JBG SMITH Properties 8-K, filed Feb 21, 2020
JBG SMITH Properties (JBGS)
About this 8-K
JBG SMITH Properties filed this 8-K on February 21, 2020, reporting on events of February 19, 2020.
Items reported
- Item 5.03: Charter or bylaw amendment, or fiscal year change
- Item 9.01: Financial statements and exhibits
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM
CURRENT REPORT
PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE
SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported):
(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)
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| (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) |
(Commission file number) | (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) |
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| (Address of principal executive offices) | (Zip Code) | |
| Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: ( | ||
Former name or former address, if changed since last report: | ||
Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instructions A.2.):
| Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425) |
| Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12) |
| Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b)) |
| Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c)) |
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
| Title of each class | Trading Symbol(s) | Name of each exchange on which registered |
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).
Emerging growth company
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act ¨
| Item 5.03 | Amendments to Articles of Incorporation or Bylaws; Changes in Fiscal Year. |
On February 19, 2020, upon the recommendation of the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee, the Board of Trustees (the “Board”) of JBG SMITH Properties (the “Company”) amended and restated the Company’s Amended and Restated Bylaws (as so amended and restated, the “Bylaws”) to adopt a majority voting standard in uncontested trustee elections. The Bylaws also reflect certain technical, conforming and clarifying changes made to several other sections of the previous bylaws of the Company. The Bylaws became effective immediately.
Article II, Section 7 of the Bylaws has been amended to provide that, in uncontested trustee elections, a nominee for trustee will be elected to the Board if the votes cast for such nominee’s election exceed the votes cast against such nominee’s election (i.e., the number of shares voted “for” a trustee nominee exceeds the number of shares voted “against” such trustee nominee). The Bylaws retain plurality voting for contested trustee elections. Previously, the Company had plurality voting in all trustee elections.
In addition to the changes described above, the Bylaws were also amended to delete certain time-limited governance provisions that are no longer operative or applicable.
The foregoing description of the Bylaws is not complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the Bylaws, which are filed as Exhibit 3.1 hereto in unmarked form, and as Exhibit 3.2 hereto in redline form marking the amendments described above, and are incorporated herein by reference.
| Item 9.01. | Financial Statements and Exhibits. |
| (d) | Exhibits. |
| 3.1 | Amended and Restated Bylaws of JBG SMITH Properties, effective February 19, 2020. |
| 3.2 | Amended and Restated Bylaws of JBG SMITH Properties, effective February 19, 2020, redlined for amendments effective February 19, 2020. |
| 104 | Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document). |
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SIGNATURE
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
| JBG SMITH PROPERTIES | ||
| By: | /s/ Steven A. Museles | |
| Name: | Steven A. Museles | |
| Title: | Chief Legal Officer and Secretary | |
| Date: February 21, 2020 | ||
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Exhibit 3.1
JBG SMITH PROPERTIES
AMENDED AND RESTATED
BYLAWS
ARTICLE I
OFFICES
Section 1. PRINCIPAL OFFICE. The principal office of the Trust in the State of Maryland shall be located at such place as the Board of Trustees may designate.
Section 2. ADDITIONAL OFFICES. The Trust may have additional offices, including a principal executive office, at such places as the Board of Trustees may from time to time determine or the business of the Trust may require.
ARTICLE II
MEETINGS OF SHAREHOLDERS
Section 1. PLACE. All meetings of shareholders shall be held at the principal executive office of the Trust or at such other place as shall be set in accordance with these Bylaws and stated in the notice of the meeting.
Section 2. ANNUAL MEETING. An annual meeting of shareholders for the election of trustees and the transaction of any business within the powers of the Trust shall be held on the date and at the time and place set by the Board of Trustees.
Section 3. SPECIAL MEETINGS.
(a) General. Each of the chairman of the board, chief executive officer, president and a majority of the Board of Trustees then in office may call a special meeting of shareholders. Except as provided in subsection (b)(4) of this Section 3, a special meeting of shareholders shall be held on the date and at the time and place set by the person or persons calling the meeting. Subject to subsection (b) of this Section 3, a special meeting of shareholders shall also be called by the secretary of the Trust to act on any matter that may properly be considered at a meeting of shareholders upon the written request of shareholders entitled to cast not less than a majority of all the votes entitled to be cast on such matter at such meeting.
(b) Shareholder-Requested Special Meetings.
(1) Any shareholder of record seeking to have shareholders request a special meeting shall, by sending written notice to the secretary (the “Record Date Request Notice”) by registered mail, return receipt requested, request the Board of Trustees to fix a record date to determine the shareholders entitled to request a special meeting (the “Request Record Date”). The Record Date Request Notice shall set forth the purpose of the meeting and the matters proposed to be acted on at it, shall be signed by one or more shareholders of record as of the date of signature (or their agents duly authorized in a writing accompanying the Record Date Request Notice), shall bear the date of signature of each such shareholder (or such agent) and shall set forth all information relating to each such shareholder and each matter proposed to be acted on at the meeting that would be required to be disclosed in connection with the solicitation of proxies for the election of trustees in an election contest (even if an election contest is not involved), or would otherwise be required in connection with such a solicitation, in each case pursuant to Regulation 14A (or any successor provision) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder (the “Exchange Act”). Upon receiving the Record Date Request Notice, the Board of Trustees may fix a Request Record Date. The Request Record Date shall not precede and shall not be more than ten days after the close of business on the date on which the resolution fixing the Request Record Date is adopted by the Board of Trustees. If the Board of Trustees, within ten days after the date on which a valid Record Date Request Notice is received, fails to adopt a resolution fixing the Request Record Date, the Request Record Date shall be the close of business on the tenth day after the first date on which a Record Date Request Notice is received by the secretary.
(2) In order for any shareholder to request a special meeting to act on any matter that may properly be considered at a meeting of shareholders, one or more written requests for a special meeting (collectively, the “Special Meeting Request”) signed by shareholders of record (or their agents duly authorized in a writing accompanying the request) as of the Request Record Date entitled to cast not less than a majority of all of the votes entitled to be cast on such matter at such meeting (the “Special Meeting Percentage”) shall be delivered to the secretary. In addition, the Special Meeting Request shall (a) set forth the purpose of the meeting and the matters proposed to be acted on at it (which shall be limited to those lawful matters set forth in the Record Date Request Notice received by the secretary), (b) bear the date of signature of each such shareholder (or such agent) signing the Special Meeting Request, (c) set forth (i) the name and address, as they appear in the Trust’s books, of each shareholder signing such request (or on whose behalf the Special Meeting Request is signed), (ii) the class, series and number of all shares of the Trust which are owned (beneficially or of record) by each such shareholder and (iii) the nominee holder for, and number of, shares of the Trust owned beneficially but not of record by such shareholder, (d) be sent to the secretary by registered mail, return receipt requested, and (e) be received by the secretary within 60 days after the Request Record Date. Any requesting shareholder (or agent duly authorized in a writing accompanying the revocation of the Special Meeting Request) may revoke his, her or its request for a special meeting at any time by written revocation delivered to the secretary.
(3) The secretary shall inform the requesting shareholders of the reasonably estimated cost of preparing and mailing or delivering the notice of the meeting (including the Trust’s proxy materials). The secretary shall not be required to call a special meeting upon shareholder request and such meeting shall not be held unless, in addition to the documents required by paragraph (2) of this Section 3(b), the secretary receives payment of such reasonably estimated cost prior to the preparation and mailing or delivery of such notice of the meeting.
(4) In the case of any special meeting called by the secretary upon the request of shareholders (a “Shareholder-Requested Meeting”), such meeting shall be held at such place, date and time as may be designated by the Board of Trustees; provided, however, that the date of any Shareholder-Requested Meeting shall be not more than 90 days after the record date for such meeting (the “Meeting Record Date”); and provided further that if the Board of Trustees fails to designate, within ten days after the date that a valid Special Meeting Request is actually received by the secretary (the “Delivery Date”), a date and time for a Shareholder-Requested Meeting, then such meeting shall be held at 2:00 p.m., local time, on the 90th day after the Meeting Record Date or, if such 90th day is not a business day on the first preceding business day; and provided further that in the event that the Board of Trustees fails to designate a place for a Shareholder-Requested Meeting within ten days after the Delivery Date, then such meeting shall be held at the principal executive office of the Trust. In fixing a date for a Shareholder-Requested Meeting, the Board of Trustees may consider such factors as it deems relevant, including, without limitation, the nature of the matters to be considered, the facts and circumstances surrounding any request for the meeting and any plan of the Board of Trustees to call an annual meeting or a special meeting. In the case of any Shareholder-Requested Meeting, if the Board of Trustees fails to fix a Meeting Record Date that is a date within 30 days after the Delivery Date, then the close of business on the 30th day after the Delivery Date shall be the Meeting Record Date. The Board of Trustees may revoke the notice for any Shareholder-Requested Meeting in the event that the requesting shareholders fail to comply with the provisions of paragraph (3) of this Section 3(b). Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in these Bylaws, the Board of Trustees may submit its own proposal or proposals for consideration at any such Shareholder-Requested Meeting.
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(5) If written revocations of the Special Meeting Request have been delivered to the secretary and the result is that shareholders of record (or their agents duly authorized in writing), as of the Request Record Date, entitled to cast less than the Special Meeting Percentage have delivered, and not revoked, requests for a special meeting on the matter to the secretary: (i) if the notice of meeting has not already been delivered, the secretary shall refrain from delivering the notice of the meeting and send to all requesting shareholders who have not revoked such requests written notice of any revocation of a request for a special meeting on the matter, or (ii) if the notice of meeting has been delivered and if the secretary first sends to all requesting shareholders who have not revoked requests for a special meeting on the matter written notice of any revocation of a request for the special meeting and written notice of the Trust’s intention to revoke the notice of the meeting or for the chairman of the meeting to adjourn the meeting without action on the matter, (A) the secretary may revoke the notice of the meeting at any time before ten days before the commencement of the meeting or (B) the chairman of the meeting may call the meeting to order and adjourn the meeting without acting on the matter. Any request for a special meeting received after a revocation by the secretary of a notice of a meeting shall be considered a request for a new special meeting.
(6) The chairman of the board, chief executive officer, president or Board of Trustees may appoint regionally or nationally recognized independent inspectors of elections to act as the agent of the Trust for the purpose of promptly performing a ministerial review of the validity of any purported Special Meeting Request received by the secretary. For the purpose of permitting the inspectors to perform such review, no such purported Special Meeting Request shall be deemed to have been received by the secretary until the earlier of (i) five business days after actual receipt by the secretary of such purported request and (ii) such date as the independent inspectors certify to the Trust that the valid requests received by the secretary represent, as of the Request Record Date, shareholders of record entitled to cast not less than the Special Meeting Percentage. Nothing contained in this paragraph (6) shall in any way be construed to suggest or imply that the Trust or any shareholder shall not be entitled to contest the validity of any request, whether during or after such five business day period, 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 4. NOTICE. Not less than ten nor more than 90 days before each meeting of shareholders, the secretary shall give to each shareholder entitled to vote at such meeting and to each shareholder not entitled to vote who is entitled to notice of the meeting notice in writing or by electronic transmission stating the time and place of the meeting and, in the case of a special meeting or as otherwise may be required by any statute, the purpose for which the meeting is called, by mail, by presenting it to such shareholder personally, by leaving it at the shareholder’s residence or usual place of business or by any other means permitted by Maryland law. If mailed, such notice shall be deemed to be given when deposited in the United States mail addressed to the shareholder at the shareholder’s address as it appears on the records of the Trust, with postage thereon prepaid. If transmitted electronically, such notice shall be deemed to be given when transmitted to the shareholder by an electronic transmission to any address or number of the shareholder at which the shareholder receives electronic transmissions. The Trust may give a single notice to all shareholders who share an address, which single notice shall be effective as to any shareholder at such address, unless such shareholder objects to receiving such single notice or revokes a prior consent to receiving such single notice. Failure to give notice of any meeting to one or more shareholders, or any irregularity in such notice, shall not affect the validity of any meeting fixed in accordance with this Article II or the validity of any proceedings at any such meeting.
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Subject to Section 12(a) of this Article II, any business of the Trust may be transacted at an annual meeting of shareholders without being specifically designated in the notice, except such business as is required by any statute to be stated in such notice. No business shall be transacted at a special meeting of shareholders except as specifically designated in the notice. The Trust may postpone or cancel a meeting of shareholders by making a “public announcement” (as defined in Section 12(c)(3) of this Article II) of such postponement or cancellation prior to the meeting. Notice of the date, time and place to which the meeting is postponed shall be given not less than ten days prior to such date and otherwise in the manner set forth in this section.
Section 5. ORGANIZATION AND CONDUCT. Every meeting of shareholders shall be conducted by an individual appointed by the Board of Trustees to be chairman of the meeting or, in the absence of such appointment or appointed individual, by the chairman of the board or, in the case of a vacancy in the office or absence of the chairman of the board, by one of the following officers present at the meeting in the following order: the vice chairman of the board, if there is one, the chief executive officer, the president, the vice presidents in their order of rank and seniority, the secretary or, in the absence of such officers, a chairman chosen by the shareholders by the vote of a majority of the votes cast by shareholders present in person or by proxy. The secretary or, in the secretary’s absence, an assistant secretary, or, in the absence of both the secretary and assistant secretaries, an individual appointed by the Board of Trustees or, in the absence of such appointment, an individual appointed by the chairman of the meeting shall act as secretary. In the event that the secretary presides at a meeting of shareholders, an assistant secretary or, in the absence of all assistant secretaries, an individual appointed by the Board of Trustees or the chairman of the meeting, shall record the minutes of the meeting. The order of business and all other matters of procedure at any meeting of shareholders shall be determined by the chairman of the meeting. The chairman of the meeting may prescribe such rules, regulations and procedures and take such action as, in the discretion of the chairman and without any action by the shareholders, are appropriate for the proper conduct of the meeting, including, without limitation, (a) restricting admission to the time set for the commencement of the meeting; (b) limiting attendance at the meeting to shareholders of record of the Trust, their duly authorized proxies and such other individuals as the chairman of the meeting may determine; (c) limiting participation at the meeting on any matter to shareholders of record of the Trust entitled to vote on such matter, their duly authorized proxies and other such individuals as the chairman of the meeting may determine; (d) limiting the time allotted to questions or comments; (e) determining when and for how long the polls should be opened and when the polls should be closed; (f) maintaining order and security at the meeting; (g) removing any shareholder or any other individual who refuses to comply with meeting procedures, rules or guidelines as set forth by the chairman of the meeting; (h) concluding a meeting or recessing or adjourning the meeting, whether or not a quorum is present, to a later date and time and at a place announced at the meeting; and (i) complying with any state and local laws and regulations concerning safety and security. Unless otherwise determined by the chairman of the meeting, meetings of shareholders shall not be required to be held in accordance with the rules of parliamentary procedure.
Section 6. QUORUM. At any meeting of shareholders, the presence in person or by proxy of shareholders entitled to cast a majority of all the votes entitled to be cast at such meeting on any matter shall constitute a quorum; but this section shall not affect any requirement under any statute or the Declaration of Trust of the Trust (the “Declaration of Trust”) for the vote necessary for the approval of any matter. If such quorum is not established at any meeting of the shareholders, the chairman of the meeting may adjourn the meeting sine die or from time to time to a date not more than 120 days after the original record date without notice other than announcement at the meeting. At such adjourned meeting at which a quorum shall be present, any business may be transacted which might have been transacted at the meeting as originally notified.
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The shareholders present either in person or by proxy, at a meeting which has been duly called and at which a quorum has been established, may continue to transact business until adjournment, notwithstanding the withdrawal from the meeting of enough shareholders to leave fewer than would be required to establish a quorum.
Section 7. VOTING. A nominee for election as a trustee shall be elected as a trustee only if such nominee receives the affirmative vote of a majority of the votes cast for and against such nominee at a meeting of shareholders duly called and at which a quorum is present. However, trustees shall be elected by a plurality of all votes cast at a meeting of shareholders duly called and at which a quorum is present for which (i) the secretary of the Trust receives notice that a shareholder intends to nominate an individual for election as a trustee in compliance with the requirements of advance notice of shareholder nominees for trustee set forth in Article II, Section 12 of these Bylaws, and (ii) such proposed nomination has not been withdrawn by such shareholder on or prior to the close of business on the tenth day preceding the date of filing of the definitive proxy statement of the Trust with the Securities and Exchange Commission for such meeting, and, as a result of which, the number of nominees is greater than the number of trustees to be elected at the meeting. Each share may be voted for as many individuals as there are trustees to be elected and for whose election the share is entitled to be voted. A majority of the votes cast at a meeting of shareholders duly called and at which a quorum is present shall be sufficient to approve any other matter which may properly come before the meeting, unless more than a majority of the votes cast is required by statute or by the Declaration of Trust. If trustees are to be elected by a plurality of all votes cast at a meeting, shareholders shall not be permitted to vote against a nominee for election to the Board of Trustees. Unless otherwise provided by statute or by the Declaration of Trust, each outstanding share of beneficial interest, regardless of class, entitles the holder thereof to cast one vote on each matter submitted to a vote at a meeting of shareholders. Voting on any question or in any election may be viva voce unless the chairman of the meeting shall order that voting be by ballot or otherwise.
Section 8. PROXIES. A holder of record of shares of beneficial interest of the Trust may cast votes in person or by proxy executed by the shareholder or by the shareholder’s duly authorized agent in any manner permitted by law. Such proxy or evidence of authorization of such proxy shall be filed with the secretary of the Trust before or at the meeting. No proxy shall be valid more than eleven months after its date unless otherwise provided in the proxy.
Section 9. VOTING OF SHARES BY CERTAIN HOLDERS. Shares of beneficial interest of the Trust registered in the name of a corporation, limited liability company, partnership, joint venture, trust or other entity, if entitled to be voted, may be voted by the president or a vice president, managing member, manager, general partner or trustee thereof, as the case may be, or a proxy appointed by any of the foregoing individuals, unless some other person who has been appointed to vote such shares pursuant to a bylaw or a resolution of the governing body of such corporation or other entity or agreement of the partners of a partnership presents a certified copy of such bylaw, resolution or agreement, in which case such person may vote such shares. Any trustee or fiduciary, in such capacity, may vote shares of beneficial interest registered in such trustee’s or fiduciary’s name, either in person or by proxy.
Shares of beneficial interest of the Trust directly or indirectly owned by it shall not be voted at any meeting and shall not be counted in determining the total number of outstanding shares entitled to be voted at any given time, unless they are held by it in a fiduciary capacity, in which case they may be voted and shall be counted in determining the total number of outstanding shares at any given time.
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The Board of Trustees may adopt by resolution a procedure by which a shareholder may certify in writing to the Trust that any shares of beneficial interest registered in the name of the shareholder are held for the account of a specified person other than the shareholder. The resolution shall set forth the class of shareholders who may make the certification, the purpose for which the certification may be made, the form of certification and the information to be contained in it; if the certification is with respect to a record date, the time after the record date within which the certification must be received by the Trust; and any other provisions with respect to the procedure which the Board of Trustees considers necessary or desirable. On receipt by the Trust of such certification, the person specified in the certification shall be regarded as, for the purposes set forth in the certification, the holder of record of the specified shares of beneficial interest in place of the shareholder who makes the certification.
Section 10. INSPECTORS. The Board of Trustees or the chairman of the meeting may appoint, before or at the meeting, one or more inspectors for the meeting and any successor to the inspector. Except as otherwise provided by the chairman of the meeting, the inspectors, if any, shall (i) determine the number of shares of beneficial interest represented at the meeting in person or by proxy and the validity and effect of proxies, (ii) receive and tabulate all votes, ballots or consents, (iii) report such tabulation to the chairman of the meeting, (iv) hear and determine all challenges and questions arising in connection with the right to vote, and (v) do such acts as are proper to fairly conduct the election or vote. Each such report 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. The report of the inspector or inspectors on the number of shares represented at the meeting and the results of the voting shall be prima facie evidence thereof.
Section 11. REPORTS TO SHAREHOLDERS. The president or some other executive officer designated by the Board of Trustees shall prepare annually a full and correct statement of the affairs of the Trust, which shall include a balance sheet and a financial statement of operations for the preceding fiscal year. The statement of affairs shall be submitted at the annual meeting of the shareholders and, within 20 days after the annual meeting of shareholders, placed on file at the principal office of the Trust.
Section 12. ADVANCE NOTICE OF SHAREHOLDER NOMINEES FOR TRUSTEE AND OTHER SHAREHOLDER PROPOSALS.
