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.

 
 

		TOP SHIPS INC. (Registrant)
Date: June 23, 2011		/s/ EVANGELOS J. PISTIOLIS Evangelos J. Pistiolis Chief Executive Officer

Exhibit 99.1

 

 

TOP SHIPS INC. ANNOUNCES

REVERSE STOCK SPLIT TO BE EFFECTIVE JUNE 24, 2011

ATHENS, GREECE – June 23, 2011 – TOP Ships Inc. (NasdaqGS: TOPS), an international maritime shipping company that provides transportation services for crude oil, petroleum products, and dry bulk commodities (the "Company"), today announced that its Board of Directors (the "Board") has determined to effect a 1-for-10 reverse stock split of the Company's common stock.  The Company's shareholders approved the reverse stock split and granted the Board the authority to determine the exact split ratio and proceed with the reverse stock split at the Company's 2010 annual general meeting of shareholders held on September 30, 2010.

The reverse stock split will take effect, and the Company's common stock will begin trading on a split-adjusted basis on the NASDAQ Global Select Market, as of the opening of trading on Friday, June 24, 2011. Beginning on that date, the Company's shares will trade for 20 trading days under the symbol "TOPSD" to indicate that the reverse stock split has occurred.  Thereafter, the Company's symbol will revert to its original symbol "TOPS."  A new CUSIP number will be assigned to the Company's common stock when the reverse stock split becomes effective.

When the reverse stock split becomes effective, every 10 shares of the Company's issued and outstanding common stock will be automatically combined into one issued and outstanding share of common stock without any change in the par value per share or the total number of authorized shares. This will reduce the number of outstanding shares of the Company's common stock from approximately 46.7 million shares to approximately 4.7 million shares.

No fractional shares will be issued in connection with the reverse split of the issued and outstanding common stock. Shareholders who would otherwise hold a fractional share of the Company's common stock will receive a cash payment in lieu of such fractional share. Shareholders will receive instructions from the Company's exchange agent, Computershare Trust Company N.A., as to how to exchange existing share certificates for new certificates representing the post-reverse split shares.

Additional information about the reverse stock split can be found in the Company's proxy statement furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 13, 2010, a copy of which is available at www.sec.gov .

About TOP Ships Inc.

TOP Ships Inc., is an international maritime shipping company that provides transportation services for crude oil, petroleum products, and dry bulk commodities.

For more information about TOP Ships Inc., visit its website: www.topships.org .

Forward-Looking Statements

 

 

Matters discussed in this press release may constitute forward-looking statements. The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides safe harbor protections for forward-looking statements in order to encourage companies to provide prospective information about their business. Forward-looking statements include statements concerning plans, objectives, goals, strategies, future events or performance, and underlying assumptions and other statements, which are other than statements of historical facts.

The Company desires to take advantage of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and is including this cautionary statement in connection with this safe harbor legislation. The words "believe," "anticipate," "intends," "estimate," "forecast," "project," "plan," "potential," "may," "should," "expect" "pending" and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements in this press release are based upon various assumptions, many of which are based, in turn, upon further assumptions, including without limitation, our management's examination of historical operating trends, data contained in our records and other data available from third parties. Although we believe that these assumptions were reasonable when made, because these assumptions are inherently subject to significant uncertainties and contingencies which are difficult or impossible to predict and are beyond our control, we cannot assure you that we will achieve or accomplish these expectations, beliefs or projections.

In addition to these important factors, other important factors that, in our view, could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements include the strength of world economies and currencies, general market conditions, including fluctuations in charter rates and vessel values, failure of a seller to deliver one or more vessels or of a buyer to accept delivery of one or more vessels, inability to procure acquisition financing, default by one or more charterers of our ships, changes in the demand for crude oil and petroleum products, changes in demand for dry bulk shipping capacity, changes in our operating expenses, including bunker prices, drydocking and insurance costs, the market for our vessels, availability of financing and refinancing, changes in governmental rules and regulations or actions taken by regulatory authorities, potential liability from pending or future litigation, general domestic and international political conditions, potential disruption of shipping routes due to accidents or political events, vessels breakdowns and instances of off-hires and other factors. Please see our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission for a more complete discussion of these and other risks and uncertainties.

Contacts:

Alexandros Tsirikos Chief Financial Officer TOP Ships Inc. 1, Vassilissis Sofias Str. & Meg. Alexandrou Str. 151 24, Maroussi, Greece Tel: +30 210 812 8180 Email: atsirikos@topships.org

Exhibit 99.2

THIRD AMENDED AND RESTATED ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION

OF

TOP SHIPS INC.

