8-K
OLD REPUBLIC INTERNATIONAL CORP (ORI)
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, DC 20549
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF
THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
Date of Report: (Date of earliest event reported) November 19, 2021
| OLD REPUBLIC INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter) | Delaware | 001-10607 | 36-2678171 | ||||
| --- | --- | --- | |||||
| (State or other jurisdiction | (Commission | (I.R.S. Employer | |||||
| of incorporation) | File Number) | Identification No.) | 307 North Michigan Avenue | Chicago | Illinois | 60601 | |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | ||||
| (Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code) | |||||||
| (312) | 346-8100 | ||||||
| (Registrant’s telephone number, including area code) | |||||||
| N /A | |||||||
| (Former name or former address, if changed since last report) |
Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the Registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2 below):
☐ Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)
☐ Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)
☐ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 140.14d-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 |
|---|---|---|
| Common Stock / $1 par value | ORI | New York Stock Exchange |
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 November 19, 2021, the Board of Directors (the “Board”) of Old Republic International Corporation (the “Company”) approved an amendment (the “Amendment”) to the Company’s Amended and Restated By-laws (the “By-laws”), which was effective upon approval by the Board.
The Amendment to the By-laws:
•implements advance notice provisions for stockholder business and nominations, providing, among other things, for notice of stockholder-proposed business and/or director nominations at an annual meeting to be submitted at least 90 (but not more than 120) days prior to first anniversary of the preceding year’s annual meeting (unless the annual meeting date is accelerated or postponed beyond specified dates) and for similar advance notice of director nominations at special meetings at which directors are to be elected);
•specifies the information required to be provided to the Company in stockholder notices of proposed business and director nominations, including, among other things, (i) disclosure of proxies, contracts, understandings or relationships involving the Company’s securities, (ii) disclosure of agreements, arrangements and understandings between the stockholders and any other person, and (iii) disclosure of interests related to the Company and its securities, including: derivative positions, short positions, hedging and similar transactions, direct or indirect interests in any general or limited partnership which holds Company securities or derivative positions related to the Company’s securities, and performance-related fees the stockholder is entitled to receive based on any increase or decrease in the value of Company’s securities or derivative securities related to the Company’s securities; and
•provides that directors nominated by stockholders must complete a customary written questionnaire and make certain representations, including as to voting commitments, arrangements with third-parties, fiduciary duties and compliance matters.
The Amendment does not change the existing provisions of the By-laws permitting stockholders who meet certain specified criteria to nominate directors using the Company’s proxy statement, nor does it affect the right of stockholders to submit proposals pursuant to Rule 14a-8 under the federal proxy rules. The foregoing description of the Amendment is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the Amendment, which is filed herewith as Exhibit 3.1 and incorporated herein by
reference.
Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits
(c) Exhibits
3.1 Amendment to the Amended and Restated By-laws of Old Republic International Corporation(datedNovember 19, 2020)
104 Cover page Interactive Data file (embedded within Inline XBRL document)
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.
| OLD REPUBLIC INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION | ||
|---|---|---|
| Registrant | ||
| Date: November 19, 2021 | By: /s/ Thomas A. Dare | |
| Thomas A. Dare | ||
| Senior Vice President, | ||
| Secretary and General Counsel |
Document
Exhibit 3.1
AMENDMENT TO THE AMENDED AND RESTATED BY-LAWS
OF
OLD REPUBLIC INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION
1.The following text is added to Article II of the Amended and Restated By-laws of Old Republic International Corporation as Section 15.
Section 15.
(a)Without qualification or limitation, subject to paragraph (c)(iv) of this Section 15, for any nominations or any other business to be properly brought before an annual meeting by a stockholder, the stockholder must have given timely notice thereof (including, in the case of nominations, the completed and signed questionnaire, representation and agreement required by Section 16 of these By-laws), and timely updates and supplements thereof, in writing to the Secretary, and such other business must otherwise be a proper matter for stockholder action.
To be timely, a stockholder’s notice must have been delivered to or mailed and received at the principal executive offices of the corporation by 5:00 p.m. Central time not less than 90 days nor more than 120 days prior to the first anniversary of the preceding year’s annual meeting; provided, however, that in the event that the date of the annual meeting is more than 30 days before or more than 60 days after such anniversary date, notice by the stockholder must be so delivered to or mailed and received by 5:00 p.m. Central time not less than 90 days nor more than 120 days prior to the date of such annual meeting or, if the first public announcement of the date of such annual meeting is less than 100 days prior to the date of such annual meeting, not more than 10 days following the day on which public announcement of the date of such meeting is first made by the corporation. In no event shall any adjournment of an annual meeting, or the public announcement thereof, commence a new time period for the giving of a stockholder’s notice as described above.
