UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

 


 

FORM 8-K

 


 

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the

Securities Exchange Act of 1934

 

Date of report (date of earliest event reported): October 30, 2013

 


 

SEAGATE TECHNOLOGY PUBLIC LIMITED COMPANY

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

 


 

Ireland

 

001-31560

 

98-0648577

(State or Other Jurisdiction
of Incorporation)

 

(Commission File Number)

 

(IRS Employer
Identification Number)

 

38/39 Fitzwilliam Square
Dublin 2
Ireland

 

NA

(Address of Principal Executive Office)

 

(Zip Code)

 

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: + (353) (1) 234-3136

 

NA

(Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report)

 


 

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):

 

o             Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

 

o             Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

 

o             Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

 

o             Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

 

 

 



 

Item 5.02                 Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.

 

(e)                Adoption of Amended and Restated Executive Officer Performance Bonus Plan

 

The Annual General Meeting of Shareholders (“AGM”) of Seagate Technology plc (the “Company”) was held on October 30, 2013.  The shareholders approved the Company’s Amended and Restated Executive Officer Performance Bonus Plan (the “EOPB”) at the AGM. The EOPB will govern the award and payment of bonuses to the Company’s executive officers.  The Board of Directors had adopted the EOPB on July 23, 2013, subject to shareholder approval at the AGM.

 

The purpose of the EOPB is to motivate our executive officers and reward them for producing results that increase shareholder value. The bonuses awarded under the EOPB are generally intended to be “qualified performance-based compensation” under Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (“Section 162(m)”). Our Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”) and any other executive who is subject to the requirements of Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and who is selected to participate in the EOPB by the Compensation Committee (the “Committee”) is eligible for a bonus award under the EOPB. Currently, there are five executive officers, including our CEO, who are eligible to participate in the EOPB for our 2014 fiscal year, with a target bonus award equal to 100% of annual base salary for each of the participants except the CEO whose target bonus award is equal to 150% of his annual base salary.

 

Each participant’s bonus will be based on the achievement of one or more performance targets, as determined by the Committee for each performance period within the time period mandated under Section 162(m). The potential performance criteria, as well as the permitted adjustments to such criteria, are set forth on pages 26 and 27 of the Company’s Proxy Statement filed with the SEC on September 11, 2013. The maximum bonus that may be paid to any participant under the EOPB in respect of any performance period (which period may be shorter than, equal to or longer than a year, as determined by the Committee) may not exceed $10 million and, in any case, may not exceed $15 million in any fiscal year. The performance bonus awards (if any) are generally paid following written certification by the Committee as to the level of achievement of the applicable performance target(s); awards are payable in cash, with payment no later than the 15 th  day of the third month following the end of the performance period to which such bonus award relates.

 

A participant who, whether voluntarily or involuntarily, is terminated or demoted or otherwise ceases to be an executive officer at any time during a performance period or before payment of a bonus award will not generally be eligible to receive a bonus award in respect of that performance period, although the Committee may provide for payment of bonus awards in its discretion in the event of a participant’s death or disability or in the event of a change in ownership or control of the Company. In addition, in the event of a “qualifying termination of employment” within the meaning of the Fifth Amended and Restated Executive Severance and Change in Control Plan, a participant may have rights to receive a full or partial bonus award under the terms of that plan.

 

Awards under the EOPB are based on actual future performance and, as a result, the amounts that will be paid under the EOPB are not currently determinable. The above description of the EOPB is qualified in its entirely by reference to the EOPB, a copy of which is filed as Exhibit 10.1 hereto and incorporated by reference herein.

 

Item 5.03                    Amendments to Articles of Incorporation or Bylaws; Change in Fiscal Year.

 

(a)               Amendments to Articles of Association

 

On October 30, 2013, the shareholders voting at the AGM approved by special resolutions the following four amendments to the Company’s Articles of Association (the “Articles”):

 

(a)               to remove restrictions on holding general meetings outside of the U.S.,

(b)               to clarify the right of members to appoint one or more proxies,

(c)                to provide for escheatment in accordance with U.S. law, and

(d)               to clarify the mechanism used by the Company to effect share repurchases.

 

2



 

Each of the foregoing amendments to the Articles is described and disclosed in the Company’s Proxy Statement filed with the SEC on September 11, 2013 at pages 33 to 36. The foregoing description of the changes to the Articles is qualified in its entirety by reference to the complete text of the Articles, which are attached as Exhibit 3.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and incorporated by reference herein.

 

Item 5.07                    Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders.

 

On October 30, 2013, the Company held its 2013 AGM at which its shareholders: (1) elected all twelve of the Company’s nominees for director; (2) approved the Company’s Amended and Restated Executive Officer Performance Bonus Plan; (3) authorized the reissue price range of treasury shares; (4) authorized the 2014 Annual General Meeting of Shareholders to be held at a location outside of Ireland; (5) held a non-binding advisory vote on executive compensation matters; (6) approved four amendments to the Company’s Articles of Association to (a) remove restrictions on holding general meetings outside of the U.S., (b) clarify the right of members to appoint one or more proxies, (c) provide for escheatment in accordance with U.S. law, and (d) clarify the mechanism used by the Company to effect share repurchases; and (7) ratified, in a non-binding vote, the appointment of Ernst & Young to serve as the Company’s independent auditors for the fiscal year ending June 27, 2014 and authorized, in a binding vote, the Audit Committee to set the auditors’ remuneration.

 

The final voting results on these proposals are as follows:

 

Proposal 1(a) - (l). To elect twelve (12) directors to hold office until the Company’s next Annual General Meeting of Shareholders:

 

 

 

Nominees

 

For

 

Against

 

Abstain

 

Broker Non
Vote

 

(a)

 

Stephen J. Luczo

 

248,489,318

 

13,812,186

 

3,836,758

 

32,513,807

 

(b)

 

Frank J. Biondi, Jr.

 

258,801,700

 

6,115,660

 

1,220,902

 

32,513,807

 

(c)

 

Michael R. Cannon

 

263,478,775

 

1,847,968

 

811,519

 

32,513,807

 

(d)

 

Mei-Wei Cheng

 

265,069,184

 

257,605

 

811,473

 

32,513,807

 

(e)

 

William T. Coleman

 

265,029,419

 

288,718

 

820,125

 

32,513,807

 

(f)

 

Jay L. Geldmacher

 

265,055,164

 

273,093

 

810,005

 

32,513,807

 

(g)

 

Dr. Seh-Woong Jeong

 

263,825,381

 

1,501,014

 

811,867

 

32,513,807

 

(h)

 

Lydia M. Marshall

 

261,475,409

 

3,453,641

 

1,209,212

 

32,513,807

 

(i)

 

Kristen M. Onken

 

265,105,813

 

218,085

 

814,364

 

32,513,807

 

(j)

 

Dr. Chong Sup Park

 

264,499,427

 

807,411

 

831,424

 

32,513,807

 

(k)

 

Gregorio Reyes

 

264,627,121

 

689,475

 

821,666

 

32,513,807

 

(l)

 

Edward J. Zander

 

264,649,440

 

283,628

 

1,205,194

 

32,513,807

 

 

Proposal 2. To approve the Seagate Technology plc Amended and Restated Executive Officer Performance Bonus Plan:

 

For

 

Against

 

Abstain

 

Broker Non Vote

 

255,718,947

 

9,470,854

 

948,461

 

32,513,807

 

 

Proposal 3. To determine the price range at which the Company can reissue treasury shares off-market:

 

For

 

Against

 

Abstain

 

Broker Non Vote

 

296,414,225

 

1,322,571

 

915,273

 

 

 

Proposal 4 .  To authorize the holding of the 2014 Annual General Meeting of Shareholders at a location outside of Ireland:

 

For

 

Against

 

Abstain

 

Broker Non Vote

 

297,604,081

 

249,523

 

798,465

 

 

 

3



 

Proposal 5. To approve, in a non-binding advisory vote, the Company’s named executive officer compensation:

 

For

 

Against

 

Abstain

 

Broker Non Vote

 

252,561,846

 

12,674,091

 

902,325

 

32,513,807

 

 

Proposal 6. To approve four amendments to the Company’s Articles of Association as follows:

 

(a)                                  remove restrictions on holding general meetings outside of the U.S.:

 

For

 

Against

 

Abstain

 

Broker Non Vote

 

264,716,150

 

610,313

 

811,799

 

32,513,807

 

 

(b)                                  clarify the right of members to appoint one or more proxies:

 

For

 

Against

 

Abstain

 

Broker Non Vote

 

264,925,541

 

336,597

 

876,124

 

32,513,807

 

 

(c)                                   provide for escheatment in accordance with U.S. law:

 

For

 

Against

 

Abstain

 

Broker Non Vote

 

264,993,256

 

220,394

 

924,612

 

32,513,807

 

 

(d)                                  clarify the mechanism used by the Company to effect share repurchases:

 

For

 

Against

 

Abstain

 

Broker Non Vote

 

265,093,137

 

202,781

 

842,344

 

32,513,807

 

 

Proposal 7.         To ratify, in a non-binding vote, the appointment of Ernst & Young as the independent auditors of the Company for the fiscal year ending June 27, 2014 and to authorize, in a binding vote, the Audit Committee to set the auditors’ remuneration:

 

For

 

Against

 

Abstain

 

Broker Non Vote

 

296,297,322

 

1,322,642

 

1,032,105

 

 

 

Item 9.01                    Financial Statements and Exhibits.

 

(d)  Exhibits

 

3.1                          Memorandum and Articles of Association of Seagate Technology plc, as amended and restated by special resolution dated October 30, 2013.

 

10.1                   Seagate Technology plc Amended and Restated Executive Officer Performance Bonus Plan.

 

4



 

SIGNATURE

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, hereunto duly authorized.

 

 

 

SEAGATE TECHNOLOGY PUBLIC LIMITED COMPANY

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Kenneth M. Massaroni

 

Name:

Kenneth M. Massaroni

 

Title:

Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Chief Administrative Officer

 

 

 

Date: November 1, 2013

 

 

 

5



 

EXHIBIT INDEX

 

Exhibit No.

 

Description

 

 

 

3.1

 

Memorandum and Articles of Association of Seagate Technology plc, as amended and restated by special resolution dated October 30, 2013.

 

 

 

10.1

 

Seagate Technology plc Amended and Restated Executive Officer Performance Bonus Plan.

 

6


Exhibit 3.1

 

Companies Acts 1963 to 2012

 


 

A PUBLIC COMPANY LIMITED BY SHARES

 


 

MEMORANDUM AND ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION

 

of

 

SEAGATE TECHNOLOGY PUBLIC LIMITED COMPANY

 

(Amended and restated by Special Resolution dated 30 October 2013)

 


 

Incorporated the 22 nd  day of January 2010

 


 

 

DUBLIN

 



 

Cert. No. 480010

 

Companies Acts 1963 to 2012

 

A PUBLIC COMPANY LIMITED BY SHARES

 

MEMORANDUM OF ASSOCIATION

 

of

 

Seagate Technology Public Limited Company

 

As amended and restated by Special Resolution dated 1 July 2010

 

1.                                       The name of the Company is Seagate Technology public limited company .

 

2.                                       The registered office of the Company shall be at Arthur Cox Building, Earlsfort Centre, Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin 2 or at such other place as the Board may from time to time decide.

 

3.                                       The Company is to be a public limited company.

 

4.                                       The objects for which the Company is established are:

 

(1)                                  (a)                                  To carry on the business of a provider of hard disk drives, to design, manufacture, market and sell hard disk drives and all devices that store digitally encoded data.

 

(b)                                  To carry on the business of designing, manufacturing, marketing and selling media for storing electronic data in systems ranging from desktop and notebook computers, and consumer electronics devices to data centers delivering electronic data over corporate networks and the internet.

 

(c)                                   To carry on the business of producing a broad range of disk drive products and other data storage products addressing enterprise applications, mainframes and workstations, desktop applications, mobile computing applications,  and consumer electronics applications and to provide data storage services for small to medium sized businesses, including online backup, data protection and recovery solutions.

 

(d)                                  To carry on the business of a holding company and to co-ordinate the administration, finances and activities of any subsidiary companies or associated companies, to do all lawful acts and things whatever that are necessary or convenient in carrying on the business of such a holding company and in particular to carry on in all its branches the business of a management services company, to act as managers and to direct or coordinate the management of other companies or of the business, property and estates of any company or person and to undertake and carry out all such services in connection therewith as may be deemed expedient by the Company’s Board and to exercise its powers as a shareholder of other companies.

 

(e)                                   To acquire the entire issued share capital of Seagate Technology, a Cayman Island registered company.

 

1



 

(2)                                  To acquire and hold shares, stocks, debenture stock, bonds, mortgages, obligations and securities and interests of any kind issued or guaranteed by any company, corporation or undertaking of whatever nature and wherever constituted or carrying on business, whether in Ireland or elsewhere, and to vary, transpose, dispose of or otherwise deal with, from time to time as may be considered expedient, any of the Company’s investments for the time being.

 

(3)                                  To acquire any such shares and other securities as are mentioned in the preceding paragraph by subscription, syndicate participation, tender, purchase, exchange or otherwise and to subscribe for the same, either conditionally or otherwise, and to guarantee the subscription thereof and to exercise and enforce all rights and powers conferred by or incident to the ownership thereof.

 

(4)                                  To lease, acquire by purchase or otherwise and hold, sell, dispose of and deal in real property and in personal property of all kinds wheresoever situated.

 

(5)                                  To enter into any guarantee, contract of indemnity or suretyship and to assure, support or secure with or without consideration or benefit the performance of any obligations of any person or persons and to guarantee the fidelity of individuals filling or about to fill situations of trust or confidence.

 

(6)                                  To acquire or undertake the whole or any part of the business, property and liabilities of any person carrying on any business that the Company is authorized to carry on.

 

(7)                                  To apply for, register, purchase, lease, acquire, hold, use, control, licence, sell, assign or dispose of patents, patent rights, copyrights, trade marks, formulae, licences, inventions, processes, distinctive marks and similar rights.

 

(8)                                  To enter into partnership or into any arrangement for sharing of profits, union of interests, co-operation, joint venture, reciprocal concession or otherwise with any person carrying on or engaged in or about to carry on or engage in any business or transaction that the Company is authorized to carry on or engage in or any business or transaction capable of being conducted so as to benefit the Company.

 

(9)                                  To take or otherwise acquire and hold securities in any other body corporate having objects altogether or in part similar to those of the Company or carrying on any business capable of being conducted so as to benefit the Company.

 

(10)                           To lend money to any employee or to any person having dealings with the Company or with whom the Company proposes to have dealings or to any other body corporate any of whose shares are held by the Company.

 

(11)                           To apply for, secure or acquire by grant, legislative enactment, assignment, transfer, purchase or otherwise and to exercise, carry out and enjoy any charter, licence, power, authority, franchise, concession, right or privilege, that any government or authority or any body corporate or other public body may be empowered to grant, and to pay for, aid in and contribute toward carrying it into effect and to assume any liabilities or obligations incidental thereto and to enter into any arrangements with any governments or authorities, supreme, municipal, local or otherwise, that may seem conducive to the Company’s objects or any of them.

 

(12)                           To perform any duty or duties imposed on the Company by or under any enactment and to exercise any power conferred on the Company by or under any enactment.

 

2



 

(13)                           To incorporate or cause to be incorporated any one or more subsidiaries of the Company (within the meaning of section 155 of the 1963 Act) for the purpose of carrying on any business.

 

(14)                           To establish and support or aid in the establishment and support of associations, institutions, funds or trusts for the benefit of employees, directors and/or consultants or former employees, directors and/ or consultants of the Company or its predecessors or any of its subsidiary or associated companies, or the dependants or connections of such employees, directors and/or consultants or former employees, directors and/or consultants and grant gratuities, pensions and allowances, including the establishment of share option schemes, enabling employees, directors and/or consultants of the Company or other persons aforesaid to become shareholders in the Company, or otherwise to participate in the profits of the Company upon such terms and in such manner as the Company thinks fit, and to make payments towards insurance or for any object similar to those set forth in this paragraph.

 

(15)                           To establish and contribute to any scheme for the purchase by trustees of Shares in the Company to be held for the benefit of the Company’s employees or the employees of any of its subsidiary or associated companies and to lend or otherwise provide money to the trustees of such schemes or the Company’s employees or the employees of any of its subsidiary or associated companies to enable them to purchase Shares of the Company.

 

(16)                           To grant bonuses to any person or persons who are or have been in the employment of the Company or any of its subsidiary or associated companies or any person or persons who are or have been directors of, or consultants to, the Company or any of its subsidiary or associated companies.

 

(17)                           To establish any scheme or otherwise to provide for the purchase by or on behalf of customers of the Company of Shares in the Company.

 

(18)                           To subscribe or guarantee money for charitable, benevolent, educational or religious objects or for any exhibition or for any public, general or useful objects.

 

(19)                           To promote any company for the purpose of acquiring or taking over any of the property and liabilities of the Company or for any other purpose that may benefit the Company.

 

(20)                           To purchase, lease, take in exchange, hire or otherwise acquire any personal property and any rights or privileges that the Company considers necessary or convenient for the purposes of its business.

 

(21)                           To construct, maintain, alter, renovate and demolish any buildings or works necessary or convenient for its objects.