UNDER SECTION 93 OF THE

THE MARSHALL ISLANDS BUSINESS CORPORATIONS ACT

 
 

The undersigned, Evangelos Pistiolis, as the Chief Executive Officer of TOP Ships Inc., a corporation incorporated under the laws of the Republic of the Marshall Islands as OCEAN HOLDINGS INC. on January 10, 2000 (the "Corporation"), for the purpose of amending and restating the Articles of Incorporation of said Corporation pursuant to section 93 of the Business Corporations Act, as amended, hereby certifies that:

1.	The name of the Corporation is: TOP Ships Inc.

2.	The Articles of Incorporation were filed with the Registrar of Corporations on the 10th day of January, 2000 under the name "OCEAN HOLDINGS INC."

3.	Articles of Amendment were filed with the Registrar of Corporations on the 30th day of April, 2004, changing the name of the Corporation to "TRANS OCEAN PETROLEUM TANKERS INC."

4.	Articles of Amendment were filed with the Registrar of Corporations on the 10th day of May, 2004, changing the name of the Corporation to "TOP TANKERS INC."

5.	Articles of Amendment were filed with the Registrar of Corporations on the 27th day of May, 2004.

6.	Restated and Amended Articles of Incorporation were filed with the Registrar of Corporations on the 21st day of July, 2004.

7.	Articles of Amendment were filed with the Registrar of Corporations on the 22nd day of July, 2005.

8.	Articles of Amendment were filed with the Registrar of Corporations on the 17th day of December, 2007 changing the name of the Corporation to "TOP SHIPS INC."

9.	Articles of Amendment were filed with the Registrar of Corporations on the 20th day of March, 2008.

10.	The Second Restated and Amended Articles of Incorporation were filed with the Registrar of Corporations on the 17th day of September, 2009.

11.	The Second Restated and Amended Articles of Incorporation are amended and restated in their entirety and are replaced by the Third Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation attached hereto.

12.	These Third Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation were authorized by actions of the Board of Directors and Shareholders of the Corporation.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has executed these Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation this 23rd day of June, 2011.

/s/ Evangelos Pistiolis

Authorized Person

Name:  Evangelos Pistiolis

Title:    Chief Executive Officer

THIRD AMENDED AND RESTATED ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION

OF

TOP SHIPS INC.

PURSUANT TO THE MARSHALL ISLANDS BUSINESS CORPORATION ACT

A.	The name of the Corporation shall be:

TOP SHIPS INC.

B.	The purpose of the Corporation is to engage in any lawful act or activity for which corporations may now or hereafter be organized under the Marshall Islands Business Corporation Act and without in any way limiting the generality of the foregoing, the corporation shall have the power:

 

(1)   To purchase or otherwise acquire, own, use, operate, pledge, hypothecate, mortgage, lease, charter, sub-charter, sell, build, and repair steamships, motorships, tankers, whaling vessels, sailing vessels, tugs, lighters, barges, and all other vessels and craft of any and all motive power whatsoever, including aircraft, landcraft, and any and all means of conveyance and transportation by land, water or air, together with engines, boilers, machinery equipment and appurtenances of all kinds, including masts, sails, boats, anchors, cables, tackle, furniture and all other necessities thereunto appertaining and belonging, together with all materials, articles, tools, equipment and appliances necessary, suitable or convenient for the construction, equipment, use and operation thereof; and to equip, furnish, and outfit such vessels and ships.

 

(2)   To engage in ocean, coastwise and inland commerce, and generally in the carriage of freight, goods, cargo in bulk, passengers, mail and personal effects by water between the various ports of the world and to engage generally in waterborne commerce.

 

(3)   To purchase or otherwise acquire, own, use, operate, lease, build, repair, sell or in any manner dispose of docks, piers, quays, wharves, dry docks, warehouses and storage facilities of all kinds, and any property, real, personal and mixed, in connection therewith.

 

(4)   To act as ship's husband, ship brokers, custom house brokers, ship's agents, manager of shipping property, freight contractors, forwarding agents, warehousemen, wharfingers, ship chandlers, and general traders.

 

(5)   To enter into, make and perform contracts of every kind and description with any person, firm, association, corporation, municipality, county, state, body politic, or government or colony or any dependency thereof.

 

(6)   To appoint or act as an agent, broker, or representative, general or special, in respect of any or all of the powers expressed herein or implied hereby; to appoint agents, brokers or representatives.

