Section 12. Unless otherwise provided in the Certificate of Incorporation each stockholder shall at every meeting of the stockholders be entitled to one vote in person or by proxy for each share of the capital stock having voting power held by such stockholder, but no proxy shall be voted on after three years from its date, unless the proxy provides for a longer period. A proxy shall be irrevocable if it states that it is irrevocable and if, and only as long as, it is coupled with an interest sufficient in law to support an irrevocable power. A stockholder may revoke any proxy which is not irrevocable by attending the meeting and voting in person or by delivering to the Secretary of the Corporation a revocation of the proxy or a new proxy bearing a later date. Voting at meetings of stockholders need not be by written ballot.
Section 13.
(A) Nominations for election to the Board of Directors must be made by the Board of Directors or by any stockholder of any outstanding class of capital stock of the Corporation entitled to vote for the election of directors. Without qualification or limitation, for any nominations to be properly brought before an annual meeting by a stockholder pursuant to this Section 13, the stockholder must have given timely notice thereof in writing to the Secretary. To be timely, a stockholder’s notice shall be delivered to the Secretary at the principal executive offices of the Corporation not earlier than the close of business on the 120th day and not later than the close of business on the 90th day 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 to be timely must be so delivered not earlier than the close of business on the 120th day prior to the date of such annual meeting and not later than the close of business on the later of the 90th day 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, the 10th day 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 or postponement of an annual meeting or the announcement thereof commence a new time period for the giving of a stockholder’s notice as described above. In addition, to be 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 ten business days prior to the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof, and such update and supplement shall be delivered to the Secretary 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 ten business days prior to the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof. To be in proper form, a stockholder’s notice to the Secretary must: (a) set forth, as to the stockholder giving the notice and the beneficial owner, if any, on whose behalf the nomination is made (i) 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, (ii) (A) 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 of their respective affiliates or associates or others acting in concert therewith, (B) 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, 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 capital stock of the Corporation or otherwise, through the delivery of cash or other property, or otherwise, and without regard of 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 (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 and any other direct or indirect opportunity to profit or share in any profit derived from any increase or decrease in the value of shares of the Corporation, (C) any proxy, contract, arrangement, understanding, or relationship pursuant to which such stockholder has a right to vote any shares of any security of the Corporation, (D) any contract, arrangement, understanding, relationship or otherwise, including any repurchase or similar so-called “stock borrowing” agreement or arrangement, engaged in, directly or indirectly, by such stockholder, 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 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 security of the Corporation (any of the foregoing, a “Short Interest”), (E) any rights to dividends on the shares of the Corporation owned beneficially by such stockholder that are separated or separable from the underlying shares of the Corporation, (F) any proportionate interest in shares of the Corporation or Derivative Instruments held, directly or indirectly, by a general or limited partnership in which such stockholder is a general partner or, directly or indirectly, beneficially owns an interest in a general partner of such general or limited partnership, (G) any performance-related fees (other than an asset-based fee) that such stockholder is entitled to based on any increase or decrease in the value of shares of the Corporation or Derivative Instruments, if any, as of the date of such notice, including without limitation any such interests held by members of such stockholder’s immediate family sharing the same household, (H) any significant equity interests or any Derivative Instruments or Short Interests in any principal competitor of the Corporation held by such stockholder, (I) any material pending or threatened legal proceeding in which such stockholder is a party or material participant involving the Corporation or any of its officers or directors, or any affiliate of the Corporation, (J) any other material relationship between such stockholder, on the one hand, and the Corporation, any affiliate of the Corporation or any principal competitor of the Corporation, on the other hand, and (K) any direct or indirect interest of such stockholder in any contract with the Corporation, any affiliate of the Corporation or any principal competitor of the Corporation (including, in any such case, any employment agreement, collective bargaining agreement or consulting agreement), and (iii) any other information relating to such stockholder and beneficial owner, 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 election of directors in a contested election pursuant to Section 14 of the Exchange Act, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder; (b) set forth, as to each person, if any, whom the stockholder proposes to nominate for election or reelection to the Board of Directors (i) 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 (ii) 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 (c) with respect to each nominee for election or reelection to the Board of Directors, include a completed and signed questionnaire, representation and agreement required by Section 12(D) of these Bylaws. 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.
(B) Notwithstanding anything in the second sentence of paragraph (A) of this Section 13, in the event that the number of directors to be elected to the Board of Directors is increased 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 bylaw 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 offices of the Corporation not later than the close of business on the 10th day following the day on which such public announcement is first made by the Corporation.