(a) Annual Meetings of Shareholders. (1) Nominations of individuals for election to the Board of Trustees and the proposal of other business to be considered by the shareholders may be made at an annual meeting of shareholders (i) pursuant to the Trust’s notice of meeting, (ii) by or at the direction of the Board of Trustees, (iii) by any shareholder of the Trust who was a shareholder of record both at the time of giving of notice by the shareholder as provided for in this Section 12 and at the time of the annual meeting, who is entitled to vote at the meeting in the election of each individual so nominated or on any such other business and who has complied with the procedures set forth in this Section 12 or (iv) pursuant to Section 13 of this Article II.
(2) For any nomination or other business to be properly brought before an annual meeting by a shareholder pursuant to clause (iii) of paragraph (a)(1) of this Section 12, the shareholder must have given timely notice thereof in writing to the secretary of the Trust and any such other business must otherwise be a proper matter for action by the shareholders. To be timely, such shareholder’s notice shall set forth all information required under this Section 12 and shall be delivered to the secretary at the principal executive office of the Trust not earlier than the 150th day nor later than 5:00 p.m., Eastern Time, on the 120th day prior to the first anniversary of the date of the proxy statement (as defined in Section 12(c)(3) of this Article II) for the preceding year’s annual meeting; provided, however, that, in the event that the date of the annual meeting is advanced or delayed by more than 30 days from the first anniversary of the date of the preceding year’s annual meeting, in order for notice by the shareholder to be timely, such notice must be so delivered not earlier than the 150th day prior to the date of such annual meeting and not later than 5:00 p.m., Eastern Time, on the later of the 120th day prior to the date of such annual meeting, as originally convened, or the tenth day following the day on which public announcement of the date of such meeting is first made. The public announcement of a postponement or adjournment of an annual meeting shall not commence a new time period for the giving of a shareholder’s notice as described above. To be timely for nominations made pursuant to Section 13 of this Article II, a Nomination Notice (as defined below) shall be delivered in accordance with the requirements of Section 13.
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(3) Any shareholder’s notice given pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) of this Section 12 shall set forth:
(i) as to each individual whom the shareholder proposes to nominate for election or reelection as a trustee (each, a “Proposed Nominee”), all information relating to the Proposed Nominee that would be required to be disclosed in connection with the solicitation of proxies for the election of the Proposed Nominee as a trustee in an election contest (even if an election contest is not involved), or would otherwise be required in connection with such solicitation, in each case pursuant to Regulation 14A (or any successor provision) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder (the “Exchange Act”);
(ii) as to any other business that the shareholder proposes to bring before the meeting, a description of such business, the shareholder’s reasons for proposing such business at the meeting and any material interest in such business of such shareholder or any Shareholder Associated Person (as defined below), individually or in the aggregate, including any anticipated benefit to the shareholder or the Shareholder Associated Person therefrom;
(iii) as to the shareholder giving the notice, any Proposed Nominee and any Shareholder Associated Person,
(A) the class, series and number of all shares of beneficial interest or other securities of the Trust or any affiliate thereof (collectively, the “Company Securities”), if any, which are owned (beneficially or of record) by such shareholder, Proposed Nominee or Shareholder Associated Person, the date on which each such Company Security was acquired and the investment intent of such acquisition, and any short interest (including any opportunity to profit or share in any benefit from any decrease in the price of such shares or other security) in any Company Securities of any such person,
(B) the nominee holder for, and number of, any Company Securities owned beneficially but not of record by such shareholder, Proposed Nominee or Shareholder Associated Person,
(C) whether and the extent to which such shareholder, Proposed Nominee or Shareholder Associated Person, directly or indirectly (through brokers, nominees or otherwise), is subject to or during the last six months has engaged in any hedging, derivative or other transaction or series of transactions or entered into any other agreement, arrangement or understanding (including any short interest, any borrowing or lending of securities or any proxy or voting agreement), the effect or intent of which is to (I) manage risk or benefit of changes in the price of (x) Company Securities or (y) any security of any entity that was listed in the Peer Group in the Share Performance Graph in the most recent annual report to security holders of the Trust (a “Peer Group Company”) for such shareholder, Proposed Nominee or Shareholder Associated Person or (II) increase or decrease the voting power of such shareholder, Proposed Nominee or Shareholder Associated Person in the Trust or any affiliate thereof (or, as applicable, in any Peer Group Company) disproportionately to such person’s economic interest in the Company Securities (or, as applicable, in any Peer Group Company) and
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(D) any substantial interest, direct or indirect (including, without limitation, any existing or prospective commercial, business or contractual relationship with the Trust), by security holdings or otherwise, of such shareholder, Proposed Nominee or Shareholder Associated Person, in the Trust or any affiliate thereof, other than an interest arising from the ownership of Company Securities where such shareholder, Proposed Nominee or Shareholder Associated Person receives no extra or special benefit not shared on a pro rata basis by all other holders of the same class or series;
(iv) as to the shareholder giving the notice, any Shareholder Associated Person with an interest or ownership referred to in clauses (ii) or (iii) of this paragraph (3) of this Section 12(a) and any Proposed Nominee,
(A) the name and address of such shareholder, as they appear on the Trust’s share ledger, and the current name and business address, if different, of each such Shareholder Associated Person and any Proposed Nominee,
(B) the investment strategy or objective, if any, of such shareholder and each such Shareholder Associated Person who is not an individual and a copy of the prospectus, offering memorandum or similar document, if any, provided to investors or potential investors in such shareholder and each such Shareholder Associated Person; and
(C) whether any such shareholder or any Shareholder Associated Person has received any financial assistance, funding or other consideration from any other person in respect of the nomination or such other business;
(v) the name and address of any person who contacted or was contacted by the shareholder giving the notice or any Shareholder Associated Person about the Proposed Nominee or other business proposal prior to the date of such shareholder’s notice; and
(vi) to the extent known by the shareholder giving the notice, the name and address of any other shareholder supporting the Proposed Nominee or the proposal of other business on the date of such shareholder’s notice.
(4) Any shareholder’s notice given pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) of this Section 12 shall, with respect to any Proposed Nominee, be accompanied by a certificate executed by the Proposed Nominee (i) certifying that such Proposed Nominee (a) is not, and will not become, a party to any agreement, arrangement or understanding with any person or entity other than the Trust in connection with service or action as a trustee that has not been disclosed to the Trust and (b) will serve as a trustee of the Trust if elected; and (ii) attaching a completed Proposed Nominee questionnaire (which questionnaire shall be provided by the Trust, upon request, to the shareholder providing the notice and shall include all information relating to the Proposed Nominee that would be required to be disclosed in connection with the solicitation of proxies for the election of the Proposed Nominee as a trustee in an election contest (even if an election contest is not involved), or would otherwise be required in connection with such solicitation in each case pursuant to Regulation 14A (or any successor provision) under the Exchange Act and the rules thereunder, or would be required pursuant to the rules of any national securities exchange on which any securities of the Trust are listed or over-the-counter market on which any securities of the Trust are traded).
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(5) Notwithstanding anything in this subsection (a) of this Section 12 to the contrary, in the event that the number of trustees to be elected to the Board of Trustees is increased, and there is no public announcement of such action at least 130 days prior to the first anniversary of the date of the proxy statement (as defined in Section 12(c)(3) of this Article II) for the preceding year’s annual meeting, a shareholder’s notice required by paragraph (a)(2) of this Section 12(a) shall also be considered timely, but only with respect to nominees for any new positions created by such increase, if it shall be delivered to the secretary at the principal executive office of the Trust not later than 5:00 p.m., Eastern Time, on the tenth day following the day on which such public announcement is first made by the Trust.
(6) For purposes of this Section 12, “Shareholder Associated Person” of any shareholder shall mean (i) any person acting in concert with, such shareholder, (ii) any beneficial owner of shares of beneficial interest of the Trust owned of record or beneficially by such shareholder (other than a shareholder that is a depositary) and (iii) any person that directly, or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls, or is controlled by, or is under common control with, such shareholder or Shareholder Associated Person.
(b) Special Meetings of Shareholders. Only such business shall be conducted at a special meeting of shareholders as shall have been brought before the meeting pursuant to the Trust’s notice of meeting. Nominations of individuals for election to the Board of Trustees may be made at a special meeting of shareholders at which trustees are to be elected only (i) by or at the direction of the Board of Trustees or (ii) provided that the special meeting has been called in accordance with Section 3 of this Article II for the purpose of electing trustees, by any shareholder of the Trust who is a shareholder of record both at the time of giving of notice provided for in this Section 12 and at the time of the special meeting, who is entitled to vote at the meeting in the election of each individual so nominated and who has complied with the notice procedures set forth in this Section 12. In the event the Trust calls a special meeting of shareholders for the purpose of electing one or more individuals to the Board of Trustees, any shareholder may nominate an individual or individuals (as the case may be) for election as a trustee as specified in the Trust’s notice of meeting, if the shareholder’s notice, containing the information required by paragraphs (a)(3) and (4) of this Section 12 is delivered to the secretary at the principal executive office of the Trust not earlier than the 120th day prior to such special meeting and not later than 5:00 p.m., Eastern Time, on the later of the 90th day prior to such special meeting or the tenth day following the day on which public announcement is first made of the date of the special meeting and of the nominees proposed by the Board of Trustees to be elected at such meeting. The public announcement of a postponement or adjournment of a special meeting shall not commence a new time period for the giving of a shareholder’s notice as described above.
(c) General. (1) If information submitted pursuant to this Section 12 or Section 13 of this Article II, as the case may be, by any shareholder proposing a nominee for election as a trustee or any proposal for other business at a meeting of shareholders shall be inaccurate in any material respect, such information may be deemed not to have been provided in accordance with this Section 12 or Section 13 of this Article II, as the case may be. Any such shareholder shall notify the Trust of any inaccuracy or change (within two Business Days of becoming aware of such inaccuracy or change) in any such information. Upon written request by the secretary or the Board of Trustees, any such shareholder shall provide, within five Business Days of delivery of such request (or such other period as may be specified in such request), (A) written verification, satisfactory, in the discretion of the Board of Trustees or any authorized officer of the Trust, to demonstrate the accuracy of any information submitted by the shareholder pursuant to this Section 12 or Section 13 of this Article II, as the case may be, and (B) a written update of any information (including, if requested by the Trust, written confirmation by such shareholder that it continues to intend to bring such nomination or other business proposal before the meeting) submitted by the shareholder pursuant to this Section 12 or Section 13 of this Article II, as the case may be, as of an earlier date. If a shareholder fails to provide such written verification or written update within such period, the information as to which written verification or a written update was requested may be deemed not to have been provided in accordance with this Section 12 or Section 13 of this Article II, as the case may be.
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(2) Only such individuals who are nominated in accordance with this Section 12 or Section 13 of this Article II, shall be eligible for election by shareholders as trustees, and only such business shall be conducted at a meeting of shareholders as shall have been brought before the meeting in accordance with this Section 12 or Section 13 of this Article II, as the case may be. The chairman of the meeting shall have the power to determine whether a nomination or any other business proposed to be brought before the meeting was made or proposed, as the case may be, in accordance with this Section 12 or Section 13 of this Article II.
(3) For purposes of this Section 12, “the date of the proxy statement” shall have the same meaning as “the date of the company’s proxy statement released to shareholders” as used in Rule 14a-8(e) promulgated under the Exchange Act, as interpreted by the Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time. “Public announcement” shall mean disclosure (A) in a press release reported by the Dow Jones News Service, Associated Press, Business Wire, PR Newswire or other widely circulated news or wire service or (B) in a document publicly filed by the Trust with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to the Exchange Act or the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
(4) Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section 12, a shareholder shall also comply with all applicable requirements of state law and of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations thereunder with respect to the matters set forth in this Section 12. Nothing in this Section 12 shall be deemed to affect any right of a shareholder to request inclusion of a proposal in, or the right of the Trust to omit a proposal from, the Trust’s proxy statement pursuant to Rule 14a-8 (or any successor provision) under the Exchange Act. Nothing in this Section 12 shall require disclosure of revocable proxies received by the shareholder or Shareholder Associated Person pursuant to a solicitation of proxies after the filing of an effective Schedule 14A by such shareholder or Shareholder Associated Person under Section 14(a) of the Exchange Act.
(5) For purposes of these Bylaws, “Business Day” shall mean any day other than a Saturday, a Sunday or a day on which banking institutions in the State of New York are authorized or obligated by law or executive order to close.
Section 13. SHAREHOLDER NOMINATIONS INCLUDED IN THE TRUST’S PROXY MATERIAL.
(a) Inclusion of Proxy Access Nominees in Proxy Statement. Subject to the provisions of this Section 13, if expressly requested in the relevant Nomination Notice (as defined below), the Trust shall include in its proxy statement for any annual meeting of shareholders: (i) the names of any person or persons nominated for election (each, a “Proxy Access Nominee”), which shall also be included on the Trust’s form of proxy and ballot, by any Eligible Holder (as defined below) or group of up to 20 Eligible Holders that has (individually and collectively, in the case of a group) satisfied, as determined by the Board of Trustees, all applicable conditions and complied with all applicable procedures set forth in this Section 13 (such Eligible Holder or group of Eligible Holders being a “Nominating Shareholder”); (ii) disclosure about each Proxy Access Nominee and the Nominating Shareholder required under the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission or other applicable law to be included in the proxy statement; (iii) any statement included by the Nominating Shareholder in the Nomination Notice for inclusion in the proxy statement in support of each Proxy Access Nominee’s election to the Board of Trustees (subject, without limitation, to Section 13(e)(ii)), if such statement does not exceed 500 words and fully complies with Section 14 of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations thereunder, including Rule 14a-9 (the “Supporting Statement”); and (iv) any other information that the Trust or the Board of Trustees determines, in their discretion, to include in the proxy statement relating to the nomination of each Proxy Access Nominee, including, without limitation, any statement in opposition to the nomination, any of the information provided pursuant to this Section 13 and any solicitation materials or related information with respect to a Proxy Access Nominee.
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For purposes of this Section 13, any determination to be made by the Board of Trustees may be made by the Board of Trustees, a committee of the Board of Trustees or any officer of the Trust designated by the Board of Trustees or a committee of the Board of Trustees, and any such determination shall be final and binding on the Trust, any Eligible Holder, any Nominating Shareholder, any Proxy Access Nominee and any other person so long as made in good faith (without any further requirements). The chairman of any annual meeting of shareholders, in addition to making any other determinations that may be appropriate to the conduct of the meeting, shall have the power and duty to determine whether a Proxy Access Nominee has been nominated in accordance with the requirements of this Section 13 and, if not so nominated, shall direct and declare at the meeting that such Proxy Access Nominee shall not be considered.
(b) Maximum Number of Proxy Access Nominees. (1) The Trust shall not be required to include in the proxy statement for an annual meeting of shareholders more Proxy Access Nominees than that number of Trustees constituting the greater of (i) two or (ii) 20% of the total number of Trustees of the Trust on the last day on which a Nomination Notice may be submitted pursuant to this Section 13 (rounded down to the nearest whole number) (the “Maximum Number”). The Maximum Number for a particular annual meeting shall be reduced by: (i) Proxy Access Nominees who the Board of Trustees itself decides to nominate for election at such annual meeting; (ii) the number of individuals who will be included in the Trust’s proxy materials as nominees recommended by the Board of Trustees pursuant to an agreement, arrangement or other understanding with a shareholder or group of shareholders (other than any such agreement, arrangement or understanding entered into in connection with an acquisition of shares from the Trust by such shareholder or group of shareholders); (iii) Proxy Access Nominees who cease to satisfy, or Proxy Access Nominees of Nominating Shareholders that cease to satisfy, the eligibility requirements in this Section 13, as determined by the Board of Trustees; (iv) Proxy Access Nominees whose nomination is withdrawn by the Nominating Shareholder or who become unwilling to serve on the Board of Trustees; and (v) the number of incumbent Trustees who had been Proxy Access Nominees with respect to any of the preceding two annual meetings of shareholders and whose reelection at the upcoming annual meeting is being recommended by the Board of Trustees. In the event that one or more vacancies for any reason occurs on the Board of Trustees after the deadline for submitting a Nomination Notice as set forth in Section 13(d) below but before the date of the annual meeting, and the Board of Trustees resolves to reduce the size of the board in connection therewith, the Maximum Number shall be calculated based on the number of Trustees in office as so reduced.
(2) If the number of Proxy Access Nominees pursuant to this Section 13 for any annual meeting of shareholders exceeds the Maximum Number then, promptly upon notice from the Trust, each Nominating Shareholder will select one Proxy Access Nominee for inclusion in the proxy statement until the Maximum Number is reached, going in order of the amount (largest to smallest) of the ownership position as disclosed in each Nominating Shareholder’s Nomination Notice, with the process repeated if the Maximum Number is not reached after each Nominating Shareholder has selected one Proxy Access Nominee. If, after the deadline for submitting a Nomination Notice as set forth in Section 13(d), a Nominating Shareholder or a Proxy Access Nominee ceases to satisfy the eligibility requirements in this Section 13, as determined by the Board of Trustees, a Nominating Shareholder withdraws its nomination or a Proxy Access Nominee becomes unwilling to serve on the Board of Trustees, whether before or after the mailing or other distribution of the definitive proxy statement, then the nomination shall be disregarded, and the Trust: (1) shall not be required to include in its proxy statement or on any ballot or form of proxy the disregarded Proxy Access Nominee or any successor or replacement nominee proposed by the Nominating Shareholder or by any other Nominating Shareholder and (2) may otherwise communicate to its shareholders, including without limitation by amending or supplementing its proxy statement or ballot or form of proxy, that a Proxy Access Nominee will not be included as a nominee in the proxy statement or on any ballot or form of proxy and will not be voted on at the annual meeting.
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(c) Eligibility of Nominating Shareholder. (1) An “Eligible Holder” is a person who has either (i) been a record holder of the common shares used to satisfy the eligibility requirements in this Section 13(c) continuously for the three-year period specified in Subsection (2) below or (ii) provides to the Secretary of the Trust, within the time period referred to in Section 13(d), evidence of continuous ownership of such shares for such three-year period from one or more securities intermediaries in a form that the Board of Trustees determines would be deemed acceptable for purposes of a shareholder proposal under Rule 14a-8(b)(2) under the Exchange Act (or any successor rule).
(2) An Eligible Holder or group of up to 20 Eligible Holders may submit a nomination in accordance with this Section 13 only if the person or group (in the aggregate) has continuously owned at least the Minimum Number (as defined below) of common shares of the Trust (excluding any common shares of any predecessor of the Trust) throughout the three-year period preceding and including the date of submission of the Nomination Notice, and continues to own at least the Minimum Number through the date of the annual meeting. Two or more funds that are (x) under common management and investment control, (y) under common management and funded primarily by a single employer or (z) 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, shall be treated as one Eligible Holder if such Eligible Holder shall provide together with the Nomination Notice documentation reasonably satisfactory to the Trust that demonstrates that the funds meet the criteria set forth in (x), (y) or (z) hereof. For the avoidance of doubt, in the event of a nomination by a group of Eligible Holders, any and all requirements and obligations for an individual Eligible Holder that are set forth in this Section 13, including the minimum holding period, shall apply to each member of such group; provided, however, that the Minimum Number shall apply to the ownership of the group in the aggregate. Should any shareholder cease to satisfy the eligibility requirements in this Section 13, as determined by the Board of Trustees, or withdraw from a group of Eligible Holders at any time prior to the annual meeting of shareholders, the group of Eligible Holders shall only be deemed to own the shares held by the remaining members of the group.
(3) The “Minimum Number” of the Trust’s common shares means 3% of the number of outstanding common shares as of the most recent date for which such amount is given in any filing by the Trust with the Securities and Exchange Commission prior to the submission of the Nomination Notice.
(4) For purposes of this Section 13, an Eligible Holder “owns” only those outstanding shares of the Trust as to which the Eligible Holder possesses both: (A) the full voting and investment rights pertaining to the shares; and (B) the full economic interest in (including the opportunity for profit and risk of loss on) such shares; provided that the number of shares calculated in accordance with clauses (A) and (B) shall not include any shares: (i) purchased or sold by such Eligible Holder or any of its affiliates in any transaction that has not been settled or closed, (ii) sold short by such Eligible Holder, (iii) borrowed by such Eligible Holder or any of its affiliates for any purpose or purchased by such Eligible Holder or any of its affiliates pursuant to an agreement to resell or subject to any other obligation to resell to another person, or (iv) subject to any option, warrant, forward contract, swap, contract of sale, other derivative or similar agreement entered into by such Eligible Holder or any of its affiliates, whether any such instrument or agreement is to be settled with shares or with cash based on the notional amount or value of outstanding shares of the Trust, in any such case which instrument or agreement has, or is intended to have, the purpose or effect of: (x) reducing in any manner, to any extent or at any time in the future, such Eligible Holder’s or any of its affiliates’ full right to vote or direct the voting of any such shares, and/or (y) hedging, offsetting, or altering to any degree, gain or loss arising from the full economic ownership of such shares by such Eligible Holder or any of its affiliates. An Eligible Holder “owns” shares held in the name of a nominee or other intermediary so long as the Eligible Holder retains the right to instruct how the shares are voted with respect to the election of Trustees and possesses the full economic interest in the shares. An Eligible Holder’s ownership of shares shall be deemed to continue during any period in which the Eligible Holder has delegated any voting power by means of a proxy, power of attorney, or other similar instrument or arrangement that is revocable at any time by the Eligible Holder. An Eligible Holder’s ownership of shares shall be deemed to continue during any period in which the Eligible Holder has loaned such shares provided that the Eligible Holder 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. Whether outstanding shares of the Trust are “owned” for these purposes shall be determined by the Board of Trustees.
