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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, DC 20549

 

 

FORM 8-K 

 

 

CURRENT REPORT

 

PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE

SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

 

Date of report (Date of earliest event reported): December 7, 2021 (December 7, 2021)

 

 

 

MACK-CALI REALTY CORPORATION

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)

 

Maryland   1-13274   22-3305147
(State or Other Jurisdiction
of Incorporation)
  (Commission File Number)   (IRS Employer
Identification No.)

 

Harborside 3, 210 Hudson St., Ste. 400

Jersey City, New Jersey 07311

(Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)

 

(732) 590-1010

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

 

MACK-CALI REALTY, L.P.

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)

 

Delaware   333-57103   22-3315804
(State or Other Jurisdiction
of Incorporation)
  (Commission File Number)   (IRS Employer
Identification No.)

 

Harborside 3, 210 Hudson St., Ste. 400

Jersey City, New Jersey 07311

(Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)

 

(732) 590-1010

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

 

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

 

¨ Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)
¨ Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)
¨ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))
¨ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

 

Securities Registered Pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

 

Title of each class   Trading Symbol(s)   Name of each exchange on which registered
Common Stock, par value $0.01   CLI   New York Stock Exchange

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).    Emerging growth company ¨

 

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.  ¨

 

 

Co-Registrant CIK 0001067063
Co-Registrant Amendment Flag false
Co-Registrant Form Type 8-K
Co-Registrant DocumentPeriodEndDate 2021-12-7
Co-Registrant Written Communications false
Co-Registrant Solicitating Materials false
Co-Registrant PreCommencement Tender Offer false
Co-Registrant PreCommencement Issuer Tender Offer false

 

 

 

 

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

 

On December 7, 2021, Mack-Cali Realty Corporation, a Maryland corporation (the “Company”) and the general partner of Mack-Cali Realty, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership and the operating partnership through the Company conducts its business (the “Operating Partnership,” and together with the Company, the “Registrants”), announced a corporate rebranding. Effective December 10, 2021, the Company will be changing its name to Veris Residential, Inc., the Operating Partnership will be changing its name to Veris Residential, L.P., and the Company’s common stock, par value $0.01 per share, will commence trading on the New York Stock Exchange under a new ticker symbol “VRE.”

 

Also on December 7, 2021, the Company filed Articles of Amendment to its Articles of Restatement (the “Charter Amendment”) to effect the change of the Company’s name to Veris Residential, Inc. effective as of December 10, 2021, and adopted the Third Amended and Restated Bylaws of the Company (the “Bylaws”) to reflect the Company’s new name and consolidated all prior amendments to the bylaws. In addition, the Company, in its capacity as sole general partner of the Operating Partnership, adopted the Eleventh Amendment effective as of December 10, 2021 (the “LPA Amendment”) to the Second Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership of the Operating Partnership, dated as of December 11, 1997, as previously amended (the “Partnership Agreement”), to reflect the new names of the Company and Operating Partnership.

 

Copies of the Charter Amendment, Bylaws and LPA Amendment are filed as exhibits 3.1, 3.2 and 3.3 hereto and are incorporated herein by reference.

 

Item 7.01 Regulation FD

 

On December 7, 2021, the Company issued a press release announcing its corporate rebranding and the name changes of the Company and Operating Partnership. A copy of the press release is furnished as Exhibit 99.1 hereto.

 

Limitation of Incorporation by Reference

 

In accordance with General Instruction B.2. of Form 8-K, this information, including Exhibit 99.1 furnished herewith, is furnished pursuant to Item 7.01 and shall not be deemed to be “filed” for the purpose of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section, nor shall it be incorporated by reference into a filing under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), or the Exchange Act. The information in this Item 7.01 of this Current Report on Form 8-K (including the exhibit hereto) will not be deemed an admission as to the materiality of any information required to be disclosed solely to satisfy the requirements of Regulation FD.

 

 

 

 

Cautionary Statements

 

This Current Report on Form 8-K, including the exhibits furnished herewith, contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 21E of the Exchange Act. Such forward-looking statements relate to, without limitation, our future economic performance, plans and objectives for future operations and projections of revenue and other financial items. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as “may,” “will,” “plan,” “potential,” “project,” “should,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “target,” “continue” or comparable terminology. Forward-looking statements are inherently subject to certain risks, trends and uncertainties, many of which we cannot predict with accuracy and some of which we might not even anticipate. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are based upon reasonable assumptions at the time made, we can give no assurance that such expectations will be achieved. Future events and actual results, financial and otherwise, may differ materially from the results discussed in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including those incorporated by reference herein. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Unless required by U.S. federal securities laws, we do not intend to update any of the forward-looking statements to reflect circumstances or events that occur after the statements are made or to conform the statements to actual results. The information contained in this Current Report on Form 8-K, including exhibit 99.1 furnished herewith, should be viewed in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto appearing in the Registrants’ Annual Reports on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q.

 

Item 9.01              Financial Statements and Exhibits

 

(d)  Exhibits

 

Exhibit Number   Exhibit Title
     
3.1   Articles of Amendment to the Articles of Restatement of Mack-Cali Realty Corporation as filed with the State Department of Assessments and Taxation of Maryland on December 7, 2021.
     
3.2   Third Amended and Restated Bylaws.
     
3.3   Eleventh Amendment, effective as of December 10, 2021, to Second Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership of Mack-Cali Realty, L.P., dated as of December 11, 1997.
     
99.1   Press Release Dated December 7, 2021.
     
104.1   Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document).

 

 

 

 

SIGNATURES

 

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

 

  MACK-CALI REALTY CORPORATION
   
Dated: December 7, 2021 By: /s/ Gary T. Wagner
    Gary T. Wagner
    General Counsel and Secretary
   
  MACK-CALI REALTY, L.P.
   
  By: Mack-Cali Realty Corporation,
    its general partner
   
   
Dated: December 7, 2021   By: /s/ Gary T. Wagner
      Gary T. Wagner
      General Counsel and Secretary

 

 

 

 

Exhibit 3.1

 

MACK-CALI REALTY CORPORATION

 

ARTICLES OF AMENDMENT

 

MACK-CALI REALTY CORPORATION, a Maryland corporation (the “Corporation”), hereby certifies to the State Department of Assessments and Taxation of Maryland (the “Department”) that:

 

FIRST:  The Corporation desires to, and does hereby, amend the charter of the Corporation as currently in effect (the “Charter”) pursuant to Sections 2-601 et seq. of the Maryland General Corporation Law (the “MGCL”) by deleting therefrom in its entirety the existing Article I and inserting, in lieu thereof, the following new Article I:

 

ARTICLE I

 

NAME

 

The name of the corporation (the “Corporation”) is:

 

Veris Residential, Inc.

 

SECOND: The foregoing amendment to the Charter as set forth in these Articles of Amendment is limited to a change expressly authorized by Section 2-605 of the MGCL to be made without action by the stockholders, and was approved by a majority of the entire Board of Directors of the Corporation, without action by the stockholders.

 

THIRD: These Articles of Amendment shall be effective at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Standard Time on December 10, 2021.

 

FOURTH: The undersigned Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation acknowledges these Articles of Amendment to be the corporate act of the Corporation and, as to all matters or facts required to be verified under oath, the undersigned Chief Executive Officer acknowledges that to the best of his knowledge, information and belief, these matters and facts are true in all material respects and that this statement is made under the penalties of perjury.

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Corporation has caused these Articles of Amendment to be signed in its name and on its behalf by its Chief Executive Officer, and attested to by its Secretary, on this 7th day of December, 2021.

 

ATTEST:   MACK-CALI REALTY CORPORATION

 

/s/ Gary T. Wagner   By: /s/ Mahbod Nia[(SEAL)] 
Name: Gary T. Wagner   Name: Mahbod Nia 
Title: Secretary   Title: Chief Executive Officer

 

 

Exhibit 3.2

 

VERIS RESIDENTIAL, INC.

 

THIRD AMENDED AND RESTATED BYLAWS

 

Article I

 

OFFICES

 

Section 1.          PRINCIPAL OFFICE. The principal office of the Corporation shall be located at such place or places as the Board of Directors may designate.

 

Section 2.          ADDITIONAL OFFICES. The Corporation may have additional offices at such places as the Board of Directors may from time to time determine or the business of the Corporation may require.

 

Article II

 

MEETINGS OF STOCKHOLDERS

 

Section 1.          PLACE. All meetings of stockholders shall be held at the principal office of the Corporation or at such other place as shall be determined by the Board of Directors and stated in the notice of the meeting. In accordance with, and subject to, applicable law, the Board of Directors may determine that a meeting of stockholders not be held at any place but instead may be held solely by means of remote communication.