Notwithstanding anything in the immediately preceding paragraph to the contrary, in the event that the number of directors to be elected to the board of directors is increased by the board of directors, and there is no public announcement by the corporation naming all of the nominees for director or specifying the size of the increased board of directors at least 100 days prior to the first anniversary of the preceding year’s annual meeting, a stockholder’s notice required by this Section 15(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 or mailed and received at the principal executive offices of the corporation by 5:00 p.m. Central time not later than 10 days following the day on which such public announcement is first made by the corporation.
In addition, to be considered timely, a stockholder’s notice shall further be updated and supplemented, if necessary, so that the information provided or required to be provided in such notice shall be true and correct as of the record date for the meeting and as of the date that is 10 business days prior to the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof, and such update and supplement shall be delivered to or mailed and received at the principal executive offices of the corporation not later than five business days after the record date for the meeting in the case of the update and supplement required to be made as of the record date, and not later than eight business days prior to the date for the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof in the case of the update and supplement required to be made as of 10 business days prior to the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof. For the avoidance of doubt, the obligation to update and supplement as set forth in this paragraph or any other section of these By-laws shall not limit the corporation’s rights with respect to any deficiencies in any notice provided by a stockholder, extend any applicable deadlines hereunder or enable or be deemed to permit a stockholder who has previously submitted notice hereunder or under any other provision of the By-laws to amend or update any proposal or to submit any new proposal, including by changing or adding nominees, matters, business and or resolutions proposed to be brought before a meeting of the stockholders.
(b)Subject to paragraph (c)(iv) of this Section 15, in the event the corporation calls a special meeting of stockholders for the purpose of electing one or more directors to the board of directors, any stockholder may nominate a person or persons (as the case may be) for election to such position(s) as specified in the corporation’s notice of meeting, provided that the stockholder gives timely notice thereof (including the completed and signed questionnaire, representation and agreement required by Section 16 of these By-laws), and timely updates and supplements thereof in each case in proper form, in writing, to the Secretary.
To be timely for purposes of this paragraph (b), a stockholder’s notice must have been delivered to or mailed and received at the principal executive offices of the corporation by 5:00 p.m. Central time not less than 90 days nor more than 120 days prior to the date of such special meeting or, if the first public announcement of the date of such special meeting is less than 100 days prior to the date of such special meeting, not more than10 days following the day on which public announcement is first made of the date of the special meeting and, if applicable, of the nominees proposed by the board of directors to be elected at such meeting. In no event shall any adjournment
of a special meeting of stockholders, or the public announcement thereof, commence a new time period for the giving of a stockholder’s notice as described above.
In addition, to be considered timely, a stockholder’s notice shall further be updated and supplemented, if necessary, so that the information provided or required to be provided in such notice shall be true and correct as of the record date for the meeting and as of the date that is 10 business days prior to the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof, and such update and supplement shall be delivered to or mailed and received at the principal executive offices of the corporation not later than five business days after the record date for the meeting in the case of the update and supplement required to be made as of the record date, and not later than eight business days prior to the date for the meeting, any adjournment or postponement thereof in the case of the update and supplement required to be made as of 10 business days prior to the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof.
(c)
(i)To be in proper form, a stockholder’s notice pursuant to this Section 15 must include the following, as applicable.