(5) No Eligible Holder shall be permitted to be in more than one group constituting a Nominating Shareholder, and if any Eligible Holder appears as a member of more than one group, it shall be deemed to be a member of the group that has the largest ownership position as reflected in the Nomination Notice.
(6) Any Eligible Holder (including each Eligible Holder whose stock ownership is counted for the purposes of qualifying as a group) whose Proxy Access Nominee withdraws, becomes ineligible or does not receive at least 10% of the votes cast for such Proxy Access Nominee at an annual meeting of shareholders will not be eligible to nominate or participate in the nomination of a Proxy Access Nominee pursuant to this Section 13 for the following two annual meetings of shareholders.
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(d) Nomination Notice.
To nominate a Proxy Access Nominee, the Nominating Shareholder must, no earlier than 150 days and no later than 120 days before the anniversary of the date that the Trust mailed its proxy statement for the prior year’s annual meeting of shareholders, submit to the Secretary of the Trust at the principal executive office of the Trust all of the following information and documents (collectively, the “Nomination Notice”); provided, however, that if (and only if) the annual meeting is not scheduled to be held within a period that commences 30 days before such anniversary date and ends 30 days after such anniversary date (an annual meeting date outside such period being referred to herein as an “Other Meeting Date”), the Nomination Notice shall be given in the manner provided herein by the later of the close of business on the date that is 180 days prior to such Other Meeting Date or the tenth day following the day on which public announcement of the date of such Other Meeting Date is first made: (i) a Schedule 14N (or any successor form) relating to each Proxy Access Nominee, completed and filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission by the Nominating Shareholder as applicable, in accordance with Securities and Exchange Commission rules; (ii) a written notice, in a form deemed satisfactory by the Board of Trustees, of the nomination of each Proxy Access Nominee that includes the following additional information, agreements, representations and warranties by the Nominating Shareholder (including each group member): (A) the information required with respect to the nomination of Trustees pursuant to Section 12 of this Article II; (B) 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; (C) a representation and warranty that the Nominating Shareholder acquired the securities of the Trust in the ordinary course of business and did not acquire, and is not holding, securities of the Trust for the purpose or with the effect of influencing or changing control of the Trust; (D) a representation and warranty that each Proxy Access Nominee’s candidacy or, if elected, Board of Trustees membership would not violate applicable state or federal law or the rules of any stock exchange on which the Trust’s securities are traded; (E) a representation and warranty that each Proxy Access Nominee: (1) does not have any direct or indirect relationship with the Trust that would cause the Proxy Access Nominee to be considered not independent pursuant to the Trust’s Governance Guidelines as most recently published on its website and otherwise qualifies as independent under the rules of the primary stock exchange on which the common shares of beneficial interest of the Trust are traded; (2) meets the audit committee and compensation committee independence requirements under the rules of the primary stock exchange on which the common shares of beneficial interest of the Trust are traded; (3) is a “non-employee trustee” for the purposes of Rule 16b-3 under the Exchange Act (or any successor rule); (4) is an “outside trustee” for the purposes of Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code (or any successor provision); (5) meets the Trustee qualifications set forth in Article III of these Bylaws; and (6) is not and has not been subject to any event specified in Rule 506(d)(1) of Regulation D (or any successor rule) under the Securities Act of 1933 or Item 401(f) of Regulation S-K (or any successor rule) under the Exchange Act, without reference to whether the event is material to an evaluation of the ability or integrity of such Proxy Access Nominee; (F) a representation and warranty that the Nominating Shareholder satisfies the eligibility requirements set forth in Section 13(c) and has provided evidence of ownership to the extent required by Section 13(c)(1); (G) a representation and warranty that the Nominating Shareholder intends to continue to satisfy the eligibility requirements described in Section 13(c) through the date of the annual meeting; (H) details of any position of a Proxy Access Nominee as an officer, director or trustee of any competitor (that is, any entity that provides services or engages in business activities that compete with or are alternatives to the services provided or business activities engaged in by the Trust or its affiliates) of the Trust, within the three years preceding the submission of the Nomination Notice; (I) a representation and warranty that the Nominating Shareholder will not engage in a “solicitation” within the meaning of Rule 14a-1(l) (without reference to the exception in Section 14a-1(l)(2)(iv)) (or any successor rules) with respect to the annual meeting, other than with respect to a Proxy Access Nominee or any nominee of the Board of Trustees; (J) a representation and warranty that the Nominating Shareholder will not use any proxy card other than the Trust’s proxy card in soliciting shareholders in connection with the election of a Proxy Access Nominee at the annual meeting; (K) if desired, a Supporting Statement; and (L) in the case of a nomination by a group, the designation by all group members of one group member that is authorized to act on behalf of all group members with respect to matters relating to the nomination, including withdrawal of the nomination; (iii) an executed agreement, in a form deemed satisfactory by the Board of Trustees, pursuant to which the Nominating Shareholder (including each group member) agrees: (A) to comply with all applicable laws, rules and regulations in connection with the nomination, solicitation and election; (B) to file any written solicitation or other communication with the Trust’s shareholders relating to one or more of the Trust’s Trustees or Trustee nominees or any Proxy Access Nominee with the Securities and Exchange Commission, to the extent that such filing would be required if such communication were made by or on behalf of the Trust; (C) to assume all liability stemming from an action, suit or proceeding concerning any actual or alleged legal or regulatory violation arising out of any communication by the Nominating Shareholder or any of its Proxy Access Nominees with the Trust, its shareholders or any other person in connection with the nomination or election of Trustees, including, without limitation, the Nomination Notice; (D) to indemnify and hold harmless (jointly with all other group members, in the case of a group member) the Trust and each of its Trustees, officers and employees individually against any liability, loss, damages, expenses or other costs (including attorneys’ fees) incurred in connection with any threatened or pending action, suit or proceeding, whether legal, administrative or investigative, against the Trust or any of its Trustees, officers or employees arising out of or relating to any nomination, solicitation or other activity by the Nominating Shareholder in connection with its efforts to elect its Proxy Access Nominees pursuant to this Section 13; (E) in the event that any information included in the Nomination Notice, or any other communication by the Nominating Shareholder (including with respect to any group member), with the Trust, its shareholders or any other person in connection with the nomination or election ceases to be true and accurate in all material respects (or omits a material fact necessary to make the statements made not misleading), or that the Nominating Shareholder (including any group member) has failed to continue to satisfy the eligibility requirements described in Section 13(c), to promptly (and in any event within 48 hours of discovering such misstatement, omission or failure) notify the Trust and any other recipient of such communication of (A) the misstatement or omission in such previously provided information and of the information that is required to correct the misstatement or omission or (B) such failure; and (iv) an executed agreement, in a form deemed satisfactory by the Board of Trustees, by each Proxy Access Nominee: (A) to provide to the Trust such other information and certifications, including completion of the Trust’s Trustee questionnaire, as it may reasonably request; (B) at the reasonable request of the Trust’s Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee, to meet with the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee to discuss matters relating to the nomination of such Proxy Access Nominee to the Board of Trustees, including the information provided by such Proxy Access Nominee to the Trust in connection with his or her nomination and such Proxy Access Nominee’s eligibility to serve as a member of the Board of Trustees; (C) that such Proxy Access Nominee has read and agrees, if elected, to serve as a member of the Board of Trustees, to adhere to the Trust’s Governance Guidelines, Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, and any other Trust policies and guidelines applicable to Trustees; and (D) that such Proxy Access Nominee is not and will not become a party to (i) any compensatory, payment or other financial agreement, arrangement or understanding with any person or entity in connection with his or her nomination, service or action as a Trustee of the Trust that has not been disclosed to the Trust, (ii) any agreement, arrangement or understanding with any person or entity as to how such Proxy Access Nominee would vote or act on any issue or question as a Trustee (a “Voting Commitment”) that has not been disclosed to the Trust or (iii) any Voting Commitment that could limit or interfere with such Proxy Access Nominee’s ability to comply, if elected as a Trustee of the Trust, with its fiduciary duties under applicable law.
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The information and documents required by this Section 13(d) to be provided by the Nominating Shareholder shall be: (i) provided with respect to and executed by each group member, in the case of information applicable to group members; and (ii) provided with respect to the persons specified in Instruction 1 to Items 6(c) and (d) of Schedule 14N (or any successor item) in the case of a Nominating Shareholder or group member that is an entity. The Nomination Notice shall be deemed submitted on the date on which all the information and documents referred to in this Section 13(d) (other than such information and documents contemplated to be provided after the date the Nomination Notice is provided) have been delivered to or, if sent by mail, received by the Secretary of the Trust.
(e) Exceptions. (1) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Section 13, the Trust may omit from its proxy statement any Proxy Access Nominee and any information concerning such Proxy Access Nominee (including a Nominating Shareholder’s Supporting Statement) and no vote on such Proxy Access Nominee will occur (notwithstanding that proxies in respect of such vote may have been received by the Trust), and the Nominating Shareholder may not, after the last day on which a Nomination Notice would be timely, cure in any way any defect preventing the nomination of such Proxy Access Nominee, if: (i) the Trust receives a notice pursuant to Section 12 of this Article II that a shareholder intends to nominate a candidate for Trustee at the annual meeting, whether or not such notice is subsequently withdrawn or made the subject of a settlement with the Trust; (ii) the Nominating Shareholder or the designated lead group member, as applicable, or any qualified representative thereof, does not appear at the meeting of shareholders to present the nomination submitted pursuant to this Section 13, the Nominating Shareholder withdraws its nomination or the chairman of the annual meeting declares that such nomination was not made in accordance with the procedures prescribed by this Section 13 and shall therefore be disregarded; (iii) the Board of Trustees determines that such Proxy Access Nominee’s nomination or election to the Board of Trustees would result in the Trust violating or failing to be in compliance with the Declaration of Trust, these Bylaws or any applicable law, rule or regulation to which the Trust is subject, including any rules or regulations of the primary stock exchange on which the common shares of beneficial interest of the Trust are traded; (iv) such Proxy Access Nominee was nominated for election to the Board of Trustees pursuant to this Section 13 at one of the Trust’s two preceding annual meetings of shareholders and either withdrew or became ineligible or received a vote of less than 25% of the votes cast in favor of such Proxy Access Nominee; (v) such Proxy Access Nominee has been, within the past three years, an officer or director of a competitor, as defined for purposes of Section 8 of the Clayton Antitrust Act of 1914, as amended; (vi) the Trust is notified, or the Board of Trustees determines, that the Nominating Shareholder or the Proxy Access Nominee has failed to continue to satisfy the eligibility requirements described in Section 13(c), any of the representations and warranties made in the Nomination Notice ceases to be true and accurate in all material respects (or omits a material fact necessary to make the statements made not misleading), such Proxy Access Nominee becomes unwilling or unable to serve on the Board of Trustees or any material violation or breach occurs of the obligations, agreements, representations or warranties of the Nominating Shareholder or such Proxy Access Nominee under this Section 13;
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(2) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Section 13, the Trust may omit from its proxy statement, or may supplement or correct, any information, including all or any portion of the Supporting Statement or any other statement in support of a Proxy Access Nominee included in the Nomination Notice, if the Board of Trustees determines that: (i) such information is not true in all material respects or omits a material statement necessary to make the statements made not misleading; (ii) such information directly or indirectly impugns the character, integrity or personal reputation of, or directly or indirectly makes charges concerning improper, illegal or immoral conduct or associations, without factual foundation, with respect to, any person; or (iii) the inclusion of such information in the proxy statement would otherwise violate the Securities and Exchange Commission proxy rules or any other applicable law, rule or regulation.
The Trust may solicit against, and include in the proxy statement its own statement relating to, any Proxy Access Nominee.
Section 14. CONTROL SHARE ACQUISITION ACT. Notwithstanding any other provision of the Declaration of Trust or these Bylaws, Title 3, Subtitle 7 of the Maryland General Corporation Law, or any successor statute (the “MGCL”), shall not apply to any acquisition by any person of shares of beneficial interest of the Trust. This section may be repealed, in whole or in part, at any time, whether before or after an acquisition of control shares and, upon such repeal, may, to the extent provided by any successor bylaw, apply to any prior or subsequent control share acquisition.
Section 15. SHAREHOLDERS’ CONSENT IN LIEU OF MEETING. Any action required or permitted to be taken at any meeting of shareholders may be taken without a meeting (a) if a unanimous consent setting forth the action is given in writing or by electronic transmission by each shareholder entitled to vote on the matter and filed with the minutes of proceedings of the shareholders or (b) if the action is advised, and submitted to the shareholders for approval, by the Board of Trustees and a consent in writing or by electronic transmission of shareholders entitled to cast not less than the minimum number of votes that would be necessary to authorize or take the action at a meeting of shareholders is delivered to the Trust in accordance with the Maryland REIT Law or the other applicable provisions of the Corporations and Associations Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland (collectively, the “MRL”). The Trust shall give notice of any action taken by less than unanimous consent to each shareholder not later than ten days after the effective time of such action.
ARTICLE III
TRUSTEES
Section 1. GENERAL POWERS. The business and affairs of the Trust shall be managed under the direction of its Board of Trustees.
Section 2. NUMBER, TENURE, QUALIFICATIONS AND RESIGNATION. At any regular meeting or at any special meeting called for that purpose, a majority of the entire Board of Trustees may establish, increase or decrease the number of trustees, provided that the number thereof shall never be less than the minimum number required by the MRL, nor more than 15, and further provided that the tenure of office of a trustee shall not be affected by any decrease in the number of trustees. In case of failure to elect trustees at the designated time, the trustees holding over shall continue to serve as trustees until their successors are elected and qualify. Any trustee of the Trust may resign at any time by delivering his or her resignation to the Board of Trustees, the chairman of the board or the secretary. Any resignation shall take effect immediately upon its receipt or at such later time specified in the resignation. The acceptance of a resignation shall not be necessary to make it effective unless otherwise stated in the resignation.
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Section 3. ANNUAL AND REGULAR MEETINGS. An annual meeting of the Board of Trustees shall be held immediately after and at the same place as the annual meeting of shareholders, no notice other than this Bylaw being necessary. In the event such meeting is not so held, the meeting may be held at such time and place as shall be specified in a notice given as hereinafter provided for special meetings of the Board of Trustees. The Board of Trustees may provide, by resolution, the time and place of regular meetings of the Board of Trustees without other notice than such resolution.
Section 4. SPECIAL MEETINGS. Special meetings of the Board of Trustees may be called by or at the request of the chairman of the board, the chief executive officer, the president or a majority of the trustees then in office. The person or persons authorized to call special meetings of the Board of Trustees may fix the time and place of any special meeting of the Board of Trustees called by them. The Board of Trustees may provide, by resolution, the time and place for special meetings of the Board of Trustees without other notice than such resolution.
Section 5. NOTICE. Notice of any special meeting of the Board of Trustees shall be delivered personally or by telephone, electronic mail, facsimile transmission, courier or United States mail to each trustee at his or her business or residence address. Notice by personal delivery, telephone, electronic mail or facsimile transmission shall be given at least 24 hours prior to the meeting. Notice by United States mail shall be given at least three days prior to the meeting. Notice by courier shall be given at least two days prior to the meeting. Telephone notice shall be deemed to be given when the trustee or his or her agent is personally given such notice in a telephone call to which the trustee or his or her agent is a party. Electronic mail notice shall be deemed to be given upon transmission of the message to the electronic mail address given to the Trust by the trustee. Facsimile transmission notice shall be deemed to be given upon completion of the transmission of the message to the number given to the Trust by the trustee and receipt of a completed answer-back indicating receipt. Notice by United States mail shall be deemed to be given when deposited in the United States mail properly addressed, with postage thereon prepaid. Notice by courier shall be deemed to be given when deposited with or delivered to a courier properly addressed. Neither the business to be transacted at, nor the purpose of, any annual, regular or special meeting of the Board of Trustees need be stated in the notice, unless specifically required by statute or these Bylaws.
Section 6. QUORUM. A majority of the trustees shall constitute a quorum for transaction of business at any meeting of the Board of Trustees, provided that, if less than a majority of such trustees is present at such meeting, a majority of the trustees present may adjourn the meeting from time to time without further notice, and provided further that if, pursuant to applicable law, the Declaration of Trust or these Bylaws, the vote of a majority or other percentage of a particular group of trustees is required for action, a quorum must also include a majority or such other percentage of such group.
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The trustees present at a meeting which has been duly called and at which a quorum has been established may continue to transact business until adjournment, notwithstanding the withdrawal from the meeting of enough trustees to leave fewer than required to establish a quorum.
Section 7. VOTING. The action of a majority of the trustees present at a meeting at which a quorum is present shall be the action of the Board of Trustees, unless the concurrence of a greater proportion is required for such action by applicable law, the Declaration of Trust or these Bylaws. If enough trustees have withdrawn from a meeting to leave fewer than required to establish a quorum, but the meeting is not adjourned, the action of the majority of that number of trustees necessary to constitute a quorum at such meeting shall be the action of the Board of Trustees, unless the concurrence of a greater proportion is required for such action by applicable law, the Declaration of Trust or these Bylaws.
Section 8. ORGANIZATION. At each meeting of the Board of Trustees, the chairman of the board or, in the absence of the chairman, the vice chairman of the board, if any, shall act as chairman of the meeting. In the absence of both the chairman and vice chairman of the board, the chief executive officer or, in the absence of the chief executive officer, the president or, in the absence of the president, a trustee chosen by a majority of the trustees present, shall act as chairman of the meeting. The secretary or, in his or her absence, an assistant secretary of the Trust or, in the absence of the secretary and all assistant secretaries, an individual appointed by the chairman of the meeting, shall act as secretary of the meeting.
Section 9. TELEPHONE MEETINGS. Trustees may participate in a meeting by means of a conference telephone or other communications equipment if all persons participating in the meeting can hear each other at the same time. Participation in a meeting by these means shall constitute presence in person at the meeting.
Section 10. CONSENT BY TRUSTEES WITHOUT A MEETING. Any action required or permitted to be taken at any meeting of the Board of Trustees may be taken without a meeting, if a consent in writing or by electronic transmission to such action is given by each trustee and is filed with the minutes of proceedings of the Board of Trustees.
Section 11. VACANCIES. If for any reason any or all the trustees cease to be trustees, such event shall not terminate the Trust or affect these Bylaws or the powers of the remaining trustees hereunder. Except as may be provided by the Board of Trustees in setting the terms of any class or series of preferred shares of beneficial interest, any vacancy on the Board of Trustees may be filled only by a majority of the remaining trustees, even if the remaining trustees do not constitute a quorum. Any trustee elected to fill a vacancy shall serve for the remainder of the full term of the trusteeship in which the vacancy occurred and until a successor is elected and qualifies.
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Section 12. COMPENSATION. Trustees shall not receive any stated salary for their services as trustees but, by resolution of the trustees, may receive compensation per year and/or per meeting and/or per visit to real property or other facilities owned or leased by the Trust and for any service or activity they performed or engaged in as trustees. Trustees may be reimbursed for expenses of attendance, if any, at each annual, regular or special meeting of the trustees or of any committee thereof and for their expenses, if any, in connection with each property visit and any other service or activity they perform or engage in as trustees; but nothing herein contained shall be construed to preclude any trustees from serving the Trust in any other capacity and receiving compensation therefor.
Section 13. RELIANCE. Each trustee and officer of the Trust shall, in the performance of his or her duties with respect to the Trust, be entitled to rely on any information, opinion, report or statement, including any financial statement or other financial data, prepared or presented by an officer or employee of the Trust whom the trustee or officer reasonably believes to be reliable and competent in the matters presented, by a lawyer, certified public accountant or other person, as to a matter which the trustee or officer reasonably believes to be within the person’s professional or expert competence, or, with respect to a trustee, by a committee of the Board of Trustees on which the trustee does not serve, as to a matter within its designated authority, if the trustee reasonably believes the committee to merit confidence.