 

(22)                           To construct, improve, maintain, work, manage, carry out or control any roads, ways, tramways, branches or sidings, bridges, reservoirs, watercourses, wharves, factories, warehouses, electric works, shops, stores and other works and conveniences that may advance the interests of the Company and contribute to, subsidize or otherwise assist or take part in the construction, improvement, maintenance, working, management and carrying out of control thereof.

 

(23)                           To raise and assist in raising money for, and aid by way of bonus, loan, promise, endorsement, guarantee or otherwise, any person and guarantee the performance or fulfilment of any contracts or obligations of any person, and in particular guarantee

 

3



 

the payment of the principal of and interest on the debt obligations of any such person.

 

(24)                           To borrow or raise or secure the payment of money (including money in a currency other than the currency of Ireland) in such manner as the Company shall think fit and in particular by the issue of debentures or any other securities, perpetual or otherwise, charged upon all or any of the Company’s property, both present and future, including its uncalled capital and to purchase, redeem or pay off any such securities.

 

(25)                           To engage in currency exchange, interest rate and/or commodity or index linked transactions (whether in connection with or incidental to any other contract, undertaking or business entered into or carried on by the Company or whether as an independent object or activity) including, but not limited to, dealings in foreign currency, spot and forward rate exchange contracts, futures, options, forward rate agreements, swaps, caps, floors, collars, commodity or index linked swaps and any other foreign exchange, interest rate or commodity or index linked arrangements and such other instruments as are similar to or derive from any of the foregoing whether for the purpose of making a profit or avoiding a loss or managing a currency or interest rate exposure or any other purpose and to enter into any contract for and to exercise and enforce all rights and powers conferred by or incidental, directly or indirectly, to such transactions or termination of any such transactions.

 

(26)                           To remunerate any person or company for services rendered or to be rendered in placing or assisting to place or guaranteeing the placing of any of the Shares of the Company’s capital or any debentures, debenture stock or other securities of the Company or in or about the formation or promotion of the Company or the conduct of its business.

 

(27)                           To draw, make, accept, endorse, discount, execute and issue bills of exchange, promissory notes, bills of lading, warrants and other negotiable or transferable instruments.

 

(28)                           To sell, lease, exchange or otherwise dispose of the undertaking of the Company or any part thereof as an entirety or substantially as an entirety for such consideration as the Company thinks fit.

 

(29)                           To sell, improve, manage, develop, exchange, lease, dispose of, turn to account or otherwise deal with the property of the Company in the ordinary course of its business.

 

(30)                           To adopt such means of making known the products of the Company as may seem expedient, and in particular by advertising, by purchase and exhibition of works of art or interest, by publication of books and periodicals and by granting prizes and rewards and making donations.

 

(31)                           To cause the Company to be registered and recognized in any foreign jurisdiction, and designate persons therein according to the laws of that foreign jurisdiction or to represent the Company and to accept service for and on behalf of the Company of any process or suit.

 

(32)                           To allot and issue fully-paid Shares of the Company in payment or part payment of any property purchased or otherwise acquired by the Company or for any past services performed for the Company.

 

(33)                           To distribute among the Members of the Company in cash, kind, specie or otherwise as may be resolved, by way of dividend, bonus or in any other manner considered

 

4



 

advisable, any property of the Company, but not so as to decrease the capital of the Company unless the distribution is made for the purpose of enabling the Company to be dissolved or the distribution, apart from this paragraph, would be otherwise lawful.

 

(34)                           To promote freedom of contract, and to resist, insure against, counteract and discourage interference therewith, to join any lawful federation, union or association or do any other lawful act or thing with a view to preventing or resisting directly or indirectly any interruption of or interference with the Company’s or any other trade or business or providing or safeguarding against the same, or resisting strike, movement or organisation, which may be thought detrimental to the interests or opposing any of the Company or its employees and to subscribe to any association or fund for any such purposes.

 

(35)                           To make or receive gifts by way of capital contribution or otherwise.

 

(36)                           To establish agencies and branches.

 

(37)                           To take or hold mortgages, hypothecations, liens and charges to secure payment of the purchase price, or of any unpaid balance of the purchase price, of any part of the property of the Company of whatsoever kind sold by the Company, or for any money due to the Company from purchasers and others and to sell or otherwise dispose of any such mortgage, hypothec, lien or charge.

 

(38)                           To pay all costs and expenses of or incidental to the incorporation and organization of the Company.

 

(39)                           To invest and deal with the moneys of the Company not immediately required for the objects of the Company in such manner as may be determined.

 

(40)                           To do any of the things authorized by this memorandum as principals, agents, contractors, trustees or otherwise, and either alone or in conjunction with others.

 

(41)                           To do all such other things as are incidental or conductive to the attainment of the objects and the exercise of the powers of the Company.

 

5.                                       The liability of each Member is limited to the amount from time to time unpaid on such Member’s Shares.

 

6.                                       The authorized share capital of the Company is €40,000 and US$13,500 and consists of (a) 40,000 deferred shares of €1.00 each (the “ Deferred Shares ”), (b) 1,250,000,000 ordinary shares with a nominal value of US $0.00001 per share and having the rights and privileges attached thereto as provided in the Company’s Articles of Association (the “ Ordinary Shares ”) and (c) 100,000,000 undesignated preferred shares with a nominal value of US $0.00001 per share and having the rights and preferences attached thereto as provided in the Company’s Articles of Association (the “ Preferred Shares ”).

 

7.                                       The shares forming the capital, increased or reduced, may be increased or reduced and be divided into such classes and issued with any special rights, privileges and conditions or with such qualifications as regards preference, dividend, capital, voting or other special incidents, and be held upon such terms as may be attached thereto or as may from time to time be provided by the original or any substituted or amended articles of association and regulations of the Company for the time being, but so that where shares are issued with any preferential or special rights attached thereto such rights shall not be alterable otherwise than pursuant to the provisions of the Company’s articles of association for the time being.

 

8.                                       Capitalised terms that are not defined in this memorandum of association bear the same meaning as those given in the articles of association of the Company.

 

5



 

WE, the several persons whose names, addresses and descriptions are subscribed, wish to be formed into a Company in pursuance of this memorandum of association, and we agree to take the number of Shares in the capital of the Company set opposite our respective names.

 

Names, addresses and descriptions

 

Number of Shares taken

of subscribers

 

by each subscriber

 

 

 

For and on behalf of

 

 

Seagate Technology

 

 

P.O. Box 309, Ugland House,

 

 

Grand Cayman KY1-1104

 

 

Cayman Island

 

Thirty nine thousand nine hundred and ninety four Ordinary Shares

 

 

 

Corporate Body

 

 

 

 

 

Stephen J. Luczo

 

 

P.O. Box 67249, Scotts Valley, CA 95067, USA

 

 

Chairman, President and CEO

 

One Ordinary Share

 

 

 

Patrick J. O’Malley III

 

 

20770 Monte Sunset Drive, San Jose, CA 95120, USA

 

 

Executive Vice President and CFO

 

One Ordinary Share

 

 

 

Robert W. Whitmore

 

 

2440 Cedar Lane, Minneapolis, MN 55416, USA

 

 

Executive Vice President and CTO

 

One Ordinary Share

 

 

 

Kenneth M. Massaroni

 

 

14382 Starrwood Circle, Eden Prairie, MN 55347, USA

 

 

Senior Vice President, Corporate Secretary and

 

 

General Counsel

 

One Ordinary Share

 

 

 

Stephen P. Sedler

 

 

20711 Verde Vista Lane, Saratoga, CA 95070, USA

 

 

Senior Vice President and Assistant Secretary

 

One Ordinary Share

 

 

 

David H. Morton Jr.

 

 

126 Ohlone Court, Los Gatos, CA 95032, USA

 

 

Vice President, Treasurer and Principal

 

 

Accounting Officer

 

One Ordinary Share

 

Dated the 21 day of January 2010

 

Witnesses to the above signatures:

 

Georgia Brint

Saralyn D. Brown

Robert Wenner

920 Disc Drive, Scotts Valley

920 Disc Drive, Scotts Valley

1280 Dis Drive, Shakopee,

CA 95066, USA

CA 95066, USA

MN 55379, USA

 

 

 

Demetrios N. Mavrikis

Jenny Wood

Kevin Cope

920 Disc Drive, Scotts Valley

920 Disc Drive, Scotts Valley

920 Disc Drive,

CA 95066, USA

CA 95066, USA

Scotts Valley, CA 95066

 

 

USA

 

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Cert. No.  480010

 

Companies Acts 1963 to 2012

 

A PUBLIC COMPANY LIMITED BY SHARES

 

ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION

 

of

 

Seagate Technology Public Limited Company

 

(Amended and restated by Special Resolution dated 30 October 2013)

 

PRELIMINARY

 

1.                                       The regulations contained in Table A in the First Schedule to the 1963 Act shall not apply to the Company.

 

2.                                       (1)                                  In these Articles:

 

1963 Act

 

means the Companies Act 1963.

 

 

 

1983 Act

 

means the Companies (Amendment) Act 1983.

 

 

 

1990 Act

 

means the Companies Act 1990.

 

 

 

address

 

includes, without limitation, any number or address used for the purposes of communication by way of electronic mail or other electronic communication.

 

 

 

Articles ” or “ Articles of Association

 

means these articles of association of the Company, as amended from time to time by Special Resolution.

 

 

 

Assistant Secretary

 

means any person appointed by the Secretary from time to time to assist the Secretary.

 

 

 

Auditors

 

means the persons for the time being performing the duties of auditors of the Company.

 

 

 

Beneficial Owner

 

means a person who is the beneficial owner of Shares held in a voting trust or by a Member on such beneficial owner’s behalf.

 

 

 

Board

 

means the board of directors for the time being of the Company.

 

 

 

clear days

 

means in relation to a period of notice, that period excluding the day when the notice is given or deemed to be given and the day for

 

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which it is given or on which it is to take effect.

 

 

 

Companies Acts

 

means the Companies Acts 1963-2012.

 

 

 

Company

 

means the above-named company.

 

 

 

Covered Person

 

shall have the meaning given to such term in Article 182.

 

 

 

Court

 

means the Irish High Court.

 

 

 

Deferred Shares

 

has the meaning given in the Company’s Memorandum of Association.

 

 

 

Delaware-Based Courts

 

shall have the meaning given to such term in Article 190.

 

 

 

Directors

 

means the directors for the time being of the Company.

 

 

 

dividend

 

includes interim dividends and bonus dividends.

 

 

 

Dividend Periods

 

shall have the meaning given to such term in Article 15.

 

 

 

electronic communication

 

shall have the meaning given to those words in the Electronic Commerce Act 2000.

 

 

 

electronic signature

 

shall have the meaning given to those words in the Electronic Commerce Act 2000.

 

 

 

Exchange

 

means any securities exchange or other system on which the Shares of the Company may be listed or otherwise authorised for trading from time to time.

 

 

 

Exchange Act

 

means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, of the United States of America.

 

 

 

Independent Director

 

means a person recognised as such by the relevant code, rules and regulations applicable to the listing of the Shares on the Exchange.

 

 

 

Member

 

means a person who has agreed to become a member of the Company and whose name is entered in the Register of Members as a registered holder of Shares.

 

 

 

Memorandum

 

means the memorandum of association of the Company as amended from time to time by Special Resolution.

 

 

 

month

 

means a calendar month.

 

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officer

 

means any executive of the Company that has been designated by the Company the title “officer” and for the avoidance of doubt does not have the meaning given to such term under the 1963 Act.

 

 

 

Ordinary Resolution

 

means an ordinary resolution of the Company’s Members within the meaning of section 141 of the 1963 Act.

 

 

 

Ordinary Shares

 

has the meaning given in the Company’s Memorandum of Association.

 

 

 

paid-up

 

means paid-up as to the nominal value and any premium payable in respect of the issue of any Shares and includes credited as paid-up.

 

 

 

Preferred Shares

 

has the meaning given in the Company’s Memorandum of Association.

 

 

 

proceeding

 

shall have the meaning given to such term in Article 182.

 

 

 

Redeemable Shares

 

means redeemable shares in accordance with section 206 of the 1990 Act.

 

 

 

Register of Members

 

means the register of members of the Company maintained by or on behalf of the Company, in accordance with the Companies Acts and includes (except where otherwise stated) any duplicate Register of Members.

 

 

 

registered office

 

means the registered office for the time being of the Company.

 

 

 

Remote Communication

 

shall have the meaning given to such term in Article 72.

 

 

 

Seal

 

means the seal of the Company, if any, and includes every duplicate seal.

 

 

 

Secretary

 

means the person appointed by the Board to perform any or all of the duties of secretary of the Company and includes an Assistant Secretary and any person appointed by the Board to perform the duties of secretary of the Company.

 

 

 

Share ” and “ Shares

 

means a share or shares in the capital of the Company.

 

 

 

Special Resolution

 

means a special resolution of the Company’s Members within the meaning of section 141 of the 1963 Act.

 

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(2)                                  In the Articles:

 

(a)                                  words importing the singular number include the plural number and vice-versa;

 

(b)                                  words importing the masculine gender include the feminine gender;

 

(c)                                   words importing persons include corporations;

 

(d)                                  “written” and “in writing” include all modes of representing or reproducing words in visible form, including electronic communication;

 

(e)                                   references to provisions of any law or regulation shall be construed as references to those provisions as amended, modified, re-enacted or replaced from time to time;

 

(f)                                    any phrase introduced by the terms “including”, “include”, “in particular” or any similar expression shall be construed as illustrative and shall not limit the sense of the words preceding those terms;

 

(g)                                   reference to “officer” or “officers” in these Articles means any executive that has been designated by the Company as an “officer” and, for the avoidance of doubt, shall not have the meaning given to such term in the 1963 Act and any such officers shall not constitute officers of the Company within the meaning of Section 2(1)  of the 1963 Act.

 

(h)                                  headings are inserted for reference only and shall be ignored in construing these Articles; and

 

(i)                                      references to US$, USD, or dollars shall mean United States dollars, the  lawful currency of the United States of America and references to €, euro, or EUR shall mean the euro, the lawful currency of Ireland.

 

SHARE CAPITAL; ISSUE OF SHARES

 

3.                                       The authorised share capital of the Company is €40,000 and US$13,500 and consists of (a) 40,000 Deferred Shares of €1.00 each, (b) 1,250,000,000 Ordinary Shares of US $0.00001 each and (c) 100,000,000 undesignated Preferred Shares of US $0.00001 each.

 

4.                                       Subject to the Companies Acts and the provisions, if any, in the Memorandum and these Articles and to any direction that may be given by the Company in a general meeting and without prejudice to any rights attached to any existing Shares, the Board may allot, issue, grant options, rights or warrants over or otherwise dispose of any Shares with or without preferred, deferred, qualified or other rights or restrictions, whether in regard to dividend, voting, return of capital or otherwise, and to such persons at such times and on such other terms as they think proper. Notwithstanding and without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing, the Board is expressly authorised and empowered to implement or effect at its sole discretion the issuance of a preferred share purchase right to be issued on a pro rata basis to each holder of an Ordinary Share with such terms and for such purposes, including the influencing of takeovers, as may be described in a rights agreement between the Company and a rights agent.

 

5.                                       Upon approval of the Board, such number of Ordinary Shares, or other Shares or securities of the Company, as may be required for such purposes shall be reserved for issuance in connection with an option, right, warrant or other security of the Company or any other

 

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person that is exercisable for, convertible into, exchangeable for or otherwise issuable in respect of such Ordinary Shares or other Shares or securities of the Company.

 

6.                                       All Shares shall be issued fully paid as to their nominal value and any premium determined by the Board at the time of issue, save in accordance with sections 26(5) and 28 of the 1983 Act, and so that, in the case of Shares offered to the public for subscription, the amount payable on each Share shall not be less than one-quarter of the nominal amount of the Share and the whole of any premium thereon, and shall be non-assessable.

 

7.                                       Subject to the provisions of Part XI of the 1990 Act and the other provisions of this Article 7, the Company may:

 

(a)                                  pursuant to section 207 of the 1990 Act, issue any Shares of the Company which are to be redeemed or are liable to be redeemed at the option of the Company or the Member on such terms and in such manner as may be determined by the Company in general meeting (by Special Resolution) on the recommendation of the Directors;

 

(b)                                  redeem Shares of the Company on such terms as may be contained in, or be determined pursuant to the provisions of, these Articles. Subject as aforesaid, the Company may cancel any Shares so redeemed or may hold them as treasury shares and re-issue such treasury shares as Shares of any class or classes or cancel them; or

 

(c)                                   pursuant to section 210 of the 1990 Act, convert any of its Shares into Redeemable Shares provided that the total number of Shares which shall be redeemable pursuant to this authority shall not exceed the limit in section 210(4) of the 1990 Act.

 

8.                                       The Directors are, for the purposes of section 20 of the 1983 Act, generally and unconditionally authorised to exercise all powers of the Company to allot and issue relevant securities (as defined by the said section 20) up to the amount of Company’s authorised share capital as at the date of adoption of these Articles and to allot and issue any Shares purchased by the Company pursuant to the provisions of Part XI of the 1990 Act and held as treasury shares and this authority shall expire five years from the date of adoption of these Articles.