A.As to the stockholder giving the notice and the beneficial owner, if any, on whose behalf the nomination or proposal, as applicable, is made, a stockholder’s notice must set forth: (1) the name and address of such stockholder, as they appear on the corporation’s books, of such beneficial owner, if any, and of their respective affiliates or associates or others acting in concert therewith, including other stockholders, (2) (I) the class or series and number of shares of the corporation which are, directly or indirectly, owned beneficially and of record by such stockholder, such beneficial owner and their respective affiliates or associates or others acting in concert therewith, including other stockholders, (II) any option, warrant, convertible security, stock appreciation right, or similar right with an exercise or conversion privilege or a settlement payment or mechanism at a price related to any class or series of shares of the corporation or with a value derived in whole or in part from the value of any class or series of shares of the corporation, or any derivative or synthetic arrangement having the characteristics of a long position in any class or series of shares of the corporation, or any contract, derivative, swap or other transaction or series of transactions designed to produce economic benefits and risks that correspond substantially to the ownership of any class or series of shares of the corporation, including due to the fact that the value of such contract, derivative, swap or other transaction or series of transactions is determined by reference to the price, value or volatility of any class or series of shares of the corporation, whether or not such instrument, contract or right shall be subject to settlement in the underlying class or series of shares of the corporation, through the delivery of cash or other property, or otherwise, and without regard to whether the stockholder of record, the beneficial owner, if any, or any affiliates or associates or others acting in concert therewith, may have entered into transactions that hedge or mitigate the economic effect of such instrument, contract or right, or any other direct or indirect opportunity to profit or share in any profit derived from any increase or decrease in the value of shares of the corporation (any of the foregoing, a “Derivative Instrument”) directly or indirectly owned beneficially by such stockholder, the beneficial owner, if any, or any affiliates or associates or others acting in concert therewith, (III) any proxy, contract, arrangement, understanding, or relationship pursuant to which such stockholder, such beneficial owner or any of their respective affiliates or associates or others acting in concert therewith has any right to vote any class or series of shares of the corporation, (IV) any agreement, arrangement, understanding, relationship or otherwise, including any repurchase or similar so-called “stock borrowing” agreement or arrangement, involving such stockholder, such beneficial owner or any of their respective affiliates or associates or others acting in concert therewith, directly or indirectly, the purpose or effect of which is to mitigate loss to, reduce the economic risk (of ownership or otherwise) of any class or series of the shares of the corporation by, manage the risk of share price changes for, or increase or decrease the voting power of, such stockholder, such beneficial owner or any of their respective affiliates or associates or others acting in concert therewith with respect to any class or series of the shares of the corporation, or which provides, directly or indirectly, the opportunity to profit or share in any profit derived from any decrease in the price or value of any class or series of the shares of the corporation (any of the foregoing, a “Short Interest”), (V) any rights to dividends on the shares of the corporation owned beneficially by such stockholder, such beneficial owner or any of their respective affiliates or associates or others acting in concert therewith that are separated or separable from the underlying shares of the corporation, (VI) any interest in shares of the corporation or Derivative Instruments held, directly or indirectly, by a general or limited partnership in which such stockholder, such beneficial owner or any of their respective affiliates or associates or others acting in concert therewith is a general partner or, directly or indirectly, beneficially owns an interest in a general partner of such general or limited partnership, (VII) any performance-related fees (other than an asset-based fee) that such stockholder, such beneficial owner or any of their respective affiliates or associates or others acting in concert therewith is entitled to based on any increase or
decrease in the value of shares of the corporation or Derivative Instruments, if any, including, without limitation, any such interests held by members of the immediate family sharing the same household of such stockholder, such beneficial owner and their respective affiliates or associates or others acting in concert therewith, (VIII) any equity interests or any Derivative Instruments or Short Interests in any competitor of the corporation held by such stockholder, such beneficial owner or any of their respective affiliates or associates or others acting in concert therewith, and (IX) any direct or indirect interest of such stockholder, such beneficial owner and their respective affiliates or associates or others acting in concert therewith in any contract with the corporation, any affiliate of the corporation or any competitor of the corporation (including, in any such case, any employment agreement, collective bargaining agreement or consulting agreement), (3) all information that would be required to be set forth in a Schedule 13D filed pursuant to Rule 13d-1(a) or an amendment pursuant to Rule 13d-2(a) if such a statement were required to be filed under the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder by such stockholder, such beneficial owner and their respective affiliates or associates or others acting in concert therewith, if any, and (4) any other information relating to such stockholder, such beneficial owner or any of their respective affiliates or associates or others acting in concert therewith, if any, that would be required to be disclosed in a proxy statement and form of proxy or other filings required to be made in connection with solicitations of proxies for, as applicable, the proposal and/or for the election of directors in a contested election pursuant to Section 14 of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder;
