FORM 6-K
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Report of Foreign Issuer
Pursuant to Rule 13a-16 or 15d-16 of
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
October 15, 2009
Diageo plc
(Translation of registrants name into English)
England
(Jurisdiction of Incorporation)
8 Henrietta Place, London W1G 0NB
(Address of principal executive offices)
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual reports under cover Form 20-F or Form 40-F.
Form 20-F x |
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Form 40-F o |
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant by furnishing the information contained in this Form is also thereby furnishing the information to the Commission pursuant to Rule 12g3-2(b) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
Yes o |
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No x |
If Yes is marked, indicate below the file number assigned to the registrant in connection with Rule 12g3-2(b):
THIS REPORT ON FORM 6-K SHALL BE DEEMED TO BE FILED AND INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENTS ON FORM F-3 (FILE NOS. 333-110804, 333-132732 AND 333-153488) AND REGISTRATION STATEMENTS ON FORM S-8 (FILE NOS. 333-153481 AND 333-154338) AND TO BE A PART THEREOF FROM THE DATE ON WHICH THIS REPORT IS FURNISHED, TO THE EXTENT NOT SUPERSEDED BY DOCUMENTS OR REPORTS SUBSEQUENTLY FILED OR FURNISHED.
EXHIBIT INDEX
Exhibit
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Description |
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99.1 |
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Memorandum and Articles of Association of Diageo plc, dated October 14, 2009 |
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SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, each of the registrants has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorised.
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Diageo plc |
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(Registrant) |
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Date: October 15, 2009 |
By: |
/s/ John Nicholls |
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Name: |
John Nicholls |
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Title: |
Deputy Company Secretary |
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Exhibit 99.1
DIAGEO
THE COMPANIES ACTS 1985 TO 2006
COMPANY LIMITED BY SHARES
Diageo plc
(REGISTERED 21 ST OCTOBER 1886)
Company No. 23307
Memorandum and Articles of Association
(Incorporating amendments up to and including these made at the
Annual General Meeting held on 15 th October 2008)
Company No. 23307
THE COMPANIES ACTS 1985 TO 1989
COMPANY LIMITED BY SHARES
Memorandum of Association
OF
Diageo plc
(As amended by Special Resolutions passed on
16 th May, 1996 and 28 th January, 1998)
1. The name of the Company is Diageo plc.*
2. The Company is to be a public company.**
* The name of the Company was changed to Diageo plc with effect from 17th December, 1997.
** The name of the Company was changed to Arthur Guinness and Sons PLC and the Company re-registered as a Public Company with effect from 1st March, 1982.
3. The Registered Office of the Company will be situated in England and Wales.
4. The objects of the Company are:
a) (i) To carry on business as a general commercial company and to carry on any trade or business whatsoever; and
(ii) Without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing:
(1) To act or carry on business as a holding company and to control and co-ordinate the administration and operation of any companies for the time being directly or indirectly controlled by the Company; and
(2) To act or carry on business as producers, distributors and marketers of branded drinks and branded food products, as operators of fast food restaurant chains and as brewers, distillers and manufacturers of wine, spirits and mineral or other types of water; and
(3) To carry on any other business, undertaking, transaction or operation commonly carried on or undertaken by producers, distributors and marketers (both wholesale and retail) in all or any articles of commercial and personal use and consumption, importers, exporters, shipowners, bankers, factors, capitalists, promoters, financiers, real property dealers and investors, concessionaires, brokers, contractors, mercantile and general agents, advertising agents, publishers in any medium, hoteliers, carriers and transporters of all kinds and to carry on all or any of the said businesses (including those in sub-paragraphs (1) and (2) of this paragraph) either together as one business or as separate distinct businesses in any part of the world.
b) To purchase, take on lease or in exchange, hire or otherwise acquire and hold, for any estate or interest, and manage any lands, buildings, servitudes, easements, rights, privileges, concessions, machinery, plant, stock-in-trade, railways, docks, wharves, warehouses, piers, barges, vessels, aircraft and any heritable or moveable real or personal property of any kind.
c) To purchase or otherwise acquire, dispose of, protect, extend and renew any patents, registered designs, trademarks and service marks (whether registered or not), copyright, design right or any similar property rights, including those subsisting in inventions, designs, drawings, performances, computer programmes, semi-conductor topographies, confidential information, business names, goodwill and the style of presentation of goods or services including brands
and the right to use brand names and applications for protection thereof, which may seem to the Company capable of being used for any of the purposes of the Company, or the acquisition of which may seem calculated directly or indirectly to benefit the Company, and to use, exercise, develop, receive or grant licences in respect of or otherwise turn to account any of the same for any purpose whatsoever, whether manufacturing or otherwise, which the Company may think calculated directly or indirectly to achieve these objects.
d) To form, promote, subsidise and assist companies, syndicates or other bodies of all kinds and to issue on commission or otherwise underwrite, subscribe for and take or guarantee the payment of any dividend or interest on any shares, stocks, debentures or other capital or securities or obligations of any such companies, syndicates or other bodies, and to pay or provide for brokerage commission and underwriting in respect of any such issue.
e) To enter into partnerships or into any arrangements for sharing profits, union of interests, co-operation or otherwise with any person or company for the purpose of carrying on business within any of the objects of the Company.
f) To carry on any other business, which may seem to the Company capable of being conveniently carried on in connection with the above or calculated directly or indirectly to enhance the value of or render profitable any of the Companys property or rights.
g) To purchase or otherwise acquire and undertake all or any part of the business, property, liabilities and transactions of any person, body or company carrying on any business which this Company is authorised to carry on, or possessed of property, assets or rights suitable for any of the objects of the Company.
h) To develop, work, improve, manage, lease, mortgage, charge, pledge, turn to account or otherwise deal with all or any part of the property, assets or rights of the Company; to surrender or accept surrender of any lease or tenancy or rights; and to sell or deal with the property, assets, business, rights or undertaking of the Company, or any part thereof, and for such consideration and on such terms as the Company may think fit, and including for cash or shares, debentures or securities of any other company.
i) To build, construct, erect, maintain, alter, replace or remove any buildings, works, offices, erections, plant, machinery, tools, equipment or otherwise as may seem desirable for any of the businesses or in the interests of the Company; and to manufacture, buy, sell, lease or otherwise acquire and generally deal in any plant, tools, machinery, goods or things of any description which may be conveniently dealt with in connector with any of the Companys objects.
j) To manage and conduct the affairs of any companies, firms, bodies and persons carrying on business of any kind whatsoever, and in any part of the world.
k) To enter into, carry on and participate in financial transactions and dealings and operations of all kinds; and to take any steps which may be considered expedient for carrying into effect such transactions, dealings and operations including, without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing, borrowing and lending money and entering into contracts and arrangements of all kinds.
l) To borrow or raise money in such manner as the Company shall think fit and in particular by the issue (whether at par or at a premium or discount and for such consideration as the Company may think fit) of bonds, debentures or debenture stock (payable to bearer or otherwise), mortgages or charges, shares or other securities, perpetual or otherwise, and, if the Company thinks fit, charged on all or any of the Companys property (both present and future) and undertaking, including its uncalled capital, and further, if so thought fit,
ii
convertible into any stock or shares or securities of the Company or any other company, and collaterally or further to secure any obligations of the Company by a trust deed or other assurance or pledge.
m) To guarantee or otherwise support or secure, either with or without the Company receiving any consideration or advantage and whether by personal covenant or by mortgaging or charging all or part of the undertaking, property, assets and rights, present and future, and uncalled capital of the Company or by both such methods or by any other means whatsoever, the liabilities and obligations of and the payment of any moneys whatsoever (including but not limited to capital, principal, premiums, interest, dividends, costs and expenses on any stocks, shares or securities) by any person, firm or company whatsoever, including but not limited to any company which is for the time being the holding company or a subsidiary (both as defined by section 736 of the Companies Act 1985) or a subsidiary undertaking (as defined by section 258 of the Companies Act 1985) of the Company or of the Companys holding company or is controlled by the same person or persons as control the Company or is otherwise associated with the Company in its business.
n) To enter into, carry on and participate in financial transactions and operations of all kinds including (without limitation) interest rate swaps, options (including traded options), swap option contracts, forward exchange contracts, futures contracts, forward rate agreements, contracts for differences, caps, collars, floors or other financial instruments including hedging agreements of any kind all or any of which may be on a fixed and/or floating rate basis and/or in respect of Sterling and/or any other currencies or basket of currencies (including but not limited to European Currency Units (as the same may from time to time be designated or constituted)) or commodities of any kind and in the case of such swaps, options, swap option contracts, forward exchange contracts, futures contracts or other financial instruments including hedging agreements of any kind that may be undertaken by the Company on a speculative basis or in connection with the management of financial risks relating to the Company or any other company, firm or person on such terms as may be thought fit and with or without security, and to undertake, carry on and execute all kinds of financial, commercial trading and other operations:
o) To grant indemnities of every description and to undertake obligations of every description.
p) To make, draw, accept, exchange, endorse, negotiate, execute and issue promissory notes, bills of exchange or other negotiable instruments or payment orders and to receive money on deposit or loan.
q) To pay commission to and remunerate any person or company for services rendered in underwriting or placing, or assisting to underwrite or place, any of the shares in the Companys capital or any debentures or other securities of the Company, or in or about the formation or promotion of the Company or the conduct of its business.
r) To carry on any other business which may seem to the Company capable of being conveniently carried on in connection with the above or calculated directly or indirectly to enhance the value of or render profitable any of the Companys property or rights.
s) To pay for any property or rights acquired by the Company in such manner as the Company may think fit, including payment either in cash or in fully or partly paid-up shares with or without preferred or deferred rights in respect of dividend or repayment of capital or otherwise, or by any securities which the Company has power to issue, or partly in one mode and partly in another, and generally on such terms as the Company may determine.
t) To accept payment of any property or rights sold or otherwise disposed of or dealt with by the Company in such manner as the Company may think fit, including payment either in cash, by
iii
instalments or otherwise, or in fully or partly paid-up shares of any company or corporation, with or without deferred or preferred rights in respect of dividend or repayment of capital otherwise or in debentures or mortgage debentures or debenture stock, mortgages or other securities of any company or corporation, or partly in one mode and partly in another, and generally on such terms as the Company may determine.
u) To make loans or donations, either of cash or of other assets whatsoever, to or enter into any arrangements whatsoever for the benefit of such persons and in such cases as the Company may think directly or indirectly conducive to any of its objects or otherwise expedient.
v) To distribute among the members in specie any property of the Company or any proceeds of sale, disposal or realisation of any property of the Company but so that no distribution amounting to a reduction of capital be made except with the sanction (if any) for the time being required by law.