(C) (1) Only such persons who are nominated in accordance with the procedures set forth in this bylaw shall be eligible to serve as directors as shall have been brought before the meeting in accordance with the procedures set forth in this bylaw. Except as otherwise provided by law, the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws, the Chairman of the meeting shall have the power and duty to determine whether a nomination was made in accordance with the procedures set forth in this bylaw and, if any proposed nomination is not in compliance with this bylaw, to declare that such defective nomination shall be disregarded. Unless otherwise required by law, if the stockholder (or a qualified representative of the stockholder) does not appear at the annual or special meeting of stockholders of the Corporation to make a nomination, such nomination shall be disregarded, notwithstanding that proxies in respect of such vote may have been received by the Corporation. For purposes of this bylaw, to be considered a qualified representative of the stockholder, a person must be authorized by a writing executed by such stockholder or an electronic transmission delivered by such stockholder to act for such stockholder as proxy at the meeting of stockholders and such person must produce such writing or electronic transmission, or a reliable reproduction of the writing or electronic transmission, at the meeting of stockholders.
(2) For purposes of this bylaw, “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.
(3) Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this bylaw, 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 bylaw; provided, however, that any references in these bylaws to the
Exchange Act or the rules promulgated thereunder are not intended to and shall not limit the requirements applicable to nominations pursuant to this Section 13 or proposals as to any other business to be considered pursuant to Section 14. Nothing in this bylaw shall be deemed to affect any rights (i) of stockholders to request inclusion of proposals in the Corporation’s proxy statement pursuant to Rule 14a-8 under the Exchange Act or (ii) of the holders of any series of Preferred Stock if and to the extent provided for under law, the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws. Subject to Rule 14a-8 under the Exchange Act, nothing in these Bylaws shall be construed to permit any stockholder, or give any stockholder the right, to include or have disseminated or described in the Corporation’s proxy statement any nomination of director or directors.
(D) To be eligible to be a nominee for election or reelection as a director of the Corporation, upon request of the Corporation, a person must deliver (in accordance with the time periods prescribed for delivery of notice this Section 13) to the Secretary at the principal executive offices of the Corporation a written questionnaire with respect to the background and qualification of such person and the background of any other person or entity on whose behalf the nomination is being made (which questionnaire shall be provided by the Secretary upon written request) and a written representation and agreement (in the form provided by the Secretary upon written request) that such person (A) is not and will not become a party to (1) any agreement, arrangement or understanding with, and has not given any commitment or assurance to, any person or entity as to how such person, if elected as a director of the Corporation, will act or vote on any issue or question (a “Voting Commitment”) that has not been disclosed to the Corporation or (2) any Voting Commitment that could 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 agreement, arrangement or understanding with any person or entity other than the Corporation with respect to any direct or indirect compensation, reimbursement or indemnification in connection with service or action as a director that has not been disclosed therein and (C) in such person’s individual capacity and on behalf of any person or entity on whose behalf the nomination is being made, would be in compliance, if elected as a director of the Corporation, and will comply with all applicable publicly disclosed corporate governance, conflict of interest, confidentiality and stock ownership and trading policies and guidelines of the Corporation.
Section 14. At any meeting of the stockholders, only such business shall be conducted as shall have been brought before the meeting (a) pursuant to the Corporation’s notice of meeting, (b) by or at the direction of the Board of Directors or (c) by any stockholder of the Corporation who is a stockholder of record at the time of giving of the notice provided for in this Bylaw, who shall be entitled to vote at such meeting and who complies with the notice procedures set forth in this Bylaw.
For business to be properly brought before any meeting by a stockholder pursuant to clause (c) of this Section 14, the stockholder must have given timely notice thereof in writing to the Secretary of the Corporation. To be timely, a stockholder’s notice must be delivered to or mailed and received at the principal executive offices of the Corporation not less than 30 days nor more than 60 days prior to the date of the meeting. A stockholder’s notice to the Secretary shall set forth as to each matter the stockholder proposes to bring before the meeting (a) a brief description of the business desired to be brought before the meeting and the reasons for conducting such business at the meeting, (b) the name and address, as they appear on the Corporation’s books, of the stockholder proposing such business, and the name and address of the beneficial owner, if any, on whose behalf the proposal is made, (c) the class and number of shares of the Corporation which are owned beneficially and of record by such stockholder of record and by the beneficial owner, if any, on whose behalf of the proposal is made and (d) any material interest of such stockholder of record and the beneficial owner, if any, on whose behalf the proposal is made in such business.
Notwithstanding anything in these Bylaws to the contrary, no business shall be conducted at a meeting except in accordance with the procedures set forth in this Section 14. The presiding officer of the meeting shall, if the facts warrant, determine and declare to the meeting that business was not properly brought before the meeting and in accordance with the procedures prescribed by this Section 14, and if he or she should so determine, the presiding officer shall so declare to the meeting and any such business not properly brought before the meeting shall not be transacted. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section 14, 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 Section 14.