 

(7)   To carry on its business, to have one or more offices, and to exercise its powers in foreign countries, subject to the laws of the particular country.

 

(8)   To borrow or raise money   and contract debts, when necessary, for the transaction of its business or for the exercise of its corporate rights, privileges or franchise or for any other lawful purpose of its incorporation; to draw, make, accept, endorse, execute and issue promissory notes, bills of exchange, bonds, debentures, and other instruments and evidences of indebtedness either secured by mortgage, pledge, deed of trust, or otherwise, or unsecured.

 

(9)   To give a guarantee not in furtherance of corporate purposes when authorized by majority vote of shareholders entitled to vote thereon and, when authorized by like vote, such guarantee may be secured by mortgage or pledge or creation of security interest in corporate property.

 

(10)   To purchase or otherwise acquire, hold, own, mortgage, sell, convey, or otherwise dispose of real and personal property of every class and description.

 

 

(11)   To apply for, secure by purchase or otherwise hold, use, sell, assign, lease, grant licenses in respect of, mortgage or otherwise dispose of letters patent, patent rights, licenses, privileges, inventions, improvements and processes, copyrights, trademarks, and trade names, relative to or useful in connection with any business of this corporation.

 

(12)   To purchase or otherwise acquire, underwrite, hold, pledge, turn to account in any manner, sell, distribute, or otherwise dispose of and generally to deal in, bonds, debentures, notes, evidences of indebtedness, shares of stock, warrants, rights, certificates, receipts or any other instruments or interests in the nature of securities created or issued by any person, partnership, firm, corporation, company, association, or other business organizations, foreign or domestic, or by any domestic or foreign governmental, municipal or other public authority, and exercise as holder or owner of any such "securities all rights, powers and privileges in respect thereof; to do any and all acts and things for the preservation, protection, improvement and enhancement in value of any such securities and to aid by loan, subsidy, guaranty or otherwise those issuing, creating or responsible for any such securities; to acquire or become interested in any such securities by original subscription, underwriting, loan, participation in syndicates or otherwise, and irrespective of whether such securities be fully paid or subject to future payments; to make payments thereon as called for or in advance of calls or otherwise and to underwrite or subscribe for the same conditionally or otherwise and either with a view to resale or investment or for any other lawful purpose; and in connection therewith or otherwise to acquire and hold membership in or otherwise secure trading privileges on any board of trade, exchange or other similar institution where any securities are dealt in and to comply with the rules of any such institution; as used herein the term "securities" shall include bonds, debentures, notes, evidences of indebtedness, shares of stock, warrants, options, rights, certificates, receipts or any other instruments or interests in the nature of securities of any kind whatsoever which a corporation organized under the Associations Law of the Republic of the Marshall Islands is legally permitted to acquire or deal in, by whomsoever issued or created; the term "person" shall include any person, partnership, firm, corporation, company, association or other business Organization, domestic or foreign governmental, municipal or other public authority.

 

(13)   To purchase or otherwise acquire, hold, pledge, turn to account in any manner, import, export, sell, distribute or otherwise dispose of, and generally to deal in, commodities and products (including any future interest therein) and merchandise, articles of commerce, materials, personal property and real property of every kind, character and description whatsoever, and any interest therein, either as principal business special, or as a factor or broker, or as commercial, sales, or financial agent or representative, general or, to the extent permitted by the laws of the Marshall Islands, in any other capacity whatsoever for the account of any domestic or foreign person or public authority, and in connection therewith or otherwise to acquire trading privileges on any board of trade, exchange or other similar institution where any such products or commodities or personal property are dealt in, and to comply with the rules of any such institution.

 

(14)   To engage in any mercantile; manufacturing or trading business of any kind or character whatsoever and to do all things incidental to such business.

 

(15)   To carry on the business of warehousing and all business incidental thereto, including the issuing of warehouse receipts, negotiable or otherwise, and the making of advances or loans upon the security of goods warehoused.

 

(16)   To purchase, lease or otherwise acquire, hold, own, mortgage, pledge, hypothecate, build, erect, construct, maintain and operate, develop, improve and sell, lease or otherwise dispose of lands, and improvements, warehouses, factories, buildings, structures, piers, wharves, mills, dams, stores and dwellings and all other property and things of whatsoever kind and nature, real, personal or mixed, tangible or intangible, suitable or necessary in connection with any of the purposes herein above or hereinafter set forth, or otherwise deal with or in any such properties.

 

(17)   To cause to be formed, merged, reorganized or liquidated, and to promote, take charge of, in any way permitted by law, the formation, merger, reorganization or liquidation of any person.