 

Section 2.          ANNUAL MEETING. An annual meeting of the stockholders for the election of directors and the transaction of any business within the powers of the Corporation shall be held on a date and at the time and place set by the Board of Directors. Failure to hold an annual meeting does not invalidate the Corporation’s existence or affect any otherwise valid acts of the Corporation.

 

Section 3.          SPECIAL MEETINGS. (a) GENERAL. The chief executive officer or the Board of Directors may call a special meeting of the stockholders. Subject to subsection (b) of this Section 3, a special meeting of stockholders shall also be called by the secretary of the Corporation upon the written request of the stockholders entitled to cast not less than a majority of all the votes entitled to be cast at such meeting.

 

 
 

 

(b)            STOCKHOLDER REQUESTED SPECIAL MEETINGS. (1) Any stockholder of record seeking to have stockholders request a special meeting shall, by sending written notice to the secretary (the “Record Date Request Notice”) by registered mail, return receipt requested, request the Board of Directors to fix a record date to determine the stockholders entitled to request a special meeting (the “Request Record Date”). The Record Date Request Notice shall set forth the purpose of the meeting and the matters proposed to be acted on at it, shall be signed by one or more stockholders of record as of the date of signature (or their duly authorized proxies or other agents), shall bear the date of signature of each such stockholder (or proxy or other agent) and shall set forth all information relating to each such stockholder that must be disclosed in solicitations of proxies for election of directors in an election contest (even if an election contest is not involved), or is otherwise required, in each case pursuant to Regulation 14A under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and Rule 14a-11 thereunder. Upon receiving the Record Date Request Notice, the Board of Directors may fix a Request Record Date. The Request Record Date shall not precede and shall not be more than ten days after the close of business on the date on which the resolution fixing the Request Record Date is adopted by the Board of Directors. If the Board of Directors, within ten days after the date on which a valid Record Date Request Notice is received, fails to adopt a resolution fixing the Request Record Date and make a public announcement of such Request Record Date, the Request Record Date shall be the close of business on the tenth day after the first date on which the Record Date Request Notice is received by the secretary.

 

(2)            In order for any stockholder to request a special meeting, one or more written requests for a special meeting signed by stockholders of record (or their duly authorized proxies or other agents) as of the Request Record Date entitled to cast not less than a majority (the “Special Meeting Percentage”) of all of the votes entitled to be cast at such meeting (the “Special Meeting Request”) shall be delivered to the secretary. In addition, the Special Meeting Request shall set forth the purpose of the meeting and the matters proposed to be acted on at it (which shall be limited to the matters set forth in the Record Date Request Notice received by the secretary), shall bear the date of signature of each such stockholder (or proxy or other agent) signing the Special Meeting Request, shall set forth the name and address, as they appear in the Corporation’s books, of each stockholder signing such request (or on whose behalf the Special Meeting Request is signed) and the class and number of shares of stock of the Corporation which are owned of record and the class and number of shares of stock of the Corporation which are owned beneficially by each such stockholder, shall be sent to the secretary by registered mail, return receipt requested, and shall be received by the secretary within 60 days after the Request Record Date. Any requesting stockholder may revoke his, her or its request for a special meeting at any time by written revocation delivered to the secretary.

 

(3)            The secretary shall inform the requesting stockholders of the reasonably estimated cost of preparing and mailing the notice of meeting (including the Corporation’s proxy materials). The secretary shall not be required to call a special meeting upon stockholder request and such meeting shall not be held unless, in addition to the documents required by paragraph (2) of this Section 3(b), the secretary receives payment of such reasonably estimated cost prior to the mailing of any notice of the meeting.

 

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(4)            Except as provided in the next sentence, any special meeting shall be held at such place, date and time as may be designated by the chief executive officer or Board of Directors, whoever has called the meeting. In the case of any special meeting called by the secretary upon the request of stockholders (a “Stockholder Requested Meeting”), such meeting shall be held at such place, date and time as may be designated by the Board of Directors; PROVIDED, however, that the date of any Stockholder Requested Meeting shall be not more than 90 days after the record date for such meeting (the “Meeting Record Date”); and PROVIDED FURTHER that if the Board of Directors fails to designate, within ten days after the date that a valid Special Meeting Request is actually received by the secretary (the “Delivery Date”), a date and time for a Stockholder Requested Meeting, then such meeting shall be held at 2:00 p.m. local time on the 90th day after the Meeting Record Date or, if such 90th day is not a Business Day (as defined below), on the first preceding Business Day; and PROVIDED FURTHER that in the event that the Board of Directors fails to designate a place for a Stockholder Requested Meeting within ten days after the Delivery Date, then such meeting shall be held at the principal executive offices of the Corporation. In fixing a date for any special meeting, the chief executive officer or Board of Directors may consider such factors as he, she or it deems relevant within the good faith exercise of business judgment, including, without limitation, the nature of the matters to be considered, the facts and circumstances surrounding any request for meeting and any plan of the Board of Directors to call an annual meeting or a special meeting. In the case of any Stockholder Requested Meeting, if the Board of Directors fails to fix a Meeting Record Date that is a date within 30 days after the Delivery Date, then the close of business on the 30th day after the Delivery Date shall be the Meeting Record Date.

 

(5)            If at any time as a result of written revocations of requests for the special meeting, stockholders of record (or their duly authorized proxies or other agents) as of the Request Record Date entitled to cast less than the Special Meeting Percentage shall have delivered and not revoked requests for a special meeting, the secretary may refrain from mailing the notice of the meeting or, if the notice of the meeting has been mailed, the secretary may revoke the notice of the meeting at any time before ten days before the meeting if the secretary has first sent to all other requesting stockholders written notice of such revocation and of intention to revoke the notice of the meeting. Any request for a special meeting received after a revocation by the secretary of a notice of a meeting shall be considered a request for a new special meeting.

 

(6)            The chairman of the Board of Directors, the chief executive officer or the Board of Directors may appoint regionally or nationally recognized independent inspectors of elections to act as the agent of the Corporation for the purpose of promptly performing a ministerial review of the validity of any purported Special Meeting Request received by the secretary. For the purpose of permitting the inspectors to perform such review, no such purported request shall be deemed to have been delivered to the secretary until the earlier of (i) five Business Days after receipt by the secretary of such purported request and (ii) such date as the independent inspectors certify to the Corporation that the valid requests received by the secretary represent the Special Meeting Percentage of the issued and outstanding shares of stock that would be entitled to vote at such meeting. Nothing contained in this paragraph (6) shall in any way be construed to suggest or imply that the Corporation or any stockholder shall not be entitled to contest the validity of any request, whether during or after such five Business Day period, or to take any other action (including, without limitation, the commencement, prosecution or defense of any litigation with respect thereto, and the seeking of injunctive relief in such litigation).

 

(7)            For purposes of these Bylaws, “Business Day” shall mean any day other than a Saturday, a Sunday or a day on which banking institutions in the State of New Jersey are authorized or obligated by law or executive order to close.

 

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Section 4.          NOTICE. Not less than ten (10) nor more than ninety (90) days before each meeting of stockholders, the secretary shall give to each stockholder entitled to vote at such meeting and to each stockholder not entitled to vote who is entitled to notice of the meeting notice in writing or by electronic transmission stating the time and place of the meeting and, in the case of a special meeting or as otherwise may be required by statute, the purpose for which the meeting is called. Such notice may be delivered by mail, by presenting it to such stockholder personally, by leaving it at his residence or usual place of business, by electronic transmission or by any other means permitted by Maryland law. If mailed, such notice shall be deemed to be given when deposited in the United States mail addressed to the stockholder at his post office address as it appears on the records of the Corporation, with postage thereon prepaid. If transmitted electronically, such notice shall be deemed to be given when transmitted to the stockholder by an electronic transmission to any address or number of the stockholder at which the stockholder receives electronic transmissions. The Corporation may give a single notice to all stockholders who share an address, which single notice shall be effective as to any stockholder at such address, unless a stockholder objects to receiving such single notice or revokes a prior consent to receiving such single notice. Failure to give notice of any meeting to one or more stockholders, or any irregularity in such notice, shall not affect the validity of any meeting fixed in accordance with this Article II or the validity of any proceedings at any such meeting.

 

Section 5.          SCOPE OF NOTICE. Any business of the Corporation may be transacted at an annual meeting of stockholders without being specifically designated in the notice, except such business as is required by statute to be stated in such notice. No business shall be transacted at a special meeting of stockholders except as specifically designated in the notice.