Section 15. Unless otherwise restricted by the Certificate of Incorporation, any action required or permitted to be taken at any annual or special meeting of the stockholders may be taken without a meeting, without prior notice and without a vote, if a consent or consents in writing or by electronic transmission, setting forth the action so taken, shall be signed by the holders of outstanding stock having not less than the minimum number of votes that would be necessary to authorize or take such action at a meeting at which all shares entitled to vote thereon were present and voted and shall be delivered to the Corporation by delivery to its registered office in the State of Delaware, its principal place of business, or an officer or agent of the Corporation having custody of the book in which minutes of proceedings of stockholders are recorded. Delivery made to the Corporation’s registered office shall be by hand or by certified or registered mail, return receipt requested. Prompt notice of the taking of the corporate action without a meeting by less than unanimous written consent shall, to the extent required by law, be given to those stockholders who have not consented in writing or by electronic transmission and who, if the action had been taken at a meeting, would have been entitled to notice of the meeting if the record date for notice of such meeting had been the date that written consents signed by a sufficient number of holders to take the action were delivered to the Corporation.
Section 16. The date and time of the opening and the closing of the polls for each matter upon which the stockholders will vote at a meeting shall be announced at the meeting by the person presiding over the meeting. The Board of Directors may adopt by resolution such rules and regulations for the conduct of the meeting of stockholders as it shall deem appropriate. Except to the extent inconsistent with such rules and regulations as adopted by the Board of Directors, the person presiding over any meeting of stockholders shall have the right and authority to convene and (for any or no reason) to recess and/or adjourn the meeting, to prescribe such rules, regulations and procedures and to do all such acts as, in the judgment of such presiding person, are appropriate for the proper conduct of the meeting. Such rules, regulations or procedures, whether adopted by the Board of Directors or prescribed by the presiding person of the meeting, may include, without limitation, the following: (i) the establishment of an agenda or order of business for the meeting; (ii) rules and procedures for maintaining order at the meeting and the safety of those present; (iii) limitations on attendance at or participation in the meeting to stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting, their duly authorized and constituted proxies or such other persons as the presiding person of the meeting shall determine; (iv) restrictions on entry to the meeting after the time fixed for the commencement thereof; and (v) limitations on the time allotted to questions or comments by participants. The presiding person at any meeting of stockholders, in addition to making any other determinations that may be appropriate to the conduct of the meeting, shall, if the facts warrant, determine and declare to the meeting that a matter or business was not properly brought before the meeting and if such presiding person should so determine, such presiding person shall so declare to the meeting and any such matter or business not properly brought before the meeting shall not be transacted or considered. Unless and to the extent determined by the Board of Directors or the person presiding over the meeting, meetings of stockholders shall not be required to be held in accordance with the rules of parliamentary procedure
ARTICLE III
DIRECTORS
Section 1. The authorized number of directors of the Corporation shall be not less than a minimum of four nor more than a maximum of eleven. The exact number of directors shall be set within these limits from time to time pursuant to a resolution adopted by a majority of the total number of directors of the Corporation. No reduction of the authorized number of directors shall remove any director prior to the expiration of such director’s term of office.
Section 2. The directors shall be elected at each annual meeting of stockholders to hold office for the term specified in the Certificate of Incorporation. Each director, including a director elected or appointed to fill a vacancy, shall hold office either until the expiration of the term for which elected or appointed and until a successor has been elected and qualified, or until the director’s death, resignation or removal. Directors need not be stockholders of the Corporation. Any director may resign at any time upon notice to the corporation.
Section 3. Unless otherwise provided in the Certificate of Incorporation, any vacancies and new created directorships resulting from any increase in the authorized number of directors may be filled by a majority of the directors then in office, though less than a quorum, or by a sole remaining director, and the directors so chosen shall hold office until the next annual election at which the term of the class to which the director has been elected expires and until their successors are duly elected and shall qualify, unless sooner displaced. If there are no directors in office, then an election of directors may be held in the manner provided by statute.
Section 4. The business of the Corporation shall be managed by or under the direction of its Board of Directors which may exercise all such powers of the Corporation and do all such lawful acts and things as are not by statute or by the Certificate of Incorporation or by these Bylaws directed or required to be exercised or done by the stockholders.
MEETINGS OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Section 5. The Board of Directors of the Corporation may hold meetings, both regular and special, either within or without the State of Delaware.