 

9.                                       The Directors are hereby empowered pursuant to sections 23 and 24(1) of the 1983 Act to allot equity securities within the meaning of the said section 23 for cash pursuant to the authority conferred by Article 8 as if section 23(1) of the said 1983 Act did not apply to any such allotment. The Company may before the expiry of such authority make an offer or agreement which would or might require equity securities to be allotted after such expiry and the Directors may allot equity securities in pursuance of such an offer or agreement as if the power conferred by Article 8 had not expired.

 

9A.                              The Company shall not give, whether directly or indirectly and whether by means of a loan, guarantee, the provision of security or otherwise, any financial assistance for the purpose of or in connection with a purchase or subscription made or to be made by any person of or for any shares in the Company or in its holding company, except as permitted by section 60 of the 1963 Act.

 

ORDINARY SHARES

 

10.                                The holders of the Ordinary Shares shall be:

 

(a)                                  entitled to dividends on a pro rata basis in accordance with the relevant provisions of these Articles;

 

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(b)                                  entitled to participate pro rata in the total assets of the Company in the event of the Company’s winding up; and

 

(c)                                   entitled, subject to the right of the Company to set record dates for the purpose of determining the identity of Members entitled to notice of and/or vote at a general meeting, to attend general meetings of the Company and shall be entitled to one vote for each Ordinary Share registered in his name in the Register of Members, both in accordance with the relevant provisions of these Articles.

 

11.                                An Ordinary Share shall be deemed to be a Redeemable Share on, and from the time of, the existence or creation of an agreement, transaction or trade between the Company and any third party pursuant to which the Company acquires or will acquire Ordinary Shares, or an interest in Ordinary Shares, from such third party. In these circumstances, the acquisition of such Shares or interest in Shares by the Company shall constitute the redemption of a Redeemable Share in accordance with Part XI of the 1990 Act.

 

12.                                The holders of the Ordinary Shares shall not be entitled, unless the Board resolves otherwise (either generally or in any particular case or cases), to receive a share certificate in respect of any Ordinary Shares.

 

13.                                All Ordinary Shares shall rank pari passu with each other in all respects.

 

DEFERRED SHARES

 

13A.                       The Deferred Shares (i) do not convey on the holder the right to be paid a dividend or to receive notice of or to attend, vote and speak at any meeting of the members of the Company in respect of those shares, and (ii) confer the right on a return of capital, on a winding up or otherwise, only to repayment of the nominal amount paid up on the Deferred Shares but only after repayment of the Ordinary Shares and any Preferred Shares of the Company in full.

 

PREFERRED SHARES

 

14.                                Preferred Shares may be issued from time to time in one or more series, each of such series to have such voting powers (full or limited or without voting powers), designations, preferences and relative, participating, optional or other special rights and qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof as are stated and expressed, or in any resolution or resolutions providing for the issue of such series adopted by the Board as hereinafter provided.

 

15.                                Authority is hereby granted to the Board, subject to the provisions of the Memorandum, these Articles and applicable law to issue all or any of the authorized unissued Preferred Shares, to create one or more series of Preferred Shares and, with respect to each such series, to fix by resolution or resolutions, without any further vote or action by the Members providing for the issue of such series:

 

(a)                                  the number of Preferred Shares to constitute such series and the distinctive designation thereof;

 

(b)                                  the dividend rate on the Preferred Shares of such series, the dividend payment dates, the periods in respect of which dividends are payable (“ Dividend Periods ”), whether such dividends shall be cumulative and, if cumulative, the date or dates from which dividends shall accumulate;

 

(c)                                   whether the Preferred Shares of such series shall be convertible into, or exchangeable for, Shares of any other class or classes or any other series of

 

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the same or any other class or classes of Shares and the conversion price or prices or rate or rates, or the rate or rates at which such exchange may be made, with such adjustments, if any, as shall be stated and expressed or provided in such resolution or resolutions;

 

(d)                                  the preferences, if any, and the amounts thereof, which the Preferred Shares of such series shall be entitled to receive upon the winding up of the Company;

 

(e)                                   the voting power, if any, of the Preferred Shares of such series;

 

(f)                                    transfer restrictions and rights of first refusal with respect to the Preferred Shares of such series; and

 

(g)                                   such other terms, conditions, special rights and provisions as may seem advisable to the Board.

 

Notwithstanding the fixing of the number of Preferred Shares constituting a particular series upon the issuance thereof, the Board at any time thereafter may authorise the issuance of additional Preferred Shares of the same series subject always to the Companies Acts, the Memorandum and these Articles.

 

16.                                No dividend shall be declared and set apart for payment on any series of Preferred Shares in respect of any Dividend Period unless there shall likewise be or have been paid, or declared and set apart for payment, on all Preferred Shares of each other series entitled to cumulative dividends at the time outstanding that rank senior or equally as to dividends with the series in question, dividends ratably in accordance with the sums which would be payable on the said Preferred Shares through the end of the last preceding Dividend Period if all dividends were declared and paid in full.

 

17.                                If, upon the winding up of the Company, the assets of the Company distributable among the holders of any one or more series of Preferred Shares which (i) are entitled to a preference over the holders of the Ordinary Shares upon such winding up, and (ii) rank equally in connection with any such distribution, shall be insufficient to pay in full the preferential amount to which the holders of such Preferred Shares shall be entitled, then such assets, or the proceeds thereof, shall be distributed among the holders of each such series of the Preferred Shares ratably in accordance with the sums which would be payable on such distribution if all sums payable were discharged in full.

 

ISSUE OF WARRANTS

 

18.                                The Board may issue warrants to subscribe for any class of Shares or other securities of the Company on such terms as it may from time to time determine.

 

CERTIFICATES FOR SHARES

 

19.                                Unless otherwise provided for by the Board or the rights attaching to or by the terms of issue of any particular Shares, or to the extent required by any stock exchange, depository, or any operator of any clearance or settlement system, no person whose name is entered as a Member in the Register of Members shall be entitled to receive a share certificate for all his Shares of each class held by him (nor on transferring a part of holding, to a certificate for the balance).

 

20.                                Any share certificate, if issued, shall specify the number of Shares in respect of which it is issued and the amount paid thereon or the fact that they are fully paid, as the case may be, and may otherwise be in such form as shall be determined by the Board. Such certificates may be

 

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under Seal. All certificates for Shares shall be consecutively numbered or otherwise identified and shall specify the Shares to which they relate. The name and address of the person to whom the Shares represented thereby are issued, with the number of Shares and date of issue, shall be entered in the Register of Members of the Company. All certificates surrendered to the Company for transfer shall be cancelled and no new certificate shall be issued until the former certificate for a like number of Shares shall have been surrendered and cancelled. The Board may authorise certificates to be issued with the seal and authorised signature(s) affixed by some method or system of mechanical process. In respect of a Share or Shares held jointly by several persons, the Company shall not be bound to issue a certificate or certificates to each such person, and the issue and delivery of a certificate or certificates to one of several joint holders shall be sufficient delivery to all such holders.

 

21.                                If a share certificate is defaced, worn out, lost or destroyed, it may be renewed on such terms (if any) as to evidence and indemnity and on the payment of such expenses reasonably incurred by the Company in investigating such evidence, as the Board may prescribe, and, in the case of defacement or wearing out, upon delivery of the old certificate.

 

REGISTER OF MEMBERS

 

22.                                The Company shall maintain or caused to be maintained a Register of its Members in accordance with the Companies Acts.

 

23.                                If the Board considers it necessary or appropriate, the Company may establish and maintain a duplicate Register or Registers of Members at such location or locations within or outside Ireland as the Board thinks fit.  The original Register of Members shall be treated as the Register of Members for the purposes of these Articles and the Companies Acts.

 

24.                                The Company, or any agent(s) appointed by it to maintain the duplicate Register of Members in accordance with these Articles, shall as soon as practicable and on a regular basis record or procure the recording in the original Register of Members all transfers of Shares effected on any duplicate Register of Members and shall at all times maintain the original Register of Members in such manner as to show at all times the Members for the time being and the Shares respectively held by them, in all respects in accordance with the Companies Acts.

 

25.                                The Company shall not be bound to register more than four persons as joint holders of any Share.  If any Share shall stand in the names of two or more persons, the person first named in the Register of Members shall be deemed the sole holder thereof as regards service of notices and, subject to the provisions of these Articles, all or any other matters connected with the Company.

 

TRANSFER OF SHARES

 

26.                                All transfers of Shares may be effected by an instrument of transfer in the usual common form or in such other form as the Board may approve.  All instruments of transfer must be left at the registered office of the Company or at such other place as the Board may appoint and all such instruments of transfer shall be retained by the Company.

 

27.                                (1)                                  The instrument of transfer shall be executed by or on behalf of the transferor.  The instrument of transfer of any Share shall be in writing and shall be executed with a manual signature or facsimile signature (which may be machine imprinted or otherwise) by or on behalf of the transferor provided that in the case of execution by facsimile signature by or on behalf of a transferor, the Board shall have previously been provided with a list of specimen signatures of the authorised signatories of such transferor and the Board shall be reasonably satisfied that such facsimile signature corresponds to one of those specimen signatures.

 

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(2)                                  The instrument of transfer of any Share may be executed for and on behalf of the transferor by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary, and the Secretary or Assistant Secretary shall be deemed to have been irrevocably appointed agent for the transferor of such Share or Shares with full power to execute, complete and deliver in the name of and on behalf of the transferor of such Share or Shares all such transfers of Shares held by the Members in the share capital of the Company. Any document which records the name of the transferor, the name of the transferee, the class and number of Shares agreed to be transferred, the date of the agreement to transfer Shares, shall, once executed by the transferor or the Secretary or Assistant Secretary as agent for the transferor, be deemed to be a proper instrument of transfer for the purposes of section 81 of the 1963 Act. The transferor shall be deemed to remain the holder of the Share until the name of the transferee is entered on the Register in respect thereof, and neither the title of the transferee nor the title of the transferor shall be affected by any irregularity or invalidity in the proceedings in reference to the sale should the Directors so determine.

 

(3)                                  The Company, at its absolute discretion, may, or may procure that a subsidiary of the Company shall, pay Irish stamp duty arising on a transfer of Shares on behalf of the transferee of such Shares of the Company. If stamp duty resulting from the transfer of Shares in the Company which would otherwise be payable by the transferee is paid by the Company or any subsidiary of the Company on behalf of the transferee, then in those circumstances, the Company shall, on its behalf or on behalf of its subsidiary (as the case may be), be entitled to (i) seek reimbursement of the stamp duty from the transferee, (ii) set-off the stamp duty against any dividends payable to the transferee of those Shares and (iii) to claim a first and permanent lien on the Shares on which stamp duty has been paid by the Company or its subsidiary for the amount of stamp duty paid. The Company’s lien shall extend to all dividends paid on those Shares.

 

(4)                                  Notwithstanding the provisions of these Articles and subject to any regulations made under section 239 of the 1990 Act, title to any Shares in the Company may also be evidenced and transferred without a written instrument in accordance with section 239 of the 1990 Act or any regulations made thereunder. The Directors shall have power to permit any class of Shares to be held in uncertificated form and to implement any arrangements they think fit for such evidencing and transfer which accord with such regulations and in particular shall, where appropriate, be entitled to disapply or modify all or part of the provisions in these Articles with respect to the requirement for written instruments of transfer and share certificates (if any), in order to give effect to such regulations.

 

28.                                The Board may, in its absolute discretion, and without assigning any reason, refuse to register a transfer of any Share unless:

 

(a)                                  the instrument of transfer is lodged with the Company accompanied by the certificate for the Shares (if any) to which it relates (which shall upon registration of the transfer be cancelled) and such other evidence as the Board may reasonably require to show the right of the transferor to make the transfer;

 

(b)                                  the instrument of transfer is in respect of only one class of Shares;

 

(c)                                   the instrument of transfer is properly stamped (in circumstances where stamping is required);

 

(d)                                  in the case of a transfer to joint holders, the number of joint holders to which the Share is to be transferred does not exceed four; and

 

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(e)                                   a fee of such maximum amount as the Exchange (if any) may from time to time determine to be payable (or such lesser sum as the Board may from time to time require) is paid to the Company in respect thereof.

 

29.                                If the Board shall refuse to register a transfer of any Share, it shall, within two (2) months after the date on which the transfer was lodged with the Company, send to each of the transferor and the transferee notice of such refusal.

 

30.                                The Company shall not be obligated to make any transfer to an infant or to a person in respect of whom an order has been made by a competent court or official on the grounds that he is or may be suffering from mental disorder or is otherwise incapable of managing his affairs or under other legal disability.

 

31.                                Upon every transfer of Shares the certificate (if any) held by the transferor  shall be given up to be cancelled, and shall forthwith be cancelled accordingly, and a new certificate may be issued without charge to the transferee in respect of the Shares transferred to him, and if any of the Shares included in the certificate so given up shall be retained by the transferor, a new certificate in respect thereof may be issued to him without charge. The Company shall also retain the instrument(s) of transfer.

 

REDEMPTION AND REPURCHASE OF SHARES

 

32.                                Subject to the provisions of the Companies Act and these Articles, the Company may issue Redeemable Shares that are to be redeemed or are liable to be redeemed at the option of the Member or the Company.  The redemption of Ordinary Shares shall be effected in accordance with Article 11 and in such manner as the Company may, by Special Resolution, determine before the issue of the Ordinary Shares and the redemption of Preferred Shares shall be effected in such manner as the Board may, by resolution, determine before the issue of the Preferred Shares.

 

33.                                Subject to the Companies Acts, the Company may, without prejudice to any relevant special rights attached to any class of Shares pursuant to section 211, of the 1990 Act, purchase any of its own Shares whether in the market, by tender or by private agreement, at such prices (whether at nominal value or above or below nominal value) and otherwise on such terms and conditions as the Board may from time to time determine including any Redeemable Shares and without any obligation to purchase on any pro rata basis as between Members or Members of the same class (the whole or any part of the amount payable on any such purchase may be paid or satisfied otherwise than in cash, to the extent permitted by the Companies Acts) and may cancel any Shares so purchased or hold them as treasury shares (as defined in section 209 of the 1990 Act) and may reissue any such Shares as Shares of any class or classes.

 

34.                                The Company may make a payment in respect of the redemption or purchase of its own Shares in any manner permitted by the Companies Acts.

 

35.                                The holder of the Shares being purchased shall be bound to deliver up to the Company at its registered office or such other place as the Board shall specify, the certificate(s) (if any) thereof for cancellation and thereupon the Company shall pay to him the purchase or redemption monies or consideration in respect thereof.

 

VARIATION OF RIGHTS OF SHARES

 

36.                                If at any time the share capital of the Company is divided into different classes of Shares, the rights attached to any class (unless otherwise provided by the terms of issue of the Shares of that class) may be varied or abrogated with the consent in writing of the holders of three-

 

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fourths of the issued Shares of that class, or with the sanction of a Special Resolution passed at a general meeting of the holders of the Shares of that class.

 

37.                                The provisions of these Articles relating to general meetings shall apply mutatis mutandis to every such general meeting of the holders of one class of Shares except that the necessary quorum shall be one person holding or representing by proxy at least one-third of the issued Shares of the class.

 

38.                                The rights conferred upon the holders of the Shares of any class issued with preferred or other rights shall not, unless otherwise expressly provided by the terms of issue of the Shares of that class, be deemed to be varied by the creation or issue of further Shares ranking pari passu therewith or be deemed to be varied by a purchase or redemption by the Company of its own Shares.  The rights of holders of Ordinary Shares shall not be deemed to be varied by the creation or issue of Shares with preferred or other rights which may be effected by the Board as provided in these Articles without any vote or consent of the holders of Ordinary Shares.

 

LIEN ON SHARES

 

39.                                The Company shall have a first and paramount lien on every Share (not being a fully paid Share) for all moneys (whether presently payable or not) payable at a fixed time or called in respect of that Share.  The Directors, at any time, may declare any Share to be wholly or in part exempt from the provisions of this Article. The Company’s lien on a Share shall extend to all moneys payable in respect of it.

 

40.                                The Company may sell in such manner as the Directors determine 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 fourteen clear days after notice demanding payment, and stating that if the notice is not complied with the Share may be sold, has been given to the holder of the Share or to the person entitled to it by reason of the death or bankruptcy of the holder.

 

41.                                To give effect to a sale, the Directors may authorise 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 be entered in the Register as the holder of the Share comprised in any such transfer and he shall not be bound to see to the application of the purchase moneys nor shall his title to the Share be affected by any irregularity in or invalidity of the proceedings in reference to the sale, and after the name of the transferee has been entered in the Register, the remedy of any person aggrieved by the sale shall be in damages only and against the Company exclusively.

 

42.                                The net proceeds of the sale, after payment of the costs, shall be applied in payment of so much of the sum for which the lien exists as is presently payable and any residue (upon surrender to the Company for cancellation of the certificate for the Shares sold and subject to a like lien for any moneys not presently payable as existed upon the Shares before the sale) shall be paid to the person entitled to the Shares at the date of the sale.

 

CALLS ON SHARES

 

43.                                Subject to the terms of allotment, the Directors may make calls upon the Members in respect of any moneys unpaid on their Shares and each Member (subject to receiving at least fourteen clear days’ notice specifying when and where payment is to be made) shall pay to the Company as required by the notice the amount called on his Shares.  A call may be required to be paid by instalments.  A call may be revoked before receipt by the Company of a sum due thereunder, in whole or in part and payment of a call may be postponed in whole or in part.  A person upon whom a call is made shall remain liable for calls made upon him notwithstanding the subsequent transfer of the Shares in respect of which the call was made.