 

Section 6.          ORGANIZATION. At every meeting of stockholders, the chairman of the board, if there be one, shall conduct the meeting or, in the case of vacancy in office or absence of the chairman of the board, one of the following officers present shall conduct the meeting in the order stated: the vice chairman of the board, if there be one, the chief executive officer, the president, the vice presidents in their order of rank and seniority, or a chairman chosen by the stockholders entitled to cast a majority of the votes which all stockholders present in person or by proxy are entitled to cast. The secretary, or, in his absence, an assistant secretary, or in the absence of both the secretary and assistant secretaries, a person appointed by the Board of Directors or the chairman of the meeting shall act as secretary. In the event that the secretary presides at a meeting of stockholders, an assistant secretary, or, in the absence of all assistant secretaries, an individual appointed by the Board of Directors or the chairman of the meeting, shall record the minutes of the meeting. The order of business and all other matters of procedure at any meeting of stockholders shall be determined by the chairman of the meeting. The chairman of the meeting may prescribe such rules, regulations and procedures and take such action as, in the discretion of the chairman and without any action by the stockholders, are appropriate for the proper conduct of the meeting, including, without limitation, (a) restricting admission to the time set for the commencement of the meeting; (b) limiting attendance at the meeting to stockholders of record of the Corporation, their duly authorized proxies and such other individuals as the chairman of the meeting may determine; (c) limiting participation at the meeting on any matter to stockholders of record of the Corporation entitled to vote on such matter, their duly authorized proxies and other such individuals as the chairman of the meeting may determine; (d) limiting the time allotted to questions or comments; (e) determining when and for how long the polls should be opened and when the polls should be closed; (f) maintaining order and security at the meeting; (g) removing any stockholder or any other individual who refuses to comply with meeting procedures, rules or guidelines as set forth by the chairman of the meeting; (h) concluding a meeting or recessing or adjourning the meeting to a later date and time and at a place announced at the meeting; and (i) complying with any state and local laws and regulations concerning safety and security. Unless otherwise determined by the chairman of the meeting, meetings of stockholders shall not be required to be held in accordance with the rules of parliamentary procedure.

 

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Section 7.          QUORUM. At any meeting of stockholders, the presence in person or by proxy of stockholders entitled to cast a majority of all the votes entitled to be cast at such meeting shall constitute a quorum; but this section shall not affect any requirement under any statute or the charter of the Corporation (the “Charter”) for the vote necessary for the adoption of any measure. If, however, such quorum shall not be present at any meeting of the stockholders, the chairman of the meeting or the stockholders entitled to vote at such meeting, present in person or by proxy, shall have the power to adjourn the meeting from time to time to a date not more than 120 days after the original record date without notice other than announcement at the meeting. At such adjourned meeting at which a quorum shall be present, any business may be transacted which might have been transacted at the meeting as originally notified.

 

Section 8.          VOTING.

 

(a)            Except as otherwise provided in this Section 8 with respect to the election of directors, a majority of the votes cast at a meeting of stockholders duly called and at which a quorum is present shall be sufficient to approve any matter which may properly come before the meeting, unless more than a majority of the votes cast is required by statute or by the Charter. Unless otherwise provided in the Charter, each outstanding share, regardless of class, shall be entitled to one vote on each matter submitted to a vote at a meeting of stockholders. In the election of directors, each share may be voted for as many individuals as there are directors to be elected and for whose election the share is entitled to be voted.

 

(b)            Except as otherwise provided in the Charter with respect to directors to be elected by the holders of any class or series of preferred stock of the Corporation and in these Bylaws with respect to the filling of vacancies on the Board of Directors, each director shall be elected by a majority of the votes cast with respect to such director at any meeting of stockholders duly called and at which a quorum is present and directors are to be elected; provided, however, that the directors shall be elected by a plurality of the votes cast at a meeting of the stockholders duly called and at which a quorum is present and directors are to be elected if, in connection with such meeting (i) the secretary of the Corporation shall have received one or more notices that a stockholder has nominated or proposes to nominate a person or persons for election as a director, which notice(s) purports to be in compliance with the advance notice requirements set forth in Section 12 of Article II of these Bylaws, irrespective of whether the Board of Directors thereafter determines that any such notice(s) is not in compliance with such requirements, and (ii) as of the fourteenth (14th) day preceding the date on which notice of such meeting of the stockholders is first mailed or otherwise given in accordance with applicable law to the stockholders of the Corporation, such nomination or proposed nomination has not been withdrawn by such stockholder and would thereby cause the number of nominees and proposed nominees to exceed the number of directors to be elected at such meeting, as determined by the secretary of the Corporation, irrespective of whether such nomination or proposed nomination is thereafter withdrawn by such stockholder (a “Contested Election”). If the directors are to be elected by a plurality of the votes cast pursuant to the provisions of the immediately preceding sentence, stockholders shall not be permitted to vote “against” any one or more nominees but shall only be permitted to vote “for” one or more nominees or withhold their votes with respect to one or more nominees. For purposes hereof, a majority of the votes cast means the number of votes cast “for” a director nominee must exceed the number of votes cast “against” that director nominee, with abstentions and broker non-votes not counted as a vote cast either “for” or “against” that director nominee.

 

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(c)            If, in any election of directors of the Corporation which is not a Contested Election, an incumbent director does not receive a majority of the votes cast and therefore is not re-elected, such incumbent director shall promptly tender his or her resignation as a director, subject to acceptance thereof by the Board of Directors, for consideration by the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee of the Board of Directors. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee will promptly consider any such tendered resignation and will make a recommendation to the Board of Directors as to whether such tendered resignation should be accepted or rejected, or whether other action should be taken with respect to such offer to resign. Any incumbent director whose tendered resignation is under consideration may not participate in any deliberation or vote of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee or the Board of Directors regarding such tendered resignation. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee and the Board of Directors may consider any factors they deem relevant in deciding whether to accept, reject or take other action with respect to any such tendered resignation. Within ninety (90) days after the date on which certification of the stockholder vote on the election of directors is made, the Board of Directors will publicly disclose its decision and rationale regarding whether to accept, reject or take other action with respect to the tendered resignation in a press release, a periodic or current report filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission or by other public announcement. If any director’s tendered resignation is not accepted by the Board of Directors, such director will continue to serve until the next annual meeting of stockholders and until his or her successor is elected and qualified or his or her earlier death, retirement, resignation or removal. If any director’s tendered resignation is accepted by the Board of Directors, then such director will thereupon cease to be a director of the Corporation, and the Board of Directors, in its sole discretion, may fill the resulting vacancy under the provisions of the Charter, Section 10 of Article III of these Bylaws and applicable law or may decrease the size of the Board of Directors pursuant to the provisions of Section 2 of Article III of these Bylaws.

 

Section 9.          PROXIES. A stockholder may cast the votes entitled to be cast by shares of stock owned by the stockholder in person or by proxy executed by the stockholder or by the stockholder’s duly authorized agent in any manner permitted by law. Such proxy shall be filed with the secretary of the Corporation before or at the time of the meeting. No proxy shall be valid after eleven (11) months from the date of its execution, unless otherwise provided in the proxy.

 

Section 10.          VOTING OF STOCK BY CERTAIN HOLDERS. Stock of the Corporation registered in the name of a corporation, partnership, trust or other entity, if entitled to be voted, may be voted by the chief executive officer, the president or a vice president, a general partner or trustee thereof, as the case may be, or a proxy appointed by any of the foregoing individuals, unless some other person who has been appointed to vote such stock pursuant to a bylaw or a resolution of the governing body of such corporation or other entity or agreement of the partners of a partnership presents a certified copy of such bylaw, resolution or agreement, in which case such person may vote such stock. Any director or other fiduciary may vote stock registered in his name as such fiduciary, either in person or by proxy.

 

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Shares of stock of the Corporation directly or indirectly owned by it shall not be voted at any meeting and shall not be counted in determining the total number of outstanding shares entitled to be voted at any given time, unless they are held by it in a fiduciary capacity, in which case they may be voted and shall be counted in determining the total number of outstanding shares at any given time.

 

The Board of Directors may adopt by resolution a procedure by which a stockholder may certify in writing to the Corporation that any shares of stock registered in the name of the stockholder are held for the account of a specified person other than the stockholder. The resolution shall set forth the class of stockholders who may make the certification, the purpose for which the certification may be made, the form of certification and the information to be contained in it; if the certification is with respect to a record date or closing of the stock transfer books, the time after the record date or closing of the stock transfer books within which the certification must be received by the Corporation; and any other provisions with respect to the procedure which the Board of Directors considers necessary or desirable. On receipt of such certification, the person specified in the certification shall be regarded as, for the purposes set forth in the certification, the stockholder of record of the specified stock in place of the stockholder who makes the certification.

 

Section 11.          INSPECTORS. At any meeting of stockholders, the chairman of the meeting may, or upon the request of any stockholder shall, appoint one or more persons as inspectors for such meeting. Such inspectors shall ascertain and report the number of shares represented at the meeting based upon their determination of the validity and effect of proxies, count all votes, report the results and perform such other acts as are proper to conduct the election and voting with impartiality and fairness to all the stockholders.