Section 6. Regular meetings of the Board of Directors may be held without notice at such time and at such place as shall from time to time be determined by the Board.
Section 7. Special meetings of the Board of Directors may be called by the Chairman of the Board or the President on 48 hours’ written notice to each director; special meetings shall be called by the President or Secretary in like manner and on like notice on the written request of two directors.
Section 8. At all meetings of the Board of Directors, a majority of the directors shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business and the act of a majority of the directors present at any meeting at which there is a quorum shall be the act of the Board of Directors, except as may be otherwise specifically provided by statute or by the Certificate of Incorporation. If a quorum shall not be present at any meeting of the Board of Directors, the directors present thereat may adjourn the meeting from time to time, without notice other than announcement at the meeting, until a quorum shall be present.
Section 9. Meetings of the Board of Directors shall be presided over by the Chairman of the Board, if any, or in his or her absence by the Vice Chairman of the Board, if any, or in his or her absence by the President, or in their absence by a chairman chosen at the meeting. The Secretary shall act as secretary of the meeting, but in his or her absence the chairperson of the meeting may appoint any person to act as secretary of the meeting.
Section 10. Unless otherwise restricted by the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws, any action required or permitted to be taken at any meeting of the Board of Directors or of any committee thereof may be taken without a meeting, if all members of the Board of Directors or committee, as the case may be, consent thereto in writing or by electronic transmission, and the writing or electronic transmission is filed with the minutes of proceedings of the Board of Directors or committee in accordance with applicable law.
Section 11. Unless otherwise restricted by the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws, members of the Board of Directors, or any committee designated by the Board of Directors, may participate in a meeting of the stockholders or Board of Directors, or any committee, by means of conference telephone or similar communications equipment by means of which all persons participating in the meeting can hear each other, and such participation in a meeting shall constitute presence in person at the meeting.
COMMITTEES OF DIRECTORS
Section 12. The Board of Directors may, by resolution passed by a majority of the whole Board of Directors, designate one or more committees, each committee to consist of one or more of the directors of the Corporation. The Board of Directors may designate one or more directors as alternate members of any committee, who may replace any absent or disqualified member at any meeting of the committee.
In the absence of disqualification of a member of a committee, the member or members thereof present at any meeting and not disqualified from voting, whether or not the member or members constitute a quorum, may unanimously appoint another member of the Board of Directors to act at the meeting in the place of any such absent or disqualified member.
Any such committee, to the extent provided in the resolution of the Board of Directors, shall have and may exercise all the powers and authority of the Board of Directors in the management of the business and affairs of the Corporation, and may authorize the seal of the Corporation to be affixed to all papers which may require it; but no such committee shall have the power or authority in reference to amending the Certificate of Incorporation, adopting an agreement of merger or consolidation, recommending to the stockholders the sale, lease or exchange of all or substantially all of the Corporation’s property and assets, recommending to the stockholders a dissolution of the Corporation or a revocation of a dissolution, or amending the Bylaws of the Corporation; and, unless the resolution or the Certificate of Incorporation expressly so provide, no such committee shall have the power or authority to declare a dividend or to authorize the issuance of stock. Such committee or committees shall have such name or names as may be determined from time to time by resolution adopted by the Board of Directors.
Section 13. Each committee shall keep regular minutes of its meetings and report the same to the Board of Directors when required.
COMPENSATION OF DIRECTORS
Section 14. Unless otherwise restricted by the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws, the Board of Directors shall have the authority to fix the compensation of directors. Each director, in consideration of serving as such, may receive from the Corporation such amount per annum and such fees and expenses incurred for attendance at meetings of the Board of Directors or of any committee, or both, as the Board of Directors may from time to time determine. No such payment shall preclude any director from serving the Corporation in any other capacity and receiving compensation therefor. Members of special or standing committees may be allowed like compensation for attending committee meetings.
ARTICLE IV
NOTICES
Section 1. Whenever, under the provisions of the statutes or of the Certificate of Incorporation or of these Bylaws, notice is required to be given to any director or stockholder, it shall not be construed to mean personal notice, but such notice may be given in writing, by mail, addressed to such director or stockholder, at his or her address as it appears on the records of the Corporation, with postage thereon prepaid, and such notice shall be deemed to be given at the time when the same shall be deposited in the United States mail. Notice, including written notice, to directors may also be given by telecopier, telephone or other means of electronic transmission.