w) To subscribe for, purchase or otherwise acquire, take hold, or sell any shares or stock, bonds, debentures or debenture stock, or other securities or obligations of any person, firm, government or other authority or issuer (including any subsidiary of the Company) and to invest, deal with or lend any of the moneys of the Company in such manner, with or without security and on such terms as the Company may think fit, and to buy and sell foreign exchange.
x) To amalgamate with any other company either the objects of which are or include objects similar to those of the Company or which is possessed of property, assets or rights suitable for any of the purposes of the Company, and on any terms whatsoever.
y) To procure the Company or any branch or representative of the Company to be registered or recognised in any country or place abroad or with any applicable regulatory authority in any part of the world.
z) To obtain any provisional or other order or Act of Parliament of the United Kingdom or of the legislature of any other state or jurisdiction for enabling the Company to carry any of its objects into effect, or for effecting any modifications to the Companys constitution, or for any other purpose which may seem expedient, and to oppose or make representations in connection with any proceeding, proposal or application which may seem calculated, directly or indirectly, to prejudice the Companys interest.
aa) To appoint any person or persons, firm or firms, company or companies to be the attorney or agents of the Company and to act as agents, managers, secretaries, contractors, or in similar capacity.
ab) To insure the life of any person who may, in the opinion of the Company, be of value to the Company as having or holding for the Company interests, goodwill or influence or other assets and to pay the premiums on such insurance.
ac) To establish and maintain or procure the establishment and maintenance of contributory or non-contributory pension or superannuation funds for the benefit of the persons referred to below, to grant emoluments, pensions, allowances, donations, gratuities, loans and bonuses to such persons and to make payments for or towards insurance on the life or lives of such persons; to establish, subsidise, subscribe to or otherwise support any institution, association, society, club, trust, other establishment, or fund, the support of which may, in the opinion of the Company, be calculated directly or indirectly to benefit the Company or any such person, or may be connected with any place where the Company carries on business; to institute and maintain any institution, association, society, club, trust or other establishment or profit-sharing scheme, share incentive scheme or employees share scheme calculated to advance the
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interests of the Company or to benefit such persons; to institute and maintain or assist in the institution or maintenance of any scheme calculated to promote the purchase or holding of shares of or securities in the Company by the public, any section thereof or such persons; and, subject to the provisions of the Companies Acts 1985 and 1989, to lend money or make payments to, or guarantee or give an indemnity in respect of, or give any financial or other assistance to, any such person, or trustees on their behalf or any other person, for the purposes of, or to facilitate the institution or maintenance of, any such scheme; to join, participate in and subsidise or assist any association of employers or employees or any trade association; and to subscribe or guarantee money for charitable or benevolent objects or for any public, general or useful object or for any exhibition; the said persons are any persons who are or were at any time in the employment or service of the Company or any of its businesses or of any company which was or is for the time being the holding company or a subsidiary (both as defined by section 736 Companies Act 1985) or a subsidiary undertaking (as defined by section 258 Companies Act 1985) of the Company or of the Companys holding company or are or were otherwise associated with the Company or any of its businesses or who are or were at any time directors or officers of the Company or of such other company as aforesaid, or holding or who hold or has held any salaried employment or office in the Company or such other company, and the families (including former spouses) of them or any person who is or was dependant on them.
ad) To purchase and maintain insurance for the benefit of any persons who are or were at any time directors, officers or employees of the Company or any other company which is a subsidiary or subsidiary undertaking of the Company or in which the Company has any interest, whether direct or indirect, or who are or were at any time trustees of any pension fund in which any employee of the Company or of any other such company or subsidiary undertaking are or have been interested indemnifying such persons against liability for negligence, default, breach of duty or breach of trust or any other liabilities which may be lawfully insured against.
ae) To take, make, execute, enter into, commence, carry on, prosecute or defend all steps, claims, demands, contracts, agreements, negotiations, legal and other proceedings, compromises, arrangements and schemes, and to do all other acts, matters and things which s hall at any time appear conducive or expedient for the advantage or protection of the Company.
af) To do all or any of the above things in any part of the world and either as principals, agents, attorneys, contractors, trustees, or otherwise and either alone or in conjunction with others.
ag) To carry on business as a general commercial company.
ah) To do all such acts or things as are incidental or conducive to the attainment of the above objects or any of them.
It is hereby declared that:
a) the word company in this clause 4, except where used in reference to the Company, shall be deemed to include any partnership or other body of person, whether incorporated or not incorporated, and whether domiciled in the United Kingdom or elsewhere, and whether now existing or hereafter to be formed; and
b) the objects set forth in each sub-clause of this clause 4 shall not be restrictively construed but the widest interpretation shall be given thereto and they shall not, except where the context expressly so requires, be in any way limited or restricted by application of the ejusdem generis rule or by reference to or inference from any other object or objects set forth in such sub-clause or form the terms of any other sub-clause or by the name of the Company; none of such sub-clauses or the object or objects therein specified or the powers thereby conferred
v
shall be deemed subsidiary or ancillary to the objects or powers mentioned in any other sub-clause, but the Company shall have full power to excercise all or any of the objects conferred by and provided in each of the said sub clauses as if each sub-clause contained the objects of a separate company.
5. The liability of the Members is limited.
6. The Capital of the Company is £4,500,000, divided into 450,000 shares of £10 each, with power to increase. The shares forming the capital (original or increased) of the Company may be divided into such classes, with such preferences and other special incidents, and be held on such terms as may be provided by the Articles and Regulations of the Company for the time being, or otherwise.
Notes:
(1) By Special Resolution passed on 15 th August, 1908, and confirmed on 31 th August, 1908, the Authorised Capital was increased to £7,000,000 by the creation of 2,500,000 additional Ordinary Shares of £1 and each of the existing Shares of £10 each was subdivided into 10 Ordinary Shares of £1.
(2) By Special Resolution passed on 12 th May, 1923, and confirmed on 28 th May, 1923, the Authorised Capital was further increased to £9,500,000 by the creation of 2,500,000 additional Ordinary Shares of £1.
(3) By Ordinary Resolution passed on 5 th May, 1952, the Authorised Capital was further increased to £14,500,000 by the creation of 5,000,000 new Ordinary Shares of £1.
(4) By Special Resolution passed on 12 th January, 1961, the Authorised Capital was further increased to £19,500,000 by the creation of 5,000,000 new Ordinary Shares of £1.
(5) By Special Resolution passed on 16 th January, 1964, the Authorised Capital was further increased to £26,500,000 by the creation of 3,500,000 6 per cent. Cumulative Preference Shares of £1 each and 7,000,000 new Ordinary Shares of 10s each.
(6) By further Special Resolution passed on 16 th January, 1964, it was resolved that as from 27 th January, 1964, the Ordinary Stock of the Company should be transferable in units of five shillings or multiples thereof.
(7) By Special Resolutions passed an 9 th February, 1971, the Authorised Capital was reduced to £21,000,000. Following a Court Order of 22 nd March, 1971, the £5,500,000 6 per cent Cumulative Preference Stock was extinguished, and the Capital forthwith increased to £26,500,000 and divided into £21,000,000 Ordinary Stock and 22,000,000 Ordinary shares of 25p each.
(8) By Ordinary Resolutions passed on 10 th February, 1977, the Capital was reorganised and at 28 th February, 1977, consisted of £21,552,871.75 Ordinary Stock and 19,788,513 Ordinary Shares of 25p each.
(9) Between 28 th March, 1979 and 6 th August, 1979, the issued capital of the Company was increased by 1,763,560 Ordinary Shares of 25p each, the Capital then being £21,993,761.75 (87,975,047 stock units of 25p each) issued, and £4,506,238.25 (18,024,953 shares of 25p each) un-issued.
(10) By Ordinary Resolutions passed on 7 th February, 1980, the Authorised Capital was increased to £53,000,000 by the creation of 106,000,000 Ordinary Shares of 25p each and, pursuant to a resolution capitalising reserves, the issued capital was increased by 87,975,047 Ordinary stock units of 25p each.
(11) By Ordinary Resolution passed on 28 th February, 1985, the Authorised Capital was increase to £65,000,000 by the creation of 48,000,000 Ordinary Shares of 25p each.
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(12) By Ordinary Resolution passed on 17 th July, 1985, the Authorised Capital was increased to £112,000,000 by the creation of 188,000,000 Ordinary Shares of 25p each.
(13) By Ordinary Resolution passed on 26 th March, 1986, the Authorised Capital was increased to £314,000,000 by the creation of 808,000,000 Ordinary Shares of 25p each, and by Special Resolution passed on 26 th March, 1986, the Authorised Capital was further increased to £644,000,000 by the creation of 330,000,000 5 3 / 4 per cent. Convertible Cumulative Redeemable Preference Shares of £1 each.
(14) Under the authority conferred by the Special Resolution passed on the 26 th March, 1986, the Board of the Company resolved to effect conversion of 38,698,876 of the 5 3 / 4 per cent. Convertible Cumulative Redeemable Preference Shares of £1 each in the Company on the 1 st June, 1990, in accordance with paragraph 3.5 (ii) of the Schedule of the Articles of Association of the Company. As a result of this, the Authorised Capital on the 1 st June, 1990, was £644,000,000 divided into 1,266,835,684 Ordinary Shares of 25p each, 291,301,124 5 3 / 4 per cent. Convertible Cumulative Redeemable Preference Shares of £1 each, and 143,959,820 Unclassified Shares of 25p each.
(15) Under the authority conferred by the Special Resolution passed on 16 th May, 1991, the 143,959,820 Unclassified Shares of 25p each in the capital of the Company were redesignated as 143,959,820 Ordinary Shares of 25p each. As a result of this, the Authorised Capital on 16 th May, 1991, was £644,000,000 divided into 1,410,795,504 Ordinary Shares of 25p each and 291,301,124 5 3 / 4 per cent Convertible Cumulative Redeemable Preference Shares of £1 each.
(16) By Ordinary Resolutions passed on 17 th October, 1991, the Authorised Capital was increased to £955,000,000 by the creation of 1,244,000,000 Ordinary Shares of 25p each. As a result of this, the Authorised Capital on 17 th October, 1991, was £955,000,000 divided into 2,654,795,504 Ordinary Shares of 25p each, 291,301,124 5 3 / 4 per cent. Convertible Cumulative redeemable Preference Shares of £1 each.
(17) By a Special Resolution passed on 16 th May, 1996, the 291,301,124 5 3 / 4 per cent. Convertible Cumulative Redeemable Preference Shares of £1 each were redesignated by Ordinary Shares of 25p each. As a result of this, the authorised capital on 16 th May, 1996, was £955,000,000 divided into 3,820,000,000 Ordinary Shares of 25p each.