 

Each report of an inspector shall be in writing and signed by him or by a majority of them if there is more than one inspector acting at such meeting. If there is more than one inspector, the report of a majority of the inspectors shall be the report of the inspectors. The report of the inspector or inspectors on the number of shares represented at the meeting and the results of the voting shall be PRIMA FACIE evidence thereof.

 

Section 12.          NOMINATIONS AND PROPOSALS BY STOCKHOLDERS

 

(a)            ANNUAL MEETINGS OF THE STOCKHOLDERS.

 

(1)            Nominations of persons for election to the Board of Directors and the proposal of business to be considered by the stockholders may be made at an annual meeting of the stockholders (i) pursuant to the Corporation’s notice of meeting, (ii) by or at the direction of the Board of Directors, or (iii) by any stockholder of the Corporation who was a stockholder of record both at the time of giving of notice provided for in this Section 12(a) and at the time of the annual meeting, who is entitled to vote at the meeting and who complied with the notice procedures set forth in this Section 12(a).

 

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(2)            For nominations or other business to be properly brought before an annual meeting by a stockholder pursuant to clause (iii) of paragraph (a)(1) of this Section 12, the stockholder must have given timely notice thereof in writing to the secretary of the Corporation and such other business must otherwise be a proper matter for action by stockholders. To be timely, a stockholder’s notice shall be delivered to the secretary at the principal executive offices of the Corporation not less than ninety (90) days nor more than one hundred twenty (120) days prior to the first anniversary of the preceding year’s annual meeting; provided, however, that in the event that the date of the annual meeting is advanced by more than thirty (30) days or delayed by more than sixty (60) days from such anniversary date, notice by the stockholder to be timely must be so delivered not earlier than the 120th day prior to such annual meeting and not later than the close of business on the later of the 90th day prior to such annual meeting or the tenth day following the day on which public announcement of the date of such meeting is first made by the Corporation. In no event shall the public announcement of a postponement or adjournment of an annual meeting to a later date or time commence a new time period for the giving of a stockholder’s notice as described above. Such stockholder’s notice shall set forth (i) as to each person whom the stockholder proposes to nominate for election or reelection 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, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) (including such person’s written consent to being named in the proxy statement as a nominee and to serving as a director if elected); (ii) as to any other business that the stockholder proposes to bring before the meeting, a brief description of the business desired to be brought before the meeting, the reasons for conducting such business at the meeting and any material interest in such business of such stockholder or of the beneficial owner, if any, on whose behalf the proposal is made; and (iii) as to the stockholder giving the notice and the beneficial owner, if any, on whose behalf the nomination or proposal is made, (x) the name and address of such stockholder, as they appear on the Corporation’s books, and of such beneficial owner and (y) the class and number of shares of stock of the Corporation which are owned beneficially and the class and number of shares of stock of the Corporation which are owned of record by such stockholder and such beneficial owner.

 

(3)            Notwithstanding anything in the second sentence of paragraph (a)(2) of this Section 12 to the contrary, in the event that the number of directors to be elected to the Board of Directors is increased and there is no public announcement naming all of the nominees for director or specifying the size of the increased Board of Directors made by the Corporation at least one hundred (100) days prior to the first anniversary of the preceding year’s annual meeting, a stockholder’s notice required by this Section 12(a) shall also be considered timely, but only with respect to nominees for any new positions created by such increase, if it shall be delivered to the secretary at the principal executive offices of the Corporation not later than the close of business on the tenth day following the day on which such public announcement is first made by the Corporation.

 

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(b)            SPECIAL MEETINGS OF STOCKHOLDERS. Only such business shall be conducted at a special meeting of stockholders as shall have been brought before the meeting pursuant to the Corporation’s notice of meeting. Nominations of persons for election to the Board of Directors may be made at a special meeting of stockholders at which directors are to be elected (i) pursuant to the Corporation’s notice of meeting, (ii) by or at the direction of the Board of Directors or (iii) provided that the Board of Directors has determined that directors shall be elected at such special meeting by any stockholder of the Corporation who is a stockholder of record both at the time of giving of notice provided for in this Section 12(b) and at the time of the special meeting, who is entitled to vote at the meeting and who complied with the notice procedures set forth in this Section 12(b). In the event the Corporation calls a special meeting of stockholders for the purpose of electing one or more directors to the Board of Directors, any such stockholder may nominate a person or persons (as the case may be) for election to such position as specified in the Corporation’s notice of meeting, if the stockholder’s notice containing the information required by paragraph (a)(2) of this Section 12 shall be delivered to the secretary at the principal executive offices of the Corporation not earlier than the 120th day prior to such special meeting and not later than the close of business on the later of the 90th day prior to such special meeting or the tenth day following the day on which public announcement is first made of the date of the special meeting and of the nominees proposed by the Board of Directors to be elected at such meeting. In no event shall the public announcement of a postponement or adjournment of a special meeting to a later date or time commence a new time period for the giving of a stockholder’s notice as described above.

 

(c)            GENERAL. (1) Only such persons who are nominated in accordance with the procedures set forth in this Section 12 shall be eligible to serve as directors and only such business shall be conducted at a meeting of stockholders as shall have been brought before the meeting in accordance with the procedures set forth in this Section 12. The chairman of the meeting shall have the power and duty to determine whether a nomination or any business proposed to be brought before the meeting was made or proposed, as the case may be, in accordance with the procedures set forth in this Section 12 and, if any proposed nomination or business is not in compliance with this Section 12, to declare that such defective nomination or proposal shall be disregarded.

 

(2)            For purposes of this Section 12, “public announcement” shall mean disclosure in a press release reported by the Dow Jones News Service, Associated Press or comparable news service or in a document publicly filed by the Corporation with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Sections 13, 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act.

 

(3)            Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section 12, a stockholder shall also comply with all applicable requirements of state law and of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations thereunder with respect to the matters set forth in this Section 12. Nothing in this Section 12 shall be deemed to affect any right of a stockholder to request inclusion of proposals in, nor the right of the Corporation to omit a proposal from, the Corporation’s proxy statement pursuant to Rule 14a-8 under the Exchange Act.

 

Section 13.          VOTING BY BALLOT. Voting on any question or in any election may be VIVA VOCE unless the presiding officer shall order or any stockholder shall demand that voting be by ballot.

 

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Article III

 

DIRECTORS

 

Section 1.          GENERAL. The business and affairs of the Corporation shall be managed under the direction of its Board of Directors. All powers of the Corporation may be exercised by or under the authority of the Board of Directors, except as conferred on or reserved to the stockholders by statute, the Charter or these Bylaws. The Corporation elects to be subject to the provisions of Section 3-804 of Title 3, Subtitle 8 of the Maryland General Corporation Law, as may be amended from time to time (the “MGCL”), or any successor statute.

 

Section 2.          NUMBER, TENURE AND QUALIFICATIONS. At any regular meeting or at any special meeting called for that purpose, a majority of the entire Board of Directors may establish, increase or decrease the number of directors, provided that the number thereof shall never be less than the minimum number required by the MGCL, nor more than fifteen (15). At each annual meeting of stockholders of the Corporation, the stockholders shall elect directors to hold office until the next annual meeting of stockholders and until their successors are duly elected and qualified.

 

Notwithstanding the foregoing, upon the occurrence of a default in the payment of dividends on any class or series of preferred stock, or any other event, which will entitled the holders of any class or series of preferred stock to elect additional directors of the Corporation, the number of directors of the Corporation will thereupon be increased by the number of additional directors to be elected by the holders of such class or series of preferred stock, and such increase in the number of directors shall remain in effect for so long as the holders of such class or series of preferred stock are entitled to elect such additional directors. Any such additional directors shall hold office for the time provided in the terms of the class or series of preferred stock pursuant to which such additional directors were elected.

 

Section 3.          ANNUAL AND REGULAR MEETINGS. An annual meeting of the Board of Directors shall be held immediately after and at the same place as the annual meeting of stockholders, no notice other than this Bylaw being necessary. The Board of Directors may provide, by resolution, the time and place, either within or without the State of Maryland, for the holding of regular meetings of the Board of Directors without other notice than such resolution.

 

Section 4.          SPECIAL MEETINGS. Special meetings of the Board of Directors may be called by or at the request of the chairman of the Board of Directors (or any co-chairman of the Board of Directors if more than one), the chairman of the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors, the chief executive officer of the Company or by a majority of directors then in office. The person or persons authorized to call special meetings of the Board of Directors may fix any place, whether within or without the State of Maryland, as the place for holding any special meeting of the Board of Directors called by them.