Section 14. RATIFICATION. The Board of Trustees or the shareholders may ratify and make binding on the Trust any action or inaction by the Trust or its officers to the extent that the Board of Trustees or the shareholders could have originally authorized the matter. Moreover, any action or inaction questioned in any shareholders’ derivative proceeding or any other proceeding on the ground of lack of authority, defective or irregular execution, adverse interest of a trustee, officer or shareholder, non-disclosure, miscomputation, the application of improper principles or practices of accounting or otherwise, may be ratified, before or after judgment, by the Board of Trustees or by the shareholders, and if so ratified, shall have the same force and effect as if the questioned action or inaction had been originally duly authorized, and such ratification shall be binding upon the Trust and its shareholders and shall constitute a bar to any claim or execution of any judgment in respect of such questioned action or inaction.
Section 15. INTERESTED TRUSTEE TRANSACTIONS. Section 2-419 of the MGCL shall be available for and apply to any contract or other transaction between the Trust and any of its trustees or between the Trust and any other trust, corporation, firm or other entity in which any of its trustees is a trustee or director or has a material financial interest.
Section 16. CERTAIN RIGHTS OF TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS. Any trustee or officer, in his or her personal capacity or in a capacity as an affiliate, employee or agent of any other person, or otherwise, may have business interests and engage in business activities similar to, in addition to or in competition with those of or relating to the Trust.
Section 17. EMERGENCY PROVISIONS. Notwithstanding any other provision in the Declaration of Trust or these Bylaws, this Section 17 shall apply during the existence of any catastrophe, or other similar emergency condition, as a result of which a quorum of the Board of Trustees under Article III of these Bylaws cannot readily be obtained (an “Emergency”). During any Emergency, unless otherwise provided by the Board of Trustees, (i) a meeting of the Board of Trustees or a committee thereof may be called by any trustee or officer by any means feasible under the circumstances; (ii) notice of any meeting of the Board of Trustees during such an Emergency may be given less than 24 hours prior to the meeting to as many trustees and by such means as may be feasible at the time, including publication, television or radio; and (iii) the number of trustees necessary to constitute a quorum shall be one-third of the entire Board of Trustees.
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ARTICLE IV
COMMITTEES
Section 1. NUMBER, TENURE AND QUALIFICATIONS. The Board of Trustees may appoint from among its members an Executive Committee, an Audit Committee, a Compensation Committee, a Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee and other committees, composed of one or more trustees, to serve at the pleasure of the Board of Trustees.
Section 2. POWERS. The Board of Trustees may delegate to committees appointed under Section 1 of this Article IV any of the powers of the Board of Trustees. Except as may be otherwise provided by the Board of Trustees, any committee may delegate some or all of its power and authority to one or more subcommittees, composed of one or more trustees, as the committee deems appropriate in its sole and absolute discretion.
Section 3. MEETINGS. Notice of committee meetings shall be given in the same manner as notice for special meetings of the Board of Trustees. A majority of the members of the committee shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at any meeting of the committee. The act of a majority of the committee members present at a meeting shall be the act of such committee. The Board of Trustees may designate a chairman of any committee, and such chairman or, in the absence of a chairman, any two members of any committee (if there are at least two members of the committee) may fix the time and place of its meeting unless the Board shall otherwise provide. In the absence of any member of any such committee, the members thereof present at any meeting, whether or not they constitute a quorum, may appoint another trustee to act in the place of such absent member, provided such appointed trustee meets the membership requirements of such committee.
Section 4. TELEPHONE MEETINGS. Members of a committee of the Board of Trustees may participate in a meeting by means of a conference telephone or other communications equipment if all persons participating in the meeting can hear each other at the same time. Participation in a meeting by these means shall constitute presence in person at the meeting.
Section 5. CONSENT BY COMMITTEES WITHOUT A MEETING. Any action required or permitted to be taken at any meeting of a committee of the Board of Trustees may be taken without a meeting, if a consent in writing or by electronic transmission to such action is given by each member of the committee and is filed with the minutes of proceedings of such committee.
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Section 6. VACANCIES. Subject to the provisions hereof, the Board of Trustees shall have the power at any time to change the membership of any committee, to fill any vacancy, to designate an alternate member to replace any absent or disqualified member or to dissolve any such committee.
ARTICLE V
OFFICERS
Section 1. GENERAL PROVISIONS. The officers of the Trust shall include a president, a secretary and a treasurer and may include a chairman of the board, a vice chairman of the board, a chief executive officer, one or more vice presidents, a chief operating officer, a chief financial officer, one or more assistant secretaries and one or more assistant treasurers. In addition, the Board of Trustees may from time to time elect such other officers with such powers and duties as it shall deem necessary or desirable. The officers of the Trust shall be elected annually by the Board of Trustees, except that the chief executive officer or president may from time to time appoint one or more vice presidents, assistant secretaries and assistant treasurers or other officers. Each officer shall serve until his or her successor is elected and qualifies or until his or her death, or his or her resignation or removal in the manner hereinafter provided. Any two or more offices except president and vice president may be held by the same person. Election of an officer or agent shall not of itself create contract rights between the Trust and such officer or agent.
Section 2. REMOVAL AND RESIGNATION. Any officer or agent of the Trust may be removed, with or without cause, by the Board of Trustees if in its judgment the best interests of the Trust would be served thereby, but such removal shall be without prejudice to the contract rights, if any, of the person so removed. Any officer of the Trust may resign at any time by delivering his or her resignation to the Board of Trustees, the chairman of the board, the chief executive officer, the president or the secretary. Any resignation shall take effect immediately upon its receipt or at such later time specified in the resignation. The acceptance of a resignation shall not be necessary to make it effective unless otherwise stated in the resignation. Such resignation shall be without prejudice to the contract rights, if any, of the Trust.
Section 3. VACANCIES. A vacancy in any office may be filled by the Board of Trustees for the balance of the term.
Section 4. CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER. The Board of Trustees may designate a chief executive officer. The chief executive officer shall have general responsibility for implementation of the policies of the Trust, as determined by the Board of Trustees, and for the management of the business and affairs of the Trust. He or she may execute any deed, mortgage, bond, contract or other instrument, except in cases where the execution thereof shall be expressly delegated by the Board of Trustees or by these Bylaws to some other officer or agent of the Trust or shall be required by law to be otherwise executed; and in general shall perform all duties incident to the office of chief executive officer and such other duties as may be prescribed by the Board of Trustees from time to time.
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Section 5. CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER. The Board of Trustees may designate a chief operating officer. The chief operating officer shall have the responsibilities and duties as determined by the Board of Trustees or the chief executive officer.
Section 6. CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER. The Board of Trustees may designate a chief financial officer. The chief financial officer shall have the responsibilities and duties as determined by the Board of Trustees or the chief executive officer.
Section 7. CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD. The Board of Trustees may designate from among its members a chairman of the board, who shall not, solely by reason of these Bylaws, be an officer of the Trust. The Board of Trustees may designate the chairman of the board as an executive or non-executive chairman. The chairman of the board shall preside over the meetings of the Board of Trustees. The chairman of the board shall perform such other duties as may be assigned to him or her by these Bylaws or the Board of Trustees.
Section 8. PRESIDENT. In the absence of a chief executive officer, the president shall in general supervise and control all of the business and affairs of the Trust. In the absence of a designation of a chief operating officer by the Board of Trustees, the president shall be the chief operating officer. He or she may execute any deed, mortgage, bond, contract or other instrument, except in cases where the execution thereof shall be expressly delegated by the Board of Trustees or by these Bylaws to some other officer or agent of the Trust or shall be required by law to be otherwise executed; and in general shall perform all duties incident to the office of president and such other duties as may be prescribed by the Board of Trustees from time to time.
Section 9. VICE PRESIDENTS. In the absence of the president or in the event of a vacancy in such office, the vice president (or in the event there be more than one vice president, the vice presidents in the order designated at the time of their election or, in the absence of any designation, then in the order of their election) shall perform the duties of the president and when so acting shall have all the powers of and be subject to all the restrictions upon the president; and shall perform such other duties as from time to time may be assigned to such vice president by the chief executive officer, the president or the Board of Trustees. The Board of Trustees may designate one or more vice presidents as executive vice president, senior vice president, or vice president for particular areas of responsibility.
Section 10. SECRETARY. The secretary shall (a) keep the minutes of the proceedings of the shareholders, the Board of Trustees and committees of the Board of Trustees in one or more books provided for that purpose; (b) see that all notices are duly given in accordance with the provisions of these Bylaws or as required by law; (c) be custodian of the trust records and of the seal of the Trust; (d) keep a register of the post office address of each shareholder which shall be furnished to the secretary by such shareholder; (e) have general charge of the share transfer books of the Trust; and (f) in general perform such other duties as from time to time may be assigned to him or her by the chief executive officer, the president or the Board of Trustees.
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Section 11. TREASURER. The treasurer shall have the custody of the funds and securities of the Trust, shall keep full and accurate accounts of receipts and disbursements in books belonging to the Trust, shall deposit all moneys and other valuable effects in the name and to the credit of the Trust in such depositories as may be designated by the Board of Trustees and in general perform such other duties as from time to time may be assigned to him or her by the chief executive officer, the president or the Board of Trustees. In the absence of a designation of a chief financial officer by the Board of Trustees, the treasurer shall be the chief financial officer of the Trust.
The treasurer shall disburse the funds of the Trust as may be ordered by the Board of Trustees, taking proper vouchers for such disbursements, and shall render to the president and Board of Trustees, at the regular meetings of the Board of Trustees or whenever it may so require, an account of all his or her transactions as treasurer and of the financial condition of the Trust.
Section 12. ASSISTANT SECRETARIES AND ASSISTANT TREASURERS. The assistant secretaries and assistant treasurers, in general, shall perform such duties as shall be assigned to them by the secretary or treasurer, respectively, or by the chief executive officer, the president or the Board of Trustees.
Section 13. COMPENSATION. The compensation of the officers shall be fixed from time to time by or under the authority of the Board of Trustees and no officer shall be prevented from receiving such compensation by reason of the fact that he or she is also a trustee.
ARTICLE VI
CONTRACTS, CHECKS AND DEPOSITS
Section 1. CONTRACTS. The Board of Trustees may authorize any officer or agent to enter into any contract or to execute and deliver any instrument in the name of and on behalf of the Trust and such authority may be general or confined to specific instances. Any agreement, deed, mortgage, lease or other document shall be valid and binding upon the Trust when duly authorized or ratified by action of the Board of Trustees and executed by an authorized person.
Section 2. CHECKS AND DRAFTS. All checks, drafts or other orders for the payment of money, notes or other evidences of indebtedness issued in the name of the Trust shall be signed by such officer or agent of the Trust in such manner as shall from time to time be determined by the Board of Trustees.
Section 3. DEPOSITS. All funds of the Trust not otherwise employed shall be deposited or invested from time to time to the credit of the Trust as the Board of Trustees, the chief executive officer, the president, the chief financial officer, or any other officer designated by the Board of Trustees may determine.
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ARTICLE VII
SHARES
Section 1. CERTIFICATES. Except as may be otherwise provided by the Board of Trustees, shareholders of the Trust are not entitled to certificates evidencing the shares of beneficial interest held by them. In the event that the Trust issues shares of beneficial interest evidenced by certificates, such certificates shall be in such form as prescribed by the Board of Trustees or a duly authorized officer, shall contain the statements and information required by the MRL and shall be signed by the officers of the Trust in any manner permitted by the MRL. In the event that the Trust issues shares of beneficial interest without certificates, to the extent then required by the MRL, the Trust shall provide to the record holders of such shares a written statement of the information required by the MRL to be included on share certificates. There shall be no differences in the rights and obligations of shareholders based on whether or not their shares are evidenced by certificates.
Section 2. TRANSFERS. All transfers of shares shall be made on the books of the Trust, by the holder of the shares, in person or by his or her attorney, in such manner as the Board of Trustees or any officer of the Trust may prescribe and, if such shares are certificated, upon surrender of certificates duly endorsed. The issuance of a new certificate upon the transfer of certificated shares is subject to the determination of the Board of Trustees that such shares shall no longer be evidenced by certificates. Upon the transfer of any uncertificated shares the Trust shall provide to the record holders of such shares, to the extent then required by the MRL, a written statement of the information required by the MRL to be included on share certificates.
The Trust shall be entitled to treat the holder of record of any share of beneficial interest as the holder in fact thereof and, accordingly, shall not be bound to recognize any equitable or other claim to or interest in such share or on the part of any other person, whether or not it shall have express or other notice thereof, except as otherwise expressly provided by the laws of the State of Maryland.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, transfers of shares of any class or series of beneficial interest will be subject in all respects to the Declaration of Trust and all of the terms and conditions contained therein.
Section 3. REPLACEMENT CERTIFICATE. Any officer of the Trust may direct a new certificate or certificates to be issued in place of any certificate or certificates theretofore issued by the Trust alleged to have been lost, destroyed, stolen or mutilated, upon the making of an affidavit of that fact by the person claiming the certificate to be lost, destroyed, stolen or mutilated; provided, however, if such shares have ceased to be certificated, no new certificate shall be issued unless requested in writing by such shareholder and the Board of Trustees has determined that such certificates may be issued. Unless otherwise determined by an officer of the Trust, the owner of such lost, destroyed, stolen or mutilated certificate or certificates, or his or her legal representative, shall be required, as a condition precedent to the issuance of a new certificate or certificates, to give the Trust a bond in such sums as it may direct as indemnity against any claim that may be made against the Trust.
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Section 4. FIXING OF RECORD DATE. The Board of Trustees may set, in advance, a record date for the purpose of determining shareholders entitled to notice of or to vote at any meeting of shareholders or determining shareholders entitled to receive payment of any dividend or the allotment of any other rights, or in order to make a determination of shareholders for any other proper purpose. Such date, in any case, shall not be prior to the close of business on the day the record date is fixed and shall be not more than 90 days and, in the case of a meeting of shareholders, not less than ten days, before the date on which the meeting or particular action requiring such determination of shareholders of record is to be held or taken.
When a record date for the determination of shareholders entitled to notice of and to vote at any meeting of shareholders has been set as provided in this section, such record date shall continue to apply to the meeting if adjourned or postponed, except if the meeting is adjourned or postponed to a date more than 120 days after the record date originally fixed for the meeting, in which case a new record date for such meeting shall be determined as set forth herein.
Section 5. SHARE LEDGER. The Trust shall maintain at its principal office or at the office of its counsel, accountants or transfer agent, an original or duplicate share ledger containing the name and address of each shareholder and the number of shares of each class held by such shareholder.
Section 6. FRACTIONAL SHARES; ISSUANCE OF UNITS. The Board of Trustees may authorize the Trust to issue fractional shares or authorize the issuance of scrip, all on such terms and under such conditions as it may determine. Notwithstanding any other provision of the Declaration of Trust or these Bylaws, the Board of Trustees may authorize the issuance of units consisting of different securities of the Trust. Any security issued in a unit shall have the same characteristics as any identical securities issued by the Trust, except that the Board of Trustees may provide that for a specified period securities of the Trust issued in such unit may be transferred on the books of the Trust only in such unit.
ARTICLE VIII
ACCOUNTING YEAR
The Board of Trustees shall have the power, from time to time, to fix the fiscal year of the Trust by a duly adopted resolution.
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ARTICLE IX
DISTRIBUTIONS
Section 1. AUTHORIZATION. Dividends and other distributions upon the shares of beneficial interest of the Trust may be authorized by the Board of Trustees, subject to the provisions of law and the Declaration of Trust. Dividends and other distributions may be paid in cash, property or shares of beneficial interest of the Trust, subject to the provisions of law and the Declaration of Trust.
Section 2. CONTINGENCIES. Before payment of any dividends or other distributions, there may be set aside out of any assets of the Trust available for dividends or other distributions such sum or sums as the Board of Trustees may from time to time, in its absolute discretion, think proper as a reserve fund for contingencies, for equalizing dividends, for repairing or maintaining any property of the Trust or for such other purpose as the Board of Trustees shall determine, and the Board of Trustees may modify or abolish any such reserve.
ARTICLE X
INVESTMENT POLICY
Subject to the provisions of the Declaration of Trust, the Board of Trustees may from time to time adopt, amend, revise or terminate any policy or policies with respect to investments by the Trust as it shall deem appropriate in its sole discretion.
ARTICLE XI
SEAL
Section 1. SEAL. The Board of Trustees may authorize the adoption of a seal by the Trust. The seal shall contain the name of the Trust and the year of its formation and the words “Formed Maryland.” The Board of Trustees may authorize one or more duplicate seals and provide for the custody thereof.
Section 2. AFFIXING SEAL. Whenever the Trust is permitted or required to affix its seal to a document, it shall be sufficient to meet the requirements of any law, rule or regulation relating to a seal to place the word “(SEAL)” adjacent to the signature of the person authorized to execute the document on behalf of the Trust.
ARTICLE XII
INDEMNIFICATION AND ADVANCE OF EXPENSES
To the maximum extent permitted by Maryland law in effect from time to time, the Trust shall indemnify and, without requiring a preliminary determination of the ultimate entitlement to indemnification, shall pay or reimburse reasonable expenses in advance of final disposition of a proceeding to (a) any individual who is a present or former trustee or officer of the Trust and who is made or threatened to be made a party to the proceeding by reason of his or her service in that capacity or (b) any individual who, while a trustee or officer of the Trust and at the request of the Trust, serves or has served as a director, trustee, officer, partner, member or manager of another corporation, real estate investment trust, partnership, limited liability company, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise and who is made or threatened to be made a party to the proceeding by reason of his or her service in that capacity. The rights to indemnification and advance of expenses provided by the Declaration of Trust and these Bylaws shall vest immediately upon election of a trustee or officer. The Trust may, with the approval of its Board of Trustees, provide such indemnification and advance for expenses to an individual who served a predecessor of the Trust in any of the capacities described in (a) or (b) above and to any employee or agent of the Trust or a predecessor of the Trust. The indemnification and payment or reimbursement of expenses provided in these Bylaws shall not be deemed exclusive of or limit in any way other rights to which any person seeking indemnification or payment or reimbursement of expenses may be or may become entitled under any bylaw, resolution, insurance, agreement or otherwise.
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Neither the amendment nor repeal of this Article XII, nor the adoption or amendment of any other provision of the Declaration of Trust or these Bylaws inconsistent with this Article, shall apply to or affect in any respect the applicability of the preceding paragraph of this Article XII with respect to any act or failure to act that occurred prior to such amendment, repeal or adoption.
ARTICLE XIII
WAIVER OF NOTICE
Whenever any notice of a meeting is required to be given pursuant to the Declaration of Trust or these Bylaws or pursuant to applicable law, a waiver thereof in writing or by electronic transmission, given by the person or persons entitled to such notice, whether before or after the time stated therein, shall be deemed equivalent to the giving of such notice. Neither the business to be transacted at nor the purpose of any meeting need be set forth in the waiver of notice of such meeting, unless specifically required by statute. The attendance of any person at any meeting shall constitute a waiver of notice of such meeting, except where such person attends a meeting for the express purpose of objecting to the transaction of any business on the ground that the meeting has not been lawfully called or convened.
ARTICLE XIV
EXCLUSIVE FORUM FOR CERTAIN LITIGATION
Unless the Trust consents in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, and to the fullest extent permitted by law, the Circuit Court for Baltimore City, Maryland, or, if that Court does not have jurisdiction, the United States District Court for the District of Maryland, Baltimore Division, shall be the sole and exclusive forum for (a) any derivative action or proceeding brought in the right or on behalf of the Trust, (b) any action asserting a claim of breach of any duty owed by any trustee, officer, other employee, or agent of the Trust to the Trust or to the shareholders of the Trust, (c) any action asserting a claim against the Trust or any trustee, officer, other employee, or agent of the Trust arising pursuant to any provision of the MRL, the Declaration of Trust or these Bylaws, or (d) any action asserting a claim against the Trust or any trustee or officer or other employee of the Trust that is governed by the internal affairs doctrine. In the event that any action or proceeding described in the this Article XIV is pending in the Circuit Court for Baltimore City, Maryland, any shareholder that is a party to such action, proceeding or claim shall cooperate in seeking to have the action or proceeding assigned to the Business & Technology Case Management Program.
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ARTICLE XV
AMENDMENT OF BYLAWS
These Bylaws may be amended, altered or repealed, and new Bylaws adopted, by the Board of Trustees or by the affirmative vote of holders of shares of the Company representing not less than a majority of all the votes entitled to be cast on the matter.
ARTICLE XVI
MISCELLANEOUS
All references to the Declaration of Trust shall include all amendments and supplements thereto and any other documents filed with and accepted for record by the State Department of Assessments and Taxation related thereto.