 

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44.                                A call shall be deemed to have been made at the time when the resolution of the Directors authorising the call was passed.

 

45.                                The joint holders of a Share shall be jointly and severally liable to pay all calls in respect thereof.

 

46.                                If a call remains unpaid after it has become due and payable the person from whom it is due and payable shall pay interest on the amount unpaid from the day it became due until it is paid at the rate fixed by the terms of allotment of the Share or in the notice of the call or, if no rate is fixed, at the appropriate rate (as defined by the Companies Acts) but the Directors may waive payment of the interest wholly or in part.

 

47.                                An amount payable in respect of a Share on allotment or at any fixed date, whether in respect of nominal value or as an instalment of a call, shall be deemed to be a call and if it is not paid the provisions of these Articles shall apply as if that amount had become due and payable by virtue of a call.

 

48.                                Subject to the terms of allotment, the Directors may make arrangements on the issue of Shares for a difference between the holders in the amounts and times of payment of calls on their Shares.

 

49.                                The Directors, if they think fit, may receive from any Member willing to advance the same all or any part of the moneys uncalled and unpaid upon any Shares held by him, and upon all or any of the moneys so advanced may pay (until the same would, but for such advance, become payable) interest at such rate, not exceeding (unless the Company in general meeting otherwise directs) fifteen per cent. per annum, as may be agreed upon between the Directors and the Member paying such sum in advance.

 

FORFEITURE

 

50.                                If a Member fails to pay any call or instalment of a call on the day appointed for payment thereof, the Directors, at any time thereafter during such times as any part of the call or instalment remains unpaid, may serve a notice on him requiring payment of so much of the call or instalment as is unpaid together with any interest which may have accrued.

 

51.                                The notice shall name a further day (not earlier than the expiration of fourteen clear days from the date of service of the notice) on or before which the payment required by the notice is to be made, and shall state that in the event of non-payment at or before the time appointed the Shares in respect of which the call was made will be liable to be forfeited.

 

52.                                If the requirements of any such notice as aforesaid are not complied with then, at any time thereafter before the payment required by the notice has been made, any Shares in respect of which the notice has been given may be forfeited by a resolution of the Directors to that effect.  The forfeiture shall include all dividends or other moneys payable in respect of the forfeited Shares and not paid before forfeiture.  The Directors may accept a surrender of any Share liable to be forfeited hereunder.

 

53.                                On the trial or hearing of any action for the recovery of any money due for any call it shall be sufficient to prove that the name of the Member sued is entered in the Register as the holder, or one of the holders, of the Shares in respect of which such debt accrued, that the resolution making the call is duly recorded in the minute book and that notice of such call was duly given to the Member sued, in pursuance of these Articles, and it shall not be necessary to prove the appointment of the Directors who made such call nor any other matters whatsoever, but the proof of the matters aforesaid shall be conclusive evidence of the debt.

 

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54.                                A forfeited Share may be sold or otherwise disposed of on such terms and in such manner as the Directors think fit and at any time before a sale or disposition the forfeiture may be cancelled on such terms as the Directors think fit.  Where for the purposes of its disposal such a Share is to be transferred to any person, the Directors may authorise some person to execute an instrument of transfer of the Share to that person.  The Company may receive the consideration, if any, given for the Share on any sale or disposition thereof and may execute a transfer of the Share in favour of the person to whom the Share is sold or disposed of and thereupon he shall be registered as the holder of the Share and 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 in reference to the forfeiture, sale or disposal of the Share.

 

55.                                A person whose Shares have been forfeited shall cease to be a Member in respect of the forfeited Shares, but nevertheless shall remain liable to pay to the Company all moneys which, at the date of forfeiture, were payable by him to the Company in respect of the Shares, without any deduction or allowance for the value of the Shares at the time of forfeiture but his liability shall cease if and when the Company shall have received payment in full of all such moneys in respect of the Shares.

 

56.                                A statutory declaration that the declarant is a Director or the Secretary of the Company, and that a Share in the Company has been duly forfeited on the date stated in the declaration, shall be conclusive evidence of the facts therein stated as against all persons claiming to be entitled to the Share.

 

57.                                The provisions of these Articles as to forfeiture shall apply in the case of non-payment of any sum which, by the terms of issue of a Share, becomes payable at a fixed time, whether on account of the nominal value of the Share or by way of premium, as if the same had been payable by virtue of a call duly made and notified.

 

58.                                The Directors may accept the surrender of any Share which the Directors have resolved to have been forfeited upon such terms and conditions as may be agreed and, subject to any such terms and conditions, a surrendered Share shall be treated as if it has been forfeited.

 

COMMISSION ON SALE OF SHARES

 

59.                                The Company may exercise the powers of paying commissions to any person in consideration of his subscribing or agreeing to subscribe whether absolutely or conditionally for any Shares of the Company.  Subject to the provisions of the Companies Acts, such commissions may be satisfied by the payment of cash or the lodgement of fully or partly paid-up Shares or partly in one way and partly in the other.  The Company may also on any issue of Shares pay such brokerage as may be lawful.

 

NON-RECOGNITION OF TRUSTS

 

60.                                The Company shall not be obligated to recognise any person as holding any Share upon any trust (except as is otherwise provided in these Articles or to the extent required by law) and the Company shall not be bound by or be compelled in any way to recognise (even when having notice thereof) any equitable, contingent, future, or partial interest in any Share, or any interest in any fractional part of a Share, or (except only as is otherwise provided by these Articles or the Companies Acts) any other rights in respect of any Share except an absolute right to the entirety thereof in the registered holder. This shall not preclude the Company from requiring the Members or a transferee of Shares to furnish to the Company with information as to the beneficial ownership of any Share when such information is reasonably required by the Company.

 

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TRANSMISSION OF SHARES

 

61.                                In case of the death of a Member, the survivor or survivors where the deceased was a joint holder, and the legal personal representatives of the deceased where he was a sole holder, shall be the only persons recognised by the Company as having any title to his interest in the Shares, but nothing herein contained shall release the estate of any such deceased holder from any liability in respect of any Shares which had been held by him solely or jointly with other persons.

 

62.                                Any person becoming entitled to a Share in consequence of the death or bankruptcy or liquidation or dissolution of a Member (or in any other way than by transfer) may, upon such evidence being produced as may from time to time be required by the Board and subject as hereinafter provided, elect either to be registered himself as holder of the Share or to make such transfer of the Share to such other person nominated by him and to have such person registered as the transferee thereof, but the Board shall, in either case, have the same right to decline or suspend registration as they would have had in the case of a transfer of the Share by that Member before his death or bankruptcy as the case may be.

 

63.                                If the person so becoming entitled shall elect to be registered himself as holder he shall deliver or send to the Company a notice in writing signed by him stating that he so elects.

 

64.                                A person becoming entitled to a Share by reason of the death or bankruptcy or liquidation or dissolution of the holder (or in any other case than by transfer) shall be entitled to the same dividends and other advantages to which he would be entitled if he were the registered holder of the Share, except that he shall not, before being registered as a Member in respect of the Share, be entitled in respect of it to exercise any right conferred by membership in relation to meetings of the Company provided however that the Board may at any time give notice requiring any such person to elect either to be registered himself or to transfer the Share and if the notice is not complied with within ninety days the Board may thereafter withhold payment of all dividends, bonuses or other monies payable in respect of the Share until the requirements of the notice have been complied with.

 

AMENDMENT OF MEMORANDUM OF ASSOCIATION;
CHANGE OF LOCATION OF REGISTERED OFFICE; AND
ALTERATION OF CAPITAL

 

65.                                The Company may by Ordinary Resolution:

 

(a)                                  increase the share capital by such sum and with such rights, priorities and privileges annexed thereto, as such Ordinary Resolution shall prescribe;

 

(b)                                  consolidate and divide all or any of its share capital into Shares of larger amount than its existing Shares;

 

(c)                                   by subdivision of its existing Shares or any of them divide the whole or any part of its share capital into Shares of smaller nominal value than is fixed by the Memorandum subject to section 68(1)(d) of the 1963 Act, so, however, that in the sub-division the proportion between the amount paid and the amount, if any, unpaid on each reduced Share shall be the same as it was in the case of the Share from which the reduced Share is derived;

 

(d)                                  cancel any Shares that at the date of the passing of the relevant Ordinary Resolution have not been taken or agreed to be taken by any person; and

 

(e)                                   subject to applicable law, change the currency denomination of its share capital.

 

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66.                                Subject to the provisions of the Companies Acts, the Company may

 

(a)                                  by Special Resolution change its name, alter or add to the Memorandum with respect to any objects, powers or other matters specified therein or alter or add to these Articles.

 

(b)                                  by Special Resolution reduce its issued share capital and any capital redemption reserve fund or any share premium account.

 

(c)                                   by resolution of the Directors change the location of its registered office.

 

CLOSING REGISTER OF MEMBERS OR FIXING RECORD DATE

 

67.                                For the purpose of determining Members entitled to notice of or to vote at any meeting of Members or any adjournment thereof, or Members entitled to receive payment of any dividend, or in order to make a determination of Members for any other proper purpose, the Board may provide, subject to the requirements of section 121 of the 1963 Act, that the Register of Members shall be closed for transfers at such times and for such periods, not exceeding in the whole 30 days in each year.  If the Register of Members shall be so closed for the purpose of determining Members entitled to notice of or to vote at a meeting of Members such Register of Members shall be so closed for at least five (5) days immediately preceding such meeting and the record date for such determination shall be the date of the closure of the Register of Members.

 

68.                                In lieu of, or apart from, closing the Register of Members, the Board may fix in advance a date as the record date (a) for any such determination of Members entitled to notice of or to vote at a meeting of the Members, which record date shall not be more than sixty (60) days nor less than ten (10) days before the date of such meeting, and (b) for the purpose of determining the Members entitled to receive payment of any dividend, or in order to make a determination of Members for any other proper purpose, which record date shall not be more than sixty (60) days prior to the date of payment of such dividend or the taking of any action to which such determination of Members is relevant. The record date shall not precede the date upon which the resolution fixing the record date is adopted by the Directors

 

69.                                If the Register of Members is not so closed and no record date is fixed for the determination of Members entitled to notice of or to vote at a meeting of Members or Members entitled to receive payment of a dividend, the date immediately preceding the date on which notice of the meeting is deemed given under these Articles or the date on which the resolution of the Directors declaring such dividend is adopted, as the case may be, shall be the record date for such determination of Members.  When a determination of Members entitled to vote at any meeting of Members has been made as provided in these Articles, such determination shall apply to any adjournment thereof; provided, however, that the Directors may fix a new record date of the adjourned meeting, if they think fit.

 

GENERAL MEETINGS

 

70.                               The Company, in accordance with requirements of the Companies Acts, shall in each calendar year hold a general meeting as its annual general meeting, and shall specify the meeting as such in the notices calling it. The annual general meeting shall be held at such time and place as the Directors shall appoint, provided that the period between the date of one annual general meeting of the Company and that of the next shall not be longer than such period as applicable law or the relevant code, rules and regulations applicable to the listing of the Shares on the Exchange permits. At these meetings the report of the Directors (if any) shall be presented.

 

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71.                                The Board may whenever it thinks fit, and shall, on the requisition in writing of Members holding such number of Shares as is prescribed by, and made in accordance with the Companies Acts, proceed to convene a general meeting of the Company. All general meetings other than annual general meetings shall be called extraordinary general meetings. Subject always to section 140 of the 1963 Act and the necessary Member approvals, all general meetings of the Company may be held at such place, either inside or outside of Ireland, as determined by the Board.

 

72.                                The Board may, in its sole discretion, but subject always to the approval of Members as to the holding of general meeting outside of Ireland as described in Article 71, determine that a general meeting shall not be held at any place, but may instead be held solely by means of remote communication that enables Members and proxies entitled to attend the meeting to listen to the meeting, watch the meeting or both and send questions to the Chairman of the meeting, to be addressed at the meeting, if deemed proper (“ Remote Communication ”) as follows:

 

(a)                                  if authorized by the Board in its sole discretion, and subject to such guidelines and procedures as the Board may adopt, Members and proxies entitled to attend and vote but not physically present at a meeting of Members may, by means of Remote Communication:

 

(i)                                      participate in a meeting of Members; and

 

(ii)                                   be deemed present in person and vote at a meeting of Members whether such meeting is to be held at a designated place or solely by means of Remote Communication.

 

if authorised by the Board, any vote taken by written ballot may be satisfied by a ballot submitted by electronic transmission, provided that any such electronic transmission must either set forth or be submitted with information from which it can be determined that the electronic transmission was authorized by the Member or proxy. Any such general meeting shall be deemed to have taken place at the location of the majority of the Board.

 

73.                                For as long as Shares are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) or 12(g) of the Exchange Act and the Company is subject to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act, in the event that any annual general meeting is held outside of the United States of America, the Board shall provide Members and proxies entitled to attend such meeting with access to such meeting by way of Remote Communication.

 

NOTICE OF GENERAL MEETINGS

 

74.                               Subject to the provisions of the Companies Acts allowing a general meeting to be called by shorter notice, an annual general meeting, and an extraordinary general meeting called for the passing of a Special Resolution, shall be called by at least twenty-one (21) clear days notice and all other extraordinary general meetings shall be called by at least fourteen (14) clear days notice. Such notice shall state the date, time, place and purposes of the general meeting to which it relates.  Every notice shall be exclusive of the day on which it is given or deemed to be given and of the day for which it is given and shall specify such other details as are required by applicable law or the relevant code, rules and regulations applicable to the listing of the Shares on the Exchange.

 

75.                                A general meeting of the Company shall, whether or not the notice specified in this regulation has been given and whether or not the provisions of the Articles regarding general meetings have been complied with, be deemed to have been duly convened if applicable law so permits and it is so agreed by the Auditors and by all the Members entitled to attend and vote thereat or their proxies.

 

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76.                                The notice convening an annual general meeting shall specify the meeting as such, and the notice convening a meeting to pass a Special Resolution shall specify the intention to propose the resolution as a Special Resolution.  Notice of every general meeting shall be given to all Members other than such as, under the provisions hereof or the terms of issue of the Shares they hold, are not entitled to receive such notice from the Company.

 

77.                                There shall appear with reasonable prominence in every notice of general meetings of the Company a statement that a Member entitled to attend and vote is entitled to appoint one or more proxies to attend and vote instead of him and that any proxy need not be a Member of the Company.

 

78.                                The accidental omission to give notice of a general meeting to, or the non-receipt of notice of a meeting by any person entitled to receive notice shall not invalidate the proceedings of that meeting.

 

79.                                In cases where instruments of proxy are sent out with notices, the accidental omission to send such instrument of proxy to, or the non-receipt of such instrument of proxy by, any person entitled to receive notice shall not invalidate any resolution passed or any proceeding at any such meeting. A 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, will be deemed to have received notice of that meeting and, where required, of the purpose for which it was called.

 

PROCEEDINGS AT GENERAL MEETINGS

 

80.                                All business shall be deemed special that is transacted at an extraordinary general meeting, and also all that is transacted at an annual general meeting, with the exception of declaring a dividend, the consideration of the accounts, balance sheets and the reports of the Directors and Auditors, the election of Directors, the re-appointment of the retiring Auditors and the fixing of the remuneration of the Auditors.

 

81.                                No business shall be transacted at any general meeting unless a quorum is present.  One or more Members present in person or by proxy holding not less than a majority of the issued and outstanding Shares of the Company entitled to vote at the meeting in question shall be a quorum.

 

82.                                If within one hour from the time appointed for the meeting a quorum is not present, the meeting, if convened upon the requisition of Members, shall be dissolved and in any other case it shall stand adjourned to the same day in the next week at the same time and place or to such other time or such other place as the Board may determine and if at the adjourned meeting a quorum is not present within one hour from the time appointed for the meeting the Members present shall be a quorum.

 

83.                                The Chairman, if any, of the Board shall preside as Chairman at every general meeting of the Company, or if there is no such Chairman, or if he shall not be present within one hour after the time appointed for the holding of the meeting, or is unwilling to act, the Directors present shall elect one of their number to be Chairman of the meeting or if all of the Directors present decline to take the chair, then the Members present shall choose one of their own number to be Chairman of the meeting.

 

84.                                The Chairman may, with the consent of any general meeting duly constituted hereunder, and shall if so directed by the meeting, adjourn the meeting from time to time and from place to place, but no business shall be transacted at any adjourned meeting other than the business left unfinished at the meeting from which the adjournment took place.  When a general meeting is adjourned for thirty days or more, notice of the adjourned meeting shall be given as in the case of an original meeting; save as aforesaid it shall not be necessary to give any notice of an adjournment or of the business to be transacted at an adjourned general meeting.

 

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No business shall be transacted at any adjourned meeting other than the business which might have been transacted at the meeting from which the adjournment took place.

 

85.                                (1)                                  Subject to the Companies Acts, a resolution may only be put to a vote at a general meeting of the Company or of any class of Members if:

 

(i)                                      it is proposed by or at the direction of the Board; or

 

(ii)                                   it is proposed at the direction of the Court; or

 

(iii)                                it is proposed on the requisition in writing of such number of Members as is prescribed by, and is made in accordance with section 132 of the 1963 Act;

 

(iv)                               it is proposed pursuant  to, and in accordance with the procedures and requirements of, Articles 93 or 94; or

 

(v)                                  the Chairman of the meeting in his absolute discretion decides that the resolution may properly be regarded as within the scope of the meeting.