(18) By an Ordinary Resolution passed on 26 th November, 1997, the Authorised Capital was increased to £1,455,000,000 by the creation of 2,000,000,000 Ordinary Shares of 25p each.
(19) By a Special Resolution passed on 28 th January 1998 the Authorised Capital was increased to £4,355,367,647 by the creation of 563,500,000 B Shares of 514 12 / 17 p each and the Ordinary Share capital of the Company was subdivided and consolidated into Ordinary Shares of 28 101 / 108 p each. Following the cancellation of certain fractions of such Ordinary Shares, the Companys Authorised Capital on 2 nd February, 1998, was £4,355,367,647, made up of 5,028,480,000 Ordinary Shares of 28 101 / 108 p each and B Shares of 514 12 / 17 p each.
(20) By a Special Resolution passed on 22 nd December, 1997, and a resolution of a duly appointed committee of the Board of the Company, on 1 st August, 1998, 17,599,679 B Shares of 514 12 / 17 p each were consolidated and subdivided into 12,494,701 Ordinary Shares of 28 101 / 108 p each, 8,697,121,817 Deferred Shares of 1p each and 1 Deferred Shares of 4.63p. Under the terms of the Deferred Shares, on 7 th August, 1998, 8,697,121,817 Deferred Shares of 1p each and 1 Deferred Share of 4.63p were redeemed by the Company for a total aggregate consideration of 1p. By a Special Resolution passed on 22 nd December, 1997 and a resolution of a duly appointed committee of the Board of the Company, on 7 th August, 1998, 8,697,121,817 Deferred Shares of 1p each and 1 Deferred Share of 4.63p were consolidated and subdivided into 300,572,530 Ordinary Shares of 28 101 / 108 p, each 4 Deferred Share of 1p each and 1 Deferred Share of 0.499p.
(21) By an Ordinary Resolution passed on 11 th August, 1998, the Authorised Capital was reduced to £1,541,971,209 by the cancellation of 30 Ordinary Shares of 28 101 / 108 p each, 4 Deferred Shares of 1p each, 1 Deferred Share of 0.499p, and all the B Shares of 514 12 / 17 p each. As a result of this, the Authorised Capital on 11 th August, 1998, was £1,541,971,209 divided into 5,329,052,500 Ordinary Shares of 28 101 / 108p each.
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WE, the several persons whose names and addresses are subscribed, are desirous of being formed into a Company in pursuance of this Memorandum of Association, and we respectively agree to take the number of shares in the capital of the Company set opposite to our respective names.
NAMES, ADDRESSES AND DESCRIPTIONS OF SUBSCRIBERS |
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Number of Shares
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REVELSTOKE 8,
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One |
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H. HOSKIER,
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One |
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CASTLEROSSE,
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One |
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HENRY R. GLYN, 67,
E.C. Banker |
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One |
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CLAUDE GUINNESS,
Brewer |
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One |
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Wm. J. WALPOLE,
Clerk |
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One |
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EDWARD C. GUINNESS
Baronet |
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One |
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Dated the 21st day of October, 1886.
CHARLES
STEWART,
57, Coleman Street,
London, E.C.,
viii
ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION
of
DIAGEO PLC
(adopted by special resolution on 14 October 2009)
Interpretation
No articles set out in any statute, or in any statutory instrument or other subordinate legislation made under any statute, concerning companies shall apply as the articles of the company.
In these articles unless the context otherwise requires:-
address includes a number or address used for the purposes of sending or receiving documents or information by electronic means;
approved depositary means any custodian or other person (or a nominee for such custodian or other person) who holds or is interested in shares of the company (or rights or interests in shares of the company) and issues securities, documents of title or documents otherwise evidencing the entitlement of the holder thereof to or to receive such shares, rights or interests, provided and to the extent that such arrangements have been contractually agreed with the company or otherwise approved by the board, in each case for the purpose of these articles, and including (without limitation):
these articles means these articles of association as altered from time to time and the expression this article shall be construed accordingly;
the auditors means the auditors from time to time of the company or, in the case of joint auditors, any one of them;
the board means the board of directors from time to time of the company or the directors present at a meeting of the directors at which a quorum is present;
certificated share means a share which is not an uncertificated share and references in these articles to a share being held in certificated form shall be construed accordingly;
clear days in relation to the period of a notice means that period excluding the day when the notice is served or deemed to be served and the day for which it is given or on which it is to take effect;
the Companies Acts means every statute (including any orders, regulations or other subordinate legislation made under it) from time to time in force concerning companies in so far as it applies to the company;
the holder in relation to any shares means the member whose name is entered in the register as the holder of those shares;
the office means the registered office from time to time of the company;
paid up means paid up or credited as paid up;
participating class means a class of shares title to which is permitted by an operator to be transferred by means of a relevant system;
person entitled by transmission means a person whose entitlement to a share in consequence of the death or bankruptcy of a member or of any other event giving rise to its transmission by operation of law has been noted in the register;
the register means the register of members of the company;
seal means any common or official seal that the company may be permitted to have under the Companies Acts;
the secretary means the secretary, or (if there are joint secretaries) any one of the joint secretaries, of the company and includes an assistant or deputy secretary and any person appointed by the board to perform any of the duties of the secretary;
the uncertificated securities rules means any provision of the Companies Acts relating to the holding, evidencing of title to, or transfer of uncertificated shares and any legislation, rules or other arrangements made under or by virtue of such provision;
uncertificated share means a share of a class which is at the relevant time a participating class title to which is recorded on the register as being held in uncertificated form and references in these articles to a share being held in uncertificated form shall be construed accordingly;
United Kingdom means Great Britain and Northern Ireland;
2
references to a document being executed include references to its being executed under hand or under seal or by any other method except by means of it being authenticated by electronic means;
references to a document being signed or to signature include references to its being executed under hand or under seal or by any other method and, in the case of a communication in electronic form, such references are to its being authenticated in accordance with the Companies Acts;
references to writing include references to any method of representing or reproducing words in a legible and non-transitory form whether sent or supplied in electronic form or otherwise;
words or expressions to which a particular meaning is given by the Companies Acts in force when these articles or any part of these articles are adopted bear (if not inconsistent with the subject matter or context) the same meaning in these articles or that part (as the case may be) save that:
(i) the word company shall include any body corporate; and
(ii) the expressions electronic form and electronic means shall have the meanings given by the Company Acts as amended from time to time; and
references to a meeting shall not be taken as requiring more than one person to be present if any quorum requirement can be satisfied by one person.
Headings are included only for convenience and shall not affect meaning.
The liability of members of the company is limited to the amount, if any, unpaid on the shares in the company held by them .
The company may change its name by resolution of the board.
Share Capital
Subject to any rights attached to existing shares, any share may be issued with or have attached to it such rights and restrictions as the company may by ordinary resolution decide or, if no such resolution has been passed or so far as the resolution does not make specific provision, as the board may decide.
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Subject to any rights attached to existing shares, any share may be issued which is to be redeemed, or is liable to be redeemed at the option of the company or the holder. The board may determine the terms, conditions and manner of redemption of any redeemable share so issued.
Subject to the provisions of the Companies Acts, all or any of the rights attached to any existing class of shares may from time to time (whether or not the company is being wound up) be varied either with the consent in writing of the holders of not less than three-fourths in nominal value of the issued shares of that class (excluding any shares of that class held as treasury shares) or with the sanction of a special resolution passed at a separate general meeting of the holders of those shares. All the provisions of these articles as to general meetings of the company shall, with any necessary modifications, apply to any such separate general meeting, but so that the necessary quorum shall be two persons entitled to vote and holding or representing by proxy not less than one-third in nominal value of the issued shares of the class (excluding any shares of that class held as treasury shares), (but so that at any adjourned meeting one holder entitled to vote and present in person or by proxy (whatever the number of shares held by him) shall be a quorum), and that any holder of shares of the class present in person or by proxy and entitled to vote may demand a poll. The foregoing provisions of this article shall apply to the variation of the special rights attached to some only of the shares of any class as if each group of shares of the class differently treated formed a separate class and their special rights were to be varied.
The rights conferred upon the holders of any shares shall not, unless otherwise expressly provided in the rights attaching to those shares, be deemed to be varied by the creation or issue of further shares ranking pari passu with them.
The company may in connection with the issue of any shares or the sale for cash of treasury shares exercise all powers of paying commission and brokerage conferred or permitted by the Companies Acts. Any such commission or brokerage may be satisfied by the payment of cash, or by the allotment of fully or partly-paid shares or other securities or partly in one way and partly in the other.
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Except as ordered by a court of competent jurisdiction or as required by law, no person shall be recognised by the company as holding any share upon any trust and the company shall not be bound by or required in any way to recognise (even when having notice of it) any interest in any share or (except only as by these articles or by law otherwise provided) any other right in respect of any share other than an absolute right to the whole of the share in the holder.
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a sale is an arms length sale if the board is satisfied that it is a bona fide sale of the whole of the beneficial ownership of the shares to a party unconnected with the holder or with any person appearing to be interested in such shares and shall include a sale made by way of or in pursuance of acceptance of a takeover offer and a sale made through a recognised investment exchange or any other stock exchange outside the United Kingdom. For this purpose an associate (within the definition of that expression in any statute relating to insolvency in force at the date of adoption of this article) shall be included amongst the persons who are connected with the holder or any person appearing to be interested in such shares;
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person appearing to be interested in any shares shall mean any person named in a response to a statutory notice or otherwise notified to the company by a member as being so interested or shown in any register or record kept by the company under the Companies Acts as so interested or, taking into account a response or failure to respond in the light of the response to any other statutory notice and any other relevant information in the possession of the company, any person whom the company knows or has reasonable cause to believe is or may be so interested;
person with a 0.25 per cent. interest means a person who holds, or is shown in any register or record kept by the company under the Companies Acts as having an interest in, shares in the company which comprise in total at least 0.25 per cent. in number or nominal value of the shares of the company (calculated exclusive of any shares held as treasury shares), or of any class of such shares (calculated exclusive of any shares of that class held as treasury shares), in issue at the date of service of the restriction notice;
relevant period means a period of 14 days following service of a statutory notice;
relevant restrictions mean in the case of a restriction notice served on a person with a 0.25 per cent. interest that:-
(i) the shares shall not confer on the holder any right to attend or vote either personally or by proxy at any general meeting of the company or at any separate general meeting of the holders of any class of shares in the company or to exercise any other right conferred by membership in relation to general meetings;
(ii) the board may withhold payment of all or any part of any dividends or other moneys payable in respect of the shares and the holder shall not be entitled to receive shares in lieu of dividend;
(iii) the board may decline to register a transfer of any of the shares which are certificated shares, unless such a transfer is pursuant to an arms length sale,
and in any other case mean only the restriction specified in sub-paragraph (i) of this definition; and
statutory notice means a notice served by the company under the Companies Acts requiring particulars of interests in shares or of the identity of persons interested in shares.
