Warrior Met Coal, Inc 8-K, filed Aug 1, 2025
Warrior Met Coal, Inc. (HCC)
8-K
2025-08-01
For: 2025-07-28
View Original
Added on
April 12, 2026
About this 8-K
Warrior Met Coal, Inc filed this 8-K on August 1, 2025, reporting on events of July 28, 2025.
Items reported
- Item 1.04: Mine safety shutdown or violations
- Item 5.03: Charter or bylaw amendment, or fiscal year change
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 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): July 28, 2025
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)
| (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) | (Commission File Number) | (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) | |||||||||
| (Address of Principal Executive Offices) | (Zip Code) | ||||||||||
Registrant's telephone number, including area code: (205 ) 554-6150
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:
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act:
| Title of each class | Trading Symbol(s) | Name of each exchange on which registered | ||||||
| -- | ||||||||
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).
Emerging growth company ☐
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. o
Item 1.04 Mine Safety - Reporting of Shutdowns and Patterns of Violations.
Section 1503 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street and Consumer Protection Act (the "Act") requires a Current Report on Form 8-K if a company is issued an imminent danger order under Section 107(a) of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 (the "Mine Act") by the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration ("MSHA").
On July 30, 2025, Warrior Met Coal BC, LLC, a subsidiary of Warrior Met Coal, Inc. (the "Company") received an imminent danger order under Section 107(a) of the Mine Act at the Blue Creek mine. The order stated that one miner was allegedly observed working from a ladder without appropriate fall protection. Blue Creek management immediately took corrective action including providing re-training to its employees on proper safety measures. No injuries resulted from the condition and operations at the mine were not interrupted. The Company reserves its right to contest the 107(a) order.
Item 5.03 Amendments to Articles of Incorporation or Bylaws; Change in Fiscal Year.
On July 28, 2025, the Board of Directors (the “Board”) of the Company approved and adopted an amendment to the Second Amended and Restated Bylaws of the Company (as amended, the “Bylaws”), effective on such date. The amendment to the Bylaws clarified the time period during which a stockholder’s notice of business to be presented at an annual meeting or a Proxy Access Notice (as defined therein) must be received by the Company if the annual meeting is called for a date that is more than 30 days earlier or more than 60 days later than the anniversary of the preceding year’s annual meeting.
The foregoing description of the Bylaws is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of such document, a copy of which is filed as Exhibit 3.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and is incorporated herein by reference.
Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.
(d) Exhibits.
| Exhibit No. | Exhibit Description | |||||||
| 3.1 | ||||||||
| 104 | Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document) | |||||||
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
| Warrior Met Coal, Inc. | |||||||||||
| Date: August 1, 2025 | By: | /s/ Dale W. Boyles | |||||||||
| Dale W. Boyles | |||||||||||
| Chief Financial Officer | |||||||||||
Exhibit 3.1
SECOND AMENDED AND RESTATED
BYLAWS
OF
WARRIOR MET COAL, INC.
(July 28, 2025)
ARTICLE I
OFFICES
Section 1.1 Registered Office. The registered office of the Corporation within the State of Delaware shall be located at either (a) the principal place of business of the Corporation in the State of Delaware or (b) the office of the corporation or individual acting as the Corporation’s registered agent in Delaware.
Section 1.2 Additional Offices. The Corporation may, in addition to its registered office in the State of Delaware, have such other offices and places of business, both within and outside the State of Delaware, as the Board of Directors of the Corporation (the “Board”) may from time to time determine or as the business and affairs of the Corporation may require.
ARTICLE II
STOCKHOLDERS MEETINGS
Section 2.1 Annual Meetings. The annual meeting of stockholders shall be held at such place and time and on such date as shall be determined by the Board and stated in the notice of the meeting, provided that the Board may in its sole discretion determine that the meeting shall not be held at any place, but may instead be held solely by means of remote communication pursuant to Section 9.5(a). At each annual meeting, the stockholders shall elect directors of the Corporation and may transact any other business as may properly be brought before the meeting.
Section 2.2 Special Meetings.
(a) Except as otherwise required by applicable law or provided in the Corporation’s Certificate of Incorporation, as the same may be amended or restated from time to time (the “Certificate of Incorporation”), special meetings of stockholders, for any purpose or purposes, may be called only by (i) the Chairman of the Board, (ii) the Board pursuant to a resolution adopted by a majority of the Board or (iii) the Board upon the delivery of a written request complying with Section 2.2(b) to the Corporation by the holders of at least a majority of the outstanding shares of the outstanding common stock of the Corporation (“Common Stock”), in the aggregate (a “Stockholder-Requested Meeting”). Special meetings of stockholders shall be held at such place and time and on such date as shall be determined by the Board and stated in the Corporation’s notice of the meeting, provided that the Board may in its sole discretion determine that the meeting shall not be held at any place, but may instead be held solely by means of remote communication pursuant to Section 9.5(a).
(b) To be valid, a written request for a Stockholder-Requested Meeting must (i) be in writing, signed and dated by one or more stockholder(s) of record, (ii) set forth the proposed date, time and place of the special meeting (which may not be earlier than 60 days after the date the request is delivered (or 90 days in the case of a Stockholder-Requested Meeting to elect directors)), provided, for the avoidance of doubt, that such proposed date, time and place of the special meeting shall not be binding on the Corporation or the Board, (iii) set forth a statement of the purpose or purposes of and the matters proposed to be acted on at the special meeting, (iv) include the information required by
Section 2.7(a) or Section 3.2 to be set forth in a stockholder’s notice for the proposal of business or nominations, as applicable, and (v) be delivered personally or sent by certified or registered mail, return receipt requested, to the Secretary at the principal executive offices of the Corporation. If the Board determines that a stockholder request pursuant to Section 2.2(a)(iii) is valid, the Board will determine the time and place, if any, of a Stockholder-Requested Meeting, which time will be not less than 30 days nor more than 90 days after the receipt of such request, and will set a record date for the determination of stockholders entitled to vote at such meeting in the manner set forth in Section 9.2. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a Stockholder-Requested Meeting need not be held if (1) the special meeting request relates to an item of business that is not a proper subject for stockholder action under applicable law, (2) the special meeting request is delivered during the period commencing 90 days prior to the first anniversary of the date of the notice of annual meeting for the immediately preceding annual meeting and ending on the earlier of (x) the date of the next annual meeting and (y) 30 days after the first anniversary of the date of the immediately preceding annual meeting, (3) an identical or substantially similar item (as determined in good faith by the Board, a “Similar Item”), other than the election of directors, was presented at a meeting of the stockholders held not more than twelve (12) months before the special meeting request is delivered, (4) a Similar Item was presented at a meeting of the stockholders held not more than 90 days before the special meeting request is delivered (and, for purposes of this clause (4), the election of directors shall be deemed a “Similar Item” with respect to all items of business involving the election or removal of directors) or (5) a Similar Item is included in the Corporation’s notice as an item of business to be brought before a stockholders meeting that has been called but not yet held by the time the special meeting request is delivered. No business may be transacted at a special meeting, including a Stockholder-Requested Meeting, unless specified in the Corporation’s notice of meeting.
Section 2.3 Notices. Notice of each stockholders meeting stating the place, if any, date, and time of the meeting, and the means of remote communication, if any, by which stockholders and proxyholders may be deemed to be present in person and vote at such meeting, and the record date for determining the stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting if such date is different from the record date for determining stockholders entitled to notice of the meeting shall be given in the manner permitted by Section 9.3 to each stockholder entitled to vote thereat as of the record date for determining the stockholders entitled to notice of the meeting. Such notice shall be given by the Corporation not less than 10 nor more than 60 days before the date of the meeting. If said notice is for a stockholders meeting other than an annual meeting, it shall in addition state the purpose or purposes for which the meeting is called, and the business transacted at such meeting shall be limited to the matters so stated in the Corporation’s notice of meeting (or any supplement thereto). Any meeting of stockholders as to which notice has been given may be postponed, and any special meeting of stockholders as to which notice has been given may be cancelled, by the Board upon public announcement (as defined in Section 2.7(c)) given before the date previously scheduled for such meeting.
Section 2.4 Quorum. Except as otherwise provided by applicable law, the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws, the presence, in person or by proxy, at a stockholders meeting of the holders of shares of outstanding capital stock of the Corporation representing a majority of the voting power of all outstanding shares of capital stock of the Corporation entitled to vote at such meeting shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at such meeting, except that when specified business is to be voted on by a class or series of stock voting as a class, the holders of shares representing a majority of the voting power of the outstanding shares of such class or series shall constitute a quorum of such class or series for the transaction of such business. If a quorum shall not be present or represented by proxy at any meeting of the stockholders, the chairman of the meeting may adjourn the meeting from time to time in the manner provided in Section 2.6 until a quorum shall attend. The stockholders present at a duly convened meeting may continue to transact business until adjournment, notwithstanding the withdrawal of enough stockholders to leave less than a quorum. Shares of its own stock belonging to the Corporation or to another corporation, if a majority of the voting power of the shares entitled to vote in the election of directors of such other corporation is
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held, directly or indirectly, by the Corporation, shall neither be entitled to vote nor be counted for quorum purposes; provided, however, that the foregoing shall not limit the right of the Corporation or any such other corporation to vote shares held by it in a fiduciary capacity.
Section 2.5 Voting of Shares.
(a) Voting Lists. The Secretary shall prepare, or shall cause the officer or agent who has charge of the stock ledger of the Corporation to prepare, at least 10 days before every meeting of stockholders, a complete list of the stockholders of record entitled to vote at the meeting (provided, however, if the record date for determining the stockholders entitled to vote is less than 10 days before the meeting date, the list shall reflect the stockholders entitled to vote as of the 10th day before the meeting date), arranged in alphabetical order for each class of stock and showing the address and the number of shares registered in the name of each stockholder. Nothing contained in this Section 2.5(a) 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, during ordinary business hours for a period of at least 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. If 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. The stock ledger shall be the only evidence as to who are the stockholders entitled to examine the list required by this Section 2.5(a) or to vote in person or by proxy at any meeting of stockholders.
(b) Manner of Voting. At any stockholders meeting, every stockholder entitled to vote may vote in person or by proxy. If authorized by the Board, the voting by stockholders or proxyholders at any meeting conducted by remote communication may be effected by a ballot submitted by electronic transmission (as defined in Section 9.3), provided that any such electronic transmission must either set forth or be submitted with information from which the Corporation can determine that the electronic transmission was authorized by the stockholder or proxyholder. The Board, in its discretion, or the chairman of the meeting of stockholders, in such person’s discretion, may require that any votes cast at such meeting shall be cast by written ballot.
(c) 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 proxy, but no such proxy shall be voted or acted upon after three years from its date, unless the proxy provides for a longer period. The authorization of a person to act as proxy may be documented, signed, and delivered in accordance with Section 116 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the “DGCL”) provided that such authorization shall set forth, or be delivered with, information enabling the Corporation to determine the identity of the stockholder granting such authorization. Any stockholder directly or indirectly soliciting proxies from other stockholders must use a proxy card color other than white, which shall be reserved for the exclusive use by the Board.
(d) Required Vote. Subject to the rights of the holders of one or more series of preferred stock of the Corporation (“Preferred Stock”), voting separately by class or series, to elect directors pursuant to the terms of one or more series of Preferred Stock, the election of directors shall be determined by a majority of the votes cast (meaning the number of shares voted “for” a nominee must exceed the number of shares voted “against” such nominee) by the stockholders present in person or represented by proxy at the meeting and entitled to vote thereon, provided that the election of directors shall be determined by a plurality of the votes cast (meaning the nominees with the greatest number of shares voted “for” shall be elected without regard to votes cast “against” any nominee) at any contested election. For the avoidance of doubt, abstentions and broker non-votes shall not be treated as votes cast “for” or “against” a director’s election. For purposes of this Section 2.5(d), a “contested
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election” shall mean any election for which the number of nominees to serve as directors exceeds the number of directors to be elected, with the determination that an election is a contested election being made by the Board within 10 days of the initial distribution of the Corporation’s proxy statement for the relevant meeting. Once an election is determined to be a contested election, directors shall be elected by the vote of a plurality of the votes cast notwithstanding that one or more notices of nomination subsequently may be withdrawn or declared invalid or untimely. All other matters shall be determined by the vote of a majority of the votes cast “for” or “against” the matter by the stockholders present in person or represented by proxy at the meeting and entitled to vote thereon, unless the matter is one upon which, by applicable law, the Certificate of Incorporation, these Bylaws or applicable stock exchange rules, a different vote is required, in which case such provision shall govern and control the decision of such matter.