Without limiting the manner by which notice otherwise may be given effectively to stockholders pursuant to the Delaware General Corporation Law, the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws, any notice to stockholders given by the Corporation under any provision of the Delaware General Corporation Law, the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws shall be effective if given by a form of electronic transmission consented to (and not properly revoked by written notice to the Corporation) by the stockholder to whom the notice is given, to the extent such consent is required by the Delaware General Corporation Law. Any such consent shall be revocable by the stockholder by written notice to the Corporation. Any such consent shall be deemed revoked if (i) the Corporation is unable to deliver by electronic transmission two (2) consecutive notices given by the Corporation in accordance with such consent and (ii) such inability becomes known to the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Corporation or to the transfer agent of the Corporation, or other person responsible for the giving of notice; provided, however, the inadvertent failure to treat such inability as a revocation shall not invalidate any meeting or other action. Any such notice shall be deemed given (i) if by facsimile telecommunication, when directed to a number at which the stockholder has consented to receive notice; (ii) if by electronic mail, when directed to an electronic mail address at which the stockholder has consented to receive notice; (iii) if by a posting on an electronic network together with separate notice to the stockholder of such specific posting, upon the later of (A) such posting and (B) the giving of such separate notice; and (iv) if by any other form of electronic transmission, when directed to the stockholder. For the purposes of these Bylaws, an “electronic transmission” means any form of communication, not directly involving the physical transmission of paper, that creates a record that may be retained, retrieved and reviewed by a recipient thereof, and that may be directly reproduced in paper form by such a recipient through an automated process.
Section 2. Whenever any notice is required to be given under the provisions of the statutes or of the Certificate of Incorporation or of these Bylaws, a waiver thereof in writing, signed by the person or persons entitled to said notice, whether before or after the time stated therein, shall be deemed equivalent thereto. The written waiver need not specify the business to be transacted at, nor the purpose of, any regular or special meeting of the stockholders, directors, or members of a committee of directors. Attendance of a person at a
meeting shall constitute a waiver of notice of such meeting, except when the person attends a meeting for the express purpose of objecting at the beginning of the meeting, to the transaction of any business because the meeting is not lawfully called or convened.
ARTICLE V
OFFICERS
Section 1. The officers of the Corporation shall be chosen by the Board of Directors and shall be a President, Treasurer and a Secretary. The Board of Directors may elect from among its members a Chairman of the Board and a Vice Chairman of the Board. The Board of Directors may also choose one or more Vice-Presidents, Assistant Secretaries and Assistant Treasurers. Any number of offices may be held by the same person, unless the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws otherwise provide.
Section 2. The Board of Directors may appoint such other officers and agents as it shall deem necessary who shall hold their offices for such terms and shall exercise such powers and perform such duties as shall be determined from time to time by the Board of Directors.
Section 3. The salaries of all executive officers of the Corporation shall be fixed by the Board of Directors or a committee designated by the Board of Directors.
Section 4. The officers of the Corporation shall hold office until their successors are chosen and qualify. Any officer elected or appointed by the Board of Directors may be removed at any time by the affirmative vote of a majority of the Board of Directors. Any vacancy occurring in any office of the Corporation shall be filled by the Board of Directors.
THE CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD
Section 5. The Chairman of the Board, if any, shall preside at all meetings of the Board of Directors and of the stockholders at which he or she shall be present. The Chairman shall have and may exercise such powers as are, from time to time, assigned by the Board of Directors and as may be provided by law.
Section 6. In the absence of the Chairman of the Board, the Vice Chairman of the Board, if any, shall preside at all meetings of the Board of Directors and of the stockholders at which he or she shall be present. The Vice Chairman shall have and may exercise such powers as are, from time to time, assigned by the Board of Directors and as may be provided by law.
THE PRESIDENT AND VICE-PRESIDENTS
Section 7. The President shall be the Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation; and in the absence of the Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Board, the President shall preside at all meetings of the stockholders and the Board of Directors; and shall have general and active management of the business of the Corporation and shall see that all orders and resolutions of the Board of Directors are carried into effect.
Section 8. The President shall execute bonds, mortgages and other contracts requiring a seal, under the seal of the Corporation, except where required or permitted by law to be otherwise signed and executed and except where the signing and execution thereof shall be expressly delegated by the Board of Directors to some other officer or agent of the Corporation.
Section 9. In the absence of the President or in the event of his or her inability or refusal to act, the Vice-President, if any, (or in the event there be more than one Vice-President, the Vice-Presidents in the order designated by the directors, 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. The Vice-Presidents shall perform such other duties and have such other powers as the Board of Directors may from time to time prescribe.