 

 

(18)   To acquire all or any part of the good will, rights, property and business of any person, heretofore or hereafter engaged in any business similar to any business which the Corporation has power to conduct, to pay for the same in cash or in the securities of the Corporation or otherwise, to hold, utilize and in any manner dispose of the whole or any part of the rights and property so acquired, and to assume in connection therewith any liabilities of any such person, and conduct in any lawful manner the whole or any part of the business thus acquired.

 

(19)   To make, enter into and carry out any arrangements with any person or public authority, to obtain therefrom or otherwise to acquire by purchase, lease, assignment or otherwise any powers, rights; privileges, immunities, franchises, guarantees, grants and concessions, to acquire, hold, own, exercise, exploit, dispose   of and realize upon the same, and to undertake and prosecute any business dependent thereon provided it is such a business as this Corporation may engage in; and to promote, cause to be formed and aid in any way any person for any such purpose.

 

(20)   To make and issue trust receipts, deposit receipts, certificates of deposit, interim receipts, or any other receipts for, or certificates of deposit for, any securities or interest therein; to acquire and exercise any proxies or powers of attorney or other privileges pertaining to any securities or interest therein.

 

(21)   To render advisory, investigatory, supervisory, managerial or other like services, permitted to corporations, in connection with the promotion, organization, reorganization, recapitalization, liquidation, consolidation or merger of any person or in connection with the issuance, underwriting, sale or distribution of any securities issued in connection therewith or incidental thereto; and to render general investment advisory or financial advisory or managerial services to any person or public authority.

 

(22)   To cause or allow the legal title, or any legal or equitable estate, right or interest in any property, whether real, personal or mixed, owned, acquired, controlled or operated by the Corporation, to remain or to be vested or registered in the name of or operated by, any person, formed or to be formed, either upon trust for or as agents or nominees of, this Corporation, or upon any other proper terms or conditions which the Board of Directors may consider for the benefit of the Corporation.

 

(23)   To enter into any lawful arrangements for sharing profits, union of interest, reciprocal concession or cooperation with any person or public authority, in the carrying on of any similar business which the Corporation is authorized to carry on, or any business or transaction deemed necessary, convenient or incidental to carrying out any of the purposes of the Corporation.

 

(24)   To the extent suitable or necessary to carry out any of the purposes herein before or hereinafter set forth, but only in so far as the same may be permitted to be done by a corporation organized under the Associations Law of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, to buy, sell and deal in foreign exchange.

 

(25)   To invest its uninvested funds and/or surplus from time to time to such extent as the Corporation may deem advisable in securities or in call and/or in time loans or otherwise, upon such security, if any, as the Board of Directors may determine, but the Corporation shall not engage in the banking business or exercise banking powers, and nothing in these Articles contained shall be deemed to authorize it to do so.

 

(26)   To issue, purchase, hold, sell, transfer, reissue or cancel the shares of its own capital stock or any securities of the Corporation in the manner and to the extent now or hereafter permitted by the Associations Law of the Republic of the Marshall Islands; and provided further that shares of its own capital stock owned by the Corporation shall not be voted upon directly or indirectly, nor counted as outstanding for the purpose of any stockholders' quorum or vote.

 

(27)   To act in any and all parts of the world in any capacity whatsoever as agent, broker, or representative, general or special, for any person or public authority, including, but without limitation of the foregoing, to act as agent, broker or representative, general or special, for any person engaged in the business of writing insurance, but only to the extent permitted to corporations organized pursuant to the Associations Law of the Republic of the Marshall Islands.

 

(28)   To do any and all of the acts and things herein set forth, as principal, factor, agent, contractor, or otherwise, either alone or in company with others; and in general to carry on any other similar business which is incidental or conducive or convenient or proper to the attainment of the foregoing purposes or any of them and which is not forbidden by law; and to exercise any and all powers which now or hereafter may be lawful for the Corporation to exercise under the laws of the Marshall Islands; to establish and maintain offices and agencies wherever situated; and to exercise any or all of its corporate powers and rights.

 

 

C.	The registered address of the Corporation in the Marshall Islands is Trust Company Complex, Ajeltake Island, P.O. Box 1405, Majuro, Marshall Islands MH96960. The name of the Corporation's registered agent at such address is The Trust ` Company of the Marshall Islands, Inc.

D.