(e) Inspectors of Election. The Board may, and shall if required by law, in advance of any meeting of stockholders, appoint one or more persons as inspectors of election, who may be employees of the Corporation or otherwise serve the Corporation in other capacities, to act at such meeting of stockholders or any adjournment thereof and to make a written report thereof. The Board may appoint one or more persons as alternate inspectors to replace any inspector who fails to act. If no inspectors of election or alternates are appointed by the Board, the chairman of the meeting shall appoint one or more inspectors to act at the meeting. Each inspector, before discharging 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. The inspectors shall ascertain and report the number of outstanding shares and the voting power of each; determine the number of shares present in person or represented by proxy at the meeting and the validity of proxies and ballots; count all votes and ballots and report the results; determine and retain for a reasonable period a record of the disposition of any challenges made to any determination by the inspectors; and certify their determination of the number of shares represented at the meeting and their count of all votes and ballots. No person who is a candidate for an office at an election may serve as an inspector at such election. Each report of an inspector shall be in writing and signed by the inspector or by a majority of them if there is more than one inspector acting at such meeting. If there is more than one inspector, the report of a majority shall be the report of the inspectors.
Section 2.6 Adjournments. Any meeting of stockholders, annual or special, may be adjourned by the chairman of the meeting, from time to time, whether or not there is a quorum, to reconvene at the same or some other place. Notice need not be given of any such adjourned meeting if the date, time and place, if any, thereof, and the means of remote communication, if any, by which stockholders and proxyholders may be deemed to be present in person and vote at such adjourned meeting are announced at the meeting at which the adjournment is taken or are provided in any other manner permitted by the DGCL. At the adjourned meeting the stockholders, or the holders of any class or series of stock entitled to vote separately as a class, as the case may be, may transact any business that might have been transacted at the original meeting. If the adjournment is for more than 30 days, 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 shall fix a new record date for notice of such adjourned meeting in accordance with Section 2.3, 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.
Section 2.7 Advance Notice for Business.
(a) Annual Meetings of Stockholders. No business may be transacted at an annual meeting of stockholders, other than business that is either (i) specified in the Corporation’s notice of meeting (or any supplement thereto) given by or at the direction of the Board, (ii) otherwise properly brought before the annual meeting by or at the direction of the Board or (iii) otherwise properly brought before the annual meeting by any stockholder of the Corporation (x) who is a stockholder of record on the
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date of the giving of the notice provided for in this Section 2.7(a) and who is entitled to vote at such annual meeting and (y) who complies with the notice procedures set forth in this Section 2.7(a). Except for proposals properly made in accordance with Rule 14a-8 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and included in the notice of meeting given by or at the direction of the Board, the foregoing clause (iii) shall be the exclusive means for a stockholder to propose business to be brought before an annual meeting of stockholders. Stockholders seeking to nominate persons for election to the Board must comply with Section 2.10 or Section 3.2, and this Section 2.7 shall not be applicable to nominations.
(i) In addition to any other applicable requirements, for business (other than nominations) to be properly brought before an annual meeting by a stockholder, such stockholder must have given timely notice thereof in proper written form to the Secretary of the Corporation and such business must otherwise be a proper matter for stockholder action. Subject to Section 2.7(a)(iv), a stockholder’s notice to the Secretary with respect to such business, to be timely, must (x) comply with the provisions of this Section 2.7(a)(i) and (y) be timely updated by the times and in the manner required by the provisions of Section 2.7(a)(iii). 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 90th day nor earlier than the opening of business on the 120th day before the anniversary date of the date on which the Corporation first mailed its proxy materials for the annual meeting of stockholders of the immediately preceding year; provided, however, that if the annual meeting is called for a date that is more than 30 days earlier or more than 60 days later than the anniversary of the preceding year’s annual meeting, notice by the stockholder to be timely must be so received not earlier than the opening of business on the 120th day before the meeting and not later than the later of (x) the close of business on the 90th day before the meeting or (y) the close of business on the 10th day following the day on which public announcement of the date of the annual meeting is first made by the Corporation. The public announcement of an adjournment or postponement of an annual meeting shall not commence a new time period for the giving of a stockholder’s notice as described in this Section 2.7(a).
(ii) To be in proper written form, a stockholder’s notice to the Secretary with respect to any business (other than nominations) must set forth (A) as to each such matter such stockholder proposes to bring before the annual meeting (1) a brief description of the business desired to be brought before the annual meeting and any material interest in such business of such stockholder and any Stockholder Associated Person (as defined below), individually or in the aggregate, (2) the text of the proposal or business (including the text of any resolutions proposed for consideration and if such business includes a proposal to amend these Bylaws, the text of the proposed amendment) and (3) the reasons for conducting such business at the annual meeting, (B) the name and address of the stockholder proposing such business, as they appear on the Corporation’s books, and the name and address of any Stockholder Associated Person, (C) the class or series and number of shares of capital stock of the Corporation that are owned of record or are directly or indirectly owned beneficially by such stockholder and by any Stockholder Associated Person, (D) any option, warrant, convertible security, stock appreciation right, swap or similar right with an exercise or conversion privilege or a settlement payment or mechanism at a price related to any class or series of shares of the Corporation or with a value derived in whole or in part from the value of any class or series of shares of the Corporation, whether or not such instrument or right is subject to settlement in the underlying class or series of shares of the Corporation or otherwise (a “Derivative Instrument”) directly or indirectly owned beneficially by such stockholder or by any Stockholder Associated Person and any other direct or indirect opportunity of such stockholder or any Stockholder Associated Person to profit or share in any profit derived from any increase or decrease in the value of shares of the Corporation, (E) any proxy (other than a revocable proxy or consent given in response to a solicitation made pursuant to Section 14(a) of the Exchange Act by way of a solicitation statement filed on Schedule 14A), contract, arrangement, understanding or relationship pursuant to which such stockholder or any Stockholder Associated Person has a right to vote any shares of the Corporation, (F) any short interest in any security of the Corporation held by such stockholder or any Stockholder Associated Person (for purposes of this Section 2.7 a person shall be deemed to have a short interest in a security if such person directly or indirectly, through any
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contract, arrangement, understanding, relationship or otherwise, has the opportunity to profit or share in any profit derived from any decrease in the value of the subject security), (G) any rights owned beneficially by such stockholder or Stockholder Associated Person to dividends on the shares of the Corporation that are separated or separable from the underlying shares of the Corporation, (H) any proportionate interest in shares of the Corporation or Derivative Instruments held, directly or indirectly, by a general or limited partnership in which such stockholder or any Stockholder Associated Person is a general partner or, directly or indirectly, beneficially owns an interest in a general partner, (I) any performance-related fees (other than an asset-based fee) that such stockholder or any Stockholder Associated Person is entitled to based on any increase or decrease in the value of shares of the Corporation or Derivative Instruments, if any, including without limitation any such interests held by members of such stockholder’s or any Stockholder Associated Person’s immediate family sharing the same household, (J) a description of all agreements, arrangements or understandings (written or oral) between or among such stockholder, any Stockholder Associated Person or any other person or persons (including their names) in connection with the proposal of such business by such stockholder, (K) any other information relating to such stockholder and any Stockholder Associated Person that would be required to be disclosed in a proxy statement or other filings required to be made in connection with solicitation of proxies for election of directors (even if an election contest is not involved), or would be otherwise required, in each case pursuant to Section 14 of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, (L) a representation that such stockholder intends to appear in person or by proxy at the annual meeting to bring such business before the meeting, and (M) a statement of whether such stockholder or any Stockholder Associated Person intends, or is part of a group that intends, to solicit proxies in connection with the proposal.
(iii) A stockholder providing notice of business proposed to be brought before an annual meeting shall further update and supplement such notice, if necessary, so that the information provided or required to be provided in such notice pursuant to this Section 2.7(a) shall be true and correct as of the record date for determining the stockholders entitled to notice of the meeting and as of the date that is 10 business days prior to the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof, and such update and supplement shall be delivered to, or mailed and received by, the Secretary at the principal executive offices of the Corporation (x) in the case of the update and supplement required to be made as of such record date, not later than five business days after such record date and (y) in the case of the update and supplement required to be made as of 10 business days prior to the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof, as applicable, not later than eight business days prior to the date for the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof, if practicable (or if not practicable, on the first practicable date prior to the date for the meeting or such adjournment or postponement thereof).
(iv) The foregoing notice requirements of this Section 2.7(a) shall be deemed satisfied by a stockholder as to any proposal (other than nominations) if the stockholder has notified the Corporation of such stockholder’s intention to present such proposal at an annual meeting in compliance with Rule 14a-8 (or any successor thereof) of the Exchange Act, and such stockholder’s proposal has been included in a proxy statement prepared by the Corporation to solicit proxies for such annual meeting. No business shall be conducted at the annual meeting of stockholders except business brought before the annual meeting in accordance with the procedures set forth in this Section 2.7(a), provided, however, that once business has been properly brought before the annual meeting in accordance with such procedures, nothing in this Section 2.7(a) shall be deemed to preclude discussion by any stockholder of any such business. If the Board or the chairman of the annual meeting determines that any stockholder proposal was not made in accordance with the provisions of this Section 2.7(a) or that the information provided in a stockholder’s notice does not satisfy the information requirements of this Section 2.7(a), such proposal shall not be presented for action at the annual meeting. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section 2.7(a), if the stockholder (or a qualified representative of the stockholder) does not appear at the annual meeting of stockholders of the Corporation to present the proposed business, such proposed business shall not be transacted, notwithstanding that proxies in respect of such matter may have been received by the Corporation. For purposes of these Bylaws, a “qualified representative” shall mean a person who is a duly authorized officer, manager, or partner
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of the absent stockholder, or another individual who is authorized in a writing signed by the absent stockholder, or an electronic transmission delivered to the Secretary by the absent stockholder, to act as its proxy at the meeting and who produces the writing or the electronic transmission or a reliable reproduction of either.
(v) In addition to the provisions of this Section 2.7(a), a stockholder shall also comply with all applicable requirements of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations thereunder with respect to the matters set forth herein. Nothing in this Section 2.7(a) shall be deemed to affect any rights of stockholders to request inclusion of proposals in the Corporation’s proxy statement pursuant to Rule 14a-8 under the Exchange Act.
(b) Special Meetings of Stockholders. Only such business shall be conducted at a special meeting of stockholders as shall have been brought before the meeting pursuant to the Corporation’s notice of meeting. The proposal by stockholders of other business to be conducted at a special meeting of stockholders may be made only in accordance with Section 2.2. Nominations of persons for election to the Board may be made at a special meeting of stockholders at which directors are to be elected pursuant to the Corporation’s notice of meeting only pursuant to Section 3.2.
(c) Definitions. For purposes of these Bylaws, “public announcement” shall mean disclosure in a press release reported by the Dow Jones News Service, Associated Press or comparable national news service or in a document publicly filed by the Corporation with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) pursuant to Sections 13, 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act; and “Stockholder Associated Person” shall mean, with respect to any stockholder, (i) any person controlling, directly or indirectly, or, solely with respect to the proposal or nomination, as applicable, acting in concert with, such stockholder, (ii) any beneficial owner of shares of stock of the Corporation owned of record or beneficially by such stockholder and on whose behalf the proposal or nomination, as applicable, is being made, or (iii) any person controlling, controlled by or under common control with, or, solely with respect to the proposal or nomination, as applicable, acting in concert with, such person referred to in the preceding clause (i) or (ii).
