporation required by law or by the
Certificate of Incorporation, the affirmative vote of the holders of sixty-six and two-thirds percent (66-2/3%) of the voting power of the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Corporation entitled to vote generally in the election of directors, voting together as a single class, shall be required for stockholders of the Corporation to amend or repeal, or adopt any provision of the Bylaws.
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