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and, without prejudice to the generality of this article, no provision of these articles shall apply or have effect to the extent that it is in any respect inconsistent with the maintenance, keeping or entering up by the Operator, so long as that is permitted or required by the uncertificated securities rules, of an Operator register of securities in respect of that class of shares in uncertificated form.
(i) require the holder of that uncertificated share by notice in writing to change that share from uncertificated to certificated form within such period as may be specified in the notice and keep it as a certificated share for as long as the board requires;
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(ii) appoint any person to take such other steps, by instruction given by means of a relevant system or otherwise, in the name of the holder of such shares as may be required to effect the transfer of such share and such steps shall be as effective as if they had been taken by the registered holder of that share; and
(iii) take such other action that the board considers appropriate to achieve the sale, transfer, disposal, forfeiture, re-allotment or surrender of that share or otherwise to enforce a lien in respect of that share.
Every person (except a person to whom the company is not by law required to issue a certificate) whose name is entered in the register as a holder of any certificated shares shall be entitled, without payment, to receive within the time limits prescribed by the Companies Acts (or, if earlier, within any prescribed time limit or within a time specified when the shares were issued) one certificate for all those shares of any one class. In the case of a certificated share held jointly by several persons, the company shall not be bound to issue more than one certificate and delivery of a certificate to one of several joint holders shall be sufficient delivery to all. A member who transfers some but not all of the shares comprised in a certificate shall be entitled to a certificate for the balance without charge (to the extent the balance is to be held in certificated form). If a member requires additional certificates he shall pay for each additional certificate (other than a certificate issued pursuant to article 15) such reasonable sum (if any) as the board may determine.
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If a share certificate is defaced, worn out, lost or destroyed, it may be replaced on such terms (if any) as to evidence and indemnity as the board may decide and, where it is defaced or worn out, after delivery of the old certificate to the company. Any two or more certificates representing shares of any one class held by any member shall at his request be cancelled and a single new certificate for such shares issued in lieu. Any certificate representing shares of any one class held by any member may at his request be cancelled and two or more certificates for such shares may be issued instead. The board may require the payment of any exceptional out-of-pocket expenses of the company incurred in connection with the issue of any certificates under this article (including, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, any expenses incurred in the investigation of such request and in the preparation and execution of any such indemnity). Any one of two or more joint holders may request replacement certificates under this article.
Every share certificate shall be executed under a seal or in such other manner as the board, having regard to the terms of issue and any listing requirements, may authorise and shall specify the number and class of the shares to which it relates and the amount or respective amounts paid up on the shares. The board may by resolution decide, either generally or in any particular case or cases, that any signatures on any share certificates need not be autographic but may be applied to the certificates by some mechanical or other means or may be printed on them or that the certificates need not be signed by any person.
Every share certificate sent in accordance with these articles will be sent at the risk of the member or other person entitled to the certificate. The company will not be responsible for any share certificate lost or delayed in the course of delivery.
Lien
The company shall have a first and paramount lien on every share (not being a fully paid share) for all amounts payable to the company (whether presently or not) in respect of that share. The companys lien on a share shall extend to every amount payable in respect of it. The board may at any time either generally or in any particular case waive any lien that has arisen or declare any share to be wholly or in part exempt from the provisions of this article.
The company may sell, in such manner as the board may decide, any share on which the company has a lien if a sum in respect of which the lien exists is presently payable and is not paid within 14 clear days after a notice has been served on the holder of the share or the person who is entitled by transmission to the share, demanding payment and stating that if the notice is not complied with the share may be sold. For giving effect to the sale the board may authorise
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some person to execute an instrument of transfer of the share sold to or in accordance with the directions of the purchaser. The transferee shall not be bound to see to the application of the purchase money, nor shall his title to the share be affected by any irregularity or invalidity in relation to the sale.
The net proceeds, after payment of the costs, of the sale by the company of any share on which it has a lien shall be applied in or towards payment or discharge of the debt or liability in respect of which the lien exists so far as it is presently payable, and any residue shall (subject to a like lien for debts or liabilities not presently payable as existed upon the share prior to the sale and upon surrender, if required by the company, for cancellation of the certificate for the share sold) be paid to the person who was entitled to the share at the time of the sale.
Calls on Shares
Subject to the terms of issue, the board may from time to time make calls upon the members in respect of any moneys unpaid on their shares (whether on account of the nominal amount of the shares or by way of premium) and not payable on a date fixed by or in accordance with the terms of issue, and each member shall (subject to the company serving upon him at least 14 clear days notice specifying when and where payment is to be made) pay to the company as required by the notice the amount called on his shares. A call may be made payable by instalments. A call may be revoked or postponed, in whole or in part, as the board may decide. A person upon whom a call is made shall remain liable jointly and severally with the successors in title to his shares for all calls made upon him notwithstanding the subsequent transfer of the shares in respect of which the call was made.
A call shall be deemed to have been made at the time when the resolution of the board authorising the call was passed.
The joint holders of a share shall be jointly and severally liable to pay all calls in respect of the share.
If a call remains unpaid after it has become due and payable, the person from whom it is due and payable shall pay all costs, charges and expenses that the company may have incurred by reason of such non-payment together with interest on the amount unpaid from the day it is due and payable to the time of actual payment at the rate fixed by the terms of the allotment of the share or in the notice of the call or, if no rate is so fixed, at such rate, not exceeding 20 per cent. per annum (compounded on a six-monthly basis), as the board may decide, but the board shall
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be at liberty in any case or cases to waive payment of any sum due under this article, wholly or in part.
Any amount which becomes payable in respect of a share on allotment or on any other date fixed by or in accordance with the terms of issue, whether in respect of the nominal amount of the share or by way of premium or as an instalment of a call, shall be deemed to be a call and, if it is not paid, all the provisions of these articles shall apply as if the sum had become due and payable by virtue of a call.
The board may on or before the issue of shares differentiate between the allottees or holders as to the amount of calls to be paid and the times of payment.
The board may, if it thinks fit, receive from any member who is willing to advance them all or any part of the moneys uncalled and unpaid upon any shares held by him and on all or any of the moneys so advanced may (until they would, but for the advance, become presently payable) pay interest at such rate, not exceeding (unless the company by ordinary resolution shall otherwise direct) 20 per cent. per annum, as the board may decide. The board may at any time repay the amount so advanced on giving such member not less than three months notice in writing of its intention to do so, unless before the expiration of such notice the amount so advanced shall have been called up on the shares in respect of which it was advanced.
Forfeiture of Shares
If any call or instalment of a call remains unpaid on any share after the day appointed for payment, the board may at any time serve a notice on the holder requiring payment of so much of the call or instalment as is unpaid, together with any interest which may have accrued and any expenses incurred by the company by reason of such non-payment.
The notice shall name a further day (not being less than 14 clear days from the date of the notice) on or before which, and the place where, the payment required by the notice is to be made and shall state that in the event of non-payment on or before the day and at the place appointed, the shares in respect of which the call has been made or instalment is payable will be liable to be forfeited.
If the notice is not complied with, any share in respect of which it was given may, at any time before payment of all calls or instalments and interest and expenses due in respect of it has
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been made, be forfeited by (and with effect from the passing of) a resolution of the board to that effect and the forfeiture shall include all dividends declared and other moneys payable in respect of the forfeited shares and not paid before the forfeiture. Unless the board otherwise decides, no holder of such a share is entitled to be present or vote (whether in person or by proxy) at any meeting, on a show of hands or on a poll, or to demand a poll or exercise any other right as a member. The board may accept the surrender of any share liable to be forfeited and, in that event, references in these articles to forfeiture shall include surrender.
When any share has been forfeited, notice of the forfeiture shall be served upon the person who was before forfeiture the holder of the share (or on any person entitled to the share by transmission) and an entry of the forfeiture or surrender, with the date thereof, shall forthwith be made in the register, but no forfeiture shall be invalidated by any omission or neglect to give such notice or make such entry.
Until cancelled in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Acts, a forfeited share shall be deemed to be the property of the company and may be sold or otherwise disposed of either to the person who was, before forfeiture, the holder or to any other person upon such terms and in such manner as the board shall decide. The board may for the purposes of the disposal authorise some person to execute an instrument of transfer to the designated transferee. The company may receive the consideration (if any) given for the share on its disposal. At any time before a sale or disposition the forfeiture may be cancelled by the board on such terms as the board may decide.
A person whose shares have been forfeited shall cease to be a member in respect of them and shall surrender to the company for cancellation the certificate for the forfeited shares but shall remain liable to pay to the company all moneys which at the date of the forfeiture were payable by him to the company in respect of those shares with interest thereon at the rate of 20 per cent. per annum (or such lower rate as the board may decide) from the date of forfeiture until payment, and the company may enforce payment without being under any obligation to make any allowance for the value of the shares forfeited or for any consideration received on their disposal.
The forfeiture of a share shall (subject to the Companies Acts and unless otherwise provided by these articles) involve the extinction from the time of forfeiture of all interest in, and all claims and demands against the company in respect of, the share and all other rights and liabilities incidental to the share as between the holder and the company.
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A statutory declaration that the declarant is a director of the company or the secretary and that a share has been forfeited (or sold to satisfy a lien of the company) on a specified date shall be conclusive evidence of the facts stated in it as against all persons claiming to be entitled to the share. The declaration shall (subject to the execution of an instrument of transfer if necessary) constitute a good title to the share and the person to whom the share is sold or otherwise disposed of shall not be bound to see to the application of the purchase money (if any) nor shall his title to the share be affected by any irregularity or invalidity in the proceedings relating to the forfeiture, sale or disposal.
Transfer of Shares
(i) any member may transfer all or any of his uncertificated shares by means of a relevant system in such manner provided for, and subject as provided in, the uncertificated securities rules, and accordingly no provision of these articles shall apply in respect of an uncertificated share to the extent that it requires or contemplates the effecting of a transfer by an instrument in writing or the production of a certificate for the share to be transferred; and
(ii) any member may transfer all or any of his certificated shares by an instrument of transfer in any usual form or in any other form which the board may approve.
The instrument of transfer of a certificated share shall be executed by or on behalf of the transferor and (in the case of a partly paid share) the transferee. All instruments of transfer, when registered, may be retained by the company.
The board may decline to register any transfer of any share which is not a fully paid share.
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(i) the instrument of transfer is duly stamped or duly certified or otherwise shown to the satisfaction of the board to be exempt from stamp duty and is left at the office or such other place as the board may from time to time determine accompanied (save in the case of a transfer by a person to whom the company is not required by law to issue a certificate and to whom a certificate has not been issued) by the certificate for the share to which it relates and such other evidence as the board may reasonably require to show the right of the person executing the instrument of transfer to make the transfer and, if the instrument of transfer is executed by some other person on his behalf, the authority of that person so to do;
(ii) the instrument of transfer is in respect of only one class of share; and
(iii) in the case of a transfer to joint holders, the number of joint holders to whom the share is to be transferred does not exceed four.