 

(2)                                  No amendment may be made to a resolution, at or before the time when it is put to a vote, unless the Chairman of the meeting in his absolute discretion decides that the amendment or the amended resolution may properly be put to a vote at that meeting.

 

(3)                                  If the Chairman of the meeting rules a resolution or an amendment to a resolution admissible or out of order (as the case may be), the proceedings of the meeting or on the resolution in question shall not be invalidated by any error in his ruling. Any ruling by the Chairman of the meeting in relation to a resolution or an amendment to a resolution shall be final and conclusive.

 

86.                                Except where a greater majority is required by the Companies Acts or these Articles, any question proposed for consideration at any general meeting of the Company or of any class of Members shall be decided by an Ordinary Resolution.

 

87.                                At any general meeting a resolution put to the vote of the meeting shall be decided on a show of hands unless a poll is (before or on the declaration of the result of the show of hands) demanded by:

 

(a)                                  the Chairman; or

 

(b)                                  by at least five Members present in person or by proxy; or

 

(c)                                   by any Member or Members present in person or by proxy and representing not less than one-tenth of the total voting rights of all the Members having the right to vote at the meeting; or

 

(d)                                  by a Member or Members holding shares in the Company conferring the right to vote at the meeting being shares on which an aggregate sum has been paid up equal to not less than one-tenth of the total sum paid up on all the shares conferring that right.

 

Unless a poll is so demanded, a declaration by the Chairman that a resolution has, on a show of hands, been carried or carried unanimously, or by a particular majority, or lost, and an entry to that effect in the book containing the minutes of the proceedings of the Company, shall be conclusive evidence of the fact without proof of the number or proportion of the

 

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votes recorded in favour of or against such resolution. The demand for a poll may be withdrawn.

 

88.                                Except as provided in Article 89, if a poll is duly demanded it shall be taken in such manner as the Chairman directs, and the result of the poll shall be deemed to be the resolution of the meeting at which the poll was demanded.

 

89.                                A poll demanded on the election of the Chairman or on a question of adjournment shall be taken forthwith. A poll demanded on any other question shall be taken at such time, not being not being more than ten days from the date of the meeting or adjourned meeting at which the vote was taken, as the Chairman of the meeting directs, and any business other than that on which a poll has been demanded may be proceeded with pending the taking of the poll.

 

90.                                No notice need be given of a poll not taken immediately. The result of the poll shall be deemed to be the resolution of the general meeting at which the poll was demanded. On a poll a Member entitled to more than one vote need not use all his votes or cast all the votes he uses in the same way.

 

91.                                In the case of an equality of votes the Chairman of the general meeting at which the poll is taken shall not be entitled to a second or casting vote.

 

NOMINATIONS OF DIRECTORS

 

92.                                Nominations of persons for election to the Board (other than directors to be nominated by any series of Preferred Shares, voting separately as a class) at a general meeting may only be made (a) pursuant to the Company’s notice of meeting pursuant to Article 74 at the recommendation of the Board, (b) by or at the direction of the Board or any authorised committee thereof or (c) by any Member who (i) complies with the notice procedures set forth in Articles 93 or 94, as applicable, (ii) was a Member at the time such notice is delivered to the Secretary and on the record date for the determination of Members entitled to vote at such general meeting and (iii) is present at the relevant general meeting, either in person or by proxy, to present his nomination, provided, however, that Members shall only be entitled to nominate persons for election to the Board at annual general meetings or at general meetings called specifically for the purpose of electing directors.

 

93.                                For nominations of persons for election to the Board (other than directors to be nominated by any series of Preferred Shares, voting separately as a class) to be properly brought before an annual general meeting by a Member, such annual general meeting must have been called for the purpose of, among other things, electing directors and such Member must have given timely notice thereof in writing to the Secretary. To be timely, a Member’s notice shall be delivered to the Secretary at the registered office of the Company, or such other address as the Secretary may designate, not less than 120 days nor more than 150 days prior to the first anniversary of the date the Company’s proxy statement was first released to Members in connection with the prior year’s annual general meeting; provided, however, that in the event the date of the annual general meeting is changed by more than 30 days from the first anniversary date of the prior year’s annual general meeting, notice by the Member of Shares to be timely must be so delivered not earlier than the 150th day prior to such annual general meeting and not later than the later of the 120th day prior to such annual general meeting or the 10th day following the day on which public announcement of the date of such meeting is first made.  Such Member’s notice shall set forth (a) as to each person whom the Member proposes to nominate for election or re-election as a director, all information relating to such person that is required to be disclosed in solicitations of proxies for election of directors in an election contest, or is otherwise required, in each case pursuant to Regulation 14A under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, of the United States of America, as amended, or any successor provisions thereto, including such person’s written consent to being named in the proxy statement as a nominee and to serving as a director if elected and (b) as to the Member

 

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giving the notice (i) the name and address of such Member, as they appear on the Register of Members, (ii) the class and number of Shares that are owned beneficially and/or of record by such Member, (iii) a representation that the Member is a registered holder of Shares entitled to vote at such meeting and intends to appear in person or by proxy at the meeting to propose such nomination and (iv) a statement as to whether the Member intends or is part of a group that intends (x) to deliver a proxy statement and/or form of proxy to holders of at least the percentage of the Company’s outstanding share capital required to approve or elect the nominee and/or (xi) otherwise to solicit proxies from Members in support of such nomination.  The Board may require any proposed nominee to furnish such other information as it may reasonably require to determine the eligibility of such proposed nominee to serve as a director of the Company, including such evidence satisfactory to the Board that such nominee has no interests that would limit such nominee’s ability to fulfil his duties as a director.

 

94.                                For nominations of persons for election to the Board (other than directors to be nominated by any series of Preferred Shares, voting separately as a class) to be properly brought before a general meeting other than an annual general meeting by a Member, such Member must have given timely notice thereof in writing to the Secretary. To be timely, a Member’s notice shall be delivered to the Secretary at the registered office of the Company or such other address as the Secretary may designate, not earlier than the 150 th  day prior to such general meeting and not later than the 120 th  day prior to such general meeting or the 10th day following the day on which public announcement is first made of the date of the general meeting and of the nominees proposed by the Board to be elected at such meeting. Such Member’s notice shall set forth the same information as is required by provisions (a) and (b) of Article 93.

 

95.                                Unless otherwise provided by the terms of any series of Preferred Shares or any agreement among Members or other agreement approved by the Board, only persons who are nominated in accordance with the procedures set forth in Articles 93 and 94 shall be eligible to serve as directors of the Company.  If the Chairman of a general meeting determines that a proposed nomination was not made in compliance with Articles 93 and 94, he shall declare to the meeting that nomination is defective and such defective nomination shall be disregarded.  Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of these Articles, if the Member (or a qualified representative of the Member) does not appear at the general meeting to present his nomination, such nomination shall be disregarded.

 

VOTES OF MEMBERS

 

96.                                Subject to any rights or restrictions for the time being attached to any class or classes of Shares, every Member of record present in person or by proxy shall have one vote for each Share registered in his name in the Register of Members.

 

97.                                In the case of joint holders of record the vote of the senior holder 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 of Members.

 

98.                                A Member of unsound mind, or in respect of whom an order has been made by any court, having jurisdiction in lunacy, may vote by his committee, receiver, curator bonis , or other person in the nature of a committee, receiver or curator bonis appointed by that court, and any such committee, receiver, curator bonis or other persons may vote by proxy.

 

99.                                No Member shall be entitled to vote at any general meeting unless he is registered as a Member on the record date for such meeting.

 

100.                         No objection shall be raised to the qualification of any voter except at the general meeting or adjourned general meeting at which the vote objected to is given or tendered and every vote not disallowed at such general meeting shall be valid for all purposes.  Any such objection

 

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made in due time shall be referred to the Chairman of the general meeting whose decision shall be final and conclusive.

 

101.                         Votes may be given either personally or by proxy.  A Member may appoint more than one proxy or the same proxy under one or more instruments to attend and vote at a meeting and may appoint one proxy to vote both in favour of and against the same resolution in such proportion as specified in the instrument appointing the proxy.  Where a Member appoints more than one proxy the instrument of proxy shall state which proxy is entitled to vote on a show of hands.

 

PROXIES

 

102.                         The rules and procedures relating to the form or a proxy, the depositing or filing of proxies and voting pursuant to a proxy and any other matter incidental thereto shall be approved by the Board, subject to such rules and procedures as required by applicable law or the relevant code, rules and regulations applicable to the listing of the Shares on the Exchange and as provided in the following Articles under this heading of “ PROXIES ”.

 

103.                         (1)                                  Every Member or Beneficial Owner entitled to attend and vote at a general meeting may appoint a proxy to attend, speak and vote on his behalf and may appoint more than one proxy to attend, speak and vote at the same meeting. The appointment of a proxy shall be in any form which the Directors may approve and, if required by the Company, shall be signed by or on behalf of the appointor. In relation to written proxies, a body corporate may sign a form of proxy under its common seal or under the hand of a duly authorised officer thereof or in such other manner as the Directors may approve. A proxy need not be a member of the Company. The appointment of a proxy in electronic or other form shall only be effective in such manner as the Directors may approve.

 

(2)                                  Without limiting the foregoing, the Directors may from time to time permit appointments of a proxy to be made by means of an electronic or internet communication or facility and may in a similar manner permit supplements to, or amendments or revocations of, any such electronic or internet communication or facility to be made. The Directors may in addition prescribe the method of determining the time at which any such electronic or internet communication or facility is to be treated as received by the Company. The Directors may treat any such electronic or internet communication or facility which purports to be or is expressed to be sent on behalf of a of a Member as sufficient evidence of the authority of the person sending that instruction to send it on behalf of that Member.  A proxy need not be a Member of the Company.

 

104.                         The instrument appointing a proxy may be in any usual or common form and may be expressed to be for a particular meeting or any adjournment thereof or generally until revoked.  An instrument appointing a proxy shall be deemed to include the power to demand or join or concur in demanding a poll.

 

105.                         Subject to the foregoing, a Member may appoint a proxy by means of an “omnibus” or “enduring” proxy with or without a power of substitution. Such “omnibus” or “enduring” proxy may provide that all persons who appear in a specified register maintained by the Depositary Trust Company (“ DTC ”) (each a “ specified holder ”) may act as proxy for so long as the name of the specified holder appears in the specified DTC register in respect of the relevant number of shares which appear opposite the name of the specified holder in the DTC register from time to time in respect of all meetings of the Company, and if any specified holder does not attend a meeting of the Company, the relevant Member may appoint such other persons as may be nominated by the specified holder from time to time in

 

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accordance with the proxy registration system for specified holders as the Member’s proxy in respect of all meetings of the Company.

 

CORPORATE MEMBERS

 

106.                         Any corporation or other non-natural person which is a Member may in accordance with its constitutional documents, or in the absence of such provision by resolution of its directors or other governing body, authorise such person as it thinks fit to act as its representative at any meeting of the Company or of any class of Members, and the person so authorised shall be entitled to exercise the same powers on behalf of the corporation which he represents as the corporation could exercise if it were an individual Member.

 

DIRECTORS

 

107.                         (1)                                  There shall be a Board consisting of not less than two or more than twelve persons, provided however that the Company may from time to time by Ordinary Resolution increase or reduce the upper limit.  So long as Shares of the Company are listed on an Exchange, the Board shall include such number of Independent Directors as the relevant code, rules or regulations applicable to the listing of any Shares on the Exchange require. The continuing Directors may act notwithstanding any vacancy in their body, provided that if the number of the Directors is reduced below the prescribed minimum the remaining Director or Directors shall appoint forthwith an additional Director or additional Directors to make up such minimum or shall convene a general meeting of the Company for the purpose of making such appointment, but for no other purpose.

 

(2)                                  If, at any annual general meeting of the Company, the number of Directors is reduced below the prescribed minimum due to the failure of any Directors to be re-elected, then in those circumstances, the two Directors which receive the highest number of votes in favour of re-election shall be re-elected and shall remain Directors until such time as additional Directors have been appointed to replace them as Directors. lf, at any annual general meeting of the Company, the number of Directors is reduced below the prescribed minimum in any circumstances where one Director is re-elected, then that Director shall hold office until the next annual general meeting and the Director which (excluding the re-elected Director) receives the highest number of votes in favour of re-election shall be re-elected and shall remain a Director until such time as one or more additional Directors have been appointed to replace him or her. If there be no Director or Directors able or willing to act then any two Members may summon a general meeting for the purpose of appointing Directors. Any additional Director so appointed shall hold office (subject to the provisions of the Companies Acts and these Articles) only until the conclusion of the annual general meeting of the Company next following such appointment unless he is re-elected during such meeting.

 

REMUNERATION OF DIRECTORS

 

108.                         The remuneration to be paid to the Directors shall be such remuneration as the Directors shall determine.  Such remuneration shall be deemed to accrue from day to day.  The Directors shall also be entitled to be paid their travelling, hotel and other expenses properly incurred by them in going to, attending and returning from meetings of the Directors, or any committee of the Directors, or general meetings of the Company, or otherwise in connection with the business of the Company, or to receive a fixed allowance in respect thereof as may be determined by the Board from time to time, or a combination partly of one such method and partly the other.

 

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109.                         The Board may approve additional remuneration to any Director undertaking any special work or services for, or undertaking any special mission on behalf of, the Company other than his ordinary routine work as a Director.  Any fees paid to a Director who is also counsel or solicitor to the Company, or otherwise serves it in a professional capacity shall be in addition to his remuneration as a Director.

 

110.                         The Board may approve additional remuneration to any Director for any services other than his ordinary routine work as a Director.  Any fees paid to a Director who is also legal counsel to the Company, or otherwise serves it in a professional capacity shall be in addition to his remuneration as a Director.

 

NO MINIMUM SHAREHOLDING

 

111.                         No shareholding qualification is required to be held by a Director.

 

DIRECTORS’ AND OFFICERS’ INTERESTS

 

112.                         A Director or an officer of the Company who is in any way, whether directly or indirectly, interested in a contract, transaction or arrangement or proposed contract, transaction or arrangement with the Company shall, in accordance with section 194 of the 1963 Act, declare the nature of his interest at the first opportunity either (a) at a meeting of the Board at which the question of entering into the contract, transaction or arrangement is first taken into consideration, if the Director or officer of the Company knows this interest then exists, or in any other case, at the first meeting of the Board after learning that he is or has become so interested or (b) by providing a general notice to the Directors declaring that he is a director or an officer of, or has an interest in, a person and is to be regarded as interested in any transaction or arrangement made with that person, and after giving such general notice it shall not be necessary to give special notice relating to any particular transaction.

 

113.                         A Director may hold any other office or place of profit under the Company (other than the office of its Auditor) in conjunction with his office of Director for such period and on such terms as to remuneration and otherwise as the Board may determine.

 

114.                         A Director may act by himself or his firm in a professional capacity for the Company (other than as its Auditor) and he or his firm shall be entitled to remuneration for professional services as if he were not a Director.

 

115.                        A Director may be or become a director, managing director, joint managing director, deputy managing director, executive director, manager or other officer or member of any other company or otherwise interested in any company promoted by the Company or in which the Company may be interested as shareholder or otherwise, and no such Director shall be accountable to the Company for any remuneration or other benefits received by him as a director, managing director, joint managing director, deputy managing director, executive director, manager or other officer or member of such other company; provided that he has declared the nature of his position with, or interest in, such company to the Board in accordance with Article 112.

 

116.                         No person shall be disqualified from the office of Director or from being an officer of the Company or prevented by such office from contracting with the Company, either as vendor, purchaser or otherwise, nor shall any such contract or any contract or transaction entered into by or on behalf of the Company in which any Director or officer of the Company shall be in any way interested be or be liable to be avoided, nor shall any Director or officer of the Company so contracting or being so interested be liable to account to the Company for any profit realised by any such contract or transaction by reason of such Director or officer of the Company holding office or of the fiduciary relation thereby established; provided that:

 

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(a)                                  he has declared the nature of his interest in such contract or transaction to the Board in accordance with Article 112; and

 

(b)                                  the contract or transaction is approved by a majority of the disinterested Directors, notwithstanding the fact that the disinterested Directors may represent less than a quorum.

 

117.                         A Director may be counted in determining the presence of a quorum at a meeting of the Board which authorises or approves the contract, transaction or arrangement in which he is interested and he shall be at liberty to vote in respect of any contract, transaction or arrangement in which he is interested, provided that the nature of the interest of any Director in any such contract or transaction shall be disclosed by him in accordance with Article 112, at or prior to its consideration and any vote thereon.

 

118.                         For the purposes of Article 112:-

 

(a)                                  a general notice given to the Directors that a Director is to be regarded as having an interest of the nature and extent specified in the notice in any transaction or arrangement in which a specified person or class of persons is interested shall be deemed to be a disclosure that the Director has an interest in any such transaction of the nature and extent so specified;

 

(b)                                  an interest of which a Director has no knowledge and of which it is unreasonable to expect him to have knowledge shall not be treated as an interest of his; and

 

(c)                                   a copy of every declaration made and notice given under Article 112 shall be entered within three days after the making or giving thereof in a book kept for this purpose. Such book shall be open for inspection without charge by any Director, Secretary, Auditor or Member of the Company at the Registered Office and shall be produced at every general meeting of the Company and at any meeting of the Directors if any Director so requests in sufficient time to enable the book to be available at the meeting.