Section 2.8 Conduct of Meetings. The chairman of each annual and special meeting of stockholders shall be the Chairman of the Board or, in the absence (or inability or refusal to act) of the Chairman of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer (if he or she shall be a director) or, in the absence (or inability or refusal to act) of the Chief Executive Officer or if the Chief Executive Officer is not a director, the President (if he or she shall be a director) or, in the absence (or inability or refusal to act) of the President or if the President is not a director, such other person as shall be appointed by the Board. 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 chairman of the meeting. The Board may adopt such rules and regulations for the conduct of the meeting of stockholders as it shall deem appropriate. Except to the extent inconsistent with these Bylaws or such rules and regulations as adopted by the Board, the chairman of any meeting of stockholders shall have the right and authority to convene and to adjourn the meeting, to prescribe such rules, regulations and procedures and to do all such acts as, in the judgment of such chairman, are appropriate for the proper conduct of the meeting. Such rules, regulations or procedures, whether adopted by the Board or prescribed by the chairman of the meeting, may include, without limitation, the following: (a) the establishment of an agenda or order of business for the meeting; (b) rules and procedures for maintaining order at the meeting and the safety of those present; (c) limitations on attendance at or participation in the meeting to stockholders of record of the Corporation, their duly authorized and constituted proxies or such other persons as the chairman of the meeting shall determine; (d) restrictions on entry to the meeting after the time fixed for the commencement thereof; and (e) limitations on the time allotted to questions or comments by participants. Unless and to the extent determined by the Board or the chairman of the meeting, meetings of stockholders shall not be required to be held in accordance with the rules of parliamentary procedure. The secretary of each annual and special meeting of stockholders shall be the Secretary or, in the absence (or inability or
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refusal to act) of the Secretary, an Assistant Secretary so appointed to act by the chairman of the meeting. In the absence (or inability or refusal to act) of the Secretary and all Assistant Secretaries, the chairman of the meeting may appoint any person to act as secretary of the meeting.
Section 2.9 Consents in Lieu of Meeting.
(a) Any action required or permitted to be taken by stockholders of the Corporation at any meeting of stockholders may be taken without a meeting if a consent in writing, setting forth the action so taken, is signed by holders of outstanding stock having not less than the minimum voting power 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. In order that the Corporation may determine the stockholders entitled to consent to corporate action in writing without a meeting, the Board may fix a record date, which record date shall not precede the date upon which the resolution fixing the record date is adopted by the Board, and which date shall not be more than 10 days after the date upon which the resolution fixing the record date is adopted by the Board. Any stockholder of record seeking to have the stockholders authorize or take corporate action by written consent shall, by delivery of a written notice sent by certified or registered mail, return receipt requested, to the Secretary at the principal executive offices of the Corporation, request that the Board fix a record date, which such written notice shall include such information as would have been required to be provided under Section 2.2 if the stockholder had requested that a Stockholder-Requested Meeting be held to take such action. The Board shall promptly, but in all events within 10 days after the date on which such written notice is received, adopt a resolution fixing the record date (unless a record date has previously been fixed by the Board pursuant to this Section 2.9(a)). If no record date has been fixed by the Board pursuant to this Section 2.9(a) or otherwise within 10 days after the date on which such written notice is received, the record date for determining stockholders entitled to consent to corporate action in writing without a meeting, when no prior action by the Board is required by applicable law, shall be the first date after the expiration of such 10 day time period on which a signed written consent setting forth the action taken or proposed to be taken is delivered to the Corporation by delivery to its registered office in 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 stockholders are recorded. If no record date has been fixed by the Board pursuant to this Section 2.9(a), the record date for determining stockholders entitled to consent to corporate action in writing without a meeting if prior action by the Board is required by applicable law shall be at the close of business on the date on which the Board adopts the resolution taking such prior action.
(b) In the event of the delivery, in the manner provided by Section 2.9(a) and applicable law, to the Corporation of written consent or consents to take corporate action and/or any related revocation or revocations, the Corporation shall engage independent inspectors of elections for the purpose of performing promptly a ministerial review of the validity of the consents and revocations. For the purpose of permitting the inspectors to perform such review, no action by written consent and without a meeting shall be effective until such inspectors have completed their review, determined that the requisite number of valid and unrevoked consents delivered to the Corporation in accordance with this Section 2.9 and applicable law have been obtained to authorize or take the action specified in the consents, and certified such determination for entry in the records of the Corporation kept for the purpose of recording the proceedings of meetings of stockholders. Nothing contained in this Section 2.9(b) shall in any way be construed to suggest or imply that the Board or any stockholder shall not be entitled to contest the validity of any consent or revocation thereof, whether before or after such certification by the independent inspectors, or to take any other action (including, without limitation, the commencement, prosecution or defense of any litigation with respect thereto, and the seeking of injunctive relief in such litigation).
Section 2.10 Proxy Access.
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(a) Inclusion of Proxy Access Stockholder Nominee in Proxy Statement. Subject to the provisions of this Section 2.10, the Corporation shall include in its proxy statement (including its form of proxy) for an annual meeting of stockholders the name of any stockholder nominee for election to the Board submitted pursuant to this Section 2.10 (each a “Proxy Access Stockholder Nominee”) provided that:
(i) timely written notice of such Proxy Access Stockholder Nominee satisfying this Section 2.10 (“Proxy Access Notice”) is delivered to the Corporation by a stockholder of record or group of stockholders that, at the time the Proxy Access Notice is delivered, satisfies the ownership and other requirements of this Section 2.10 (such stockholder or group of stockholders, the “Eligible Stockholder”);
(ii) the Eligible Stockholder expressly elects in writing at the time of providing the Proxy Access Notice to have its Proxy Access Stockholder Nominee included in the Corporation’s proxy statement pursuant to this Section 2.10; and
(iii) the Eligible Stockholder and the Proxy Access Stockholder Nominee otherwise satisfy the requirements of this Section 2.10.
(b) Timely Notice. To be timely, the Proxy Access Notice must be received by the Secretary at the principal executive offices of the Corporation not later than the close of business on the 90th day nor earlier than the opening of business on the 120th day before the anniversary date of the date on which the Corporation first mailed its proxy materials for the annual meeting of stockholders of the immediately preceding year; provided, however, that if the annual meeting is called for a date that is more than 30 days earlier or more than 60 days later than the anniversary of the preceding year’s annual meeting, the Proxy Access Notice must be so received not earlier than the opening of business on the 120th day before the meeting and not later than the later of (x) the close of business on the 90th day before the meeting or (y) the close of business on the 10th day following the day on which public announcement of the date of the annual meeting is first made by the Corporation. The public announcement of an adjournment or postponement of an annual meeting shall not commence a new time period for the giving of the Proxy Access Notice.
(c) Information to be Included in Proxy Statement. In addition to including the name of the Proxy Access Stockholder Nominee in the Corporation’s proxy statement for the annual meeting, the Corporation shall also include:
(i) the information concerning the Proxy Access Stockholder Nominee and the Eligible Stockholder that is required to be disclosed in the Corporation’s proxy statement pursuant to the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder; and
(ii) if the Eligible Stockholder so elects, a written statement of the Eligible Stockholder (or, in the case of a group, a written statement of the group), not to exceed 500 words, in support of its Proxy Access Stockholder Nominee, which must be provided at the same time as the Proxy Access Notice for inclusion in the Corporation’s proxy statement for the annual meeting (a “Statement”).
Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Section 2.10, the Corporation may omit from its proxy statement any information or Statement that it, in good faith, believes is untrue in any material respect (or omits a material fact necessary in order to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which they are made, not misleading) or would violate any applicable law, rule, regulation, or listing standard. Additionally, nothing in this Section 2.10 shall limit the Corporation’s ability to solicit against and include in its proxy statement its own statements relating to any Proxy Access Stockholder Nominee.
(d) Proxy Access Stockholder Nominee Limits. The number of Proxy Access Stockholder Nominees (including Proxy Access Stockholder Nominees that were submitted by an Eligible Stockholder for
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inclusion in the Corporation’s proxy statement pursuant to this Section 2.10 but either are subsequently withdrawn or that the Board decides to nominate) appearing in the Corporation’s proxy statement with respect to an annual meeting of stockholders shall not exceed 20% of the number of directors in office as of the last day on which notice of a nomination may be delivered pursuant to this Section 2.10 (the “Final Proxy Access Nomination Date”) or, if such amount is not a whole number, the closest whole number below 20% (the “Permitted Number”); provided, however, that:
(i) in the event that one or more vacancies for any reason occurs on the Board at any time after the Final Proxy Access Nomination Date and before the date of the applicable annual meeting and the Board resolves to reduce the size of the Board in connection therewith, the Permitted Number shall be calculated based on the number of directors in office as so reduced;
(ii) any Proxy Access Stockholder Nominee who is included in the Corporation’s proxy statement for a particular meeting of stockholders but either (A) withdraws from or becomes ineligible or unavailable for election at the meeting or (B) does not receive a number of votes cast in favor of their election at least equal to 25% of the shares present in person or represented by proxy at the annual meeting and entitled to vote on the Proxy Access Stockholder Nominee’s election, shall be ineligible to be included in the Corporation’s proxy statement as a Proxy Access Stockholder Nominee pursuant to this Section 2.10 for the next two annual meetings of stockholders following the meeting for which the Proxy Access Stockholder Nominee has been nominated for election;
(iii) any director in office as of the nomination deadline who was included in the Corporation’s proxy statement as a Proxy Access Stockholder Nominee for any of the two preceding annual meetings and whom the Board decides to nominate for election to the Board will be counted against the Permitted Number; and
(iv) any director in office or director candidate that in either case will be included in the Corporation’s proxy statement with respect to such annual meeting as an unopposed (by the Corporation) director or candidate, as applicable, pursuant to an agreement, arrangement, or other understanding with a stockholder or group of stockholders (other than any such agreement, arrangement, or other understanding entered into in connection with an acquisition of stock from the Corporation by such stockholder or group of stockholders), other than any such director who at the time of such annual meeting will have served as a director continuously, as a nominee of the Board, for at least two (2) annual terms, will be counted against the Permitted Number, except that the Permitted Number shall not be reduced below one (1) pursuant to this Section 2.10(d)(iv).
In the event that the number of Proxy Access Stockholder Nominees submitted by Eligible Stockholders pursuant to this Section 2.10 exceeds the Permitted Number, each Eligible Stockholder shall select one Proxy Access Stockholder Nominee for inclusion in the Corporation’s proxy statement until the Permitted Number is reached, going in order of the amount (from greatest to least) of voting power of the Corporation’s capital stock entitled to vote on the election of directors as disclosed in the Proxy Access Notice. If the Permitted Number is not reached after each Eligible Stockholder has selected one Proxy Access Stockholder Nominee, this selection process shall continue as many times as necessary, following the same order each time, until the Permitted Number is reached. Following such determination, if any Proxy Access Stockholder Nominee who satisfies the eligibility requirements in this Section 2.10 thereafter (i) is nominated by the Board, (ii) is not included in the Corporation’s proxy statement or (iii) is not submitted for director election for any reason (including the Eligible Stockholder’s or the Proxy Access Stockholder Nominee’s failure to comply with this Section 2.10), no other nominee or nominees shall be included in the Corporation’s proxy statement or otherwise submitted for election as a director at the applicable annual meeting in substitution for such Proxy Access Stockholder Nominee.
(e) Eligibility of Nominating Stockholder; Group of Stockholders. An Eligible Stockholder, and the beneficial owners, if any, on whose behalf the Proxy Access Stockholder Nominee is being proposed,
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must have owned (as defined below) continuously for at least three years a number of shares that represents 3% or more of the outstanding shares of the Corporation entitled to vote in the election of directors (the “Required Shares”) as of both the date the Proxy Access Notice is received by the Corporation in accordance with this Section 2.10 and the record date for determining stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting and must continue to own the Required Shares through the date of the annual meeting. For purposes of satisfying the ownership requirement under this Section 2.10, the number of shares of the Corporation entitled to vote in the election of directors owned by one or more stockholders of record, or by the beneficial owners, if any, on whose behalf the Proxy Access Stockholder Nominee is being proposed, may be aggregated, provided that:
(i) the number of stockholders of record and, if and to the extent that a holder of record is acting on behalf of one or more beneficial owners, of such beneficial owners, whose stock ownership is aggregated for the purpose of satisfying the ownership requirement under this Section 2.10 shall not exceed 20; and
(ii) each stockholder of record or beneficial owner whose shares are aggregated shall have held such shares continuously for at least three years.
Whenever an Eligible Stockholder consists of a group of stockholders of record and/or beneficial owners, any and all requirements and obligations for an Eligible Stockholder set forth in this Section 2.10 must be satisfied by and as to each such stockholder of record or beneficial owner, except that shares may be aggregated to meet the Required Shares as provided in this Section 2.10(e). With respect to any one particular annual meeting, no shares may be attributed to more than one Eligible Stockholder, and no stockholder of record or beneficial owner, alone or together with any of its affiliates, may individually or as a member of a group qualify as or constitute more than one Eligible Stockholder under this Section 2.10.
(f) Funds. A group of two or more funds shall be treated as one stockholder of record or beneficial owner for this Section 2.10 provided that the other terms and conditions in this Section 2.10 are met (including Section 2.10(h)(vi)(A)) and the funds are:
(i) under common management and investment control;
(ii) under common management and funded primarily by the same employer (or by a group of related employers that are under common control); or
(iii) a “group of investment companies,” as such term is defined in Section 12(d)(1)(G)(ii) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.