ARTICLE XVII
SEVERABILITY
If any provision of these Bylaws shall be held invalid or unenforceable in any respect, such holding shall apply only to the extent of any such invalidity or unenforceability and shall not in any manner affect, impair or render invalid or unenforceable any other provision of these Bylaws in any jurisdiction.
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Exhibit 3.2
JBG SMITH PROPERTIES
AMENDED AND RESTATED
BYLAWS
ARTICLE I
OFFICES
Section 1. PRINCIPAL OFFICE. The principal office of the Trust in the State of Maryland shall be located at such place as the Board of Trustees may designate.
Section 2. ADDITIONAL OFFICES. The Trust may have additional offices, including a principal executive office, at such places as the Board of Trustees may from time to time determine or the business of the Trust may require.
ARTICLE II
MEETINGS OF SHAREHOLDERS
Section 1. PLACE. All meetings of shareholders shall be held at the principal executive office of the Trust or at such other place as shall be set in accordance with these Bylaws and stated in the notice of the meeting.
Section 2. ANNUAL MEETING. An annual meeting of shareholders for the election of trustees and the transaction of any business within the powers of the Trust shall be held on the date and at the time and place set by the Board of Trustees.
Section 3. SPECIAL MEETINGS.
(a) General. Each of the chairman of the board, chief executive officer, president and a majority of the Board of Trustees then in office may call a special meeting of shareholders. Except as provided in subsection (b)(4) of this Section 3, a special meeting of shareholders shall be held on the date and at the time and place set by the person or persons calling the meeting. Subject to subsection (b) of this Section 3, a special meeting of shareholders shall also be called by the secretary of the Trust to act on any matter that may properly be considered at a meeting of shareholders upon the written request of shareholders entitled to cast not less than a majority of all the votes entitled to be cast on such matter at such meeting.
(b) Shareholder-Requested Special Meetings.
(1) Any shareholder of record seeking to have shareholders request a special meeting shall, by sending written notice to the secretary (the “Record Date Request Notice”) by registered mail, return receipt requested, request the Board of Trustees to fix a record date to determine the shareholders entitled to request a special meeting (the “Request Record Date”). The Record Date Request Notice shall set forth the purpose of the meeting and the matters proposed to be acted on at it, shall be signed by one or more shareholders of record as of the date of signature (or their agents duly authorized in a writing accompanying the Record Date Request Notice), shall bear the date of signature of each such shareholder (or such agent) and shall set forth all information relating to each such shareholder and each matter proposed to be acted on at the meeting that would be required to be disclosed in connection with the solicitation of proxies for the election of trustees in an election contest (even if an election contest is not involved), or would otherwise be required in connection with such a solicitation, in each case pursuant to Regulation 14A (or any successor provision) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder (the “Exchange Act”). Upon receiving the Record Date Request Notice, the Board of Trustees may fix a Request Record Date. The Request Record Date shall not precede and shall not be more than ten days after the close of business on the date on which the resolution fixing the Request Record Date is adopted by the Board of Trustees. If the Board of Trustees, within ten days after the date on which a valid Record Date Request Notice is received, fails to adopt a resolution fixing the Request Record Date, the Request Record Date shall be the close of business on the tenth day after the first date on which a Record Date Request Notice is received by the secretary.
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(2) In order for any shareholder to request a special meeting to act on any matter that may properly be considered at a meeting of shareholders, one or more written requests for a special meeting (collectively, the “Special Meeting Request”) signed by shareholders of record (or their agents duly authorized in a writing accompanying the request) as of the Request Record Date entitled to cast not less than a majority of all of the votes entitled to be cast on such matter at such meeting (the “Special Meeting Percentage”) shall be delivered to the secretary. In addition, the Special Meeting Request shall (a) set forth the purpose of the meeting and the matters proposed to be acted on at it (which shall be limited to those lawful matters set forth in the Record Date Request Notice received by the secretary), (b) bear the date of signature of each such shareholder (or such agent) signing the Special Meeting Request, (c) set forth (i) the name and address, as they appear in the Trust’s books, of each shareholder signing such request (or on whose behalf the Special Meeting Request is signed), (ii) the class, series and number of all shares of the Trust which are owned (beneficially or of record) by each such shareholder and (iii) the nominee holder for, and number of, shares of the Trust owned beneficially but not of record by such shareholder, (d) be sent to the secretary by registered mail, return receipt requested, and (e) be received by the secretary within 60 days after the Request Record Date. Any requesting shareholder (or agent duly authorized in a writing accompanying the revocation of the Special Meeting Request) may revoke his, her or its request for a special meeting at any time by written revocation delivered to the secretary.
(3) The secretary shall inform the requesting shareholders of the reasonably estimated cost of preparing and mailing or delivering the notice of the meeting (including the Trust’s proxy materials). The secretary shall not be required to call a special meeting upon shareholder request and such meeting shall not be held unless, in addition to the documents required by paragraph (2) of this Section 3(b), the secretary receives payment of such reasonably estimated cost prior to the preparation and mailing or delivery of such notice of the meeting.
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(4) In the case of any special meeting called by the secretary upon the request of shareholders (a “Shareholder-Requested Meeting”), such meeting shall be held at such place, date and time as may be designated by the Board of Trustees; provided, however, that the date of any Shareholder-Requested Meeting shall be not more than 90 days after the record date for such meeting (the “Meeting Record Date”); and provided further that if the Board of Trustees fails to designate, within ten days after the date that a valid Special Meeting Request is actually received by the secretary (the “Delivery Date”), a date and time for a Shareholder-Requested Meeting, then such meeting shall be held at 2:00 p.m., local time, on the 90th day after the Meeting Record Date or, if such 90th day is not a business day on the first preceding business day; and provided further that in the event that the Board of Trustees fails to designate a place for a Shareholder-Requested Meeting within ten days after the Delivery Date, then such meeting shall be held at the principal executive office of the Trust. In fixing a date for a Shareholder-Requested Meeting, the Board of Trustees may consider such factors as it deems relevant, including, without limitation, the nature of the matters to be considered, the facts and circumstances surrounding any request for the meeting and any plan of the Board of Trustees to call an annual meeting or a special meeting. In the case of any Shareholder-Requested Meeting, if the Board of Trustees fails to fix a Meeting Record Date that is a date within 30 days after the Delivery Date, then the close of business on the 30th day after the Delivery Date shall be the Meeting Record Date. The Board of Trustees may revoke the notice for any Shareholder-Requested Meeting in the event that the requesting shareholders fail to comply with the provisions of paragraph (3) of this Section 3(b). Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in these Bylaws, the Board of Trustees may submit its own proposal or proposals for consideration at any such Shareholder-Requested Meeting.
(5) If written revocations of the Special Meeting Request have been delivered to the secretary and the result is that shareholders of record (or their agents duly authorized in writing), as of the Request Record Date, entitled to cast less than the Special Meeting Percentage have delivered, and not revoked, requests for a special meeting on the matter to the secretary: (i) if the notice of meeting has not already been delivered, the secretary shall refrain from delivering the notice of the meeting and send to all requesting shareholders who have not revoked such requests written notice of any revocation of a request for a special meeting on the matter, or (ii) if the notice of meeting has been delivered and if the secretary first sends to all requesting shareholders who have not revoked requests for a special meeting on the matter written notice of any revocation of a request for the special meeting and written notice of the Trust’s intention to revoke the notice of the meeting or for the chairman of the meeting to adjourn the meeting without action on the matter, (A) the secretary may revoke the notice of the meeting at any time before ten days before the commencement of the meeting or (B) the chairman of the meeting may call the meeting to order and adjourn the meeting without acting on the matter. Any request for a special meeting received after a revocation by the secretary of a notice of a meeting shall be considered a request for a new special meeting.
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(6) The chairman of the board, chief executive officer, president or Board of Trustees may appoint regionally or nationally recognized independent inspectors of elections to act as the agent of the Trust for the purpose of promptly performing a ministerial review of the validity of any purported Special Meeting Request received by the secretary. For the purpose of permitting the inspectors to perform such review, no such purported Special Meeting Request shall be deemed to have been received by the secretary until the earlier of (i) five business days after actual receipt by the secretary of such purported request and (ii) such date as the independent inspectors certify to the Trust that the valid requests received by the secretary represent, as of the Request Record Date, shareholders of record entitled to cast not less than the Special Meeting Percentage. Nothing contained in this paragraph (6) shall in any way be construed to suggest or imply that the Trust or any shareholder shall not be entitled to contest the validity of any request, whether during or after such five business day period, 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 4. NOTICE. Not less than ten nor more than 90 days before each meeting of shareholders, the secretary shall give to each shareholder entitled to vote at such meeting and to each shareholder not entitled to vote who is entitled to notice of the meeting notice in writing or by electronic transmission stating the time and place of the meeting and, in the case of a special meeting or as otherwise may be required by any statute, the purpose for which the meeting is called, by mail, by presenting it to such shareholder personally, by leaving it at the shareholder’s residence or usual place of business or by any other means permitted by Maryland law. If mailed, such notice shall be deemed to be given when deposited in the United States mail addressed to the shareholder at the shareholder’s address as it appears on the records of the Trust, with postage thereon prepaid. If transmitted electronically, such notice shall be deemed to be given when transmitted to the shareholder by an electronic transmission to any address or number of the shareholder at which the shareholder receives electronic transmissions. The Trust may give a single notice to all shareholders who share an address, which single notice shall be effective as to any shareholder at such address, unless such shareholder objects to receiving such single notice or revokes a prior consent to receiving such single notice. Failure to give notice of any meeting to one or more shareholders, or any irregularity in such notice, shall not affect the validity of any meeting fixed in accordance with this Article II or the validity of any proceedings at any such meeting.
Subject to Section 12(a) of this Article II, any business of the Trust may be transacted at an annual meeting of shareholders without being specifically designated in the notice, except such business as is required by any statute to be stated in such notice. No business shall be transacted at a special meeting of shareholders except as specifically designated in the notice. The Trust may postpone or cancel a meeting of shareholders by making a “public announcement” (as defined in Section 12(c)(3) of this Article II) of such postponement or cancellation prior to the meeting. Notice of the date, time and place to which the meeting is postponed shall be given not less than ten days prior to such date and otherwise in the manner set forth in this section.
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Section 5. ORGANIZATION AND CONDUCT. Every meeting of shareholders shall be conducted by an individual appointed by the Board of Trustees to be chairman of the meeting or, in the absence of such appointment or appointed individual, by the chairman of the board or, in the case of a vacancy in the office or absence of the chairman of the board, by one of the following officers present at the meeting in the following order: the vice chairman of the board, if there is one, the chief executive officer, the president, the vice presidents in their order of rank and seniority, the secretary or, in the absence of such officers, a chairman chosen by the shareholders by the vote of a majority of the votes cast by shareholders present in person or by proxy. The secretary or, in the secretary’s absence, an assistant secretary, or, in the absence of both the secretary and assistant secretaries, an individual appointed by the Board of Trustees or, in the absence of such appointment, an individual appointed by the chairman of the meeting shall act as secretary. In the event that the secretary presides at a meeting of shareholders, an assistant secretary or, in the absence of all assistant secretaries, an individual appointed by the Board of Trustees or the chairman of the meeting, shall record the minutes of the meeting. The order of business and all other matters of procedure at any meeting of shareholders shall be determined by the chairman of the meeting. The chairman of the meeting may prescribe such rules, regulations and procedures and take such action as, in the discretion of the chairman and without any action by the shareholders, are appropriate for the proper conduct of the meeting, including, without limitation, (a) restricting admission to the time set for the commencement of the meeting; (b) limiting attendance at the meeting to shareholders of record of the Trust, their duly authorized proxies and such other individuals as the chairman of the meeting may determine; (c) limiting participation at the meeting on any matter to shareholders of record of the Trust entitled to vote on such matter, their duly authorized proxies and other such individuals as the chairman of the meeting may determine; (d) limiting the time allotted to questions or comments; (e) determining when and for how long the polls should be opened and when the polls should be closed; (f) maintaining order and security at the meeting; (g) removing any shareholder or any other individual who refuses to comply with meeting procedures, rules or guidelines as set forth by the chairman of the meeting; (h) concluding a meeting or recessing or adjourning the meeting, whether or not a quorum is present, to a later date and time and at a place announced at the meeting; and (i) complying with any state and local laws and regulations concerning safety and security. Unless otherwise determined by the chairman of the meeting, meetings of shareholders shall not be required to be held in accordance with the rules of parliamentary procedure.
Section 6. QUORUM. At any meeting of shareholders, the presence in person or by proxy of shareholders entitled to cast a majority of all the votes entitled to be cast at such meeting on any matter shall constitute a quorum; but this section shall not affect any requirement under any statute or the Declaration of Trust of the Trust (the “Declaration of Trust”) for the vote necessary for the approval of any matter. If such quorum is not established at any meeting of the shareholders, the chairman of the meeting may adjourn the meeting sine die or from time to time to a date not more than 120 days after the original record date without notice other than announcement at the meeting. At such adjourned meeting at which a quorum shall be present, any business may be transacted which might have been transacted at the meeting as originally notified.
The shareholders present either in person or by proxy, at a meeting which has been duly called and at which a quorum has been established, may continue to transact business until adjournment, notwithstanding the withdrawal from the meeting of enough shareholders to leave fewer than would be required to establish a quorum.
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Section 7. VOTING. A nominee
for election as a trustee shall be elected as a trustee only if such nominee receives the affirmative vote of a majority of the
votes cast for and against such nominee at a meeting of shareholders duly called and at which a quorum is present. However, trustees
shall be elected by a plurality of all the votes cast at a meeting
of shareholders duly called and at which a quorum is present shall be sufficient to elect a trusteefor
which (i) the secretary of the Trust receives notice that a shareholder intends to nominate an individual for election as
a trustee in compliance with the requirements of advance notice of shareholder nominees for trustee set forth in Article II,
Section 12 of these Bylaws, and (ii) such proposed nomination has not been withdrawn by such shareholder on or prior
to the close of business on the tenth day preceding the date of filing of the definitive proxy statement of the Trust with the
Securities and Exchange Commission for such meeting, and, as a result of which, the number of nominees is greater than the number
of trustees to be elected at the meeting. Each share may be voted for as many individuals as there are trustees to
be elected and for whose election the share is entitled to be voted. A majority of the votes cast at a meeting of shareholders
duly called and at which a quorum is present shall be sufficient to approve any other matter which may properly come before the
meeting, unless more than a majority of the votes cast is required by statute or by the Declaration of Trust. If
trustees are to be elected by a plurality of all votes cast at a meeting, shareholders shall not be permitted to vote against
a nominee for election to the Board of Trustees. Unless otherwise provided by statute or by the Declaration of Trust,
each outstanding share of beneficial interest, regardless of class, entitles the holder thereof to cast one vote on each matter
submitted to a vote at a meeting of shareholders. Voting on any question or in any election may be viva voce unless the chairman
of the meeting shall order that voting be by ballot or otherwise.
Section 8. PROXIES. A holder of record of shares of beneficial interest of the Trust may cast votes in person or by proxy executed by the shareholder or by the shareholder’s duly authorized agent in any manner permitted by law. Such proxy or evidence of authorization of such proxy shall be filed with the secretary of the Trust before or at the meeting. No proxy shall be valid more than eleven months after its date unless otherwise provided in the proxy.
Section 9. VOTING OF SHARES BY CERTAIN HOLDERS. Shares of beneficial interest of the Trust registered in the name of a corporation, limited liability company, partnership, joint venture, trust or other entity, if entitled to be voted, may be voted by the president or a vice president, managing member, manager, general partner or trustee thereof, as the case may be, or a proxy appointed by any of the foregoing individuals, unless some other person who has been appointed to vote such shares pursuant to a bylaw or a resolution of the governing body of such corporation or other entity or agreement of the partners of a partnership presents a certified copy of such bylaw, resolution or agreement, in which case such person may vote such shares. Any trustee or fiduciary, in such capacity, may vote shares of beneficial interest registered in such trustee’s or fiduciary’s name, either in person or by proxy.
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Shares of beneficial interest of the Trust directly or indirectly owned by it shall not be voted at any meeting and shall not be counted in determining the total number of outstanding shares entitled to be voted at any given time, unless they are held by it in a fiduciary capacity, in which case they may be voted and shall be counted in determining the total number of outstanding shares at any given time.
The Board of Trustees may adopt by resolution a procedure by which a shareholder may certify in writing to the Trust that any shares of beneficial interest registered in the name of the shareholder are held for the account of a specified person other than the shareholder. The resolution shall set forth the class of shareholders who may make the certification, the purpose for which the certification may be made, the form of certification and the information to be contained in it; if the certification is with respect to a record date, the time after the record date within which the certification must be received by the Trust; and any other provisions with respect to the procedure which the Board of Trustees considers necessary or desirable. On receipt by the Trust of such certification, the person specified in the certification shall be regarded as, for the purposes set forth in the certification, the holder of record of the specified shares of beneficial interest in place of the shareholder who makes the certification.
Section 10. INSPECTORS. The Board of Trustees or the chairman of the meeting may appoint, before or at the meeting, one or more inspectors for the meeting and any successor to the inspector. Except as otherwise provided by the chairman of the meeting, the inspectors, if any, shall (i) determine the number of shares of beneficial interest represented at the meeting in person or by proxy and the validity and effect of proxies, (ii) receive and tabulate all votes, ballots or consents, (iii) report such tabulation to the chairman of the meeting, (iv) hear and determine all challenges and questions arising in connection with the right to vote, and (v) do such acts as are proper to fairly conduct the election or vote. Each such report 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. The report of the inspector or inspectors on the number of shares represented at the meeting and the results of the voting shall be prima facie evidence thereof.
Section 11. REPORTS TO SHAREHOLDERS. The president or some other executive officer designated by the Board of Trustees shall prepare annually a full and correct statement of the affairs of the Trust, which shall include a balance sheet and a financial statement of operations for the preceding fiscal year. The statement of affairs shall be submitted at the annual meeting of the shareholders and, within 20 days after the annual meeting of shareholders, placed on file at the principal office of the Trust.
Section 12. ADVANCE NOTICE OF SHAREHOLDER NOMINEES FOR TRUSTEE AND OTHER SHAREHOLDER PROPOSALS.
(a) Annual
Meetings of Shareholders. (1) Nominations of individuals for election to the Board of Trustees and the proposal of other
business to be considered by the shareholders may be made at an annual meeting of shareholders (i) pursuant to the Trust’s
notice of meeting, (ii) by or at the direction of the Board of Trustees (in accordance with
Article III, Section 11 and Article III, Section 18 hereof to the extent applicable),,
(iii) by any shareholder of the Trust who was a shareholder of record both at the time of giving of notice by the shareholder
as provided for in this Section 12 and at the time of the annual meeting, who is entitled to vote at the meeting in the election
of each individual so nominated or on any such other business and who has complied with the procedures set forth in this Section 12
or (iv) pursuant to Section 13 of this Article II.
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(2) For
any nomination or other business to be properly brought before an annual meeting by a shareholder pursuant to clause (iii) of
paragraph (a)(1) of this Section 12, the shareholder must have given timely notice thereof in writing to the secretary
of the Trust and any such other business must otherwise be a proper matter for action by the shareholders. To be timely, such
shareholder’s notice shall set forth all information required under this Section 12 and shall be delivered to the secretary
at the principal executive office of the Trust not earlier than the 150th day nor later than 5:00 p.m., Eastern Time,
on the 120th day prior to the first anniversary of the date of the proxy statement (as defined in Section 12(c)(3) of
this Article II) for the preceding year’s annual meeting; provided, however, that, in connection
with the Trust’s first annual meeting or in the event that the date of the annual meeting is advanced or
delayed by more than 30 days from the first anniversary of the date of the preceding year’s annual meeting, in order for
notice by the shareholder to be timely, such notice must be so delivered not earlier than the 150th day prior to the
date of such annual meeting and not later than 5:00 p.m., Eastern Time, on the later of the 120th day prior to the
date of such annual meeting, as originally convened, or the tenth day following the day on which public announcement of the date
of such meeting is first made. The public announcement of a postponement or adjournment of an annual meeting shall not commence
a new time period for the giving of a shareholder’s notice as described above. To be timely for nominations made pursuant
to Section 13 of this Article II, a Nomination Notice (as defined below) shall be delivered in accordance with the requirements
of Section 13.