 

POWERS AND DUTIES OF DIRECTORS

 

119.                         Subject to the provisions of the Companies Act, the Memorandum and the Articles and to any directions given by Special Resolution, the business of the Company shall be managed by the Board, which may exercise all the powers of the Company.  No alteration of the Memorandum or Articles and no such direction shall invalidate any prior act of the Directors which would have been valid if that alteration had not been made or that direction had not been given.  A duly convened meeting of Directors at which a quorum is present may exercise all powers exercisable by the Board.

 

120.                         In addition to any other duties the Directors may owe to the Company or the Members under applicable law, the Directors shall owe a fiduciary duty to the Company and to the Members as a whole and, in discharging such fiduciary duties, they will act in good faith, in a manner that they believe to be in the best interests of the Company and the Members as a whole, in a manner consistent with the standards of care required by the courts of Ireland and the state of Delaware, in the United States of America.  A Director, by agreeing to serve, or to continue to serve, on the Board, will be deemed to have agreed to owe the duties to the Company and the Members specified in this Article 120.

 

121.                         All cheques, promissory notes, drafts, bills of exchange and other negotiable instruments and all receipts for monies paid to the Company shall be signed, drawn, accepted, endorsed or otherwise executed as the case may be in such manner as the Board shall determine.

 

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122.                         The Board on behalf of the Company may pay a gratuity or pension or allowance on retirement to any Director who has held any other salaried office or place of profit with the Company or to his widow or dependants and may make contributions to any fund and pay premiums for the purchase or provision of any such gratuity, pension or allowance.

 

123.                         The Board may exercise all the powers of the Company to borrow money and to mortgage or charge its undertaking, property and uncalled capital or any part thereof and to issue debentures, debenture stock, mortgages, bonds and other such securities whether outright or as security for any debt, liability or obligation of the Company or of any third party.

 

124.                         The Company may exercise the powers conferred by section 41 of the 1963 Act with regard to having an official seal for use abroad and such powers shall be vested in the Directors.

 

MINUTES

 

125.                         The Board shall cause minutes to be made in books kept for the purpose of all appointments of officers made by the Board, all resolutions and proceedings at meetings of the Company or the holders of any class of Shares, of the Directors and of committees of Directors, including the names of the Directors present at each meeting.

 

DELEGATION OF THE BOARD’S POWERS

 

126.                         The Board may delegate any of its powers (with power to sub-delegate) to any committee consisting of one or more Directors.  The Board may also delegate to any Director such of its powers as it considers desirable to be exercised by him.  Any such delegation may be made subject to any conditions the Board may impose, and either collaterally with or to the exclusion of its own powers and may be revoked or altered.  Subject to any such conditions, the proceedings of a committee of the Board shall be governed by the Articles regulating the proceedings of Directors, so far as they are capable of applying.

 

127.                         The Board may by power of attorney or otherwise appoint any person to be the agent of the Company on such conditions as the Board may determine, provided that the delegation is not to the exclusion of its own powers and may be revoked by the Board at any time.

 

128.                         The Board may by power of attorney or otherwise appoint any company, firm, person or body of persons, whether nominated directly or indirectly by the Board, to be the attorney or authorised signatory of the Company for such purpose and with such powers, authorities and discretions (not exceeding those vested in or exercisable by the Board under these Articles) and for such period and subject to such conditions as they may think fit, and any such powers of attorney or other appointment may contain such provisions for the protection and convenience of persons dealing with any such attorneys or authorised signatories as the Board may think fit and may also authorise any such attorney or authorised signatory to delegate all or any of the powers, authorities and discretions vested in him.

 

EXECUTIVE OFFICERS; DUTIES OF OFFICERS

 

129.                         The Board may from time to time appoint one or more Chairman of the Board, President, Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer and such other officers as it considers necessary in the management of the business of the Company and as it may decide for such period and upon such terms as it thinks fit and upon such terms as to remuneration as it may decide in accordance with these Articles.  Such officers need not also be a Director.

 

130.                         Every person appointed to an office under Article 129 shall, without prejudice to any claim for damages that such person may have against the Company (or the Company may have against such person for any breach of any contract of service between him and the Company) be liable to be dismissed or removed at any time from such executive office by the Board.  A

 

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Director appointed to an office under the above Article 129 shall ipso facto and immediately cease to hold such executive office if he shall cease to hold the office of Director for any cause.

 

131.                         The Company agrees to require any person who serves as an officer of the Company to agree that, in addition to any other duties such officer may owe to the Company or the Members under applicable law, such officer shall owe a fiduciary duty to the Company and to the Members as a whole and, in discharging such fiduciary duties, he will act in good faith, in a manner that he believes to be in the best interests of the Company and the Members as a whole, in a manner consistent with the standards of care required by the courts of the Ireland and the state of Delaware, in the United States of America.

 

PROCEEDINGS OF DIRECTORS

 

132.                         Except as otherwise provided by these Articles, the Directors shall meet together for the despatch of business, convening, adjourning and otherwise regulating their meetings and procedures as they think fit.  Questions arising at any meeting shall be decided by a majority of votes of the Directors present at a meeting at which there is a quorum. Each Director shall have one vote. In case of an equality of votes, the Chairman shall have a second or casting vote.

 

133.                         Regular meetings of the Board may be held at such times and places as may be provided for in resolutions adopted by the Board. No additional notice of a regularly scheduled meeting of the Board shall be required.

 

134.                        A Director may, and the Secretary on the requisition of a Director shall, at any time summon a meeting of the Directors by at least two days’ notice in writing to every Director which notice shall set forth the general nature of the business to be considered unless notice is waived by all the Directors either at, before or after the meeting is held and provided further if notice is given in person, by telephone, cable, telex, telecopy or email the same shall be deemed to have been given on the day it is delivered to the Directors or transmitting organisation as the case may be.  The accidental omission to give notice of a meeting of the Directors to, or the non-receipt of notice of a meeting by any person entitled to receive notice shall not invalidate the proceedings of that meeting.

 

135.                         The quorum necessary for the transaction of the business of the Board may be fixed by the Board and unless so fixed shall be a majority of the Directors in office.  In no event shall the Board fix a quorum that is less than one-third (1/3) of the total number of Directors or that is less than two Directors.

 

136.                         The continuing Directors may act notwithstanding any vacancy in their body, but if and so long as their number is reduced below the number fixed by or pursuant to these Articles as the necessary quorum of Directors the continuing Directors or Director may act for the purpose of increasing the number of Directors to that number, or of summoning a general meeting of the Company, but for no other purpose.

 

137.                         The Directors may elect a Chairman of their Board and determine the period for which he is to hold office; but if no such Chairman is elected, or if at any meeting the Chairman is not present within five (5) minutes after the time appointed for holding the same, the Directors present may choose one of their number to be a Chairman of the meeting.

 

138.                         All acts done by any meeting of the Directors or of a committee of Directors shall, notwithstanding that it be afterwards discovered that there was some defect in the appointment of any Director, or that they or any of them were disqualified, be as valid as if every such person had been duly appointed and qualified to be a Director.

 

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139.                         Members of the Board or of any committee thereof may participate in a meeting of the Board or of such committee by means of conference telephone or similar communications equipment by means of which all persons participating in the meeting can hear each other and participation in a meeting pursuant to this provision shall constitute presence in person at such meeting.  Unless otherwise determined by the Directors the meeting shall be deemed to be held at the place where the Chairman is at the start of the meeting.

 

140.                         A resolution in writing (in one or more counterparts), signed by all the Directors for the time being or all the members of a committee of Directors shall be as valid and effectual as if it had been passed at a meeting of the Directors or committee as the case may be duly convened and held.

 

VACATION OF OFFICE OF DIRECTOR

 

141.                         The office of a Director shall be vacated:

 

(a)                                  if he gives notice in writing to the Company that he resigns the office of Director;

 

(b)                                  if he absents himself from three consecutive meetings of the Board without special leave of absence from the Directors, and they pass a resolution that he has by reason of such absence vacated office;

 

(c)                                   if he dies, becomes bankrupt or makes any arrangement or composition with his creditors generally;

 

(d)                                  if he is found a lunatic or becomes of unsound mind; or

 

(e)                                   on his being prohibited, restricted or disqualified by any applicable law, or the relevant code, rules and regulations applicable to the listing of the Shares on the Exchange, from being a Director.

 

APPOINTMENT AND REMOVAL OF DIRECTORS

 

142.                         The Company may by Ordinary Resolution appoint any person to be a Director and may by Ordinary Resolution, of which extended notice has been given in accordance with section 142 of the 1963 Act, remove any Director before the expiration of his period of office notwithstanding anything in these Articles or in any agreement between the Company and such Director. Such removal shall be without prejudice to any claim such Director may have for damages for breach of any contract of service between him and the Company.

 

143.                         The Directors shall have power at any time and from time to time to appoint any person to be a Director, either to fill a casual vacancy or as an addition to the existing Directors, provided that the total amount of Directors shall not at any time exceed the number fixed in accordance with these Articles and provided further, that any such Director so appointed shall be approved or removed by a resolution of the Members at the next annual general meeting.

 

144.                         Directors shall hold office for such term as the Members may determine by Ordinary Resolution or, in the absence of such determination, until the next annual general meeting and until their successors are elected and qualified, or until their office is otherwise earlier vacated.

 

145.                         (1)                                  At every annual general meeting of the Company, all of the Directors shall retire from office unless re-elected by Ordinary Resolution at the annual general meeting. A Director retiring at a meeting shall retain office until the close or adjournment of the meeting.

 

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(2)                                  Every Director shall be eligible to stand for re-election at an annual general meeting.

 

(3)                                  If a Director offers himself for re-election, he shall be deemed to have been re-elected, unless at such meeting the Ordinary Resolution for the re-election of such Director has been defeated.

 

PRESUMPTION OF ASSENT

 

146.                         A Director who is present at a meeting of the Board at which action on any Company matter is taken shall be presumed to have assented to the action taken unless his dissent shall be entered in the Minutes of the meeting or unless he shall file his written dissent from such action with the person acting as the Secretary of the meeting before the adjournment thereof or shall forward such dissent by registered mail to such person immediately after the adjournment of the meeting.  Such right to dissent shall not apply to a Director who voted in favour of such action.

 

SEAL

 

147.                         The Company may, if the Board so determines, have a Seal which shall only be used by the authority of the Board or of a committee of the Board authorized by the Board in that behalf and every instrument to which the Seal has been affixed shall be signed by any person who shall be either a Director or the Secretary or Assistant Secretary or some other person authorised by the Board, either generally or specifically, for the purpose.

 

148.                         The Company may have for use in any place or places outside Ireland, a duplicate Seal or Seals each of which shall be a duplicate of the Seal of the Company except, in the case of a Seal for use in sealing documents creating or evidencing securities issued by the Company, for the addition on its face of the word “Securities” and if the Board so determines, with the addition on its face of the name of every place where it is to be used.

 

149.                         A Director, Secretary, Assistant Secretary or other officer or representative or attorney may without further authority of the Directors affix the Seal of the Company over his signature alone to any document of the Company required to be authenticated by him under Seal or to be filed with the Companies Registration Office in Ireland or elsewhere wheresoever.

 

DIVIDENDS, DISTRIBUTIONS AND RESERVE

 

150.                         The Company in general meeting may declare dividends, but no dividends shall exceed the amount recommended by the Directors.

 

151.                         Subject to the Companies Acts, the Board may from time to time declare dividends (including interim dividends) and distributions on Shares of the Company outstanding and authorise payment of the same out of the funds of the Company lawfully available therefor.

 

152.                         The Board may, before declaring any dividends or distributions, set aside such sums as they think proper as a reserve or reserves which shall at the discretion of the Directors, be applicable for any purpose of the Company and pending such application may, at the like discretion, be employed in the business of the Company. The Directors may also, without placing the same to reserve, carry forward any profits which they may think it prudent not to divide.

 

153.                         No dividend, interim dividend or distribution shall be paid otherwise than in accordance with the provisions of Part IV of the 1983 Act.

 

154.                         Subject to the rights of persons, if any, entitled to Shares with special rights as to dividends or distributions, if dividends or distributions are to be declared on a class of Shares they shall be

 

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declared and paid according to the amounts paid or credited as paid on the Shares of such class outstanding on the record date for such dividend or distribution as determined in accordance with these Articles.

 

155.                         The Directors may deduct from any dividend payable to any Member all sums of money (if any) immediately payable by him to the Company in relation to the Shares of the Company.

 

156.                         The Board or any general meeting declaring a dividend (upon the recommendation of the Board), may direct that any dividend or distribution be paid wholly or partly by the distribution of specific assets and in particular of paid up Shares, debentures, or debenture stock of any other company or in any one or more of such ways and where any difficulty arises in regard to such distribution, the Board may settle the same as they think expedient and in particular may issue fractional certificates and fix the value for distribution of such specific assets or any part thereof and may determine that cash payments shall be made to any Members upon the footing of the value so fixed in order to adjust the rights of all Members and may vest any such specific assets in trustees as may seem expedient to the Board.

 

157.                         Any dividend, distribution, interest or other monies payable in cash in respect of Shares may be paid by cheque or warrant sent through the post, or sent by any electronic or other means of payment, directed to the registered address of the holder or, in the case of joint holders, to the holder who is first named on the Register of Members or to such person and to such address as such holder or joint holders may in writing direct.  Every such cheque or warrant, electronic or other payment shall be made payable to the order of the person to whom it is sent and payment of the cheque or warrant shall be a good discharge to the Company.  Any one of two or more joint holders may give effectual receipts for any dividends, bonuses, or other monies payable in respect of the Share held by them as joint holders. Any such dividend or other distribution may also be paid by any other method (including payment in a currency other than US$, electronic funds transfer, direct debit, bank transfer or by means of a relevant system) which the Directors consider appropriate and any Member who elects for such method of payment shall be deemed to have accepted all of the risks inherent therein. The debiting of the Company’s account in respect of the relevant amount shall be evidence of good discharge of the Company’s obligations in respect of any payment made by any such methods.

 

158.                         No dividend or distribution shall bear interest against the Company.

 

159.                         If the Directors so resolve, any dividend which has remained unclaimed for twelve years from the date of its declaration shall be forfeited and cease to remain owing by the Company. The payment by the Directors of any unclaimed dividend or other moneys payable in respect of a Share into a separate account shall not constitute the Company a trustee in respect thereof.

 

CAPITALISATION

 

160.                         The Company may, upon the recommendation of the Board, by Ordinary Resolution authorise the Board to capitalise any sum standing to the credit of any of the Company’s reserve accounts (including Share premium account and capital redemption reserve fund) or any sum standing to the credit of profit and loss account or otherwise available for distribution and to appropriate such sum to Members in the proportions in which such sum would have been divisible amongst them had the same been a distribution of profits by way of dividend and to apply such sum on their behalf in paying up in full unissued Shares for allotment and distribution credited as fully paid up to and amongst them in the proportion aforesaid.  In such event the Board shall do all acts and things required to give effect to such capitalisation, with full power to the Board to make such provisions as they think fit for the case of Shares becoming distributable in fractions (including provisions whereby the benefit of fractional entitlements accrue to the Company rather than to the Members concerned).  The Board may authorise any person to enter on behalf of all of the Members interested into an agreement

 

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with the Company providing for such capitalisation and matters incidental thereto and any agreement made under such authority shall be effective and binding on all concerned.

 

BOOKS OF ACCOUNT; RIGHTS OF INSPECTION

 

161.                         The Directors shall cause to be kept proper books of account, whether in the form of documents, electronic form or otherwise, that:

 

(a)                                  correctly record and explain the transactions of the Company;

 

(b)                                  will at any time enable the financial position of the Company to be determined with reasonable accuracy;

 

(c)                                   will enable the Directors to ensure that any balance sheet, profit and loss account or income and expenditure account of the Company complies with the requirements of the Companies Acts;

 

(d)                                  will record all sums of money received and expended by the Company and the matters in respect of which the receipt or expenditure takes place, all sales and purchases of goods by the Company and the assets and liabilities of the Company; and

 

(e)                                   will enable the accounts of the Company to be readily and properly audited.

 

162.                         Books of account shall be kept on a continuous and consistent basis and entries therein shall be made in a timely manner and be consistent from year to year. The Company may send by post, electronic mail or any other means of electronic communication a summary financial statement to its Members or persons nominated by any Member. The Company may meet, but shall be under no obligation to meet, any request from any of its Members to be sent additional copies of its full report and accounts or summary financial statement or other communications with its Members.

 

163.                         The books of account shall be kept at the registered office of the Company or, subject to the provisions of the Companies Acts, at such other place as the Directors think fit and shall be open at all reasonable times to the inspection of the Directors.

 

164.                         Proper books shall not be deemed to be kept, if there are not kept such books of account as are necessary to give a true and fair view of the state of the Company’s affairs and to explain its transactions.

 

165.                         In accordance with the provisions of the Companies Acts, the Board may from time to time cause to be prepared and to be laid before the Company in general meeting profit and loss accounts, balance sheets, group accounts (if any) and such other reports and accounts as may be required by law.