(g) Ownership. For purposes of this Section 2.10, a stockholder of record or a beneficial owner, as the case may be, shall be deemed to “own” only those outstanding shares of the Corporation as to which such person possesses both:
(i) the full voting and investment rights pertaining to the shares; and
(ii) the full economic interest in (including the opportunity for profit and risk of loss on) such shares; provided that the number of shares calculated in accordance with clauses (i) and (ii) shall not include any shares: (A) sold by such stockholder of record or beneficial owner or any of their respective affiliates in any transaction that has not been settled or closed; (B) borrowed by such stockholder of record, beneficial owner or any of their respective affiliates for any purposes or purchased by such stockholder of record, beneficial owner or any of their respective affiliates pursuant to an agreement to resell; or (C) subject to any option, warrant, forward contract, swap, contract of sale, other derivative, or similar agreement entered into by such stockholder of record, beneficial owner or any of their respective affiliates, whether any such instrument or agreement is to be settled with shares or
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with cash based on the notional amount or value of outstanding shares of the Corporation, in any such case which instrument or agreement has, or is intended to have, the purpose or effect of: (1) reducing in any manner, to any extent or at any time in the future, such stockholder of record’s, beneficial owner’s or affiliate’s full right to vote or direct the voting of any such shares; and/or (2) hedging, offsetting, or altering to any degree gain or loss arising from the full economic ownership of such shares by such stockholder of record, beneficial owner or affiliate.
An Eligible Stockholder and a beneficial owner, if any, on whose behalf the Proxy Access Stockholder Nominee is proposed will be deemed to “own” shares held in the name of a nominee or other intermediary so long as the Eligible Stockholder or beneficial owner, as applicable, retains the right to instruct how the shares are voted with respect to the election of directors and possesses the full economic interest in the shares. An Eligible Stockholder’s and beneficial owner’s ownership of shares shall be deemed to continue during any period in which the Eligible Stockholder or beneficial owner, as applicable, has delegated any voting power by means of a proxy, power of attorney, or other instrument or arrangement that is revocable at any time by the Eligible Stockholder or beneficial owner, as applicable. An Eligible Stockholder’s and beneficial owner’s ownership of shares shall be deemed to continue during any period in which the Eligible Stockholder or beneficial owner, as applicable, has loaned such shares, provided that the Eligible Stockholder or beneficial owner, as applicable, has the power to recall such loaned shares on five business days’ notice. The terms “owned,” “owning,” and other variations of the word “own” shall have correlative meanings. For purposes of this Section 2.10, the term “affiliate” shall have the meaning ascribed thereto in the rules and regulations promulgated under the Exchange Act.
(h) Nomination Notice and Other Eligible Stockholder Deliverables. An Eligible Stockholder must provide with its Proxy Access Notice the following information in writing to the Secretary:
(i) the information, representations and agreements that would be required to be set forth in a stockholder’s notice of a nomination pursuant to Section 3.2(d) (except for the information required by Section 3.2(d)(ii)(L));
(ii) one or more written statements from the record holder of the shares (and from each intermediary through which the shares are or have been held during the requisite three-year holding period) verifying that, as of a date within seven days prior to the date the Proxy Access Notice is received by the Corporation, the Eligible Stockholder and beneficial owner, if any, on whose behalf the Proxy Access Stockholder Nominee is proposed owns, and has owned continuously for the preceding three years, the Required Shares, and the Eligible Stockholder’s and beneficial owner’s agreement to provide: (A) within five business days after the record date for the meeting, written statements from the record holder and intermediaries verifying the Eligible Stockholder’s and beneficial owner’s continuous ownership of the Required Shares through the record date, and (B) immediate notice if the Eligible Stockholder or beneficial owner ceases to own any of the Required Shares prior to the date of the applicable annual meeting of stockholders;
(iii) the representation and agreement of the Eligible Stockholder and beneficial owner, if any, on whose behalf the Proxy Access Stockholder Nominee is proposed that it: (A) intends to continue to satisfy the eligibility requirements described in this Section 2.10 through the date of the annual meeting, including a statement that it intends to continue to own the Required Shares through the date of the annual meeting; (B) acquired the Required Shares in the ordinary course of business and not with the intent to change or influence control of the Corporation, and does not presently have such intent; (C) has not nominated and will not nominate for election to the Board at the meeting any person other than the Proxy Access Stockholder Nominee(s) being nominated pursuant to this Section 2.10; (D) has not engaged and will not engage in, and has not and will not be, a “participant” in another person’s “solicitation” within the meaning of Rule 14a-1(l) under the Exchange Act in support of the election of any individual as a director at the meeting other than its Proxy Access Stockholder Nominee(s) or any nominee of the Board; (E) has not distributed and will not distribute to any stockholder any form of
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proxy for the meeting other than the form distributed by the Corporation; (F) has provided and will provide facts, statements, and other information in all communications with the Corporation and its stockholders that are or will be true and correct in all material respects and do not and will not omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; (G) agrees to assume all liability stemming from any legal or regulatory violation arising out of its communications with the Corporation’s stockholders or out of the information that it provides to the Corporation; (H) agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Corporation and each of its directors, officers, and employees individually against any liability, loss, or damages in connection with any threatened or pending action, suit, or proceeding, whether legal, administrative, or investigative, against the Corporation or any of its directors, officers, or employees arising out of its nomination or any solicitation pursuant to this Section 2.10; (I) will file with the SEC any solicitation or other communication with the Corporation’s stockholders relating to the meeting at which the Proxy Access Stockholder Nominee will be nominated, regardless of whether any such filing is required under Section 14 of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder or whether any exemption from filing is available for such solicitation or other communication; and (J) has complied and will comply with all other applicable laws, rules, regulations, and listing standards with respect to its nomination or any solicitation in connection with the meeting;
(iv) a copy of the Schedule 14N (or any successor form) that has been filed with the SEC as required by Rule 14a-18 under the Exchange Act;
(v) the details of any relationship that existed within the past three years and that would have been described pursuant to Item 6(e) of Schedule 14N (or any successor item) if it existed on the date of submission of the Schedule 14N;
(vi) in the case of a nomination by a group of stockholders that together is an Eligible Stockholder: (A) documentation satisfactory to the Corporation demonstrating that a group of funds qualifies pursuant to the criteria set forth in Section 2.10(f) to be treated as one stockholder or person for purposes of this Section 2.10; and (B) the designation by all group members of one group member that is authorized to act on behalf of all members of the nominating stockholder group with respect to the nomination and matters related thereto, including withdrawal of the nomination; and
(vii) if desired, a Statement.
(i) Eligible Stockholder/Proxy Access Stockholder Nominee Undertaking. In the event that any information or communications provided by the Eligible Stockholder or Proxy Access Stockholder Nominee to the Corporation or its stockholders ceases to be true and correct in any respect or omits a fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, each Eligible Stockholder or Proxy Access Stockholder Nominee, as the case may be, shall promptly notify the Secretary in writing of any such inaccuracy or omission in such previously provided information and of the information that is required to make such information or communication true and correct. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the provision of any such notification pursuant to the preceding sentence shall not be deemed to cure any defect or limit the Corporation’s right to omit a Proxy Access Stockholder Nominee from its proxy statement as provided in this Section 2.10.
(j) Exceptions Permitting Exclusion of Proxy Access Stockholder Nominee. The Corporation shall not be required to include pursuant to this Section 2.10 a Proxy Access Stockholder Nominee in its proxy statement (or, if the proxy statement has already been filed, to allow the nomination of a Proxy Access Stockholder Nominee, notwithstanding that proxies in respect of such vote may have been received by the Corporation):
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(i) if the Corporation has received a notice (whether or not subsequently withdrawn) that a stockholder intends to nominate any candidate for election to the Board pursuant to the advance notice requirements in Section 3.2;
(ii) who is not independent under the independence requirements, including the committee independence requirements, set forth in the listing standards of the stock exchange on which shares of the Corporation’s capital stock are listed, any applicable rules of the SEC, and any publicly disclosed standards used by the Board in determining and disclosing the independence of the directors (collectively, the “Independence Standards”);
(iii) whose election as a member of the Board would violate or cause the Corporation to be in violation of these Bylaws, the Corporation’s Certificate of Incorporation, Corporate Governance Guidelines, Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, or other document setting forth qualifications for directors, the listing standards of the stock exchange on which shares of the Corporation’s capital stock are listed, or any applicable state or federal law, rule, or regulation;
(iv) who is or has been, within the past three years, an officer or director of a competitor, as defined in Section 8 of the Clayton Antitrust Act of 1914;
(v) who is a named subject or target of a pending criminal proceeding (excluding traffic violations and other minor offenses) or has been convicted in such a criminal proceeding within the past ten years;
(vi) who is subject to any order of the type specified in Rule 506(d) of Regulation D under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended;
(vii) who dies, becomes disabled or otherwise becomes ineligible for inclusion in the Corporation’s proxy statement pursuant to this Section 2.10 or unavailable for election at the annual meeting; or
(viii) if such Proxy Access Stockholder Nominee or the applicable Eligible Stockholder, or the beneficial owners, if any, on whose behalf the Proxy Access Stockholder Nominee is proposed, shall have provided information to the Corporation in respect of such nomination that was untrue in any material respect or omitted to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading or shall have breached its or their agreements, representations, undertakings, or obligations pursuant to this Section 2.10.
(k) Invalidity. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary set forth herein, the Board or the person presiding at the meeting shall be entitled to declare a nomination by an Eligible Stockholder to be invalid, and such nomination shall be disregarded notwithstanding that proxies in respect of such vote may have been received by the Corporation; and the Corporation shall not be required to include in its proxy statement any successor or replacement nominee proposed by the applicable Eligible Stockholder or any other Eligible Stockholder if the Eligible Stockholder (or a qualified representative thereof) does not appear at the meeting to present any nomination pursuant to this Section 2.10.
ARTICLE III
DIRECTORS
Section 3.1 Powers; Term. The business and affairs of the Corporation shall be managed by or under the direction of the Board, which may exercise all such powers of the Corporation and do all such lawful acts and things as are not by statute or by the Certificate of Incorporation or by these Bylaws required to be exercised or done by the stockholders. The Board shall consist of a single class of directors. Directors need not be stockholders or residents of the State of Delaware. The term of office
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of each director will be one year from the time of their respective election until the next annual meeting of stockholders or until their respective successor is duly elected and qualified.
Section 3.2 Advance Notice for Nomination of Directors.
(a) Only persons who are nominated in accordance with the following procedures or the procedures provided in Section 2.10 shall be eligible for election as directors by the stockholders of the Corporation, except as may be otherwise provided by the terms of one or more series of Preferred Stock with respect to the rights of holders of one or more series of Preferred Stock to elect directors. Nominations of persons for election to the Board at any annual meeting of stockholders, or at any special meeting of stockholders called for the purpose of electing directors as set forth in the Corporation’s notice of such special meeting, may be made (i) by or at the direction of the Board (or, in the case of a special meeting, by the stockholders pursuant to Section 2.2); (ii) by any stockholder of the Corporation (x) who is a stockholder of record on the date of the giving of the notice provided for in this Section 3.2 and who is entitled to vote in the election of directors at such meeting and (y) who complies with the notice procedures set forth in this Section 3.2 provided, in the case of a special meeting, that the Board (or the stockholders pursuant to Section 2.2) has determined that directors shall be elected at such special meeting; or (iii) by following the procedures provided in Section 2.10.
(b) In addition to any other applicable requirements, for a nomination to be made by a stockholder pursuant to this Section 3.2, such stockholder must have given timely notice thereof in proper written form to the Secretary of the Corporation. To be timely, a stockholder’s notice to the Secretary must (x) comply with the provisions of this Section 3.2(b) and (y) be timely updated by the times and in the manner required by the provisions of Section 3.2(e). A stockholder’s notice must be received by the Secretary at the principal executive offices of the Corporation (i) in the case of an annual meeting, not later than the close of business on the 90th day nor earlier than the opening of business on the 120th day before the anniversary date of the date on which the Corporation first mailed its proxy materials for the annual meeting of stockholders of the immediately preceding year; provided, however, that if the annual meeting is called for a date that is more than 30 days earlier or more than 60 days later than the anniversary of the preceding year’s annual meeting, notice by the stockholder to be timely must be so received not earlier than the opening of business on the 120th day before the meeting and not later than the later of (x) the close of business on the 90th day before the meeting or (y) the close of business on the 10th day following the day on which public announcement of the date of the annual meeting is first made by the Corporation; and (ii) in the case of a special meeting of stockholders called for the purpose of electing directors, not earlier than the opening of business on the 120th day before the meeting and not later than the later of (x) the close of business on the 90th day before the meeting or (y) the close of business on the 10th day following the day on which public announcement of the date of the special meeting is first made by the Corporation. The public announcement of an adjournment or postponement of an annual meeting or special meeting shall not commence a new time period for the giving of a stockholder’s notice as described in this Section 3.2.