THE SECRETARY AND ASSISTANT SECRETARY
Section 10. The Secretary shall attend all meetings of the Board of Directors and all meetings of the stockholders and record all the proceedings of the meetings of the Corporation and of the Board of Directors in a book to be kept for that purpose and shall perform like duties for the standing committees when required. The Secretary shall give, or cause to be given, notice of all meetings of the stockholders and special meetings of the Board of Directors, and shall perform such other duties as may be prescribed by the Board of Directors or President, under whose supervision he or she shall be. The Secretary (or an Assistant Secretary) shall have custody of the corporate seal of the Corporation and shall have authority to affix the same to any instrument requiring it and when so affixed, it may be attested by the Secretary’s signature or by the signature of such Assistant Secretary. The Board of Directors may give general authority to any other officer to affix the seal of the Corporation and to attest the affixing by his or her signature.
Section 11. The Assistant Secretary, or if there be more than one, the Assistant Secretaries in the order determined by the Board of Directors (or if there be no such determination, then in the order of their election) shall, in the absence of the Secretary or in the event of the Secretary’s inability or refusal to act, perform the duties and exercise the powers of the Secretary and shall perform such other duties and have such other powers as the Board of Directors may from time to time prescribe.
THE TREASURER AND ASSISTANT TREASURERS
Section 12. The Treasurer shall have the custody of the corporate funds and securities and shall keep full and accurate accounts of receipts and disbursements in books belonging to the Corporation and shall deposit all moneys and other valuable effects in the name and to the credit of the Corporation in such depositories as may be designated by the Board of Directors.
Section 13. The Treasurer shall disburse the funds of the Corporation as may be ordered by the Board of Directors, taking proper vouchers for such disbursements, and shall render to the President and the Board of Directors, at its regular meetings, or when the Board of Directors so requires, an account of all his or her transactions as Treasurer and of the financial condition of the Corporation.
Section 14. The Assistant Treasurer, or if there shall be more than one, the Assistant Treasurers in the order determined by the Board of Directors (or if there be no such determination, then in the order of their election) shall, in the absence of the Treasurer or in the event of the Treasurer’s inability or refusal to act, perform the duties and exercise the powers of the Treasurer and shall perform such other duties and have such other powers as the Board of Directors may from time to time prescribe.
ARTICLE VI
CERTIFICATE OF STOCK
Section 1. The shares of stock of the Corporation shall be represented by certificates, provided that the Board of Directors may provide by resolution or resolutions that some or all of any or all of any classes or series of its stock shall be uncertificated shares. Any such resolution shall not apply to any such shares represented by a certificate theretofore issued until such certificate is surrendered to the Corporation. Notwithstanding the adoption of such a resolution by the Board of Directors, every holder of stock in the Corporation shall be entitled to have a certificate, signed by, or in the name of the Corporation by, the Chairman or Vice-Chairman of the Board, or the President or a Vice-President and the Treasurer or an Assistant Treasurer, or the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Corporation, certifying the number of shares owned by the stockholder in the Corporation.
Certificates may be issued for partly paid shares and in such case upon the face or back of the certificates issued to represent any such partly paid shares, the total amount of the consideration to be paid therefor, and the amount paid thereon shall be specified.
If the Corporation shall be authorized to issue more than one class of stock or more than one series of any class, the powers, designations, preferences and relative, participating, optional or other special rights of each class of stock or series thereof and the qualification, limitations or restrictions of such preferences and/or rights shall be set forth in full or summarized on the face or back of the certificate which the Corporation shall issue to represent such class or series of stock, provided that, except as otherwise provided in section 202 of the General Corporation Law of Delaware, in lieu of the foregoing requirements, there may be set forth on the face or back of the certificate which the Corporation shall issue to represent such class or series of stock, a statement that the Corporation will furnish without charge to each stockholder who so requests the powers, designations, preferences and relative, participating, optional or other special rights of each class of stock or series thereof and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions of such preferences and/or rights. Within a reasonable time after the issuance or transfer of uncertificated shares of any class or series of stock, the Corporation shall send to the registered owner thereof a written notice containing the information required by law to be set forth or stated on certificates representing shares of such class or series or a statement that the Corporation will furnish without charge to each stockholder who so requests the powers, designations, preferences and relative, participating, optional or other special rights of such class or series and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions of such preferences and/or rights.
Except as otherwise provided by law or these Bylaws, the rights and obligations of the holders of uncertificated shares and the rights and obligations of the holders of certificates representing stock of the same class and series shall be identical.
Section 2. Any of or all the signatures on the certificate may be facsimile. In case any officer, transfer agent or registrar who has signed or whose facsimile signature has been placed upon a certificate shall have ceased to be such officer, transfer agent or registrar before such certificate is issued, it may be issued by the Corporation with the same effect as if such person were such officer, transfer agent or registrar at the date of issue.