(a)      The aggregate number of shares of stock that the Corporation is authorized to issue is One Billion, Twenty Million (1,020,000,000) registered shares, of which One Billion (1,000,000,000) shall be designated common shares with a par value of one United States cent (US $0.01) per share, and Twenty Million (20,000,000) shall be designated preferred shares with a par value of one United States cent (US $0.01) per share.  The Board of Directors shall have the authority to authorize the issuance from time to time of one or more classes of preferred shares with one or more series within any class thereof, with such voting powers, full or limited, or without  voting powers and with such designations, preferences and relative, participating, optional or special rights and qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereon as shall be set forth in the resolution or resolutions adopted by the Board of Directors  providing for the issuance of such preferred shares.

(b)       Reverse Stock Split . Effective with the commencement of business on June 24, 2011, the Corporation shall effect a 10 to 1 reverse stock split as to its issued and outstanding common shares, pursuant to which the number of issued and outstanding common shares shall decrease from 46,712,740 to 4,671,257. The reverse stock split shall not change the number of registered shares of Common Stock the Corporation is authorized to issue or the par value of the common shares. The stated capital of the Corporation is hereby reduced from $467,127 to $46,713 and the reduction of $420,414 is allocated to surplus.

E.	The Corporation shall have every power which a corporation now or hereafter organized under the Marshall Islands Business Corporation Act may have.

F.	The name and address of the incorporator is:

Name	Post Office Address

Majuro Nominees Ltd.                                                                                                                      P.O. Box 1405

  Majuro

Marshall, Islands

G.	The board of directors as well as the shareholders of the Corporation shall have the authority to adopt, amend or repeal the by-laws of the Corporation.

 

H.	Corporate existence shall begin upon filing these Articles of Incorporation with the Registrar of Corporations as of the filing date stated on these Articles.

I.

(a) The number of directors constituting the entire Board of Directors shall be not less than one nor more than twelve, as fixed from time to time by the vote of not less than 66 2/3% of the entire Board of Directors; provided, however, that the number of directors shall not be reduced so as to shorten the term of any director at the time in office, and provided further, that the number of directors constituting the entire Board of Directors shall be one unless and until otherwise fixed by the vote of not less than 66 2/3% of the entire Board of Directors. The phrase "66 2/3% of the entire Board of Directors" as used in these Articles of Incorporation shall be deemed to refer to 66 2/3% of the number of directors constituting the Board of Directors as provided in or pursuant to this Section (a) of this Article I, without regard to any vacancies then existing.

 

 

(b) The Board of Directors shall be divided into three classes, as nearly equal in number as the then total number of directors constituting the entire Board of Directors permits, with the term of office of one or another of the three classes expiring each year. As soon as practicable after the filing of these Articles of Incorporation with the Registrar of Corporations responsible for non-resident corporations, the shareholders of the Corporation shall hold an organization meeting to divide the Board of Directors into three classes, with the term of office of the first class to expire at the 2005 Annual Meeting of Shareholders, the term of office of the second class to expire at the 2006 Annual Meeting of Shareholders and the term of office of the third class to expire at the 2007 Annual Meeting of Shareholders. Commencing with the 2005 Annual Meeting of Shareholders, the directors elected at an annual meeting of shareholders to succeed those whose terms then expire shall be identified as being directors of the same class as the directors whom they succeed, and each of them shall hold office until the third succeeding annual meeting of shareholders and until such director's successor is elected and has qualified. Any vacancies in the Board of Directors for any reason, and any created directorships resulting from any increase in the number of directors, may be filled by the vote of not less than 66 2/3% of the members of the Board of Directors then in office, although less than a quorum, and any directors so chosen shall hold office until the next election of the class for which such directors shall have been chosen and until their successors shall be elected and qualified. No decrease in the number of directors shall shorten the term of any incumbent director. Notwithstanding the foregoing, and except as otherwise required by law, whenever the holders of any one or more series of preferred stock shall have the right, voting separately as a class, to elect one or more directors of the Corporation, the then authorized number of directors shall be increased by the number of directors so to be elected, and the terms of the director or directors elected by such holders shall expire at the next succeeding annual meeting of shareholders.

(c) Notwithstanding any other provisions of these Articles of Incorporation or the by-laws of the Corporation (and notwithstanding the fact that some lesser percentage may be specified by law, these Articles of Incorporation or the by-laws of the Corporation), any director or the entire Board of Directors of the Corporation may be removed at any time, but only for cause and only by the affirmative vote of the holders of 80% or more of the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Corporation entitled to vote generally in the election of directors (considered for this purpose as one class) cast at a meeting of the shareholders called for that purpose. Notwithstanding the foregoing, and except as otherwise required by law, whenever the holders of any one or more series of preferred stock shall have the right, voting separately as a class, to elect one or more directors of the Corporation, the provisions of this Section (c) of this Article I shall not apply with respect to the director or directors elected by such holders of preferred stock.