(c) Notwithstanding anything in paragraph (b) to the contrary, if the number of directors to be elected to the Board at an annual meeting is greater than the number of directors whose terms expire on the date of the annual meeting and there is no public announcement by the Corporation naming all of the nominees for the additional directors to be elected or specifying the size of the increased Board before the close of business on the 90th day prior to the anniversary date of the immediately preceding annual meeting of stockholders, a stockholder’s notice required by this Section 3.2 shall also be considered timely, but only with respect to nominees for the additional directorships created by such increase that are to be filled by election at such annual meeting, if it shall 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 date on which such public announcement was first made by the Corporation. The number of nominees a stockholder may nominate for election at an annual meeting must not exceed the number of directors to be elected to the Board at such annual meeting.
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(d) To be in proper written form, a stockholder’s notice to the Secretary must set forth (i) as to each person whom the stockholder proposes to nominate for election as a director (A) the name, age, business address and residence address of the nominee, (B) the principal occupation or employment of the nominee, (C) the class or series and number of shares of capital stock of the Corporation that are owned of record or are directly or indirectly owned beneficially by the nominee, (D) any Derivative Instrument directly or indirectly owned beneficially by such nominee and any other direct or indirect opportunity to profit or share in any profit derived from any increase or decrease in the value of shares of the Corporation, (E) any other information relating to the nominee that would be required to be disclosed in a proxy statement or other filings required to be made in connection with solicitations of proxies for election of directors pursuant to Section 14 of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder and any other applicable laws or rules or regulations of any governmental authority or of any national securities exchange or similar body overseeing any trading market on which shares of the Corporation are traded, (F) details of any position held by the nominee as an officer or director of any competitor of the Corporation (that is, any entity that produces products, provides services or engages in business activities that compete with or are alternatives to the principal products produced, services provided or business activities engaged in by the Corporation or its affiliates) within the three years preceding the submission of the stockholder’s notice, (G) a statement detailing whether the nominee is eligible for consideration as an independent director under the Independence Standards, (H) a completed questionnaire (in the form provided by the Corporation) signed by the nominee with respect to the background and qualification of such nominee and (I) a description of any agreement, arrangement, or understanding with any person or entity other than the Corporation with respect to any direct or indirect compensation, reimbursement, or indemnification of the nominee in connection with service or action as a director (a “Compensation Arrangement”); and (ii) as to the stockholder giving the notice (A) the name and address of such stockholder as they appear on the Corporation’s books, and the name and address of any Stockholder Associated Person, (B) the class or series and number of shares of capital stock of the Corporation that are owned of record or directly or indirectly owned beneficially by such stockholder and any Stockholder Associated Person, (C) any Derivative Instrument directly or indirectly owned beneficially by such stockholder or Stockholder Associated Person and any other direct or indirect opportunity of such stockholder or any Stockholder Associated Person to profit or share in any profit derived from any increase or decrease in the value of shares of the Corporation, (D) any proxy (other than a revocable proxy or consent given in response to a solicitation made pursuant to Section 14(a) of the Exchange Act by way of a solicitation statement filed on Schedule 14A), contract, arrangement, understanding or relationship pursuant to which such stockholder or any Stockholder Associated Person has a right to vote any shares of the Corporation, (E) any short interest in any security of the Corporation held by such stockholder or any Stockholder Associated Person (for purposes of this Section 3.2 a person shall be deemed to have a short interest in a security if such person directly or indirectly, through any contract, arrangement, understanding, relationship or otherwise, has the opportunity to profit or share in any profit derived from any decrease in the value of the subject security), (F) any rights beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, by such stockholder or Stockholder Associated Person to dividends on the shares of the Corporation that are separated or separable from the underlying shares of the Corporation, (G) any proportionate interest in shares of the Corporation or Derivative Instruments held, directly or indirectly, by a general or limited partnership in which such stockholder or any Stockholder Associated Person is a general partner or, directly or indirectly, beneficially owns an interest in a general partner, (H) any performance-related fees (other than an asset-based fee) that such stockholder or any Stockholder Associated Person is entitled to based on any increase or decrease in the value of shares of the Corporation or Derivative Instruments, if any, including without limitation any such interests held by members of such stockholder’s or any Stockholder Associated Person’s immediate family sharing the same household, (I) a description of all agreements, arrangements or understandings (written or oral) between or among such stockholder, any Stockholder Associated Person, any proposed nominee or any other person or persons (including their names) pursuant to which the nomination or nominations are to be made by such stockholder, (J) a representation that such stockholder intends to appear in person or by proxy at the meeting to nominate the persons named in its notice, (K) any other information
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relating to such stockholder and any Stockholder Associated Person that would be required to be disclosed in a proxy statement or other filings required to be made in connection with solicitations of proxies for election of directors pursuant to Section 14 of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder and any other applicable laws or rules or regulations of any governmental authority or of any national securities exchange or similar body overseeing any trading market on which shares of the Corporation are traded, and (L) a statement of whether such stockholder or any Stockholder Associated Person intends, or is part of a group that intends, to solicit proxies for the election of the proposed nominee in accordance with Rule 14a-19 promulgated under the Exchange Act.
Such notice must be accompanied by (i) a written consent of each proposed nominee to being named as a nominee and to serve as a director for the full term for which he or she is standing for election if elected by the stockholders and (ii) a written representation and agreement that each proposed nominee, the stockholder giving notice and any person on whose behalf the nomination is being made is not and will not become a party to (A) any Compensation Arrangement that has not been disclosed to the Corporation, (B) any agreement, arrangement or understanding with, and any commitment or assurance to, any person or entity as to how such person (including with respect to such proposed nominee, if elected as a director), would vote or act, as applicable, on any issue or question (a “Voting Commitment”) that has not been disclosed to the Corporation or (C) any Voting Commitment that could limit or interfere with such person’s ability to comply (including, with respect to such proposed nominee, if elected as a director) with such person’s fiduciary and other duties under applicable law.
(e) A stockholder providing notice of a director nomination shall further update and supplement such notice, if necessary, so that the information provided or required to be provided in such notice pursuant to this Section 3.2 shall be true and correct as of the record date for determining the stockholders entitled to notice of the meeting and as of the date that is 10 business days prior to the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof, and such update and supplement shall be delivered to, or mailed and received by, the Secretary at the principal executive offices of the Corporation (x) in the case of the update and supplement required to be made as of such record date, not later than five business days after such record date and (y) in the case of the update and supplement required to be made as of 10 business days prior to the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof, as applicable, not later than eight business days prior to the date for the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof, if practicable (or if not practicable, on the first practicable date prior to the date for the meeting or such adjournment or postponement thereof). For the avoidance of doubt, no update or supplement made pursuant to this paragraph may include any new nominees who were not named in the original stockholder notice or be deemed to cure any defects or limit the remedies (including without limitation under these Bylaws) available to the Corporation relating to any defect. In addition, at the request of the Board, a proposed nominee shall furnish to the Secretary of the Corporation within 10 days after receipt of such request such information as may reasonably be required by the Corporation to determine the eligibility of such proposed nominee to serve as an independent director of the Corporation or that could be material to a reasonable stockholder’s understanding of the independence, or lack thereof, of such nominee, and if such information is not furnished within such time period, the notice of such director’s nomination shall not be considered to have been timely given for purposes of this Section 3.2.
(f) Except as otherwise provided by the terms of one or more series of Preferred Stock with respect to the rights of one or more series of Preferred Stock to nominate and elect directors, no person shall be eligible for election as a director of the Corporation unless nominated in accordance with the procedures set forth in Section 2.10 or this Section 3.2. If the Board or the chairman of the meeting of stockholders determines that any nomination was not made in accordance with the provisions of Section 2.10 or this Section 3.2, then such nomination shall not be considered at the meeting in question. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of Section 2.10 or this Section 3.2, if the stockholder (or a qualified representative of the stockholder) does not appear at the meeting of
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stockholders of the Corporation to present the nomination, such nomination shall be disregarded, notwithstanding that proxies in respect of such nomination may have been received by the Corporation. Without limiting the other provisions and requirements of this Section 3.2, unless otherwise required by law or determined by the Board in its sole discretion, if the stockholder (i) provides notice pursuant to Rule 14a-19(b) under the Exchange Act and (ii) subsequently fails to comply with the requirements of Rule 14a-19(a)(2) or Rule 14a-19(a)(3) under the Exchange Act, then the Corporation shall disregard any proxies or votes solicited for such proposed nominee. Upon request by the Corporation, if the stockholder provides notice pursuant to Rule 14a-19(b) under the Exchange Act, the stockholder shall deliver to the Corporation, no later than five business days prior to the applicable meeting, reasonable evidence that it has met the requirements of Rule 14a-19(a)(3) under the Exchange Act.
(g) In addition to the provisions of this Section 3.2, a stockholder shall also comply with all of the applicable requirements of state and federal law, including the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations thereunder, with respect to the matters set forth herein.
(h) Nothing in this Section 3.2 shall be deemed to affect any rights of the holders of Preferred Stock to nominate and elect directors pursuant to the Certificate of Incorporation or the right of the Board to fill newly created directorships and vacancies on the Board pursuant to the Certificate of Incorporation.
Section 3.3 Compensation. Unless otherwise restricted by the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws, the Board shall have the authority to fix the compensation of directors. The directors may be reimbursed their expenses, if any, of attendance at each meeting of the Board and may be paid either a fixed sum for attendance at each meeting of the Board or other compensation as director. No such payment shall preclude any director from serving the Corporation in any other capacity and receiving compensation therefor. Members of committees of the Board may be allowed like compensation and reimbursement of expenses for service on the committee.
Section 3.4 Appointment of Directors; Vacancies. Newly created directorships resulting from an increase in the number of directors and any vacancies on the Board resulting from death, resignation, retirement, disqualification, removal or other cause may be filled solely by a majority vote of the directors then in office, even if less than a quorum, or by a sole remaining director (and not by stockholders), and any director so chosen shall hold office for the remainder of the full term of the class of directors to which the new directorship was added or in which the vacancy occurred and until his or her successor has been elected and qualified, subject, however, to such director’s earlier death, resignation, retirement, disqualification or removal.
Section 3.5 Removal of Directors. Subject to the rights, if any, of the holders of shares of any class or series of Preferred Stock then outstanding to remove directors, any director or the entire Board may be removed from office, with or without cause, upon the affirmative vote of the holders of at least a majority of the outstanding shares of Common Stock.
ARTICLE IV
BOARD MEETINGS
Section 4.1 Annual Meetings. The Board shall meet as soon as practicable after the adjournment of each annual stockholders meeting at the place of the annual stockholders meeting unless the Board shall fix another time and place and give notice thereof in the manner required herein for special meetings of the Board. No notice to the directors shall be necessary to legally convene this meeting, except as provided in this Section 4.1.
Section 4.2 Regular Meetings. Regularly scheduled, periodic meetings of the Board may be held without notice at such times, dates and places as shall from time to time be determined by the Board.
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Section 4.3 Special Meetings. Special meetings of the Board (a) may be called by the Chairman of the Board or Chief Executive Officer and (b) shall be called by the Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer or Secretary on the written request of at least a majority of directors then in office, or the sole director, as the case may be, and shall be held at such time, date and place as may be determined by the person calling the meeting or, if called upon the request of directors or the sole director, as specified in such written request. Notice of each special meeting of the Board shall be given, as provided in Section 9.3, to each director (i) at least 24 hours before the meeting if such notice is oral notice given personally or by telephone or written notice given by hand delivery or by means of a form of electronic transmission and delivery; (ii) at least two days before the meeting if such notice is sent by a nationally recognized overnight delivery service; and (iii) at least five days before the meeting if such notice is sent through the United States mail. If the Secretary shall fail or refuse to give such notice, then the notice may be given by the officer who called the meeting or the directors who requested the meeting. Any and all business that may be transacted at a regular meeting of the Board may be transacted at a special meeting. Except as may be otherwise expressly provided by applicable law, the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws, neither the business to be transacted at, nor the purpose of, any special meeting need be specified in the notice or waiver of notice of such meeting. A special meeting may be held at any time without notice if all the directors are present or if those not present waive notice of the meeting in accordance with Section 9.4.