(3) Any shareholder’s notice given pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) of this Section 12 shall set forth:
(i) as to each individual whom the shareholder proposes to nominate for election or reelection as a trustee (each, a “Proposed Nominee”), all information relating to the Proposed Nominee that would be required to be disclosed in connection with the solicitation of proxies for the election of the Proposed Nominee as a trustee in an election contest (even if an election contest is not involved), or would otherwise be required in connection with such solicitation, in each case pursuant to Regulation 14A (or any successor provision) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder (the “Exchange Act”);
(ii) as to any other business that the shareholder proposes to bring before the meeting, a description of such business, the shareholder’s reasons for proposing such business at the meeting and any material interest in such business of such shareholder or any Shareholder Associated Person (as defined below), individually or in the aggregate, including any anticipated benefit to the shareholder or the Shareholder Associated Person therefrom;
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(iii) as to the shareholder giving the notice, any Proposed Nominee and any Shareholder Associated Person,
(A) the class, series and number of all shares of beneficial interest or other securities of the Trust or any affiliate thereof (collectively, the “Company Securities”), if any, which are owned (beneficially or of record) by such shareholder, Proposed Nominee or Shareholder Associated Person, the date on which each such Company Security was acquired and the investment intent of such acquisition, and any short interest (including any opportunity to profit or share in any benefit from any decrease in the price of such shares or other security) in any Company Securities of any such person,
(B) the nominee holder for, and number of, any Company Securities owned beneficially but not of record by such shareholder, Proposed Nominee or Shareholder Associated Person,
(C) whether and the extent to which such shareholder, Proposed Nominee or Shareholder Associated Person, directly or indirectly (through brokers, nominees or otherwise), is subject to or during the last six months has engaged in any hedging, derivative or other transaction or series of transactions or entered into any other agreement, arrangement or understanding (including any short interest, any borrowing or lending of securities or any proxy or voting agreement), the effect or intent of which is to (I) manage risk or benefit of changes in the price of (x) Company Securities or (y) any security of any entity that was listed in the Peer Group in the Share Performance Graph in the most recent annual report to security holders of the Trust (a “Peer Group Company”) for such shareholder, Proposed Nominee or Shareholder Associated Person or (II) increase or decrease the voting power of such shareholder, Proposed Nominee or Shareholder Associated Person in the Trust or any affiliate thereof (or, as applicable, in any Peer Group Company) disproportionately to such person’s economic interest in the Company Securities (or, as applicable, in any Peer Group Company) and
(D) any substantial interest, direct or indirect (including, without limitation, any existing or prospective commercial, business or contractual relationship with the Trust), by security holdings or otherwise, of such shareholder, Proposed Nominee or Shareholder Associated Person, in the Trust or any affiliate thereof, other than an interest arising from the ownership of Company Securities where such shareholder, Proposed Nominee or Shareholder Associated Person receives no extra or special benefit not shared on a pro rata basis by all other holders of the same class or series;
(iv) as to the shareholder giving the notice, any Shareholder Associated Person with an interest or ownership referred to in clauses (ii) or (iii) of this paragraph (3) of this Section 12(a) and any Proposed Nominee,
(A) the name and address of such shareholder, as they appear on the Trust’s share ledger, and the current name and business address, if different, of each such Shareholder Associated Person and any Proposed Nominee,
(B) the investment strategy or objective, if any, of such shareholder and each such Shareholder Associated Person who is not an individual and a copy of the prospectus, offering memorandum or similar document, if any, provided to investors or potential investors in such shareholder and each such Shareholder Associated Person; and
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(C) whether any such shareholder or any Shareholder Associated Person has received any financial assistance, funding or other consideration from any other person in respect of the nomination or such other business;
(v) the name and address of any person who contacted or was contacted by the shareholder giving the notice or any Shareholder Associated Person about the Proposed Nominee or other business proposal prior to the date of such shareholder’s notice; and
(vi) to the extent known by the shareholder giving the notice, the name and address of any other shareholder supporting the Proposed Nominee or the proposal of other business on the date of such shareholder’s notice.
(4) Any shareholder’s notice given pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) of this Section 12 shall, with respect to any Proposed Nominee, be accompanied by a certificate executed by the Proposed Nominee (i) certifying that such Proposed Nominee (a) is not, and will not become, a party to any agreement, arrangement or understanding with any person or entity other than the Trust in connection with service or action as a trustee that has not been disclosed to the Trust and (b) will serve as a trustee of the Trust if elected; and (ii) attaching a completed Proposed Nominee questionnaire (which questionnaire shall be provided by the Trust, upon request, to the shareholder providing the notice and shall include all information relating to the Proposed Nominee that would be required to be disclosed in connection with the solicitation of proxies for the election of the Proposed Nominee as a trustee in an election contest (even if an election contest is not involved), or would otherwise be required in connection with such solicitation in each case pursuant to Regulation 14A (or any successor provision) under the Exchange Act and the rules thereunder, or would be required pursuant to the rules of any national securities exchange on which any securities of the Trust are listed or over-the-counter market on which any securities of the Trust are traded).
(5) Notwithstanding anything in this subsection (a) of this Section 12 to the contrary, in the event that the number of trustees to be elected to the Board of Trustees is increased, and there is no public announcement of such action at least 130 days prior to the first anniversary of the date of the proxy statement (as defined in Section 12(c)(3) of this Article II) for the preceding year’s annual meeting, a shareholder’s notice required by paragraph (a)(2) of this Section 12(a) shall also be considered timely, but only with respect to nominees for any new positions created by such increase, if it shall be delivered to the secretary at the principal executive office of the Trust not later than 5:00 p.m., Eastern Time, on the tenth day following the day on which such public announcement is first made by the Trust.
(6) For purposes of this Section 12, “Shareholder Associated Person” of any shareholder shall mean (i) any person acting in concert with, such shareholder, (ii) any beneficial owner of shares of beneficial interest of the Trust owned of record or beneficially by such shareholder (other than a shareholder that is a depositary) and (iii) any person that directly, or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls, or is controlled by, or is under common control with, such shareholder or Shareholder Associated Person.
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(b) Special Meetings of Shareholders. Only such business shall be conducted at a special meeting of shareholders as shall have been brought before the meeting pursuant to the Trust’s notice of meeting. Nominations of individuals for election to the Board of Trustees may be made at a special meeting of shareholders at which trustees are to be elected only (i) by or at the direction of the Board of Trustees or (ii) provided that the special meeting has been called in accordance with Section 3 of this Article II for the purpose of electing trustees, by any shareholder of the Trust who is a shareholder of record both at the time of giving of notice provided for in this Section 12 and at the time of the special meeting, who is entitled to vote at the meeting in the election of each individual so nominated and who has complied with the notice procedures set forth in this Section 12. In the event the Trust calls a special meeting of shareholders for the purpose of electing one or more individuals to the Board of Trustees, any shareholder may nominate an individual or individuals (as the case may be) for election as a trustee as specified in the Trust’s notice of meeting, if the shareholder’s notice, containing the information required by paragraphs (a)(3) and (4) of this Section 12 is delivered to the secretary at the principal executive office of the Trust not earlier than the 120th day prior to such special meeting and not later than 5:00 p.m., Eastern Time, on the later of the 90th day prior to such special meeting or the tenth day following the day on which public announcement is first made of the date of the special meeting and of the nominees proposed by the Board of Trustees to be elected at such meeting. The public announcement of a postponement or adjournment of a special meeting shall not commence a new time period for the giving of a shareholder’s notice as described above.
(c) General. (1) If information submitted pursuant to this Section 12 or Section 13 of this Article II, as the case may be, by any shareholder proposing a nominee for election as a trustee or any proposal for other business at a meeting of shareholders shall be inaccurate in any material respect, such information may be deemed not to have been provided in accordance with this Section 12 or Section 13 of this Article II, as the case may be. Any such shareholder shall notify the Trust of any inaccuracy or change (within two Business Days of becoming aware of such inaccuracy or change) in any such information. Upon written request by the secretary or the Board of Trustees, any such shareholder shall provide, within five Business Days of delivery of such request (or such other period as may be specified in such request), (A) written verification, satisfactory, in the discretion of the Board of Trustees or any authorized officer of the Trust, to demonstrate the accuracy of any information submitted by the shareholder pursuant to this Section 12 or Section 13 of this Article II, as the case may be, and (B) a written update of any information (including, if requested by the Trust, written confirmation by such shareholder that it continues to intend to bring such nomination or other business proposal before the meeting) submitted by the shareholder pursuant to this Section 12 or Section 13 of this Article II, as the case may be, as of an earlier date. If a shareholder fails to provide such written verification or written update within such period, the information as to which written verification or a written update was requested may be deemed not to have been provided in accordance with this Section 12 or Section 13 of this Article II, as the case may be.
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(2) Only such individuals who are nominated in accordance with this Section 12 or Section 13 of this Article II, shall be eligible for election by shareholders as trustees, and only such business shall be conducted at a meeting of shareholders as shall have been brought before the meeting in accordance with this Section 12 or Section 13 of this Article II, as the case may be. The chairman of the meeting shall have the power to determine whether a nomination or any other business proposed to be brought before the meeting was made or proposed, as the case may be, in accordance with this Section 12 or Section 13 of this Article II.
(3) For purposes of this Section 12, “the date of the proxy statement” shall have the same meaning as “the date of the company’s proxy statement released to shareholders” as used in Rule 14a-8(e) promulgated under the Exchange Act, as interpreted by the Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time. “Public announcement” shall mean disclosure (A) in a press release reported by the Dow Jones News Service, Associated Press, Business Wire, PR Newswire or other widely circulated news or wire service or (B) in a document publicly filed by the Trust with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to the Exchange Act or the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
(4) Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section 12, a shareholder shall also comply with all applicable requirements of state law and of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations thereunder with respect to the matters set forth in this Section 12. Nothing in this Section 12 shall be deemed to affect any right of a shareholder to request inclusion of a proposal in, or the right of the Trust to omit a proposal from, the Trust’s proxy statement pursuant to Rule 14a-8 (or any successor provision) under the Exchange Act. Nothing in this Section 12 shall require disclosure of revocable proxies received by the shareholder or Shareholder Associated Person pursuant to a solicitation of proxies after the filing of an effective Schedule 14A by such shareholder or Shareholder Associated Person under Section 14(a) of the Exchange Act.
(5) For purposes of these Bylaws, “Business Day” shall mean any day other than a Saturday, a Sunday or a day on which banking institutions in the State of New York are authorized or obligated by law or executive order to close.
Section 13. SHAREHOLDER NOMINATIONS INCLUDED IN THE TRUST’S PROXY MATERIAL.
(a) Inclusion of Proxy Access Nominees in Proxy Statement. Subject to the provisions of this Section 13, if expressly requested in the relevant Nomination Notice (as defined below), the Trust shall include in its proxy statement for any annual meeting of shareholders: (i) the names of any person or persons nominated for election (each, a “Proxy Access Nominee”), which shall also be included on the Trust’s form of proxy and ballot, by any Eligible Holder (as defined below) or group of up to 20 Eligible Holders that has (individually and collectively, in the case of a group) satisfied, as determined by the Board of Trustees, all applicable conditions and complied with all applicable procedures set forth in this Section 13 (such Eligible Holder or group of Eligible Holders being a “Nominating Shareholder”); (ii) disclosure about each Proxy Access Nominee and the Nominating Shareholder required under the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission or other applicable law to be included in the proxy statement; (iii) any statement included by the Nominating Shareholder in the Nomination Notice for inclusion in the proxy statement in support of each Proxy Access Nominee’s election to the Board of Trustees (subject, without limitation, to Section 13(e)(ii)), if such statement does not exceed 500 words and fully complies with Section 14 of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations thereunder, including Rule 14a-9 (the “Supporting Statement”); and (iv) any other information that the Trust or the Board of Trustees determines, in their discretion, to include in the proxy statement relating to the nomination of each Proxy Access Nominee, including, without limitation, any statement in opposition to the nomination, any of the information provided pursuant to this Section 13 and any solicitation materials or related information with respect to a Proxy Access Nominee.
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For purposes of this Section 13, any determination to be made by the Board of Trustees may be made by the Board of Trustees, a committee of the Board of Trustees or any officer of the Trust designated by the Board of Trustees or a committee of the Board of Trustees, and any such determination shall be final and binding on the Trust, any Eligible Holder, any Nominating Shareholder, any Proxy Access Nominee and any other person so long as made in good faith (without any further requirements). The chairman of any annual meeting of shareholders, in addition to making any other determinations that may be appropriate to the conduct of the meeting, shall have the power and duty to determine whether a Proxy Access Nominee has been nominated in accordance with the requirements of this Section 13 and, if not so nominated, shall direct and declare at the meeting that such Proxy Access Nominee shall not be considered.
(b) Maximum Number of Proxy Access Nominees. (1) The Trust shall not be required to include in the proxy statement for an annual meeting of shareholders more Proxy Access Nominees than that number of Trustees constituting the greater of (i) two or (ii) 20% of the total number of Trustees of the Trust on the last day on which a Nomination Notice may be submitted pursuant to this Section 13 (rounded down to the nearest whole number) (the “Maximum Number”). The Maximum Number for a particular annual meeting shall be reduced by: (i) Proxy Access Nominees who the Board of Trustees itself decides to nominate for election at such annual meeting; (ii) the number of individuals who will be included in the Trust’s proxy materials as nominees recommended by the Board of Trustees pursuant to an agreement, arrangement or other understanding with a shareholder or group of shareholders (other than any such agreement, arrangement or understanding entered into in connection with an acquisition of shares from the Trust by such shareholder or group of shareholders); (iii) Proxy Access Nominees who cease to satisfy, or Proxy Access Nominees of Nominating Shareholders that cease to satisfy, the eligibility requirements in this Section 13, as determined by the Board of Trustees; (iv) Proxy Access Nominees whose nomination is withdrawn by the Nominating Shareholder or who become unwilling to serve on the Board of Trustees; and (v) the number of incumbent Trustees who had been Proxy Access Nominees with respect to any of the preceding two annual meetings of shareholders and whose reelection at the upcoming annual meeting is being recommended by the Board of Trustees. In the event that one or more vacancies for any reason occurs on the Board of Trustees after the deadline for submitting a Nomination Notice as set forth in Section 13(d) below but before the date of the annual meeting, and the Board of Trustees resolves to reduce the size of the board in connection therewith, the Maximum Number shall be calculated based on the number of Trustees in office as so reduced.
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(2) If the number of Proxy Access Nominees pursuant to this Section 13 for any annual meeting of shareholders exceeds the Maximum Number then, promptly upon notice from the Trust, each Nominating Shareholder will select one Proxy Access Nominee for inclusion in the proxy statement until the Maximum Number is reached, going in order of the amount (largest to smallest) of the ownership position as disclosed in each Nominating Shareholder’s Nomination Notice, with the process repeated if the Maximum Number is not reached after each Nominating Shareholder has selected one Proxy Access Nominee. If, after the deadline for submitting a Nomination Notice as set forth in Section 13(d), a Nominating Shareholder or a Proxy Access Nominee ceases to satisfy the eligibility requirements in this Section 13, as determined by the Board of Trustees, a Nominating Shareholder withdraws its nomination or a Proxy Access Nominee becomes unwilling to serve on the Board of Trustees, whether before or after the mailing or other distribution of the definitive proxy statement, then the nomination shall be disregarded, and the Trust: (1) shall not be required to include in its proxy statement or on any ballot or form of proxy the disregarded Proxy Access Nominee or any successor or replacement nominee proposed by the Nominating Shareholder or by any other Nominating Shareholder and (2) may otherwise communicate to its shareholders, including without limitation by amending or supplementing its proxy statement or ballot or form of proxy, that a Proxy Access Nominee will not be included as a nominee in the proxy statement or on any ballot or form of proxy and will not be voted on at the annual meeting.
(c) Eligibility of Nominating Shareholder. (1) An “Eligible Holder” is a person who has either (i) been a record holder of the common shares used to satisfy the eligibility requirements in this Section 13(c) continuously for the three-year period specified in Subsection (2) below or (ii) provides to the Secretary of the Trust, within the time period referred to in Section 13(d), evidence of continuous ownership of such shares for such three-year period from one or more securities intermediaries in a form that the Board of Trustees determines would be deemed acceptable for purposes of a shareholder proposal under Rule 14a-8(b)(2) under the Exchange Act (or any successor rule).
(2) An Eligible Holder or group of up to 20 Eligible Holders may submit a nomination in accordance with this Section 13 only if the person or group (in the aggregate) has continuously owned at least the Minimum Number (as defined below) of common shares of the Trust (excluding any common shares of any predecessor of the Trust) throughout the three-year period preceding and including the date of submission of the Nomination Notice, and continues to own at least the Minimum Number through the date of the annual meeting. Two or more funds that are (x) under common management and investment control, (y) under common management and funded primarily by a single employer or (z) 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, shall be treated as one Eligible Holder if such Eligible Holder shall provide together with the Nomination Notice documentation reasonably satisfactory to the Trust that demonstrates that the funds meet the criteria set forth in (x), (y) or (z) hereof. For the avoidance of doubt, in the event of a nomination by a group of Eligible Holders, any and all requirements and obligations for an individual Eligible Holder that are set forth in this Section 13, including the minimum holding period, shall apply to each member of such group; provided, however, that the Minimum Number shall apply to the ownership of the group in the aggregate. Should any shareholder cease to satisfy the eligibility requirements in this Section 13, as determined by the Board of Trustees, or withdraw from a group of Eligible Holders at any time prior to the annual meeting of shareholders, the group of Eligible Holders shall only be deemed to own the shares held by the remaining members of the group.
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(3) The “Minimum Number” of the Trust’s common shares means 3% of the number of outstanding common shares as of the most recent date for which such amount is given in any filing by the Trust with the Securities and Exchange Commission prior to the submission of the Nomination Notice.
(4) For purposes of this Section 13, an Eligible Holder “owns” only those outstanding shares of the Trust as to which the Eligible Holder possesses both: (A) the full voting and investment rights pertaining to the shares; and (B) the full economic interest in (including the opportunity for profit and risk of loss on) such shares; provided that the number of shares calculated in accordance with clauses (A) and (B) shall not include any shares: (i) purchased or sold by such Eligible Holder or any of its affiliates in any transaction that has not been settled or closed, (ii) sold short by such Eligible Holder, (iii) borrowed by such Eligible Holder or any of its affiliates for any purpose or purchased by such Eligible Holder or any of its affiliates pursuant to an agreement to resell or subject to any other obligation to resell to another person, or (iv) subject to any option, warrant, forward contract, swap, contract of sale, other derivative or similar agreement entered into by such Eligible Holder or any of its affiliates, whether any such instrument or agreement is to be settled with shares or with cash based on the notional amount or value of outstanding shares of the Trust, in any such case which instrument or agreement has, or is intended to have, the purpose or effect of: (x) reducing in any manner, to any extent or at any time in the future, such Eligible Holder’s or any of its affiliates’ full right to vote or direct the voting of any such shares, and/or (y) hedging, offsetting, or altering to any degree, gain or loss arising from the full economic ownership of such shares by such Eligible Holder or any of its affiliates. An Eligible Holder “owns” shares held in the name of a nominee or other intermediary so long as the Eligible Holder retains the right to instruct how the shares are voted with respect to the election of Trustees and possesses the full economic interest in the shares. An Eligible Holder’s ownership of shares shall be deemed to continue during any period in which the Eligible Holder has delegated any voting power by means of a proxy, power of attorney, or other similar instrument or arrangement that is revocable at any time by the Eligible Holder. An Eligible Holder’s ownership of shares shall be deemed to continue during any period in which the Eligible Holder has loaned such shares provided that the Eligible Holder 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. Whether outstanding shares of the Trust are “owned” for these purposes shall be determined by the Board of Trustees.
(5) No Eligible Holder shall be permitted to be in more than one group constituting a Nominating Shareholder, and if any Eligible Holder appears as a member of more than one group, it shall be deemed to be a member of the group that has the largest ownership position as reflected in the Nomination Notice.
(6) Any Eligible Holder (including each Eligible Holder whose stock ownership is counted for the purposes of qualifying as a group) whose Proxy Access Nominee withdraws, becomes ineligible or does not receive at least 10% of the votes cast for such Proxy Access Nominee at an annual meeting of shareholders will not be eligible to nominate or participate in the nomination of a Proxy Access Nominee pursuant to this Section 13 for the following two annual meetings of shareholders.
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(d) Nomination Notice.