 

166.                         A copy of every balance sheet (including every document required by law to be annexed thereto) which is to be laid before the annual general meeting of the Company together with a copy of the Directors’ report and Auditors’ report shall be sent by post, electronic mail or any other means of communication (electronic or otherwise), not less than twenty-one clear days before the date of the annual general meeting, to every person entitled under the provisions of the Companies Acts to receive them; provided that in the case of those documents sent by electronic mail or any other means of electronic communication, such documents shall be sent with the consent of the recipient, to the address of the recipient notified to the Company by the recipient for such purposes.

 

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AUDIT

 

167.                         Auditors shall be appointed and their duties regulated in accordance with the Companies Acts, the relevant code, rules and regulations applicable to the listing of the Shares on the Exchange.

 

168.                         Subject always to the provisions of the Companies Acts, in the event that no such code, rules and regulations referred to in the above Article 167 apply, the appointment of and provisions relating to Auditors shall be in accordance with the following provisions:

 

(1)                                  The Board may appoint the Auditor of the Company, who shall hold office until removed from office by the Company, and the Board may fix his or their remuneration.

 

(2)                                  The Board may appoint an Auditor who shall hold office until removed from office by a resolution of the Directors, and may fix his or their remuneration.

 

(3)                                  Every Auditor shall have a right of access at all times to the books and accounts and vouchers of the Company and shall be entitled to require from the Board and officers of the Company such information and explanation as may be necessary for the performance of the duties of the Auditor.

 

(4)                                  Auditors shall, if so required by the Directors, make a report on the accounts of the Company during their tenure of office at the next extraordinary general meeting following their appointment and at any other time during their term of office, upon request of the Directors or any general meeting of the Members.

 

NOTICES

 

169.                         Notices shall be in writing (whether in electronic form or otherwise) and shall be given by the Company in accordance with applicable law, the relevant code, rules and regulations applicable to the listing of the Shares on the Exchange and these Articles.

 

170.                         Except to the extent inconsistent with such company law, code, rules and regulations referred to in the above Article 169, notice shall be given in accordance with the following provisions:

 

(a)                                  notices to any Member shall be given either personally or by sending it by post, cable, telex, fax or e-mail to him or to his address as shown in the Register of Members (where the notice is given by e-mail by sending it to the e-mail address provided by such Member subject to each Members’ individual consent to electronic communications being sent to them by the Company), or by publication of an electronic record of it on a website and notification of such publication by post, cable, telex, fax or email as permitted by these Articles.

 

(b)                                  where a notice is sent by post, service of the notice shall be deemed to be effected by properly addressing, pre-paying and posting a letter containing the notice, and shall be deemed to have been received on the fifth (5th) day (not including Saturdays or Sundays or public holidays) following the day on which the notice was posted.  Where a notice is sent by cable, telex or fax, service of the notice shall be deemed to be effected by properly addressing and sending such notice and shall be deemed to have been received on the same day that it was transmitted.  Where a notice is given by e-mail service shall be deemed to be effected by transmitting the e-mail to the e-mail address provided by the intended recipient and shall be deemed to have been received on the same day that it was sent, and it shall not be necessary for the

 

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receipt of the e-mail to be acknowledged by the recipient. Where a notice was published as an electronic record on a website, at the time that the notification of such publication shall be deemed to have been delivered to such Member, and in proving such service or delivery, it shall be sufficient to prove that the notice or document was properly published on a website in accordance with and provisions of these Articles.

 

(c)                                   for the purposes of these Articles and the Companies Acts, any document or notice shall be deemed to have been sent to a Member if a notice is given, served, sent or delivered to the Member and the notice specifies the website or hotlink or other electronic link at or through which the member may obtain a copy of the relevant document or notice.

 

(d)                                  a notice may be given by the Company to the person or persons which the Company has been advised are entitled to a Share or Shares in consequence of the death or bankruptcy of a Member in the same manner as other notices which are required to be given under these Articles and shall be addressed to them by name, or by the title of representatives of the deceased, or trustee of the bankrupt, or by any like description at the address supplied for that purpose by the persons claiming to be so entitled, or at the option of the Company by giving the notice in any manner in which the same might have been given if the death or bankruptcy had not occurred.

 

171.                         Any requirement in these Articles for the consent of a Member in regard to the receipt of such Member of electronic mail or other means of electronic communications approved by the Board, including the receipt of the Company’s audited accounts and the Directors’ and Auditor’s reports thereon shall be deemed to have been satisfied where the Company has written to the Member informing him of its intention to use electronic communication for such purposes and the Member has not within four weeks of the issue of such notice, served an objection in writing on the Company to such proposal. Where a Member has given, or is deemed to have given, his consent to the receipt of such Member of electronic mail or other means of electronic communications approved by the Board, he may revoke such consent at any time by requesting the Company to communicate with him in documented form; provided however, that such revocation shall not take effect until five days after written notice of the revocation is received by the Company.

 

172.                         The signature (whether electronic signature, an advanced electronic signature or otherwise) to any notice to be given by the Company may be written (in electronic form or otherwise) or printed.

 

WINDING UP

 

173.                         If the Company shall be wound up the liquidator may, subject to any sanction required by applicable law, divide amongst the Members in kind the whole or any part of the assets of the Company (whether they shall consist of property of the same kind or not) and may for that purpose value any assets and determine how the division shall be carried out as between the Members or different classes of Members.  The liquidator may, with the like sanction, vest the whole or any part of such assets in trustees upon such trusts for the benefit of the Members as the liquidator, with the like sanction, shall think fit, but so that no Member shall be compelled to accept any asset upon which there is a liability.

 

174.                         If the Company shall be wound up, and the assets available for distribution amongst the Members shall be insufficient to repay the whole of the share capital, such assets shall be distributed so that, as nearly as may be, the losses shall be borne by the Members in proportion to the nominal value of the Shares held by them.  If in a winding up the assets available for distribution amongst the Members shall be more than sufficient to repay the

 

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whole of the share capital at the commencement of the winding up, the surplus shall be distributed amongst the Members in proportion to the nominal value of the Shares held by them at the commencement of the winding up.  This Article is without prejudice to the rights of the holders of Shares issued upon special terms and conditions.

 

175.                         (1)                                  In case of a sale by the liquidator under section 260 of the 1963 Act, the liquidator may by the contract of sale agree so as to bind all the Members for the allotment to the Members directly of the proceeds of sale in proportion to their respective interests in the Company and may further by the contract limit a time at the expiration of which obligations or Shares not accepted or required to be sold shall be deemed to have been irrevocably refused and be at the disposal of the Company, but so that nothing herein contained shall be taken to diminish, prejudice or affect the rights of dissenting Members conferred by the said section.

 

(2)                                  The power of sale of the liquidator shall include a power to sell wholly or partially for debentures, debenture stock, or other obligations of another company, either then already constituted or about to be constituted for the purpose of carrying out the sale.

 

UNTRACED SHAREHOLDERS

 

176.                         The Company shall be entitled to sell at the best price reasonably obtainable any Share or stock of a Member or any Share or stock to which a person is entitled by transmission if and provided that:

 

(1)                               for a period of twelve years (not less than three dividends having been declared and paid) no cheque or warrant sent by the Company through the post in a prepaid letter addressed to the Member or to the person entitled by transmission to the Share or stock at his address on the Register or other last known address entitled by transmission to which cheques and warrants are to be sent has been cashed and no communication has been received by the Company from the Member or the person entitled by transmission; and

 

(2)                                  on or after expiry of that period of twelve years the Company has given notice by advertisement in a leading Dublin newspaper and a newspaper circulating in the area in which the address referred to in paragraph (1) of Article 176 is located of its intention to sell such Share or stock; and

 

(3)                                  the Company has not during the further period of three months after the date of the advertisement and prior to the exercise of the power of sale received any communication from the Member or person entitled by transmission; and

 

(4)                                  if so required by the roles of any securities exchange upon which the Shares in question are listed for the time being, notice has been given to that exchange of the Company’s intention to make such sale.

 

177.                         To give effect to any such sale the Company may appoint any person to execute  as transferor an instrument of transfer of such Share or stock and such instrument of transfer shall be as effective as if it had been executed by the registered holder of or person entitled by transmission to such Share or stock. The Company shall account to the Member or other person entitled to such Share or stock for the net proceeds of such sale by carrying all monies in respect thereof to a separate account which shall be a permanent debt of the Company and the Company shall be deemed to be a debtor and not a trustee in respect thereof for such Member or other person. Monies carried to such separate account may either be employed  in the business of the Company or invested in such investments (other than Shares of the Company or its holding company if any) as the Directors may from time to time think fit.

 

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178.                         To the extent necessary in order to comply with any laws or regulations to which the Company is subject in relation to escheatment, abandonment of property or other similar or analogous laws or regulations (“ Applicable Escheatment Laws ”), the Company may deal with any Share of any Member and any unclaimed cash payments relating to such Share in any manner which it sees fit, including (but not limited to) transferring or selling such Share and transferring to third parties any unclaimed cash payments relating to such Share.

 

179.                         The Company may only exercise the powers granted to it in Article 176 above in circumstances where it has complied with, or procured compliance with, the required procedures (as set out in the Applicable Escheatment Laws) with respect to attempting to identify and locate the relevant Member of the Company.

 

180.                         Any stock transfer form to be executed by the Company in order to sell or transfer a Share pursuant to Article 176 may be executed in accordance with Article 27(2).

 

INDEMNITY

 

181.                         Subject to the provisions of and so far as may be admitted by the Companies Acts, every Director and the Secretary of the Company shall be entitled to be indemnified by the Company against all costs, charges, losses, expenses and liabilities incurred by him in the execution and discharge of his duties or in relation thereto including any liability incurred by him in defending any proceedings, civil or criminal, which relate to anything done or omitted or alleged to have been done or omitted by him as a Director, Secretary or employee of the Company and in which judgement is given in his favour (or the proceedings are otherwise disposed of without any finding or admission of any material breach of duty on his part) or in which he is acquitted or in connection with any application under any statute for relief from liability in respect of any such act or omission in which relief is granted to him by the Court.

 

182.                         To the fullest extent permitted by law, the Company shall indemnify any current or former officer of the Company, or any person who is serving or has served at the request of the Company as an officer and any trustee acting in relation to any of the affairs of the Company and their respective heirs, executors, administrators and personal representatives (other than any Director and the Secretary of the Company) (each individually, a “ Covered Person ”), against any expenses, including attorneys’ fees, judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by him in connection with any threatened, pending, or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (other than a proceeding by, or in the name or on behalf of, the Company), to which he was, is, or is threatened to be made, a party or in which he is otherwise involved, (a “ proceeding ”) by reason of the fact that he is or was a Covered Person; provided, however, that this provision shall not indemnify any Covered Person against any liability arising out of (a) any fraud or dishonesty in the performance of such Covered Person’s duty to the Company, or (b) such Covered Person’s conscious, intentional or wilful breach of his obligation to act honestly, lawfully and in good faith with a view to the best interests of the Company. Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, this section shall not extend to any matter which would render it void pursuant to the Companies Acts or to any person holding the office of auditor in relation to the Company.

 

183.                         In the case of any threatened, pending or completed proceeding by, or in the name or on behalf of, the Company, to the fullest extent permitted by law, the Company shall indemnify each Covered Person against expenses, including attorneys’ fees, but excluding judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement, actually and reasonably incurred by him in connection with the defense or settlement thereof, except that no indemnification for expenses shall be made in respect of any claim, issue or matter as to which such Covered Person shall have been finally adjudged to be liable for fraud or dishonesty in the performance of his duty to the Company, or for conscious, intentional or wilful breach of his obligation to act honestly,

 

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lawfully and in good faith with a view to the best interests of the Company, unless and only to the extent that the Court or the court in which such proceeding was brought shall determine upon application that despite the adjudication of liability, but in view of all the circumstances of the case, such Covered Person is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for such expenses as the court shall deem proper. Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, this section shall not extend to any matter that would render it void pursuant to the Companies Acts or to any person holding the office of auditor in relation to the Company.

 

184.                         To the fullest extent permitted by law, expenses, including attorneys’ fees, incurred by a Covered Person in defending any proceeding for which indemnification is permitted pursuant to Articles 182 and 183 shall be paid by the Company in advance of the final disposition of such proceeding upon receipt by the Board of an undertaking by or on behalf of such Covered Person to repay such amount if it shall ultimately be determined that he is not entitled to be indemnified by the Company pursuant to these Articles.

 

185.                         Any indemnification under Articles 182 to and including 184 (unless ordered by a court of competent jurisdiction) shall be made by the Company only as authorized in the specific case upon a determination that indemnification of the Covered Person is proper in the circumstances because such person has met the applicable standard of conduct set forth in Articles 182 or 183, as the case may be. Such determination shall be made, with respect to a Covered Person who is a Director or officer of the Company at the time of such determination, (a) by a majority vote of the Directors who are not parties to such proceeding, even though less than a quorum; (b) by a committee of such Directors designated by a majority vote of such Directors, even though less than a quorum; (c) if there are no such Directors, or if such Directors so direct, by independent legal counsel in a written opinion; or (d) by the Members by Ordinary Resolution. Such determination shall be made, with respect to any other Covered Person, by any person or persons having the authority to act on the matter on behalf of the Company. To the extent, however, that any Covered Person has been successful on the merits or otherwise in defense of any proceeding, or in defense of any claim, issue or matter therein, such Covered Person shall be indemnified against expenses (including attorneys’ fees) actually and reasonably incurred by such person in connection therewith, without the necessity of authorization in the specific case.  Notwithstanding the provisions of Articles 182 to and including 184, the Company shall be required to indemnify or advance expenses to a Covered Person in connection a proceeding commenced by such Covered Person only if the commencement of such proceeding by such person was authorized by the Board.

 

186.                         It being the policy of the Company that indemnification of the persons specified in Articles 182 and 183 shall be made to the fullest extent permitted by law, the indemnification and advancement of expenses provided for by Articles 182 to and including 184 shall not be deemed exclusive (a) of any other rights to which those seeking indemnification or advancement of expenses may be entitled under these Articles, any agreement, any insurance purchased by the Company, vote of Members or disinterested Directors, or pursuant to the direction (however embodied) of any court of competent jurisdiction, or otherwise, both as to action in his official capacity and as to action in another capacity while holding such office, or (b) of the power of the Company to indemnify any person who is or was an employee or agent of the Company or of another corporation, joint venture, trust or other enterprise which he is serving or has served at the request of the Company, to the same extent and in the same situations and subject to the same determinations as are hereinabove set forth with respect to a Covered Person.

 

187.                         The Board may, notwithstanding any interest of the Covered Persons in such action, authorize the Company to purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of any Covered Person, against any liability asserted against him and incurred by him in any such capacity, or arising out of his status as such, whether or not the Company would have the power to indemnify him

 

41



 

against such liability under the provisions of these Articles.  As used in Articles 181 to and including 187, references to the “Company” include all constituent corporations in an amalgamation, consolidation or merger or similar arrangement in which the Company or a predecessor to the Company by amalgamation, consolidation or merger or similar arrangement was involved.

 

FINANCIAL YEAR

 

188.                         The financial year of the Company shall be as prescribed by the Board from time to time.

 

SALE, LEASE OR EXCHANGE OF ASSETS

 

189.                         (1)                                  The Board may authorise and direct the Company to sell, lease or exchange all or substantially all of its property and assets, including the Company’s goodwill and its corporate franchises, upon such terms and conditions and for such consideration, which may consist in whole or in part of money or other property, including shares of stock in, and/or other securities of, any other corporation or corporations, as the Board in its discretion thinks fit, provided that the Members shall have approved such sale, lease or exchange by Ordinary Resolution, in addition to any other resolution or sanction required by applicable law.

 

(2)                                  Notwithstanding such resolution or consent to a proposed sale, lease or exchange of the Company’s property and assets by the Members, the Board may abandon such proposed sale, lease or exchange without further action by the Members, subject to the rights, if any, of third parties under any contract relating thereto.

 

(3)                                  For purposes of this Article 189, the property and assets of the Company include the property and assets of any subsidiary of the Company and “subsidiary” means any entity wholly-owned and controlled, directly or indirectly, by the Company and includes, without limitation, corporations, partnerships, limited partnerships, limited liability partnerships, limited liability companies, and/or statutory trusts.

 

(4)                                  Notwithstanding subsection (1) of this Article 189 no resolution by the Members shall be required for a sale, lease or exchange of property and assets of the Company to a subsidiary.

 

CONSENT TO JURISDICTION; CHOICE OF LAW

 

190.                         For as long as Shares are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) or 12(g) of the Exchange Act and the Company is subject to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act, the Company hereby submits to the jurisdiction of the courts of the state of Delaware, in the United States of America and to the jurisdiction of the United States District Court for the District of Delaware in the United States of America and the appellate courts having jurisdiction thereover (each, a “ Delaware-Based Court ”), for the purposes of any action, suit or proceeding brought by or on behalf of any Member or Beneficial Owner with respect to his rights as a Member or Beneficial Owner, or in relation to claims brought derivatively by a Member or Beneficial Owner in the name, or on behalf of, the Company.  The Company waives any right to challenge personal jurisdiction when sued in these courts.  The Company further agrees that if sued in these jurisdictions, it will agree to the application of that court’s rules of procedure and will not argue, under choice of law principles, that procedural rights granted by the laws of Ireland should be applied in these fora.