 

Section 5.          NOTICE. Notice of any special meeting of the Board of Directors shall be delivered personally or by telephone, electronic mail, facsimile transmission, United States mail or courier to each director at his business or residence address. Notice by personal delivery, by telephone, electronic mail or a facsimile transmission shall be given at least two (2) days prior to the meeting. Notice by mail shall be given at least five (5) days prior to the meeting and shall be deemed to be given when deposited in the United States mail properly addressed, with postage thereon prepaid. Telephone notice shall be deemed to be given when the director is personally given such notice in a telephone call to which he is a party. Electronic mail notice shall be deemed to be given upon transmission of the message to the electronic mail address given to the Corporation by the director. Facsimile transmission notice shall be deemed to be given upon completion of the transmission of the message to the number given to the Corporation by the director and receipt of a completed answer-back indicating receipt. Neither the business to be transacted at, nor the purpose of, any annual, regular or special meeting of the Board of Directors need be stated in the notice, unless specifically required by statute or these Bylaws.

 

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Section 6.          QUORUM. A majority of the directors shall constitute a quorum for transaction of business at any meeting of the Board of Directors, provided that, if less than a majority of such directors are present at said meeting, a majority of the directors present may adjourn the meeting from time to time without further notice, and provided further that if, pursuant to the Charter or these Bylaws, the vote of a majority of a particular group of directors is required for action, a quorum must also include a majority of such group.

 

The directors present at a meeting which has been duly called and convened may continue to transact business until adjournment, notwithstanding the withdrawal of enough directors to leave less than a quorum.

 

Section 7.          VOTING. The action of the majority of the directors present at a meeting at which a quorum is present shall be the action of the Board of Directors, unless the concurrence of a greater proportion is required for such action by applicable statute.

 

Section 8.          TELEPHONE MEETINGS. Directors may participate in a meeting by means of a conference telephone or similar communications equipment if all persons participating in the meeting can hear each other at the same time. Participation in a meeting by these means shall constitute presence in person at the meeting.

 

Section 9.          INFORMAL ACTION BY DIRECTORS. Any action required or permitted to be taken at any meeting of the Board of Directors may be taken without a meeting, if a consent in writing or by electronic transmission to such action is given by each director and such consent is filed in paper or electronic form with the minutes of proceedings of the Board of Directors.

 

Section 10.          VACANCIES. If for any reason any or all of the directors cease to be directors, such event shall not terminate the Corporation or affect these Bylaws or the powers of the remaining directors hereunder (even if fewer than three directors remain). Any vacancy on the Board of Directors for any cause other than an increase in the number of directors shall be filled by a majority of the remaining directors, although such majority is less than a quorum. Any vacancy in the number of directors created by an increase in the number of directors may be filled by a majority vote of the entire Board of Directors. Any individual so elected as director shall hold office until the next annual meeting of stockholders and until his or her successor is duly elected and qualified. Notwithstanding the foregoing, as long as the Corporation is subject to Section 3-804(c) of the MGCL, except as may be provided by the Board of Directors in setting the terms of any class or series of preferred stock, any vacancy on the Board of Directors may be filled only by a majority of the remaining directors, even if the remaining directors do not constitute a quorum, and any director so elected to fill a vacancy shall serve for the remainder of the full term of the directorship in which the vacancy occurred and until his or her successor is elected and qualifies.

 

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Section 11.          COMPENSATION. Directors shall not receive any stated salary for their services as directors but, by resolution of the Board of Directors, directors may receive fixed sums per year and/or per meeting. Expenses of attendance, if any, may be allowed to directors for attendance at each annual, regular or special meeting of the Board of Directors or of any committee thereof. Nothing herein contained shall be construed to preclude any directors from serving the Corporation in any other capacity and receiving compensation therefor.

 

Section 12.          REMOVAL OF DIRECTORS. The stockholders may remove any director for cause, in the manner provided in the Charter.

 

Section 13.          LOSS OF DEPOSITS. No director shall be liable for any loss which may occur by reason of the failure of the bank, trust company, savings and loan association, or other institution with whom moneys or stock have been deposited.

 

Section 14.          SURETY BONDS. Unless required by law, no director shall be obligated to give any bond or surety or other security for the performance of any of his duties.

 

Section 15.          RELIANCE. Each director, officer, employee and agent of the Corporation shall, in the performance of his duties with respect to the Corporation, be fully justified and protected with regard to any act or failure to act in reliance in good faith upon the books of account or other records of the Corporation, upon an opinion of counsel or upon reports made to the Corporation by any of its officers or employees or by the adviser, accountants, appraisers or other experts or consultants selected by the Board of Directors or officers of the Corporation, regardless of whether such counsel or expert may also be a director.

 

Section 16.          CERTAIN RIGHTS OF DIRECTORS, OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES AND AGENTS. The directors shall have no responsibility to devote their full time to the affairs of the Corporation. Any director or officer, employee or agent of the Corporation, in his personal capacity or in a capacity as an affiliate, employee, or agent of any other person, or otherwise, may have business interests and engage in business activities similar to or in addition to those of or relating to the Corporation, except as may otherwise have been agreed between the Corporation and such director or officer, employee or agent.

 

Section 17.          RATIFICATION. The Board of Directors or the stockholders may ratify and make binding on the Corporation any action or inaction by the Corporation or its officers to the extent that the Board of Directors or the stockholders could have originally authorized the matter. Moreover, any action or inaction questioned in any stockholders’ derivative proceeding or any other proceeding on the ground of lack of authority, defective or irregular execution, adverse interest of a director, officer or stockholder, non-disclosure, miscomputation, the application of improper principles or practices of accounting or otherwise, may be ratified, before or after judgment, by the Board of Directors or by the stockholders, and if so ratified, shall have the same force and effect as if the questioned action or inaction had been originally duly authorized, and such ratification shall be binding upon the Corporation and its stockholders and shall constitute a bar to any claim or execution of any judgment in respect of such questioned action or inaction.

 

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Article IV

 

COMMITTEES

 

Section 1.          NUMBER, TENURE AND QUALIFICATIONS. The Board of Directors may appoint from among its members an Executive Committee, an Audit Committee, a Compensation Committee and other committees, composed of one or more directors, to serve at the pleasure of the Board of Directors.

 

Section 2.          POWERS. The Board of Directors may delegate to committees appointed under Section 1 of this Article any of the powers of the Board of Directors, except as prohibited by law.

 

Section 3.          MEETINGS. Notice of committee meetings shall be given in the same manner as notice for special meetings of the Board of Directors. In the absence of any member of any such committee, the members thereof present at any meeting, whether or not they constitute a quorum, may appoint another director to act in the place of such absent member. The Board of Directors may designate a chairman of any committee, and such chairman or any two members of any committee (if there are at least two members of the committee) may fix the time and place of its meeting unless the Board shall otherwise provide.

 

Section 4.          QUORUM AND VOTING. A majority of the members of any committee shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business by such committee, and the act of a majority of the quorum shall constitute the act of the committee.

 

Section 5.          TELEPHONE MEETINGS. Members of a committee of the Board of Directors may participate in a meeting by means of a conference telephone or similar communications equipment if all persons participating in the meeting can hear each other at the same time. Participation in a meeting by these means shall constitute presence in person at the meeting.

 

Section 6.          INFORMAL ACTION BY COMMITTEES. Any action required or permitted to be taken at any meeting of a committee of the Board of Directors may be taken without a meeting, if a consent in writing or by electronic transmission to such action is given by each member of the committee and such consent is filed in paper or electronic form with the minutes of proceedings of such committee.

 

Section 7.          VACANCIES. Subject to the provisions hereof, the Board of Directors shall have the power at any time to change the membership of any committee, to fill all vacancies, to designate alternate members to replace any absent or disqualified member or to dissolve any such committee.

 

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Article V

 

OFFICERS

 

Section 1.          GENERAL PROVISIONS. The officers of the Corporation shall include a chairman of the board, a chief executive officer, a president, a chief financial officer, a secretary and a treasurer and may include a vice chairman of the board, one or more vice presidents, a chief operating officer, one or more assistant secretaries and one or more assistant treasurers. In addition, the Board of Directors may from time to time appoint such other officers with such powers and duties as they shall deem necessary or desirable. The officers of the Corporation shall be elected annually by the Board of Directors at the first meeting of the Board of Directors held after each annual meeting of stockholders, except that the chief executive officer may appoint one or more vice presidents, assistant secretaries and assistant treasurers. If the election of officers shall not be held at such meeting, such election shall be held as soon thereafter as may be convenient. Each officer shall hold office until his successor is elected and qualifies or until his death, resignation or removal in the manner hereinafter provided. Any two or more offices except president and vice president may be held by the same person. In its discretion, the Board of Directors may leave unfilled any office except that of chief executive officer, treasurer and secretary. Election of an officer or agent shall not of itself create contract rights between the Corporation and such officer or agent.