No fee shall be charged by the company for registering any transfer, document or instruction relating to or affecting the title to any share or for making any other entry in the register.
The board may, at any time after the allotment of any share but before any person has been entered in the register as the holder, recognise a renunciation thereof by the allottee in favour of some other person and may accord to any allottee of a share a right to effect such renunciation upon and subject to such terms and conditions as the board may decide.
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For the purpose of this article:-
the qualifying period means the period of 12 years immediately preceding the date of publication of the advertisements referred to in sub-paragraph (iv) above or of the first of the advertisements to be published if they are published on different dates; and
the relevant period means the period beginning at the commencement of the qualifying period and ending on the date when all the requirements of sub-paragraphs (i) to (iv) above have been satisfied.
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Transmission of Shares
If a member dies, the survivor or survivors, where he was a joint holder, and his personal representatives, where he was a sole holder or the only survivor of joint holders, shall be the only persons recognised by the company as having any title to his shares; but nothing contained in these articles shall release the estate of a deceased holder from any liability in respect of any share held by him solely or jointly with other persons.
Where the entitlement of a person to a certificated share in consequence of the death or bankruptcy of a member or of any other event giving rise to its transmission by operation of law is proved to the satisfaction of the board, the board shall within two months after proof cause the entitlement of that person to be noted in the register.
Any person entitled by transmission to a share may, subject as provided elsewhere in these articles, elect either to become the holder of the share or to have some person nominated by him registered as the holder. If he elects to be registered himself he shall give notice to the company to that effect. If he elects to have another person registered and the share is a certificated share, he shall execute an instrument of transfer of the share to that person. If he elects to have himself or another person registered and the share is an uncertificated share, he shall take any action the board may require (including, without limitation, the execution of any document and the giving of any instruction by means of relevant system) to enable himself or that person to be registered as the holder of the share. The board may at any time require the person to elect either to be registered himself or to transfer the share and if the requirements are not complied with within 60 days of being issued the board may withhold payment of all dividends and other moneys payable in respect of the share until the requirements have been complied with. All the provisions of these articles relating to the transfer of, and registration of transfers of, shares shall apply to the notice or transfer as if the death or bankruptcy of the
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member or other event giving rise to the transmission had not occurred and the notice or transfer was given or executed by the member.
Where a person becomes entitled by transmission to a share, the rights of the holder in relation to that share shall cease, but the person entitled by transmission to the share may give a good discharge for any dividends or other moneys payable in respect of it and shall have the same rights in relation to the share as he would have had if he were the holder of it save that, until he becomes the holder, he shall not be entitled in respect of the share (except with the authority of the board) to receive notice of, or to attend or vote at, any general meeting of the company or at any separate general meeting of the holders of any class of shares in the company or to exercise any other right conferred by membership in relation to general meetings.
Alteration of Share Capital
Any resolution authorising the company to sub-divide its shares or any of them may determine that, as between the shares resulting from the sub-division, any of them may have any preference or advantage or be subject to any restriction as compared with the others.
Notice of General Meetings
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If the board, in its absolute discretion, considers that it is impractical or undesirable for any reason to hold a general meeting on the date or at the time or place specified in the notice calling the general meeting, it may postpone or move the general meeting to another date, time and/or place. The board shall take reasonable steps to ensure that notice of the date, time and place of the rearranged meeting is given to any member trying to attend the meeting at the original time and place. Notice of the date, time and place of the rearranged meeting shall, if practicable, also be placed in at least two national newspapers in the United Kingdom and one national newspaper in the Republic of Ireland. Notice of the business to be transacted at such rearranged meeting shall not be required. If a meeting is rearranged in this way, the appointment of a proxy will be valid if it is received as required by these articles not less than 48 hours before the time appointed for holding the rearranged meeting. The board may also postpone or move the rearranged meeting under this article.
Proceedings at General Meetings
No business shall be transacted at any general meeting unless a quorum is present when the meeting proceeds to business, but the absence of a quorum shall not preclude the choice or appointment of a chairman of the meeting which shall not be treated as part of the business of the meeting. Save as otherwise provided by these articles, two members present in person or by proxy and entitled to vote shall be a quorum for all purposes.
If within five minutes (or such longer time not exceeding one hour as the chairman of the meeting may decide to wait) after the time appointed for the commencement of the meeting a quorum is not present, or if during the meeting a quorum ceases to be present, the meeting:
(i) if convened by or upon the requisition of members, shall be dissolved; and
(ii) in any other case, it shall stand adjourned to such other day (being not less than ten days later, excluding the day on which the meeting is adjourned and the day for which it is reconvened) and at such other time or place as the chairman of the meeting may decide. At any adjourned meeting one member present in person or by proxy and entitled to vote (whatever the number of shares held by him) shall be a quorum and any notice of an adjourned meeting shall state that one member present in person or by proxy and entitled to vote (whatever the number of shares held by him) shall be a quorum.
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The chairman of the meeting shall take such action or give directions for such action to be taken as he thinks fit to promote the orderly conduct of the business of the meeting as laid down in the notice of the meeting. The chairmans decision on points of order, matters of procedure or matters arising incidentally from the business of the meeting shall be final as shall be his determination as to whether any point or matter is of such a nature.
Each director shall be entitled to attend and speak at any general meeting of the company. The chairman of the meeting may invite any person to attend and speak at any general meeting of the company where he considers that this will assist in the deliberations of the meeting.
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The chairman of the meeting may at any time without the consent of the meeting adjourn any meeting (whether or not it has commenced or a quorum is present) either sine die or to another time or place where it appears to him that (a) the members entitled to vote and wishing to attend cannot be conveniently accommodated in the place appointed for the meeting (b) the conduct of persons present prevents or is likely to prevent the orderly continuation of business or (c) an adjournment is otherwise necessary so that the business of the meeting may be properly conducted. In addition, the chairman of the meeting may at any time with the consent of any meeting at which a quorum is present (and shall if so directed by the meeting) adjourn the meeting either sine die or to another time or place. When a meeting is adjourned sine die the time and place for the adjourned meeting shall be fixed by the board. No business shall be transacted at any adjourned meeting except business which might properly have been transacted at the meeting had the adjournment not taken place. Any meeting may be adjourned more than once.
If the continuation of an adjourned meeting is to take place three months or more after it was adjourned or if business is to be transacted at an adjourned meeting the general nature of which was not stated in the notice of the original meeting, notice of the adjourned meeting shall be given as in the case of an original meeting. Except as provided in this article, it shall not be necessary to give any notice of an adjourned meeting or of the business to be transacted at an adjourned meeting.
Amendments
In the case of a resolution duly proposed as a special resolution no amendment thereto (other than an amendment to correct a patent error) may be considered or voted upon and in the case of a resolution duly proposed as an ordinary resolution no amendment thereto (other than an amendment to correct a patent error) may be considered or voted upon unless either at least 48 hours prior to the time appointed for holding the meeting or adjourned meeting at which such ordinary resolution is to be proposed notice in writing of the terms of the amendment and intention to move the same has been received by the company or the chairman of the meeting in his absolute discretion decides that it may be considered or voted upon. With the consent of the chairman of the meeting, an amendment may be withdrawn by its proposer before it is put to the vote.
If an amendment shall be proposed to any resolution under consideration but shall be ruled out of order by the chairman of the meeting the proceedings on the substantive resolution shall not be invalidated by any error in such ruling.
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Voting
Subject to any special terms as to voting upon which any shares may be issued or may at the relevant time be held and to any other provisions of these articles, members shall be entitled to vote at a general meeting whether on a show of hands or on a poll as provided in the Companies Acts. For this purpose, where a proxy is given discretion as to how to vote on a show of hands, this shall be treated as an instruction by the relevant member to vote in the way that the proxy elects to exercise that discretion.
At any general meeting a resolution put to the vote of the meeting shall be decided on a show of hands unless (before or on the declaration of the result of the show of hands) a poll is demanded. A poll may be demanded by:-
(i) the chairman of the meeting; or
(ii) at least three members present in person or by proxy and entitled to vote on the resolution; or
(iii) any member or members present in person or by proxy and representing in the aggregate not less than one-tenth of the total voting rights of all the members having the right to vote on the resolution; or
(iv) any member or members present in person or by proxy and holding shares conferring a right to vote on the resolution on which there have been paid up sums in the aggregate equal to not less than one-tenth of the total sum paid up on all the shares conferring that right.
The chairman of the meeting can also demand a poll before a resolution is put to the vote on a show of hands.
Unless a poll is so demanded and the demand is not withdrawn, a declaration by the chairman of the meeting that a resolution on a show of hands has been carried or carried unanimously or by a particular majority or not carried by a particular majority or lost shall be conclusive evidence of the fact without proof of the number or proportion of the votes recorded for or against the resolution.
If a poll is properly demanded it shall be taken in such manner as the chairman of the meeting shall direct. The chairman may appoint scrutineers (who need not be members) and fix a day, time and place for declaring the result of the poll. The result of the poll shall be deemed to be the resolution of the meeting at which the poll was demanded.
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No poll may be demanded on the election of the chairman of a meeting. On a question of adjournment of any meeting, a poll may only be demanded by the chairman of the meeting and it shall be taken immediately. A poll duly demanded on any other question shall be taken in such manner and either forthwith or on such date (being not later than 28 days after the date of the demand) and at such time and place as the chairman of the meeting shall direct. It shall not be necessary (unless the chairman of the meeting otherwise directs) for notice to be given of a poll.
The demand for a poll (other than a demand by the chairman on a question of adjournment) shall not prevent the continuance of a meeting for the transaction of any business other than the question on which the poll was demanded, and it may be withdrawn with the consent of the chairman of the meeting at any time before the close of the meeting or the taking of the poll, whichever is the earlier, and in that event shall not invalidate the result of a show of hands declared before the demand was made.
In the case of joint holders of a share the vote of the senior who tenders a vote, whether in person or by proxy, shall be accepted to the exclusion of the votes of the other joint holders and, for this purpose, seniority shall be determined by the order in which the names stand in the register in respect of the joint holding.
A member in respect of whom an order has been made by any competent court or official on the ground that he is or may be suffering from mental disorder or is otherwise incapable of managing his affairs may vote at any general meeting of the company or at any separate general meeting of the holders of any class of shares in the company and may exercise any other right conferred by membership in relation to general meetings by or through any person authorised in such circumstances to do so on his behalf (and that person may vote by proxy), provided that evidence to the satisfaction of the board of the authority of the person claiming to exercise the right to vote or such other right has been received at the office (or at such other place as may be specified in accordance with these articles for the receipt of appointments of a proxy in writing) not later than the last time at which such an appointment should have been received in order to be valid for use at that meeting or on the holding of that poll.