(d) Directors shall be elected by a plurality of the votes cast at a meeting of shareholders by the holders of shares entitled to vote in the election.  Cumulative voting, as defined in Division 7, Section 71(2) of the BCA, shall not be used to elect directors.

(e) Notwithstanding any other provisions of these Articles of Incorporation or the by-laws of the Corporation (and notwithstanding the fact that some lesser percentage may be specified by law, these Articles of Incorporation or the by-laws of the Corporation), the affirmative vote of the holders of 80% or more of the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Corporation entitled to vote generally in the election of directors (considered for this purpose as one class) shall be required to amend, alter, change or repeal this Article I.

J.

The Board of Directors of the Corporation is expressly authorized to make, alter or repeal by-laws of the Corporation by a vote of not less than a majority of the entire Board of Directors, and the shareholders may not make additional by-laws and may not alter or repeal any by-law. Notwithstanding any other provisions of these Articles of Incorporation or the by-laws of the Corporation (and notwithstanding the fact that some lesser percentage may be specified by law, these Articles of Incorporation or the by-laws of the Corporation), the affirmative vote of the holders of 80% or more of the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Corporation entitled to vote generally in the election of directors (considered for this purpose as one class) shall be required to amend, alter, change or repeal this Article J.

K.

(a) Except as provided in this Article K, special meetings of the shareholders may be called exclusively by the Board of Directors, who shall state the purpose or purposes of the proposed special meeting.  If there is a failure to hold the annual meeting within a period of ninety (90) days after the date designated therefor, or if no date has been designated for a period of thirteen (13) months after the organization of the Corporation or after its last annual meeting, holders of not less than 10% of the shares entitled to vote in an election of directors may, in writing, demand the call of a special meeting in lieu of the annual meeting specifying the time thereof, which shall not be less than two (2) nor more than three (3) months from the date of such call. The Secretary of the Corporation upon receiving the written demand shall promptly give notice of such meeting, or if the secretary fails to do so within five (5) business days thereafter, any shareholder signing such demand may give such notice. Such notice shall state the purpose or purposes of the proposed special meeting.  The business transacted at any special meeting shall be limited to the purposes stated when the meeting is called by the Board of Directors or in the notice of such meeting.

 

 

(b) Any action required to be taken or which may be taken at any annual or special meeting of shareholders of the Corporation may be taken without a meeting if a consent in writing, setting forth the action so taken, is signed by all of the shareholders entitled to vote with respect to the subject matter thereof.

(c) Notwithstanding any other provisions of these Articles of Incorporation or the by-laws of the Corporation (and notwithstanding the fact that some lesser percentage may be specified by law, these Articles of Incorporation or the by-laws of the Corporation), the affirmative vote of the holders of 80% or more of the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Corporation entitled to vote generally in the election of directors (considered for this purpose as one class) shall be required to amend, alter, change or repeal this Article K.

L.	(a) The Corporation may not engage in any Business Combination with any Interested Shareholder for a period of three years following the time of the transaction in which the person became an Interested Shareholder, unless:

 

(1)   prior to such time, the Board of Directors of the Corporation approved either the Business Combination or the transaction which resulted in the shareholder becoming an Interested Shareholder;

 

(2)   upon consummation of the transaction which resulted in the shareholder becoming an Interested Shareholder, the Interested Shareholder owned at least 85% of the voting stock of the Corporation outstanding at the time the transaction commenced, excluding for purposes of determining the number of shares outstanding those shares owned (i) by persons who are directors and also officers and (ii) employee stock plans in which employee participants do not have the right to determine confidentially whether shares held subject to the plan will be tendered in a tender or exchange offer; or

 

(3)   at or subsequent to such time, the Business Combination is approved by the Board of Directors and authorized at an annual or special meeting of shareholders, and not by written consent, by the affirmative vote of at least 66 2/3% of the outstanding voting stock that is not owned by the interested shareholder; or

 

(4)   the shareholder became an Interested Shareholder prior to the consummation of the initial public offering of the Corporation's common stock under the Securities Act of 1933.