LOST CERTIFICATES
Section 3. The Board of Directors may direct a new certificate or certificates or an uncertificated share or uncertificated shares to be issued in place of any certificate or certificates theretofore issued by the Corporation alleged to have been lost, stolen or destroyed, upon the making of an affidavit of that fact by the person claiming the certificate of stock to be lost, stolen or destroyed. When authorizing such issue of a new certificate or certificates or such issue of an uncertificated share or uncertificated shares, the Board of Directors may, in its discretion and as a condition precedent to the issuance thereof, require the owner of such lost, stolen or destroyed certificate or certificates, or his or her legal representative, to advertise the same in such manner as it shall require and/or to give the Corporation a bond in such sum as it may direct as indemnity against any claim that may be made against the Corporation with respect to the certificate alleged to have been lost, stolen or destroyed.
TRANSFER OF STOCK
Section 4. Upon surrender to the Corporation or the transfer agent of the Corporation of a certificate for shares duly endorsed or accompanied by proper evidence of succession, assignation or authority to transfer, it shall be the duty of the Corporation to issue a new certificate or to issue an uncertificated share or uncertificated shares to the person entitled thereto, cancel the old certificate and record the transaction upon its books.
Upon receipt of proper transfer instructions from the registered owner of uncertificated shares, such uncertificated shares shall be canceled and issuance of new equivalent uncertificated shares shall be made to the person entitled thereto and the transaction shall be recorded upon the books of the Corporation. Within a reasonable time after the issuance or transfer of uncertificated stock, the Corporation shall send to the registered owner thereof a written notice containing the information required to be set forth or stated on certificates pursuant to the Delaware General Corporation Law or, unless otherwise provided by the Delaware General Corporation Law, a statement that the Corporation will furnish without charge to each stockholder who so requests the powers, designations, preferences and relative participating, optional or other special rights of each class of stock or series thereof and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions of such preferences and/or rights.
FIXING RECORD DATE
Section 5. In order that the Corporation may determine the stockholders entitled to notice of or to vote at any meeting of stockholder or any adjournment thereof, or entitled to receive payment of any dividend or other distribution or allotment of any rights, or entitled to exercise any rights in respect of any change, conversion or exchange of stock or for the purpose of any other lawful action, the Board of Directors may fix, in advance, a record date, which shall not be more than 60 nor less than ten days before the date of such meeting, nor more than 60 days prior to any other action. A determination of stockholders of record entitled to notice of or to vote at a meeting of stockholders shall apply to any adjournment of the meeting; provided, however, that the Board of Directors may fix a new record date for the adjourned meeting.
REGISTERED STOCKHOLDERS
Section 6. The Corporation shall be entitled to recognize the exclusive right of a person registered on its books as the owner of shares to receive dividends, and to vote as such owner, and to hold liable for calls and assessments a person registered on its books as the owner of shares and shall not be bound to recognize any equitable or other claim to or interest in such share or shares on the part of any other person, whether or not it shall have express or other notice thereof, except as otherwise provided by the laws of Delaware.
ARTICLE VII
GENERAL PROVISIONS
DIVIDENDS
Section 1. Dividends upon the capital stock of the Corporation, subject to the provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation, if any, may be declared by the Board of Directors at any regular or special meeting, pursuant to law. Dividends may be paid in cash, in property, or in shares of the capital stock, subject to the provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation.
Section 2. Before payment of any dividend, there may be set aside out of any funds of the Corporation available for dividends such sum or sums as the directors from time to time, in their absolute discretion, think proper as a reserve or reserves to meet contingencies, or for equalizing dividends, or for repairing or maintaining any property of the Corporation, or for such other purposes as the directors shall think conducive to the interest of the Corporation, and the directors may modify or abolish any such reserve in the manner in which it was created.
FISCAL YEAR
Section 3. The fiscal year of the Corporation shall be fixed by resolution of the Board of Directors.
SEAL
Section 4. The Board of Directors may adopt a corporate seal having inscribed thereon the name of the Corporation, the year of its organization and the words “Corporate Seal, Delaware”. The seal may be used by causing it or a facsimile thereof to be impressed or affixed or reproduced or otherwise.