To nominate a Proxy Access Nominee, the Nominating Shareholder must, no earlier than 150 days and no later than 120 days before the anniversary of the date that the Trust mailed its proxy statement for the prior year’s annual meeting of shareholders, submit to the Secretary of the Trust at the principal executive office of the Trust all of the following information and documents (collectively, the “Nomination Notice”); provided, however, that if (and only if) the annual meeting is not scheduled to be held within a period that commences 30 days before such anniversary date and ends 30 days after such anniversary date (an annual meeting date outside such period being referred to herein as an “Other Meeting Date”), the Nomination Notice shall be given in the manner provided herein by the later of the close of business on the date that is 180 days prior to such Other Meeting Date or the tenth day following the day on which public announcement of the date of such Other Meeting Date is first made: (i) a Schedule 14N (or any successor form) relating to each Proxy Access Nominee, completed and filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission by the Nominating Shareholder as applicable, in accordance with Securities and Exchange Commission rules; (ii) a written notice, in a form deemed satisfactory by the Board of Trustees, of the nomination of each Proxy Access Nominee that includes the following additional information, agreements, representations and warranties by the Nominating Shareholder (including each group member): (A) the information required with respect to the nomination of Trustees pursuant to Section 12 of this Article II; (B) 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; (C) a representation and warranty that the Nominating Shareholder acquired the securities of the Trust in the ordinary course of business and did not acquire, and is not holding, securities of the Trust for the purpose or with the effect of influencing or changing control of the Trust; (D) a representation and warranty that each Proxy Access Nominee’s candidacy or, if elected, Board of Trustees membership would not violate applicable state or federal law or the rules of any stock exchange on which the Trust’s securities are traded; (E) a representation and warranty that each Proxy Access Nominee: (1) does not have any direct or indirect relationship with the Trust that would cause the Proxy Access Nominee to be considered not independent pursuant to the Trust’s Governance Guidelines as most recently published on its website and otherwise qualifies as independent under the rules of the primary stock exchange on which the common shares of beneficial interest of the Trust are traded; (2) meets the audit committee and compensation committee independence requirements under the rules of the primary stock exchange on which the common shares of beneficial interest of the Trust are traded; (3) is a “non-employee trustee” for the purposes of Rule 16b-3 under the Exchange Act (or any successor rule); (4) is an “outside trustee” for the purposes of Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code (or any successor provision); (5) meets the Trustee qualifications set forth in Article III of these Bylaws; and (6) is not and has not been subject to any event specified in Rule 506(d)(1) of Regulation D (or any successor rule) under the Securities Act of 1933 or Item 401(f) of Regulation S-K (or any successor rule) under the Exchange Act, without reference to whether the event is material to an evaluation of the ability or integrity of such Proxy Access Nominee; (F) a representation and warranty that the Nominating Shareholder satisfies the eligibility requirements set forth in Section 13(c) and has provided evidence of ownership to the extent required by Section 13(c)(1); (G) a representation and warranty that the Nominating Shareholder intends to continue to satisfy the eligibility requirements described in Section 13(c) through the date of the annual meeting; (H) details of any position of a Proxy Access Nominee as an officer, director or trustee of any competitor (that is, any entity that provides services or engages in business activities that compete with or are alternatives to the services provided or business activities engaged in by the Trust or its affiliates) of the Trust, within the three years preceding the submission of the Nomination Notice; (I) a representation and warranty that the Nominating Shareholder will not engage in a “solicitation” within the meaning of Rule 14a-1(l) (without reference to the exception in Section 14a-1(l)(2)(iv)) (or any successor rules) with respect to the annual meeting, other than with respect to a Proxy Access Nominee or any nominee of the Board of Trustees; (J) a representation and warranty that the Nominating Shareholder will not use any proxy card other than the Trust’s proxy card in soliciting shareholders in connection with the election of a Proxy Access Nominee at the annual meeting; (K) if desired, a Supporting Statement; and (L) in the case of a nomination by a group, the designation by all group members of one group member that is authorized to act on behalf of all group members with respect to matters relating to the nomination, including withdrawal of the nomination; (iii) an executed agreement, in a form deemed satisfactory by the Board of Trustees, pursuant to which the Nominating Shareholder (including each group member) agrees: (A) to comply with all applicable laws, rules and regulations in connection with the nomination, solicitation and election; (B) to file any written solicitation or other communication with the Trust’s shareholders relating to one or more of the Trust’s Trustees or Trustee nominees or any Proxy Access Nominee with the Securities and Exchange Commission, to the extent that such filing would be required if such communication were made by or on behalf of the Trust; (C) to assume all liability stemming from an action, suit or proceeding concerning any actual or alleged legal or regulatory violation arising out of any communication by the Nominating Shareholder or any of its Proxy Access Nominees with the Trust, its shareholders or any other person in connection with the nomination or election of Trustees, including, without limitation, the Nomination Notice; (D) to indemnify and hold harmless (jointly with all other group members, in the case of a group member) the Trust and each of its Trustees, officers and employees individually against any liability, loss, damages, expenses or other costs (including attorneys’ fees) incurred in connection with any threatened or pending action, suit or proceeding, whether legal, administrative or investigative, against the Trust or any of its Trustees, officers or employees arising out of or relating to any nomination, solicitation or other activity by the Nominating Shareholder in connection with its efforts to elect its Proxy Access Nominees pursuant to this Section 13; (E) in the event that any information included in the Nomination Notice, or any other communication by the Nominating Shareholder (including with respect to any group member), with the Trust, its shareholders or any other person in connection with the nomination or election ceases to be true and accurate in all material respects (or omits a material fact necessary to make the statements made not misleading), or that the Nominating Shareholder (including any group member) has failed to continue to satisfy the eligibility requirements described in Section 13(c), to promptly (and in any event within 48 hours of discovering such misstatement, omission or failure) notify the Trust and any other recipient of such communication of (A) the misstatement or omission in such previously provided information and of the information that is required to correct the misstatement or omission or (B) such failure; and (iv) an executed agreement, in a form deemed satisfactory by the Board of Trustees, by each Proxy Access Nominee: (A) to provide to the Trust such other information and certifications, including completion of the Trust’s Trustee questionnaire, as it may reasonably request; (B) at the reasonable request of the Trust’s Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee, to meet with the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee to discuss matters relating to the nomination of such Proxy Access Nominee to the Board of Trustees, including the information provided by such Proxy Access Nominee to the Trust in connection with his or her nomination and such Proxy Access Nominee’s eligibility to serve as a member of the Board of Trustees; (C) that such Proxy Access Nominee has read and agrees, if elected, to serve as a member of the Board of Trustees, to adhere to the Trust’s Governance Guidelines, Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, and any other Trust policies and guidelines applicable to Trustees; and (D) that such Proxy Access Nominee is not and will not become a party to (i) any compensatory, payment or other financial agreement, arrangement or understanding with any person or entity in connection with his or her nomination, service or action as a Trustee of the Trust that has not been disclosed to the Trust, (ii) any agreement, arrangement or understanding with any person or entity as to how such Proxy Access Nominee would vote or act on any issue or question as a Trustee (a “Voting Commitment”) that has not been disclosed to the Trust or (iii) any Voting Commitment that could limit or interfere with such Proxy Access Nominee’s ability to comply, if elected as a Trustee of the Trust, with its fiduciary duties under applicable law.
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The information and documents required by this Section 13(d) to be provided by the Nominating Shareholder shall be: (i) provided with respect to and executed by each group member, in the case of information applicable to group members; and (ii) provided with respect to the persons specified in Instruction 1 to Items 6(c) and (d) of Schedule 14N (or any successor item) in the case of a Nominating Shareholder or group member that is an entity. The Nomination Notice shall be deemed submitted on the date on which all the information and documents referred to in this Section 13(d) (other than such information and documents contemplated to be provided after the date the Nomination Notice is provided) have been delivered to or, if sent by mail, received by the Secretary of the Trust.
(e) Exceptions. (1) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Section 13, the Trust may omit from its proxy statement any Proxy Access Nominee and any information concerning such Proxy Access Nominee (including a Nominating Shareholder’s Supporting Statement) and no vote on such Proxy Access Nominee will occur (notwithstanding that proxies in respect of such vote may have been received by the Trust), and the Nominating Shareholder may not, after the last day on which a Nomination Notice would be timely, cure in any way any defect preventing the nomination of such Proxy Access Nominee, if: (i) the Trust receives a notice pursuant to Section 12 of this Article II that a shareholder intends to nominate a candidate for Trustee at the annual meeting, whether or not such notice is subsequently withdrawn or made the subject of a settlement with the Trust; (ii) the Nominating Shareholder or the designated lead group member, as applicable, or any qualified representative thereof, does not appear at the meeting of shareholders to present the nomination submitted pursuant to this Section 13, the Nominating Shareholder withdraws its nomination or the chairman of the annual meeting declares that such nomination was not made in accordance with the procedures prescribed by this Section 13 and shall therefore be disregarded; (iii) the Board of Trustees determines that such Proxy Access Nominee’s nomination or election to the Board of Trustees would result in the Trust violating or failing to be in compliance with the Declaration of Trust, these Bylaws or any applicable law, rule or regulation to which the Trust is subject, including any rules or regulations of the primary stock exchange on which the common shares of beneficial interest of the Trust are traded; (iv) such Proxy Access Nominee was nominated for election to the Board of Trustees pursuant to this Section 13 at one of the Trust’s two preceding annual meetings of shareholders and either withdrew or became ineligible or received a vote of less than 25% of the votes cast in favor of such Proxy Access Nominee; (v) such Proxy Access Nominee has been, within the past three years, an officer or director of a competitor, as defined for purposes of Section 8 of the Clayton Antitrust Act of 1914, as amended; (vi) the Trust is notified, or the Board of Trustees determines, that the Nominating Shareholder or the Proxy Access Nominee has failed to continue to satisfy the eligibility requirements described in Section 13(c), any of the representations and warranties made in the Nomination Notice ceases to be true and accurate in all material respects (or omits a material fact necessary to make the statements made not misleading), such Proxy Access Nominee becomes unwilling or unable to serve on the Board of Trustees or any material violation or breach occurs of the obligations, agreements, representations or warranties of the Nominating Shareholder or such Proxy Access Nominee under this Section 13;
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(2) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Section 13, the Trust may omit from its proxy statement, or may supplement or correct, any information, including all or any portion of the Supporting Statement or any other statement in support of a Proxy Access Nominee included in the Nomination Notice, if the Board of Trustees determines that: (i) such information is not true in all material respects or omits a material statement necessary to make the statements made not misleading; (ii) such information directly or indirectly impugns the character, integrity or personal reputation of, or directly or indirectly makes charges concerning improper, illegal or immoral conduct or associations, without factual foundation, with respect to, any person; or (iii) the inclusion of such information in the proxy statement would otherwise violate the Securities and Exchange Commission proxy rules or any other applicable law, rule or regulation.
The Trust may solicit against, and include in the proxy statement its own statement relating to, any Proxy Access Nominee.
Section 14. CONTROL SHARE ACQUISITION ACT. Notwithstanding any other provision of the Declaration of Trust or these Bylaws, Title 3, Subtitle 7 of the Maryland General Corporation Law, or any successor statute (the “MGCL”), shall not apply to any acquisition by any person of shares of beneficial interest of the Trust. This section may be repealed, in whole or in part, at any time, whether before or after an acquisition of control shares and, upon such repeal, may, to the extent provided by any successor bylaw, apply to any prior or subsequent control share acquisition.
Section 15. SHAREHOLDERS’ CONSENT IN LIEU OF MEETING. Any action required or permitted to be taken at any meeting of shareholders may be taken without a meeting (a) if a unanimous consent setting forth the action is given in writing or by electronic transmission by each shareholder entitled to vote on the matter and filed with the minutes of proceedings of the shareholders or (b) if the action is advised, and submitted to the shareholders for approval, by the Board of Trustees and a consent in writing or by electronic transmission of shareholders entitled to cast not less than the minimum number of votes that would be necessary to authorize or take the action at a meeting of shareholders is delivered to the Trust in accordance with the Maryland REIT Law or the other applicable provisions of the Corporations and Associations Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland (collectively, the “MRL”). The Trust shall give notice of any action taken by less than unanimous consent to each shareholder not later than ten days after the effective time of such action.
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ARTICLE III
TRUSTEES
Section 1. GENERAL POWERS. The business and affairs of the Trust shall be managed under the direction of its Board of Trustees.
Section 2. NUMBER, TENURE, QUALIFICATIONS AND RESIGNATION. At any regular meeting or at any special meeting called for that purpose, a majority of the entire Board of Trustees may establish, increase or decrease the number of trustees, provided that the number thereof shall never be less than the minimum number required by the MRL, nor more than 15, and further provided that the tenure of office of a trustee shall not be affected by any decrease in the number of trustees. In case of failure to elect trustees at the designated time, the trustees holding over shall continue to serve as trustees until their successors are elected and qualify. Any trustee of the Trust may resign at any time by delivering his or her resignation to the Board of Trustees, the chairman of the board or the secretary. Any resignation shall take effect immediately upon its receipt or at such later time specified in the resignation. The acceptance of a resignation shall not be necessary to make it effective unless otherwise stated in the resignation.
Section 3. ANNUAL AND REGULAR MEETINGS. An annual meeting of the Board of Trustees shall be held immediately after and at the same place as the annual meeting of shareholders, no notice other than this Bylaw being necessary. In the event such meeting is not so held, the meeting may be held at such time and place as shall be specified in a notice given as hereinafter provided for special meetings of the Board of Trustees. The Board of Trustees may provide, by resolution, the time and place of regular meetings of the Board of Trustees without other notice than such resolution.
Section 4. SPECIAL MEETINGS. Special meetings of the Board of Trustees may be called by or at the request of the chairman of the board, the chief executive officer, the president or a majority of the trustees then in office. The person or persons authorized to call special meetings of the Board of Trustees may fix the time and place of any special meeting of the Board of Trustees called by them. The Board of Trustees may provide, by resolution, the time and place for special meetings of the Board of Trustees without other notice than such resolution.
Section 5. NOTICE. Notice of any special meeting of the Board of Trustees shall be delivered personally or by telephone, electronic mail, facsimile transmission, courier or United States mail to each trustee at his or her business or residence address. Notice by personal delivery, telephone, electronic mail or facsimile transmission shall be given at least 24 hours prior to the meeting. Notice by United States mail shall be given at least three days prior to the meeting. Notice by courier shall be given at least two days prior to the meeting. Telephone notice shall be deemed to be given when the trustee or his or her agent is personally given such notice in a telephone call to which the trustee or his or her agent is a party. Electronic mail notice shall be deemed to be given upon transmission of the message to the electronic mail address given to the Trust by the trustee. Facsimile transmission notice shall be deemed to be given upon completion of the transmission of the message to the number given to the Trust by the trustee and receipt of a completed answer-back indicating receipt. Notice by United States mail shall be deemed to be given when deposited in the United States mail properly addressed, with postage thereon prepaid. Notice by courier shall be deemed to be given when deposited with or delivered to a courier properly addressed. Neither the business to be transacted at, nor the purpose of, any annual, regular or special meeting of the Board of Trustees need be stated in the notice, unless specifically required by statute or these Bylaws.
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Section 6. QUORUM. A majority of the trustees shall constitute a quorum for transaction of business at any meeting of the Board of Trustees, provided that, if less than a majority of such trustees is present at such meeting, a majority of the trustees present may adjourn the meeting from time to time without further notice, and provided further that if, pursuant to applicable law, the Declaration of Trust or these Bylaws, the vote of a majority or other percentage of a particular group of trustees is required for action, a quorum must also include a majority or such other percentage of such group.
The trustees present at a meeting which has been duly called and at which a quorum has been established may continue to transact business until adjournment, notwithstanding the withdrawal from the meeting of enough trustees to leave fewer than required to establish a quorum.
Section 7. VOTING. The action of a majority of the trustees present at a meeting at which a quorum is present shall be the action of the Board of Trustees, unless the concurrence of a greater proportion is required for such action by applicable law, the Declaration of Trust or these Bylaws. If enough trustees have withdrawn from a meeting to leave fewer than required to establish a quorum, but the meeting is not adjourned, the action of the majority of that number of trustees necessary to constitute a quorum at such meeting shall be the action of the Board of Trustees, unless the concurrence of a greater proportion is required for such action by applicable law, the Declaration of Trust or these Bylaws.
Section 8. ORGANIZATION. At each meeting of the Board of Trustees, the chairman of the board or, in the absence of the chairman, the vice chairman of the board, if any, shall act as chairman of the meeting. In the absence of both the chairman and vice chairman of the board, the chief executive officer or, in the absence of the chief executive officer, the president or, in the absence of the president, a trustee chosen by a majority of the trustees present, shall act as chairman of the meeting. The secretary or, in his or her absence, an assistant secretary of the Trust or, in the absence of the secretary and all assistant secretaries, an individual appointed by the chairman of the meeting, shall act as secretary of the meeting.
Section 9. TELEPHONE MEETINGS. Trustees may participate in a meeting by means of a conference telephone or other communications equipment if all persons participating in the meeting can hear each other at the same time. Participation in a meeting by these means shall constitute presence in person at the meeting.
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Section 10. CONSENT BY TRUSTEES WITHOUT A MEETING. Any action required or permitted to be taken at any meeting of the Board of Trustees may be taken without a meeting, if a consent in writing or by electronic transmission to such action is given by each trustee and is filed with the minutes of proceedings of the Board of Trustees.
Section 11. VACANCIES.
If for any reason any or all the trustees cease to be trustees, such event shall not terminate the Trust or affect these Bylaws
or the powers of the remaining trustees hereunder. Except as may be provided by the Board of Trustees in setting the terms of
any class or series of preferred shares of beneficial interest, any vacancy on the Board of Trustees may be filled only by a majority
of the remaining trustees, even if the remaining trustees do not constitute a quorum. For a period
of two years following July 18, 2017 (the “Closing Date”), any vacancy on the Board of Trustees shall be filled
with a Replacement Designee (as defined below). Any trustee elected to fill a vacancy shall serve for the remainder
of the full term of the trusteeship in which the vacancy occurred and until a successor is elected and qualifies.
Section 12. COMPENSATION. Trustees shall not receive any stated salary for their services as trustees but, by resolution of the trustees, may receive compensation per year and/or per meeting and/or per visit to real property or other facilities owned or leased by the Trust and for any service or activity they performed or engaged in as trustees. Trustees may be reimbursed for expenses of attendance, if any, at each annual, regular or special meeting of the trustees or of any committee thereof and for their expenses, if any, in connection with each property visit and any other service or activity they perform or engage in as trustees; but nothing herein contained shall be construed to preclude any trustees from serving the Trust in any other capacity and receiving compensation therefor.
Section 13. RELIANCE. Each trustee and officer of the Trust shall, in the performance of his or her duties with respect to the Trust, be entitled to rely on any information, opinion, report or statement, including any financial statement or other financial data, prepared or presented by an officer or employee of the Trust whom the trustee or officer reasonably believes to be reliable and competent in the matters presented, by a lawyer, certified public accountant or other person, as to a matter which the trustee or officer reasonably believes to be within the person’s professional or expert competence, or, with respect to a trustee, by a committee of the Board of Trustees on which the trustee does not serve, as to a matter within its designated authority, if the trustee reasonably believes the committee to merit confidence.
Section 14. RATIFICATION. The Board of Trustees or the shareholders may ratify and make binding on the Trust any action or inaction by the Trust or its officers to the extent that the Board of Trustees or the shareholders could have originally authorized the matter. Moreover, any action or inaction questioned in any shareholders’ derivative proceeding or any other proceeding on the ground of lack of authority, defective or irregular execution, adverse interest of a trustee, officer or shareholder, non-disclosure, miscomputation, the application of improper principles or practices of accounting or otherwise, may be ratified, before or after judgment, by the Board of Trustees or by the shareholders, and if so ratified, shall have the same force and effect as if the questioned action or inaction had been originally duly authorized, and such ratification shall be binding upon the Trust and its shareholders and shall constitute a bar to any claim or execution of any judgment in respect of such questioned action or inaction.
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Section 15. INTERESTED TRUSTEE TRANSACTIONS. Section 2-419 of the MGCL shall be available for and apply to any contract or other transaction between the Trust and any of its trustees or between the Trust and any other trust, corporation, firm or other entity in which any of its trustees is a trustee or director or has a material financial interest.
Section 16. CERTAIN RIGHTS OF TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS. Any trustee or officer, in his or her personal capacity or in a capacity as an affiliate, employee or agent of any other person, or otherwise, may have business interests and engage in business activities similar to, in addition to or in competition with those of or relating to the Trust.
Section 17. EMERGENCY PROVISIONS. Notwithstanding any other provision in the Declaration of Trust or these Bylaws, this Section 17 shall apply during the existence of any catastrophe, or other similar emergency condition, as a result of which a quorum of the Board of Trustees under Article III of these Bylaws cannot readily be obtained (an “Emergency”). During any Emergency, unless otherwise provided by the Board of Trustees, (i) a meeting of the Board of Trustees or a committee thereof may be called by any trustee or officer by any means feasible under the circumstances; (ii) notice of any meeting of the Board of Trustees during such an Emergency may be given less than 24 hours prior to the meeting to as many trustees and by such means as may be feasible at the time, including publication, television or radio; and (iii) the number of trustees necessary to constitute a quorum shall be one-third of the entire Board of Trustees.