Section 4.4 Quorum; Required Vote. A majority of the Board, but in any event not less than one third of the Whole Board, shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at any meeting of the Board, and the act of a majority of the directors present at any meeting at which there is a quorum shall be the act of the Board, in each case except as may be otherwise specifically provided by applicable law, the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws. If a quorum shall not be present at any meeting, a majority of the directors present may adjourn the meeting from time to time, without notice other than announcement at the meeting, until a quorum is present. “Whole Board” shall mean the total number of directors that the Corporation would have if there were no vacancies.
Section 4.5 Consent In Lieu of 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 or any committee thereof may be taken without a meeting if all members of the Board or committee, as the case may be, consent thereto in writing or by electronic transmission, and the writing or writings or electronic transmission or transmissions (or paper reproductions thereof) are filed with the minutes of proceedings of the Board or committee. 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.
Section 4.6 Organization. The Board shall elect a Chairman of the Board from among the directors. The chairman of each meeting of the Board shall be the Chairman of the Board or, in the absence (or inability or refusal to act) of the Chairman of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer (if he or she shall be a director) or, in the absence (or inability or refusal to act) of the Chief Executive Officer or if the Chief Executive Officer is not a director, the President (if he or she shall be a director) or in the absence (or inability or refusal to act) of the President or if the President is not a director, a chairman elected from the directors present. The Secretary shall act as secretary of all meetings of the Board. In the absence (or inability or refusal to act) of the Secretary, an Assistant Secretary shall perform the duties of the Secretary at such meeting. In the absence (or inability or refusal to act) of the Secretary and all Assistant Secretaries, the chairman of the meeting may appoint any person to act as secretary of the meeting.
ARTICLE V
COMMITTEES OF DIRECTORS
Section 5.1 Establishment. The Board may by resolution passed by a majority of the Board designate one or more committees, each committee to consist of one or more of the directors of the
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Corporation. Each committee shall keep regular minutes of its meetings and report the same to the Board when required. The Board shall have the power at any time to fill vacancies in, to change the membership of, or to dissolve any such committee.
Section 5.2 Available Powers. Any committee established pursuant to Section 5.1, to the extent permitted by applicable law and by resolution of the Board, shall have and may exercise all of the powers and authority of the Board 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 that may require it.
Section 5.3 Alternate Members. The Board may designate one or more directors as alternate members of any committee, who may replace any absent or disqualified member at any meeting of such committee.
Section 5.4 Procedures. Unless the Board otherwise provides, the time, date, place, if any, and notice of meetings of a committee shall be determined by such committee. At meetings of a committee, a majority of the members of the committee (but not including any alternate member, unless such alternate member has replaced any absent or disqualified member at the time of, or in connection with, such meeting) shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. The act of a majority of the members present at any meeting at which a quorum is present shall be the act of the committee, except as otherwise specifically provided by applicable law, the Certificate of Incorporation, these Bylaws or the Board. If a quorum is not present at a meeting of a committee, the members present may adjourn the meeting from time to time, without notice other than an announcement at the meeting, until a quorum is present. Unless the Board otherwise provides and except as provided in these Bylaws, each committee designated by the Board may make, alter, amend and repeal rules for the conduct of its business. In the absence of such rules each committee shall conduct its business in the same manner as the Board is authorized to conduct its business pursuant to Article III and Article IV of these Bylaws.
ARTICLE VI
OFFICERS
Section 6.1 Officers. The officers of the Corporation elected by the Board may include a Chief Executive Officer, a President, a Treasurer, a Controller, a Secretary and such other officers (including without limitation a Chief Financial Officer, Vice Presidents, Assistant Secretaries and Assistant Treasurers) as the Board from time to time may determine. Officers elected by the Board shall each have such powers and duties as generally pertain to their respective offices, subject to the specific provisions of this Article VI. Such officers shall also have such powers and duties as from time to time may be conferred by the Board. The Chief Executive Officer or President may also appoint such other officers (including without limitation one or more Vice Presidents and Controllers) as may be necessary or desirable for the conduct of the business of the Corporation. Such other officers shall have such powers and duties and shall hold their offices for such terms as may be provided in these Bylaws or as may be prescribed by the Board or, if such officer has been appointed by the Chief Executive Officer or President, as may be prescribed by the appointing officer.
(a) Chief Executive Officer. The Chief Executive Officer shall be the chief executive officer of the Corporation, shall have general supervision of the affairs of the Corporation and general control of all of its business subject to the ultimate authority of the Board, and shall be responsible for the execution of the policies of the Board. In the absence (or inability or refusal to act) of the Chairman of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer shall preside when present at all meetings of the stockholders and (if he or she shall be a director) of the Board.
(b) President. The President, if any, shall be subject to the direction and control of the Chief Executive Officer and the Board and shall have such powers and duties as the Board or the Chief Executive Officer may assign to the President. In the absence (or inability or refusal to act) of the Chief
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Executive Officer, the President shall preside when present at all meetings of the stockholders and (if he or she shall be a director) of the Board.
(c) Controller. The Controller shall be the chief accounting officer of the Corporation. The Controller shall report to the Chief Financial Officer and, when requested, counsel with and advise the other officers of the Corporation and shall perform such other duties as such officer may agree with the Chief Executive Officer or the Chief Financial Officer or as the Board may from time to time determine.
(d) Vice Presidents. In the absence (or inability or refusal to act) of the President, the Vice President (or in the event there be more than one Vice President, the Vice Presidents in the order designated by the Board) shall perform the duties and have the powers of the President. Any one or more of the Vice Presidents may be given an additional designation of rank or function. Specifically, Vice Presidents may include Executive Vice Presidents and Senior Vice Presidents.
(e) Secretary.
(i) The Secretary shall attend all meetings of the stockholders, the Board and (as required) committees of the Board and shall record the proceedings of such meetings in books to be kept for that purpose. The Secretary shall give, or cause to be given, notice of all meetings of the stockholders and special meetings of the Board and shall perform such other duties as may be prescribed by the Board, the Chief Executive Officer or the President. The Secretary shall have custody of the corporate seal of the Corporation and the Secretary, or any Assistant Secretary, shall have authority to affix the same to any instrument requiring it, and when so affixed, it may be attested by his or her signature or by the signature of such Assistant Secretary. The Board may give general authority to any other officer to affix the seal of the Corporation and to attest the affixing thereof by his or her signature.
(ii) The Secretary shall keep, or cause to be kept, at the principal executive office of the Corporation or at the office of the Corporation’s transfer agent or registrar, if one has been appointed, a stock ledger, or duplicate stock ledger, showing the names of the stockholders and their addresses, the number and classes of shares held by each and, with respect to certificated shares, the number and date of certificates issued for the same and the number and date of certificates cancelled.
(f) Assistant Secretaries. The Assistant Secretary or, if there be more than one, the Assistant Secretaries in the order determined by the Board shall, in the absence (or inability or refusal to act) of the Secretary, perform the duties and have the powers of the Secretary.
(g) Treasurer. The Treasurer shall perform all duties commonly incident to that office (including, without limitation, the care and custody of the funds and securities of the Corporation which from time to time may come into the Treasurer’s hands and the deposit of the funds of the Corporation in such banks or trust companies as the Board, the Chief Executive Officer or the President may authorize).
(h) Assistant Treasurers. The Assistant Treasurer or, if there shall be more than one, the Assistant Treasurers in the order determined by the Board shall, in the absence (or inability or refusal to act) of the Treasurer, perform the duties and exercise the powers of the Treasurer.
Section 6.2 Term of Office; Removal; Vacancies. The elected officers of the Corporation shall be elected annually by the Board at its first meeting held after each annual meeting of stockholders. All officers elected by the Board shall hold office until the next annual meeting of the Board and until their successors are duly elected and qualified or until their earlier death, resignation, retirement, disqualification, or removal from office. Any officer may be removed, with or without cause, at any time by the Board. Any officer appointed by the Chief Executive Officer or President may also be removed, with or without cause, by the Chief Executive Officer or President, as the case may be, unless the Board otherwise provides. Any vacancy occurring in any elected office of the Corporation may be filled by the Board. Any vacancy occurring in any office appointed by the Chief Executive Officer or President may be filled by the Chief Executive Officer or President, as the case may be, unless the Board then determines that such office shall thereupon be elected by the Board, in which case the Board shall elect such officer.
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Section 6.3 Other Officers. The Board may delegate the power to appoint such other officers and agents, and may also remove such officers and agents or delegate the power to remove same, as it shall from time to time deem necessary or desirable.
Section 6.4 Multiple Officeholders; Stockholder Officers. Any number of offices may be held by the same person, unless the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws otherwise provide. Officers need not be stockholders or residents of the State of Delaware.
ARTICLE VII
SHARES
Section 7.1 Certificated and Uncertificated Shares. The shares of the Corporation shall be represented by certificates, provided that the Board may provide by resolution or resolutions that some or all of any or all classes or series of its stock shall be uncertificated shares. Any such resolution shall not apply to shares represented by a certificate until such certificate is surrendered to the Corporation. Notwithstanding the adoption of such a resolution by the Board, every holder of stock represented by certificates and upon request every holder of uncertificated shares shall be entitled to have a certificate signed in accordance with Section 7.3 representing the number of shares registered in certificate form. The Corporation shall not have power to issue a certificate representing shares in bearer form.
Section 7.2 Multiple Classes of Stock. The Corporation shall, by resolution of the Board, be authorized to issue, from time to time, one or more classes of Preferred Stock and, with respect to each such class, to fix the terms thereof. If the Corporation issues more than one class of stock or more than one series of any class, the Corporation shall (a) cause 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 or rights to be set forth in full or summarized on the face or back of any certificate that the Corporation issues to represent shares of such class or series of stock or (b) in the case of uncertificated shares, within a reasonable time after the issuance or transfer of such shares, send to the registered owner thereof a written notice containing the information required to be set forth on certificates as specified in clause (a) above; provided, however, that, except as otherwise provided by applicable law, in lieu of the foregoing requirements, there may be set forth on the face or back of such certificate or, in the case of uncertificated shares, on such written notice 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 or rights.
Section 7.3 Signatures. Each certificate representing capital stock of the Corporation, if any, shall be signed by or in the name of the Corporation by any two authorized officers of the Corporation, including, without limitation, the Chief Executive Officer, the President, any Vice President, the Chief Financial Officer, the Treasurer, any Assistant Treasurer, the Secretary or any Assistant Secretary of the Corporation. Any or all 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 shall have ceased to be such officer, transfer agent or registrar before such certificate is issued, such certificate may be issued by the Corporation with the same effect as if such person were such officer, transfer agent or registrar on the date of issue.
Section 7.4 Consideration and Payment for Shares.
(a) Subject to applicable law and the Certificate of Incorporation, shares of stock may be issued for such consideration, having in the case of shares with par value a value not less than the par value thereof, and to such persons, as determined from time to time by the Board. The consideration may
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consist of any tangible or intangible property or benefit to the Corporation including cash, promissory notes, services performed, contracts for services to be performed or other securities.
(b) Subject to applicable law and the Certificate of Incorporation, shares may not be issued until the full amount of the consideration has been paid, unless upon the face or back of each certificate issued to represent any partly paid shares of capital stock or upon the books and records of the Corporation in the case of partly paid uncertificated shares, there shall have been set forth the total amount of the consideration to be paid therefor and the amount paid thereon up to and including the time said certificate representing certificated shares or said uncertificated shares are issued.
Section 7.5 Lost, Destroyed or Wrongfully Taken Certificates.
(a) If an owner of a certificate representing shares claims that such certificate has been lost, destroyed or wrongfully taken, the Corporation shall issue a new certificate representing such shares or such shares in uncertificated form if the owner: (i) requests such a new certificate before the Corporation has notice that the certificate representing such shares has been acquired by a protected purchaser; (ii) if requested by the Corporation, delivers to the Corporation a bond sufficient to indemnify the Corporation against any claim that may be made against the Corporation on account of the alleged loss, wrongful taking or destruction of such certificate or the issuance of such new certificate or uncertificated shares; and (iii) satisfies other reasonable requirements imposed by the Corporation.