B.If the notice relates to any business other than a nomination of a director or directors that the stockholder proposes to bring before the meeting, a stockholder’s notice must, in addition to the matters set forth in paragraph (A) above, also set forth: (1) a brief description of the business desired to be brought before the meeting, the reasons for conducting such business at the meeting and any material interest of such stockholder, any beneficial owner on whose behalf the proposal is made and each of their respective affiliates or associates or others acting in concert therewith, if any, in such business, (2) the text of the proposal or business (including the text of any resolutions proposed for consideration and, in the event that such proposal or business includes a proposal to amend the By-laws of the corporation, the text of the proposed amendment), and (3) a description of all agreements, arrangements and understandings between such stockholder, such beneficial owner and each of their respective affiliates or associates or others acting in concert therewith, if any, and any other person or persons (including their names) in connection with the proposal of such business by such stockholder;
C.As to each person, if any, whom the stockholder proposes to nominate for election or reelection to the board of directors, a stockholder’s notice must, in addition to the matters set forth in paragraph (A) above, also set forth: (1) all information relating to such person that would be required to be disclosed in a proxy statement or other filings required to be made in connection with solicitations of proxies for election of directors in a contested election pursuant to Section 14 of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder (including such person’s written consent to being named in the proxy statement as a nominee and to serving as a director if elected) and (2) a description of all direct and indirect compensation and other material monetary agreements, arrangements and understandings during the past three years, and any other material relationships, between or among such stockholder and beneficial owner, if any, and their respective affiliates and associates, or others acting in concert therewith, on the one hand, and each proposed nominee, and his or her respective affiliates and associates, or others acting in concert therewith, on the other hand, including, without limitation all information that would be required to be disclosed pursuant to Rule 404 promulgated under ,Regulation S-K if the stockholder making the nomination and any beneficial owner on whose behalf the nomination is made, if any, or any affiliate or associate thereof or person acting in concert therewith, were the “registrant” for purposes of such rule and the nominee were a director or executive officer of such registrant; and
D.With respect to each person, if any, whom the stockholder proposes to nominate for election or reelection to the board of directors, a stockholder’s notice must, in addition to the matters set forth in paragraphs (A) and (C) above, also include a completed and signed questionnaire, representation and agreement required by Section 16 of these By-laws. The corporation may require any proposed nominee to furnish such other information as may reasonably be required by the corporation to determine the eligibility of such proposed nominee to serve as an independent director of the corporation or that could be material to a reasonable stockholder’s understanding of the independence, or lack thereof, of such nominee. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary, only persons who are nominated in accordance with the procedures set forth in these By-laws shall be eligible for election as directors.
(ii)For purposes of these By-laws, “public announcement” shall mean disclosure in a press release reported by a national news service or in a document publicly filed by the corporation with the Securities and
Exchange Commission pursuant to Section 13, 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
(iii)Notwithstanding the provisions of these By-laws, a stockholder shall also comply with all applicable requirements of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations thereunder with respect to the matters set forth in this By-law; provided, however, that any references in these By-laws to the Exchange Act or the rules promulgated thereunder are not intended to and shall not limit the separate and additional requirements set forth in these By-laws with respect to nominations or proposals as to any other business to be considered.
(iv)Nothing in these By-laws shall be deemed to affect any rights (1) of stockholders to request inclusion of proposals in the corporation’s proxy statement pursuant to Rule 14a-8 under the Exchange Act, (2) of any Eligible Stockholder to submit Nominees in accordance with Section 2(b) of these By-laws, or (3) of the holders of any series of preferred stock if and to the extent provided for under law, the certificate of incorporation or these By-laws.
2.The following text is added to Article II of the Amended and Restated By-laws of Old Republic International Corporation as Section 16.
Section 16.To be eligible to be a nominee of any stockholder for election or reelection as a director of the corporation, a person must deliver to or mail (in accordance with the time periods prescribed for delivery of a stockholder’s notice in Section 15 of these By-laws) to the Secretary at the principal executive offices of the corporation a completed written questionnaire with respect to the background and qualifications of such person and the background of any other person or entity on whose behalf, directly or indirectly, the nomination is being made (which questionnaire shall be provided by the Secretary upon written request), and a written representation and agreement (in the form provided by the Secretary upon written request) that such person (a) is not and will not become a party to any Voting Commitment that is not disclosed to the corporation or any Voting Commitment that could reasonably be expected to limit or interfere with such person’s ability to comply, if elected as a director of the corporation, with such person’s fiduciary duties under applicable law, (b) is not and will not become a party to any Compensation Arrangement in connection with such person’s nomination for director and/or service as a director, in each case that has not been disclosed to the corporation, and (c) would be in compliance, if elected as a director of the corporation, and will comply, with all applicable corporate governance, conflict of interest, confidentiality and stock ownership and trading policies and guidelines of the corporation applicable generally to directors of the corporation and publicly disclosed from time to time.