Section 18. COMPOSITION
OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES. In connection with the first annual meeting of shareholders following the Closing
Date, the Board of Trustees shall, subject to the reasonable exercise of its duties, take all such actions as may be necessary
to nominate the Vornado Board Designees and the JBG Board Designees (each as defined below) (as they may have changed as the result
of the appointment of any Replacement Designees) for election by the Trust’s shareholders and shall use no less rigorous
efforts to cause the election of each such Vornado Board Designee and JBG Board Designee than the manner in which the Trust supports
all other nominees of the Board of Trustees.
“JBG Board Designees”
means Scott Estes, Alan Forman, Michael Glosserman, W. Matthew Kelly, Ellen Shuman and Robert Stewart.
“Vornado Board Designees”
means Charles E. Haldeman, Jr., Carol Melton, William Mulrow, Steven Roth, Mitchell Schear and John Wood.
“Replacement Designee”
means, in the event that any Vornado Board Designee or JBG Board Designee is unable or unwilling to serve or is otherwise no longer
serving as a member of the Board of Trustees, a replacement individual designated by the then remaining Vornado Board Designees
or JBG Board Designees, respectively, that is reasonably satisfactory to the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee of the
Board of Trustees.
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ARTICLE IV
COMMITTEES
Section 1. NUMBER, TENURE AND QUALIFICATIONS.
The Board of Trustees may appoint from among its members an Executive Committee, an Audit Committee, a Compensation Committee,
a Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee and other committees, composed of one or more trustees, to serve at the pleasure
of the Board of Trustees. For a period of two years following the Closing Date , to the extent
reasonably practicable, the membership of each of the Audit Committee, Compensation Committee and Corporate Governance and Nominating
Committee shall consist of an equal number of JBG Board Designees and Vornado Board Designees (or if applicable, their respective
Replacement Designees).
Section 2. POWERS. The Board of Trustees may delegate to committees appointed under Section 1 of this Article IV any of the powers of the Board of Trustees. Except as may be otherwise provided by the Board of Trustees, any committee may delegate some or all of its power and authority to one or more subcommittees, composed of one or more trustees, as the committee deems appropriate in its sole and absolute discretion.
Section 3. MEETINGS. Notice of committee meetings shall be given in the same manner as notice for special meetings of the Board of Trustees. A majority of the members of the committee shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at any meeting of the committee. The act of a majority of the committee members present at a meeting shall be the act of such committee. The Board of Trustees may designate a chairman of any committee, and such chairman or, in the absence of a chairman, any two members of any committee (if there are at least two members of the committee) may fix the time and place of its meeting unless the Board shall otherwise provide. In the absence of any member of any such committee, the members thereof present at any meeting, whether or not they constitute a quorum, may appoint another trustee to act in the place of such absent member, provided such appointed trustee meets the membership requirements of such committee.
Section 4. TELEPHONE MEETINGS. Members of a committee of the Board of Trustees may participate in a meeting by means of a conference telephone or other communications equipment if all persons participating in the meeting can hear each other at the same time. Participation in a meeting by these means shall constitute presence in person at the meeting.
Section 5. CONSENT BY COMMITTEES WITHOUT A MEETING. Any action required or permitted to be taken at any meeting of a committee of the Board of Trustees may be taken without a meeting, if a consent in writing or by electronic transmission to such action is given by each member of the committee and is filed with the minutes of proceedings of such committee.
Section 6. VACANCIES. Subject to the provisions hereof, the Board of Trustees shall have the power at any time to change the membership of any committee, to fill any vacancy, to designate an alternate member to replace any absent or disqualified member or to dissolve any such committee.
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ARTICLE V
OFFICERS
Section 1. GENERAL PROVISIONS. The officers of the Trust shall include a president, a secretary and a treasurer and may include a chairman of the board, a vice chairman of the board, a chief executive officer, one or more vice presidents, a chief operating officer, a chief financial officer, one or more assistant secretaries and one or more assistant treasurers. In addition, the Board of Trustees may from time to time elect such other officers with such powers and duties as it shall deem necessary or desirable. The officers of the Trust shall be elected annually by the Board of Trustees, except that the chief executive officer or president may from time to time appoint one or more vice presidents, assistant secretaries and assistant treasurers or other officers. Each officer shall serve until his or her successor is elected and qualifies or until his or her death, or his or her resignation or removal in the manner hereinafter provided. Any two or more offices except president and vice president may be held by the same person. Election of an officer or agent shall not of itself create contract rights between the Trust and such officer or agent.
Section 2. REMOVAL AND RESIGNATION. Any officer or agent of the Trust may be removed, with or without cause, by the Board of Trustees if in its judgment the best interests of the Trust would be served thereby, but such removal shall be without prejudice to the contract rights, if any, of the person so removed. Any officer of the Trust may resign at any time by delivering his or her resignation to the Board of Trustees, the chairman of the board, the chief executive officer, the president or the secretary. Any resignation shall take effect immediately upon its receipt or at such later time specified in the resignation. The acceptance of a resignation shall not be necessary to make it effective unless otherwise stated in the resignation. Such resignation shall be without prejudice to the contract rights, if any, of the Trust.
Section 3. VACANCIES. A vacancy in any office may be filled by the Board of Trustees for the balance of the term.
Section 4. CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER. The Board of Trustees may designate a chief executive officer. The chief executive officer shall have general responsibility for implementation of the policies of the Trust, as determined by the Board of Trustees, and for the management of the business and affairs of the Trust. He or she may execute any deed, mortgage, bond, contract or other instrument, except in cases where the execution thereof shall be expressly delegated by the Board of Trustees or by these Bylaws to some other officer or agent of the Trust or shall be required by law to be otherwise executed; and in general shall perform all duties incident to the office of chief executive officer and such other duties as may be prescribed by the Board of Trustees from time to time.
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Section 5. CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER. The Board of Trustees may designate a chief operating officer. The chief operating officer shall have the responsibilities and duties as determined by the Board of Trustees or the chief executive officer.
Section 6. CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER. The Board of Trustees may designate a chief financial officer. The chief financial officer shall have the responsibilities and duties as determined by the Board of Trustees or the chief executive officer.
Section 7. CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD. The Board of Trustees may designate from among its members a chairman of the board, who shall not, solely by reason of these Bylaws, be an officer of the Trust. The Board of Trustees may designate the chairman of the board as an executive or non-executive chairman. The chairman of the board shall preside over the meetings of the Board of Trustees. The chairman of the board shall perform such other duties as may be assigned to him or her by these Bylaws or the Board of Trustees.
Section 8. PRESIDENT. In the absence of a chief executive officer, the president shall in general supervise and control all of the business and affairs of the Trust. In the absence of a designation of a chief operating officer by the Board of Trustees, the president shall be the chief operating officer. He or she may execute any deed, mortgage, bond, contract or other instrument, except in cases where the execution thereof shall be expressly delegated by the Board of Trustees or by these Bylaws to some other officer or agent of the Trust or shall be required by law to be otherwise executed; and in general shall perform all duties incident to the office of president and such other duties as may be prescribed by the Board of Trustees from time to time.
Section 9. VICE PRESIDENTS. In the absence of the president or in the event of a vacancy in such office, the vice president (or in the event there be more than one vice president, the vice presidents in the order designated at the time of their election or, in the absence of any designation, then in the order of their election) shall perform the duties of the president and when so acting shall have all the powers of and be subject to all the restrictions upon the president; and shall perform such other duties as from time to time may be assigned to such vice president by the chief executive officer, the president or the Board of Trustees. The Board of Trustees may designate one or more vice presidents as executive vice president, senior vice president, or vice president for particular areas of responsibility.
Section 10. SECRETARY. The secretary shall (a) keep the minutes of the proceedings of the shareholders, the Board of Trustees and committees of the Board of Trustees in one or more books provided for that purpose; (b) see that all notices are duly given in accordance with the provisions of these Bylaws or as required by law; (c) be custodian of the trust records and of the seal of the Trust; (d) keep a register of the post office address of each shareholder which shall be furnished to the secretary by such shareholder; (e) have general charge of the share transfer books of the Trust; and (f) in general perform such other duties as from time to time may be assigned to him or her by the chief executive officer, the president or the Board of Trustees.
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Section 11. TREASURER. The treasurer shall have the custody of the funds and securities of the Trust, shall keep full and accurate accounts of receipts and disbursements in books belonging to the Trust, shall deposit all moneys and other valuable effects in the name and to the credit of the Trust in such depositories as may be designated by the Board of Trustees and in general perform such other duties as from time to time may be assigned to him or her by the chief executive officer, the president or the Board of Trustees. In the absence of a designation of a chief financial officer by the Board of Trustees, the treasurer shall be the chief financial officer of the Trust.
The treasurer shall disburse the funds of the Trust as may be ordered by the Board of Trustees, taking proper vouchers for such disbursements, and shall render to the president and Board of Trustees, at the regular meetings of the Board of Trustees or whenever it may so require, an account of all his or her transactions as treasurer and of the financial condition of the Trust.
Section 12. ASSISTANT SECRETARIES AND ASSISTANT TREASURERS. The assistant secretaries and assistant treasurers, in general, shall perform such duties as shall be assigned to them by the secretary or treasurer, respectively, or by the chief executive officer, the president or the Board of Trustees.
Section 13. COMPENSATION. The compensation of the officers shall be fixed from time to time by or under the authority of the Board of Trustees and no officer shall be prevented from receiving such compensation by reason of the fact that he or she is also a trustee.
ARTICLE VI
CONTRACTS, CHECKS AND DEPOSITS
Section 1. CONTRACTS. The Board of Trustees may authorize any officer or agent to enter into any contract or to execute and deliver any instrument in the name of and on behalf of the Trust and such authority may be general or confined to specific instances. Any agreement, deed, mortgage, lease or other document shall be valid and binding upon the Trust when duly authorized or ratified by action of the Board of Trustees and executed by an authorized person.
Section 2. CHECKS AND DRAFTS. All checks, drafts or other orders for the payment of money, notes or other evidences of indebtedness issued in the name of the Trust shall be signed by such officer or agent of the Trust in such manner as shall from time to time be determined by the Board of Trustees.
Section 3. DEPOSITS. All funds of the Trust not otherwise employed shall be deposited or invested from time to time to the credit of the Trust as the Board of Trustees, the chief executive officer, the president, the chief financial officer, or any other officer designated by the Board of Trustees may determine.
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ARTICLE VII
SHARES
Section 1. CERTIFICATES. Except as may be otherwise provided by the Board of Trustees, shareholders of the Trust are not entitled to certificates evidencing the shares of beneficial interest held by them. In the event that the Trust issues shares of beneficial interest evidenced by certificates, such certificates shall be in such form as prescribed by the Board of Trustees or a duly authorized officer, shall contain the statements and information required by the MRL and shall be signed by the officers of the Trust in any manner permitted by the MRL. In the event that the Trust issues shares of beneficial interest without certificates, to the extent then required by the MRL, the Trust shall provide to the record holders of such shares a written statement of the information required by the MRL to be included on share certificates. There shall be no differences in the rights and obligations of shareholders based on whether or not their shares are evidenced by certificates.
Section 2. TRANSFERS. All transfers of shares shall be made on the books of the Trust, by the holder of the shares, in person or by his or her attorney, in such manner as the Board of Trustees or any officer of the Trust may prescribe and, if such shares are certificated, upon surrender of certificates duly endorsed. The issuance of a new certificate upon the transfer of certificated shares is subject to the determination of the Board of Trustees that such shares shall no longer be evidenced by certificates. Upon the transfer of any uncertificated shares the Trust shall provide to the record holders of such shares, to the extent then required by the MRL, a written statement of the information required by the MRL to be included on share certificates.
The Trust shall be entitled to treat the holder of record of any share of beneficial interest as the holder in fact thereof and, accordingly, shall not be bound to recognize any equitable or other claim to or interest in such share or on the part of any other person, whether or not it shall have express or other notice thereof, except as otherwise expressly provided by the laws of the State of Maryland.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, transfers of shares of any class or series of beneficial interest will be subject in all respects to the Declaration of Trust and all of the terms and conditions contained therein.
Section 3. REPLACEMENT CERTIFICATE. Any officer of the Trust may direct a new certificate or certificates to be issued in place of any certificate or certificates theretofore issued by the Trust alleged to have been lost, destroyed, stolen or mutilated, upon the making of an affidavit of that fact by the person claiming the certificate to be lost, destroyed, stolen or mutilated; provided, however, if such shares have ceased to be certificated, no new certificate shall be issued unless requested in writing by such shareholder and the Board of Trustees has determined that such certificates may be issued. Unless otherwise determined by an officer of the Trust, the owner of such lost, destroyed, stolen or mutilated certificate or certificates, or his or her legal representative, shall be required, as a condition precedent to the issuance of a new certificate or certificates, to give the Trust a bond in such sums as it may direct as indemnity against any claim that may be made against the Trust.
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Section 4. FIXING OF RECORD DATE. The Board of Trustees may set, in advance, a record date for the purpose of determining shareholders entitled to notice of or to vote at any meeting of shareholders or determining shareholders entitled to receive payment of any dividend or the allotment of any other rights, or in order to make a determination of shareholders for any other proper purpose. Such date, in any case, shall not be prior to the close of business on the day the record date is fixed and shall be not more than 90 days and, in the case of a meeting of shareholders, not less than ten days, before the date on which the meeting or particular action requiring such determination of shareholders of record is to be held or taken.
When a record date for the determination of shareholders entitled to notice of and to vote at any meeting of shareholders has been set as provided in this section, such record date shall continue to apply to the meeting if adjourned or postponed, except if the meeting is adjourned or postponed to a date more than 120 days after the record date originally fixed for the meeting, in which case a new record date for such meeting shall be determined as set forth herein.
Section 5. SHARE LEDGER. The Trust shall maintain at its principal office or at the office of its counsel, accountants or transfer agent, an original or duplicate share ledger containing the name and address of each shareholder and the number of shares of each class held by such shareholder.
Section 6. FRACTIONAL SHARES; ISSUANCE OF UNITS. The Board of Trustees may authorize the Trust to issue fractional shares or authorize the issuance of scrip, all on such terms and under such conditions as it may determine. Notwithstanding any other provision of the Declaration of Trust or these Bylaws, the Board of Trustees may authorize the issuance of units consisting of different securities of the Trust. Any security issued in a unit shall have the same characteristics as any identical securities issued by the Trust, except that the Board of Trustees may provide that for a specified period securities of the Trust issued in such unit may be transferred on the books of the Trust only in such unit.
ARTICLE VIII
ACCOUNTING YEAR
The Board of Trustees shall have the power, from time to time, to fix the fiscal year of the Trust by a duly adopted resolution.
ARTICLE IX
DISTRIBUTIONS
Section 1. AUTHORIZATION. Dividends and other distributions upon the shares of beneficial interest of the Trust may be authorized by the Board of Trustees, subject to the provisions of law and the Declaration of Trust. Dividends and other distributions may be paid in cash, property or shares of beneficial interest of the Trust, subject to the provisions of law and the Declaration of Trust.
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Section 2. CONTINGENCIES. Before payment of any dividends or other distributions, there may be set aside out of any assets of the Trust available for dividends or other distributions such sum or sums as the Board of Trustees may from time to time, in its absolute discretion, think proper as a reserve fund for contingencies, for equalizing dividends, for repairing or maintaining any property of the Trust or for such other purpose as the Board of Trustees shall determine, and the Board of Trustees may modify or abolish any such reserve.
ARTICLE X
INVESTMENT POLICY
Subject to the provisions of the Declaration of Trust, the Board of Trustees may from time to time adopt, amend, revise or terminate any policy or policies with respect to investments by the Trust as it shall deem appropriate in its sole discretion.
ARTICLE XI
SEAL
Section 1. SEAL. The Board of Trustees may authorize the adoption of a seal by the Trust. The seal shall contain the name of the Trust and the year of its formation and the words “Formed Maryland.” The Board of Trustees may authorize one or more duplicate seals and provide for the custody thereof.
Section 2. AFFIXING SEAL. Whenever the Trust is permitted or required to affix its seal to a document, it shall be sufficient to meet the requirements of any law, rule or regulation relating to a seal to place the word “(SEAL)” adjacent to the signature of the person authorized to execute the document on behalf of the Trust.
ARTICLE XII
INDEMNIFICATION AND ADVANCE OF EXPENSES
To the maximum extent permitted by Maryland law in effect from time to time, the Trust shall indemnify and, without requiring a preliminary determination of the ultimate entitlement to indemnification, shall pay or reimburse reasonable expenses in advance of final disposition of a proceeding to (a) any individual who is a present or former trustee or officer of the Trust and who is made or threatened to be made a party to the proceeding by reason of his or her service in that capacity or (b) any individual who, while a trustee or officer of the Trust and at the request of the Trust, serves or has served as a director, trustee, officer, partner, member or manager of another corporation, real estate investment trust, partnership, limited liability company, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise and who is made or threatened to be made a party to the proceeding by reason of his or her service in that capacity. The rights to indemnification and advance of expenses provided by the Declaration of Trust and these Bylaws shall vest immediately upon election of a trustee or officer. The Trust may, with the approval of its Board of Trustees, provide such indemnification and advance for expenses to an individual who served a predecessor of the Trust in any of the capacities described in (a) or (b) above and to any employee or agent of the Trust or a predecessor of the Trust. The indemnification and payment or reimbursement of expenses provided in these Bylaws shall not be deemed exclusive of or limit in any way other rights to which any person seeking indemnification or payment or reimbursement of expenses may be or may become entitled under any bylaw, resolution, insurance, agreement or otherwise.
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Neither the amendment nor repeal of this Article XII, nor the adoption or amendment of any other provision of the Declaration of Trust or these Bylaws inconsistent with this Article, shall apply to or affect in any respect the applicability of the preceding paragraph of this Article XII with respect to any act or failure to act that occurred prior to such amendment, repeal or adoption.
ARTICLE XIII
WAIVER OF NOTICE
Whenever any notice of a meeting is required to be given pursuant to the Declaration of Trust or these Bylaws or pursuant to applicable law, a waiver thereof in writing or by electronic transmission, given by the person or persons entitled to such notice, whether before or after the time stated therein, shall be deemed equivalent to the giving of such notice. Neither the business to be transacted at nor the purpose of any meeting need be set forth in the waiver of notice of such meeting, unless specifically required by statute. The attendance of any person at any meeting shall constitute a waiver of notice of such meeting, except where such person attends a meeting for the express purpose of objecting to the transaction of any business on the ground that the meeting has not been lawfully called or convened.
ARTICLE XIV
EXCLUSIVE FORUM FOR CERTAIN LITIGATION
Unless the Trust consents in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, and to the fullest extent permitted by law, the Circuit Court for Baltimore City, Maryland, or, if that Court does not have jurisdiction, the United States District Court for the District of Maryland, Baltimore Division, shall be the sole and exclusive forum for (a) any derivative action or proceeding brought in the right or on behalf of the Trust, (b) any action asserting a claim of breach of any duty owed by any trustee, officer, other employee, or agent of the Trust to the Trust or to the shareholders of the Trust, (c) any action asserting a claim against the Trust or any trustee, officer, other employee, or agent of the Trust arising pursuant to any provision of the MRL, the Declaration of Trust or these Bylaws, or (d) any action asserting a claim against the Trust or any trustee or officer or other employee of the Trust that is governed by the internal affairs doctrine. In the event that any action or proceeding described in the this Article XIV is pending in the Circuit Court for Baltimore City, Maryland, any shareholder that is a party to such action, proceeding or claim shall cooperate in seeking to have the action or proceeding assigned to the Business & Technology Case Management Program.
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ARTICLE XV
AMENDMENT OF BYLAWS
These Bylaws may be amended, altered or repealed,
and new Bylaws adopted, by the Board of Trustees or by the affirmative vote of holders of shares of the Company representing not
less than a majority of all the votes entitled to be cast on the matter. For a period of two years
following the Closing Date, any amendment to (i) Article II, Section 12(a)(1), (ii) Article III, Section 11,
(iii) Article III, Section 18, (iv) Article IV, Section 1 or (v) this sentence of the Bylaws
shall be valid only if approved by a majority of the entire Board of Trustees, including a majority of each of the JBG Board Designees
and Vornado Board Designees.
ARTICLE XVI
MISCELLANEOUS
All references to the Declaration of Trust shall include all amendments and supplements thereto and any other documents filed with and accepted for record by the State Department of Assessments and Taxation related thereto.
ARTICLE XVII
SEVERABILITY
If any provision of these Bylaws shall be held invalid or unenforceable in any respect, such holding shall apply only to the extent of any such invalidity or unenforceability and shall not in any manner affect, impair or render invalid or unenforceable any other provision of these Bylaws in any jurisdiction.
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