 

Section 2.          REMOVAL AND RESIGNATION. Any officer or agent of the Corporation may be removed by the Board of Directors if in its judgment the best interests of the Corporation would be served thereby, but such removal shall be without prejudice to the contract rights, if any, of the person so removed. Any officer of the Corporation may resign at any time by giving written notice of his resignation to the Board of Directors, the chairman of the board (or any co-chairman of the board if more than one), the chief executive officer or the secretary. Any resignation shall take effect at any time subsequent to the time specified therein or, if the time when it shall become effective is not specified therein, immediately upon its receipt. The acceptance of a resignation shall not be necessary to make it effective unless otherwise stated in the resignation.

 

Section 3.          VACANCIES. A vacancy in any office may be filled by the Board of Directors for the balance of the term.

 

Section 4.          CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER. The Board of Directors shall designate a chief executive officer. In the absence of such designation, the chairman of the board (or, if more than one, the co-chairmen of the board in the order designated at the time of their election or, in the absence of any designation, then in the order of their election) shall be the chief executive officer of the Corporation. The chief executive officer shall have general responsibility for implementation of the policies of the Corporation, as determined by the Board of Directors, and for the management of the business and affairs of the Corporation.

 

Section 5.          CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER. The Board of Directors may designate a chief operating officer. The chief operating officer shall have the responsibilities and duties as set forth by the Board of Directors or the chief executive officer.

 

Section 6.          CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER. The Board of Directors may designate a chief financial officer. The chief financial officer shall have the responsibilities and duties as set forth by the Board of Directors or the chief executive officer.

 

Section 7.          CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD. The Board of Directors shall designate a chairman of the board (or one or more co-chairmen of the board). The chairman of the board shall preside over the meetings of the Board of Directors and of the stockholders at which he shall be present. If there be more than one, the co-chairmen designated by the Board of Directors will perform such duties. The chairman of the board shall perform such other duties as may be assigned to him or them by the Board of Directors.

 

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Section 8.          PRESIDENT. The president or chief executive officer, as the case may be, shall, in general, supervise and control all of the business and affairs of the Corporation. In the absence of a designation of a chief operating officer by the Board of Directors, the president shall be the chief operating officer. He may execute any deed, mortgage, bond, contract or other instrument, except in cases where the execution thereof shall be expressly delegated by the Board of Directors or by these Bylaws to some other officer or agent of the Corporation or shall be required by law to be otherwise executed; and in general shall perform all duties incident to the office of president and such other duties as may be prescribed by the Board of Directors from time to time.

 

Section 9.          VICE PRESIDENTS. In the absence of the president or in the event of a vacancy in such office, the vice president (or in the event there be more than one vice president, the vice presidents in the order designated at the time of their election or, in the absence of any designation, then in the order of their election) shall perform the duties of the president and when so acting shall have all the powers of and be subject to all the restrictions upon the president, and shall perform such other duties as from time to time may be assigned to him by the chief executive officer or by the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors may designate one or more vice presidents as executive vice president or as vice president for particular areas of responsibility.

 

Section 10.          SECRETARY. The secretary shall (a) keep the minutes of the proceedings of the stockholders, the Board of Directors and committees of the Board of Directors in one or more books provided for that purpose; (b) see that all notices are duly given in accordance with the provisions of these Bylaws or as required by law; (c) be custodian of the corporate records and of the seal of the Corporation; (d) keep a register of the post office address of each stockholder which shall be furnished to the secretary by such stockholder; (e) have general charge of the share transfer books of the Corporation; and (f) in general perform such other duties as from time to time may be assigned to him by the chief executive officer or by the Board of Directors.

 

Section 11.          TREASURER. The treasurer shall have the custody of the funds and securities of the Corporation and shall keep full and accurate accounts of receipts and disbursements in books belonging to the Corporation and shall deposit all moneys and other valuable effects in the name and to the credit of the Corporation in such depositories as may be designated by the Board of Directors. In the absence of a designation of a chief financial officer by the Board of Directors, the treasurer shall be the chief financial officer of the Corporation.

 

The treasurer shall disburse the funds of the Corporation as may be ordered by the Board of Directors, taking proper vouchers for such disbursements, and shall render to the chief executive officer and the Board of Directors, at the regular meetings of the Board of Directors or whenever it may so require, an account of all his transactions as treasurer and of the financial condition of the Corporation.

 

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If required by the Board of Directors, the treasurer shall give the Corporation a bond in such sum and with such surety or sureties as shall be satisfactory to the Board of Directors for the faithful performance of the duties of his office and for the restoration to the Corporation, in case of his death, resignation, retirement or removal from office, all books, papers, vouchers, moneys and other property of whatever kind in his possession or under his control belonging to the Corporation.

 

Section 12.          ASSISTANT SECRETARIES AND ASSISTANT TREASURERS. The assistant secretaries and assistant treasurers, in general, shall perform such duties as shall be assigned to them by the secretary or treasurer, respectively, or by the chief executive officer or the Board of Directors. The assistant treasurers shall, if required by the Board of Directors, give bonds for the faithful performance of their duties in such sums and with such surety or sureties as shall be satisfactory to the Board of Directors.

 

Section 13.          SALARIES. The salaries of the officers shall be fixed from time to time by the Board of Directors and no officer shall be prevented from receiving such salary by reason of the fact that he is also a director.

 

Article VI

 

CONTRACTS, LOANS, CHECKS AND DEPOSITS

 

Section 1.          CONTRACTS. The Board of Directors may authorize any officer or agent to enter into any contract or to execute and deliver any instrument in the name of and on behalf of the Corporation and such authority may be general or confined to specific instances. Any agreement, deed, mortgage, lease or other document executed by one or more of the directors or by an authorized person shall be valid and binding upon the Board of Directors and upon the Corporation when authorized or ratified by action of the Board of Directors.

 

Section 2.          CHECKS AND DRAFTS. All checks, drafts or other orders for the payment of money, notes or other evidences of indebtedness issued in the name of the Corporation shall be signed by such officer or officers, agent or agents of the Corporation and in such manner as shall from time to time be determined by the Board of Directors.

 

Section 3.          DEPOSITS. All funds of the Corporation not otherwise employed shall be deposited from time to time to the credit of the Corporation in such banks, trust companies or other depositories as the Board of Directors may designate.

 

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Article VII

 

STOCK

 

Section 1.          CERTIFICATES. Each stockholder shall be entitled to a certificate or certificates which shall represent and certify the number of shares of each class of stock held by him in the Corporation. Each certificate shall be signed by the chief executive officer, the president or a vice president and countersigned by the secretary or an assistant secretary or the treasurer or an assistant treasurer and may be sealed with the seal, if any, of the Corporation. The signatures may be either manual or facsimile. Certificates shall be consecutively numbered and if the Corporation shall, from time to time, issue several classes of stock, each class may have its own number series. A certificate is valid and may be issued whether or not an officer who signed it is still an officer when it is issued. Each certificate representing shares which are restricted to as their transferability or voting powers, which are preferred or limited as to their dividends or as to their allocable portion of the assets upon liquidation or which are redeemable at the option of the Corporation, shall have a statement of such restriction, limitation, preference or redemption provision, or a summary thereof, plainly stated on the certificate. In lieu of such statement or summary, the Corporation may set forth upon the face or back of the certificate a statement that the Corporation will furnish to any stockholder, upon request and without charge, a full statement of such information.

 

Section 2.          TRANSFERS. Upon surrender to the Corporation or the transfer agent of the Corporation of a stock certificate duly endorsed or accompanied by proper evidence of succession, assignment or authority to transfer, the Corporation shall issue a new certificate to the person entitled thereto, cancel the old certificate and record the transaction upon its books.

 

The Corporation shall be entitled to treat the holder of record of any share of stock as the holder in fact thereof and, accordingly, shall not be bound to recognize any equitable or other claim to or interest in such share on the part of any other person, whether or not it shall have express or other notice thereof, except as otherwise provided by the laws of the State of Maryland.

 

Notwithstanding the foregoing, transfers of shares of any class of stock will be subject in all respects to the Charter and all of the terms and conditions contained therein.

 

Section 3.          LOST CERTIFICATE. The Board of Directors (or any officer designated by it) may direct a new certificate to be issued in place of any certificate previously issued by the Corporation alleged to have been lost, stolen or destroyed upon the making of an affidavit of that fact by the person claiming the certificate to be lost, stolen or destroyed. When authorizing the issuance of a new certificate, the Board of Directors may, in its discretion and as a condition precedent to the issuance thereof, require the owner of such lost, stolen or destroyed certificate or his legal representative to advertise the same in such manner as they shall require and/or to give bond, with sufficient surety, to the Corporation to indemnify it against any loss or claim which may arise as a result of the issuance of a new certificate.