(b) If a certificate representing shares has been lost, apparently destroyed or wrongfully taken, and the owner fails to notify the Corporation of that fact within a reasonable time after the owner has notice of such loss, apparent destruction or wrongful taking and the Corporation registers a transfer of such shares before receiving notification, the owner shall be precluded from asserting against the Corporation any claim for registering such transfer or a claim to a new certificate representing such shares or such shares in uncertificated form.
Section 7.6 Transfer of Stock.
(a) If a certificate representing shares of the Corporation is presented to the Corporation with a stock power or other indorsement requesting the registration of transfer of such shares or an instruction is presented to the Corporation requesting the registration of transfer of uncertificated shares, the Corporation shall register the transfer as requested if:
(i) in the case of certificated shares, the certificate representing such shares has been surrendered;
(ii)(A) with respect to certificated shares, the indorsement is made by the person specified by the certificate as entitled to such shares; (B) with respect to uncertificated shares, an instruction is made by the registered owner of such uncertificated shares; or (C) with respect to certificated shares or uncertificated shares, the indorsement or instruction is made by any other appropriate person or by an agent who has actual authority to act on behalf of the appropriate person;
(iii) the Corporation has received a guarantee of signature of the person signing such indorsement or instruction or such other reasonable assurance that the indorsement or instruction is genuine and authorized as the Corporation may request;
(iv) the transfer does not violate any restriction on transfer imposed by the Corporation that is enforceable in accordance with Section 7.8(a); and
(v) such other conditions for such transfer as shall be provided for under applicable law have been satisfied.
(b) Whenever any transfer of shares shall be made for collateral security and not absolutely, the Corporation shall so record such fact in the entry of transfer if, when the certificate for such shares is presented to the Corporation for transfer or, if such shares are uncertificated, when the instruction for
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registration of transfer thereof is presented to the Corporation, both the transferor and transferee request the Corporation to do so.
Section 7.7 Registered Stockholders. Before due presentment for registration of transfer of a certificate representing shares of the Corporation or of an instruction requesting registration of transfer of uncertificated shares, the Corporation may treat the registered owner as the person exclusively entitled to inspect for any proper purpose the stock ledger and the other books and records of the Corporation, vote such shares, receive dividends or notifications with respect to such shares and otherwise exercise all the rights and powers of the owner of such shares, except that a person who is the beneficial owner of such shares (if held in a voting trust or by a nominee on behalf of such person) may, upon providing documentary evidence of beneficial ownership of such shares and satisfying such other conditions as are provided under applicable law, may also so inspect the books and records of the Corporation.
Section 7.8 Effect of the Corporation’s Restriction on Transfer.
(a) A written restriction on the transfer or registration of transfer of shares of the Corporation or on the amount of shares of the Corporation that may be owned by any person or group of persons, if permitted by the DGCL and noted conspicuously on the certificate representing such shares or, in the case of uncertificated shares, contained in a notice sent by the Corporation to the registered owner of such shares within a reasonable time after the issuance or transfer of such shares, may be enforced against the holder of such shares or any successor or transferee of the holder including an executor, administrator, trustee, guardian or other fiduciary entrusted with like responsibility for the person or estate of the holder.
(b) A restriction imposed by the Corporation on the transfer or the registration of shares of the Corporation or on the amount of shares of the Corporation that may be owned by any person or group of persons, even if otherwise lawful, is ineffective against a person without actual knowledge of such restriction unless: (i) the shares are certificated and such restriction is noted conspicuously on the certificate; or (ii) the shares are uncertificated and such restriction was contained in a notice sent by the Corporation to the registered owner of such shares within a reasonable time after the issuance or transfer of such shares.
Section 7.9 Regulations. The Board shall have power and authority to make such additional rules and regulations, subject to any applicable requirement of law, as the Board may deem necessary and appropriate with respect to the issue, transfer or registration of transfer of shares of stock or certificates representing shares. The Board may appoint one or more transfer agents or registrars and may require for the validity thereof that certificates representing shares bear the signature of any transfer agent or registrar so appointed.
ARTICLE VIII
INDEMNIFICATION
Section 8.1 Right to Indemnification. Each person who was or is made a party or is threatened to be made a party to or is otherwise involved 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 he or she is or was a director or officer of the Corporation or, while 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 or of a partnership, joint venture, trust, other enterprise or nonprofit entity, including service with respect to an employee benefit plan (hereinafter a “Covered Person”), whether the basis of such proceeding is alleged action in an official capacity as a director, officer, employee or agent, or in any other capacity while serving as a director, officer, employee or agent, shall be indemnified and held harmless by the Corporation to the fullest extent permitted by Delaware law, as the same exists or may hereafter be amended, against all expenses, liability and loss (including, without limitation, attorneys’ fees, judgments, fines, ERISA excise taxes and penalties and
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amounts paid in settlement) reasonably incurred or suffered by such Covered Person in connection with such proceeding; provided, however, that, except as provided in Section 8.3 with respect to proceedings to enforce rights to indemnification and advancement of expenses, the Corporation shall indemnify a Covered Person in connection with a proceeding (or part thereof) initiated by such Covered Person only if such proceeding (or part thereof) was authorized by the Board.
Section 8.2 Right to Advancement of Expenses. In addition to the right to indemnification conferred in Section 8.1, a Covered Person shall also have the right to be paid by the Corporation the expenses (including, without limitation, attorneys’ fees) incurred in defending, testifying, or otherwise participating in any such proceeding in advance of its final disposition (hereinafter an “advancement of expenses”); provided, however, that, if the DGCL requires, an advancement of expenses incurred by a Covered Person in his or her capacity as a director or officer of the Corporation (and not in any other capacity in which service was or is rendered by such Covered Person, including, without limitation, service to an employee benefit plan) shall be made only upon delivery to the Corporation of an undertaking (hereinafter an “undertaking”), by or on behalf of such Covered Person, to repay all amounts so advanced if it shall ultimately be determined by final judicial decision from which there is no further right to appeal (hereinafter a “final adjudication”) that such Covered Person is not entitled to be indemnified for such expenses under this Article VIII or otherwise.
Section 8.3 Right of Indemnitee to Bring Suit. If a claim under Section 8.1 or Section 8.2 is not paid in full by the Corporation within 60 days after a written claim therefor has been received by the Corporation, except in the case of a claim for an advancement of expenses, in which case the applicable period shall be 20 days, the Covered Person may at any time thereafter bring suit against the Corporation to recover the unpaid amount of the claim to the fullest extent permitted by law. If successful in whole or in part in any such suit, or in a suit brought by the Corporation to recover an advancement of expenses pursuant to the terms of an undertaking, the Covered Person shall also be entitled to be paid the expense of prosecuting or defending such suit. In any suit brought by (a) the Covered Person to enforce a right to indemnification hereunder (but not in a suit brought by a Covered Person to enforce a right to an advancement of expenses) it shall be a defense that, and (b) the Corporation to recover an advancement of expenses pursuant to the terms of an undertaking, the Corporation shall be entitled to recover such expenses upon a final adjudication that, the Covered Person has not met any applicable standard for indemnification set forth in the DGCL. Neither the failure of the Corporation (including its directors who are not parties to such action, a committee of such directors, independent legal counsel, or its stockholders) to have made a determination prior to the commencement of such suit that indemnification of the Covered Person is proper in the circumstances because the Covered Person has met the applicable standard of conduct set forth in the DGCL, nor an actual determination by the Corporation (including a determination by its directors who are not parties to such action, a committee of such directors, independent legal counsel, or its stockholders) that the Covered Person has not met such applicable standard of conduct, shall create a presumption that the Covered Person has not met the applicable standard of conduct or, in the case of such a suit brought by the Covered Person, shall be a defense to such suit. In any suit brought by the Covered Person to enforce a right to indemnification or to an advancement of expenses hereunder, or by the Corporation to recover an advancement of expenses pursuant to the terms of an undertaking, the burden of proving that the Covered Person is not entitled to be indemnified, or to such advancement of expenses, under this Article VIII or otherwise shall be on the Corporation.
Section 8.4 Non-Exclusivity of Rights. The rights provided to Covered Persons pursuant to this Article VIII shall not be exclusive of any other right that any Covered Person may have or hereafter acquire under applicable law, the Certificate of Incorporation, these Bylaws, an agreement, a vote of stockholders or disinterested directors, or otherwise.
Section 8.5 Insurance. The Corporation may maintain insurance, at its expense, to protect itself and/or any director, officer, employee or agent of the Corporation or another entity, trust or other enterprise or who is or was serving at the request of the Corporation as an officer, director, employee or other agent of another enterprise, in each case, against any expense, liability or loss, whether or
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not the Corporation would have the power to indemnify such person against such expense, liability or loss under the DGCL.
Section 8.6 Indemnification of Other Persons. This Article VIII shall not limit the right of the Corporation to the extent and in the manner permitted by law to indemnify and to advance expenses to persons other than Covered Persons. Without limiting the foregoing, the Corporation may, to the extent authorized from time to time by the Board, grant rights to indemnification and to the advancement of expenses to any employee or agent of the Corporation and to any other person who is or was serving at the request of the Corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation or of a partnership, joint venture, trust, other enterprise or nonprofit entity, including service with respect to an employee benefit plan, to the fullest extent of the provisions of this Article VIII with respect to the indemnification and advancement of expenses of Covered Persons under this Article VIII.
Section 8.7 Amendments. Any repeal or amendment of this Article VIII by the Board or the stockholders of the Corporation or by changes in applicable law, or the adoption of any other provision of these Bylaws inconsistent with this Article VIII, shall, to the extent permitted by applicable law, be prospective only (except to the extent such amendment or change in applicable law permits the Corporation to provide broader indemnification rights to Covered Persons on a retroactive basis than permitted prior thereto), and will not in any way diminish or adversely affect any right or protection existing hereunder in respect of any act or omission occurring prior to such repeal or amendment or adoption of such inconsistent provision.
Section 8.8 Certain Definitions. For purposes of this Article VIII, (a) references to “other enterprise” shall include any employee benefit plan; (b) references to “fines” shall include any excise taxes assessed on a person with respect to an employee benefit plan; (c) references to “serving at the request of the Corporation” shall include any service that imposes duties on, or involves services by, a person with respect to any employee benefit plan, its participants, or beneficiaries; and (d) 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 interest of the Corporation” for purposes of Section 145 of the DGCL.
Section 8.9 Contract Rights. The rights provided to Covered Persons pursuant to this Article VIII (a) shall be contract rights based upon good and valuable consideration, pursuant to which a Covered Person may bring suit as if the provisions of this Article VIII were set forth in a separate written contract between the Covered Person and the Corporation, (b) shall fully vest at the time the Covered Person first assumes his or her position as a director or officer of the Corporation, (c) are intended to be retroactive and shall be available with respect to any act or omission occurring prior to the adoption of this Article VIII, (d) shall continue as to a Covered Person who has ceased to be a director or officer of the Corporation and (e) shall inure to the benefit of the Covered Person’s heirs, executors and administrators.
Section 8.10 Severability. If any provision or provisions of this Article VIII shall be held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable for any reason whatsoever: (a) the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions of this Article VIII shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby; and (b) to the fullest extent possible, the provisions of this Article VIII (including, without limitation, each such portion of this Article VIII 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.
ARTICLE IX
MISCELLANEOUS
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Section 9.1 Place of Meetings. If the place of any meeting of stockholders, the Board or committee of the Board for which notice is required under these Bylaws is not designated in the notice of such meeting, such meeting shall be held at the principal business office of the Corporation; provided, however, if the Board has, in its sole discretion, determined that a meeting shall not be held at any place, but instead shall be held by means of remote communication pursuant to Section 9.5 hereof, then such meeting shall not be held at any place.
Section 9.2 Fixing Record Dates.
(a) In order that the Corporation may determine the stockholders entitled to notice of any meeting of stockholders or any adjournment thereof, the Board may fix a record date, which shall not precede the date upon which the resolution fixing the record date is adopted by the Board, and which record date shall not be more than 60 nor less than 10 days before the date of such meeting. If the Board so fixes a record date, such date shall also be the record date for determining the stockholders entitled to vote at such meeting unless the Board determines, at the time it fixes such record date, that a later date on or before the date of the meeting shall be the date for making such determination. If no record date is fixed by the Board, the record date for determining stockholders entitled to notice of and to vote at a meeting of stockholders shall be at the close of business on the business day next preceding the day on which notice is given, or, if notice is waived, at the close of business on the business day next preceding the day on which the meeting is held. 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 may fix a new record date for determination of stockholders entitled to vote at the adjourned meeting, and in such case shall also fix as the record date for stockholders entitled to notice of such adjourned meeting the same or an earlier date as that fixed for determination of stockholders entitled to vote in accordance with the foregoing provisions of this Section 9.2(a) at the adjourned meeting.