INDEMNIFICATION
Section 5. The Corporation shall, to the fullest extent authorized under the laws of the State of Delaware, as those laws may be amended and supplemented from time to time, indemnify each of its agents made, or threatened to be made, a party to an action or proceeding, whether criminal, civil, administrative or investigative, by reason of being an agent of the Corporation or a predecessor corporation or, at the Corporation’s request, a director or officer of another corporation, provided, however, that the Corporation shall indemnify any such agent in connection with a proceeding initiated by such agent only if such proceeding was authorized by the Board of Directors of the Corporation. The indemnification provided for in this Section 5 shall: (i) not be deemed exclusive of any other rights to which those indemnified may be entitled under any bylaw, agreement or vote of stockholders or disinterested directors or otherwise, both as to action in their official capacities and as to action in another capacity while holding such office, (ii) continue as to a person who has ceased to be an agent, and (iii) inure to the benefit of the heirs, executors and administrators of such a
person. The Corporation’s obligation to provide indemnification under this Section 5 shall be offset to the extent of any other source of indemnification or any otherwise applicable insurance coverage under a policy maintained by the Corporation or any other person.
Expenses incurred by an agent of the Corporation in defending a civil or criminal action, suit or proceeding by reason of the fact that the agent is or was an agent of the Corporation (or was serving at the Corporation’s request as a director or officer of another corporation) shall be paid by the Corporation in advance of the final disposition of such action, suit or proceeding upon receipt of an undertaking by or on behalf of such agent to repay such amount if it shall ultimately be determined that the agent is not entitled to be indemnified by the Corporation as authorized by relevant sections of the General Corporation Law of Delaware. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Corporation shall not be required to advance such expenses to an agent who is a party to an action, suit or proceeding brought by the Corporation and approved by a majority of the Board of Directors of the Corporation which alleges willful misappropriation of corporate assets by such agent, disclosure of confidential information in violation of such agent’s fiduciary or contractual obligations to the Corporation or any other willful and deliberate breach in bad faith of such agent’s duty to the Corporation or its stockholders.
The foregoing provisions of this Section 5 shall be deemed to be a contract between the Corporation and each agent who serves in such capacity at any time while this bylaw is in effect, and any repeal or modification thereof shall not affect any rights or obligations then existing with respect to any state of facts then or theretofore existing or any action, suit or proceeding theretofore or thereafter brought based in whole or in part upon any such state of facts.
The Board of Directors in its discretion shall have power on behalf of the Corporation to indemnify any person, other than a director, made a party to any action, suit or proceeding by reason of the fact that the person, his or her testator or intestate, is or was an officer or employee of the Corporation.
To assure indemnification under this Section 5 of all directors, officers and employees who are determined by the Corporation or otherwise to be or to have been “fiduciaries” of any employee benefit plan of the Corporation which may exist from time to time, Section 145 of the General Corporation Law of Delaware shall, for the purposes of this Section 5, be interpreted as follows: an “other enterprise” shall be deemed to include such an employee benefit plan, including without limitation, any plan of the Corporation which is governed by the Act of Congress entitled “Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974,” as amended from time to time; the Corporation shall be deemed to have requested a person to serve an employee benefit plan where the performance by such person of his or her duties to the Corporation also imposes duties on, or otherwise involves services by, such person to the plan or participants or beneficiaries of the plan; excise taxes assessed on a person with respect to an employee benefit plan pursuant to such Act of Congress shall be deemed “fines.”
FORUM SELECTION
Section 6. Unless the Corporation consents in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware shall be the sole and exclusive forum for (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on behalf of the Corporation, (ii) any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any director, officer, employee or agent of the Corporation to the Corporation or the Corporation’s stockholders, (iii) any action asserting a claim arising pursuant to any provision of the General Corporation Law of Delaware, the Certificate of Incorporation or the Bylaws of the Corporation, (iv) any action to interpret, apply, enforce or determine the validity of the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws of the Corporation or
(v) any action asserting a claim governed by the internal affairs doctrine, in each case subject to said Court of Chancery having personal jurisdiction over the indispensable parties named as defendants therein. Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in any share of capital stock of the Corporation shall be deemed to have notice of and consented to this Section 6.
SEVERABILITY
Section 7. If any provision or provisions of these Bylaws shall be held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable as applied to any circumstance for any reason whatsoever: (i) the validity, legality and enforceability of such provisions in any other circumstance and of the remaining provisions of these Bylaws (including, without limitation, each portion of any paragraph of these Bylaws containing any such provision held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable that is not itself held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable) shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby and (ii) to the fullest extent possible, the provisions of these Bylaws (including, without limitation, each such portion of any paragraph of these Bylaws containing any such provision held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable) shall be construed so as to permit the Corporation to protect its directors, officers, employees and agents from personal liability in respect of their good faith service to or for the benefit of the Corporation to the fullest extent permitted by law.
ARTICLE VIII
AMENDMENTS
Section 1. Except as otherwise provided in the Certificate of Incorporation, these Bylaws may be altered, amended or repealed or new Bylaws may be adopted by the stockholders or a majority of the Board of Directors, when such power is conferred upon the Board of Directors by the Certificate of Incorporation.