 

Section 4.          CLOSING OF TRANSFER BOOKS OR FIXING OF RECORD DATE. The Board of Directors may set, in advance, a record date for the purpose of determining stockholders entitled to notice of or to vote at any meeting of stockholders, or stockholders entitled to receive payment of any dividend or the allotment of any other rights or in order to make a determination of stockholders for any other proper purpose. Such date, in any case, shall not be prior to the close of business on the date the record date is fixed and shall be not more than ninety (90) days and, in the case of a meeting of stockholders, not less than ten (10) days, before the date on which the meeting or particular action requiring such determination of stockholders is to be held or taken.

 

In lieu of fixing a record date, the Board of Directors may provide that the stock transfer books shall be closed for a stated period but not longer than twenty (20) days. If the stock transfer books are closed for the purpose of determining stockholders entitled to notice of or to vote at a meeting of stockholders, such books shall be closed for at least ten (10) days before the date of such meeting.

 

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If no record date is fixed and the stock transfer books are not closed for the determination of stockholders, (a) the record date for the determination of stockholders entitled to notice of or to vote at a meeting of stockholders shall be at the close of business on the date on which the notice of meeting is mailed or the 30th day before the meeting, whichever is the closer date to the meeting; and (b) the record date for the determination of stockholders entitled to receive payment of a dividend or an allotment of any other rights shall be the close of business on the day on which the resolution of the directors, declaring the dividend or allotment of rights, is adopted.

 

When a determination of stockholders entitled to vote at any meeting of stockholders has been made as provided in this section, such determination shall apply to any adjournment thereof, except when (i) the determination has been made through the closing of the transfer books and the stated period of closing has expired or (ii) the meeting is adjourned to a date more than 120 days after the record date fixed for the original meeting, in either of which case a new record date shall be determined as set forth herein.

 

Section 5.          STOCK LEDGER. The Corporation shall maintain at its principal office or at the office of its counsel, accountants or transfer agent, an original or duplicate share ledger containing the name and address of each stockholder and the number of shares of each class held by such stockholder.

 

Section 6.          FRACTIONAL STOCK; ISSUANCE OF UNITS. The Board of Directors may issue fractional stock or provide for the issuance of scrip, all on such terms and under such conditions as they may determine. Notwithstanding any other provision of the Charter or these Bylaws, the Board of Directors may issue units consisting of different securities of the Corporation. Any security issued in a unit shall have the same characteristics as any identical securities issued by the Corporation, except that the Board of Directors may provide that for a specified period securities of the Corporation issued in such unit may be transferred on the books of the Corporation only in such unit.

 

Section 7.          EXEMPTION FROM CONTROL SHARE ACQUISITION STATUTE. Notwithstanding any other provision of the Charter or these Bylaws, Title 3, Subtitle 7 of the MGCL (or any successor statute) shall not apply to any acquisition by any person of shares of stock of the Corporation. This section may be repealed, in whole or in part, at any time, whether before or after an acquisition of control shares and, upon such repeal, may, to the extent provided by any successor bylaw, apply to any prior or subsequent control share acquisition.

 

Article VIII

 

ACCOUNTING YEAR

 

The Board of Directors shall have the power, from time to time, to fix the fiscal year of the Corporation by a duly adopted resolution, and, in the absence of such resolution, the fiscal year shall be the period ending December 31.

 

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Article IX

 

DISTRIBUTIONS

 

Section 1.          AUTHORIZATION. Dividends and other distributions upon the stock of the Corporation may be authorized and declared by the Board of Directors, subject to the provisions of law and the Charter. Dividends and other distributions may be paid in cash, property or stock of the Corporation, subject to the provisions of law and the Charter.

 

Section 2.          CONTINGENCIES. Before payment of any dividends or other distributions, there may be set aside out of any funds of the Corporation available for dividends or other distributions such sum or sums as the Board of Directors may from time to time, in its absolute discretion, think proper as a reserve fund for contingencies, for equalizing dividends or other distributions, for repairing or maintaining any property of the Corporation or for such other purposes as the Board of Directors shall determine to be in the best interest of the Corporation, and the Board of Directors may modify or abolish any such reserve in the manner in which it was created.

 

Article X

 

INVESTMENT POLICY

 

Subject to the provisions of the Charter, the Board of Directors may from time to time adopt, amend, revise or terminate any policy or policies with respect to investments by the Corporation as it shall deem appropriate in its sole discretion.

 

Article XI

 

SEAL

 

Section 1.          SEAL. The Board of Directors may authorize the adoption of a seal by the Corporation. The seal shall have inscribed thereon the name of the Corporation and the year of its organization. The Board of Directors may authorize one or more duplicate seals and provide for the custody thereof.

 

Section 2.          AFFIXING SEAL. Whenever the Corporation is permitted or required to affix its seal to a document, it shall be sufficient to meet the requirements of any law, rule or regulation relating to a seal to place the word “(SEAL)” adjacent to the signature of the person authorized to execute the document on behalf of the Corporation.

 

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Article XII

 

INDEMNIFICATION and advance of expenses

 

To the maximum extent permitted by Maryland law in effect from time to time, the Corporation shall indemnify and, without requiring a preliminary determination of the ultimate entitlement to indemnification, shall pay or reimburse reasonable expenses in advance of final disposition of a proceeding to (a) any individual who is a present or former director or officer of the Corporation and who is made or threatened to be made a party to the proceeding by reason of his or her service in that capacity or (b) any individual who, while a director or officer of the Corporation and at the request of the Corporation, serves or has served as a director, officer, partner, member, manager, trustee, employee or agent of another corporation, real estate investment trust, partnership, limited liability company, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise and who is made or threatened to be made a party to the proceeding by reason of his or her service in that capacity. The rights to indemnification and advance of expenses provided by the Charter and these Bylaws shall vest immediately upon election or appointment of a director or officer. The Corporation may, with the approval of its Board of Directors, provide such indemnification and advance for expenses to an individual who served a predecessor of the Corporation in any of the capacities described in (a) or (b) above and to any employee or agent of the Corporation or a predecessor of the Corporation. The indemnification and payment or reimbursement of expenses provided in these Bylaws shall not be deemed exclusive of or limit in any way other rights to which any person seeking indemnification or payment or reimbursement of expenses may be or may become entitled under any bylaw, resolution, insurance, agreement or otherwise.

 

Neither the amendment nor repeal of this Article XII, nor the adoption or amendment of any other provision of the Charter or these Bylaws inconsistent with this Article XII, shall apply to or affect in any respect the applicability of the preceding paragraph of this Article XII with respect to any act or failure to act which occurred prior to such amendment, repeal or adoption.

 

Article XIII

 

WAIVER OF NOTICE

 

Whenever any notice is required to be given pursuant to the Charter or these Bylaws or pursuant to applicable law, a waiver thereof in writing, signed by the person or persons entitled to such notice, whether before or after the time stated therein, shall be deemed equivalent to the giving of such notice. Neither the business to be transacted at, nor the purpose of, any meeting need be set forth in the waiver of notice, unless specifically required by statute. The attendance of any person at any meeting shall constitute a waiver of notice of such meeting, except where such person attends a meeting for the express purpose of objecting to the transaction of any business on the ground that the meeting is not lawfully called or convened.

 

Article XIV

 

AMENDMENT OF BYLAWS

 

The Board of Directors shall have the power to adopt, alter or repeal any provision of these Bylaws and to make new Bylaws. In addition,, the stockholders of the Corporation may alter or repeal any provision of these Bylaws and adopt new Bylaws if any such alteration, repeal or adoption is approved by the affirmative vote of a majority of all votes entitled to be cast by the stockholders on the matter, except that the stockholders shall not have the power to alter or repeal Article XII or this Article XIV or adopt any provision of these Bylaws inconsistent with Article XII or this Article XIV without the approval of the Board of Directors.

 

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Effective: December 10, 2021

 

  21  

 

Exhibit 3.3

 

ELEVENTH AMENDMENT

 

TO

 

SECOND AMENDED AND RESTATED AGREEMENT OF LIMITED PARTNERSHIP

 

OF

 

MACK-CALI REALTY, L.P.

 

THIS ELEVENTH AMENDMENT TO SECOND AMENDED AND RESTATED AGREEMENT OF LIMITED PARTNERSHIP OF MACK-CALI REALTY, L.P. (the “Tenth Amendment”), effective as of December 10, 2021, to that certain Second Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership, dated as of December 11, 1997, as amended through the date hereof (collectively, the “Agreement”), of Mack-Cali Realty, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership (the “Partnership”). Capitalized terms used herein but not defined herein shall have the meanings given such terms in the Agreement.