 

(b)           The restrictions contained in this section shall not apply if:

 

(1) A shareholder becomes an Interested Shareholder inadvertently and (i) as soon as practicable divests itself of ownership of sufficient shares so that the shareholder ceases to be an Interested Shareholder; and (ii) would not, at any time within the three-year period immediately prior to a Business Combination between the Corporation and such shareholder, have been an Interested Shareholder but for the inadvertent acquisition of ownership; or

 

(2) The Business Combination is proposed prior to the consummation or abandonment of and subsequent to the earlier of the public announcement or the notice required hereunder of a proposed transaction which (i) constitutes one of the transactions described in the following sentence; (ii) is with or by a person who either was not an Interested Shareholder during the previous three years or who became an Interested Shareholder with the approval of the Board; and (iii) is approved or not opposed by a majority of the members of the Board then in office (but not less than one) who were Directors prior to any person becoming an Interested Shareholder during the previous three years or were recommended for election or elected to succeed such Directors by a majority of such Directors. The proposed transactions referred to in the preceding sentence are limited to:

 

 

(i) a merger or consolidation of the Corporation (except for a merger in respect of which, pursuant to the BCA, no vote of the shareholders of the Corporation is required);

 

(ii) a sale, lease, exchange, mortgage, pledge, transfer or other disposition (in one transaction or a series of transactions), whether as part of a dissolution or otherwise, of assets of the Corporation or of any direct or indirect majority-owned subsidiary of the Corporation (other than to any direct or indirect wholly-owned subsidiary or to the Corporation) having an aggregate market value equal to 50% or more of either that aggregate market value of all of the assets of the Corporation determined on a consolidated basis or the aggregate market value of all the outstanding shares; or

 

(iii)   a proposed tender or exchange offer for 50% or more of the outstanding voting shares of the Corporation.

 

The Corporation shall give not less than 20 days notice to all Interested Shareholders prior to the consummation of any of the transactions described in clause (i) or (ii) of the second sentence of this paragraph.

 

(c) For the purpose of this Article L only, the term:

 

(1)   "Affiliate" means a person that directly, or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls, or is controlled by, or is under common control with, another person.

 

 

(2)   "Associate," when used to indicate a relationship with any person, means: (i) Any corporation, partnership, unincorporated association or other entity of which such person is a director, officer or partner or is, directly or indirectly, the owner of 20% or more of any class of voting shares; (ii) any trust or other estate in which such person has at least a 20% beneficial interest or as to which such person serves as trustee or in a similar fiduciary capacity; and (iii) any relative or spouse of such person, or any relative of such spouse, who has the same residence as such person.

 

(3) "Business Combination," when used in reference to the Corporation and any Interested Shareholder of the Corporation, means:

 

(i)              Any merger or consolidation of the Corporation or any direct or indirect majority-owned subsidiary of the Corporation with (A) the Interested Shareholder or any of its affiliates, or (B) with any other corporation, partnership, unincorporated association or other entity if the merger or consolidation is caused by the Interested Shareholder.

 

(ii)              Any sale, lease, exchange, mortgage, pledge, transfer or other disposition (in one transaction or a series of transactions), except proportionately as a shareholder of the Corporation, to or with the Interested Shareholder, whether as part of a dissolution or otherwise, of assets of the Corporation or of any direct or indirect majority-owned subsidiary of the Corporation which assets have an aggregate market value equal to 10% or more of either the aggregate market value of all the assets of the Corporation determined on a consolidated basis or the aggregate market value of all the outstanding shares;

 

(iii)              Any transaction which results in the issuance or transfer by the Corporation or by any direct or indirect majority-owned subsidiary of the Corporation of any shares, or any share of such subsidiary, to the Interested Shareholder, except: (A) pursuant to the exercise, exchange or conversion of securities exercisable for, exchangeable for or convertible into shares, or shares of any such subsidiary, which securities were outstanding prior to the time that the Interested Shareholder became such; (B) pursuant to a merger with a direct or indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of the Corporation solely for purposes of forming a holding company; (C) pursuant to a dividend or distribution paid or made, or the exercise, exchange or conversion of securities exercisable for, exchangeable for or convertible into shares, or shares of any such subsidiary, which security is distributed, pro rata to all holders of a class or series of shares subsequent to the time the Interested Shareholder became such; (D) pursuant to an exchange offer by the Corporation to purchase shares made on the same terms to all holders of said shares; or (E) any issuance or transfer of shares by the Corporation; provided however, that in no case under items (C)-(E) of this subparagraph shall there be an increase in the Interested Shareholder's proportionate share of the any class or series of shares;

 

 

(iv)           Any transaction involving the Corporation or any direct or indirect majority-owned subsidiary of the Corporation which has the effect, directly or indirectly, of increasing the proportionate share of any class or series of shares, or securities convertible into any class or series of shares, or shares of any such subsidiary, or securities convertible into such shares, which is owned by the Interested Shareholder, except as a result of immaterial changes due to fractional share adjustments or as a result of any purchase or redemption of any shares not caused, directly or indirectly, by the Interested Shareholder; or

 

(v)             Any receipt by the Interested Shareholder of the benefit, directly or indirectly (except proportionately as a shareholder of the Corporation), of any loans, advances, guarantees, pledges or other financial benefits (other than those expressly permitted in subparagraphs (i)-(iv) of this paragraph) provided by or through the Corporation or any direct or indirect majority-owned subsidiary.