No member shall, unless the board otherwise decides, be entitled in respect of any share held by him to attend or vote (either personally or by proxy) at any general meeting of the company or at any separate general meeting of the holders of any class of shares in the company or upon a poll or to exercise any other right conferred by membership in relation to general meetings or polls unless all calls or other sums presently payable by him in respect of that share have been paid.
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If:-
(i) any objection shall be raised to the qualification of any voter, or
(ii) any votes have been counted which ought not to have been counted or which might have been rejected, or
(iii) any votes are not counted which ought to have been counted,
the objection or error shall not vitiate the decision of the meeting or adjourned meeting or poll on any resolution unless it is raised or pointed out at the meeting or, as the case may be, the adjourned meeting or poll at which the vote objected to is given or tendered or at which the error occurs. Any objection or error shall be referred to the chairman of the meeting and shall only vitiate the decision of the meeting on any resolution if the chairman decides that the same may have affected the decision of the meeting. The decision of the chairman on such matters shall be conclusive.
Proxies
(ii) in the case of an appointment made by electronic means, be received at the address specified by the company for the receipt of appointment of proxy by electronic means not less than 48 hours (or such shorter time as the board may determine or as is specified in such notice or instrument of proxy) before the time appointed for holding the meeting or adjourned meeting at which the person named in the appointment
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proposes to vote. Any authority pursuant to which such an appointment is made or a copy of the authority, certified notarially or in accordance with the Powers of Attorney Act 1971 or in some other manner approved by the board, must, if required by the board, be received at such address or at the office (or such other place as may be specified by the company for the receipt of such documents) not less than 48 hours (or such shorter time as the board may determine or as is specified in such notice or instrument of proxy) before the time appointed for holding the meeting or adjourned meeting at which the person named in the appointment proposes to vote;
(iii) in the case of a poll taken more than 48 hours after it was demanded, be received as aforesaid not less than 24 hours (or such shorter time as the board may determine) before the time appointed for the taking of the poll; or
(iv) in the case of a poll taken following the conclusion of a meeting or adjourned meeting but 48 hours or less after it was demanded, be received as aforesaid before the end of the meeting at which it was demanded (or at such later time as the board may determine),
and an appointment of a proxy which is not, or in respect of which the authority or copy thereof is not, received in a manner so permitted shall be invalid, unless the board waives compliance with this provision. When two or more valid but differing appointments of a proxy are received in respect of the same share for use at the same meeting or poll, the one which is last received (regardless of its date or of the date of its signature) shall be treated as replacing and revoking the others as regards that share; if the company is unable to determine which was last received, none of them shall be treated as valid in respect of that share. The appointment of a proxy shall not preclude a member from attending and voting in person at the meeting or poll concerned. The proceedings at a general meeting shall not be invalidated where an appointment of a proxy in respect of that meeting is sent in electronic form as provided in these articles, but because of a technical problem it cannot be read by the recipient.
No appointment of a proxy shall be valid after 12 months have elapsed from the date of its receipt save that, unless the contrary is stated in it, an appointment of a proxy shall be valid for use at an adjourned meeting or a poll after a meeting or an adjourned meeting even after 12 months, if it was valid for the original meeting.
The appointment of a proxy shall be in any usual form or in such other form as the board may approve. The appointment of a proxy shall be deemed to confer authority to demand or join in
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demanding a poll and to vote on any amendment of a resolution put to, or any other business which may properly come before, the meeting for which it is given as the proxy thinks fit. The appointment of a proxy shall, unless the contrary is stated in it, be valid as well for any adjournment of the meeting as for the meeting to which it relates.
A vote given or poll demanded by a proxy or by the duly authorised representative of a corporation shall be valid notwithstanding the previous determination of the authority of the person voting or demanding a poll, unless notice in writing of the determination was received by the company at the office (or such other place or address as was specified by the company for the receipt of appointments of proxy in the notice convening the meeting or in any notice of any adjournment or, in either case, in any accompanying document) not later than the last time at which an appointment of a proxy should have been received in order to be valid for use at the meeting or on the holding of the poll at which the vote was given or the poll demanded.
The board may at the expense of the company send instruments of proxy to members by post or otherwise (with or without provision for their return prepaid) for use at any general meeting or at any separate meeting of the holders of any class of shares, either in blank or nominating in the alternative any one or more of the board or any other person. If, for the purpose of any meeting, invitations to appoint as proxy a person, or one of a number of persons specified in the invitations, are issued at the companys expense, they shall (without prejudice to any other provision of these articles or of the Companies Acts permitting the board to cease or suspend sending notices or other circulars to a member) be issued to all the members entitled to be sent a notice of the meeting and to vote at it. The accidental omission to send such an instrument or give such an invitation to, or the non-receipt by, any member entitled to attend and vote at a meeting shall not invalidate the proceedings at that meeting.
Appointment, Retirement and Removal of Directors
Unless otherwise determined by ordinary resolution of the company, the directors (disregarding alternate directors) shall be not less than three nor more than 25 in number.
No shareholding qualification for directors shall be required.
Subject to the provisions of these articles, the company may by ordinary resolution elect any person who is willing to act to be a director, either to fill a vacancy or as an addition to the existing board, but so that the total number of directors shall not at any time exceed any maximum number fixed by or in accordance with these articles.
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Subject to the provisions of these articles, the board may appoint any person who is willing to act to be a director, either to fill a vacancy or as an addition to the existing board, but so that the total number of directors shall not at any time exceed any maximum number fixed by or in accordance with these articles. Any director so appointed shall retire at the next annual general meeting and shall then be eligible for election.
shall retire from office and may offer himself for re-election by the members.
In addition to any power of removal conferred by the Companies Acts, the company may by special resolution remove any director before the expiration of his period of office and may (subject to these articles) by ordinary resolution appoint another person who is willing to act to be a director in his place.
No person other than a director retiring at the meeting (whether by rotation or otherwise) shall be elected or re-elected a director at any general meeting unless:-
(i) he is recommended by the board; or
(ii) not less than seven nor more than 40 clear days before the day appointed for the meeting, notice in writing by a member qualified to vote at the meeting (not being the person to be proposed) has been given to the secretary at the office of the intention to propose that person for election or re-election together with confirmation in writing by that person of his willingness to be elected or re-elected; the notice shall give the particulars of that person which would (if he were elected) be required to be included in the companys register of directors.
A director who retires (whether by rotation or otherwise) at an annual general meeting may, if willing to continue to act, be elected or re-elected. If he is elected or re-elected he is treated as
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continuing in office throughout. If he is not elected or re-elected, he shall retain office until the end of the meeting or (if earlier) when a resolution is passed to elect someone in his place or when a resolution to elect or re-elect the director is put to the meeting and lost.
Without prejudice to the provisions for retirement by rotation or otherwise contained in these articles, the office of a director shall be vacated if:-
(i) he resigns his office by notice in writing delivered to or received at the office or tendered at a meeting of the board; or
(ii) by notice in writing delivered to or received at the office or tendered at a meeting of the board, he offers to resign and the board resolves to accept such offer; or
(iii) he is an executive director and his appointment to the relevant office or employment is terminated or expires and the board resolves that his office be vacated; or
(iv) by notice in writing delivered to or received at the office or tendered at a meeting of the board, his resignation is requested by all of the other directors and all of the other directors are not less than three in number; or
(v) he is or has been suffering from mental or physical ill health or becomes a patient for the purpose of any statute relating to mental health and the board resolves that his office is vacated; or
(vi) he is absent without the permission of the board from meetings of the board (whether or not an alternate director appointed by him attends) for six consecutive months and the board resolves that his office is vacated; or
(vii) he becomes bankrupt or compounds with his creditors generally; or
(viii) he is prohibited by law from being a director; or
(ix) he ceases to be a director by virtue of the Companies Acts or is removed from office pursuant to these articles.
If the office of a director is vacated for any reason, he shall cease to be a member of any committee or sub-committee of the board.
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The board (or any committee authorised by the board) may:
Fees, Remuneration, Expenses and Pensions
The directors (other than alternate directors) shall be paid such remuneration (by way of fee) for their services as directors as may from time to time be determined by the board. Unless otherwise approved by ordinary resolution of the company in general meeting, the aggregate of the remuneration (by way of fee), but excluding special remuneration or other amounts paid under article 88, of all the directors shall not exceed £1,000,000 for any financial year of the company (and pro rata for any shorter or longer period). Such sum (unless otherwise directed by the resolution of the company by which it is approved) shall be divided among the directors in such proportions and in such manner as the board may determine or, in default of such determination, equally. Any fees payable pursuant to this article shall be distinct from any salary, remuneration or other amounts payable to a director pursuant to any other provisions of these articles and shall accrue from day to day.
Any director who by request of the board serves on a committee of the board, performs special services, or goes or resides abroad for any purposes of the company, may be paid extra remuneration by way of salary, commission, percentage of profits or otherwise as the board decides.
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Each director shall be entitled to be repaid all reasonable travelling, hotel and other expenses properly incurred by him in or about the performance of his duties as a director, including any expenses incurred in attending meetings of the board or any committee of the board or general meetings or separate meetings of the holders of any class of shares or of debentures of the company. The company may also fund a directors expenditure for the purposes permitted under the Companies Acts and may do anything to enable a director to avoid incurring such expenditure as provided in the Companies Acts.
(i) any director or former director or other officer or former officer who holds or has held any executive office or place of profit with the company or any other company in which the company is or was interested, or any company or firm or concern whose business or any part thereof (or control of whose business or any part thereof) has at any time been acquired by the company or any of its subsidiary undertakings;
(ii) the wife or widow, husband or widower, or other dependant or relation of such director or former director or other officer or former officer;
(iii) any other employee or former employee of the company or of any such other company, firm or concern as mentioned in article 90(A)(i);
(iv) the wife or widow, husband or widower, or any other dependant or relation of any such other employee or former employee,
or any class or classes thereof.
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Directors Interests
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A director shall not, by reason of his office or of the fiduciary relationship thereby established, be liable to account to the company for any remuneration, profit or other benefit realised by reason of his having any type of interest authorised under article 91(A) or permitted under article 92(B) and no contract shall be liable to be avoided on the grounds of a director having any type of interest authorised under article 91(A) or permitted under article 92(B).