 

RECITALS

 

WHEREAS, effective as of December 10, 2021, the General Partner has effected a corporate name change of the General Partner to Veris Residential, Inc. and a corporate name change of the Partnership to Veris Residential, L.P.; and

 

WHEREAS, Section 16.2(c) of the Agreement provides that the General Partner has the power, without the consent of the Limited Partners, to amend the Agreement as may be required to effect the change of the corporate names of the General Partner and the Partnership; and

 

WHEREAS, the General Partner has made the determination pursuant to, and as permitted by, Section 16.2(c) of the Agreement that consent of the Limited Partners is not required with respect to the matters set forth in this Eleventh Amendment and the amendment of the Agreement; and

 

WHEREAS, the General Partner desires to so amend the Partnership Agreement as of December 10, 2021.

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing, the mutual promises contained herein and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which is hereby acknowledged, the General Partner on behalf of itself and the Limited Partners, intending to be legally bound, hereby agrees to make the following amendment to the Agreement, effective as of the date first written above:

 

1.            All references to “Mack-Cali Realty, L.P.” in the title of the Agreement and the recitals to the Agreement are hereby deleted and replaced with “Veris Residential, L.P.”

 

2.            All references to “Mack-Cali Realty Corporation” in the title of the Agreement and the recitals to the Agreement are hereby deleted and replaced with “Veris Residential, Inc.”

 

3.            The definition of “General Partner” in Article 1 of the Agreement is hereby deleted and amended and restated in its entirety as follows:

 

“General Partner” shall mean Veris Residential, Inc., a Maryland corporation, and any substitute or additional General Partner(s) duly admitted pursuant to the terms of this Agreement, or, where the context so requires, any successor General Partner(s) acting pursuant to the provisions of this Agreement.”

 

  1  
 

 

4.            Article 3, Section 3.1 of the Agreement is hereby deleted and amended and restated in its entirety as follows:

 

“3.1 Name. The business of the Partnership is currently being conducted under the name of "Veris Residential, L.P."”

 

5.            Article 3, Section 3.2 of the Agreement is hereby deleted and amended and restated in its entirety as follows:

 

“3.1 Name. The business of the Partnership is currently being conducted under the name of "Veris Residential, L.P."”

 

6.            Except as expressly amended hereby, the Agreement shall remain in full force and effect.

 

[Signature Page Follows]

 

  2  
 

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, this Eleventh Amendment to the Partnership Agreement is executed and delivered as of the date first written above.

 

  MACK-CALI REALTY CORPORATION, a Maryland Corporation
     
  By: /s/ Gary T. Wagner
  Name: Gary T. Wagner
  Title: General Counsel and Secretary

 

   
  MACK-CALI REALTY, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership
       
  By: Mack-Cali Realty Corporation,
    its general partner
     
    By: /s/ Gary T. Wagner
    Name: Gary T. Wagner
    Title: General Counsel and Secretary

 

  3  

Exhibit 99.1

 

MACK-CALI BECOMES VERIS RESIDENTIAL

 

New Brand Aligns with New Strategic Direction, Corporate Values and Evolution into an
Environmentally- and Socially-Conscious, Forward-Thinking Multifamily Company

 

Important Next Step in Transformation into Immersive, Responsible and Holistically-Inspired

Pure-Play Multifamily REIT Focused on Driving Long-Term Shareholder Value

 

JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY, December 7, 2021 – Mack-Cali Realty Corporation (NYSE: CLI) today announced that it has rebranded to Veris Residential, Inc. reflecting the company’s new strategic direction and corporate values as it transitions into a pure-play multifamily REIT and seeks to generate long-term value for shareholders. The company will continue to be publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange and will do so under its new name and new ticker symbol, VRE, effective as of December 10, 2021.

 

Over the past several months, Mack-Cali has made significant progress in achieving its strategic objectives of simplifying its business, strengthening its balance sheet, and enhancing its operational platform. This progress has included over $1 billion of suburban asset sales, the repayment of all corporate level recourse debt, an extensive internal reorganization resulting in $5 million of run-rate cash expense savings, and a renewed commitment to ESG best practices. As a result, the company is now less than a handful of office assets away from transitioning into a pure-play multifamily company in growth markets across the Northeast, building upon the strong leasing momentum of its residential portfolio. Under its new brand ethos, the company will be dedicated to meeting the sustainability-conscious lifestyle needs of its residents by operating in a socially, ethically, and environmentally responsible manner, while seeking to maximize value for all stakeholders.

 

Mahbod Nia, Chief Executive Officer, said, “Since the establishment of our ESG committee in July 2020, the Board of Directors and management team have worked tirelessly to intricately weave environmental and social considerations into the fabric of the company, serving as a compass to inform our current and future decision-making. Our new brand, Veris Residential, encapsulates our responsible, transparent, and forward-thinking approach, underpinned by a unified culture grounded in equality and meritocratic empowerment. I look forward to leading the company through this next phase of its evolution and building upon our strong momentum this year to continue generating long-term value for our shareholders while positively impacting our residents and the communities we serve.”

 

The company’s current multifamily portfolio has a sector-leading average property age of only 7 years. Energy efficiency and other environmental considerations have already been integrated into many existing properties and development projects, positioning the portfolio to deliver competitive growth over time. Additionally, in conjunction with its rebrand, the company has begun implementing a number of initiatives at the property and corporate levels that align with its core values, including:

 

Formally endorsing global sustainability initiatives, such as the Ten Principles of the United Nations Global Compact and the Climate Group’s EV 100 (the first U.S. real estate company to do so).

 

Enhancing support for diverse and all-inclusive communities, including increasing gender and ethnic diversity within the company and Board of Directors, establishing employee affinity groups, introducing company wide diversity training, and becoming a signatory of the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion Pledge and the UN Women Empowerment Principles.

 

 

 

 

Reducing its overall carbon footprint by establishing thoughtfully-designed new developments, a number of which have received LEED certifications; upgrading building management systems to include smart meters and thermostats as well as remote energy conservation via mobile devices; and considering further ways to mitigate the carbon footprint of existing properties. The company has also adopted 100% renewable electricity within its office headquarters and across the communal areas within its multifamily portfolio.

 

Adopting cutting-edge technology to improve energy consumption by partnering with like-minded organizations that help enhance the resident experience with smart meter technology and by arming employees with the necessary tools to deliver outperformance.

 

Improving the health and wellbeing of its residents and employees, including earning WELL Health and Safety certification across its multifamily properties earlier this year and selectively piloting a number of sustainable technologies, including hydroponic vegetable planting and net zero drinking water solutions, in addition to a wide range of in-place health and wellbeing initiatives.

 

Implementing a flexible, hybrid working structure that ensures the company continues to attract and retain experienced, curious, and passionate team members dedicated to helping Veris Residential continue to achieve success.

 

Continuing to maintain a deep connection with the residents and communities it serves by aligning with national and local organizations that share its values. Veris Residential is proud to partner with national organizations, including Habitat for Humanity, American Red Cross, and the National Forest Foundation while supporting local communities through philanthropic initiatives with Jersey City Medical Center, New City Kids, Boys & Girls Clubs, among others.

 

Tammy K. Jones, Board Chair, added, “The decision to reposition Mack-Cali as Veris Residential is an important milestone following the transformative steps the company has taken since the reconstitution of the Board of Directors. As we look ahead, we remain committed to maximizing long-term value for our shareholders while also strategically managing evolving ESG risks and opportunities. This integrated approach to the way we conduct our business – one that acknowledges the importance of all stakeholders, strong corporate governance as well as its responsibility to the communities we serve and the planet we inhabit – will be a strong competitive advantage and position Veris for future growth and success.”

 

About Veris Residential, Inc.

Veris Residential, Inc. is a forward-thinking, environmentally- and socially-conscious real estate investment trust (REIT) that primarily owns, operates, acquires, and develops holistically-inspired, Class A multifamily properties that meet the sustainability-conscious lifestyle needs of today’s residents while seeking to positively impact the communities it serves and the planet at large. The company is guided by an experienced management team and Board of Directors and is underpinned by leading corporate governance principles, a best-in-class and sustainable approach to operations, and an inclusive culture based on equality and meritocratic empowerment. For additional information on Veris Residential, Inc. and our properties available for lease, please visit http://www.verisresidential.com/.

 

 

 

 

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements made in this communication may be forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "may," "will," "plan," "potential," "projected," "should," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "target," "continue," or comparable terminology. Such forward-looking statements are inherently subject to certain risks, trends and uncertainties, many of which the Company cannot predict with accuracy and some of which the Company might not even anticipate and involve factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those projected or suggested. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements and are advised to consider the factors listed above together with the additional factors under the heading "Disclosure Regarding Forward-Looking Statements" and "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K, as may be supplemented or amended by the Company's Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, which are incorporated herein by reference. The Company assumes no obligation to update or supplement forward-looking statements that become untrue because of subsequent events, new information or otherwise, except as required under applicable law.

 

Media Contact:

Amanda Shpiner/Grace Cartwright

Gasthalter & Co.

212-257-4170

Veris-Residential@gasthalter.com