(b) In order that the Corporation may determine the stockholders entitled to receive payment of any dividend or other distribution or allotment of any rights or the stockholders entitled to exercise any rights in respect of any change, conversion or exchange of stock, or for the purpose of any other lawful action, the Board may fix a record date, which record date shall not precede the date upon which the resolution fixing the record date is adopted, and which record date shall be not more than 60 days prior to such action. If no record date is fixed, the record date for determining stockholders for any such purpose shall be at the close of business on the day on which the Board adopts the resolution relating thereto.
Section 9.3 Means of Giving Notice.
(a) Notice to Directors. Whenever under applicable law, the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws notice is required to be given to any director, such notice shall be given either (i) in writing and sent by hand delivery, through the United States mail, or by a nationally recognized overnight delivery service for next day delivery, (ii) by means of facsimile telecommunication or other form of electronic transmission, or (iii) by oral notice given personally or by telephone. A notice to a director will be deemed given as follows: (i) if given by hand delivery, orally, or by telephone, when actually received by the director, (ii) if sent through the United States mail, when deposited in the United States mail, with postage and fees thereon prepaid, addressed to the director at the director’s address appearing on the records of the Corporation, (iii) if sent for next day delivery by a nationally recognized overnight delivery service, when deposited with such service, with fees thereon prepaid, addressed to the director at the director’s address appearing on the records of the Corporation, (iv) if sent by facsimile telecommunication, when sent to the facsimile transmission number for such director appearing on the records of the Corporation, (v) if sent by electronic mail, when sent to the electronic mail address for such director appearing on the records of the Corporation, or (vi) if sent by any other form of electronic transmission, when sent to the address, location or number (as applicable) for such director appearing on the records of the Corporation.
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(b) Notice to Stockholders. Whenever under applicable law, the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws notice is required to be given to any stockholder, such notice may be given (i) in writing and sent either by hand delivery, through the United States mail, or by a nationally recognized overnight delivery service for next day delivery, or (ii) by means of a form of electronic transmission consented to by the stockholder, to the extent permitted by, and subject to the conditions set forth in Section 232 of the DGCL. A notice to a stockholder shall be deemed given as follows: (i) if given by hand delivery, when actually received by the stockholder, (ii) if sent through the United States mail, when deposited in the United States mail, with postage and fees thereon prepaid, addressed to the stockholder at the stockholder’s address appearing on the stock ledger of the Corporation, (iii) if sent for next day delivery by a nationally recognized overnight delivery service, when deposited with such service, with fees thereon prepaid, addressed to the stockholder at the stockholder’s address appearing on the stock ledger of the Corporation, and (iv) if given by a form of electronic transmission consented to by the stockholder to whom the notice is given and otherwise meeting the requirements set forth above, (A) if by facsimile transmission, when directed to a number at which the stockholder has consented to receive notice, (B) if by electronic mail, when directed to an electronic mail address at which the stockholder has consented to receive notice, (C) if by a posting on an electronic network together with separate notice to the stockholder of such specified posting, upon the later of (1) such posting and (2) the giving of such separate notice, and (D) if by any other form of electronic transmission, when directed to the stockholder. A stockholder may revoke such stockholder’s consent to receiving notice by means of electronic communication by giving written notice of such revocation to the Corporation. Any such consent shall be deemed revoked if (1) the Corporation is unable to deliver by electronic transmission two consecutive notices given by the Corporation in accordance with such consent and (2) such inability becomes known to the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary or to the Corporation’s transfer agent, or other person responsible for the giving of notice; provided, however, the inadvertent failure to treat such inability as a revocation shall not invalidate any meeting or other action.
(c) Electronic Transmission. “Electronic transmission” means any form of communication, not directly involving the physical transmission of paper, that creates a record that may be retained, retrieved and reviewed by a recipient thereof, and that may be directly reproduced in paper form by such a recipient through an automated process, including but not limited to transmission by telex, facsimile telecommunication, electronic mail, telegram and cablegram.
(d) Notice to Stockholders Sharing Same Address. Without limiting the manner by which notice otherwise may be given effectively by the Corporation to stockholders, any notice to stockholders given by the Corporation under any provision of the DGCL, the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws shall be effective if given by a single written notice to stockholders who share an address if consented to by the stockholders at that address to whom such notice is given. A stockholder may revoke such stockholder’s consent by delivering written notice of such revocation to the Corporation. Any stockholder who fails to object in writing to the Corporation within 60 days of having been given written notice by the Corporation of its intention to send such a single written notice shall be deemed to have consented to receiving such single written notice.
(e) Exceptions to Notice Requirements. Whenever notice is required to be given, under the DGCL, the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws, to any person with whom communication is unlawful, the giving of such notice to such person shall not be required and there shall be no duty to apply to any governmental authority or agency for a license or permit to give such notice to such person. Any action or meeting that shall be taken or held without notice to any such person with whom communication is unlawful shall have the same force and effect as if such notice had been duly given. If the action taken by the Corporation is such as to require the filing of a certificate with the Secretary of State of Delaware, the certificate shall state, if such is the fact and if notice is required, that notice was given to all persons entitled to receive notice except such persons with whom communication is unlawful.
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Whenever notice is required to be given by the Corporation, under any provision of the DGCL, the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws, to any stockholder to whom (1) notice of two consecutive annual meetings of stockholders and all notices of stockholders meetings or of the taking of action by written consent of stockholders without a meeting to such stockholder during the period between such two consecutive annual meetings, or (2) all, and at least two payments (if sent by first-class mail) of dividends or interest on securities during a 12-month period, have been mailed addressed to such stockholder at such stockholder’s address as shown on the records of the Corporation and have been returned undeliverable, the giving of such notice to such stockholder shall not be required. Any action or meeting that shall be taken or held without notice to such stockholder shall have the same force and effect as if such notice had been duly given. If any such stockholder shall deliver to the Corporation a written notice setting forth such stockholder’s then-current address, the requirement that notice be given to such stockholder shall be reinstated. If the action taken by the Corporation is such as to require the filing of a certificate with the Secretary of State of Delaware, the certificate need not state that notice was not given to persons to whom notice was not required to be given pursuant to Section 230(b) of the DGCL. The exception in subsection (1) of the first sentence of this paragraph to the requirement that notice be given shall not be applicable to any notice returned as undeliverable if the notice was given by electronic transmission.
Section 9.4 Waiver of Notice. Whenever any notice is required to be given under applicable law, the Certificate of Incorporation, or these Bylaws, a written waiver of such notice, signed before or after the date of such meeting by the person or persons entitled to said notice, or a waiver by electronic transmission by the person entitled to said notice, shall be deemed equivalent to such required notice. All such waivers shall be kept with the books of the Corporation. Attendance at a meeting shall constitute a waiver of notice of such meeting, except where a person attends for the express purpose of objecting to the transaction of any business on the ground that the meeting was not lawfully called or convened.
Section 9.5 Meeting Attendance via Remote Communication Equipment.
(a) Stockholders Meetings. If authorized by the Board in its sole discretion, and subject to such guidelines and procedures as the Board may adopt, stockholders and proxyholders not physically present at a meeting of stockholders may, by means of remote communication:
(i) participate in a meeting of stockholders; and
(ii) 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 (A) 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, (B) 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 (C) if any stockholder or proxyholder votes or takes other action at the meeting by means of remote communication, a record of such votes or other action shall be maintained by the Corporation.
(b) Board Meetings. Unless otherwise restricted by applicable law, the Certificate of Incorporation, or these Bylaws, members of the Board or any committee thereof may participate in a meeting of the Board or any committee thereof by means of conference telephone or other communications equipment by means of which all persons participating in the meeting can hear each other. Such participation in a meeting shall constitute presence in person at the meeting, except where a person participates in the meeting for the express purpose of objecting to the transaction of any business on the ground that the meeting was not lawfully called or convened.
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Section 9.6 Dividends. The Board may from time to time declare, and the Corporation may pay, dividends (payable in cash, property or shares of the Corporation’s capital stock) on the Corporation’s outstanding shares of capital stock, subject to applicable law and the Certificate of Incorporation.
Section 9.7 Reserves. The Board may set apart out of the funds of the Corporation available for dividends a reserve or reserves for any proper purpose and may abolish any such reserve.
Section 9.8 Contracts and Negotiable Instruments. Except as otherwise provided by applicable law, the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws, any contract, bond, deed, lease, mortgage or other instrument may be executed and delivered in the name and on behalf of the Corporation by such officer or officers or other employee or employees of the Corporation as the Board may from time to time authorize. Such authority may be general or confined to specific instances as the Board may determine. The Chief Executive Officer, the President or any Vice President may execute and deliver any contract, bond, deed, lease, mortgage or other instrument in the name and on behalf of the Corporation. Subject to any restrictions imposed by the Board, the Chief Executive Officer, President or any Vice President may delegate powers to execute and deliver any contract, bond, deed, lease, mortgage or other instrument in the name and on behalf of the Corporation to other officers or employees of the Corporation under such person’s supervision and authority, it being understood, however, that any such delegation of power shall not relieve such officer of responsibility with respect to the exercise of such delegated power.
Section 9.9 Fiscal Year. The fiscal year of the Corporation shall be fixed by the Board.
Section 9.10 Seal. The Board may adopt a corporate seal, which shall be in such form as the Board determines. The seal may be used by causing it or a facsimile thereof to be impressed, affixed or otherwise reproduced.
Section 9.11 Books and Records. The books and records of the Corporation may be kept within or outside the State of Delaware at such place or places as may from time to time be designated by the Board.
Section 9.12 Treasury Regulation Section 1.382-3. For purposes of applying Article XIV of the Certificate of Incorporation, if the Board reasonably believes that any person may have violated the Article XIV provisions (including whether a person is part of a single entity under Treasury Regulation Section 1.382-3 and thus is a Substantial Holder), then the Board shall be authorized to require such person to provide such information, representations, agreements and/or opinions of counsel (which if required shall be “should” level opinions issued by nationally recognized counsel approved by the Board, and for the avoidance of doubt, can include the stockholder’s regular counsel) in support of the position that no violation has occurred.
Section 9.13 Resignation. Any director, committee member or officer may resign by giving notice thereof in writing or by electronic transmission to the Chairman of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer, President or the Secretary. The resignation shall take effect at the time specified therein, or at the time of receipt of such notice if no time is specified or the specified time is earlier than the time of such receipt. Unless otherwise specified therein, the acceptance of such resignation shall not be necessary to make it effective.
Section 9.14 Surety Bonds. Such officers, employees and agents of the Corporation (if any) as the Chief Executive Officer, the President or the Board may direct, from time to time, shall be bonded for the faithful performance of their duties and for the restoration to the Corporation, in case of their death, resignation, retirement, disqualification or removal from office, of all books, papers, vouchers, money and other property of whatever kind in their possession or under their control belonging to the Corporation, in such amounts and by such surety companies as the Chief Executive Officer, President or
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the Board may determine. The premiums on such bonds shall be paid by the Corporation and the bonds so furnished shall be in the custody of the Secretary.
Section 9.15 Securities of Other Corporations. Powers of attorney, proxies, waivers of notice of meeting, consents in writing and other instruments relating to securities owned by the Corporation may be executed in the name of and on behalf of the Corporation by the Chief Executive Officer, President or any Vice President. Any such officer, may, in the name of and on behalf of the Corporation, take all such action as any such officer may deem advisable to vote in person or by proxy at any meeting of security holders of any corporation in which the Corporation may own securities, or to consent in writing, in the name of the Corporation as such holder, to any action by such corporation, and at any such meeting or with respect to any such consent shall possess and may exercise any and all rights and power incident to the ownership of such securities and which, as the owner thereof, the Corporation might have exercised and possessed. The Board may from time to time confer like powers upon any other person or persons.
Section 9.16 Amendments. The Board shall have the power to adopt, amend, alter or repeal the Bylaws. The affirmative vote of a majority of the Board, but in any event not less than one third of the Whole Board, shall be required to adopt, amend, alter or repeal the Bylaws. The Bylaws also may be adopted, amended, altered or repealed by the stockholders; provided, however, that in addition to any vote of the holders of any class or series of capital stock of the Corporation required by applicable law or the Certificate of Incorporation, the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the voting power of all 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 the stockholders to adopt, amend, alter or repeal the Bylaws.
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