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Powers and Duties of the Board
Subject to these articles and to any directions given by the company in general meeting by special resolution, the business of the company shall be managed by the board which may exercise all the powers of the company whether relating to the management of the business of the company or not. No alteration of these articles and no special resolution shall invalidate any prior act of the board which would have been valid if that alteration had not been made or that resolution had not been passed. The powers given by this article shall not be limited by any special power given to the board by any other article
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For the purposes of this paragraph of this article:-
(i) the adjusted capital and reserves means the aggregate from time to time of:-
(a) the amount paid up or credited as paid up on the issued share capital of the company (including any shares held as treasury shares);
(b) the amount standing to the credit of the reserves of the group, including any share premium account, capital redemption reserve and credit balance on profit and loss account; and
(c) an amount of £1,562,000,000 representing goodwill arising on acquisitions prior to 1 July 1998 of subsidiaries, related companies and businesses which remained within the group at 30 June 2004 and which has been written off against share capital and reserves,
(a) and (b) above as shown by the then latest audited balance sheet of the group but after:-
(d) deducting from the aggregate amount any debit balance on profit and loss account subsisting at the date of that audited balance sheet except to the extent that a deduction has already been made on that account;
(e) excluding the effects on the reserves of the group in that audited balance sheet of the recognition of any post employment net assets or net liabilities reflected in accordance with any applicable accounting standards; and
(f) making such adjustments as may be appropriate to reflect any variation in the amount of the paid up share capital, share
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premium account, capital redemption reserve or other reserve since the date of that audited balance sheet.
If any issue or proposed issue of shares by the company for cash has been or becomes unconditionally underwritten, then those shares shall be deemed to have been issued and the amount (including any premium) of the subscription moneys payable in respect thereof shall (provided such subscription moneys are payable not later than three months after the date of allotment) be deemed to have been paid up on the date when those shares become unconditionally underwritten but only to the extent of the underwriters liability to the company in respect of the subscription moneys;
(ii) net external borrowings means external borrowings less:-
(a) cash at bank and liquid resources; and
(b) any other assets which would be included in short term investments,
in each case as shown in a consolidated balance sheet of the group prepared on the date of the relevant calculation in accordance with the principles with which the then latest audited balance sheet of the group was prepared;
(iii) external borrowings does not include:-
(a) borrowings owing by one member of the group to another member of the group;
(b) borrowings incurred by any member of the group for the purpose of repaying within six months of the borrowing the whole or any part of any borrowings of that or any other member of the group outstanding at the relevant time, pending their application for that purpose within that period;
(c) borrowings incurred by any member of the group for the purpose of financing any contract in respect of which any part of the price receivable under the contract by that or any other member of the group is guaranteed or insured by the Export Credits Guarantee Department or by any other governmental department or agency fulfilling a similar function, up to an amount equal to that part of the price receivable under the contract which is so guaranteed or insured;
(d) borrowings of, or amounts secured on assets of, an undertaking which became a member of the group after the date as at which the latest audited balance sheet was prepared, to the extent
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their amount does not exceed their amount immediately after it became such a member; or
(e) the minority proportion of moneys borrowed by a partly-owned member of the group and not owing to another member of the group;
(iv) when the aggregate principal amount of borrowings required to be taken into account on any particular date is being ascertained, any particular borrowing then outstanding which is denominated or repayable in a currency other than sterling shall be notionally converted into sterling at the rate of exchange prevailing in London on the last business day before that date or, if it would result in a lower figure, at the rate of exchange prevailing in London on the last business day six months before that date and so that for these purposes the rate of exchange shall be taken as the spot rate in London recommended by a London clearing bank, selected by the board, as being the most appropriate rate for the purchase by the company of the currency in question for sterling on the day in question;
(v) if the amount of the adjusted capital and reserves is being calculated in connection with a transaction involving a company becoming or ceasing to be a member of the group, the amount is to be calculated as if the transaction had already occurred;
(vi) audited balance sheet means the audited balance sheet of the company prepared for the purposes of the Companies Acts for a financial year unless an audited consolidated balance sheet dealing with the state of affairs of the group required to be dealt with in group accounts has been prepared for those purposes for the same financial year, in which case it means that audited consolidated balance sheet, and in that case all references to reserves and profit and loss account shall be deemed to be references to consolidated reserves and consolidated profit and loss account respectively;
(vii) the company may from time to time change the accounting convention on which the audited balance sheet is based provided that any new convention adopted complies with the requirements of the Companies Acts; if the company should prepare its primary audited balance sheet on the basis of one convention, but a supplementary audited balance sheet on the basis of another, the primary audited balance sheet shall be taken as the audited balance sheet;
(viii) the group means the company, its subsidiaries and any other entity the accounts of which are required to be consolidated with the accounts of the company and its subsidiaries;
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(ix) the minority proportion means a proportion equal to the proportion of the issued share capital of a partly-owned member of the group which is not attributable to a member of the group; and
(x) a certificate or report by the auditors as to the amount of the adjusted capital and reserves or the amount of any borrowings or to the effect that the limit imposed by this article has not been or will not be exceeded at any particular time or times shall be conclusive evidence of that amount or of that fact.
Any appointment or delegation by the board which is referred to in this article can be on any conditions decided on by the board.
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The board may entrust to and confer upon any director any of its powers, authorities and discretions (with power to sub-delegate) upon such terms and conditions and with such restrictions as it thinks fit, and either collaterally with, or to the exclusion of, its own powers, authorities and discretions and may from time to time revoke or vary all or any of them but no person dealing in good faith and without notice of the revocation or variation shall be affected by it. The power to delegate contained in this article shall be effective in relation to the powers, authorities and discretions of the board generally and shall not be limited by the fact that in certain articles, but not in others, express reference is made to particular powers, authorities or discretions being exercised by the board or by a committee authorised by the board.
The board may direct the company to keep, in any part of the world outside the United Kingdom in which the company transacts business, a branch register or registers of members resident in such territory, and the board may (subject to the provisions of the Companies Acts) make and vary such regulations as it thinks fit regarding the keeping of any such register or registers, provided that if there are in issue any uncertificated shares such regulations shall be consistent with the uncertificated securities rules.
The board may exercise any power conferred by the Companies Acts to make provision for the benefit of persons employed or formerly employed by the company or any of its subsidiaries in connection with the cessation or the transfer to any person of the whole or part of the undertaking of the company or that subsidiary.
Proceedings of the Board
The board may meet for the despatch of business, adjourn and otherwise regulate its meetings as it thinks fit. A meeting of the board may be called on reasonable notice by (and shall be so called by the secretary at the requisition of) any of the following:
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Notice of a board meeting shall be deemed to be properly given to a director if it is given to him personally or by word of mouth or sent in writing to him at his last known address or any other address given by him to the company for this purpose. A director may waive his entitlement to notice of any meeting either prospectively or retrospectively and any retrospective waiver shall not affect the validity of the meeting or of any business conducted at the meeting.
The quorum necessary for the transaction of the business of the board may be fixed by the board but shall not be less than three. Subject to the provisions of these articles, any director who ceases to be a director at a board meeting may continue to be present and to act as a director and be counted in the quorum until the termination of the board meeting if no other director objects and if otherwise a quorum of directors would not be present.
The continuing directors or a sole continuing director may act notwithstanding any vacancy in their number but, if and so long as the number of directors is reduced below the minimum number fixed by or in accordance with these articles or is below the number fixed by or in accordance with these articles as the quorum or there is only one continuing director, the continuing directors or director may act for the purpose of filling vacancies or of summoning general meetings of the company but not for any other purpose. If there are no directors or director able or willing to act, then any two members (excluding any member holding shares as treasury shares) may summon a general meeting for the purpose of appointing directors.
The board may appoint a chairman or joint chairmen and, if it thinks fit, a vice-chairman or joint vice-chairmen and a joint deputy chairman or deputy chairmen of its meetings and determine the period for which they respectively are to hold office. If there are joint chairmen at any time, they shall, unless otherwise determined by the board, chair alternate meetings of the board. If no chairman, vice-chairman or deputy chairman is appointed, or none is present within five minutes after the time fixed for holding any meeting, the directors present may choose one of their number to act as chairman of the meeting. If more than one person is appointed as vice-chairman or deputy chairman, and a dispute arises as to which of them shall be chairman the directors present shall determine which person is to act as chairman.
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A meeting of the board at which a quorum is present shall be competent to exercise all the powers, authorities and discretions vested in or exercisable by the board.
Questions arising at any meeting shall be determined by a majority of votes. In the case of an equality of votes the chairman of the meeting shall have a second or casting vote.
All or any of the members of the board may participate in a meeting of the board by means of a conference telephone or any communication equipment which allows all persons participating in the meeting to speak to and hear each other. A person so participating shall be deemed to be present in person at the meeting and shall be entitled to vote and be counted in a quorum accordingly.
A resolution in writing signed by a majority of the directors who are at the relevant time entitled to receive notice of a meeting of the board or a committee of the board and who would be entitled to vote on the resolution at a meeting of the board or a meeting of a committee of the board (if that number is sufficient to constitute a quorum) shall be as valid and effectual as a
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resolution passed at a meeting of the board (or, as the case may be, of that committee) properly called and constituted. The resolution may be contained in one document or in several documents in like form each signed by one or more of the directors concerned.
All acts done by the board or by any committee or sub-committee of the board or by any person acting as a director or member of a committee or sub-committee shall, notwithstanding that it is afterwards discovered that there was some defect in the appointment of any member of the board or committee or sub-committee or person so acting or that they or any of them were disqualified from holding office or had vacated office or were not entitled to vote, be as valid as if each such member or person had been properly appointed and was qualified and had continued to be a director or member of the committee or sub-committee and had been entitled to vote.
Seals
The board shall provide for the custody of every seal of the company. A seal shall only be used by the authority of the board or of a committee of the board authorised by the board in that behalf. Subject as otherwise provided in these articles, and to any resolution of the board or committee of the board dispensing with the requirement for counter-signature on any occasion, any instrument to which the common seal is applied shall be signed by at least one director and the secretary, or by at least two directors or by one director in the presence of a witness who attests the signature or by such other person or persons as the board may approve. Any instrument to which an official seal is applied need not, unless the board otherwise decides or the law otherwise requires, be signed by any person.
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Dividends and Other Payments
The company may by ordinary resolution from time to time declare dividends in accordance with the respective rights of the members, but no dividend shall exceed the amount recommended by the board.
The board may pay such interim dividends as appear to the board to be justified by the financial position of the company and may also pay any dividend payable at a fixed rate at intervals settled by the board whenever the financial position of the company, in the opinion of the board, justifies its payment. If the board acts in good faith, it shall not incur any liability to the holders of any shares for any loss they may suffer in consequence of the payment of an interim or fixed dividend on any other class of shares ranking pari passu with or after those shares.