 

(4)   "Control," including the terms "controlling," "controlled by" and "under common control with," means the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of a person, whether through the ownership of voting shares, by contract or otherwise. A person who is the owner of 20 percent or more of the outstanding voting shares of any corporation, partnership, unincorporated association or other entity shall be presumed to have control of such entity, in the absence of proof by a preponderance of the evidence to the contrary. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a presumption of control shall not apply where such person holds voting shares, in good faith and not for the purpose of circumventing this provision, as an agent, bank, broker, nominee, custodian or trustee for one or more owners who do not individually or as a group have control of such entity.

 

(5)   "Interested Shareholder" means any person (other than the Corporation and any direct or indirect majority-owned subsidiary of the Corporation) that (i) is the owner of 15% or more of the outstanding voting shares of the Corporation, or (ii) is an affiliate or associate of the Corporation and was the owner of 15% or more of the outstanding voting shares of the Corporation at any time within the three-year period immediately prior to the date on which it is sought to be determined whether such person is an Interested Shareholder; and the affiliates and associates of such person; provided, however, that the term "Interested Shareholder" shall not include any person whose ownership of shares in excess of the 15% limitation set forth herein is the result of action taken solely by the Corporation; provided that such person shall be an Interested Shareholder if thereafter such person acquires additional shares of voting shares of the Corporation, except as a result of further Company action not caused, directly or indirectly, by such person. For the purpose of determining whether a person is an Interested Shareholder, the voting shares of the Corporation deemed to be outstanding shall include voting shares deemed to be owned by the person through application of paragraph (8) below, but shall not include any other unissued shares which may be issuable pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or understanding, or upon exercise of conversion rights, warrants or options, or otherwise.

 

(6)   "Person" means any individual, corporation, partnership, unincorporated association or other entity.

 

(7)   "Voting stock" means, with respect to any corporation, shares of any class or series entitled to vote generally in the election of directors and, with respect to any entity that is not a corporation, any equity interest entitled to vote generally in the election of the governing body of such entity.

 

(8)   "Owner," including the terms "own" and "owned," when used with respect to any shares, means a person that individually or with or through any of its affiliates or associates:

 

 

(i)           Beneficially owns such shares, directly or indirectly; or

 

 

(ii)           Has (A) the right to acquire such shares (whether such right is exercisable immediately or only after the passage of time) pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or understanding, or upon the exercise of conversion rights, exchange rights, warrants or options, or otherwise; provided, however, that a person shall not be deemed the owner of shares tendered pursuant to a tender or exchange offer made by such person or any of such person's affiliates or associates until such tendered shares is accepted for purchase or exchange; or (B) the right to vote such shares pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or understanding; provided, however, that a person shall not be deemed the owner of any shares because of such person's right to vote such shares if the agreement, arrangement or understanding to vote such shares arises solely from a revocable proxy or consent given in response to a proxy or consent solicitation made to 10 or more persons; or

 

 

(iii)          Has any agreement, arrangement or understanding for the purpose of acquiring, holding, voting (except voting pursuant to a revocable proxy or consent as described in item (B) of subparagraph (ii) of this paragraph), or disposing of such shares with any other person that beneficially owns, or whose affiliates or associates beneficially own, directly or indirectly, such shares.

 

(d)           Any amendment of this Article L shall not be effective until 12 months after the approval of such amendment at a meeting of the shareholders of the Corporation and shall not apply to any Business Combination between the Corporation and any person who became an Interested Shareholder of the Corporation at or prior to the time of such approval.

 

(e)           Notwithstanding any other provisions of these Articles of Incorporation or the by-laws of the Corporation (and notwithstanding the fact that some lesser percentage may be specified by law, these Articles of Incorporation or the by-laws of the Corporation), the affirmative vote of the holders of 80% or more of the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Corporation entitled to vote generally in the election of directors (considered for this purpose as one class) shall be required to amend, alter, change or repeal this Article L.