 

191.                         For as long as Shares are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) or 12(g) of the Exchange Act and the Company is subject to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act, the Company shall appoint and maintain an authorised agent in the state of Delaware, in the United States of America, to receive for and on its behalf service of any and all legal process, summons,

 

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notices and documents that may be served in any action, suit or proceeding brought against the Company in the state of Delaware.

 

192.                         For as long as Shares are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) or 12(g) of the Exchange Act and the Company is subject to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act, the Company shall:

 

(a)                                  maintain unencumbered assets in the United States of America, which assets may include equity or debt investments in U.S. companies, with a book value in excess of fifty million U.S. dollars ($50,000,000), and will deliver, or cause to be delivered, to the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware an opinion of an attorney licensed in the United States of America that judgments rendered against the Company may be satisfied by using these assets;

 

(b)                                  post a bond or similar security with a Delaware—Based court in an amount of at least fifty million U.S. dollars ($50,000,000); or

 

(c)                                   purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of its Directors and officers of the Company, against any liability asserted against them and incurred by them in any such capacity, in an amount of at least fifty million U.S. dollars ($50,000,000),

 

and in the event that any action, suit or proceeding of the type described in Article 190 is brought against the Company in any Delaware-Based Court, the Company will provide a notice to such court specifying with which of the three foregoing provisions of this Article 192 the Company has complied.

 

193.                         For as long as Shares are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) or 12(g) of the Exchange Act and the Company is subject to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act, in relation to any action, suit or proceeding against the Company brought derivatively by a Member or Beneficial Owner in the name, or on behalf of, the Company in any Delaware-Based Court, the Company hereby agrees that the law of the forum in which such action, suit or proceeding is brought, not the law of Ireland, will govern the sufficiency of the pleadings and such Member’s or Beneficial Owner’s standing to bring such action, suit or proceeding.

 

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Companies Acts, 1963 to 2012

 

MEMORANDUM AND ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION OF

 

SEAGATE TECHNOLOGY PUBLIC LIMITED COMPANY

 

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Exhibit 10.1

 

SEAGATE TECHNOLOGY PLC

 

EXECUTIVE OFFICER PERFORMANCE BONUS PLAN

 

As Amended and Restated Effective as of July 23, 2013

 

The objectives of the Seagate Technology plc Executive Officer Performance Bonus Plan (the “EOPB”) are to motivate and reward the Company’s executive officers to produce results that increase shareholder value and to encourage individual and team behavior that helps the Company achieve both short and long-term corporate objectives.  The EOPB was previously amended and restated effective as of June 28, 2008.

 

ARTICLE I.

DEFINITIONS

 

Section 1.1 — “Base Compensation” with respect to a Performance Period shall mean the Participant’s rate of annual base salary as in effect as of the last day of such Performance Period, prorated for a partial Performance Period if the Participant was not employed or eligible to participate in the EOPB, as applicable, for the full Performance Period, and shall exclude moving expenses, bonus pay and other payments which are not considered part of annual base salary.

 

Section 1.2 — “Board” shall mean the Board of Directors of the Company.

 

Section 1.3 — “Code” shall mean the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.  Any reference to a section of the Code herein shall be deemed to include a reference to the regulations promulgated under such section and to any successor provision of such section.

 

Section 1.4 — “Committee” shall mean the Compensation Committee of the Board described in Section 6.1 or, where applicable, shall mean the independent members of the Board in relation to the bonus award payable to the Company’s Chief Executive Officer where such members make any determination with respect to such award.

 

Section 1.5 — “Company” shall mean Seagate Technology plc, an Irish company.

 

Section 1.6 — “Compensation Recovery Policy” shall mean the Company’s Compensation Recovery for Fraud or Misconduct Policy, as such policy may be amended or superseded from time to time.

 

Section 1.7 — “Disability” shall mean the physical or mental incapacitation such that for a period of six consecutive months or for an aggregate of nine months in any 24-month consecutive period, a Participant is unable to substantially perform his or her duties.  Any question as to the existence of that Participant’s physical or mental incapacitation as to which the Participant or the Participant’s representative and the Company cannot agree shall be determined in writing by a qualified independent physician mutually acceptable to the Participant and the Company.  If the Participant and the Company cannot agree as to a qualified independent physician, each shall appoint such a physician and those two physicians shall select a third who shall make such determination in writing.  The determination of “Disability” made in writing to

 

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the Company and the Participant shall be final and conclusive for all purposes of the bonus awards.

 

Section 1.8 — “Executive Officer” shall mean an employee who is subject to the requirements of Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

 

Section 1.9 — “Participant” shall mean, with respect to any Performance Period during the term of the EOPB, an Executive Officer selected or approved by the Committee to participate in the EOPB in accordance with Section 2.3 hereof.

 

Section 1.10 — “Performance Period” shall mean the period for which performance is calculated, which, unless otherwise indicated by the Committee, shall be the fiscal year.

 

Section 1.11 — “Severance Plan” shall mean the Fifth Amended and Restated Executive Severance and Change in Control Plan, as such plan may be amended from time to time.

 

ARTICLE II.

BONUS AWARDS

 

Section 2.1 — Performance Targets .  A Participant shall be eligible to earn a bonus award under the EOPB based on the achievement of one or more performance targets by the Company, as determined by the Committee for each Performance Period.  The performance targets for a Performance Period shall be based on any one or more of the following objective performance criteria, or derivations of such performance criteria, either individually, alternatively or in any combination, applied to either the Company as a whole or to a business unit or subsidiary, and measured over the designated Performance Period, on an absolute basis or relative to a pre-established target, to previous years’ results or to a designated comparison group or index, in each case as the Committee determines: (a) pre-and after-tax income; (b) operating income; (c) net operating income or profit (before or after taxes); (d) net earnings; (e) net income (before or after taxes); (f) operating margin; (g) gross margin; (h) cash flow (before or after dividends); (i) earnings per share; (j) return on equity; (k) return on assets, net assets, investments or capital employed; (l) revenue; (m) market share; (n) cost reductions or savings; (o) funds from operations; (p) total shareholder return; (q) share price; (r) earnings before any one or more of the following items: interest, taxes, depreciation or amortization; (s) market capitalization; (t) economic value added; (u) operating ratio; (v) product development or release schedules; (w) new product innovation; (x) implementation of the Company’s critical processes or projects; (y) customer service or customer satisfaction; (z) product quality measures; (aa) days sales outstanding or working capital management; (bb) inventory or inventory turns; (cc) pre-tax profit and/or (dd) cost reductions.

 

Section 2.2 — Adjustments .  To the extent consistent with Section 162(m) of the Code, the Committee may determine to adjust any of the foregoing performance targets established by the Committee pursuant to Section 2.3 as follows: (a) to exclude restructuring and/or other nonrecurring charges; (b) to exclude exchange rate effects, as applicable, for non-U.S. dollar denominated net sales and operating earnings; (c) to exclude the effects of changes to generally accepted accounting principles required by the U.S. Financial Accounting Standards Board, as well as changes in accounting standards promulgated by other accounting standards setters to the

 

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extent applicable (for example, resulting from future potential voluntary or mandatory adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards); (d) to exclude the effects of any statutory adjustments to corporate tax rates; (e) to exclude the effects of any “extraordinary items” as determined under generally accepted accounting principles; (f) to exclude any other unusual, non-recurring gain or loss or other extraordinary item; (g) to respond to any unusual or extraordinary transaction, event or development; (h) to respond to changes in applicable laws, regulations, and/or accounting principles; (i) to exclude the dilutive or accretive effects of dispositions, acquisitions or joint ventures; (j) to exclude the effect of any change in the outstanding shares by reason of any share dividend or split, share repurchase, reorganization, recapitalization, merger, consolidation, spin-off, combination or exchange of shares or other similar corporate change, or any distributions to shareholders other than regular cash dividends; (k) to reflect the effect of a corporate transaction, such as a merger, consolidation, separation (including a spinoff or other distribution of stock or property by a corporation), or reorganization (whether or not such reorganization comes within the definition of such terms of Section 368 of the Code); and (l) to reflect the effect of any partial or completed corporate liquidation.

 

Section 2.3 — Bonus Awards .  Each individual who is an Executive Officer (a) who remains continuously employed as an Executive Officer from the first day of the applicable Performance Period (or, if later, from his or her first day of employment or eligibility to participate in the EOPB, as applicable) through and including the last day of the applicable Performance Period and (b) who is selected or approved by the Committee to participate in the EOPB with respect to such Performance Period, shall be eligible for a bonus award with respect to such Performance Period under this Section 2.3.  The Committee shall establish objectively determinable performance targets with respect to Participants under this Section 2.3 for such Performance Period, which shall be based on the performance criteria set forth in Section 2.1.  Achievement of specified levels of the performance target will result in a bonus award to such Participants equal to a fixed dollar amount or a percentage of their Base Compensation, as determined by the Committee; provided, however, that the maximum bonus award payable to any Participant with respect to any Performance Period of the Company shall not exceed $10,000,000 (and, in any case, shall not exceed $15,000,000 in any fiscal year).  The Committee shall establish such specified levels of the performance target(s) and the bonus award, if any, to be paid at each such specified level.  As soon as reasonably practicable following the conclusion of each Performance Period and prior to the payment of a bonus award, the Committee shall certify in writing the level of performance attained by the Company for the Performance Period to which such bonus award relates and shall also determine the actual bonus award to be paid to each Participant.  The Committee shall have no discretion to increase the amount of a Participant’s bonus award but the Committee shall have unlimited discretion to reduce the amount of a Participant’s bonus award that would otherwise be payable to the Participant upon the achievement of specified levels of the performance target(s).

 

ARTICLE III.

PAYMENT OF BONUS AWARD

 

Section 3.1 — Form of Payment .  Each Participant’s bonus award, if the Committee certifies the payment of bonus awards for an applicable Performance Period in accordance with Section 2.3, shall be paid in cash.

 

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Section 3.2 — Timing of Payment .  Unless a Participant has timely and validly elected to defer all or part of a bonus award under a deferred compensation plan sponsored by the Company or an affiliate, each bonus award shall be paid no later than the 15th day of the third month following the end of the Performance Period to which such bonus award relates.  A timely election is one that satisfies the requirements of Section 409A of the Code and typically for performance-based compensation must be made at least six months in advance of the expiration of the applicable period of service, provided that the Participant performs services continuously from the later of the beginning of such period or the date the performance criteria are established through the date an election is made and provided further that in no event may a deferral be made after such compensation has become readily ascertainable as set forth in Section 409A of the Code.

 

ARTICLE IV.

SECTION 162(M) OF THE CODE

 

Section 4.1 — Qualified Performance Based Compensation .  Except as set forth in the final sentence of Article V and Section 7.4(d) hereof, bonus awards are intended to qualify as “performance-based compensation” within the meaning of Section 162(m)(4)(C) of the Code, and the Committee shall take such actions as are consistent with the terms of the EOPB to ensure that such bonus award will so qualify.

 

Section 4.2 — Performance Goals .  With respect to any bonus award that qualifies as “performance-based compensation,” within the meaning of Section 162(m)(4)(C) of the Code, any of the performance targets described in Section 2.1, if applicable to such bonus award, shall be established in writing by the Committee no later than the earlier of (i) the date that is 90 days after the commencement of the applicable Performance Period or (ii) the date on which twenty-five percent (25%) of the Performance Period has elapsed, and, in any event, at a time when the outcome of the performance target(s) remains substantially uncertain.  No bonus award which is intended to qualify as “performance-based compensation,” within the meaning of Section 162(m)(4)(C) of the Code, shall be paid to a Participant unless and until the Committee makes a certification in writing with respect to the level of performance attained by the Company for the period of service to which such bonus award relates, as required by Section 162(m) of the Code, and the regulations promulgated thereunder.

 

ARTICLE V.

TERMINATIONS

 

A Participant who, whether voluntarily or involuntarily, is terminated or demoted or otherwise ceases to be an Executive Officer at any time during a Performance Period shall not be eligible to receive a pro-rata bonus award, nor shall a Participant who, whether voluntarily or involuntarily, is terminated following the end of a Performance Period but before bonuses are generally paid out to Participants be eligible to receive a prior year bonus award.

 

Notwithstanding the terms of the previous paragraph, in the event of a Participant’s death or Disability, or in the event of a change in ownership or control of the Company, the Committee may, in its sole discretion, provide pro-rata bonus awards to affected Participants.

 

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In addition, in the event of a qualifying termination of employment, a Participant may have rights to receive a pro-rata bonus award and/or prior year bonus award under the terms of the Severance Plan, or such other successor plan or program as may be in effect from time to time.

 

ARTICLE VI.

ADMINISTRATION

 

Section 6.1 — Compensation Committee .  The Committee shall consist solely of two or more members of the Board who are “outside directors,” within the meaning of Section 162(m) of the Code, and satisfy such other criteria as set forth in the Committee’s Charter.

 

Section 6.2 — Duties and Powers of Committee .  The Committee shall administer the EOPB, and shall have the full and final authority in its discretion (subject to, and within the limitations of, the express provisions of the EOPB) to establish rules and take all actions, including, without limitation:

 

(a)                                  selecting or approving Executive Officers to participate in the EOPB and determining the potential amount of bonus award payable to such persons;

 

(b) construing and interpreting the terms of the EOPB and establishing, amending and revoking rules and regulations for its administration;

 

(c) correcting any defect, omission or inconsistency in the EOPB in a manner and to the extent it shall deem necessary or expedient to make the EOPB fully effective;

 

(d) deciding all questions of fact arising in their application, determined by the Committee to be necessary in the administration of the EOPB; and

 

(e) generally exercising such powers and performing such acts as the Committee deems necessary, desirable, convenient or expedient to promote the best interests of the Company that are not in conflict with the EOPB.

 

Section 6.3 — Effect of Committee’s or Board’s Decision .  All decisions, determinations and interpretations of, and all actions taken by, the Committee or the Board in good faith shall be final, binding and conclusive on all persons, including the Company, the Participants and their estates and beneficiaries.

 

ARTICLE VII.

OTHER PROVISIONS

 

Section 7.1 — Amendment, Suspension or Termination of the EOPB .  This EOPB does not constitute a promise to pay and may be wholly or partially amended or otherwise modified, suspended or terminated at any time or from time to time by the Committee or the Board, subject to any requirement for shareholder approval under applicable law, including Section 162(m) of the Code.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, no amendment, modification, suspension or

 

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termination of the EOPB shall be made which materially adversely affects bonus awards previously made to a Participant without such Participant’s consent.

 

Section 7.2 — Approval of EOPB by Shareholders .  The EOPB shall be submitted for the approval of the Company’s shareholders at the 2013 Annual Meeting of Shareholders.

 

Section 7.3 — Seagate Compensation Recovery for Fraud or Misconduct Policy .  Any bonus awards payable thereafter under the EOPB shall be subject to the Company’s Compensation Recovery Policy as in effect from time to time, and the terms and conditions of such policy shall be incorporated into the EOPB.

 

Section 7.4 — Miscellaneous .

 

(a)                                  The Company shall deduct all federal, state and local taxes required by law or Company policy from any bonus award paid to a Participant hereunder.

 

(b)                                  In no event shall the Company be obligated to pay to any Participant a bonus award by reason of the Company’s payment of a bonus to such Participant in any other Performance Period, and there is no obligation for uniformity of treatment of Participants under the EOPB.

 

(c)                                   The rights of Participants under the EOPB shall be unfunded and unsecured.  Amounts payable under the EOPB are not and will not be transferred into a trust or otherwise set aside.  The Company shall not be required to establish any special or separate fund or to make any other segregation of assets to assure the payment of any bonus under the EOPB.

 

(d)                                  The Company intends that bonus awards payable under the EOPB shall satisfy and shall be interpreted in a manner that satisfies any applicable requirements as qualified “performance-based compensation” within the meaning of Section 162(m)(4)(C) of the Code, unless the Committee specifies to the contrary at the time of grant of a bonus award or the terms of a bonus award are clearly inconsistent with the requirements of Section 162(m)(4)(C) of the Code.  To the extent bonus awards under the EOPB are intended to qualify as “performance-based compensation” within the meaning of Section 162(m)(4)(C) of the Code, any provision, application or interpretation of the EOPB that is inconsistent with this intent shall be disregarded with respect to bonus awards intended to qualify as “performance-based compensation” within the meaning of Section 162(m)(4)(C) of the Code.

 

(e)                                   Nothing contained herein shall be construed as a contract of employment or deemed to give any Participant the right to be retained in the employ of the Company or an affiliate, or to interfere with the rights of the Company or any affiliate to discharge any individual at any time, with or without cause, for any reason or no reason, and with or without notice except as may be otherwise agreed in writing.

 

(f)                                    No rights of any Participant to payments of any amounts under the EOPB shall be sold, exchanged, transferred, assigned, pledged, hypothecated or otherwise disposed of other than by will or by laws of descent and distribution, and any such

 

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purported sale, exchange, transfer, assignment, pledge, hypothecation or disposition shall be void.

 

(g)                                   Any provision of the EOPB that is prohibited or unenforceable shall be ineffective to the extent of such prohibition or unenforceability without invalidating the remaining provisions of the EOPB.

 

(h)                                  The EOPB and the rights and obligations of the parties to the EOPB shall be governed by, and construed and interpreted in accordance with, the law of the State of California (without regard to principles of conflicts of law).

 

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