Except in so far as the rights attaching to, or the terms of issue of, any share otherwise provide:-
(i) all dividends shall be declared and paid according to the amounts paid up on the share in respect of which the dividend is paid, but no amount paid up on a share in advance of calls shall be treated for the purposes of this article as paid up on the share;
(ii) all dividends shall be apportioned and paid pro rata according to the amounts paid up on the share during any portion or portions of the period in respect of which the dividend is paid; and
(iii) dividends may be declared or paid in any currency.
The board shall decide, in accordance with article 118, the basis of conversion for any currency conversions that may be required and how any costs involved are to be met.
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The board may deduct from any dividend or other moneys payable to a member by the company on or in respect of any shares all sums of money (if any) presently payable by him to the company on account of calls or otherwise in respect of shares of the company. Sums so deducted can be used to pay amounts owing to the company in respect of the shares.
Subject to the rights attaching to, or the terms of issue of, any shares, no dividend or other moneys payable by the company on or in respect of any share shall bear interest against the company.
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The company may cease to send any cheque, warrant or similar financial instrument through the post or to employ any other means of payment, including payment by means of a relevant system, for any dividend payable on any shares in the company which is normally paid in that manner on those shares if in respect of at least two consecutive dividends payable on those shares the cheques, warrants or similar financial instruments have been returned undelivered or remain uncashed during or at the end of the period for which the same are valid or that means of payment has failed. In addition, the company may cease to send any cheque, warrant or similar financial instrument through the post or may cease to employ any other means of payment if, in respect of one dividend payable on those shares, the cheque, warrant or similar financial instrument has been returned undelivered or remains uncashed during or at the end of the period for which the same is valid or that means of payment has failed and reasonable enquiries have failed to establish any new postal address or account of the holder. Subject to the provisions of these articles, the company must recommence sending cheques, warrants or similar financial instruments or employing such other means in respect of dividends payable on those shares if the holder or person entitled by transmission requests such recommencement in writing.
All dividends or other sums payable on or in respect of any shares which remain unclaimed may be invested or otherwise made use of by the board for the benefit of the company until claimed. Any dividend or other sum unclaimed after a period of 12 years from the date when it was declared or became due for payment shall be forfeited and shall revert to the company unless the board decides otherwise and the payment by the board of any unclaimed dividend or other sum payable on or in respect of a share into a separate account shall not constitute the company a trustee in respect of it.
Any general meeting declaring a dividend may, upon the recommendation of the board, by ordinary resolution direct that it shall be satisfied wholly or partly by the distribution of assets, and in particular of paid up shares or debentures of any other company, and where any difficulty
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arises in regard to the distribution the board may settle it as it thinks expedient, and in particular may authorise any person to sell and transfer any fractions or may ignore fractions altogether, and may fix the value for distribution purposes of any assets or any part thereof to be distributed and may determine that cash shall be paid to any members upon the footing of the value so fixed in order to secure equality of distribution and may vest any assets to be distributed in trustees as may seem expedient to the board.
The board may from time to time make available to members the opportunity to participate in a dividend reinvestment plan or similar scheme.
Capitalisation of Reserves
The company may, upon the recommendation of the board, at any time and from time to time pass an ordinary resolution to the effect that it is desirable to capitalise all or any part of any amount standing to the credit of any reserve or fund (including the profit and loss account) at the relevant time whether or not the same is available for distribution and accordingly that the amount to be capitalised be set free for distribution among the members or any class of members who would be entitled to it if it were distributed by way of dividend and in the same proportions, on the footing that it is applied either in or towards paying up the amounts unpaid at the relevant time on any shares in the company held by those members respectively or in paying up in full unissued shares, debentures or other obligations of the company to be allotted and distributed credited as fully paid up among those members, or partly in one way and partly in the other, but so that, for the purposes of this article:
The board may authorise any person to enter into an agreement with the company on behalf of the persons entitled to participate in the distribution and the agreement shall be binding on those persons.
Where any difficulty arises in regard to any distribution of any capitalised reserve or fund the board may settle the matter as it thinks expedient and in particular may authorise any person to sell and transfer any fractions or may resolve that the distribution should be as nearly as may be practicable in the correct proportion but not exactly so or may ignore fractions altogether, and
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may determine that cash payments shall be made to any members in order to adjust the rights of all parties, as may seem expedient to the board.
Record Dates
Notwithstanding any other provision of these articles, the company or the board may fix any date as the record date for any dividend, distribution, allotment or issue and such record date may be on or at any time before or after any date on which the dividend, distribution, allotment or issue is declared, paid or made. The power to fix any such record date shall include the power to fix a time on the chosen date.
Records and Summary Financial Statements
No member in his capacity as such shall have any right of inspecting any accounting record or book or document of the company except as conferred by law, ordered by a court of competent jurisdiction or authorised by the board or by ordinary resolution of the company.
The company may send summary financial statements to members of the company instead of copies of its full accounts and reports and for the purposes of this article sending includes using electronic means and by making it available on a website and notifying the member of its availability.
Service of Notices and Documents
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Any notice, document or other information may be served, sent or delivered by the company by reference to the register as it stands at any time not more than 21 days before the date of service, sending or delivery. No change in the register after that time shall invalidate that service, sending or delivery. Where any notice or document is served on or sent or delivered to any person in respect of a share in accordance with these articles, no person deriving any title or interest in that share shall be entitled to any further service, sending or delivery of that notice or document.
A person who is entitled by transmission to a share, upon supplying the company with a postal address within the United Kingdom or the Republic of Ireland for the service of notices shall be entitled to have served upon or delivered to him at such address any notice, document or other information to which he would have been entitled if he were the holder of that share or, where
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applicable, may be notified at that address of the availability of the notice, document or other information on a website. Subject to these articles, a person who is entitled by transmission to a share, upon supplying the company with an address for the purposes of communications by electronic means for the service of notices may have sent to him at such address any notice, document or other information to which he would have been entitled if he were the holder of that share or, where applicable, may be notified at that address of the availability of the notice, document or other information on a website. In either case, such service, sending or delivery shall for all purposes be deemed a sufficient service, sending or delivery of such notice, document or other information on all persons interested (whether jointly with or as claimants through or under him) in the share. Otherwise, any notice, document or other information served on or sent or delivered to any member pursuant to these articles shall, notwithstanding that the member is then dead or bankrupt or that any other event giving rise to the transmission of the share by operation of law has occurred and whether or not the company has notice of the death, bankruptcy or other event, be deemed to have been properly served, sent or delivered in respect of any share registered in the name of that member as sole or joint holder.
Any notice, document or other information, if sent by the company by post, shall be deemed to have been received on the day following that on which it was put in the post if first class post was used or 72 hours after it was posted if first class post was not used and, in proving service or delivery, it shall be sufficient to prove that the notice, document or other information was properly addressed, prepaid and put in the post. Any notice, document or other information not sent by post but left by the company at a registered address or at an address (other than an address for the purposes of communications by electronic means) notified to the company in accordance with these articles by a person who is entitled by transmission to a share shall be deemed to have been received on the day it was so left. Any notice, document or other information served or delivered by the company by means of a relevant system shall be deemed to have been received when the company or any sponsoring system-participant acting on its behalf sends the issuer-instruction relating to the notice, document or other information. Any notice or document sent by the company using electronic means shall be deemed to have been received on the day following that on which it was sent notwithstanding that the company subsequently sends a hard copy of such notice, document or information by post. Any notice, document or other information made available on a website shall be deemed to have been received on the day on which the notice, document or other information was first made available on the website or, if later, when a notice of availability is deemed to have been served, sent or supplied pursuant to this article. In proving that a notice, document or other information sent or supplied by electronic means was given, sent or supplied, it shall be sufficient to prove that it was properly addressed. Any notice or document served, sent or delivered by the company by any other means authorised in writing by the member concerned shall be deemed to have been received when the company has carried out the action it has been authorised to take for that purpose.
If there is a suspension or curtailment of postal services within the United Kingdom or the Republic of Ireland or some part of the United Kingdom or the Republic of Ireland, the company need only give notice of a general meeting to those members with whom the company can
52
communicate by electronic means and who have provided the company with an address for this purpose. The company shall also advertise the notice in at least one leading national daily newspaper published in the United Kingdom and in one leading national daily newspaper published in the Republic of Ireland and make it available on its website from the date of such advertisement until the conclusion of the meeting or any adjournment thereof. If at least seven clear days prior to the meeting the sending of notices by post in hard copy form has again become generally possible, the company shall send confirmatory copies of the notice by post to the persons who would otherwise receive the notice in hard copy form.
Any member present, either in person or by proxy, at any general meeting of the company or of the holders of any class of shares in the company shall for all purposes be deemed to have received due notice of that meeting and of the purposes for which the meeting was called.
Destruction of Documents
If the company destroys or deletes:-
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and the company destroys or deletes the document or instruction in good faith and without express notice that its preservation was relevant to a claim, it shall be presumed irrebuttably in favour of the company that every share certificate so destroyed was a valid certificate and was properly cancelled, that every instrument of transfer or Operator-instruction so destroyed or deleted was a valid and effective instrument of transfer or instruction and was properly registered and that every other document so destroyed was a valid and effective document and that any particulars of it which are recorded in the books or records of the company were correctly recorded. If the documents relate to uncertificated shares, the company must comply with any requirements of the uncertificated securities rules which limit its ability to destroy these documents. Nothing contained in this article shall be construed as imposing upon the company any liability which, but for this article, would not exist or by reason only of the destruction of any document of the kind mentioned above before the relevant period mentioned in this article has elapsed or of the fact that any other condition precedent to its destruction mentioned above has not been fulfilled. References in this article to the destruction of any document include references to its disposal in any manner.
Indemnity
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CONTENTS
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Page |
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1. |
Exclusion of Model Articles |
1 |
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2. |
Definitions |
1 |
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3. |
Limited Liability |
3 |
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4. |
Change of Name |
3 |
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5. |
Rights Attached to Shares |
3 |
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6. |
Redeemable Shares |
4 |
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7. |
Variation of Rights |
4 |
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8. |
Pari Passu Issues |
4 |
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9. |
Shares |
4 |
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10. |
Payment of Commission |
4 |
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11. |
Trusts Not Recognised |
5 |
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12. |
Suspension of Rights Where Non-Disclosure of Interest |
5 |
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13. |
Uncertificated Shares |
8 |
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14. |
Right to Share Certificates |
9 |
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15. |
Replacement of Share Certificates |
10 |
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16. |
Execution of Share Certificates |
10 |
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17. |
Share Certificates Sent at Holders Risk |
10 |
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18. |
Companys Lien on Shares Not Fully Paid |
10 |
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19. |
Enforcing Lien by Sale |
10 |
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20. |
Application of Proceeds of Sale |
11 |
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21. |
Calls |
11 |
ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION
of
DIAGEO PLC
(adopted by special resolution on 14 October 2009)
Slaughter and May
One Bunhill Row
London EC1Y 8YY